We flip our calendars to November and change our clocks in preparation for the home stretch of Big Ten Play. Week ten was a relatively quiet weekend, with the biggest news emerging from Lincoln. Nebraska’s starting quarterback, Dylan Raiola, is out for the remainder of the season with a broken fibula. You hate to see it. I was really looking forward to terrorizing him later in the season. Indiana and Ohio State once again flexed their muscles, blowing out Maryland and Penn State, respectively. Oregon vs Iowa is the game of the week in the Big Ten without a doubt. I cannot wait.
Here is where all eighteen teams stand after ten weeks of action.
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1: Ohio State
8-0, @ Purdue
Penn State fought hard in the first half against the Buckeyes, but their efforts were futile. Ohio State is an inevitable force that cannot be stopped. The Heisman Award looks as though it’ll land in the Big Ten, and Julian Sayin has been making an incredible case. The Buckeyes look unstoppable. The Wolverines may be the only ones who have the magic formula to take out Ohio State.
2: IndianaÂ
9-0, @ Penn State
The Hoosiers continue to stay red hot, demolishing Maryland 55-10. Cignetti has crafted an offensive attack that is so well-balanced it’s a thing a beauty. I can no longer be a hater of Cignetti. The Big Ten should stick together in times of the SEC getting preferential treatment. A rising tide lifts all boats, and Indiana is certainly doing a great job of raising itself.
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3: Oregon
7-1, @ Iowa
I hope Dan Lanning sends a graduate assistant to review the media and find bulletin board material for Saturday, and they stumble upon this. Not today, pal, I have nothing but good things to say about the Ducks. Oregon, with an extra week to prepare, is a scary proposition for Hawkeye fans. For all we know, Lanning could have installed an entirely new offense with two weeks to prepare. If the Ducks come out firing and take the crowd out of the game, they should have little issue with the Hawks.
4: USC
6-2, Vs Northwestern
Moving the Trojans up to four may be a slight case of recency bias. Nobody in the conference had a better win than USC did, going into Memorial Stadium and crushing every Husker fan’s hopes and dreams. What separates the Trojans from previous seasons is their ability and willingness to run the football. USC ran all over the porous Nebraska defense for over 200 yards and two touchdowns. The Trojans have a Friday night matchup with a froggy Northwestern team that they cannot afford to lose to.
5: Michigan
7-2, BYE WEEK
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(Sigh), I have lost years off my life trying to determine whether the Wolverines are a good football team. I have no confidence in them whatsoever, but they win games they should. The only way to evaluate Michigan is with the ultimate binary meter for success: did they win? If so, they are good; if not, they are bad. Getting caught up in style points or dominance will make your head spin with the Wolverines. All you need to know is they beat Purdue, so this week they are good. Shoutout Jordan Marshall as well, over 200 all-purpose yards versus the Boilermakers.
6: Washington
6-2, @ Wisconsin
The Huskies are the most inconsistent team I have witnessed in a while. Washington is at least consistently inconsistent. When the Huskies are home, you might wanna say your prayers. When they’re on the road, they are about as pedestrian as they come. I can’t quite pin Jedd Fisch’s squad down. The Washington offense is a spectacle when orchestrated correctly. When they figure out their road bugaboos, the Huskies could sniff around the playoffs.
7: Iowa
6-2, Vs Oregon
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I will not get my hopes up. I definitely don’t have butterflies just at the thought of seeing another titan fall in person at Kinnick. Last night I didn’t dream of a last-second Gronowski touchdown. My dreams won’t be shattered again after I start believing. Don’t get your hopes up, Hawkeye fans.
(Just kidding, we are going to run the ball down their face all day long. Go Hawks baby.)
8: Illinois
6-3, BYE WEEK
Luke Altmeyer had an incredible outing against the Scarlet Knights, throwing for 4 four touchdowns and one on the ground as well. This is not by any stretch of the imagination what Illini fans had hoped for to begin the season. Earning a bowl game birth would’ve been a great accomplishment for the old Illinois. With expectations, failure ultimately follows close behind. College hoops should be the focus for every Illini fan going into November.
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9: Penn State
3-5, Vs Indiana
There’s not much else to say for the old Nittany Lions other than to start looking forward to the new leader for the program. The available options are looking awfully scarce at the moment. Matt Campbell is a popular name, but his stock continues to drop with each loss. Unless some mystery candidate comes out of the blue, I wouldn’t be so optimistic about the future of Penn State football.
10: Minnesota
6-3, BYE WEEK
The Gophers are the most mediocre team in the Big Ten. That’s nothing to be ashamed of if you’re a Minnesota fan. PJ Fleck’s crew should beat every team that is below them in the power ratings. The steadiness in the Twin Cities should be calming when you look out and see the chaos happening across college football.
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11: UCLA
3-5, Vs Nebraska
The Bruins opened as home favorites to the Huskers this week. UCLA still has some potent spunk to it. Clinching a bowl game appearance would be an uphill battle, but it is achievable. Regardless of whether it’s a bowl game, the Bruins could be the thorn in the side for teams with playoff aspirations. UCLA should get its fourth win of the season on Saturday against the Raiola-less Cornhuskers.
12: Northwestern
6-3, @ USC
The Wildcats are a very solid football team. They will get shredded by USC, but there’s still reason to party in Evanston. Making a bowl game is not too shabby for a squad that was projected to be at the bottom of the barrel.
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13: Nebraska
6-3, @ UCLA
Matt Rhule is an exceptionally smart guy. Signing an extension before one of the most embarrassing losses in the program’s history is genius. Rhule is a fine football coach and a nice guy, but all the hype is confusing. He’s done nothing for Nebraska yet, other than land some talent. The talent in question isn’t performing as it needs to. Husker football seems to be just fine with 6-7 win seasons.
14: Maryland
4-4, @ Rutgers
Mike Locksley has been fired… or so half of the internet thought. A viral hoax circulated that Maryland had parted ways with head football coach Mike Locksley. It’s sad to see that stories like these can be spread like wildfire despite there being no actual evidence to support them.
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With that being said, the claims were very believable. Maryland has no real expectations of success in football, but it’s starting to get a little sad in College Park.
15: Michigan State
3-6, BYE WEEK
Jonathan Smith must be feeling the extreme heat emanating from the seat of his office. The Spartans look pathetic compared to how they started the season. I’d argue that Michigan State has regressed significantly in 2025.
16: Rutgers
4-5, Vs Maryland
[Sad Italian noises]
17: Purdue
2-7, Vs Ohio State
Good News: Purdue plays in a lot of close games.
Bad News: Purdue loses every game.
18: Wisconsin
2-6, Vs Washington
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Wisconsin is the worst T.E.A.M. in the conference. The Badgers might as well keep Fickell around at this point. The coaching market is a desolate landscape of doom and despair.
