The Big Ten looks a lot clearer after a week full of some surprising results. USC football had the most disappointing loss, given that everything was pointing in their favor. The Trojans ended the week with just as much concern and doubt as Washington. Iowa and Wisconsin both look like teams that will pass the Trojans in the standings.
Here are the scores from this weekend in Big Ten football, plus my breakdown for each team:
Friday: Rutgers 58-7 vs Howard
Rutgers woke up after its game against USC. The Scarlet Knights put on an offensive clinic led by their two stars, Antwan Raymond and KJ Duff.
Indiana 29-23 vs Northwestern
Aidan Chiles was not intimidated by the defending champions as he gave the Hoosiers quite the scare. Northwestern showed they are capable of playing even the best teams in the conference
tight. For the Hoosiers, this game does not hold too much weight; they still are a force, just one of those games in the Big Ten.
Saturday: Ohio State 42-19 vs Illinois
Jeremiah Smith's greatness was on full display against the Illini. He was a one-man wrecking crew against the Fighting Illini defense. Ohio State is recovering very well after the loss to Texas.
UCLA 54-3 vs Maryland
UCLA might be the best team in LA after 4 weeks of college football. The Bruins dominated the Terrapins. Maryland is obviously a lesser opponent, but this was a statement win. The Bruins need to be taken seriously now.
Notre Dame 49-10 vs Purdue
Notre Dame did not get too much resistance from the Boilermakers as they continue to roll to start the season. Now the Boilermakers are in a heavily competitive part of their schedule; they are back to being a bottom Big Ten team.
Iowa 20-19 vs Michigan
Michigan's karma came this week, as they fell to a similar play to the one that won them the game against Western Michigan. Their elite defense could not lead them to another victory. The Hawkeyes went on a 91-yard game-winning drive to end the game, giving them a statement win that could propel them to their most successful season in years.
Nebraska 31-13 vs Michigan State
Anthony Colandrea puts together another good performance, leading the Cornhuskers to another win. Matt Rhule and the Cornhuskers have taken care of an easy schedule to start the season. It will be interesting to see if their success follows in more competitive Big Ten play.
Wisconsin 24-20 vs Penn State
Luke Fickell got the biggest win in his tenure at Wisconsin on Saturday. The hot seat has officially cooled down after this game for Fickell. This was such a gutsy comeback win for the Badgers. The Badgers appear to have their guy at quarterback in Colton Joseph.
Oregon 41-27 vs USC
Without their starting quarterback Dante Moore, Oregon still embarrassed the USC Trojans. This game showed that no matter what, Oregon is where they need to be, and USC still has ways to go to catch up to their Pac-12 rival. This game should add a ton of heat to Lincoln Riley's seat.
Minnesota 27-24 vs Washington
P.J. Fleck and the Gophers beat the Huskies on the road, a team that feels unbeatable when they are on their home turf. Huge win for the Gophers. Drake Lindsey showed he can outplay a quarterback viewed a lot higher than him in quarterback rankings. The Gophers' defense stepped up big, and this is a game that will cause a new evaluation of this Gophers team.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Big Ten football Week 4 review: USC and UCLA go in opposite directions
