Ohio State’s grip on the Big Ten has slipped, and after Week 9, the picture at the top looks a lot different.
The Buckeyes’ 30-18 loss to USC on Saturday night pushed Ryan Day’s team down the conference ladder and left it with two losses already. With Julian Sayin out, the offense has lost its shape, and the defeat to the Trojans only sharpened the concern that Ohio State is suddenly fighting to stay in the CFP conversation.
At the same time, UCLA and Indiana keep climbing. The Bruins remain the only undefeated team in the league after a 27-0 win over Nevada, while Indiana survived a wild one against Minnesota and continues to look like a program that can keep rolling even when the quarterback situation changes.
Here’s how the Big Ten stacks up coming out of Halloween weekend:
No. 1: UCLA
A shutout of a sub-.500 Nevada team won’t turn heads on its own, but UCLA is still the conference’s lone unbeaten. Bob Chesney’s group sits at the top until someone knocks it off. The big question now is whether the Bruins can keep this pace going without starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava for the rest of the year.
No. 2: Indiana
Curt Cignetti’s team found another way to win, this time rallying for a 23-16 victory in Week 9. Indiana kicker Paddy McAteer matched Minnesota PK Luke Drzewiecki’s 60-yard field goal in the final minute to force overtime, and then backup quarterback Grant Wilson hit Charlie Becker for a touchdown on the first OT snap.
Drake Lindsey and the Golden Gophers couldn’t answer. Indiana is dealing with the same kind of starting quarterback injury issues as Ohio State and UCLA, but Cignetti’s program has kept humming for three straight years anyway.
No. 3: Ohio State
The Buckeyes now have two losses, and the margin for error is getting thin. Luke Fahey has not settled the offense into a clear identity, even with Bo Jackson finally breaking through on the ground.
If Jackson can’t build on that and Isaiah West can’t form the kind of one-two punch Ohio State once had with Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, this offense may not be able to carry Matt Patricia’s defense. The loss to USC was especially rough on that side of the ball.
No. 4: Iowa
Iowa handled Wisconsin 30-0 at Kinnick Stadium and looked every bit like a Kirk Ferentz team in a game like that: dangerous against most of the conference, even if the ceiling against the very best remains a question.
No. 5: USC
The Trojans earned the kind of win that changes the conversation. Beating Ohio State is a statement, and USC is the only Big Ten team that can say it has done that this season.
No. 6: Northwestern
A trip to Autzen Stadium was always going to be a tough ask, but Northwestern has been good enough this season that losing to Oregon still lands as a letdown, especially with Chip Kelly’s Eugene homecoming in the mix.
No. 7: Minnesota
The Golden Gophers came close to taking down Indiana, and that keeps them in the upper half of the league. P.J. Fleck’s team remains on track despite the defeat.
No. 8: Oregon
The Ducks got back on track with a solid win over Northwestern, but the broader season still counts as a major disappointment for Dan Lanning’s program.
No. 9: Washington
Washington’s 17-10 win at Nebraska keeps the Huskies near the front of the middle tier.
No. 10: Illinois
Illinois didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard against Maryland, but the Fighting Illini did win. More importantly, they already have the bigger statement from last week’s upset of Oregon. Three straight wins have put them in position to make November matter in Champaign.
No. 11: Wisconsin
The Badgers got flattened in Iowa City, and that changes the feel of their season heading into November. Luke Fickell still has work to do, though the next four weeks only bring one major test in the Border Battle.
No. 12: Penn State
Penn State finally got back in the win column, beating Purdue 31-17 at Beaver Stadium for its first victory since September. That’s where things stand in State College right now.
No. 13: Michigan
A narrow win over Rutgers wasn’t enough to move Michigan any higher.
No. 14: Nebraska
The season never really got going for Matt Rhule and Nebraska, and it doesn’t look like a 7-5 finish will be enough to change that outlook.
No. 15: Purdue
Purdue’s loss to Penn State keeps the Boilermakers stuck near the bottom unless November turns into something extraordinary.
No. 16: Rutgers
Rutgers may be the most impressive 2-6 team in the conference, which is at least something.
No. 17: Michigan State
The bye week didn’t help Michigan State, especially with several of the teams below it making noise in Week 9.
No. 18: Maryland
The Terrapins showed a few signs of interest in the first game after Mike Locksley, but it still ended the same way: another loss.
In Other News...
Ohio States Bigger Problem In Los Angeles Was Never The Freshman QB
Ohio States trip to Los Angeles quickly became less about a true freshman quarterback making his first real imprint and more about a team that kept tripping over its own mistakes. Luke Fahey did enough to keep the offense moving in the first half, completing 8 of 15 passes for 86 yards, and the coaching staff clearly trusted him to handle the job despite his inexperience. But by halftime, USC had built a 20-6 lead, and the bigger issues were showing up everywhere else.
Missed tackles, penalties, special teams problems and defensive miscommunications all helped put Ohio State in a hole before the game could settle in. Fahey was not the reason the Buckeyes were chasing the scoreboard, and the way the first half unfolded made that plain. The more pressing concern for Ohio State was how many different areas were breaking down at once, leaving the freshman quarterback to absorb blame he never really owned. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Suddenly Has A Bigger Problem Than One Road Loss
A road loss in Los Angeles already had Ohio State dealing with the usual fallout from a stumble away from home, but the bigger issue was how USC controlled the game from start to finish. The Trojans held the No. 2 Buckeyes to one touchdown, and Ohio State never found much rhythm with backup quarterback Luke Fahey under constant pressure from a USC defense that stacked up tackles for loss and sacks.
The Buckeyes also had no answer for the explosive play that tilted the night, with Mark Bowman ripping off a 70-yard catch-and-run that helped put USC in position to finish the job. It was a statement win for Lincoln Riley, his first top-five victory with the Trojans, and for Ohio State it leaves a lot more to sort through than just the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Added More Fuel To Ohio States Ugly Night
USCs 30-18 win over Ohio State was already the kind of result that left a mark, but Lincoln Riley added another layer to the night in the aftermath. In his postgame press conference, the Trojans coach leaned into the idea that the satisfaction came from inside the building, not from outside approval, a fitting tone after a victory that sent Ohio State back to Columbus with plenty to sort through.
The scene around the tunnel at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was less polished. Riley and his family ran into a bottleneck on the way out, and the moment escalated into a verbal exchange in which Riley reportedly directed profanity at Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork and other staff members. Former Buckeye Maurice Clarett stepped in to try to calm things down, a reminder that even after the final whistle, the emotions from a game like this can linger well beyond the field. [Read more 🡒]