Wha Happened? Week Eight

Let's start right out: Hey, wha happened?

Penn State 46 - Michigan 17

Penn State exorcises a decade worth of demons, and the Michigan catastROFL continues unabated.

The LOLverines were actually leading by 10 with a minute left in the first half, and the tension in Beaver Stadium was oozing out of my television.  It was then that Penn State took it 60 yards in 2:00, capped by a 3-yard Jordan Norwood touchdown reception, and the momentum shifted permanently.  Penn State took the lead on a safety in the third, and capped things with a spread-covering bomb to Stephfon Greene.

Clark was meh (18/31, 171, 1 TD), but the story of the day was Evan Royster, who ran for 174 yards on 18 carries and tacked on 13 yards on 3 receptions.  It only reinforces why this might be the best team in the country; when Royster was bottled up by Wisconsin, Clark and the receivers beat the Badgers in 17 different ways.  When Michigan limited the pass, Royster ran through the defense at nearly 10 yards per carry.  They have a myriad of weapons, and they use them as effectively as any team in college football.

Ohio State 45 - Michigan State 7

It's not very often a 45-7 win wasn't as close as the score indicates.  The Buckeyes forced five turnovers and, after an early injury knocked out Brian Hoyer, limited Heisman Trophy contender* Javon Ringer to 67 yards.  Terrelle Pryor completed just 7 passes on only 11 attempts, but Beanie Wells rushed for 140 and Pryor added in another 72.  If you're going to beat the Pryor version of Ohio State, you have to force them to put it in the air.  With a monster line who were recently roused from a season-long hibernation, that might be easier said than done.

Michigan State, on the other hand, is one inexplicable loss to Michigan away from the Annual Michigan State Mid-October Death Spiral (as so effectively chronicled this week at The Only Game That Matters).  You can take the Michigan State out of John L Smith, but you can't take the John L Smith out of Michigan State.

* -- ROFLOLMAO

Illinois 55 - Indiana 13

Illinois switches backs (from the comically inept Daniel Dufrene to the blatantly stolen Jason Ford) and the offense comes alive like it's Peter Fucking Frampton.  Ford rushed for 172 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries.  Juice Williams added 271 yards passing on 22 attempts and another 30 yards rushing.  Part of was due to the fact that they were playing Indiana, to be sure, but Illinois might be finding the keys to the car right before Iowa comes to town.  It's going to be one hell of a game.

Northwestern 48 - Purdue 28

Curtis Painter 2008 looks disturbingly similar to Curtis Painter 2006.  The Boilers outgained the Worst 6-1 Team In The History Of Organized Football, but his 273 passing yards were nullified by three interceptions, two of which gave Northwestern the ball inside the Purdue 12.  His likely successor, Joey Elliott, looked even worse.

As for Northwestern, every game is more incomprehensible than the one before.  But if two is a coincidence and three is a pattern, what is seven out of eight?

(Photo credits: Associated Press)