The UCLA Bruins ran away with another victory, moving to 9-0, while the Ohio State Buckeyes are melting down. The USC Trojans and the Indiana Hoosiers know their game contains even more meaning now, following a week of more chaos in the Big Ten.
Here are the scores from this weekend in Big Ten football, plus my breakdown for each team:
Advertisement
Katin Houser gave the Illinois Fighting Illini great quarterback play, and he saved his best performance of the season for this game. Illinois ‘ offense was efficient and mistake-free. The same could not be said for the Nebraska Cornhuskers as a whole; they had 11 penalties. Games like this are a stain on what Matt Rhule has built. Things have gone off the rails, but suffering a loss like this to end the season is telling.
The Minnesota Gophers put up a fight for another week, but the UCLA Bruins are looking more and more like a new version of the Curt Cignetti Indiana Hoosiers. Bob Chesney has the Bruins at the top of the Big Ten in just 1 season. Hope is not lost for the Gophers, as they have a battle with the Wisconsin Badgers to still win.
Advertisement
Malik Washington powered the Maryland Terrapins to a nice win with 4 total touchdowns. The Terrapins need to ensure that Malik Washington remains in Maryland for more performances like this one. Back to square zero for the Purdue Boilermakers.
No Rocco Becht turnovers made Matt Campbell happy. This was a very functional Penn State Nittany Lions offense. They dominated on the ground as Carson Hansen ran for 119 yards and a touchdown. The Washington Huskies could not overcome another poor start in this game.
The Oregon Ducks put a beatdown on the Ohio State Buckeyes. Ohio State can not win just by being a talented team; their glaring issue at the quarterback position is not something they can overcome. The Buckeyes’ defense has not made things easier with its falloff from 2025. The Ducks further exposed the Buckeyes’ weaknesses and now have a shot at getting back into the hunt.
Advertisement
Quarterback Ryan Hopkins came onto the scene and made quite an impression. The Wisconsin Badgers‘ offense looked night and day better than last week’s disastrous performance. The Badgers’ defense showed up and put up a dominant performance in their own right. This was just the win the Badgers needed. For the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, this loss sends them back to the bottom of the Big Ten.
The Michigan Wolverines’ situation is reaching a panic level of urgency. Only putting up six points against their bottom-of-the-conference rival is unacceptable. The Wolverines have many problems that need resolving, and this game put a microscope on them.
Advertisement
The Northwestern Wildcats’ offense is not the same operation without its engine, Aidan Chiles. The Iowa Hawkeyes have a suffocating defense; not having Chiles made this game impossible for NU to win, even at home. The Wildcats, with the return of Chiles, should be able to get back on the right track.
Contact/Follow @TrojansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of USC Trojans news, notes and opinion.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Big Ten Week 10 created even more opportunities for USC to rise
