Michigan sat out Week 6, but the Big Ten didn’t exactly sit still. A handful of results across the league shifted the picture in ways that matter for the Wolverines, especially with conference opponents still waiting on the schedule.
The cleanest takeaway came from Iowa, which answered its ugly 17-point loss to Ohio State by flattening Washington on the ground. Kamari Moulton was a problem the Huskies never solved, especially when they tried to bring him down with arm tackles.
Kamari Moulton takes it 56-yards to the house 🔥 @HawkeyeFootballWatch on FOX pic.twitter.com/B9BC1uLWZQ
The game also turned into a showcase for backup quarterbacks. Jeremy Hecklinski, filling in for the injured Hank Brown, looked comfortable enough to throw for 202 yards and three touchdowns. Washington had its own quarterback issue, as Demond Williams Jr. left in the first half and never came back.
For Michigan, the important part is simple: the Wolverines don’t play either team again. But their Week 4 loss to Iowa at least looks a little less brutal now. It was still an ugly finish, but the Hawkeyes didn’t go out and make that defeat look even worse by collapsing afterward.
Another result that should matter in Ann Arbor came in Indiana’s win over Nebraska. For most of the afternoon, the Cornhuskers looked like they might pull off the upset against the defending national champions. They scored on the opening drive, then hung around until the final seven minutes, when Nick Marsh caught the second of his long touchdown receptions to put the Hoosiers in front.
THE HOOSIERS HAVE THE LEAD IN THE 4TH!Hoover finds Nick Marsh for six! @IndianaFootball pic.twitter.com/0Owzu06spV
By the end, Nebraska had nothing left. Its last four possessions ended with a punt, a turnover on downs, or a desperate lateral-heavy series that never reached the end zone.
From Michigan’s perspective, Indiana’s defense still looks suspect, particularly against mobile quarterbacks. Whether Bryce Underwood stays at the controls long enough to face the Hoosiers in two weeks remains to be seen, but he has the tools to stress them in the same way Nebraska did.
Oregon also handed Michigan plenty to think about, and not in a good way for the Ducks. In place of the concussed Dante Moore, Dylan Raiola got the start and struggled badly.
He threw two interceptions, lost another possession on a fumble, and was benched by Dan Lanning in the fourth quarter. Brock Thomas then got a shot to spark a comeback, and it nearly happened.
Evan Stewart makes it a one-score game 👀 @oregonfootballWatch on CBS pic.twitter.com/6cTEQPJDLE
UCLA, though, controlled the game where it mattered. The Bruins held Oregon to 73 rushing yards and forced seven turnovers in all.
That result has obvious implications for Michigan’s upcoming stretch. The Wolverines face both teams next month, and UCLA’s win in Eugene makes the Bruins look even more dangerous heading into Ann Arbor on Nov.
- As for Oregon, the game laid bare how much the offense can lose without Moore, whose return timetable is still unclear.
If he’s still out when Michigan gets Oregon on Nov. 14, the Wolverines could catch a major break.
In Other News...
Big Ten Weighs In On Controversial Ending To UCLAs Biggest Win
UCLAs 17-15 road win over Oregon already had the feel of a game that would linger, mostly because the Bruins leaned on their defense and left the Ducks chasing a result that slipped away in the fourth quarter. The finish turned on a sequence that had everyone in Autzen looking twice, as Oregon came up short on two separate two-point tries while trying to keep pace in a one-possession game.
The postgame conversation only grew louder once the Big Ten acknowledged an officiating error on the spot of the ball for the second conversion attempt and released a statement saying it had reviewed the play and remains committed to consistent rule application. For Oregon, that does not change the result, but it does add another layer to a loss that will be replayed for a long time whenever the Ducks look back at how close they came. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons Biggest Early Problem Starts With A Troubling Offensive Line Miss
Oregons early-season offensive problems have been easy to see and even easier to trace back to the front five. The Ducks have not gotten the run game going the way they expected, and the pass protection has been shaky enough to make life harder on backup quarterback Dylan Raiola, even with talented backs in the room. It has left a roster that should be able to move the ball looking out of sync in the one area that usually gives a team its identity.
Dan Lanning has already acknowledged the evaluation miss, saying the staff believed too much in its in-house offensive line talent after losing key pieces and did not lean enough on the transfer portal to patch the group. For Oregon, that is the uncomfortable part: this is not just about one bad game or one bad stretch, but about a foundational issue that can ripple through everything the Ducks want to do on offense. The line has to stabilize first, and until it does, the rest of the attack is stuck waiting. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Has A Dylan Raiola Reunion Brewing With One Big Catch
With Dante Moore still in concussion protocol, Oregon is heading into its matchup with Nebraska with the quarterback picture unsettled, and that naturally puts Dylan Raiola back in the spotlight. The backup arrived with plenty of buzz and has already shown the range that comes with being thrust into a bigger role, following a strong showing against USC before a rough night in the loss to UCLA.
Raiolas next chance could come against the school he once called home, which gives this game a little extra weight even before the kickoff. For Oregon, it is less about the reunion angle than the practical question of who will be under center, and that uncertainty leaves the Ducks waiting on a decision that could shape the way this trip unfolds. [Read more 🡒]