Week 1 opened with the Big Ten’s top names doing exactly what they were supposed to do - and a few others stumbling into the kind of mess that lingers.
Ohio State wasted no time looking the part of a team built to chase both the Big Ten crown and a national title. Against Ball State, Julian Sayin hooked up with Jeremiah Smith on an early 48-yard touchdown, and the Buckeyes were already in command by halftime. Sayin had three touchdown passes and added another score on the ground as Ohio State built a 28-3 lead before the break.
Indiana followed a similar script, even without Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. The defending national champion picked up where it left off after its College Football Playoff championship win over Miami in January, racing out to a 21-6 lead against North Texas. Josh Hoover, the transfer from TCU, was at the center of it, and he did it while playing through a bloody nose caused by a facemask penalty.
But the conference’s opening weekend wasn’t all clean execution and title-contender swagger.
Rutgers set the tone for the wrong kind of surprise on Thursday night, taking a stunning upset loss to UMass despite being favored by 30 points. Michigan State then had its own shaky outing Friday, surviving Toledo 30-20 at home as a 10-point favorite in Pat Fitzgerald’s debut as coach.
Nebraska also found itself in trouble Saturday. The Cornhuskers were pressed early at home by Ohio, falling behind twice before scraping together a 14-13 halftime lead against a Bobcats team listed as a 23-point underdog. Nebraska steadied itself after that and opened up a 28-13 advantage in the second half.
The Big Ten’s uneven start lands at a time when the conference-SEC debate has been one of the offseason’s loudest storylines. Curt Cignetti pushed that argument hard at Big Ten Media Day, taking a subtle shot at the SEC while making his case for the league.
“The Big Ten is the best league in football,” Cignetti said. “We don’t have a hype machine up here in the Midwest; we believe everything’s earned, not given.
When we fall short, we say, ‘We fell short.’ We don’t cry a river and whine and complain.
And that’s why we’re the best.”
The numbers have backed up that confidence, at least lately. Over the past two years, the Big Ten is 8-2 against the SEC in the postseason, with the conference also chasing a fourth straight national title.
That belief was all over the pregame chatter Saturday morning, too. Urban Meyer, who won national championships coaching in both the Big Ten and SEC, was among those saying the Big Ten “now is the strongest conference in college football.”
If Ohio State, Indiana, Oregon and Michigan all found their way into this year’s College Football Playoff semifinals, that argument would get even louder.
In Other News...
Curt Cignetti Sends Early Message As IU Receiver Breaks Out
Davion Chandlers early-season burst has given Indiana another playmaker to lean on, and the freshman wideout has already made a big impression with just two catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns. His latest score came with a little extra flair after he spiked the ball in celebration, a moment that fit the energy of a receiver who has quickly turned limited touches into game-changing production.
Curt Cignetti took the opportunity to reinforce the standard he wants his team to follow, making clear that Indiana prefers group celebrations over individual ones. It was not a new message from the head coach, either, since he has already addressed similar reactions from other players and made sure Chandler understood where that line is drawn. For a Hoosiers offense trying to build an identity, the playmaking matters, but so does the way the moment is handled afterward. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Loses Khobie Martin And The Backfield Question Gets Real
Curt Cignetti confirmed Monday that Indiana will be without running back Khobie Martin for a stretch after the arm injury he picked up in the season opener, with the junior expected back around midseason. Martin went down early and never got a carry before leaving the game, a frustrating turn for a back the Hoosiers had hoped to lean on as they settled into the fall.
For now, the backfield belongs to Lee Beebe Jr. and Turbo Richard, who are positioned to carry the load while Indiana adjusts. It is the kind of early-season setback that can change the shape of an offense quickly, and it leaves the Hoosiers with a real chance to learn something about their depth before Martin is able to rejoin the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Suddenly Has An Early Depth Problem It Can't Ignore
Indianas second week of the season is already carrying the kind of injury uncertainty that can force a staff to rethink its rotation before the calendar even settles in. The Hoosiers are dealing with multiple bumps from the opener, with starting cornerbacks Jamari Sharpe and A.J. Harris both leaving early and listed day-to-day, while running back Khobie Martin is expected to be out for several weeks before a midseason return.
The ripple effects do not stop there. Indiana also has questions at tight end and along the defensive line, where Trevor Gibbs and Blake Smythe are among the players sidelined but potentially on a quicker path back. For a team still trying to establish rhythm in the first stretch of the 2026 season, the issue is not just who can play next week - it is how long the Hoosiers can keep absorbing these losses before the depth chart starts to look thinner in the places that matter most. [Read more 🡒]