5 best Big Ten offensive performances of the year

(Video courtesy ESPN)

The Big Ten wasn't known for its fireworks this season. No team finished in the top 20 in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total offense. Compare that with the Big 12, which had five such teams, or the Pac 12, which placed three squads in the top 20.

Still, there were plenty of impressive offensive displays in the league this season -- most at the expense of Nebraska and Indiana.

1. Wisconsin drops 70 points and amasses 539 rushing yards in the Big Ten title game vs. Nebraska on Dec. 1

Who saw this one coming? The Cornhuskers yielded a school-record in rushing yards while getting gashed for an absurd 10.8 yards per carry in a 70-31 loss. Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon rushed for 216 yards and a score on nine carries, RB Montee Ball had 202 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries while RB James White had 109 yards and four touchdowns on 15 carries. The 70 points also tied a FBS championship game-record set by Texas in a 70-3 win over Colorado in 2005.

2. Ohio State QB Braxton Miller amassed 313 all-purpose yards and 2 touchdowns as he led the Buckeyes to a 63-38 win over Nebraska on Oct. 6

The Buckeyes did whatever they wanted against the Cornhuskers as they rolled to 498 yards in a dominant win over the Legends Division champ. Miller was the engine of the attack as he completed 7 of 14 passes for 127 yards with a score while rushing for 186 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. RB Carlos Hyde had no problem closing in the red zone as he posted 140 yards and four touchdowns on 28 carries.

3. Michigan State RB Le'Veon Bell rushed for 210 yards and 2 touchdowns on 44 carries while catching six passes for 55 yards in a 17-13 win over Boise State on Aug. 31

It wasn't his highest rushing total in a game this season, but Bell was never better than in a season-opening win over the Broncos. The 6-foot-2, 224-pounder continually rammed into an elite Boise State front while QB Andrew Maxwell struggled to find a rhythm. Making his performance even more impressive, the Broncos finished the season ranked ninth nationally in total defense, yielding a mere 304.7 yards per game.

4. Penn State QB Matt McGloin passes for 395 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 45-22 win over Indiana on Nov. 17

The former walk-on completed 22 of 32 passes as he routinely shredded the Hoosiers' secondary for 395 yards and four scores with one interception. McGloin, who led the offense to its highest point total of the season, had a lethal connection with WR Allen Robinson, who made 10 catches for 197 yards with three touchdowns in the win. The senior finished the year with single-season school records in completions (270), yards (3,271) and touchdowns (24) while throwing a modest five interceptions.

5. Northwestern QB/WR/RB Kain Colter becomes the new “slash” in a 44-29 win over Indiana on Sept. 29

Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald found the best way to utilize Colter: put the ball in his hands. The dynamic junior rushed for 161 yards and four touchdowns on a mere 14 carries while catching nine passes for 131 yards in the triumph. His only weakness that day was passing, where he completed only one of three attempts for two yards with an interception. Combined passing, running and receiving, Colter amassed 1,785 yards with 20 touchdowns this season.

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