Every Sunday, after a whirlwind autumn Saturday of college football, we'll be taking you around the Big Ten to keep tabs on the rest of the conference. As it fights as one for respectability in the non-conference, or as its power dynamics shift on a week-to-week basis in October and November, we'll follow the narrative to give you a better idea of where Northwestern fits into the 14-team puzzle.
Here are the top three storylines from Week 8:
1. Christian Hackenberg shreds Illinois
In a matchup between two of Northwestern's upcoming opponents, Penn State completely dominated Illinois, 39-0.