Well that was a very eventful week in the Big Ten. Indiana with a huge win for their program and are now a serious CFP contender. Northwestern sends James Franklin packing and Penn State now has a very realistic
chance to not make a bowl. USC making a strong argument as the 4th best team in the conference. And this week has some very entertaining matchups as well.
#1 Ohio State Buckeyes (Previously #1)
Ohio State thus far is the lone Big Ten team that has shown full dominance—though #2 is close as we will get to that. A Road game at #19 Illinois? An easy 34-16 win that was less clos than the score would make it seem. Ohio State moves to 6-0 on the season and heads to Madison this week as 24.5 point favorites. This one could get ugly and fast.
#2 Indiana Hoosiers (Previously #3)
Well hello Indiana. The Hoosiers had the second most surprising win of the way when they went into Eugene and knocked off previously undefeated #3 Oregon 30-20. It’s Indiana’s first win over a top-5 team since 1967! The Hoosiers appear even better than last season and and now are just a win at a reeling Penn State team away from a 12-0 regular season record. Don’t think anyone saw this coming. Michigan State comes to Bloomington this week as the Hoosiers look to avoid a classic let down game as….checks that number again….27.5 point favorites?
#3 Oregon Ducks (Previously #2)
The Ducks looked shocked that Indiana came into their stadium and hit them in the mouth. The loss snapped an 18-game winning streak at Autzen Stadium, the longest active streak in the nation. It was Oregon’s first ever regular season Big Ten loss. And in the long run, all it does it make it harder for the Ducks to earn a first round CFP bye, but barring another slip up the Ducks will easily be in the playoff field come December. The Ducks get to take a cross-country flight this weekend as they will play at Rutgers, but Vegas is not too concerned as Oregon is still a 17.5 point favorite.
#4 USC Trojans (Previously #9)
USC gets the big jump this week as we are now seeing they may in fact be the fourth best team in the conference. They smashed Michigan at home last weekend 31-13 in a game that was never close. Now is USC really that good, or after the top three teams in the conference is it really that mediocre? We may get a better idea this weekend when USC heads to a rivalry game in South Bend against a not as strong as last year Notre Dame team. The Irish are still 8.5 point favorites, which seems steep. But, we will see if USC really is a paper tiger or not.
#5 Nebraska Cornhuskers (Previously #7)
Nebraska with the secondary leap of the week moving up two spots after losses by other teams. The Cornhuskers are back in the Top 25 this week after they needed to come back from down a touchdown in the fourth quarter at Maryland last weekend. They did scoring ten points in the final 7:47 of the game including a game winning touchdown with 1:08 left to play in a 34-31 win. This head to Minnesota on Friday night for a game where all the money seems to be coming in on Nebraska. The line started at -5.5 for the Cornhuskers and as of Tuesday night was allready up to a 9.5 spread for Nebraska. But, Nebby has struggled in recent years in Minneapolis…
#6 Illinois Fighting Illini (Previously #4)
The Illini drop a pair of spots after losing to Ohio State 34-16. I mean you can’t really fault them, but its the unforced mistakes that will cost this team in bowl positioning. They are the final Big Ten team to get their first bowl week and will sit back with a 5-2 overall record and prepare for a huge game at Washington next weekend.
#7 Michigan Wolverines (Previously #5)
We here have been saying for a while we thought Michigan was overrated and USC made that argument handily in a 31-13 whooping of the Wolverines in LA last weekend. Michigan does have an easier schedule, but with that loss their playoff dark horse status is likely gone. They host Washington as 6.5 point favorites in what is a 9 AM Pacific kick for the Huskies. Can Michigan jump out in the 2024 CFP Championship Game rematch before Washington wakes up?
#8 Iowa Hawkeyes (Previously #8)
Iowa could have an argument for moving up after a 37-0 win, but it was Wisconsin after all. But still props to the Hawkeyes for absolutely demoralizing Wisconsin for the second consecutive year. The enemy of my enemy is my friend or something like that. An absolutely demoralized Penn State team comes to Kinnick Saturday night in what now is almost a must win for Iowa. Hawkeyes are 2.5 point favorites.
#9 Washington Huskies (Previously #10)
Washington has got to be one of the quietest 5-1 teams out there right now. They knocked off Ruthers at home last Friday to pick up win #5 and now have a much tougher task in a 2024 CFP Title Game rematch in Ann Arbor on Saturday. The Wolverines are favored by 6.5 and the only reason might be the 9 AM pacific kick time. I won’t be surprised to see a Washington win.
