The Big Ten’s Week 5 slate gave the league a little of everything: a heavyweight win at Kinnick Stadium, a one-possession escape in Seattle and a gritty defensive fight in Minneapolis.
At the top end, Ohio State looked every bit like a team built for the spotlight. The No.
5 Buckeyes went on the road and handled then-No. 14 Iowa, 31-14, in the week’s only matchup between ranked Big Ten teams.
Julian Sayin led the way, but it was Jeremiah Smith who turned the night into a record book session. The nation’s top wide receiver finished with 11 catches for 206 yards and two touchdowns, setting Ohio State career records for receptions and receiving touchdowns.
Smith’s second score came on a 57-yard strike, and after reaching the end zone he struck the iconic pose that has become part of his own brand of electricity. That touchdown also pushed him past Chris Olave’s mark for most receiving touchdowns.
Indiana kept rolling as well. The No.
6 Hoosiers went to SHI Stadium and put Rutgers away early, racing to a 23-0 halftime lead before finishing with a 47-15 win. Josh Hoover threw for 251 yards and four touchdowns, while Indiana’s ground game was just as punishing, piling up 329 rushing yards.
Turbo Richard was the headliner on the ground, erupting for 204 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.
Rutgers lost quarterback Dylan Lonergan late in the first half after he took a hard hit on a failed quarterback sneak on fourth-and-inches. AJ Surace took over and was efficient after halftime, throwing for 128 yards and a touchdown.
USC’s win over Washington came down to a play no one saw coming from the biggest man on the field. After Demond Williams Jr. fumbled, defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart scooped it up and rumbled 48 yards for the game-winning touchdown. That swung the game all the way back to USC, which survived 25-21 after trailing 21-10 in the third quarter.
Washington had been in control after Decker DeGraaf turned a short catch into a 42-yard touchdown down the sideline. But USC answered on both sides of the ball, improved to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten, and left Washington at 3-2 and 0-2 in conference play.
Jayden Maiava threw for 245 yards and a touchdown, while Caden Chittenden’s 39-yard field goal in the fourth quarter forced the Huskies into a must-score situation. USC’s defense then finished the job with a sack and a stop on fourth down.
Minnesota also protected home turf in a low-scoring scrap with Michigan, winning 20-14. The Golden Gophers did their damage in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, scoring 10 points there and hanging on the rest of the way.
It was the kind of game where mistakes mattered as much as production. Drake Lindsey and Bryce Underwood each threw two interceptions, with Lindsey finishing at 136 yards and a touchdown and Underwood at 101 yards.
Michigan’s offense never found much rhythm. The Wolverines’ only offensive touchdown came on a 5-yard run by Jordan Marshall, while their other score was a 79-yard pick six by Nathaniel Staehling that put them ahead 14-7 in the second quarter.
Underwood’s interception on the first play of the fourth quarter opened the door for Minnesota, and Lindsey made sure the Gophers walked through it. Three plays later, he hit Darius Taylor for the game-winning touchdown.
In Other News...
Penn State Fans Wont Like What An In-State Rival Coach Said
Pat Narduzzi had plenty to say after Pitts close win over Virginia Tech, and much of it was bound to land with Penn State fans as a familiar jab from across the state. The Pitt coach addressed a controversial missed field goal in that game, then turned his attention to the AP Top 25, questioning Penn States placement despite the recent losses that have piled up for the Nittany Lions.
Narduzzi also used the moment to make a case for his own program, pointing to Pitts undefeated start and current ranking as proof his team deserves more respect. It was the latest reminder that the tension between Pitt and Penn State remains very much alive, with Narduzzi continuing a public back-and-forth that has long carried extra weight in a rivalry shaped by him and former Penn State coach James Franklin. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Early Big Ten Slide Suddenly Looks Like A Bigger Problem
Two weeks into Big Ten play, the leagues shape is already starting to tell a familiar story at the top, with the conference heavyweights still looking the part while some of the preseason contenders are scrambling to catch up. Penn State is in that second group after an uneven start that has made the early standings feel less like a snapshot and more like a warning sign, especially with the Big Tens path to multiple College Football Playoff bids depending on its best teams stacking wins and avoiding the kind of stumbles that can linger all fall.
The Nittany Lions are not alone in that bind, but their position carries extra weight because expectations were so high before league play began. Washington is facing its own early trouble, and several coaching situations around the conference are already under a sharper spotlight, yet Penn States slide stands out because it changes the margin for error so quickly. If the league is going to earn the depth it needs at the top, the teams that were supposed to anchor it cannot keep giving ground this early. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Just Lost The Spotlight For A Huge Michigan Trip
Penn States trip to Michigan on October 17 no longer has the feel of a late-night showcase. The Big Ten announced the game at Michigan Stadium will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET, pulling it out of the prime-time window many had anticipated and shifting some of the national spotlight away from what had shaped up as one of the leagues more intriguing midseason matchups.
It still carries plenty of weight in the Big Ten race, though. Both teams are 0-2 in conference play, which is the first time that has happened to Penn State since it joined the league in 1993, and that makes the meeting even more important for two programs trying to steady themselves. Before that trip, Penn State gets its own marquee stage Saturday night, hosting No. 19 USC in a White Out game at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCs Big Ten Saturday Night. [Read more 🡒]