Week 6 shook up the Big Ten in a few places, but the top of the league remains exactly where it was. Indiana survived a serious scare at Nebraska, Ohio State kept rolling, and UCLA went to Eugene and walked out with a win that changed the conversation fast. Now the conference’s biggest collision course arrives in Week 7, with the Hoosiers and Buckeyes set to meet in Bloomington in what could be the game of the regular season.
That showdown sits at the center of a loaded weekend, but it’s hardly the only matchup with ripple effects. Several teams still have a chance to swing the title picture, and the league’s pecking order looks plenty unsettled outside the top two.
Indiana stays in the No. 1 spot after squeezing out a 20-17 win at Nebraska. The Hoosiers are 6-0 overall and 3-0 in Big Ten play, and their winning streak has now reached 22 games.
Ohio State is right behind them at No. 2 after a 45-16 win over Maryland, a result that only sharpened the stakes for Saturday’s trip to Bloomington. Jeremiah Smith continues to look borderline unstoppable, and Ryan Day’s team gets a shot to avenge last year’s Big Ten Championship Game loss to Indiana.
UCLA jumps into the No. 3 position after the most eye-catching result of Week 6: a 17-15 victory over Oregon in Eugene. The Bruins are unbeaten at 5-0 and have now shown they can win a different kind of game after running up the score through the first four weeks.
Bob Chesney’s team is up to No. 12 in the AP Poll, and the schedule doesn’t bring another ranked opponent until the season finale against No. 19 USC on Nov.
USC holds steady at No. 4 despite some uneven spots this season. Still, the Trojans are 6-1 overall and 3-1 in conference play, and Lincoln Riley has them positioned well. Jayden Maiava has been a major force, throwing for 2,045 yards and 18 touchdowns with just three interceptions while adding two rushing scores.
Iowa makes one of the biggest climbs, landing at No. 5 after beating Washington 41-24 on Friday night. The Hawkeyes are 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the league, and the rest of the schedule looks manageable enough that they could be in the mix for College Football Playoff noise. Northwestern is right behind them at No. 6 after a 45-14 win over Ball State pushed the Wildcats to 4-1.
Oregon tumbles to No. 7 after its rough night in Eugene. The Ducks looked nothing like the same team without Dante Moore, and Dylan Raiola had a brutal outing, finishing 6 of 19 for 43 yards with two interceptions before being benched. Oregon committed seven turnovers and still only lost 17-15, which tells you how close the game was and how much cleanup remains for Dan Lanning.
Nebraska slides to No. 8 after letting Indiana escape Lincoln. The Cornhuskers controlled the clock and carried a 17-6 lead in the fourth quarter before the Hoosiers rallied, but they again came up short against a ranked opponent.
Wisconsin moves up to No. 9 and will try to extend a four-game winning streak this weekend against UCLA. Minnesota falls to No. 10 after back-to-back strong wins over Washington and Michigan were followed by a flat showing in a 41-13 loss to Purdue.
Michigan sits at No. 11 after a bye week, while Purdue keeps climbing to No. 12 following its dominant win over Minnesota. The Boilermakers out-gained the Gophers 464-275 and have now won back-to-back conference games. Washington drops to No. 13 after falling 41-24 to Iowa, though the defense has still been a bright spot in keeping games competitive.
Illinois moves up to No. 14 after surviving Michigan State in overtime for its first Big Ten win of the season. The Fighting Illini still have plenty of ground to make up, and it doesn’t help that QB Katin Houser is now out for the season with a broken hand. Penn State falls to No. 15 after a White Out loss to USC, with a tough road trip to Michigan up next.
Michigan State checks in at No. 16 after coming within one play of beating Illinois before falling short on a 2-point try in overtime. Maryland is No. 17 after a 45-16 loss to Ohio State, and Rutgers remains last at No. 18 after a bye week did nothing to change its trajectory. The Scarlet Knights opened the year with a loss to UMass as 24-point favorites and still haven’t found any momentum.
In Other News...
Curt Cignetti Revealed Where Indianas Winning Touchdown Came From
Indianas 20-17 win over Nebraska turned on a 44-yard touchdown from Josh Hoover to Nick Marsh, a strike that gave the Hoosiers the edge in a tight game that never really let either side relax. Afterward, Curt Cignetti pointed to an outside source for the design behind the decisive play, crediting the offensive creativity Kansas showed during Andy Kotelnickis time running that attack.
Cignetti said the concept came from that Kansas era and specifically from a fourth-and-1 idea that had become one of the calling cards of Kotelnickis record-setting offense. For Indiana, it was a reminder that big moments can come from borrowed ideas as much as bold execution, and the larger question now is how often the Hoosiers can keep turning that kind of creativity into game-changing touchdowns. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Faces The Game That Could Change Everything Nationally
Indianas unbeaten run has set up a November-style spotlight in Bloomington a little earlier than expected, with Memorial Stadium now getting the kind of stage that can reshape a season in a hurry. The Hoosiers enter at 6-0 and ranked inside the top five, and the visit from Ohio State brings a familiar heavyweight into a building that has not often hosted a game with this much national pull.
Ohio State arrives with one loss and a top-five ranking of its own, which is what makes this matchup feel less like a milestone and more like a measuring stick. Between the history of the programs, the coaching matchup, the betting line and a full game day buildup around Bloomington, Indiana gets a chance to prove the opening surge is more than a hot start and maybe more than that if it can handle the moment. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Showed Real Promise In One Area Fans Still Cant Ignore
Indianas exhibition win over Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse offered a useful early look at what this group can already do well. The Hoosiers controlled the boards, with Aiden Sherrell pulling down nine rebounds, and they also showed some promising perimeter touch in a 96-68 victory that gave plenty of reasons for optimism before the games start counting.
Still, the same outing also reminded everyone of a familiar concern. Multiple players found themselves in foul trouble, and that kind of issue can quickly limit rotations and disrupt rhythm once the competition tightens, even as Indianas shooting from deep and contributions from Darren Harris and Markus Burton point to a team with more offensive balance than it has had in recent years. [Read more 🡒]