Title time: Iowa will face Michigan State in Big Ten championship game

The time is drawing near for Christian Hackenberg to think about his future, whether he will return to Penn State for his senior year next season or leave for the National Football League draft. Ohio State racked up 369 rushing yards, with Ezekiel Elliott (30 carries, 214 yards, 2 TDs) and J.T. Barrett (19 carries, 139 yards, 3 TDs).

Penn State (7-5, 4-4 Big Ten) was no match for Michigan State (11-1, 7-1) in any phase of the game, surrendering two defensive touchdowns, and Cook carved up the Lions’ defense for three touchdowns.

The Spartans – who moved to 11-1 with the win – scored a mighty impressive victory and a whole mess of style points, something that should impact their view in the eyes of the College Football Playoff selection committee.

“I’m so, so proud of our football team”, head coach Mark Dantonio said. “I would think an 11-1 team playing, the No. 5 last week and the No. 4 team playing. So, there’s added risk to all of this for us”.

The Spartans finished tied atop the Big Ten East with Ohio State, and Michigan State upset the Buckeyes last weekend with Cook sidelined because of a shoulder injury.

Cook was limited in practice all week, and had his first real practice since the Maryland game on Thursday. “Obviously, I’ve been very fortunate to be able to play in a lot of games and not have to sit out”. While there was some growth, I would have liked to have seen more.

Unfortunately, there was a mishap in the allocation of the student tickets to watch the Spartans play next weekend in Lucas Oil Stadium.

When he’d look up to answer a question about how Michigan State not only piled up yard after yard and touchdown after touchdown, and did it so effortlessly, they’d flash some anger. “But we do what we do on Friday when they get back”. “I don’t know if he should win”.

Starting with that Hackenberg interception on the opening possession, lack of execution would prove to be a major problem for the Nittany Lions all day long, especially in the first half. Missing a game or losing one that could cost the Spartans a shot at their ultimate goal, well, it makes you appreciate every second and every snap once you’re back. “You can’t turn the ball over and make critical errors against a top team like this”. “We’re going to kick people’s tails”. But it was the four Penn State turnovers that made the deficit so large.

Actually, the Spartans had a pretty good idea of what Allen could do, because the team had run a similar version of the play during its intrasquad Green-White game in the spring.

No. 25 Temple 27, CT 3 • Jahad Thomas ran for 129 yards and two touchdowns, and P.J. Walker threw for 160 yards and a score, as the Owls (10-2, 7-1) won at home to secure a spot in the American Athletic Conference’s title game.

MI trailed only 14-10 at halftime, in large part by possessing the ball 7:02 more than OSU.

NOTES: Spartans senior WR Aaron Burbridge surpassed the career 2,000-yard receiving milestone with his first reception of the game.

Godwin reeled in an 8-yard pass from Hackenberg with 35 seconds remaining to slash the score to 20-10 to end the half.

It was little consolation for the Gators, who will be huge underdogs next week for the Southeastern Conference championship game in Atlanta against second-ranked Alabama.

“This is what we’ve been working for since January – we’ve been talking about it, now it’s time to speak it into existence”, MSU sophomore safety Montae Nicholson said of a dream that seemed distant just three weeks earlier after a 39-38 loss at Nebraska. Would Buckeye fans be tortured with the anemic squad from last week’s Michigan State loss or the one that won all of last season. It was also before Harbaugh led MI to nine wins and only two losses, both of which came to quality opponents.