Following Big Ten football games on Nov. 29 and 30, the offensive, defensive and special teams players of the week and freshman of the week in the Big Ten were announced this morning. Below are this week’s honorees:

Offensive Player of the Week

Tre Roberson, Indiana

So., QB, Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence Central

•           Threw six touchdown passes, tied for an Indiana record, in the Hoosiers’ 56-36 win over Purdue last Saturday

•           Completed 25-of-37 passes for 273 yards and rushed for a career-high 154 yards, for a career-best 427 yards of total offense

•           Led a Hoosier offense that accumulated 692 total yards and 42 first downs, each program records

•           Registers the first Offensive Player of the Week honor of his career

•           Last Indiana Offensive Player of the Week: Tevin Coleman (Nov. 11, 2013)

Defensive Player of the Week

Christian Kirksey, Iowa

Sr., LB, St. Louis, Mo./Hazelwood East

•           Notched a team-high 11 tackles in Iowa’s 38-17 victory over Nebraska last Friday

•           Recorded three tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble and one pass deflection

•           Helped the Iowa defense hold Nebraska more than 140 yards below its season rushing average

•           Reels in the first Defensive Player of the Week honor of his career

•           Last Iowa Defensive Player of the Week: James Morris (Oct. 28, 2013)

Special Teams Player of the Week

Jeff Budzien, Northwestern

Sr., PK, Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead

•           Connected on three field goals and four extra points in a 37-34 win at Illinois to move into first place on the Wildcats’ career scoring list with 280 points

•           His 19-yard field goal in the first quarter was his 21st of the season, which set a new Northwestern single-season record

•           Added field goals of 26 and 42 yards for 13 total points

•           Claims his second career Special Teams Player of the Week honor

•           Last Northwestern Special Teams Player of the Week: Jeff Budzien (Sept. 17, 2012)

Freshman of the Week

Christian Hackenberg, Penn State

QB, Palmyra, Va./Fork Union Military Academy

•           Threw for 339 yards on 21-of-30 passing and four touchdowns in Penn State’s 31-24 win at nationally ranked Wisconsin last Saturday

•           Now has 2,955 yards passing this season, which ranks third on Penn State’s single-season list

•           Produced his fourth 300-yard passing game of the season, which is tied for first on the Nittany Lions’ single-season list

•           Wins his fifth Freshman of the Week award, which ranks second since the award began in 2010

•           Last Penn State Freshman of the Week: Christian Hackenberg (Nov. 25, 2013)

Rosemont, Ill. – With victories on Saturday, Michigan State and Ohio State concluded conference play with matching 8-0 records, the first time since 2002 and just the second time since 1943 that two Big Ten teams finished with perfect marks. The Spartans and Buckeyes will meet in the third annual Big Ten Football Championship Game on Saturday, Dec. 7, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Michigan State will make its second title game appearance in three years while Ohio State will play in the championship game for the first time. The winner of the 2013 Big Ten Football Championship Game will earn the Amos Alonzo Stagg Championship Trophy and a chance to play in one of two historic games in Pasadena, Calif. – the 100th Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 1 or the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game on Jan. 6.

Michigan State defeated Minnesota today to end the regular season with a perfect conference mark for the first time since finishing 7-0 in 1966. The Spartans earned the outright Legends Division title last Saturday, the program’s second outright division crown in three seasons after finishing first in 2011. Michigan State improved to 8-0 in the Big Ten and 11-1 overall.

Ohio State edged Michigan today to secure its second straight outright Leaders Division title. The Buckeyes built on their school record with a 24th straight victory, which is tied for the fourth-longest winning streak in Big Ten history, and improved to 8-0 in conference and 12-0 overall. Ohio State produced an unblemished conference mark for the second straight season and fourth time since 2002.                 

The Spartans and Buckeyes will meet for the first time since the 2012 Big Ten opener, when Ohio State edged Michigan State, 17-16, in East Lansing, Mich. In a back-and-forth game, Buckeyes quarterback Braxton Miller connected on a 63-yard scoring strike to Devin Smith to take a 17-13 lead in the third quarter. The Spartans added a fourth-quarter field goal, but Ohio State held on for the one-point victory in Urban Meyer’s first Big Ten game as a head coach.

The Big Ten announced on Nov. 27 that a limited number of suites were still available for the 2013 Big Ten Football Championship Game, but both the general public tickets and the team ticket blocks have sold out. Those interested in purchasing a suite for the 2013 Big Ten Football Championship Game should contact Stephanie Arnold of Indiana Sports Corp at 317-237-5036. Every Big Ten Football Championship Game ticket will allow complimentary admission to the Big Ten Fan Fest presented by Dr Pepper, to be held at the Indiana Convention Center on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 6-7.

For more information on the Big Ten Football Championship Game, go to www.bigten.org.

