The Big Ten had an uncharacteristically quiet week, with no major upsets or surprises, yet there were several games that came down to the wire. Now three-quarters of the way through the regular season, there's a clearer picture emerging at the top of the conference, and it's backdrop is Eugene, Oregon. Dillon Gabriel is pushing toward the forefront of Heisman Trophy consideration, and he could become the first Big 10 player to win the award since Troy Smith in 2006. As a team, Oregon added another impressive victory to its resume and is shaping up to be the No. 1 overall seed in College Football's first 12-team playoff. Conference headliners Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan picked up close wins while Indiana fought through adversity to stay undefeated. Here's how I see the Big 10 ahead of Week 10.
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Week 9 Result: Idle
The Boilermakers remain at the bottom of the conference after getting Week 9 off. Purdue has lost six straight games after routing Indiana State to start the season. However, three of those losses have come to ranked opponents (Notre Dame, Illinois and Oregon). They face Northwestern at home during Week 10.
Week 9 Result: Idle
UCLA picked up its first Big 10 victory in Week 8 by taking down Rutgers. With an extra week to prepare, the Bruins will look to build some momentum with a victory over Nebraska in Week 10.
Week 9 Result: Lost 40-14 at Iowa
The Wildcats were stumped for a second consecutive week, failing to score an offensive touchdown against Iowa. The Wildcats' two scores came on a pick-six and a punt return touchdown. Starting quarterback Jack Lausch struggled mightily, tallying 62 passing yards and two interceptions before being replaced by Ryan Hilinski in the final period. Northwestern hasn't scored an offensive touchdown in three of their last five games, but they'll have a chance to recover in Week 10 against Purdue.
Week 9 Result: Lost 48-23 at Minnesota
Maryland was outmatched from the start, falling behind 21-0 in the first quarter before trailing by 24 at halftime. Billy Edwards threw a pair of interceptions during the first half and was replaced by Roman Hemby coming out of the break, who finished the contest 7-for-8 for 122 passing yards and two scores. The Terrapins are a difficult team to read, having lost by 27 points to Northwestern, defeating USC and dropping to Minnesota by 25 points during their last three games. It won't get any easier for the Terps, who'll travel to Eugene and face Oregon following its Week 10 bye.
Week 9 Result: Lost 42-20 at USC
Kaliakmanis notched his first 300-yard passing game since November of 2022, but the Scarlet Knight's offensive success didn't translate to the scoreboard. The team settled for field goals of 20 and 26 yards and turned the ball over on downs three times inside USC territory. Rutgers has lost four straight contests after starting the campaign 4-0.
Week 9 Result: Lost 31-17 at Indiana
The Huskies put themselves in a hole early, as Will Rogers threw a pair of interceptions that resulted in 14 points for Indiana. Washington stuck around despite the deficit, but could never overcome the mistakes, falling to an IU squad missing their starting quarterback (Kurtis Rourke) and failing to secure what could have been an excellent victory. The Huskies have a difficult November schedule, with home against USC, at Penn State, home against UCLA and at Oregon being their final four games.
Week 9 Result: Won 40-17 vs Northwestern
The Hawkeyes finally made a quarterback change, turning to Brendan Sullivan after Cade McNamara threw a pick-six in the second quarter to give Northwestern a 7-3 advantage. Sullivan was much more successful, tallying 79 passing yards while adding 41 yards and a score on the ground. Considering how well Iowa moved the ball with Sullivan under center, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Hawkeyes bench McNamara permanently. It's unclear who'll be under center in Week 10 against Wisconsin.
Week 9 Result: Lost 24-17 at Michigan
The Spartans came close to upsetting their rival Wolverines but had a potential game-tying two-minute drive stall out in the red zone. Michigan State controlled the line of scrimmage, keeping Michigan to 119 rushing yards while Nate Carter ran for 118 yards and a score himself. Aidan Chiles completed 73.9 percent of his passes and didn't throw an interception. However, a strip sack with 14 seconds left in the second quarter gave Michigan a free three points and a halftime lead. The Spartans will look to pull off an upset in Week 10 against Indiana, who may be down their starting quarterback.
Week 9 Result: Won 42-20 vs Rutgers
The Trojans desperately needed to get back on track in Week 9 after dropping three consecutive games. They did exactly that Saturday, leading from start to finish and playing a clean game. Miller Moss didn't throw an interception for the first time in six games, and the Trojans' offensive line didn't yield a sack. Sitting at 2-4 in conference play, USC will stay on the West Coast for Week 10, squaring off against Washington at Husky Stadium.
