Nebraska's upset loss at the hands of Northwestern in Week 10 has turned the Big 10's Legends Division upside down. The Cornhuskers now find themselves tied for second with the Michigan Wolverines and Iowa Hawkeyes at 3-2, leaving the division in the control of the 4-1 Michigan State Spartans. The Spartans now only need to win out to reach the Big 10's inaugural title game, but if they do slip up, things will likely get very, very complicated. For now just know that Michigan State is in the driver's seat, but their game this coming Saturday on the road against Iowa could potentially throw the entire division off its tracks.
In the Leaders Division, Penn State (8-1, 5-0) seemingly has a comfortable two game lead with three to play, but the Nittany Lions— who end the season with Nebraska, Ohio State and Wisconsin— are about to embark on the conference's version of scaling Mt. Everest. The Buckeyes, who sit alongside the Badgers at 3-2, have the head-to-head advantage over Wisconsin, and may be in the best position to take the division. If Penn State drops two of those daunting three games and Ohio State wins out, the Buckeyes will find themselves in Indianapolis. There's plenty of other scenarios though, and it's likely that this race may get much more complicated before it gets clearer.
Heading into Week 11, here are the current Big 10 standings:
Legends Division
- Michigan State: 4-1, 7-2
- Michigan: 3-2, 7-2
- Nebraska: 3-2, 7-2
- Iowa: 3-2, 6-3
- Northwestern: 2-4, 4-5
- Minnesota: 1-4, 2-7
- Penn State: 5-0, 8-1
- Wisconsin: 3-2, 7-2
- Ohio State: 3-2, 6-3
- Illinois: 2-3, 6-3
- Purdue: 2-3, 4-5
- Indiana: 0-6, 1-9
Leaders Division