Following Big Ten football games on Nov. 23, the offensive, defensive and special teams players of the week and freshman of the week in the Big Ten were announced this morning. Below are this week’s honorees:

Offensive Player of the Week

Steve Hull, Illinois

Sr., WR, Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore

•           Caught a career-high 10 passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns, helping Illinois defeat Purdue 20-16 on Saturday

•           Recorded his third straight 100-yard receiving game, totaling 498 yards and five touchdowns during that span

•           Found the end zone on a three-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter before notching his second score on a 30-yard grab in the second quarter

•           Records the first Offensive Player of the Week award of his career

•           Last Illinois Offensive Player of the Week: Nathan Scheelhaase (Sept. 2, 2013)

Defensive Player of the Week

Ryan Shazier, Ohio State

Jr., LB, Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Plantation

•           Achieved a pair of program records against Indiana, recording 16 solo tackles and 5.0 tackles for loss in the victory

•           Finished the day with a career-best 20 tackles, which included a sack, a forced fumble and a  pass breakup

•           Became the first Buckeye with 20 tackles since A.J. Hawk in 2004, matched the 16 solo stops set by Tom Cousineau in 1978 and tied the 5.0 TFLs held by four other Buckeyes, achieved most recently by John Simon in 2012

•           Tied the Big Ten record for most career Defensive Player of the Week honors (five) and most in a single season (three)

•           Last Ohio State Defensive Player of the Week: Ryan Shazier (Nov. 18, 2013)

Special Teams Player of the Week

Pat Smith, Nebraska

Sr., K, Quincy, Ill./Notre Dame

•           Kicked the game-tying and game-winning field goals in Nebraska’s 23-20 overtime road victory against Penn State last Saturday

•           Connected on a 19-yard try in the fourth quarter to even the score at 20-20 before booting a 42-yarder in overtime to give the Huskers the victory

•           Also converted on a 39-yarder late in the third quarter and made both extra point tries

•           Claims his first career Special Teams Player of the Week honor

•           Last Nebraska Special Teams Player of the Week: Brett Maher (Nov. 12, 2012)

Co-Freshmen of the Week

Ralphael Green III, Indiana

DT, San Antonio, Texas/Sam Houston

•           Finished with four tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack against nationally ranked Ohio State last Saturday

•           Recorded his first career sack and forced his first career fumble on the same play late in the opening quarter

•           Wins his first Freshman of the Week award

•           Last Indiana Freshman of the Week: Nate Sudfeld (Sept. 17, 2012)

Christian Hackenberg, Penn State

QB, Palmyra, Va./Fork Union Military Academy

•           Accounted for three touchdowns, two through the air and one on the ground, against Nebraska last Saturday

•           Threw for 217 yards, including touchdown passes of two and 46 yards, and now has 2,616 yards passing this season, which ranks fifth on Penn State’s single-season list

•           Also rushed for a seven-yard score in the third quarter

•           Wins his fourth Freshman of the Week award, which is tied for second since the award began in 2010

•           Last Penn State Freshman of the Week: Christian Hackenberg (Oct. 14, 2013)

Rosemont, Ill. – With victories on Saturday, Michigan State and Ohio State secured berths in the third annual Big Ten Football Championship Game to be played on Saturday, Dec. 7, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Spartans will make their second title game appearance in three years while the Buckeyes will play in the championship game for the first time. The winner of the 2013 Big Ten Football Championship Game will earn the Amos Alonzo Stagg Championship Trophy and a chance to play in one of two historic games in Pasadena, Calif. – the 100th Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 1 or the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game on Jan. 6.

Michigan State collected a road victory at Northwestern today to earn the outright Legends Division title, the program’s second outright division crown in three seasons after finishing first in 2011. The Spartans improved to 7-0 in the Big Ten and 10-1 overall and host Minnesota in their regular season finale on Nov. 30.

Ohio State defeated Indiana today to secure at least a share of a second straight Leaders Division title. The Buckeyes set a school record with their 23^rd straight victory, the fifth-longest winning streak in Big Ten history, and improved to 7-0 in conference and 11-0 overall. Wisconsin earned a road win at Minnesota today to improve to 6-1 in the Big Ten and 9-2 overall and still maintains hopes for a share of the division title. But Ohio State clinched a berth in the championship game based on its victory over the Badgers on Sept. 28. Both teams wrap up the regular season on Nov. 30, with Ohio State at Michigan and Wisconsin hosting Penn State.

The Spartans and Buckeyes will meet for the first time since the 2012 Big Ten opener, when Ohio State edged Michigan State, 17-16, in East Lansing, Mich. In a back-and-forth game, Buckeyes quarterback Braxton Miller connected on a 63-yard scoring strike to Devin Smith to take a 17-13 lead in the third quarter. The Spartans added a fourth-quarter field goal, but Ohio State held on for the one-point victory in Urban Meyer’s first Big Ten game as a head coach.

Ticket blocks for the 2013 Big Ten Football Championship Game are being held for Michigan State and Ohio State and will be sold through university ticket offices. Tickets can also be purchased through Ticketmaster atwww.ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 745-3000. Every Big Ten Football Championship Game ticket will allow complimentary admission to the Big Ten Fan Fest presented by Dr Pepper, to be held at the Indiana Convention Center on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 6-7. For more information on Big Ten Football Championship Game tickets, go to www.bigten.org.

