Big Ten Week 1 delivered the kind of opening weekend that makes the league feel wide open fast.
The conference got a little bit of everything: a major upset, a few blowouts, some quarterbacks flashing right away, and a couple of games that made you wonder whether some preseason assumptions need to be tossed out already. Some teams looked every bit like contenders. Others looked like they had a long season ahead.
Rutgers got the first jolt of the weekend in the worst way, falling 37-21 to Massachusetts on Thursday. UMass came in winless in 2025 and was a 29.5-point underdog, so the result landed as one of the biggest upsets in recent years. That one is going to sting for the Scarlet Knights, and it already has the feel of a rough start.
Minnesota, meanwhile, came out looking sharp in a 59-7 win over Eastern Illinois. The Gophers’ defense was overwhelming, allowing just 4 first downs and 110 total yards.
Drake Lindsey and Darius Taylor handled the offensive side, and both opened the season strong. That performance suggested Minnesota might have some real life this year.
Illinois beat UAB 42-23, but the path there was messier than the final score suggests. The Fighting Illini ended the first half with a hail mary, then took control after halftime. Ca’Lil Valentine appears to have the backfield job in hand after a solid debut, though the game also raised the same concern it answered: Illinois may not have enough talent elsewhere to seriously challenge in the Big Ten.
Friday brought a much cleaner showing from USC, which rolled past Fresno State 39-0. The Trojans never let up, and both sides of the ball looked locked in.
Gary Patterson had the defense operating at an elite level, while Lincoln Riley’s offense was prolific again. For the first time since joining the Big Ten, USC looked like a complete team.
Purdue also handled its business on Friday, beating Indiana State 44-19. Unlike Rutgers, the Boilermakers took care of a non-conference opponent without drama. Ryan Browne led the way in a strong offensive debut.
Saturday started with Ohio State doing Ohio State things in a 56-3 win over Ball State. The Buckeyes were dominant, and the Jeremiah Smith-Julian Sayin connection looked even better than last season. If you were looking for signs of a revenge tour, that was one of them.
Oregon escaped with a 34-27 win over Boise State, but not before getting punched early. The Ducks trailed 17-7 in the first half before talent won out. Still, the game showed they’re beatable, which had to look encouraging for USC.
Indiana put up 52 points in a 52-16 win over North Texas, and Josh Hoover answered the quarterback questions in a big way. Even with a bloody face, he kept driving the Hoosiers down the field and delivered a scoring drive. The defense, though, looked vulnerable.
Michigan survived Western Michigan 13-12 in a game that nearly turned into a disaster. The Wolverines were seconds away from an embarrassing upset and did not look much improved from last season. If anything, it was a concerning debut for Bryce Underwood.
Penn State handled Marshall 45-0, and Rocco Becht stood out in his first game with the Nittany Lions. Koby Howard also announced himself as one of the more exciting receivers in college football.
He was brilliant and looks like Becht’s favorite target. Matt Campbell’s team looked strong across the board.
Iowa shut out NIU 40-0, and the defense once again did the heavy lifting. The Hawkeyes posted 6 sacks, allowed just 120 total yards and gave up only 7 first downs. The offense added some juice, but Iowa’s defense still looks like the engine that can drive another winning season.
Nebraska beat Ohio 49-21, though it was tighter than it should have been for a while. The Cornhuskers led by only a point at halftime before eventually pulling away. Talent carried them through, but this doesn’t look like a team built to rack up many wins against Big Ten opponents.
Maryland crushed Hampton 62-0, with the run game carrying the load and Malik Washington not needing to do too much. Dejaun Williams was the standout, turning in a superstar performance in the opener.
Northwestern opened with a 34-18 win over South Dakota State, and the Chip Kelly and Pat Fitzgerald duo got off to a strong start. The Wildcats set the tone immediately with a 71-yard touchdown on the first play, and the offense looked more explosive from there. Northwestern should be extremely frisky this season.
UCLA picked up a 45-24 win over California in the Bob Chesney era and looked like a different team while doing it. The Bruins were physical and ran for 277 yards.
California was picked to win, but UCLA closed the game with 21 points in the final 9 minutes and never let go. That was a statement win, and it should bring a lot of excitement around the Bruins.
Sunday closed with Washington beating Washington State 24-10. Demond Williams picked up right where he left off as a playmaker, and the Huskies’ defense answered the call. They should have won by more against their rival, but they still look like a team that can make noise in the Big Ten.
Notre Dame finished the weekend with a 41-13 win over Wisconsin. The Badgers hung around in the first half before the Fighting Irish pulled away after halftime. Wisconsin’s offense still left something to be desired, but the team did look improved and more competent than before.
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Week 1 of the college football season gave USC exactly the kind of opening statement it needed, and Jayden Maiava was right in the middle of it. Across a crowded slate of standout performances, his showing for the Trojans was strong enough to put him in the same early-season conversation as some of the sports most talked-about quarterbacks, which is no small thing this early in September.
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For USC, the matchup carries a little more edge than a typical nonconference date because Louisiana does not look like a team simply happy to be there. The Cajuns schedule also sends them to Georgia State and, in a quirky bit of history, makes them the first NCAA football team to play in two Olympic stadiums in the same season, so they arrive with a road-tested feel and a little extra intrigue even before the Trojans have to sort out how to handle them on the field. [Read more 🡒]
USCs 2-0 Start Suddenly Feels More Real Under Lincoln Riley
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Riley also framed the start as evidence of growth on both sides of the ball, noting that the group has been better at dealing with in-game challenges and more consistent in the way it finishes drives and possessions. Even with that progress, there are still details to clean up, which is why this fast start feels more like a foundation than a finished product as USC keeps moving deeper into the season. [Read more 🡒]