How is Big Ten football looking nearly halfway into the season?
Conference play is officially in full swing, and the Big Ten already looks in store for a very fun year. The conference added a brand-new team to the Top 25 this weekend, and is looking increasingly poised to earn three bids in the College Football Playoff come this winter. Let’s see how things changed this past Saturday (and Friday, for all the Washington and Rutgers fans reading this):
1. No. 3 Ohio State
Last Ranking: 1
Result: Defeated Michigan State 38-7
Next Game: vs. Iowa
Ohio State remains at the top of the Big Ten totem pole this week after a dominant win over Michigan State in its first conference game of the season. Some college football fans were wary of the Buckeyes ability against ‘real opponents’ due to their easier non-conference slate, but concerns were quieted in a game that was in OSU’s hands pretty much the whole way. If there’s one important takeaway from this game, though, it’s this: watch Jeremiah Smith play. Just a freshman, he might be the best receiver in the nation, proving so with this absurd catch against the Spartans on Saturday night.
2. No. 7 Penn State
Last Ranking: 3
Result: Defeated No. 19 Illinois 21-7
Next Game: vs UCLA
Penn State jumps Oregon after this week, mainly by way of taking care of a much better opponent. The Nittany Lions were able to pull away in the second half against a ranked Illinois team that put up a lot of fight. Where PSU really shined was on the defensive end, where it stifled Illinois’ run game almost completely by allowing just 1.1 yards per carry. Offensively, Drew Allar had a somewhat forgetful performance, but the backfield showed once again why they should be considered one of the best in the nation: junior duo Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton combined for 196 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries, breaking down Illinois’ defense in the second half to grab the win in Happy Valley.
3. No. 6 Oregon
Last Ranking: 2
Result: Defeated UCLA 34-13
Next Game: vs Michigan State
After a somewhat sluggish start to the season which included two unconvincing wins against Idaho and Boise State, Oregon finally seems to be hitting its stride as the Ducks head into conference play. The offense was clicking on all cylinders, with the Dillon Gabriel-Tez Johnson connection particularly notable against the Bruins on Saturday (11 receptions, 121 yards, two touchdowns). With the most important game of the season against Ohio State coming in just two weeks, the Ducks will still have some things to refine as they return home this week to face the Spartans.
4. No. 10 Michigan
Last Ranking: 4
Result: Defeated Minnesota 27-24
Next Game: at Washington
A big win at home against USC played a big part in slotting the Wolverines back into the top ten, but Michigan has looked relatively flat overall this season. Its controversial win against Minnesota — which ended with the Gophers being called offside after recovering an onside kick — marks yet another week for the Wolverines in which there have been definite issues to fix. The quarterback situation is still a glaring issue, as Sherrone Moore still doesn’t seem to fully trust Alex Orji as a passer. However, the defense has been stout, ranking among the best in the Big Ten in most major categories. The Wolverines will be tested again this weekend in Seattle, where a hungry Washington team looks for a big upset.
5. No. 11 USC
Last Ranking: 5
Result: Defeated Wisconsin 38-21
Next Game: at Minnesota
Though the final score might not show it, USC’s win over Wisconsin was by no means convincing. In fact, it took 28 unanswered points for the Trojans to overcome what was a two-possession deficit at the half. Despite the scare, Miller Moss is still looking like the man in SoCal. His 308-yard, four-touchdown day added another statline to what is shaping up to be a wildly successful season for the senior quarterback. But, the team’s success won’t be solely relying on his play: a bout against Penn State in two weeks should let us know just how far the Trojans are capable of going.
6. No. 23 Indiana
Last Ranking: 8
Result: Defeated Maryland 42-28
Next Game: at Northwestern
This past weekend marked history for the Indiana football program, in more ways than one. The Hoosiers are 5-0 for the first time since 1967, and ranked in the Top 25 for the first time since the 2021 preseason poll. Many remained skeptical of IU following its hot start due to a somewhat lackluster schedule, but a victory over a respectable foe in Maryland set things into stone. The real test for Curt Cignetti and company will be how they handle the pressure of being ranked, with Indiana’s first test coming against a struggling Northwestern team. However, with a schedule that doesn’t see the Hoosiers facing a ranked opponent until November, the question becomes: just how long can they stay undefeated?
7. No. 24 Illinois
Last Ranking: 6
Result: Lost to No. 9 Penn State 21-7
Next Game: vs Purdue
Illinois fell for the first time this year, but really held their own at Beaver Stadium amidst one of the toughest crowds in college football. Its main downfall came from mistakes and an inability to capitalize on opportunities, something the Fighting Illini will have to fix if they hope to continue competing in the Big Ten this season. Between a missed field goal to end the half and two straight turnovers to end the game, just too many things went wrong. The silver lining for Illinois is that their problems have easy solutions, and a tuneup game against a weaker Purdue squad should provide ample opportunity to focus on correcting such errors.
8. Nebraska
Last Ranking: 7
Result: Defeated Purdue 28-10
Next Game: vs Rutgers
After falling out of the Top 25, Nebraska followed up its first unranked game nicely with a 18-point win over Purdue. It was a slow start for the Cornhuskers, who didn’t score their first point until the 2:49 mark of the third quarter, but poured it on in the fourth with 21 points to finally pull away from the Boilermakers’ upset bid. The Huskers still have their toughest days ahead of them — including three ranked road games — but look to be on their way to finish among the top teams in the Big Ten by the season’s end.
