Week 4 gave the Big Ten a much sharper shape, and the biggest takeaway is that USC came out of it looking far more vulnerable than anyone expected. The Trojans took the hardest hit of the weekend, and after a slate that seemed set up in their favor, they now leave the week with the same kind of doubt hanging over them as Washington. Iowa and Wisconsin, meanwhile, suddenly look like teams that could climb past USC in the standings.
The weekend opened with Rutgers blasting Howard 58-7 on Friday, a game that felt like a reset after the Scarlet Knights’ meeting with USC. Rutgers’ offense was humming, with Antwan Raymond and KJ Duff driving the show.
Indiana then survived Northwestern 29-23 in a game that tested the Hoosiers more than the final record will show. Aidan Chiles wasn’t fazed by the defending champions and made life uncomfortable for Indiana, while Northwestern showed it can hang with the best teams in the league. Still, this was the kind of result Indiana can absorb without much damage.
Saturday brought Ohio State’s 42-19 win over Illinois, and Jeremiah Smith was the center of everything. He looked unstoppable against the Fighting Illini, turning in a performance that left the Illinois defense chasing shadows. For the Buckeyes, it was another sign they’re bouncing back well after the loss to Texas.
UCLA also made a major statement, rolling past Maryland 54-3. The Bruins were in complete control from start to finish, and while Maryland is a lesser opponent, the size of the win matters. After four weeks, UCLA has a case as the best team in Los Angeles, and the Bruins have reached the point where they have to be taken seriously.
Notre Dame handled Purdue 49-10 without much drama, continuing its strong start. The Boilermakers didn’t offer much resistance, and with the schedule about to get much tougher, Purdue is looking more and more like a bottom Big Ten team again.
Then came one of the weekend’s most striking finishes: Iowa 20, Michigan 19. Michigan’s defense couldn’t rescue it this time, and the loss came in a way that echoed the kind of play that had helped the Wolverines beat Western Michigan. Iowa finished the game with a 91-yard drive to win it, and that kind of statement victory could point toward the Hawkeyes’ best season in years.
Nebraska kept rolling with a 31-13 win over Michigan State. Anthony Colandrea turned in another solid outing, and Matt Rhule’s team continues to handle what has been an easy start to the season. The real question now is how that success holds up once the Cornhuskers get into more competitive Big Ten games.
Wisconsin delivered the biggest win of Luke Fickell’s time in Madison, beating Penn State 24-20 in a comeback that should change the mood around the program. That result cools off any talk about Fickell being on the hot seat. It was a gutsy win, and Colton Joseph looks like the quarterback the Badgers have been searching for.
Oregon, even without starting quarterback Dante Moore, still had enough to beat USC 41-27 and make the Trojans look like they’ve got a long way to go. The Ducks showed once again that they are where they need to be, while USC was left with more questions than answers. The result should bring a lot of heat onto Lincoln Riley’s seat.
Minnesota closed the weekend with a 27-24 road win over Washington. P.J.
Fleck and the Gophers went into a place where the Huskies can feel unbeatable and walked out with a huge victory. Drake Lindsey outplayed a quarterback who is viewed much higher in the rankings, and Minnesota’s defense came through when it mattered most.
It’s the kind of win that forces a new look at what this Gophers team might really be.
In Other News...
USCs First Real Test Exposed A Problem Trojans Fans Know Too Well
USCs first real test of the season brought the kind of reminder Trojans fans have seen before: the Coliseum can be loud, the offense can move the ball, and still the game can slip away when the pressure rises. Oregons 41-27 win in Los Angeles ended USCs 10-game home winning streak and left the Trojans with the familiar frustration of coming up short in the kind of matchup that tends to define a season.
Jayden Maiava put together a productive night, throwing for 326 yards and accounting for three touchdowns, but the late interception was the kind of mistake that can change the tone of a high-stakes conference game. Oregon had its own answer under center, with Dylan Raiola stepping in after an injury to the starter and delivering two passing touchdowns, and USC was left once again trying to sort out why its biggest tests so often expose the same old flaw. [Read more 🡒]
USCs Washington Showdown Just Got More Personal For One Trojans Starter
The No. 18 Trojans are getting ready for a primetime meeting with Washington at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and it brings back the teams first matchup since 2024. It is the kind of late-night West Coast stage USC has come to expect, with the Huskies arriving as a familiar but still dangerous opponent and Demond Williams Jr. and Dezman Roebuck lined up as the names most likely to shape the conversation on offense.
There is also a little extra edge attached to this one for one USC starter because Washington coach Kalen DeBoer has already talked publicly about former linebacker Deven Bryants move to USC. That adds a personal layer to a game that already carries plenty of intrigue, especially with the Huskies trying to sort out how to handle a Trojans defense and the Trojans knowing they will need to be sharp against a quarterback-receiver tandem that can change the feel of the night quickly. [Read more 🡒]
USC Must Rework Its Linebackers At The Worst Possible Time
USC is suddenly having to reshuffle its linebacking group after Desman Stephens II was handed a one-game suspension for a targeting hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore. The timing is rough enough on its own, but it lands in the middle of a stretch where Lincoln Riley is already trying to steady the defense and sort through the aftereffects of a high-profile game.
Riley addressed the situation during a Sept. 28 media appearance, noting the need to adjust the depth chart while also pointing to the broader lessons from the Oregon game. For a defense that is still trying to find more reliable execution, losing a key piece for even one week only sharpens the urgency heading into the next round of games. [Read more 🡒]