Late October brings a familiar kind of Big Ten chaos, but the top of the league still looks sharp in this week’s power rankings. Only Ohio State and UCLA are unbeaten in conference play, and UCLA remains the lone team in the league without a loss overall. That alone makes the race at the top worth watching, even before you get to the rest of the pack.
Ohio State keeps the No. 1 spot after surviving Indiana, while UCLA sits just behind it with an undefeated run that’s become impossible to ignore. After that, the rankings start to get interesting fast, especially with Iowa making a move and Indiana proving it belongs near the top even after a loss.
Iowa’s rise into the top five comes on the strength of both its record and the kind of wins that tend to travel well in October. The Hawkeyes are 5-1 overall and 2-1 in Big Ten play, and they’ve already picked up league wins at Michigan and Washington. That’s enough to command respect on its own, but the way they’ve been doing it stands out too.
The defense is still the defining edge. Iowa held Washington to negative three rushing yards in its most recent outing, which is exactly the kind of suffocating performance that has long defined this program.
The offense, meanwhile, has finally started to give the Hawkeyes a little more punch. Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski have both provided strong quarterback play, and the rushing attack showed real life at Washington with 263 yards and two scores after being uncharacteristically quiet through the first five weeks.
If that ground game sticks, Iowa has the profile of a team that can beat anyone.
USC also gets a bump after a bye week, and the break may have come at the right time. The Trojans are 6-1 overall and 3-1 in Big Ten play, with their only loss coming at home against Oregon. They’ve generally looked the part, but the next stretch will tell the real story for Lincoln Riley’s team.
It starts with a road trip to Wisconsin, and that matchup has plenty of intrigue. Camp Randall is never easy, and the Badgers have been one of the more surprising teams in college football this season.
Their defense has been especially nasty. In Big Ten play, Wisconsin hasn’t given up more than 20 points, while USC has yet to be held under 25.
Something has to give on Saturday, and the result could say plenty about the Trojans’ CFP hopes. Can USC handle that defense, and can it hold up on its own side of the ball?
Those are the questions hanging over this one.
UCLA remains the league’s biggest surprise story, and the Bruins have done it in a way few saw coming. Bob Chesney’s team was expected to outplay preseason expectations, but not like this.
The Bruins went unbeaten through six games, won four Big Ten games, and picked up a road win at Oregon’s Autzen Stadium along the way. That’s not smoke and mirrors.
That’s a team that has earned its spot.
The challenge now is what happens after losing quarterback Nico Iamaleava for the year. UCLA has leaned on its defense at different points, especially lately.
It held Maryland to three points, forced seven turnovers at Oregon, and allowed just seven points against Wisconsin. The offense has also been efficient on the ground, with 1,386 rushing yards at 5.6 yards per carry, even though Iamaleava has been a steady veteran presence and has handled his role well.
And the schedule does the Bruins a big favor from here. The back half of the season is light, with only one ranked opponent left, USC, and that game comes at home. At this point, a College Football Playoff berth is there for the taking.
Indiana takes a small hit after losing to Ohio State, but not enough to tumble far. That game was right there, and the Hoosiers were one play away from pulling it off. In a loss, they still showed why they belong in the conversation.
Curt Cignetti’s team has the look of a national title contender and a Big Ten title contender, too. The defense is arguably the best in the country.
The wideouts are absurdly talented. The offensive line has been elite in pass protection.
There’s a lot to like, even if there’s still room to sharpen things up. In this case, that’s not a bad sign at all.
Ohio State’s 19-15 win in Bloomington kept the Buckeyes at the top, but it wasn’t clean. Julian Sayin threw two interceptions and then went down with an injury.
Jeremiah Smith was limited to four catches for 68 yards and a touchdown. The run game managed just 2.1 yards per carry.
None of it changed the outcome.
That’s been Ohio State’s calling card for years: the defense keeps the floor high enough that the Buckeyes can survive games like this. They can pressure quarterbacks, cover across the back end and shut down the run game. Even when the offense sputters, that formula gives them a chance in every matchup.
For now, Sayin’s absence changes the picture. He’s out for at least a few weeks, which leaves freshman Luke Fahey with the job in the meantime. With land mines still ahead on the schedule and one loss already on the board from the Week 1 defeat in Austin, Fahey has to be ready quickly.
In Other News...
Indiana Fans Just Got A Bigger Reason To Watch Josh Hoover
Josh Hoovers rise to the top of the Big Ten quarterback rankings adds another layer to a conference race that has already been thinned by injuries and uneven play. With the rankings pared down from eight quarterbacks to five, Hoover now sits ahead of a group that still includes Purdues Ryan Browne, whose recent performance was enough to push him into the top five despite a loss, along with Northwesterns Hunter Maiava and Nebraskas Jeff Colandrea.
For Indiana fans, Hoovers new standing gives them an even clearer reason to keep an eye on him as Week 8 approaches. The competition around him has shifted quickly, especially after Ohio States Julian Sayin was injured, and the latest shuffle underscores how much the Big Tens quarterback picture has changed in a short span. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Now Faces A New Michigan Wrinkle At Quarterback
Freshman Tommy Carr is suddenly the quarterback Indiana has to prepare for, and the change gives Michigan a different look heading into the matchup. After Bryce Underwood was benched because of accuracy issues and turnovers during his starts, Carr stepped in and helped spark a comeback win over Penn State, giving the Wolverines a reason to believe the offense can settle down.
For Indiana, the wrinkle is less about a mystery and more about adjusting to a new version of the same opponent on short notice. Carrs passing output was modest, but he also delivered a key rushing touchdown, and Michigan is hoping the switch leads to a more consistent operation under center. The Hoosiers now have to plan for a quarterback making his first real run at the job, which can change both the rhythm and the run-pass balance of the game. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans Respect For Indiana Just Raised The Stakes In Ann Arbor
Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham spent part of his pregame availability giving Indiana a level of respect that usually tells you plenty about the matchup before anyone takes the field. He pointed to Curt Cignettis team as a balanced, veteran group that takes care of the ball, the kind of profile that tends to travel well and force opponents to stay sharp from the opening snap.
The other wrinkle is on Michigans side, where Whittingham said the Wolverines will turn to freshman quarterback Tommy Carr against Indiana. His mobility and efficiency were part of the rationale, but it also adds another layer to a game already carrying more intrigue because of what Indiana has built. When a conference opponent talks this carefully about your strengths, it usually means the margin for error gets a lot thinner in Ann Arbor. [Read more 🡒]