Big Ten Week 10 only turned up the pressure on USC.
With UCLA rolling to 9-0 and Ohio State stumbling again, the conference picture got even messier, and that matters for the Trojans and Indiana alike. Another wild weekend in the Big Ten reshaped the conversation, and the margins at the top keep getting tighter.
Illinois got things started Friday with a 24-13 win over Nebraska, and Katin Houser was the difference. He delivered his best quarterback performance of the season, and Illinois’ offense stayed efficient and clean. Nebraska, meanwhile, piled up 11 penalties, a number that only deepened the frustration around a game that looked like a step backward for Matt Rhule’s group.
UCLA kept the momentum going with a 34-20 win over Minnesota. The Gophers hung around, but the Bruins are starting to look like a fresh version of the Curt Cignetti Indiana Hoosiers.
In just one season, Bob Chesney has UCLA sitting at the top of the Big Ten. Minnesota still has a path forward, though, with Wisconsin left on the schedule.
Maryland also came through with a 34-29 win over Purdue behind Malik Washington, who accounted for four total touchdowns. The Terrapins got the kind of performance they need to keep seeing from him, while Purdue was left searching for answers again.
Penn State handled Washington 28-25 in a game that fit the “functional” label. There were no Rocco Becht turnovers, which made Matt Campbell happy, and the Nittany Lions leaned on the ground game. Carson Hansen ran for 119 yards and a touchdown, while the Huskies couldn’t dig out of another rough opening.
Then came the biggest swing of the day: Oregon’s 41-28 win over Ohio State. The Ducks didn’t just beat the Buckeyes; they exposed them.
Ohio State’s quarterback problems remain impossible to ignore, and the defense hasn’t helped with its falloff from 2025. Oregon walked out with a statement win and a real shot at getting back into the hunt.
Wisconsin found some life in a 31-10 win over Rutgers. Ryan Hopkins made an immediate impression at quarterback, and the Badgers looked completely different on offense than they did a week ago.
The defense backed it up with a dominant showing, giving Wisconsin exactly the kind of win it needed. Rutgers, on the other hand, slid back toward the bottom of the Big Ten.
Michigan State also delivered a jolt, beating Michigan 15-6. The Wolverines’ situation is getting close to panic territory after managing only six points against a rival sitting near the bottom of the conference. That kind of performance puts every issue under a spotlight.
Iowa closed the weekend with a 24-10 win over Northwestern, and the Wildcats felt the absence of Aidan Chiles on offense. Iowa’s defense was suffocating, and without Chiles, Northwestern never had much of a chance even at home. With him back, the Wildcats should be able to get moving again.
In Other News...
Maryland Lands In A USC Spot That Could Change Everything
USCs November 21 matchup with Maryland now has a set stage, with the Big Ten Network carrying the game and a 3:15 p.m. PT kickoff in what will be the first meeting between the programs since 2024. It also lands as the Trojans final regular-season home game, which gives the afternoon a little extra weight beyond the usual conference scheduling note.
Jayden Maiava will be the quarterback under center for that last home date, adding another layer to a stretch that already feels pivotal for USC. The Trojans still have a major test ahead against No. 4 Indiana before closing the regular season at home, so the Maryland game may end up carrying more meaning than it first appears when the schedule was released. [Read more 🡒]
USC Suddenly Holds A Surprising Amount Of Power In The Big Ten
Desman Stephens hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore has already rippled well beyond the moment itself, because Moore is now out for the rest of the season and the Ducks path forward has become tangled with what USC does next. The Trojans, suddenly, find themselves in the middle of a conference race that extends past their own standings, with their upcoming game against Indiana carrying weight far beyond a single November result.
Indiana sits atop the Big Ten with one conference loss, and a USC win would reshape the league picture in a hurry while also keeping Oregons College Football Playoff hopes alive. For a program still trying to establish itself in its new conference home, it is an unusual kind of leverage to have this late in the season, and it makes the USC-Indiana matchup feel like more than just another Saturday game. [Read more 🡒]
USC Fans Had A Brutal Bye Week For One Reason
USCs final regular-season bye week could not have come at a rougher time for the Trojans playoff hopes. While Lincoln Rileys team sat idle, a long list of rivals and potential comparison points kept stacking up wins, from Notre Dame knocking off No. 1 Miami to UCLA staying unbeaten with a victory over Minnesota.
Oregons dominant showing against Ohio State, Utahs undefeated run and road wins by Texas and Oklahoma over ranked opponents only sharpened the picture around USC. The Trojans still control their own path, but the margin for error is gone now, with three straight wins needed to stay in the College Football Playoff conversation. [Read more 🡒]