The Big Ten kicked off the season with some electric Game 1 performances. The talent in this conference was evident, as many quarterbacks shined in their debuts. The battle for the top in this conference will be very fun to watch. There appears to be more competition in the league than previously thought.
Here are the scores from this weekend in Big Ten football for Week 1, plus my breakdown for each team:
Thursday: Massachusetts 37-21 vs Rutgers
UMass was winless in 2025 and came into this match as 29.5-point underdogs. None of that mattered as they pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent years. Rutgers was on the wrong side of that. This season is already not looking good for the Scarlet Knights.
Minnesota 59-7 vs Eastern Illinois
Minnesota's defense was suffocating in this game, only giving up 4 total first downs
and 110 total yards. The Gophers' defense met the hype and expectations. Drake Lindsey and running back Darius Taylor led the way offensively with great season debuts. The Gophers could have some juice this year.
Illinios 42-23 vs UAB
The Fighting Illini pulled off a hail mary in this game to close out the first half. It was all the Fighting Illini after a close first half. Ca'Lil Valentine looks to be the guy at running back in a solid season debut, but I do not think Illinois has enough talent elsewhere to compete in the Big Ten this season. That showed in this game with how close it was against an inferior opponent.
Friday: USC 39-0 vs Fresno State
USC learned its lesson after Game 1. The Trojans had their foot on the gas the entire game against the Bulldogs. Gary Patterson had the Trojans' defense playing at an elite level, while Lincoln Riley had the offense looking prolific once again. It looks like the Trojans, for the first time since joining the Big Ten, have a complete team.
Purdue 44-19 vs Indiana State
Unlike Rutgers, Purdue took care of business against their first non-conference opponent of the season. Ryan Browne led the Purdue Boilermakers to a great offensive season debut.
Saturday: Ohio State 56-3 vs Ball State
To the surprise of no one, Ohio State is still really good. The connection between Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin, however, looks even better than last season. The Buckeyes have everything they need to go on a revenge tour this season.
Oregon 34-27 vs Boise State
Oregon got smacked in the mouth to start the game. Down 17-7 in the first half. The Ducks were too talented to let an upset happen, but this game did show that the talented Oregon Ducks are beatable. The USC Trojans should feel good seeing the outcome of this game.
Indiana 52-16 vs North Texas
The Indiana Hoosiers have themselves a quarterback once again. Josh Hoover, even with a bloody face, drives down the field and leads the Hoosiers to a scoring drive. Hoover answered all the questions about the Hoosiers' quarterback position with a great showing. The Hoosiers' defense did look gettable, though.
Michigan 13-12 vs Western Michigan
The Michigan Wolverines pulled off a miracle victory after being seconds away from giving up an embarrassing upset. This Wolverines team did not look any better than last year's squad. If anything, this was a concerning season debut for Bryce Underwood.
Penn State 45-0 vs Marshall
Rocco Becht shined in his season debut with Penn State. You can add Koby Howard to the list of exciting receivers in college football. He was brilliant, and he will be Becht's favorite target. Penn State looked really good across the board in Game 1 under Matt Campbell.
Iowa 40-0 vs NIU
Iowa suffocated the Huskies, and this defense looks just as good as it was last season. The Iowa Hawkeyes had 6 sacks in this game, gave up only 120 total yards, and 7 total first downs. The Hawkeyes offense also provided some juice, but the defense for Iowa will be what propels them to another winning season.
Nebraska 49-21 vs Ohio
This game was a lot closer than it should have been. The Cornhuskers were up just 1 point at halftime. Nebraska obviously pulled away because they are the more talented team, but this is not a team that will get too many wins against Big Ten competition this season.
Maryland 62-0 vs Hampton
Malik Washington did not have to do as much in this game, as the run game for the Terrapins led the way. Dejaun Williams is definitely a name to follow, as he delivered a superstar performance in Game 1.
Northwestern 34-18 vs South Dakota State
The Chip Kelly and Pat Fitzgerald duo got off to a nice start as the Wildcats cruised to a nice win in Game 1. The offense looked more explosive as they kicked off the game on the first play with a 71-yard touchdown. The Wildcats should be extremely frisky this season.
UCLA 45-24 vs California
UCLA got its first win in the Bob Chesney era. UCLA looked like a different football team. They were physical, and their run game was dominant. The Bruins ran for 277 total yards. This was a statement win for UCLA, as they took it to a team with high expectations. California was picked to get this win, but in the final 9 minutes, the Bruins were not going to be denied scoring 21 points. There should be a lot of excitement surrounding the Bruins this season.
Sunday: Washington 24-10 vs Washington State
Demond Williams picked up where he left off last season as a playmaker, and the Huskies' defense answered the bell this season. The Huskies should have blown out their rival, but this is still a team that can make some noise in the Big Ten this season.
Notre Dame 41-13 vs Wisconsin
Wisconsin put up a good fight in the first half, and then the title contender in the Fighting Irish pulled away in the second half. The Badgers' offense left more to be desired. This Badgers team still looked much improved, and they should be a more competent team this season.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Big Ten football Week 1 scoreboard
