No. 4 Ohio State 26, No. 20 Michigan 21: The Buckeyes (12-0, 8-0 Big Ten) kept their dreams of an Associated Press national championship alive with a victory over the rival Wolverines (8-4, 6-2). Ohio State QB Braxton Miller completed 14 of 18 passes for 189 yards with one touchdown while rushing for 57 yards on 20 carries. Michigan QB Denard Robinson rushed for 122 yards and a score on 10 carries. (For more on the game, check out CBSSports.com's Eye on College Football blog)

Northwestern 50, Illinois 14: The Wildcats (9-3, 5-3) claimed the Land of Lincoln trophy with another standout performance from QB Kain Colter, who completed 9 of 11 passes for 102 yards with three touchdowns while rushing for 88 yards and a score. The Fighting Illini (2-10, 0-8) wrapped up their first year under coach Tim Beckman with nine consecutive losses. Illinois RB Donovonn Young finished with 74 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.

Purdue 56, Indiana 35: The Boilermakers (6-6, 3-5) became bowl eligible by claiming the Old Oaken Bucket with a win over the rival Hoosiers (4-8, 2-6). Purdue amassed a stunning 558 yards of total offense and corralled a dynamic Indiana attack by forcing four turnovers. Boilermakers RB Akeem Shavers finished with 225 yards of offense and three touchdowns while Indiana RB Stephen Houston had 250 yards of offense and three scores.

Michigan State 26, Minnesota 10: The Spartans (6-6, 3-5) avoided a disastrous finish to a disappointing season by beating the Gophers (6-6, 2-6). Michigan State RB Le’Veon Bell had one of the best days of his career, rushing for 266 yards with a touchdown on 35 carries. Minnesota struggled to move the ball all day, amassing 96 yards of offense and turning the ball over four times.

Penn State 24, Wisconsin 21 (OT): The Nittany Lions (8-4, 6-2) capped one of the most unique seasons in college football history with a gutsy win over the Badgers (7-5, 4-4). Wisconsin needed a 4-yard touchdown pass to TE Jeff Duckworth with 18 seconds left to force overtime, but Penn State got a 37-yard field goal from K Sam Ficken in the extra session, while Badgers K Kyle French missed his 44-yard attempt. Wisconsin RB Montee Ball also set the Football Bowl Subdivision all-time record with his 79th career touchdown in the loss.

Friday

No. 17 Nebraska 13, Iowa 7: The Cornhuskers (10-2, 7-1) clinched a berth in the Big Ten championship game and at least a share of the Legends Division with the victory. The Hawkeyes (4-8, 2-6) dropped their final six games and mustered a mere 200 yards in the defeat.

(Video courtesy ESPN)

Play of the day: Michigan appeared poised to upset Ohio State after one of the most dynamic runs of the season. On second down deep in his own territory with less than a minute until intermission, QB Denard Robinson flashed his elite skill. The senior faked the zone read and swept around the right side as he followed a host of blockers. Robinson appeared corralled after a solid gain, but he bounced off a tackle from either side and raced down the sideline to give his team the lead on a 67-yard scoring run.

Tweet of the Day:

RapidReports defensive star of the day: LB Zach Boren, Ohio State. The former fullback posted a team-high nine tackles, including three solo, along with his first career sack and fumble recovery. Boren has recorded 49 tackles since switching from offense on Oct. 13.

RapidReports offensive star of the day: QB Robert Marve, Purdue. The senior led his team to a third-straight win as he completed 20 of 29 passes for 348 yards with four touchdowns against one interception. Marve became the first Purdue player to throw for at least 300 yards since Joey Elliott in 2009.

His seat is getting uncomfortable: Kirk Ferentz, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have dropped six straight and failed to score more than 24 points in any of the defeats. Iowa’s attack has gone from conservative to anemic this season. First-year offensive coordinator Greg Davis could soon become a sacrificial lamb.

Why you care about these three stat lines:

  1. Ohio State won’t play for a BCS title, but still finished 12-0. It is just the sixth undefeated season in 123 years for the Buckeyes. Coach Urban Meyer also tied the record for best start of any coach in team history with 12 consecutive victories.
  2. Penn State allowed a 57-yard touchdown catch to Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon and a 17-yard scoring run to RB Montee Ball in the first quarter. They were the first touchdowns yielded by the Nittany Lions in the opening quarter this season. Penn State outscored opponents 97-20 in the opening frame.
  3. Minnesota QB Philip Nelson finished with 61 yards passing in the loss to Michigan State. The freshman starter hasn’t passed for more than 100 yards in three straight games. Over that span he has a combined 198 yards passing and five interceptions with no touchdowns.

Key number: 49. Career wins for Northwestern coach for Pat Fitzgerald. That ties him with Pappy Waldorf as the winningest coach in program history.  

For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis from Big Ten bloggers Dave Carey and Mike Singer, follow @CBSSportsBigTen.