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Big Ten CommunicationsPublished: 10/16/2023, Last updated: 4/23/2024
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Week 8 Football Release

BIG TEN FOOTBALL RELEASE - WEEK 8 | STANDINGS | MEDIA GUIDE

SCHEDULE | BIG TEN MAILING LIST | AVAILABILITY REPORTS

• Conference action continues this week, with six Big Ten divisional matchups. Maryland and Purdue will enjoy byes this week, with the complete schedule appearing to the right.

• Four Big Ten teams appear in the AP Poll this week. Michigan leads the conference at No. 2, followed by No. 3 Ohio State, No. 7 Penn State and No. 24 Iowa. The Big Ten (three teams) is the only conference with more than two teams ranked in the top-10 of the AP Poll. 

• A trio of Big Ten teams remain undefeated on the season, as Michigan is 7-0, while Ohio State and Penn State are 6-0. The Nittany Lions look to remain undefeated as they travel to Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday for a divisional battle against the Buckeyes at noon ET on FOX.

• Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State currently rank among the top 20 nationally in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The Wolverines lead the nation in scoring defense (6.7 points per game), while ranking No. 10 nationally in scoring offense (39.4 points per game). The Nittany Lions rank No. 2 nationally in scoring defense (8.0 points per game), while ranking 5th in scoring offense (44.3 points per game) and the Buckeyes rank No. 3 nationally in scoring defense (9.7 points per game), while ranking 20th in scoring offense (36.0 points per game).

• Four additional Big Ten teams rank in the top 25 in terms of scoring defense: Iowa (10th, 14.9 points per game), Rutgers (12th, 16.0 points per game), Wisconsin (21st, 17.8 points per game) and Maryland (24th, 18.6 points per game).

• Michigan and Michigan State meet this weekend in the Battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy, marking the 116th meeting in the all-time series. The Wolverines lead the all-time series, 72-38-5, and have won 27 of the last 44 games played between the two schools dating back to 1979.

• The Wolverines are averaging a scoring margin of +32.7 across their seven wins this season, the best figure in the country and one of three above 30 points per game (Penn State, Oklahoma). The Wolverines are one of four teams to rank top-10 in scoring offense (10th, 39.4 points per game) and scoring defense (first, 6.7 points per game) along with Oklahoma (fourth, eighth), Penn State (fifth, second), and Georgia (ninth, seventh).

• Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. recorded his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season, finishing with 105 yards on six catches and a touchdown in the Buckeyes’ 41-7 win at Purdue on Saturday. He went over 100 yards for the 11th time in his career, which passes Garrett Wilson and Michael Jenkins, and tied Chris Olave for the second-most by an Ohio State receiver. 

• Iowa’s Tory Taylor punted 10 times for a career-high 506 combined yards, averaging 50.6 yards per punt, in a 15-6 win against the Badgers. Half of his 10 punts were over 50 yards, including two 60+ yards (60 and 62) and six were downed inside the 20-yard line. None of his punts were touchbacks. His 10 punts equaled a personal best, while his 62-yard punt in the third quarter matched a season high. The Australia native ranks first in the conference and fourth in the country in average yards per punt (48.3). 

• Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State have all secured bowl eligibility by reaching six wins this season, while Maryland and Rutgers need just one more win to become eligible. The Big Ten will continue to feature the largest bowl lineup in conference history.

• Seven Big Ten Conference programs appear in the top 20 of the latest NCAA attendance rankings, including the nation’s top three schools: No. 1 Michigan (109,788 fans per game), No. 2 Penn State (108,921), No. 3 Ohio State (102,696), No. 12 Nebraska (87,041), No. 18 Wisconsin (75,732), No. 19 Michigan State (70,981) and No. 20 Iowa (69,250). Additionally, Big Ten teams own 11 of the top 15 single-game attendance highs this season, including the top eight spots.

• The 2023 Big Ten Football Championship Game will be played at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 2, at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium and will be televised nationally on FOX. The winner will earn the Amos Alonzo Stagg Championship Trophy and a chance to play in one of the six bowls that comprise the College Football Playoff.

• This season’s Playoff Semifinals will take place Monday, January 1, 2024, at the Allstate Sugar Bowl and the Rose Bowl. Houston will host the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, January 8, 2024, at NRG Stadium. The College Football Playoff matches the No. 1 ranked team vs. No. 4, and No. 2 vs. No. 3 in semifinal games that rotate annually among six bowl games – the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl Game.

• Twelve Big Ten Conference students are among the 201 semifinalists for the 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy. Now in its 34th year, the Campbell Trophy is presented annually to the nation’s top football scholar-athlete. Representing the Big Ten as this year’s Campbell Trophy semifinalists are Illinois’ Isaiah Williams, Indiana’s Trey Walker, Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa, Michigan’s Zak Zinter, Michigan State’s Maverick Hansen, Nebraska’s Brian Buschini, Northwestern’s Bryce Gallagher, Ohio State’s Cody Simon, Penn State’s Olu Fashanu, Purdue’s Gus Hartwig, Rutgers’ Mayan Ahanotu and Wisconsin’s Maema Njongmeta.

• The 2023 campaign will feature 99 All-Big Ten honorees (first-, second-, third-team or honorable mention) selected by either the coaches or the media last season, with Ohio State leading the way with 16 all-conference returnees. The East Division welcomes back 56 all-conference players, while the West returns 43. Illinois is the only West team with double-digit all-conference returnees with 10, while each team has at least one All-Big Ten performer returning. 

returning. 

Saturday, October 21, 2023 Football

Away

Home

Time

Location

Links

Penn State

Ohio State

12:00 P.M.

Columbus, Ohio (Conf.)

TV: FOX Stats Radio: Penn State Sports Network

Rutgers

Indiana

12:00 P.M.

Bloomington, Ind. (Conf.)

TV: BTN Stats Radio: Indiana Sports Radio Network Video

Wisconsin

Illinois

3:30 P.M.

Champaign, Ill. (Conf.)

TV: FS1 Stats Radio: Badger Sports Network

Minnesota

Iowa

3:30 P.M.

Iowa City, Iowa (Conf.)

TV: NBC Stats Video

Northwestern

Nebraska

3:30 P.M.

Lincoln, Neb. (Conf.)

TV: Big Ten Network Radio: WGN Radio 720

Michigan

Michigan State

7:30 P.M.

East Lansing, MI (Conf.)

TV: NBC Stats Radio: Spartan Media Network Video