Michigan State’s last-second, Hail Mary upset of previously undefeated Wisconsin has created quite a buzz in and outside of the Big Ten. Some are even calling it the game of the year in college football so far.

But it’s a good bet that the 37-31 outcome didn’t plant a smile on the face of Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany.

Oh, sure, Delany is happy with the exposure for the conference after the two teams battled so valiantly in prime time on Saturday. And MSU’s win on the last play sets up the potential for a very juicy rematch in Indianapolis in the inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game on Dec. 3. But Wisconsin appeared to be on a course that might have landed the Badgers in the BCS title game.

Now, the Big Ten is without a team in the top 10 of the BCS standings, which is a rarity.

Michigan State (6-1) moved up to 11th but Wisconsin (6-1) fell to 15th, one spot below Nebraska (6-1), a team the Badgers dusted 48-17 at the beginning of October. Michigan (6-1) and Penn State (7-1) also are putting together noteworthy seasons but can’t be considered real contenders for the BCS prize.

However, the possibilities are still vast in terms of the Big Ten race at the virtual halfway point. One of four teams to already have four league games under its belt, Penn State is the only 4-0 conference member heading to the last weekend in October. However, the Nittany Lions face Illinois next and then are looking at a November closing stretch of Nebraska, at Ohio State, at Wisconsin.

PSU is atop the Leaders Division, followed by Wisconsin (2-1), Purdue (2-1), Illinois (2-2), Ohio State (1-2) and Indiana (0-4). The only other unscathed team in league play, Michigan State (3-0), currently commands the Legends Division, but Nebraska, Michigan and Iowa are all a game behind at 2-1. Minnesota (0-3) and Northwestern (0-4) are yet to capture a league win and are mired at the bottom of the Legends pile.

Michigan State has to travel to Nebraska Oct. 29 and also has a trip to Iowa No. 12. However, MSU’s other remaining games are against league doormats Minnesota, Indiana and Northwestern.

Wisconsin looks to bounce back at Ohio State on Oct. 29 and a win there could propel the Badgers right back into the picture, especially considering the remaining ledger reads thusly: Purdue (Nov. 5), at Minnesota (Nov. 12), at Illinois (Nov. 19) and Penn State (Nov. 26).

It’s very likely UW players and coaches are going to spend the rest of the season and possibly beyond wondering “what if” when thinking about their last play in Spartan Stadium.

Wisconsin stormed from behind and hit the 30-point mark for the 14th straight time in regular-season play to tie the game at 31 and head coach Bret Bielema even called three timeouts in the final minute in hopes of getting the ball back from the Spartans. Instead, Michigan State maneuvered past midfield and had time for one last heave. That’s when lightning struck down the Badgers.

MSU quarterback Kirk Cousins lofted a deep ball in the direction of his star receiver B.J. Cunningham, and the aerial bounced off of Cunningham’s helmet and into the hands of teammate Keith Nichol.

Officials on the field originally ruled Nichol down at the Wisconsin 1-yard line, meaning the game was tied and heading to overtime. Replay officials, however, overruled the call and said Nichol had crossed the goal line – barely.

The play was so close that broadcasters Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit didn’t seem to offer much opinion on the ruling.

Since the booth review occurred with no time left on the clock, the announcement came from the public address announcer, sending the crowd of 76,405 to turn Spartan Stadium into an instant party.

The Badgers, of course, had a different reaction.

“You definitely don’t want to lose like that,” Wisconsin cornerback Antonio Fenelus said. “You’d rather get blown out than let a team win on a last-second play.”

“I’ve never been a part of something like that,” Bielema said afterward.

Wisconsin rallied from a 31-17 deficit in the final nine minutes and did so with its top weapons. Quarterback Russell Wilson, who was picked off twice, ripped off a 22-yard scoring run to bring UW back within a score and hit running back Montee Ball with a 2-yard TD toss with 1:26 remaining. The extra point tied the score and gave the appearance that both teams headed to overtime.

Prior to the final play, Wilson was understandably confident.

“I was just trying to figure out what play we were going to run once we got the ball back,” he said during a teleconference Tuesday. “It was a pretty miraculous, incredible play.”

Added Bielema, “I felt confident … that if we took it into overtime, we’d roll.”

MSU drove 78 yards for the winning score thanks in large part to Bielema’s decision to burn timeouts with 42, 30 and 4 seconds remaining.

“We wanted to get the ball back,” he said. “We were going for the win.”

Richmond Can’t Get It Together

Former Illinois forward Jereme Richmond has gone from disappointment to early defector to possibly jailbird.

Still only 19, Richmond twice was kicked off his high school team because of off-court trouble but still earned a scholarship to UI and put in a rather promising freshman season for coach Bruce Weber despite also serving a suspension during the 2010-11 campaign.

He left the program after just one year, declared early entry into the NBA draft and went unselected. It didn’t help that he reportedly was late for several predraft workouts and that his father claimed his son wasn’t chosen because every league team was unwilling to recognize his talents.

And all of that is insignificant compared with what he faces now.

That’s because Richmond was arrested in August amid allegations that he punched his ex-girlfriend and threatened her family, charges that if proved could put him behind bars for up to five years. Complicating that serious matter, the 6-7 wing was jailed Friday for allegedly failing a drug test imposed as a condition of his bond.

Despite his current situation, Richmond recently told the Chicago Tribune that he still expects to make it in the NBA very soon.

“I will be on somebody’s roster,” he told the newspaper. “I believe it will happen for me.”

