The Final Score - Your source for Big Ten Sports

Monday Morning QB ...
Just another hum-drum weekend in college football. Okay, so I lie! I cannot remember a weekend with as much drama as we experienced Saturday. Texas gets a break at Nebraska, almost loses their own fumble and then rides the leg of a walk-on to a huge road win. Tennessee overcomes a game full of struggles while knocking on the Alabama door and holds off the Crimson Tide. Washington connects on a Hail Mary to force overtime and then throws a pick to help Cal survive. Notre Dame does little offensively all day, and then drives 80 yards in three plays late and shocks UCLA in South Bend. Oh and in the Big Ten there was that little comeback by the team even I (the eternal glass is more than half-full optimist) had quit on.

Anyone who follows college football and saw the third quarter MSU-NU score (38-3) flash across the screen probably had to be pinched, kicked, slapped (JLS style) when they flipped on ESPN for Gameday later that night only to learn that Michigan State, the team known for blowing such leads, was on the winning end of an historic comeback. I know personally, I left the game at the half for my son's soccer game (his coach kicked for Northwestern, so you can guess how I felt!) and vowed not to go to another game all season. Then a fellow Spartan told me the news; "Michigan State has cut the lead to 38-31 and is driving." No way, now how. Not my Spartans. A few minutes later it was tied up and we'd picked off a pass. I got in the car in time to listen to Brett Swenson make the short field goal that gave the green and white the greatest 1-A comeback in history. I'm still floored by it. I just hope that things turn as right on this as they did wrong after the Notre Dame debacle...

Elsewhere, Ohio State cruised. Michigan overcame ultra-conservative play to hold off a game Iowa squad. The two are now 1-2 in the BCS ratings, which barring an epic collapse should set up the best game ever in the historic rivlary. Wisconsin dominated Purdue and is clearly the third best team in the conference. Penn State was sloppy but got back to winning ways with a win over the Illini. Minnesota had to block a field goal late to avoid the third Big Ten loss at the hands of a highly rated 1-AA team this year. Yep, just another ho-hum weekend of football in October.

Team of the Week...
Michigan and Ohio State are the obvious choices but of course the honor has to go to the Spartans. Biggest comeback in 1-A history. A possible season saving, job saving, turn around win for the ages.

Player of the Week...
It would be easy to give it to Ginn or Smith or even Michael Hart or the Wisconsin defense. But my game ball goes to the beaten and battered Drew Stanton. Stanton overcame more injuries against Northwestern to lead the epic comeback win for Michigan State.

Get Gamm status...
All but two went a perfect 6-0 this weekend and one nailed the point differential in the Michigan - Iowa contest to take the tiebreaker. This week's winner is Northwestern fan flakcat. Flak, I feel for you with the loss, but at least you won Get Gamm.

1 - mayo170: 53-11 (.828)
T2 - Buckeye Nation: 52-12 (.813) - 3 GG Wins
T2 - Dan Meyer: 52-12 (.813) - 2 GG Wins
T2 - andrewj1313: 52-12 (.813)
T5 - flakcat: 51-13 (.797) - 1 GG Win
T5 - phatsdawg: 51-13 (.797)
7 - Gamm: 50-14 (.781) - 1 GG Win
8 - BigTenSportsFan: 48-16 (.750) - 1 GG Win
9 - PUFan: 30-12 (.714)

This week's slate:
Illinois at Wisconsin
Michigan State at Indiana
Northern Illinois at Iowa
Northwestern at Michigan
Minnesota at Ohio State
Penn State at Purdue (Tiebreaker)