Week 9 didn’t just shake up the Big Ten - it made Michigan’s path look even rougher.
The Wolverines’ own Saturday was ugly enough, with the in-state showdown against Michigan State turning into a scoreless slog until the final two minutes of regulation. Afterward, Kyle Whittingham didn’t hide how bad it felt.
"It was very disappointing after we had played pretty effectively last week on offense," Whittingham said after the game. "We had some production, some good production in a lot of areas last week.
And there's nothing productive about this game. Zero.
It's not one step back. It's three steps back.
"Really, I can't come up with one positive offensively in this game."
But Michigan’s problems were only part of the picture. Around the league, a few results carried real weight for what comes next.
Ohio State looked in command early against visiting Oregon, jumping out with two first-quarter touchdowns. Running back Bo Jackson powered both of them in, giving the Buckeyes a fast start and the feel of a game they had under control.
Bo went Beast Mode 💪Bo Jackson bounces off would-be tacklers for his second TD of the first quarter.Watch on CBS pic.twitter.com/klbiWA5uYX
Then everything flipped. Ohio State’s next eight drives ended in a punt, an interception, or a turnover on downs.
Oregon seized the lead before halftime and kept pressing after the break, scoring on three of its first five second-half possessions. By the time Ohio State finally got back into the end zone, less than four minutes remained and the Ducks had already put the game away.
What that means for Michigan is pretty straightforward: Ohio State’s loss changes the tone of The Game. The Buckeyes are now 6-3, and their playoff hopes look badly damaged, if they’re not gone already.
That doesn’t erase the rivalry, but it does change the stakes. If Michigan can’t beat this version of Ohio State in three weeks, then whatever chance Whittingham has of making it to 2027 could disappear, assuming he even lasts long enough to coach that matchup.
Oregon’s win also makes next week’s trip to Michigan look even tougher for the Wolverines. Quarterback Dylan Raiola has been inconsistent from week to week, but he’s put together his best stretch in more than a year.
Over his last two games, he’s thrown for 593 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions. Michigan’s defense is still a strength, but if Raiola brings that form to Ann Arbor, he’ll make life difficult.
UCLA added another problem for Michigan to think about. The Bruins didn’t need injured starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava to create big plays through the air. Five different receivers caught passes of more than 20 yards, and senior wideout Aidan Mizell was the headliner with two 75-yard touchdowns, nearly doubling his season receiving total in the process.
DIEFFENBACH TO MIZELL FOR ANOTHER 75-YARD TOUCHDOWN! That's two in back-to-back drives for @UCLAFootball pic.twitter.com/10OEHyMRlO
Ty Dieffenbach was efficient and explosive, finishing with 303 passing yards and three touchdowns on only 16 attempts.
Minnesota couldn’t slow UCLA on the ground, either. Wayne Knight ran for 109 yards and a touchdown, marking his best rushing and scoring totals since Sept. 19.
That result matters because, unless UCLA slips at home against Illinois on Friday, the Bruins will come to Ann Arbor as the last undefeated team in either of the big two conferences. That would hardly make Michigan’s upset bid any easier, though the matchup could still offer Whittingham one of his last chances to steady his standing at Michigan.
In Other News...
Ohio State Just Exposed A Problem Bigger Than One Loss
Ohio State came out sharp against Oregon, jumping ahead 14-0 in the first quarter and still holding a 14-3 edge late in the first half. Then the game tilted hard, with Oregon scoring 38 straight points and flipping the matchup with a fake punt, turnovers and a surge that left the Buckeyes chasing the rest of the way.
The loss does not close the door on Ohio States bigger goals, since the Buckeyes still control a path to the Big Ten Championship and the College Football Playoff if they take care of the games left on their schedule. But the way this one unraveled raised the kind of questions that linger beyond a single defeat, especially around quarterback play and whether the teams effort can stay steady when the game turns against it. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Just Saw Why This Freshman Could Change Everything
Anthony Thompson gave Ohio State a glimpse of what its freshman class might become in the first half against Marshall, scoring 10 points and helping steady the Buckeyes in an 84-74 win. With the schedule about to stiffen, that kind of early contribution matters even more for a team still trying to sort out its rotation and build the kind of chemistry that can hold up against better competition.
LJ Smiths scoreless night showed the other side of the freshman learning curve, and Ohio States defensive issues were also hard to ignore. The Buckeyes now turn to a much tougher test against fourth-ranked UConn, where the margin for growth will shrink quickly and the need for both freshmen to keep developing will be impossible to miss. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Is Running Out Of Time To Fix A Costly Problem
Ohio State has made a clear move to address one of the seasons most frustrating issues, parting ways with special teams coordinator Robby Discher after nine games in 2026. The Buckeyes turned to Rob Keys as the interim coordinator for the rest of the year, while Matt Guerrieri and James Laurinaitis will help steer the punt and kickoff units, giving Ryan Day a reshuffled staff as the team tries to steady a phase that has repeatedly hurt it.
Day said there will not be any more coaching changes before the next game, but the evaluation process is still ongoing. That leaves Ohio State in a familiar late-season spot: trying to clean up a costly problem quickly, with limited time to see whether the new arrangement can bring order to a unit that has already given away too many damaging moments. [Read more 🡒]