Week 9 Result: Lost 21-17 at Ohio State
Nebraska had two chances in the final six minutes to take the lead, but ultimately fell short in their upset quest. The Cornhuskers went three-and-out on their first drive before Dylan Raiola was intercepted with a minute left in the contest. Nebraska hung around with Ohio State, which is an accomplishment in and of itself, but the ending certainly soured what was an otherwise quality game. Perhaps the effort was enough to draft the Cornhuskers out of a rut, as they entered Saturday's game having scored 21 combined points in their last two games and being blown out 56-7 by Indiana in Week 8. Nebraska will look to get back in the win column against UCLA in Week 10.
Week 9 Result: Lost 28-13 vs Penn State
An upset was brewing in Madison on Saturday night, as the Badgers held a 10-17 advantage deep into the third quarter. However, one bad decision from Braedyn Locke tipped the scales in favor of Penn State, as the sophomore quarterback surrendered a pick six. The floodgates opened after the turnover, as Penn State marched down the field for touchdowns on their next two possessions to seal the game. It was a rough game from Wisconsin's offense, with Tawee Walker being held to 59 yards on 22 carries while Locke finished 22-of-42 for 217 yards. So far, Wisconsin has won the games they should and haven't pulled off an upset. However, they're in line for what should be a relatively even matchup against Iowa in Iowa City during Week 10.
Week 9 Result: Won 24-17 vs Michigan State
Michigan completed the cycle of starting quarterbacks, going back to Week 1 starter Davis Warren after testing Alex Orji -- who ran six times for 64 yards and a touchdown against MSU -- and Jack Tuttle at the position. Warren didn't throw an interception for the first time all season after totaling six interceptions in three games played. If Warren can take care of the football and be a game manager, the Wolverines should stay in most games. However, they'll face three ranked opponents in November, with a home game against No. 1 Oregon looming in Week 10.
Week 9 Result: Won 48-23 vs Maryland
Minnesota has quietly put together a three-game winning streak, stomping Maryland by 25 points in Week 9 after squeaking by UCLA and USC in their last two games. Max Brosmer was exceptional, totaling a season-high 320 yards and four touchdowns without any turnovers. The Golden Gophers are now 4-1 in games where Brosmer doesn't throw an interception. They'll face Illinois in Champaign during Week 10.
Week 9 Result: Lost 38-9 at at Oregon
Somehow, 38-9 doesn't indicate how dominant Oregon was in this one. Illinois fell behind 35-3 at halftime and had no answers for the Ducks on either side of the football. It was possibly Luke Altmyer's worst game of the campaign, completing fewer than 50 percent of his passes for the first time this season while tossing a pair of interceptions. Overall, it's a game the Fighting Illini are going to want to forget. Thankfully, they'll have a quick turnaround with a home matchup against Minnesota on the docket for Week 10.
Week 9 Result: Won 31-17 vs Washington
Curt Cignetti's Hoosiers showed plenty of resilience in their Week 9 win, overcoming the absence of Kurtis Rourke to pick up a two-score win over a Big 10 foe. Replacement quarterback Tayven Jackson wasn't perfect, but he totaled two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving) and kept Indiana in front after a pick-six gave IU an early advantage. Indiana will hit the rood in Week 10, traveling to East Lansing to face Michigan State.
Week 9 Result: Won 21-17 vs Nebraska
Saturday's game was a little too close for comfort, as the Buckeyes needed two defensive stops to ensure a victory after entering the game as 25.5-point favorites. Still, it's a much-needed tally in the win column for Ohio State after losing a heartbreaker in Euguene in Week 7. The Buckeyes were uncharacteristically poor on the ground as no rusher eclipsed the 30-yard mark. They'll need to be better in all facets to defeat Penn State at Beaver Stadium during Week 10.
Week 9 Result: Won 28-13 at Wisconsin
It wasn't always pretty, but the Nittany Lions overcame an injury to Drew Allar and earned a multi-score victory over a hot Wisconsin team in a raucous environment. Penn State dominated in the trenches, limiting Wisconsin to 3.0 yards per carry -- a number which drops to 2.5 if a 15-yard run by punter Atticus Bertrams isn't counted -- will running for 173 yards themselves. PSU entered halftime trailing 10-7, but the tides turned midway through the third quarter when Jaylen Reed intercepted Braedyn Locke and returned in for six. The Nittany Lions had punted on five consecutive drives before the interception but scored on back-to-back possessions after to ice the game. Backup quarterback Beau Pribula filled in admirably, but they'll likely need Allar healthy to give the Buckeyes a run for their money in Week 10.
Week 9 Result: Won 38-9 vs Illinois
All doubts about who was the best team in the Big 10 were put to rest Saturday, as the Ducks dismantled the Fighting Illini for their third victory over a team featured in the Week 10 AP Poll. Dillon Gabriel advanced his Heisman campaign with four total touchdowns and 291 passing yards, nearly all of which came in the first half, where Oregon scored touchdowns on five of six drives. Oregon will face Michigan during Week 10 as part of the Ducks' first trip to the Big House since 2007.