9. Iowa
Last Ranking: 9
Result: Bye Week
Next Game: at No. 3 Ohio State
A bye week probably couldn’t have come at a better time for the Hawkeyes, as they travel to Columbus this week to go up against one of the top teams in the nation. One big plus for Iowa thus far this season has been its offensive production. Running back Kaleb Johnson has been particularly impressive, averaging over eight yards per carry and notching nine scores. Defensively, the Hawkeyes have looked like their same old selves, stifling opposing rushing offenses. A real test will come against the Buckeyes this weekend who sport one of the most talented offenses in the nation.
10. Rutgers
Last Ranking: 11
Result: Defeated Washington 21-18
Next Game: at Nebraska
The Scarlet Knights, notorious for being one of the worst teams in the Big Ten since joining the conference in 2014, are sneakily one of the last undefeated teams left in the country. Rutgers overcame a comeback effort from Washington on Friday night to secure its fourth win of the season, in big thanks to its superstar running back Kyle Monangai, who has largely gone under the radar but is having one of the most efficient seasons in the nation. A matchup in Omaha could end Rutgers’ undefeated streak, but the Scarlet Knights looks prepared to surprise everyone in the Big Ten.
11. Washington
Last Ranking: 10
Result: Lost to Rutgers 21-18
Next Game: vs No. 10 Michigan
On the opposite side of that Rutgers victory was Washington, which has followed up its run to the National Championship game somewhat flatly. Washington played from behind for nearly the entire game in Piscataway despite outgaining the Scarlet Knights by over 200 yards. Just about the only stat in Rutgers’ favor was third down efficiency. Washington was just 2-for-12 on third down. The Huskies will need to string drives together this Saturday if they have any hope of taking down Michigan. An intimidating Husky crowd should help things, though.
12. Michigan State
Last Ranking: 12
Result: Lost to No. 3 Ohio State 38-7
Next Game: at No. 6 Oregon
After a strong start to the year, Michigan State has now suffered two straight losses and is in danger of a third as it travels to face another top-10 opponent. The Spartans kept it close early, but the talent disparity proved to be far too much for a MSU team still trying to get back to its first winning season since 2021. This team ultimately goes as far as Aidan Chiles can take them. The young QB has had his moments this season, but needs to limit the turnovers for Sparty to compete against the Big Ten’s best.
13. Wisconsin
Last Ranking: 14
Result: Lost to No. 13 USC 38-21
Next Game: vs Purdue
Wisconsin’s season seemed to have gone off the rails when starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke suffered an ACL injury in the Badgers’ blowout loss to Alabama. But, Wisconsin still showed signs of life in a competitive game against USC in Los Angeles. Although the offense may appear to be the glaring issue thus far, the defense has been largely disappointing, giving up the third-most points per game in the conference. At this point in the year, a bowl game should be the goal in Madison, but turning things around is by no means out of the question just yet.
14. Maryland
Last Ranking: 13
Result: Lost to Indiana 42-28
Next Game: Bye Week
Maryland has looked dominant this season — just not in either of its conference games. A loss this past weekend to IU puts the Terrapins at 0-2 in conference matchups, and in danger of finishing at the bottom of the Big Ten. There’s a lot to be excited about though. Billy Edwards Jr. is looking like one of the best quarterbacks in the conference, and his partner in crime Tai Felton is making a case to be one of the first receivers off the board in the upcoming NFL Draft. Still, holes in the passing defense and an inefficient run game need to be addressed if the Terps want to make a turnaround against a remaining schedule that includes three top-11 teams.
15. Minnesota
Last Ranking: 15
Result: Lost to No. 10 Michigan 27-24
Next Game: vs No. 11 USC
Minnesota put up a good fight in Ann Arbor, but was still outperformed for a majority of the game, down three touchdowns heading into the fourth quarter. The Golden Gophers are now below .500, and will have to work hard to get out of this hole. Their remaining schedule currently has a winning percentage of .700. With P.J. Fleck now squarely on the hot seat, the Gophers should be as desperate as ever for a win. It’s just a question of how much they can really accomplish with the talent they have.
16. Northwestern
Last Ranking: 16
Result: Bye Week
Next Game: vs No. 23 Indiana
The Wildcats have looked dysfunctional at times through the first four games of their season, mostly due to a quarterback battle that has seen no one truly prove themselves capable for the starting job. Not all hope is lost, though. Northwestern was in a similar situation the year prior, and then-interim head coach David Braun was able to turn things around in a heartbeat. What fans have to be asking now is: when, if at all, will that happen this season? A home game against a ranked Indiana team could be a great jumping off point to change the season’s narrative.
17. UCLA
Last Ranking: 17
Result: Lost to No. 8 Oregon 34-13
Next Game: at No. 7 Penn State
UCLA has faced one of the toughest schedules in the nation to date, ranked 17th in current strength of schedule. Still, the Eric Bienemy-led offense has looked incapable of competing thus far, losing by an average of 22.3 points in three contests. This is shaping up to be a rebuilding year for the Bruins, with a 1-3 start very hard to come back from in a conference as stacked as the Big Ten.
18. Purdue
Last Ranking: 18
Result: Lost to Nebraska 28-10
Next Game: at Wisconsin
Similar to UCLA, Purdue has yet to show it can compete with a power conference team, suffering blowouts to Notre Dame (66-7) and Oregon State (38-21) before a tough defeat against Nebraska in which the Boilermakers were in the game up until the final quarter. Depending on how the Boilermakers perform in Madison this weekend, a turnaround from Purdue isn’t out of the question.