Filip Rebraca had a major bounceback game, scoring only seven against Rutgers on Sunday. Today, the Soaring Serbian had a double double, totaling 20 points and 10 rebounds, as well as two dunks. But the most electric moments came from #20, who put up 20 points himself. Payton Sandfort splashed in five of his seven three point shots, with his most spectacular one leading to a six point play. An and-one dagger, plus a Northwestern technical foul, and Sandfort made all three free throws to secure his six. Kris Murray, Tony Perkins, and Connor McCaffery also had double digit points, making it five Hawkeyes on the night to hit that mark. 

For the Wildcats, guard Boo Buie led the charge with 20. Buie was on fire from mid-range, with his trademark spin-fade accounting for half of his points. Buie also added three assists, and was perfect from the charity stripe shooting 7-7. Guard Chase Audige helped his team out with 14 as well, and led his team in minutes played with 37. Forward Nick Martinelli was third on the team, with nine points, going three for three from the field.

The Cats started strong on defense, but broke down trying to limit Murray, which opened up major opportunities for Sandfort and Rebraca, leading the Hawkeyes to a 16 point victory. There was a time where Northwestern looked to break it open, as Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery got a technical foul and led to two free points. But they were unable to capitalize much further as Iowa took a commanding lead due to a stretch of five consecutive made field goals. Northwestern drops to 15-6 with the loss, and goes to 6-4 in the Big 10. 

This much needed victory for Iowa snaps Northwestern’s three game winning streak, as the Hawkeyes move to 14-8 and break .500 in the Big 10. The Hawks also scored the second most points against the Wildcats since their loss to Pitt on Nov. 28, 87-58. Fran McCaffery and his team will face off next against the Fighting Illini on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 1:30pm.

This game will be Iowa’s third straight home game, featuring a black and gold spirit theme. And on the 30th anniversary of Chris Street’s passing, as his jersey number hangs high in the rafters, it’s clear that #40 was watching this “W” with an everlasting smile on his face.

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1. Iowa in November is a very scary thing

Entering the game, Iowa had won three out of the last four match-ups against AP Top 5 teams, the lone loss to Penn State earlier this year. One team that has always seemed immune to Kinnick’s “voodoo” is the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes have only lost in Iowa City once in the last 30 years, losing in 2004, 33-7. What has always seemed as an easy road trip, turned into a house of horrors on Saturday for Urban Meyer and company. The Hawkeyes set the tone right away with Amani Hooker’s pick-six on the first play of the game. Nate Stanley was at his finest, completing 20 of 31 passes for 226 yards and five touchdowns, including one with Sam Hubbard grasping for his ankles.

Someone forgot to tell Nate Stanley that Sam Hubbard is a feared pass-rusher. #CoolCalmCollectedpic.twitter.com/6QqXABEQhS

— Brent Yarina (@BTNBrentYarina) November 6, 2017

Iowa’s defense made their presence known against Heisman-contender J.T. Barrett and made him look like a third-string quarterback for most of the day. Joshua Jackson had one of the most dominant games an Iowa defensive back has had in a long time. Jackson recorded three interceptions for the Hawkeyes, the last one possibly being a candidate for “Catch of the Year” in College Football.

Another one.

And this latest @HawkeyeFootball interception by Joshua Jackson might be the Pick Of The Year: pic.twitter.com/arsEEViZ84

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 4, 2017

November has always been the time that Kirk Ferentz coached Iowa teams perform at their best. Anyone who draws the Black and Gold in November should at the very least have great respect for them. Iowa travels to Madison on Saturday to face the undefeated Badgers, Paul Chryst will have to have his troops ready for the Hawkeyes.

2. Michigan State is back

Following the Spartans surprising 3-9 finish in 2016, many didn’t expect the Mark Dantonio and company to improve much in 2017. But as he’s done for most of his career in East Lansing, Dantonio has proved the doubters wrong. The Spartans are 7-2 following their upset win over #7 Penn State in a game that featured a three hour and 22 minute lightning delay. Those who stuck around saw freshman kicker Matt Coghlin drill a 34-yard field goal, dashing any remaining hope of Penn State’s playoff hopes.

Slip ‘N Slidin’ Spartans.

Go Green, Go White, let’s Go Home. @MSU_Football edges No. 7 Penn State with Matt Coghlin’s game-winner: pic.twitter.com/wIpxh7b8jh

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 4, 2017

Michigan State quarterback Ben Lewerke was slinging the ball left and right, completing 33 of 56 passes for 400 yards and two touchdowns. Junior receiver Felton Davis III had a monster game with 12 catchers for 181 yards and a touchdown, clearly becoming Lewerke’s favorite target. The Spartans next travel to Columbus to take on a beat up Ohio State team that is essentially a de facto division title elimination game. It should be a heavyweight fight for sure come Saturday.

