Week 10 didn’t deliver a Big Ten bloodbath of marquee matchups, but it still shook up the conference picture in a big way. The biggest game on the slate landed in Columbus, where preseason favorites Ohio State and Oregon met with backup quarterbacks under center. That result, along with a wave of quarterback injuries and a few ugly losses elsewhere, left the league looking more unsettled than ever.
That quarterback issue has been one of the defining themes of the season. Indiana was idle in Week 10, but if Grant Wilson ends up starting for the banged-up Josh Hoover in Week 11, then the three preseason favorites - Oregon, Ohio State and Indiana - would all be down to QB2. UCLA, Michigan and Michigan State are in the same boat, with Michigan’s situation not tied to injury.
Penn State and Washington, both expected to be Top 20 teams before the season, have also fallen short of those expectations. In Penn State’s case, though, the problem hasn’t been injuries at quarterback.
Rocco Becht has played every game. Washington’s Demond Williams missed time because of both injury and performance, but he was back for the Week 10 game in Seattle.
At the bottom of the rankings, Maryland’s 34-29 win at Purdue snapped the Terrapins’ 13-game Big Ten losing streak and sent the Boilermakers tumbling. Purdue’s loss made it impossible to keep them out of Tier 4, and Barry Odom also decided after the game that Kevin Kane would not remain his defensive coordinator.
Michigan State’s rise after beating Michigan in Ann Arbor was more complicated. The Spartans took Paul Bunyan back to East Lansing, but they did it without reaching the end zone and with just a 35% success rate. That game said plenty about both Michigan State and the Wolverines.
Tier 3 started with Nebraska, which fell 24-13 at Illinois. Washington, Penn State, Michigan and Minnesota all sit in that group too, with Minnesota sliding after a 34-20 loss to UCLA.
Illinois, meanwhile, moved up after beating Nebraska and now sits at 6-3. Katin Houser is back from injury, and after an early-season change at defensive coordinator, that side of the ball is starting to settle in.
Bret Bielema has managed to push the team to bowl eligibility and maybe even eight wins.
Iowa occupies the top spot in that broad middle tier after beating Northwestern 24-10. The Hawkeyes were facing an Aiden Chiles-less Wildcats team, but they still took care of business. There’s nothing flashy about Iowa, but Kirk Ferentz keeps winning games, and at this point that’s something you can trust.
Ohio State, though, is the team that really fell apart. The Buckeyes jumped out to a 14-0 lead on Oregon, then gave up 38 unanswered points.
With backup QB Luke Fahey running the offense, nothing looked stable, and the defense also unraveled. Any College Football Playoff hope is gone.
Oregon’s win was the night’s biggest swing. Dan Lanning has done a remarkable job, even if he was the one who hired Drew Mehringer as offensive coordinator and left elite talent underused.
He made the change, though, and interim OC Jay Johnson is now putting backup QB Dylan Raiola in position to succeed. Even without a healthy Dante Moore, the Ducks still have the kind of talent that can keep them in the hunt.
At 4-2 in conference and with a win over USC, Oregon can still make the Big Ten title game or slip into the CFP through the back door.
UCLA stayed unbeaten at 9-0 after beating Minnesota, and USC was on a bye. Indiana remained No. 1 after its bye week.
The Hoosiers still have the best defense in the Big Ten, and their offense needed the week off more than anyone. Whether it’s Hoover getting healthy or Wilson taking over, Indiana should be in better shape on that side of the ball as the season winds down.
In Other News...
Penn State Fans Finally Got An Encouraging Jack Ham Update
Penn State fans got a reassuring update on Jack Ham after the longtime Nittany Lions legend and radio color commentator experienced a medical emergency in Seattle ahead of the Penn State-Washington game. Ham was treated at the University of Washington Medical Center, and Penn State athletics later confirmed the incident while saying he is in stable condition.
Matt Campbell and the teams broadcasters have since offered updates and support for Ham and his family, a reminder of how deeply he remains woven into the programs identity. For a fan base that has followed him for generations, the immediate concern was simply hearing that the Hall of Fame linebacker was getting the care he needed and was in a better place than the initial news suggested. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Campbell Just Changed A Penn State Problem Fans Know Too Well
Penn States latest trip to Wisconsin offered a useful snapshot of how far the program has come in handling the grind of Big Ten road football. Matt Campbell pointed to the contrast between the two games against the Badgers, saying the later meeting showed more poise and stronger leadership, the kind of steadiness that often decides whether a team survives in a hostile setting or lets one slip away.
Rocco Becht drew praise for his composure, and Campbell framed the win as part of a broader push to keep developing in all phases. The run game and pass rush remain areas the staff wants to keep sharpening, but the bigger picture is clear enough: Penn State found a way to win on the road against a struggling conference opponent, and now the focus shifts to finishing at 8-4. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Biggest Offensive Turnaround Came From One Crucial Change
Penn States ground game has started to look like a different unit over the past two weeks, and the numbers tell the story. The Nittany Lions piled up 443 rushing yards across games against Purdue and Washington, with Cam Wallace and Carson Hansen both giving the offense a much-needed lift. Hansen topped 100 yards against Washington, while Wallace broke loose for a 46-yard touchdown that showed how much more explosive the run game has become.
Matt Campbell pointed to schematic adjustments and a growing sense of confidence up front as the biggest reasons for the turnaround. For an offense that had been searching for consistency on the ground, the change has been hard to miss, and it has given Penn State another layer to lean on as the season moves forward. The question now is whether that progress can hold when the competition stiffens again. [Read more 🡒]