BIG 10 \ Saturday’s other games

Northwestern 27, Illinois 10.

EVANSTON, Ill. — C.J. Bacher threw two touchdown passes, one to Eric Peterman in the fourth quarter after a 51-yard punt return by Brendan Smith. The Wildcats (9-3, 5-3) became just the fifth team in school history to win at least nine games — the first since 1996 when coach Pat Fitzgerald was the team’s star linebacker. For Illinois, it was the end to a disappointing season following up on a Rose Bowl trip. The Illini (5-7, 3-5) mounted a second-half comeback after trailing 13-0 at the break, but had their slim bowl chances erased.

Wisconsin 36, Cal Poly 35, OT

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin escaped an upset bid by Cal Poly of the Football Championship Subdivision, mounting a late comeback and capitalizing on three missed extra points to win in overtime on John Clay’s second touchdown of the game. The victory improves Wisconsin to 7-5 and makes it likely the Badgers will be invited to a bowl game, a bittersweet accomplishment for a team that began the season with expectations of contending for a Big Ten title and at one point climbed into the top 10 in the rankings. Purdue 62, Indiana 10

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Joe Tiller savored every moment from Saturday’s send-off. He raised his arms in victory after twice getting doused in ice cubes. He conducted the Purdue band as it played the school fight song one last time. He cherished the opportunity to speak to players and fans from the field, inviting them to visit him in Wyoming and even shedding a few tears. Yes, it was a fitting tribute for the man who spent a dozen seasons restoring Purdue’s pride, and the Boilermakers made sure nothing would detract from Tiller’s farewell party. Curtis Painter threw for 448 yards and five touchdowns, and Purdue opened with 10 straight scoring drives as the retiring coach reclaimed the Old Oaken Bucket with a rout over Indiana.

Associated Press