For the first time in nine games this season, no Ohio State players have earned Big Ten player of the week honors.

Purdue quarterback Aidan O'Connell and Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson split Big Ten offensive player of the week honors, Penn State safety Ji'Ayir Brown is the Big Ten defensive player of the week, Illinois punter Blake Hayes is the special teams player of the week and Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen is the conference's freshman of the week.

Ohio State had two strong candidates for Big Ten player of the week awards this week in wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who caught a school-record 15 passes for 240 yards and a touchdown against Nebraska, and kicker Noah Ruggles, who went 4-for-4 on field goals for the second game in a row.

Both of them ran up against other strong candidates this week, though. O'Connell completed 40 of 54 passing attempts for a whopping 536 yards and three touchdowns in Purdue’s win over Michigan State, while Dotson caught 11 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns in Penn State’s win over Maryland. Hayes averaged 43.7 yards per punt on seven punts, four of which he downed inside the 20-yard line, including one downed at the 2-yard line with just 1:12 to play in Illinois’ 14-6 win over Minnesota.