Fansided

Big Ten Power Rankings: Week 14

By David Rouben

Nov 26, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Brutus Buckeye crowd surfs as fans surge onto the field following the win over the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Brutus Buckeye crowd surfs as fans surge onto the field following the win over the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 26, 2016; Bloomington, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers offensive lineman Wes Rogers (65) carries the Old Oaken Bucket to the locker room after the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium. Indiana defeats Purdue 26-24. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2016; Bloomington, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers offensive lineman Wes Rogers (65) carries the Old Oaken Bucket to the locker room after the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium. Indiana defeats Purdue 26-24. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

There were a couple of small victories worth celebrating for Boilermakers fans in this game. Rather than start strong and collapse in the second half, they hung tough against their in-state rivals. In forcing three turnovers, it was a surprisingly solid defensive performance, and Indiana didn’t take the lead for good until the last five minutes of the game.

And firing Darrell Hazell mid-season means that Purdue has a head start on the coaching search. Unlike LSU, their interim coach was never going to stay beyond this season. As much as Western Michigan doesn’t want to admit it, the lure of the Big Ten might be too great for PJ Fleck.

Of course, there are plenty of candidates beyond him, and whomever they hire should make Boilermakers fans excited. Although we should probably reserve judgement on that until we find out who it is.

After a tumultuous season, Maryland will be playing in a bowl game. Sure they were expected to beat Rutgers, and they wouldn’t have even been bowl eligible if not for a hilariously straightforward non-conference slate but getting the Terrapins from three wins to a bowl game in his first season is still a big achievement for DJ Durkin.

Rutgers actually didn’t make it easy. Gio Rescigno was efficient in throwing the ball, and they demonstrated some aggressive play calling. But special teams got Maryland over the top in this one; they returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown, and blocked an extra point.

Even though they’re going bowling, Maryland proved that they still belong in the lower echelon of the Big Ten. But they can still end their season strong by winning their bowl game and finishing above .500.

While Indiana is better than their record indicates, they’re also terribly inconsistent. A week after almost beating Michigan, they had to pull out all the stops to beat Purdue. Richard Lagow was extremely shoddy when he threw for only 117 yards and three interceptions but his defense more than made up for it by forcing four turnovers.

At the end of the day, Hoosiers fans are glad that the roller coaster season is over and that they’re going bowling. Long term, though, they have to think about taking the next step. Ultimately, giving Top 10 teams fits but coming up short while finishing with six or seven wins shouldn’t constitute as a successful season. They did improve greatly on defense under Tom Allen’s guidance, so they’re at least headed in the right direction.

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