3. Northwestern is Clutch

Another week, another overtime win for Pat Fitzgerald’s crew in Evanston, this time stunning Nebraska at Memorial Stadium. With their win over the Huskers, Northwestern became the first school in college football history to win three consecutive overtime games. All four Wildcat touchdowns came on the ground, as senior running back Justin Jackson carried the load for Northwestern. Jackson finished with 31 carries for 154 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Clayton Thorson finished with two rushing touchdowns, along with throwing for 243 yards.

Once again, Tanner Lee struggled for Nebraska. While he did throw two touchdowns, Lee also fired three interceptions, two of them going to Northwestern safety Kyle Quiero. The Husker running game was stagnant once again as running back Devine Ozigbo finished with 23 carries and 72 yards. Nebraska only finished with 112 yards rushing as a team. But this Northwestern team showed that they can answer the bell when called upon, as Thorson was able to lead the drives that tied and ultimately won the game. The Wildcats take on a stingy Purdue team next Saturday at Ryan Field.

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According to ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi, seven Big Ten teams are currently in the field of 68 for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. That is second only to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) who boasts ten as of Feb. 23.

For much of the season, the Big Ten has not been given a whole lot of national respect.

On Feb. 11, the NCAA Selection Committee released their first ever mid-season top-16 bracket to give fans a sneak peak of where teams were stacking up. Not one team from the Big Ten was listed in the bracket, despite having two teams (Wisconsin and Purdue) in the top 16 of the AP poll at the time.

Leaving out Wisconsin, a team ranked seventh in the AP poll, was a message to every team in the conference. The committee did not respect the best team in the conference, which meant they didn’t respect the conference as a whole.

Since then, conference play has picked up and upsets are becoming more likely. Minnesota has almost single-handedly brought the Big Ten back into the picture thanks to their current six-game winning streak. They are now one of three Big Ten teams listed as locks for the tournament, this according to ESPN’s Eamonn Brennan.

That means that for four of the seven teams currently in the field, and one that is still on the outside looking in, there is some work yet to be done.

Here’s a guide for how the Big Ten fairs as of now and what teams not considered locks need to do to find their way into the dance:

LOCKS: Wisconsin, Purdue, Minnesota

CURRENTLY IN:

MARYLAND – current 7-seed, 22-6 overall, 10-5 Big Ten (3^rd), SOS: 36, RPI: 22

It seems kind of absurd that a team who has been in the AP Top-25 for the last six weeks isn’t a lock to make the tournament, but that’s just how it is. The Terps have been hanging around the top of the league without ever really getting that statement win needed to solidify themselves as being legit. Their best two wins have both come on the road. One was at Minnesota before the Gophers caught fire, and the other at Northwestern who was without leading-scorer Scottie Lindsey. Currently on a two-game losing streak, they’ve lost four of their last six and are slowing down at the wrong time. However, their final three games of the regular season (vs. Iowa, @ Rutgers, vs. Michigan State) should result in wins. If Melo Trimble keeps shooting like he has been recently and the Terps win out, they should find themselves comfortably in the NCAA Tournament.

NORTHWESTERN – current 9-seed, 20-8 overall, 9-6 Big Ten (5^th), SOS: 66, RPI: 44

The boys in purple are eyeing the school’s first ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament, but the team has hit a rough patch as the season winds down.  After starting conference play 7-2, the Wildcats have lost four of their last six, and were without their leading scorer Scottie Lindsey for a significant chunk of that skid. They did beat Wisconsin in Madison during that time without Lindsey, and that win alone may be enough to elicit them getting an at-large bid. Two of their final three games are at home (Michigan, Purdue), and their one road game is at Indiana, who has lost seven of their last eight. Not the easiest schedule for the Wildcats to finish the regular season, but if they can win one of them and finish above .500 in conference play, that should be enough to punch their first ticket to the big dance.

MICHIGAN STATE – current 10-seed, 17-11 overall, 9-6 Big Ten (6^th), SOS: 14, RPI: 43

This season hasn’t gone as smoothly for the Spartans as they might have liked, but they’re still clinging to seat at the tournament table. Currently listed as one of Joe Lunardi’s “Last Four Byes,” there is little room for Sparty to falter as the season closes. Their tough non-conference schedule they always play is a plus for them, but they have very few good wins outside of East Lansing. In conference play, their longest winning streak was three games, which is true for their longest losing streak as well. You know what you’re going to get each night from Miles Bridges and his counterparts, and that eliminates any uncertainty the committee may have about the Spartans. Two of their final three games are against ranked opponents, including a home game against Wisconsin this weekend. If Sparty can find a way to beat the Badgers or win in College Park, Maryland in the season finale, that should be enough to give them the nod in the tournament.

