Week 4 in the Big Ten has the feel of a separator week, the kind that starts sorting out who’s for real and who’s just hanging around the conversation. Several programs get a chance to make a statement, and a few others are about to find out they’re still a step behind the league’s top tier.
One of the biggest swing games belongs to Iowa, which has a real chance to come out of the week with a louder résumé than Michigan. Michigan already grabbed attention with its huge upset over the Oklahoma Sooners, but this one is expected to go differently.
Iowa has built its identity around winning games it’s not supposed to win, and it tends to show up especially well against strong opponents. That suffocating defense and dangerous run game are the formula here, and Bryce Underwood is expected to have a rough day against it.
Iowa’s ground attack should end up deciding the game.
USC also gets a major opportunity in a week that will help define the former Pac-12 teams now operating in the Big Ten. Washington, Oregon, UCLA and USC are all under the microscope, but the Trojans have the best chance to make the strongest impression.
They draw an Oregon team that has struggled, and USC is expected to take care of business. If that happens, Lincoln Riley’s program will come out of the week with the title of best former Pac-12 team in the Big Ten, and it would count as a massive win for the Trojans.
Penn State is another team with a chance to make a real leap in perception. Wisconsin has been steady, with a defense that has been excellent and new starting quarterback Colton Joseph giving them something to work with.
Still, Matt Campbell’s team is the one expected to come away looking like the best rising group in the conference. Rocco Becht has continued to deliver, and the Nittany Lions are projected to land their first statement win of the season.
Illinois, meanwhile, is expected to run into the same wall it hit last season. The Illini took care of the games they were supposed to win in 2025, but against contenders, they were overmatched.
That pattern is expected to hold again when Ohio State shows up. The Buckeyes are viewed as being on a different level, and this one is projected to get out of hand.
Nebraska rounds out the week’s key watch points with a chance to get to 4-0. There’s been some skepticism about whether Matt Rhule and the Cornhuskers can keep building, and Michigan State figures to provide a real test.
The Spartans shouldn’t be brushed aside, but they’re not expected to be the team that trips Nebraska up. It should be close, but Nebraska is still projected to leave the week unbeaten.
In Other News...
USC Is Hiding A Coliseum Twist Before Oregon Arrives
With Oregon coming to the Coliseum, one small pregame detail has become a talking point around USC: the tunnel captain has not been announced yet. The Trojans usually reveal that honor a few days before kickoff, so the silence has only added to the buzz around who will lead the team out for one of the seasons biggest home dates.
Reggie Bush and Pete Carroll are among the names drawing attention because of what they mean to the program, but USC has not made anything public. For a matchup with so much weight attached to it, even the walkout has taken on extra meaning, and the final choice should say plenty about how the school wants this night framed before the game even starts. [Read more 🡒]
USC Stars In The NFL Are Breaking Out And Breaking Down
Drake London gave USC fans a reminder of what elite receiver play can look like on a big stage Thursday night, hauling in nine passes for 194 yards against Green Bay. The former Trojans standout has continued to grow into a featured role with the Atlanta Falcons, and nights like this only deepen the sense that USCs receiver pipeline is producing players who can make an immediate impact in the NFL.
Elsewhere, the picture around USC alums is a little less celebratory. Baltimore Ravens rookie JaKobi Lane is on injured reserve after breaking his wrist in his NFL debut, while Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is working through a minor hamstring injury that could sideline him on a week-to-week basis. For a program that prides itself on sending stars to Sundays, the early-season snapshot is a mix of breakout production and the kind of health issues that can interrupt even the most promising start. [Read more 🡒]
USCs Rutgers Rotation Revealed A Troubling Depth Issue
USCs trip to Rutgers offered a clear look at how thin the roster has become in spots. The Trojans leaned on a season-low 60 players, with a wide spread in usage that reflected how much the staff had to press the available group into service. Desman Stephens II and Prophet Brown each logged 74 snaps, while Josiah Jefferson and Marquis Gallegos saw just one apiece in a game where the rotation was anything but normal.
The numbers also underscored how many bodies USC was already missing. Fourteen players were out because of injuries or were not dressed, and three more were injured and did not finish the game, leaving no one to return from injury or make a season debut. On the flip side, 13 players hit or matched career highs in total snap counts, a reminder that the Trojans are asking a lot from the same core as the season wears on. [Read more 🡒]