The Big Ten walked into Week 2 with a golden chance to flex its muscle, and instead it left the door wide open.
Michigan did its part by taking down Oklahoma at home as an underdog. The Wolverines’ seven-point margin looked tidy on the scoreboard, but the game itself told a much different story. One team controlled the action, and it wasn’t the one many expected after Michigan’s ugly showing against Western Michigan a week earlier.
That should have set the tone for a conference celebration, a chance to pile up a statement against the SEC and reinforce the idea that the Big Ten is still the sport’s top league despite three straight national titles.
Then the rest of the weekend happened.
Minnesota got rolled by Mississippi State in a 25-point loss at home. Later that night, Ohio State was the one team built to steady the ship, and for three quarters it looked like the Buckeyes were about to do exactly that against Texas. Instead, they let it slip away in the final 15 minutes, coughing up a 20-point lead and handing the Longhorns a comeback that gives fresh fuel to the Arch Manning hype and adds more shine to the Steve Sarkisian era.
That wasn’t the only damage. Illinois lost at home to Duke.
Rutgers fell on the road to Boston College. Oregon went to Oklahoma State and got embarrassed.
Washington barely got past Utah State. Purdue lost to Wake Forest.
That adds up to two losses to the SEC, three to the ACC, one to the Big 12, and a near miss against a Group of Six team.
The lone other notable Big Ten win came from Iowa, which beat Iowa State in the most Iowa way possible.
So while the league lost the early-season battle with the SEC, the bigger question remains whether it can still win the war and claim a fourth straight gold trophy. Anyone who felt good about that entering the season has to be a little less sure now.
Here’s how the Big Ten power rankings shake out after Week 2:
No. 1 Indiana 2-0 Howard, 55-0 W Western Kentucky
No. 2 USC 3-0 Louisiana, 3-0 @Rutgers
No. 3 Iowa 2-0 Iowa State, 16-13 Northern Iowa
No. 4 Ohio State 1-1 @Texas, 24-23 L Kent State
No. 5 Michigan 2-0 Oklahoma, 2-0 UTEP
No. 6 Penn State 2-0 @Temple, 27-9 Buffalo
No. 7 Michigan State 2-0 Eastern Michigan, 35-7 W @Notre Dame
No. 8 UCLA 2-0 San Diego State, 28-10 Purdue
No. 9 Washington 2-0 Utah State, 16-14 Eastern Washington
No. 10 Maryland 2-0 @UConn, 38-14 W Virginia Tech
No. 11 Northwestern 1-0 Bye Colorado
No. 12 Wisconsin 1-1 Wetern Illinois, 36-9 W Eastern Michigan
No. 13 Illinois 1-1 Duke, 31-27 L Southern Illinois
No. 14 Minnesota 1-1 Mississippi State, 38-13 Akron
No. 15 Nebraska 2-0 Bowling Green, 56-7 W North Dakota
No. 16 Oregon 1-1 @Oklahoma State, 39-31 L Bye
No. 17 Purdue 1-1 Wake Forest, 38-36 L @UCLA
No. 18 Rutgers 0-2 @Boston College, 28-21 L USC
Game of the Week
Bob Chesney has opened his UCLA tenure with wins over California and San Diego State, and Saturday gives him his first real look at Big Ten life. It’s a chance to see whether what he’s built in nine months can hold up in a new setting.
Purdue, meanwhile, hasn’t won a conference game in two years. Barry Odom gets Year 2 started with a shot to end that drought.
Quote of the Week
“The score was closer than it really was, because it wasn’t close in a lot of ways. We got our *** kicked in a lot of areas. Tons of credit to Coach (Eric) Morris and his staff.”
That was Dan Lanning after Oregon’s loss to Oklahoma State, and it came from a coach whose team was supposed to be built for an all-or-nothing season but is already staring at an early crossroads. The Ducks have not looked like the team anyone expected through two weeks.
In Other News...
Ohio State Freshmen Frustration Just Put A New Problem In Public
Ohio States loss to Texas did more than dent the Buckeyes early-season momentum. It also spilled a little of the programs internal frustration into public view, as three freshmen used social media to air dissatisfaction with their roles and limited opportunities, a jarring development for a team that is still trying to settle itself after an important defeat.
Jerquaden Guilford, Brock Boyd and Bey were among the players whose posts drew attention, with language that pointed to a desire for more involvement. For a staff already sorting through a disappointing result, it adds a fresh layer of concern about buy-in and roster harmony, even if there has been no official response yet. [Read more 🡒]
Arch Manning Just Added New Controversy To Texas' Win Over Ohio State
Texas win over No. 1 Ohio State already had enough postgame baggage after Steve Sarkisian abruptly cut off ESPN reporter Holly Rowe during a brief on-field exchange. The moment itself was awkward enough, but it quickly became a bigger talking point once a fake AI-generated video of Sarkisian slapping Rowe started making the rounds online, giving the upset a strange and unnecessary afterlife beyond the scoreboard.
Arch Manning then poured fuel on the reaction when he weighed in on the clip during a Monday exchange, describing it as hilarious. The comment drew immediate criticism on social media, with some users calling for apologies and public statements from both Manning and Sarkisian, turning a celebratory Texas moment into another reminder of how fast a viral postgame clip can shift the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Needs More Than A Win Against Kent State
Ohio State gets a chance to reset at home this week against Kent State, with the Buckeyes coming off the Week 2 loss to Texas and looking for a cleaner showing on both sides of the ball. The matchup will be carried on FOX and streaming platforms, and on paper it gives Ohio State a comfortable spot to get back on track while working through some of the issues that showed up last time out.
The bigger value here may be less about the result and more about what the Buckeyes can take from it, especially on offense. A lopsided win would be welcome, but Ohio State needs a performance that helps settle the unit, builds confidence after the setback and gives the coaches a better feel for where this team is headed as the schedule tightens. [Read more 🡒]