Before Saturday, several players could have made their case as the top running back in the Big Ten. After Saturday, Melvin Gordon stands alone.

Gordon played just three quarters against No. 21 Nebraska on Nov. 16, but in that time, he rushed for the single-game NCAA FBS rushing record of 408 yards.

On Tuesday, coaches around the Big Ten reacted to the record-setting performance.

“You get one-on-one with him, he’s going to make anyone in the country look not so good … That guy at Wisconsin’s on a different planet right now,” Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill said. The Gophers will play the Badgers in the regular-season finale.

Gordon appears to be a clear-cut choice to represent the Big Ten in December at the Heisman Trophy presentation in New York City.

With two regular season games remaining, Gordon has rushed for 1,909 yards while boasting an 8.6 yards per carry average. He has also rushed for a Big Ten-best 23 rushing touchdowns.

Gordon and his Badgers will match up this week against Iowa, whom many of the players were on their way home from its 30-14 defeat of Illinois when they found out about the once-Iowa recruit’s historic game.

“We were on the plane or the bus or something, and we we’re like, “Oh, good for him,’” quarterback Jake Rudock said. “That’s cool when you can witness history like that.”

“It’s impressive … You see that, and you have respect for him.”

Frank Clark dismissed from Michigan

After being arrested in Ohio for domestic violence charges over the weekend, Michigan defensive end Frank Clark was dismissed from the team.

Clark was arrested early Sunday morning. He appeared before the Sandusky Municipal Court on Monday via videoconference. He pleaded not guilty to domestic violence charges and bail was set at $3,000.

“This is a tragic situation,” head coach Brady Hoke said in a statement. “Our student-athletes will be held accountable when their actions fail to meet the standard we have at Michigan. There is a legal process that will occur and we respect that process.”

In front of the local media on Monday, Hoke said that he hadn’t talked with Clark yet, but planned to in the future.

This is Clark’s second arrest during his career with the Wolverines. He pleaded guilty to a second-degree home invasion felony charge after stealing a laptop from a Michigan dormitory in September 2012.

Clark had 42 total tackles. He leads the team with 13.5 tackles for loss and has 4.5 sacks through 10 games this season.

“It’s always something that your team pulls together and there’s guys that have to step up now,” Hoke said of the dismissal.

Rutgers and Penn State eligible for bowl bid

For the first time since January 2012, Penn State could be selected to play in a bowl game. Last week, the Nittany Lions, as well as Rutgers, became bowl eligible by notching their sixth wins of the season.

If Penn State is selected to participate in a post-season bowl game, it will be the first postseason play since the NCAA handed down sanctions to the university following the Jerry Sandusky scandal in July 2012.

"If people tell us we have an opportunity to go somewhere, we’ll be excited about going there,” head coach James Franklin said. “But we’re focused on Illinois, and that’s how you make sure that you’re able to come out and play as consistent as you possibly can week-in and week-out, by taking it one game at a time."

Follow @JacobSheyko on Twitter for updates, news, and analysis about the Iowa football team.