#10 Penn State Nittany Lions (Previously #3)
What was only a few weeks ago. An epic collapse by the Nittany Lions with back to back losses to UCLA and Northwestern. Big Game James is out of a job, and Drew Allar is out for the season. Penn State likely still finds a way to get back on track here, but suddenly sitting at just 3-3 and still having to play at Iowa, at Ohio State, vs Indiana and vs Nebraska there is a very real road to 5-7 here for the Nittany Lions. From Preseason #3 in the nation to missing a bowl game. Penn State is a 2.5 point road dog here, and they need to show some kind of spark early, or else Iowa might run away with it.
#11 Minnesota Golden Gophers (Previously #11)
Minnesota barely pulled out a Homecoming win over Purdue thanks to a Koi Perich Pick 6. Minnesota feels a lot better sitting at 4-2 than at 3-3 with two tough games in back to back weeks here. This week it’s the Battle for the Broken Chair as Nebraska comes to town. Lots of money coming in on the Huskers has bumped the line to 9.5 point favorites for Nebby, which if you have seen the Gophers play the last few weeks does not sound too weird. But PJ Fleck has pretty much owned Nebraska since coming to Minnesota. Can he find a way to pull out another big win and rejuvenate the fanbase?
#12 UCLA Bruins (Previously #14)
A bit of rearranging on the bottom here as UCLA despite being just 2-4 suddenly looks like a middle of the pack team. It begs the question, just how bad a coach was DeShaun Foster. The Bruin with two wins in a row including an absolute thrashing of Michigan State in East Lansing last weekend. They host Maryland this weekend and suddenly are 3.5 point favorites. It’s still a long road to get to bowl eligibility with only two losses allowed and trips to Indiana, Ohio State and USC on the schedule along with home games against Nebraska and Washington, but the Bruins suddenly have life.
#13 Northwestern Wildcats (Previously #16)
Well hello Northwestern. The Wildcats with a massive upset of Penn State in Happy Valley get a coach fired, and suddenly appear to make a run at a bowl game. Northwestern is 4-2 and just needs to fin a pair of wins against Purdue, Nebraska, USC, Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois. It’s definitely a possibility. This week would be their easiest task left on the schedule as they host the Boilermakers as 3.5 point favorites.
#14 Maryland Terrapins (Previously #13)
October Maryland is here and in full blown meltdown mode. The Terps had a fourth quarter lead at home against Washington and blew it. The Terps had a four quarter lead last weekend at home against Nebraska…and blew it. This week they head across the country to face the hottest team in the nation in UCLA, and its very realistic that 4-0 September becomes 0-3 October Saturday afternoon.
#15 Michigan State Spartans (Previously #12)
Michigan State looked decent earlier in the season but they are on the struggle bus the last few weeks. A Loss at Nebraska leads into a thrashing by the hands of UCLA at home last weekend and suddenly the Spartans are 3-3 and 0-3 in the Big Ten. I would assume 0-4 is likely unless they can catch #3 Indiana in a trap game after their huge win last weekend. But as 27.5 point underdogs, I don’t like the Spartans chances much.
#16 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (Previously #15)
Rutgers slides don a spot after heading to Seattle and playing well early but falling apart in the second half in a 38-19 loss to Washington. The Scarlet Knights like MSU are 3-3 overall but now 0-3 in the Big Ten and staring down the barrel of 0-4 as they await Oregon flying cross-country to take them on this Saturday. Don’t think that will go well, but we will see if the travel gives Rutgers any edge.
#17 Purdue Boilermakers (Previously #17)
Purdue gave Minnesota a heck of a run, but just too many mistakes caught up with them and allowed the Gophers to pull out a win. The Boilermakers fall to 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the Big Ten and have arguably their second easiest game left on the season this weekend with an easy trip up to Evanston to face Northwestern.
#18 Wisconsin Badgers (Previously #19)
I think the Badgers are dead. No seriously…someone check for a pulse. Losing 37-0 at home to Iowa a year after giving up 42 points to the Hawkeyes and having to do 42 pushups at every off-season workout? Yeah, that’s not recoverable. At least Wisconsin has a couple of easier opponents the next few…..wait. I’m being told I read that wrong. Their next two games are Ohio State at home and at Oregon. Does Luke Fickell make it out of October?
