In their first college football game without head coach Joe Paterno in 46 seasons, the No. 12 Penn St. Nittany Lions lost at home on Saturday to the No. 19 Nebraska Cornhuskers 17-14. The loss opened up the Big Ten Leaders Division, making it possible for the No. 16 Wisconsin Badgers to find their way into the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game and possibly the Rose Bowl.
It was the first conference loss of the season for Penn St., who still lead the Leaders Division:
| Big Ten Leaders Division Standings | |||
| Team | Conf | Overall | Remaining Games |
| Penn St. | 5-1 | 8-2 | at Ohio St., at Wis |
| Wisconsin | 3-2 | 7-2 | at Minn., at Ill., Penn St. |
| Purdue | 3-3 | 5-5 | Iowa, at Indiana |
| Ohio St. | 3-3 | 6-4 | Penn St., at Mich. |
| Illinois | 2-3 | 6-3 | Mich., Wisc., at Minn. |
| Indiana | 0-6 | 1-9 | at Mich St., Purdue |
| through early Saturday games | |||
The 26-23 overtime loss by the Ohio St. Buckeyes on the road to the Purdue Boilermakers means that both Penn St. and Wisconsin hold their fate in their own hands. Win out, and they are win the Leaders Division. These two teams face off on Saturday, November 26 in Madison, Wisconsin.
The first-ever Big Ten Football Championship Game is scheduled for Saturday, December 3, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
The 2012 Rose Bowl Game will be played on Monday, January 2, 2012 in Pasadena. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. PDT. The game will be televised by ESPN, with Brent Musberger, Kirk Hirbstreit, and Lisa Salters on the call. Stay tuned for more updates as the game approaches.