While Wisconsin sophomore running back Braelon Allen sustained a shoulder injury in the Badgers’ 35-24 victory over Purdue on Oct. 22, it isn’t bad enough to keep him out of the game.

“When I hurt it against Purdue, I had to get X-rays and stuff and see what was going on,” Allen told 24/7 Sports. “It was just a sprain. They told me it couldn’t really get worse and that I could p;ay on it. That’s all I needed to hear. I just have to treat it up and do whatever I need to do to feel the best I can.”

Allen has been taking the brunt of Wisconsin’s carries after running back Chez Mellusi injured his wrist against Northwestern on Oct. 8.

The sophomore from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, ranks fourth in the Big Ten with 989 yards and fifth with 10 touchdowns. 

Allen doesn’t expect the injury to go away, and he’s still planning to keep up his normal production against Iowa this week. The Hawkeyes and the Badgers have identical 5-4 records heading into the contest, and the game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. Wisconsin has won eight of the last 10 contests for the Heartland Trophy.

“I would assume so,” Allen told 24/7 Sports when asked if his injury is expected to linger. “Obviously, the games aren’t going to get any easier. I am not going to touch the ball any less. We probably have our most physical game of the year coming up this week [against Iowa]. I am doing whatever I can to feel as good as possible.”

Lawyer alleges Michigan player started tunnel fight

A lawyer for a suspended Michigan State football player alleged on Tuesday a Michigan player started the tunnel fight that led to at least eight suspensions within the Spartan program.

Following the Wolverines’ 29-7 victory over the Spartans at Michigan Stadium on Oct. 29, both teams exited the field in the same tunnel. Videos of multiple fights in the tunnel, which were allegedly started by Michigan State players, emerged on social media soon after. One video shows multiple Spartans hitting Wolverine cornerback Gemon Green with a helmet.

Green was hit in the back, face, and shoulder, according to ESPN, and was placed in concussion protocol. He missed Michigan’s Nov. 5 game against Rutgers and has hired an attorney to press criminal charges against MSU players.

The Michigan State football program is complying with investigations from law enforcement and the Big Ten Conference and has suspended Tank Brown, Khary Chump, Angelo Grose, Zion Young, Malcolm Jones, Justin White, Jacoby Windmon, and Brandon Wright for their alleged actions in the fight.

But Dave Diamond, the lawyer representing the unnamed suspended Michigan State player, alleges a Michigan player “engaged with Spartan athletes with a helmet and swinging a punch.”

“While we acknowledge wrongdoing by all parties, this is not an incident that warrants criminal charges being filed,” Diamond said in a statement. “We have seen similar behavior and even worse on the gridiron and suddenly because it happens in a tunnel, known for incompetent security and poor postgame management, there are calls for criminal charges. My client is a young man who responded to the situation before him.”

Two Big Ten teams in top four of College Football Playoff rankings

Following Tennessee’s 27-13 loss to Georgia on Saturday, Michigan has taken a top-four spot in the College Football Playoff rankings released on Tuesday night.

Michigan debuted at No. 5 in the first edition of the rankings on Nov. 1 — one spot out of a playoff berth. Now, Michigan is third in the rankings.

Tennessee dropped from first to fifth following its loss, and Georgia leapfrogged No. 2 Ohio State for the top spot in the rankings. TCU rounds out the four-team playoff field in the Nov. 8 rankings.

Two other Big Ten teams appeared in the CFP top 25: No. 14 Penn State and No. 21 Illinois.

Both Michigan and Ohio State have undefeated 9-0 records this season. The Buckeyes and Wolverines will play for a chance to be the Big Ten East Division champion in the final game of the regular season on Nov. 26.