Week 7 didn’t just shake up the Big Ten - it turned the whole top of the league on its head. Indiana’s run to the summit ended in Columbus, Ohio State climbed into first, and UCLA kept proving it belongs in the conversation. Down the board, there were road wins, bye weeks, and a few teams still stuck searching for traction.
Ohio State now sits alone at the top after its 19-15 win over Indiana, a result that not only handed the Hoosiers their first loss of the season but also ended a 22-game winning streak and a 19-game home winning streak. The Buckeyes are 6-1 and 4-0 in league play, but they’ll have to navigate the second half without QB Julian Sayin, who is out several weeks with a shoulder injury. That puts backup Luke Fahey in charge, and Ohio State’s next test comes on the road at USC next weekend.
Indiana drops to No. 2 after holding the No. 1 spot last week. The loss was a tough one at home, but the Hoosiers still look capable of stacking up with anyone. Their goals remain intact heading into Week 8.
UCLA holds firm at No. 3, and the Bruins are starting to look like one of the league’s most dangerous teams. They beat Wisconsin 17-7 without Nico Iamaleava, and with Iamaleava officially out for the season, the defense has become the defining piece. Over the last two weeks, that side of the ball has been elite.
USC stays at No. 4 after a bye. At 6-1 and 3-1 in the conference, the Trojans are positioned to make noise in the back half of the season, even if they’ve been uneven along the way.
Iowa comes in at No. 5 after its bye, with a massive rivalry game against Minnesota on deck. Kirk Ferentz’s team has a manageable path the rest of the way and remains in the mix for a CFP spot if things break right.
Northwestern continues to surprise at No. 6.
The Wildcats escaped East Lansing with a 24-21 win over Michigan State and now have just one loss on the season. They look like a real problem for the rest of the league.
Oregon sits seventh after edging Nebraska in Week 7. The Ducks are dealing with limited offense without Dante Moore, so their defense may need to carry the load if they want to stay in the playoff hunt.
Nebraska remains at No. 8.
The Cornhuskers have pushed Indiana and Oregon hard over the last two weeks, but those close calls still haven’t turned into wins. They’re 5-2 overall and 2-2 in Big Ten play.
Michigan rises to No. 9 after moving up from 11th. The Wolverines showed more life offensively with Tommy Carr leading the way after Bryce Underwood was benched, and the QB situation is worth watching as Kyle Whittingham decides how to handle it going into Saturday’s game against Indiana.
Minnesota stays put at No. 10 after a bye, with Iowa waiting in a matchup that could swing the outlook for both teams.
Wisconsin falls to No. 11 after a rough 17-7 loss to UCLA. The Badgers were held to 214 total yards, and even with Nico Iamaleava sidelined, they couldn’t take advantage.
Washington moves up to No. 12 after its 38-26 win at Purdue, a result that gave the Huskies their first conference victory of the season. The offense finally showed some punch, but consistency is still the next step.
Purdue drops to No. 13 after the loss to Washington, but Barry Odom’s team is still making progress in Year 2 despite the setback. The Boilermakers had won back-to-back games over Illinois and Minnesota before Friday night.
Illinois remains at No. 14 after a bye, but the news around starting QB Katin Houser is a concern. He is out 4-6 weeks with a fracture on his throwing hand, and the Fighting Illini now prepare to host Oregon without him.
Penn State stays 15th after falling 21-18 to Michigan and extending its losing streak to four games. The Nittany Lions are still looking for their first Big Ten win and head into the bye with plenty to sort through.
Rutgers climbs out of the cellar and into 16th after beating Maryland on the road. Greg Schiano finally got a much-needed win, and while the Scarlet Knights still have plenty of work ahead, it was a step in the right direction.
Michigan State is 17th after another close loss, this one 24-21 to Northwestern. Pat Fizgerald is still chasing his first Big Ten win at Michigan State, and the Spartans have now dropped back-to-back games to Illinois and Northwestern by a combined four points.
Maryland rounds out the rankings at No. 18.
The Terrapins lost to Rutgers and gave up 37 points, which led Mike Locksley to fire defensive coordinator Ted Monachino. At 2-5 and 0-4 in the Big Ten, they finish Week 8 at the bottom of the league.
In Other News...
Former Hoosier Just Gave Indiana Fans A New NFL Milestone
Former Indiana players kept turning up across the NFL in Week 6, with the latest round of game action giving Hoosier fans another reason to keep one eye on Sundays. The weekly rundown tracked who dressed, who played, and how much work they handled on offense and special teams, while also updating the season-long totals for a group that continues to carve out roles around the league.
Omar Cooper Jr. delivered the biggest moment of the bunch by finding the end zone for the first time in the NFL, a tidy milestone for a former Hoosier who is still building his pro rsum. The full check-in also noted which former Indiana standouts were inactive or sidelined on injured reserve, a reminder that the Hoosiers NFL footprint is deeper than one headline play and still very much in motion. [Read more 🡒]
Arch Manning Chatter Just Pulled Indiana Into A Bigger QB Debate
The Arch Manning conversation has started to spill beyond Texas, and it has pulled Indiana into a broader offseason quarterback debate around what elite programs want versus what young passers need to develop. Several analysts and writers have floated the idea that Manning might be better served at another school, even as Steve Sarkisian has reiterated that Manning is the Longhorns starter and made clear the performance still has to improve.
For Indiana fans, the bigger takeaway is how quickly one quarterback room can become a national referendum on patience, fit and opportunity. Texas is also giving more first-team practice work to redshirt freshman KJ Lacey Jr., which only adds another layer to the discussion, but the larger question remains unresolved as the noise around Manning grows and the Longhorns sort out their next steps. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas First Loss Exposed A Bigger Offensive Problem
Indianas first loss since 2024 came with the sort of close-game frustration that tends to linger, and it wasnt hard to see why as the Hoosiers fell 19-15 to Ohio State. The game turned on a handful of offensive breakdowns, from a critical incomplete pass by Josh Hoover to missed field goals by Radicic, and those moments added up to a performance that never quite found its footing.
What stood out even more than the final score was how much the struggles stretched across the game. Indiana had chances, but the offense repeatedly came up short when it mattered, which puts a spotlight on both execution and the coaching choices that shaped the game plan. For a team that had been winning through cleaner play, this was the kind of loss that can reveal bigger issues the Hoosiers will have to sort out quickly. [Read more 🡒]