B1G Numbers: Wisconsin is a Machine, Interceptions fuel the Hawkeyes

Another week, another round of games that yield some interesting numbers to get us through yet another mundane Tuesday. As the Big Ten season winds down, here are some numbers I pulled as a result of this past week’s games.

Zero

This is how many interceptions Iowa had against Purdue. It was the third time this season the Hawkeyes have failed to log at least one pick in a game. Iowa lost the other two games -- against Northwestern and Michigan State -- as well. All three losses were by single-digits. The Hawkeyes had logged eight interceptions in the three games leading up to the Purdue loss. Iowa is 6-2 when they it gets an interception and 0-3 when it doesn’t.

As you know, Iowa plays Nebraska on Friday. Husker quarterback Tanner Lee has thrown 13 interceptions in 2017. He’s gone two weeks without tossing a pick, but his errant throws have come in bunches this season. The stats say that if Iowa can get one extra possession as a result of an interception, the Hawkeyes have a pretty good shot at winning in Lincoln.

17

This is how many points Wisconsin scored in the second half of its win against Michigan. The Badgers did what they have done 10 other times this season: wear teams down in the first half and pull away in the second. Those 17 second-half points would have been enough to beat or tie seven Big Ten teams this past weekend. Good for the Badgers — bad for the Big Ten.

56

This is how many points Nebraska gave up to Penn State on Saturday. It was the second-consecutive game where a team has dropped a 50-burger on the Huskers and the third time it has happened this season. Nebraska has given up more points than any other Big Ten team this season, with 381. That’s nearly five touchdowns per game.

Three

This is how many seasons Jim Harbaugh has now failed to lead his Michigan Wolverines to a Top-2 finish in the Big Ten East division. In his three seasons in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines have finished 3rd, 3rd and now 4th respectively. Saturday’s loss to the Badgers locked the Wolverines into 4th place in 2017.

Two

This is how many Big Ten teams finished the season with undefeated home records. Wisconsin and Penn State were unbeatable at home in 2017. The last time the Nittany Lions dropped a home game was November 21st, 2015 -- exactly two years ago today. Wisconsin’s last home loss was on October 15th of 2016.

Illinois, Nebraska and Maryland are all at the other end of the spectrum in this category. Each of those teams has logged just two wins at home so far during the 2017 campaign.