MICHIGAN – current 9-seed, 18-10 overall, 8-7 Big Ten (7^th), SOS: 41, RPI: 52

The Wolverines have flown under the radar for most of this Big Ten season, but they’ve managed to do enough to be in the tournament as of now. Only one loss on the season to teams outside the RPI top 100, and that was an overtime defeat in Iowa City to the Hawkeyes (RPI: 112) in the Wolverines’ conference opener. Michigan sits just outside the top 50 in RPI, and has only gone 3-7 against the top 50 this season. But like their in-state rivals, the difficult schedule gives them brownie points for trying to compete with some of the top teams in the country. Five of their seven RPI top-50 losses came on the road, too. Derrick Walton, Jr. and company have struggled when away from Ann Arbor this season, and they will have to play two road games to finish out the season at Northwestern and Nebraska. This weekend, they host Purdue, which is a tough way to spend your final day in the Crisler Center before packing for the road. The Wolverines need to finish with at least one win in the stretch to maintain their positioning in the tournament, but a three-game skid could put them on the wrong side of the bubble.

IN THE HUNT:

INDIANA – currently not seeded, 15-13 overall, 5-10 Big Ten (13^th), SOS: 43, RPI: 101

Even though they’ve lost seven of their last eight and are second to last in the conference, the Hoosiers remain one of Joe Lunardi’s “Next Four Out” teams. Injuries have plagued Indiana after their season started out with so much promise. They beat Kansas in the season opener and North Carolina just a few games later. Both of those teams have legitimate chances of being 1-seeds in the tournament. However, the season shifted when they lost OG Anunoby for the season after knee surgery and missing James Blackmon, Jr. for an important four-game stretch didn’t help either. Playing 11 games versus the RPI top-50 helps their cause, but losing eight of them hurts. They also have two losses to teams outside of the RPI top-100 in Iowa and Indiana University-Purdue University For Wayne (RPI: 176). Despite the downward trend, the early success has been enough to keep them on the bubble. They likely will need to win at least two of their final three regular season games (vs. Northwestern, @ Purdue, @ Ohio State) and win at least one Big Ten tournament game if they want any chance of sneaking into the field of 68.

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This is not to say that the Hawkeyes played a perfect game. There were numerous bobbles and scares during the game, and it was not a shutout either. It was a very good performance though. The most important attribute of the Hawkeyes victory today was their ability to make big plays, i.e., their explosiveness.

The Hawks set the precedent for explosive plays during the opening kickoff. Jonathan Parker returned the kick for 54 yards, breaking into Wildcat territory. That return was coupled with a personal foul on the Wildcats to put the Hawkeyes on Northwestern’s 31 yard line for their first play from scrimmage. Iowa established early momentum by scoring just 1:45 into the game on an 8 yard carry from Mark Wesiman.

Iowa’s big plays of the day were enabled by their balanced running and passing attack.  All throughout the game the Hawks made big running plays by successfully executing important blocking assignments. Fullback John Kenny, left tackle Brandon Scherff, and the rest of the offensive line all had solid games allowing Mark Weisman and fellow running back Akrum Wadley to make big plays.

Weisman scored on the third drive of the game with yet another big 14 yard run, and Wadley looked maybe even more explosive with 26 and 23 yard runs being his two longest of the day. For the first time this season, Iowa had a 100 yard+ rusher, with Wadley going off for 106 yards.

What is most important about Iowa’s successful running game for the day was its ability to open up the Hawk’s play action pass attack. Jake Rudock threw for 239 yards on the day with quite a few long ones mixed in there. In the first quarter Rudock hit Matt Vandeberg for a 42 yard pass, and then on the following drive hit Kevonte Martin-Manley for another big 43 yard strike. The second quarter was just as explosive in the passing game which included a 31 yard touchdown pass from Rudock to Trevaun Smith.

The defense was not without big plays either. Defensive tackle Louis Tinca-Pasat had a career high of three sacks during the game to lead the Hawkeyes who finished the game with a team total of 5 sacks. Safety John Lowdermilk also came up big for the Hawks when he forced a fumble which was recovered by Iowa in the second quarter. All this while holding Northwestern to just 180 yards.

Even the special teams had a couple big plays. First off was the big opening kickoff return by Parker.  Marshall Koehn nailed a 48 yard field goal in the second drive of the game. Ben Niemann blocked a punt, recovered the ball, and scored to make it a complete team effort when it came to making big plays.

All in all, the Hawkeyes showed an explosiveness today that has been fleeting for the majority of the season. Hopefully they can carry the momentum, as they did all throughout the game today, into the Minnesota game next week.

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