COLUMBUS, Ohio - It was a somewhat boring week in the Big Ten outside of Ohio State's 38-7 win over Wisconsin. The other contenders in the conference (Penn State, Michigan and Minnesota) all handedly took care of buisness while the teams trying to turn their season around (Nebraska, Michigan State) floundered against better competition.

With some better conference matchups coming in the next few weeks, take a look at what happened around the Big Ten this week and see where the conference stands though nine weeks.

While this wasn't necessarily the most consiquential matchup for the Big Ten in week nine, it was certainly the closest and most competitive as it was the only Big Ten game to have a final score margine of one possession or fewer.

It was a back and forth game with Indiana quarterback Peyton Ramsey and Nebraska quarterback Noah Vedral going shot for shot throughout the contest.

Nebraska took an early 14-9 lead, but after a Cornhusker fumble, Indiana was able to take their first lead of the game before a two-minute drill by Nebraska gave them the lead going into the half.

Coming out of the locker room, Indiana scored on their second drive of the second half to take the lead once again 24-21, a lead that they would never reliniqush despite Nebraska's best effort.

Ramsey finished with a career high 351 passign yards, the majority of which went to receiver Whop Philyor who finished the game with a jaw-dropping 178 yards on 14 receptions.

For Nebraska, this was a disappointing loss and the type of game (along with Colorado) that Scott Frost needs to win in his second season to show that the team is actually improving. As it stands, the Cornhuskers sit at 4-4 with games remaining against Purdue and Maryland, so while it seems like Nebraska will finish with a better record than last season and even compete for bowl eligibility, the results against better competition this season have not been encouraging, especially considering the hype surrounding the program heading into the season.

On the flip side of things, give it up for Indiana. The Hoosiers are sitting pretty at 6-2 and bowl eligible in October for the first time since 1993. While they've mostly won the games they were supposed to and lose the games they were supposed to, getting things done against "okay" to "not great" teams is something the Hoosiers have struggled with in the past, so it's possible the program really is experiencing a turnaround behind head coach Tom Allen.

This game was never really in doubt with Penn State going up 21-0 before halftime, but it was more of the same we've seen from both Penn State and Michigan State in this game that has led to their respective successful and not so successful season.

Sean Clifford continued his streak of not lighting up the scoreboard but still getting the job done, passing for 189 yards and four touchdowns on a 56 percent completion rate. Defensively, the Nittany Lions shut down any offense for the Spartans when it mattered early on, letting Michigan State score a lone touchdown in the third quarter.

This was the third consecutive loss for Michigan State, and for a team that has only scored 17 total points against Ohio State, Wisconsin and Penn State this season, Mark Dantonio may be getting nervous about his job status. With a game still remaining against Michigan at The Big House, a 7-5 record seems likely for the Spartans which would be the third time in four season that Dantonio's team finishes with seven or fewer wins.

This was a big game, though, for now No. 5 Penn State who had lost to Michigan State in each of the previous two seasons, so consider some demons exorcised for James Franklin. This sets up a big game for Penn State after the upcoming off week against undefeated No. 13 Minnesota. With this being the final game before the first college football playoff poll comes out, though, the Nittany Lions find themselves in a good spot, especially considering they'll have another opportunity to move up in a couple weeks following the monstrous matchup between No.1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama takes place.

This game was not particularly interesting with Minnesota up 28-3 at halftime and the result never in question. The more interesting thing from this game, however, is the impact that is quickly becoming apparent on the Big Ten West. Take a look at the standings in the Big Ten West and see if anything jumps out to you there.

Minnesota, by virtue of a good team resulting in an 8-0 record and Wisconsin and Iowa both dropping two conference games, suddenly find themselves with a two game lead in the Big Ten West. While it's fair to question the schedule for Minnesota thus far (their best win is either Nebraska or Maryland, both at home), it's not an accident that this team is 8-0. Head coach P.J. Fleck has done a nice job turning this program around, and with games still remaining against Iowa and Wisconsin, the Gophers control their own destiny in the Big Ten West.

It isn't an easy finish for them, though, with games remaining against the aformentioned Iowa and Wisconsin as well as a home game against Penn State. Despite the tough schedule, if the Gophers can beat Iowa (and Northwestern, the other remaining game) and knock off either Penn State or Wisconsin, they'd give themselves a big enough buffer to protect themselves against a loss against a Big West team, so the Gophers are in a good spot right now to challenge for the Big Ten West and compete in their first Big Ten Championship Game, so you already know the Buckeyes are paying close attention to what is going on up in Minnesota.

I'm going to be real with you, it's a tough slate next week. Go outside, get some lawn work done while the weather is still tolerable, visit with your family during the off week. Enjoy some time to yourself and get out in nature, allowing yourself a reprieve before the final stretch of the season for Ohio State.

Still hanging around? Fine. Nebraska, who finds themselves at 4-4 following their loss to Indiana, travels to Purdue who hasn't really been able to recover from the losses of Elijah Sindelair and Rondale Moore. As mentioned above, this shakes out as a must win for Frost.

Michigan will head to Maryland in what is expected to be a blowout, but one of the more interesting games on the schedule is Northwestern (1-6) going to play under the lights at Indiana, and the Hoosiers suddenly find themselves at 6-2 looking to challenge their best record since they went 8-4 in 1993. With games remaining against Northwestern, Michigan and Purdue, #9WINDIANA certainly seems like a possibility for the Hoosiers.

Rutgers will also play Illinois.