OSU's Pryor happy in Valley
Terrelle Pryor tiptoed his way around the Penn State defense, then smiled and danced all over the Beaver Stadium turf in State College, Pa.
Pryor threw for two touchdowns and ran for another Saturday in his first college game in his home state and its Happy Valley area. No. 15 Ohio State reclaimed control of the Big Ten race after beating No. 11 Penn State, 24-7 in a duel of the league's top two defenses.
The Buckeyes (8-2, 5-1) vaulted into a tie for the Big Ten lead with Iowa after Northwestern handed the Hawkeyes their first loss of the season earlier Saturday.
A showdown with Iowa at Ohio State awaits next week.
''November is for contenders, we always say that,'' Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said.
Pryor finished 8-for-17 passing for 125 yards, and rushed for 50 yards and a seven-yard TD on five carries. The Buckeyes scored the final 17 points as Penn State fell to 8-2, 4-2.
''It was huge,'' Pryor said. ''They were making a big deal about it and people were doubting us, 'Buckeyes can't do this or this.' A lot of that stuff motivates us, but we knew we could do it.''
John Clay ran for 134 yards and a touchdown, Montee Ball scored two TDs and No. 24 Wisconsin (7-2, 4-2) held off a fourth-quarter rally by host Indiana (4-6, 1-5).
With Indiana trailing 24-14 at halftime, Terrance Turner caught a six-yard TD pass to make it 24-21 early in the fourth quarter. Bell answered with his second scoring run to make it 31-21, and then Indiana closed to 31-28 when Trea Burgess scored on a two-yard run with 4:02 to go.
But Indiana kicked deep and never got the ball back.
Joey Elliott threw for a career-high 367 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another to help Purdue rally past Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., dealing a serious blow to the Wolverines' bowl hopes.
The Boilermakers (4-6, 3-3) trailed 24-10 at halftime but Michigan came undone in the third quarter again, allowing 21 points for the second week in a row.
In danger of missing a bowl after a 4-0 start, Michigan (5-5, 1-5) had a chance to tie the game after Brandon Minor's third TD with 2:10 left. But Tate Forcier was sacked on a two-point conversion.
After Purdue recovered the onside kick, Michigan forced a punt, but went almost nowhere from its own 10.
Ashton Leggett ran for 110 yards and four touchdowns and Kirk Cousins threw for two scores as Michigan State (5-5) breezed to a 49-14 triumph over Western Michigan (4-6) in East Lansing, Mich.
Leggett's first carry was a 71-yard TD run. The sophomore became the first Michigan State running back to hit the century mark this season.
Michigan State was the only Big Ten team to win at home Saturday.
AP
Iowa 5-1 9-1
Ohio State 5-1 8-2
Penn State 4-2 8-2
Wisconsin 4-2 7-2
Northwestern 3-3 6-4
Michigan State 3-3 5-5
Purdue 3-3 4-6
Minnesota 3-4 5-5
Illinois 2-5 3-6
Michigan 1-5 5-5
Indiana 1-5 4-6
Northwestern 17, at Iowa 10
Purdue 38, at Michigan 36
Wisconsin 31, at Indiana 28
Ohio State 24, at Penn State 7
at Mich. State 49, W. Michigan 14
Indiana at Penn State, 11 a.m.
Michigan State at Purdue, 11 a.m.
Michigan at Wisconsin, 11 a.m.
S. Dakota St. at Minnesota, 11 a.m.
Iowa at Ohio State, 2:30 p.m.