aroundthebigten
No. 5 Ohio State at No. 14 Iowa
It was a picture-perfect day in Iowa City on Saturday. College Gameday was in town; fans were riled up from dawn until the 2:30 p.m. kickoff for CBS’s premier Big Ten window. There was little that Iowa could have done to hang in there with the Buckeyes, though, as it was handled 31-14. Heisman frontrunner wide receiver Jeremiah Smith followed up his 200-yard, four-touchdown outing from last weekend with a 12-catch, 206-yard and two-touchdown dominant performance. No one in college football has done anything close to what Smith has through five weeks. Iowa ran the ball for just 39 yards against Ohio State’s defense and didn’t force any turnovers for themselves, which would have been needed if the Hawkeyes were looking to play spoiler. Ohio State took a 31-6 lead early in the fourth that more than cemented the game’s result. The Buckeyes are playing a different level of football than the rest of the Big Ten.
Ohio State Next: vs. Maryland | Oct. 10 at 3:15 p.m.
Iowa Next: at Washington | Oct. 9 at 8 p.m.
Washington at No. 18 USC
These two programs have been on an interesting trajectory in recent weeks. Washington had struggled mightily in non-conference play against lower competition before suffering a crushing loss in Husky Stadium against PJ Fleck and Minnesota last week. USC on the other end just suffered an emotional defeat last week at the hands of the Oregon Ducks. Both of these teams needed a win Saturday night, and badly.
After a defense-heavy first half, Washington scored on a 42-yard pass from quarterback Demond Williams to tight end Decker Degraaf, making the score 21-10. Momentum completely turned in favor of the Trojans after a Williams fumble led to a scoop-and-score by USC defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart to make the score 22-21. USC then notched a field goal before halting Washington on its final drive to hold on in the Coliseum, 25-21.
The win is one of epic proportions for Lincoln Riley’s team that gave up 41 points last week. For Jedd Fisch and company, they find themselves at a crossroads, where their season could either be successful or a complete disaster.
Washington Next: vs. Iowa | Oct. 9 at 8 p.m.
USC Next: at Penn State | Oct. 10 at 6:30 p.m.
Michigan at Minnesota
Few could do what PJ Fleck has done at Minnesota. The Golden Gophers secured the Little Brown Jug for the first time since 2014 after beating Michigan at home Saturday.
After taking the trophy to the locker room, Fleck poured the water from the jug all over himself before crowd surfing. Minnesota trailed for a better part of the football game until junior quarterback Drake Lindsey found running back Darius Taylor for a 3-yard touchdown pass in the early fourth quarter that put the Golden Gophers up 20-14, a score that would stick for the remainder of the matchup. It was just an old-school Big Ten slugfest in Minneapolis, the kind of game that PJ Fleck wants his team to play. Unlike Iowa last week, Minnesota dominated the Wolverines in almost every aspect of the football game, from total yards to time of possession.
While it’s hard not to focus on Fleck and Minnesota, the other side of the story here is quite concerning for Michigan, which is now a Hail Mary against Western Michigan away from being 2-3.
Michigan Next: BYE
Minnesota Next: at Purdue | Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.
Penn State at Northwestern
The opening of the new Ryan Field on Friday night was something special. David Braun and Northwestern walked out to ‘Thunderstruck’ by ACDC and a slew of bright lights and pyrotechnics. The brand of football the Wildcats displayed on the field more than justified the $875 million stadium project.
Chip Kelly has been the home run coordinator hire of the season in college football for Northwestern, as his mix of formations and styles has made the Wildcats almost impossible to prepare for. It’s not often the Wing-T offense runs at the highest level of the sport. Northwestern bullied Penn State in a 34-13 demolition, rushing for an unbelievable 413 yards at a rate of 7.3 yards per carry. Running backs Caleb Komolafe and Joseph Himon II toted the rock for over 160 yards each. Northwestern’s performance against Indiana last week, coupled with this outing, shows just how real the Wildcats are. Penn State on the other end is reeling now after suffering back-to-back Big Ten conference losses. The talent on the roster after Matt Campbell brought a high contingent of Iowa State players to Happy Valley is very much in question going forward.
Penn State Next: vs. USC | Oct. 10 at 6:30 p.m.
Northwestern Next: vs. Ball State | Oct. 10 at 11:30 a.m.
Purdue at Illinois
Purdue had not won a Big Ten conference game since it beat the Indiana Hoosiers in 2023. The 1,000-day drought ended on Saturday after Boilermakers pulled out the victory on the road in Champaign 24-17. Purdue controlled the game from start to finish, never trailing the Illini through 60 minutes of regulation. The win is a feel-good story for Barry Odom’s team, but it is one of deep concern for Bret Bielema and company. The Illini came into 2026 in hopes to claim their fourth out of the last five seasons with eight or more wins, but instead now sit at 2-3 after losing to Duke earlier in the season and getting hammered by Ohio State last weekend. It’s one thing to lose to Purdue; it’s another thing to never even threaten the Boilermakers throughout the contest.
Purdue Next: vs. Minnesota | Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.
Illinois Next: at Michigan State | Oct. 10 at 2:30 p.m.
Michigan State at Wisconsin
You couldn’t feel much better for anyone but Luke Fickell last week after Wisconsin upset Penn State in State College. Wisconsin showed that it will be tough to deal with moving forward after kicking Sparty to the curb 31-3. Senior quarterback Colton Joseph ran the football 13 times for 145 yards and a touchdown, making him the first Wisconsin quarterback to rush for over 100 yards in a game since Tanner McEvoy in 2014. Joseph pretty much stole the show on the ground while also getting it done with three scores through the air. Michigan State, however, is now coming off two blowout losses in which they suffered major injuries to key players. That will make things extremely difficult going forward for Pat Fitzgerald’s crew.
Michigan State Next: vs. Illinois | Oct. 10 at 2:30 p.m.
Wisconsin Next: BYE
Indiana at Rutgers
Rutgers had a good crowd showing on Saturday night for its blackout game against Indiana. Unfortunately, the slick black jerseys and sweet-looking crowd could not translate to the product on the field for the Scarlet Knights. They were walloped by Indiana 47-15. Junior Turbo Richard was back this week and better than ever, as he became the second Indiana running back, along with Lee Beebe Jr., to rush for 200 yards in Big Ten play this season as he totaled 204 yards on 13 carries. Senior signal-caller Josh Hoover also came alive after missing some big throws last week. He converted on 20 of his 27 passes for 251 yards and four touchdowns.
Curt Cignetti’s squad is now 5-0 for the third consecutive season and is set up for a major Big Ten collision in Lincoln with an undefeated Nebraska team on Saturday.
Indiana Next: at Nebraska | Oct. 10 at 11 a.m.
Rutgers Next: BYE