Richmond, though, has serious issues to address. He allegedly punched and spat on his former girlfriend, a 17-year-old from Waukegan, Ill., and also allegedly got into an altercation with the girl’s father the following day. The man said Richmond pointed a gun at him and threatened to kill him.

Richmond, who was charged with marijuana possession in February 2006, tested positive for the substance in an Oct. 5 drug test administered by the Lake County courts.

On Friday, Judge Theodore Potkonjak raised Richmond’s bond from $65,000 to $100,000 and had him returned into custody.

Richmond’s eyes brimmed with tears as he was cuffed and taken from the courtroom, according to a report.

Cousins, McNutt Share Offensive POW Honors

The Big Ten player of the week awards for games on Oct. 22 were announced recently and Iowa wide receiver Marvin McNutt and Cousins shared the offensive mention.

A senior from St. Louis, McNutt set the Iowa career record for touchdown receptions as part of a three-touchdown performance against Indiana. He hauled in scoring passes of 80, 28 and 24 yards, bringing his career total to 24. That passed the school record of 21 set by former Hawkeyes Tim Dwight (1994-97) and Danan Hughes (1989-92).

McNutt finished the game with six receptions for a career-high 184 yards.

Cousins, a senior from Holland, Mich., threw three TD passes in the upset of Wisconsin, including, of course, the bomb to Nichol as time expired.

He completed 22 of 31 passes for 290 yards and won his 22nd game as Michigan State’s quarterback, becoming the program’s all-time wins leader at the position.

Cousins also had been named Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 25, 2010.

Junior linebacker Gerald Hodges of Penn State and junior defensive end Kawann Short of Purdue were named co-Defensive Players of the Week.

Hodges recorded a career-high 14 tackles and added 1.5 sacks in Penn State’s win over Northwestern. He also had a 63-yard interception return to set up PSU’s clinching score in a 34-24 win.

Short logged career-bests with 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in Purdue’s 21-14 upset of Illinois. He finished with with six total tackles.

Michigan State linebacker Kyler Elsworth was named the league’s Special Teams Player of the Week after blocking a punt in the final minute of the first half. The play led directly to a recovery in the end zone for an MSU touchdown.

Meanwhile, Indiana QB Tre Roberson was honored as the Freshman of the Week. Roberson became the first true freshman in Hoosier history to start at quarterback. He accounted for nearly 300 yards of total offense – completing 16 of 24 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 84 yards on 16 carries – during IU’s 45-24 loss to Iowa.

B1G Tourney Tix Now On Sale

All-session tickets for the 2012 Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments went on sale to the general public on Oct. 22 and some seats are still available.

Tickets can be purchased at the  Conseco Fieldhouse Box Office, Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

Conseco Fieldhouse is the site of the women’s tournament March 1-4 and the men’s tournament from March 8-11, featuring 22 games over eight days.

Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament all-session tickets for the lower and club levels are available for $325 through Big Ten university ticket offices only. All-session tickets for the upper levels are available for $240 or $175 (depending on seat location) through Ticketmaster or the Conseco Fieldhouse Box Office only. Orders will be limited to eight all-session tickets.

Women’s tournament all-session tickets are available for $50 through Jan. 31, which marks a 30 percent discount off the regular price of $70. Fans wishing to purchase all-session tickets within their university’s fan block for their respective team’s games are encouraged to contact their school’s ticket office. The women’s tournament will feature general admission seating, allowing fans to witness the action from the best available seats in Conseco Fieldhouse.

In addition, the men’s tournament will continue to feature a special discounted rate of $50 for all-session tickets available only to students of Big Ten universities. All students must have a valid student ID for entry. Student section seating will be available in eight balcony sections and orders will be limited to one all-session ticket.

League Notes

* Penn State coach Joe Paterno racked up career win No. 408 on Oct. 22 with the Lions’ defeat of Northwestern. That tied the legendary leader for the NCAA Division I record, previously held solely by Grambling State’s Eddie Robinson. Paterno is in his 46th year at PSU; Robinson spent 55 at Grambling. Paterno can set the all-time record Oct. 29 as No. 19 Penn State hosts Illinois.

* Ohio State’s Jake Stoneburner recently was added to the watch list for the John Mackey Award, which annually recognizes the nation’s best tight end. Stoneburner is one of 25 candidates for the award and one of four from the Big Ten. The others are Northwestern’s Drake Dunsmore, Wisconsin’s Jacob Pedersen and Nebraska’s Kyler Reed.

A junior from nearby Dublin, Stoneburner leads the Buckeyes with 12 receptions (for 150 yards) and six touchdowns. He caught OSU’s only completed pass at Illinois – and the reception resulted in a 17-yard, win-clinching TD. In the team’s season-opening win over Akron, Stoneburner became the first tight end in modern Ohio State history to catch three touchdowns in a game.

* The Big Ten leads all conferences with six bowl-eligible teams. Along with 7-1 Penn State, five conference teams already have six victories. Illinois is 6-2 with four regular-season games remaining while four teams – Michigan State, Nebraska, Michigan and Wisconsin – are 6-1.

* Times and television designations have been set for games scheduled for Nov. 5. They are as follows:
Michigan at Iowa (noon Eastern, ESPN)
Minnesota at Michigan State (noon Eastern, BTN)
Indiana at Ohio State (noon Eastern, BTN)
Northwestern at Nebraska (3:30 p.m. Eastern, BTN)
Purdue at Wisconsin (3:30 p.m. Eastern, ABC/ESPN2)