The fourth weekend of the College Football season wasn't as thrilling as what we saw win Week 3 but, it was a pivotal weekend. While a good chunk of the teams in the Big Ten were on the bye this weekend, the teams who did play were almost all in exciting games. We had several massive matchups in Indiana Vs Illinois, Michigan Vs Nebraska, and USC Vs Michigan State which help shape the conference race.
While this weekend didn't have all the big games everyone would like, this was another weekend of jockeying as the biggest tests of the season are right around the corner.
Indiana's blowout win over Illinois reshapes the entire Big Ten
The UCLA Bruins fall in our rankings despite being on the bye week this weekend, as the team fired Head Coach DeShaun Foster last weekend. The Bruins have a chance to completely fall apart as things could get worse than they are now, with a 30-day window opening for the players to enter the transfer portal.
The Northwestern Wildcats spent the weekend on the bye, which is good news as it allows them to reset before a winnable stretch. Next weekend, Northwestern can get on the board in Big Ten play as they face winless UCLA before hosting UL Monroe, which could get them back above the .500 mark before the heat of Big Ten play.
The Wisconsin Badgers were able to skate by two far inferior opponents, but in their first two Power 4 games, the Badgers have been exposed. Billy Edwards tried to play through an injury but left the game early once again, which left the offense playing with Danny O'Neil, who struggled once again. The defense allowed Maryland's true freshman quarterback Malik Washington to pass all over them, and now many are asking if Luke Fickell is the man for the job.
This weekend, Purdue suffered another loss but, there was also plenty to be happy with as this group is clearly improved compared to last season. The offense was able to put up 30 points on Notre Dame which is clear growth even if the Irish have struggled on defense. The Boilermakers defense however, was no match for the duo of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price.
On Friday Night, it looked like Rutgers may get a massive Big Ten victory but, they made too many mistakes when it mattered to leave with a win. In the fourth quarter, Iowa scored on every possession while Rutgers threw an interception and turned it over on downs after they took a lead. Greg Schiano clearly has a better team than he has the past few seasons but, they'll need to prove it in league play.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers spent this weekend on the bye after their shocking loss to California. PJ Fleck now needs to get his team back on track as their Big Ten schedule is manageable to say the least. Next weekend, Minnesota faces Rutgers and the loser of that game won't feel great about the outlook of their season.
While the Iowa Hawkeyes won this season, the way that their offense has played hasn't been encouraging as the passing attack that was promised hasn't shown up. Mark Gronowski went 12-18 passing for just 186 yards as the rushing attack and special teams provided all of the scoring. The game wasn't the best showing by the defense either as Rutgers was moving the ball at will for most of this game.
Coming into the season, it was almost impossible to feel good about where Maryland was as they've struggled under Mike Locksley and were turning to a True Freshman quarterback. That freshman has shown up as Malik Washington was incredible against Wisconsin, with two passing touchdowns and a score with his legs while taking care of the football. The Terps dominated Wisconsin and as Washington continues to improve, this team should only be more of a threat in the Big Ten.
While the Michigan State Spartans dropped their first game of the season, they were in a one score game late into the 4th quarter but, just ran out of gas. If the Spartans are going to go on a run in the Big Ten, Aidan Chiles is going to need to improve as a passer as he missed some easy throws. Jonathan Smith has this team heading in the right direction and it has been a promising start to the season.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers losing this weekend's clash with Michigan feels like another disappointment as this team has clear flaws. Michigan certainly watched the film from the Cincinatti game as they ran all over this defense which has struggled stopping the run all season. The program still has a long way to go to get back into contention in the Big Ten as they've now lost 28 straight games against ranked opponents.
The Washington Huskies dominated the Apple Cup as they used the bye week to their advantage dominating the Cougars. The star trio of Demond Williams Jr, Jonah Coleman, and Denzel Boston all showed up as Coleman finished with three scores, Boston had a pair, and Williams threw for 4 touchdowns and ran in another. Jedd Fisch has a loaded offense which is enough for him to compete with any team the Huskies will face.
The matchup between Illinois and Indiana was supposed to be a clash and instead, the Fighting Illini got embarrassed. Fernando Mendoza got whatever he wanted passing against this defense with 5 touchdowns and just two incompletions. The offense didn't turn the ball over until the backups were in but, Luke Altmyer and Co. were never able to make a big play. Bret Bielema is going to need to get his team refocused as there's still plenty to play for.
It got scary for a moment late in the game but, the USC Trojans picked up another big win in the Big Ten moving to 2-0 in league play. The Trojans offense got whatever they wanted as Jayden Maiava was stellar as a passer while the rushing attack picked up chunk play after chunk play. The defense had some issues but, the unit finally looks like the defense Lincoln Riley has been missing for years.
After their last big game, there was some pause around the Michigan Wolverines especially as they faced Nebraska without their Head Coach. Michigan finally let Bryce Underwood use his legs and he formed a monster with Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall as the three picked up 290 yards and 3 touchdowns. The secondary is the biggest concern on defense but, bouncing back to pick up a big win over Nebraska is massive for the Wolverines.
Heading into the weekend, everyone was expecting a back and forth clash between the Indiana Hoosiers and Illinois. Instead, we saw a beatdown as Curt Cignetti's team dominated Illinois in shocking fashion. Fernando Mendoza was incredible going 21/23 for 267 yards and 5 touchdowns with a pair going to star receiver Elijah Sarratt. Winning this game was crucial for Indiana's Playoff hopes but, this team looks even more impressive than the Hoosiers were last season.
The Penn State Nittany Lions spent the weekend at home after beating up on 3 inferior opponents to start the season. Jame Franklin better use the extra week of preparation to his advantage as the Nittany Lions have a massive matchup against Oregon next weekend and if Penn State loses, the narrative around James Franklin will only grow.
The Oregon Ducks were back to doing what we've seen all season as they demolished their In-State rivals the Oregon State Beavers. Dante Moore took care of the football and spread it around throwing for 305 yards and four scores. Next weekend, we'll see this team in their first true test of the season as they face off against Penn State.
Before they enter their portion of Big Ten play, the Ohio State Buckeyes spent this weekend on the bye. Through three games, the Buckeyes have looked like they haven't missed a step despite all of the turnover on the roster and in the coaching staff. When Ohio State gets deep into Big Ten play, this team could get tested but, they should have a talent advantage in every game they play.
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