Minnesota is playing meaningful Big Ten games in November.

Wisconsin visits Saturday in a rivalry game that might have wider implications than reclaiming Paul Bunyan’s Axe. A visit to Michigan State looms next week, though coach Jerry Kill isn’t looking behind the Badgers. Both teams are 8-2.

Realistically, dislodging Ohio State and the Spartans from divisional leads will be tough. Each school just needs one win in the final two weeks of the regular season to clinch.

Still there’s plenty left to prove around the league. Besides Minnesota, Penn State can clinch a winning record at home on Senior Day by beating Nebraska.

The Buckeyes are looking for a 23rd straight win, though a win over Indiana likely won’t help for the BCS standings.

Following Big Ten football games on Nov. 16, the offensive, defensive and special teams players of the week and freshman of the week in the Big Ten were announced this morning. Below are this week’s honorees:

Offensive Player of the Week

Carlos Hyde, Ohio State

Sr., RB, Naples, Fla./Naples

•           Rushed for a career-high 246 yards, the fourth-most in Ohio State history, and scored five total touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ road victory over Illinois, becoming the first Big Ten player since 2010 to score five times in a game

•           Averaged 10.3 yards per carry and rushed for four touchdowns, including runs of one, eight, 51 and 55 yards

•           Also had an 18-yard touchdown reception and totaled 272 all-purpose yards in the game

•           Records the third Offensive Player of the Week award of his career and second this season

•           Last Ohio State Offensive Player of the Week: Braxton Miller (Oct. 28, 2013)

Defensive Player of the Week

Ryan Shazier, Ohio State

Jr., LB, Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Plantation

•           Recorded a career-high 16 tackles that included 1.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss in the Buckeyes’ road win at Illinois

•           Forced a fumble on a third-quarter sack, which led to an Illinois safety to give the Buckeyes a 37-21 advantage

•           Leads the conference and ranks among the top 15 in the nation with 1.45 tackles per loss a contest

•           Claims his fourth career Defensive Player of the Week honor and second this season

•           Last Ohio State Defensive Player of the Week: Ryan Shazier (Sept. 16, 2013)

Special Teams Player of the Week

Brendan Gibbons, Michigan

Sr., K, West Palm Beach, Fla./Cardinal Newman

•           Was perfect on his kicking attempts in a road win against Northwestern, including a 44-yarder as time expired to force overtime

•           Also converted on attempts from 25, 28 and 29 yards to match his career best of four field goals in a game

•           Made two fourth-quarter field goals and added another in the second overtime

•           Claims his second career Special Teams Player of the Week honor

•           Last Michigan Special Teams Player of the Week: Brendan Gibbons (Oct. 22, 2012)

Freshman of the Week

Corey Clement, Wisconsin    

RB, Glassboro, N.J./Glassboro

•           Averaged nearly 10 yards per carry, finishing with 108 yards on 11 totes, and scored two touchdowns in Wisconsin’s win over Indiana

•           Rushed for more than 100 yards for the third time this season and tied a career high with two scores

•           Was one of three Badgers to rush for more than 100 yards in the game as they ran for 554 yards, which ranks eighth in Big Ten single-game history

•           Wins his second Freshman of the Week award

•           Last Wisconsin Freshman of the Week: Corey Clement (Sept. 9, 2013)

Rosemont, Ill. – With a road victory at Nebraska today, Michigan State secured at least a share of the Legends Division title. The Spartans improved to 6-0 in the Big Ten and 9-1 overall to register their second division crown in the last three seasons.

The Cornhuskers and Minnesota both stand at 4-2 in conference and maintain hopes for a share of the division crown. The Legends Division representative to the Big Ten Football Championship Game is not yet determined, as the Gophers hold the tiebreaker over Nebraska based on their head-to-head victory on Oct. 26 and conclude the regular season at MSU. All three schools are in action next Saturday, with Michigan State at Northwestern, Minnesota hosting Wisconsin and Nebraska at Penn State.

In the Leaders Division, both Ohio State and Wisconsin earned wins today and remain in contention for the division title and Big Ten Football Championship Game berth. The Buckeyes maintained their unblemished record at 6-0 in the conference and 10-0 overall, matching a school record with their 22nd straight victory. The three-time defending Big Ten Champion Badgers are now 5-1 in conference and 8-2 overall, with their lone Big Ten loss to OSU on Sept. 28. Ohio State hosts Indiana while Wisconsin plays at Minnesota next Saturday.

The third annual Big Ten Football Championship Game will be held in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis onSaturday, Dec. 7, with the winner earning the Amos Alonzo Stagg Championship Trophy and a chance to play in one of two historic games in Pasadena, Calif. – the 100th Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 1 or the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game on Jan. 6. Ticket blocks are being held for the representatives from the Legends and Leaders Divisions and will be sold through university ticket offices. Tickets can also be purchased through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 745-3000. Every Big Ten Football Championship Game ticket will allow complimentary admission to the Big Ten Fan Fest presented by Dr Pepper, to be held at the Indiana Convention Center on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 6-7. For more information on Big Ten Football Championship Game tickets, go to www.bigten.org.