Things to watch this weekend in the Big Ten:
No. 21 UCLA (4-0, 2-0 Big Ten) at No. 13 Oregon (3-1, 1-0), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS)
This represents a rematch of sorts for UCLA coach Bob Chesney, who was at James Madison last year when his Dukes lost 51-34 to Oregon in the first round of the College Football Playoff. It also should give UCLA a true measure of how far it has come in Chesney’s debut season.
UCLA already has exceeded its win total from
its 3-9 season last year and the Bruins have beaten their first four opponents by an average margin of 26 points. But they haven’t faced anyone nearly as good as Oregon, which enters this game as an 11 ½-point favorite.
No. 20 Iowa (4-1, 1-1) at Washington (3-2, 0-2), Friday, 9 p.m. ET (Fox or FS1)
Iowa attempts to bounce back from a 31-14 loss to Ohio State as it makes its first trip to Washington since 1963. Washington has lost its first two Big Ten contests by a combined seven points. The Huskies are 10-1 in their last 11 non-Saturday home games, including four wins over ranked teams.
No. 7 Indiana (5-0, 2-0) at Nebraska (5-0, 2-0), Saturday, noon ET (Fox)
The defending national champion Hoosiers put their Bowl Subdivision-leading 21-game winning streak on the line against the Cornhuskers, who have lost their last 30 matchups with AP Top 25 teams.
No. 19 Southern California (5-1, 2-1) at Penn State (3-2, 0-2), Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
USC makes its first trip to Penn State since 1994. Penn State is trying to snap a two-game skid that dropped the Nittany Lions from the Top 25.
— Northwestern LB Braydon Brus has recorded a tackle for loss in four straight games. In Northwestern’s 34-13 win over Penn State, he became the first Big Ten player since 2020 to have at least nine tackles, one interception, a sack and a pass breakup in the same game.
— Wisconsin QB Colton Joseph is compiling 226.4 yards passing and 52.4 yards rushing per game. The last Big Ten quarterback to average at least 200 yards passing and 50 yards rushing over an entire season was Nebraska’s Adrian Martinez in 2018.
— Ohio State QB Julian Sayin went 20 of 27 for 324 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions against Iowa. Sayin has completed 75% of his career pass attempts, putting him on pace for an FBS record.
— Southern California DE Luke Wafle recorded three tackles – including his first career sack - as Washington was attempting a rally on its final possession of the Trojans' 25-21 triumph. Wafle, a freshman, has a team-high 4 ½ tackles for loss.
Purdue’s 24-17 victory at Illinois snapped the Boilermakers’ 19-game Big Ten skid. … Minnesota’s Javon Tracy has 284 yards in punt returns, which exceeds the team totals for every FBS program other than Virginia Tech. … Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith has 15 career 100-yard receiving games to match Marvin Harrison Jr. for the Buckeyes’ program record. … UCLA has scored 50-plus points in consecutive games for the first time since 1993, and for the first time in back-to-back conference games since 1973. … Indiana’s 47-15 victory at Rutgers marked the first time since at least 1972 that the Hoosiers went an entire game without committing any turnovers or penalties. ... Nebraska is 2-0 in Big Ten play for the first time since 2017.
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