Ohio State didn’t just win in Week 7. The Buckeyes used their 19-15 road victory at Indiana to leave no doubt about where they sit in the Big Ten pecking order.
That result also snapped Indiana’s 22-game winning streak, which dated back to December 2024, and it pushed Ohio State deeper into a stretch where it has already taken care of business in some of the conference’s toughest spots. The Buckeyes went to Iowa, went to Indiana, and came away with wins over two of the league’s better teams. Now they head into the bye at 6-1 with a major question hanging over them: Julian Sayin’s injury status.
If Sayin can get back soon, Ohio State looks positioned to keep cruising. The source says the Buckeyes could probably even absorb one more loss and still make the CFP, but they need Sayin back ASAP to avoid any awkward questions heading into December.
Indiana still deserves plenty of respect despite the defeat. The Hoosiers were a clutch Nick Marsh touchdown catch, with his left foot inbounds, away from handing Ohio State a second loss in mid-October. Even in defeat, they looked the part against a Buckeyes team that came in banged up on the injury report.
UCLA keeps climbing after another clean performance. Bob Chesney’s Bruins rolled to a 17-7 win over Wisconsin in Pasadena, controlled the game from start to finish, and may be headed for the AP top 10. The Bruins had few issues and continue to stack wins.
Behind them, the middle of the conference shifts into place with USC and Iowa both on bye in Week 7. USC returns from its break with a trip to face Wisconsin in Madison next Saturday evening, while Iowa heads to Minnesota for another conference test next weekend.
Oregon delivered one of the biggest saves of the weekend. The Ducks rallied past Nebraska 17-14 in the latest game of Week 7, a contest that ended after 2 am ET. Dylan Raiola took over for Brock Thomas after three quarters and threw the winning touchdown to tight end Jamari Johnson, rescuing Oregon’s season with a comeback the Ducks badly needed.
Northwestern keeps finding ways to stay relevant. The Wildcats slipped past Michigan State and stayed one-loss, with their only defeat coming against the defending champs. Chip Kelly’s offense is humming, and that’s enough to keep Northwestern tucked into the upper half of the league.
Nebraska, meanwhile, is sliding. The Cornhuskers have dropped two straight, missed out on the rankings, and now the source doesn’t exactly see a 2026 ranking coming unless a late surge appears. Wisconsin sits just behind them after the loss to UCLA, though that defeat doesn’t look nearly as damaging as what could happen next if the Badgers get swept by the LA teams when they face USC.
Michigan made one of the more notable quarterback changes of the weekend and got rewarded for it. TTUN benched Bryce Underwood and turned to legacy quarterback Tommy Carr, who helped deliver a 21-18 win over Penn State at the Big House. Whether it means anything long term is another question, but it was enough to move the Wolverines up.
Washington also picked up a useful win, beating Purdue on Friday night in West Lafayette. The Huskies are now a three-loss team and may end up fighting right at the line for bowl eligibility. Purdue, for its part, dropped back below .500 after the 38-26 loss.
Minnesota was off in Week 7 but now gets Iowa next weekend in what should be one of the more important conference games in the middle of the pack. Illinois also stayed quiet during its bye, but because the Fighting Illini had won most recently, they avoid falling into the basement tier.
Michigan State’s narrow loss to Northwestern offered little consolation, though it may still be one of the Spartans’ better showings this season aside from the win over Toledo. Penn State, on the other hand, is sinking fast. The Nittany Lions have now lost four straight after wilting against Michigan in Ann Arbor, a run that has them going nowhere fast in the Matt Campbell era.
At the very bottom, Rutgers and Maryland brought the conference’s bleakest energy to College Park. Rutgers beat Maryland 37-30 on Saturday night, giving the Scarlet Knights their first win over an FBS team. That left Maryland at the absolute bottom, with the source calling the home loss to Rutgers in 2026 a B1G sin.
In Other News...
Ohio State Suddenly Has A Quarterback Problem It Cant Ignore
Ohio State got the win it wanted against Indiana, but it came with a major concern as starting quarterback Julian Sayin went down with a right shoulder injury in the fourth quarter. Head coach Ryan Day said Sayin is expected to miss several weeks, leaving the Buckeyes to navigate a stretch without the player who had been steering the offense.
Luke Fahey, a true freshman, finished the game after Sayin exited, and Ohio State still managed to hold on for a 19-15 victory that snapped Indianas 22-game winning streak. The result will sit well in the standings, but the next question is far more pressing for the Buckeyes: how they adjust at quarterback while waiting for Sayin to heal. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana May Have Changed Ohio State's Entire Season
Ohio State's win over Indiana did more than hand the Buckeyes a hard-fought 19-15 victory and snap the Hoosiers' 22-game winning streak. It also came with a potential season-altering hit when starting quarterback Julian Sayin went down with a right arm injury in the fourth quarter, forcing Ohio State to keep the rest of the afternoon moving without the player who had been steering the offense.
Coach Ryan Day said Sayin is expected to be out for several weeks, leaving the Buckeyes to lean on backup Luke Fahey in a situation that immediately tested the depth chart. Fahey took over, but the offense had trouble advancing while he was on the field, which turned a statement win into a much bigger concern about how Ohio State will handle the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State's Huge Win May Have Come With A Serious Cost
Ohio States 19-15 win at Indiana was the kind of victory that can reshape a season, snapping the Hoosiers 22-game winning streak and ending a 19-game run at home. Julian Sayin provided the biggest offensive play of the day with a 38-yard touchdown pass that helped the Buckeyes get enough separation in a tight, tense game where every possession seemed to matter.
The concern afterward was less about the result and more about what it may have cost. Sayin appeared to injure his right arm during the game, leaving Ohio State to wonder how serious it is after a performance that had already become central to the outcome, while Indiana also had a chance to flip the script when Nick Marshs potential go-ahead touchdown was wiped out because he stepped out of bounds. [Read more 🡒]