Week 3 didn’t just shuffle the Big Ten deck. It sharpened the picture.
This conference keeps producing new twists, and the big one right now is that the league looks deeper than the usual handful of heavyweights. Ohio State and Indiana may still sit in the conversation at the top, but they’re no longer alone there. A lot more teams have a real path to making noise, and that makes the stretch run feel a whole lot more dangerous.
Oregon, for one, looks every bit like an offense that can overwhelm anybody. Scoring 84 points in a game is the kind of number you don’t shrug off, no matter who’s on the other sideline.
The Ducks showed they can beat teams in more than one way, carving them up both through the air and on the ground. Dante Moore, when he is clicking on all cylinders, is nearly impossible to defend.
USC is next up, and the Trojans are the ones walking into that matchup with the bigger question marks.
Penn State is another team that has done exactly what it was supposed to do so far, and maybe then some. With a schedule that didn’t exactly scream danger early, the Nittany Lions have still looked sharp enough to justify the hype.
Wisconsin gives them their first real Big Ten test this week, but based on how the offense has been rolling, Penn State should be able to handle the Badgers. At this point, an undefeated run is not out of the realm of possibilities.
Indiana deserves more respect than it’s getting, too. The Hoosiers are still unbeaten, and yet they’re sitting at No. 5, which feels too low for a defending title winner that hasn’t shown any real drop-off. Curt Cignetti has the right team to defend last year’s title, and the upcoming games against Ohio State and Michigan will be the chances to prove it on the field.
And then there’s UCLA, which has become one of the conference’s most intriguing dark horses. This isn’t something to dismiss as a hot start that will fade away.
It looks like a different football team, one with everybody bought in and an offense that has found real rhythm. The run game has been extremely effective, and Nico Iamaleava is playing with an immense amount of confidence.
That combination makes the Bruins dangerous enough to scare the rest of the Big Ten - and even put USC on alert.
In Other News...
USC Now Faces A Different Oregon Offense Than Expected
Oregons receiving picture changed fast in the lead-up to USC, beginning with Jeremiah McClellans broken foot during warmups against Portland State. The junior wideout is out indefinitely, and while thats a blow to a Ducks passing game that had been expecting a certain look, it also forced Oregon to adjust on the fly and show another layer of depth.
Messiah Hampton was the immediate beneficiary, stepping into the void and producing 71 receiving yards with two touchdowns in that game. USC now has to prepare for a different version of Oregons offense than the one it may have had in mind, especially with tight ends Kendre Harrison and Jamari Johnson expected to be available for the matchup. [Read more 🡒]
USC Brings Two New Problems Into Oregons Top-20 Showdown
USC left its latest win over Rutgers with plenty to like, and two players in particular made sure the Tigers? No, the Trojans brought extra momentum into their next test after a 42-35 finish that kept them unbeaten at 4-0. Kicker Caden Chittenden was flawless on field goals and extra points and earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors, while redshirt freshman running back Riley Wormley picked up Big Ten Freshman of the Week recognition after scoring twice and producing 54 total yards on limited touches.
Those awards matter because USC is about to step into a top-20 showdown with Oregon, and the Trojans now have more than just their passing game to lean on. A reliable kicker can change how aggressive a coaching staff feels late in games, and Wormleys emergence gives USC another backfield option to keep opponents honest, even if the bigger question is how those recent gains will travel into one of the conferences toughest environments. [Read more 🡒]
USC Faces A Defining Lincoln Riley Test Against Oregon
Oregons visit to No. 12 USC arrives with the kind of stakes that make October feel bigger than it should. The Ducks, now ranked No. 20 after a loss to Oklahoma State, step into a matchup that carries real weight for the conference race and the College Football Playoff picture, while also renewing a rivalry that has become familiar territory for both programs. For USC, it is another chance to show that Lincoln Rileys program can turn high-end expectations into a true West Coast standard.
Recruits are watching, too, which is what gives this game an extra layer beyond the standings. USC and Oregon have spent years circling the same prospects and the same national ambitions, and meetings like this are where the Trojans can reinforce the idea that their future is as strong as anyones. Riley does not need this one to define his tenure, but he does need it to support the broader vision he has sold since arriving in Los Angeles. [Read more 🡒]