The B1G Picture at the Halfway Point

Ranked And Fighting

The fourth-highest-ranked Big Ten team is USC at 20. The Trojans are off to a convincing win over Michigan and are looking to get back into the CFP conversation. It won’t be easy with Notre Dame to go with two other currently-ranked Big Ten foes left on the schedule. Jayden Maiava has looked the part of the next great USC quarterback, and Makai Lemon is going to be a highly sought-after pick in the NFL.

It was most impressive that King Miller, a walk-on, came in and tormented the Wolverine defense for 158 yards and a touchdown. The defense is not elite, and may be the undoing, but this USC team could have a real opportunity to crash the CFP when it’s all said and done. It could crash and burn.

Don’t look now, but Nebraska has a little number next to its name. With just a three-point loss to Michigan, the only blemish on the record, Nebraska has been doing something it hasn’t been able to under Matt Rhule: win one-score games. The Huskers narrowly beat Cincinnati (a win that is aging better and better each week) and Maryland, while smacking Akron, Houston Christian (FCS), and Michigan State. Led by Dyan Raiola and Emmett Johnson, Nebraska is scoring over 40 points per game while allowing less than 19.

There is only one currently-ranked team left on the docket for the Huskers. Don’t be surprised if Nebraska is in that conversation in a few weeks.

Wait, Why Are You Not Ranked?

There is a very real discussion on how certain conferences are ranked vs others. Washington sits at 5-1 with the only loss coming to Ohio State, 24-6. The Huskies played significantly better than their score suggests on that day. To that point, the six points they scored were the most on an Ohio State defense, so that’s something. Unfortunately, #QualityLosses only apply to certain conferences, so Washington must continue to climb uphill.

This offense has some special athletes. Demond Williams Jr., Denzel Boston, and Jonah Coleman are stars. Coleman leads the nation with 11 rushing touchdowns, and Williams is a dynamic quarterback, perfectly suited to the Jedd Fisch scheme. There is a very good possibility that Washington is 10-1 leading up to the massive final game against Oregon.

Speaking of #QualityLosses, Illinois leads the nation with two. The Illini lost to Ohio State and Indiana. The loss to Ohio State was, just like Washington, impressive. The loss to Indiana…was not. Style points matter, and when you score 10 and allow 62, you’re going to really have to dig to get out of that hole. Illinois is still a solid team, but perception is a lot.

Finally, there is Iowa. Yeah, yeah, Iowa’s offense is a meme, but the Hawkeyes have taken care of business. For some, beating up on FCS teams and the worst teams in the conference is rewarded with a top-15 ranking despite two losses. Even then, those two losses were to Iowa State by three and Indiana by five. The rest of the schedule is a bit tougher, so Iowa will have an opportunity to make noise either way.

Work to Do

Four programs are likely headed for bowl eligibility, but are on the outside looking in on the CPF discussion. Michigan was thoroughly shut down by USC last weekend, putting its hopes on life support. While it does face a good Washington team this week and will close out the season with Ohio State, the Wolverines have plenty of opportunities to stack wins moving forward.

The Golden Gophers have a quarterback. Drake Lindsey may be a name to watch over the next year or two as he continues to develop. Minnesota has two ranked foes left on the schedule, but it was beaten convincingly by a Cal team that just does not score. Northwestern is currently sitting at 4-2 as well after upsetting Penn State on the road. The Wildcats have been a surprise to this point and even gave Oregon a run for its money before collapsing late. Finding two more wins on the schedule is difficult, but with so many middle-of-the-pack teams, anything can happen.

Maryland is interesting. It has a quarterback in Malik Washington who has already shown he can command the offense and propel the Terps to victory. On defense, Maryland forces turnovers like nobody’s business. It has nine players combining for 12 interceptions, with three returned for touchdowns. With a favorable remaining schedule, Maryland may not enter the CFP discussion, but it won’t be one to overlook.

Fired Coaches

What can we say? UCLA started off 0-3 and looked like one of, if not the worst, teams at the FBS level. Then, it fired Deshaun Foster and has since won two in a row with Tim Skipper at the helm. In those four losses, UCLA averaged 14.25 points while allowing 30.5. Over the last two weeks, those numbers have flipped to 40 for and 25 against.

Nico Iamaleava has looked like a completely different quarterback, and the Bruins have gone from a guaranteed win on the schedule to a team to watch. With six tough games left on the schedule, UCLA is not expected to do much. However, a win or two against those foes would go far in terms of building to 2026.

Just as UCLA could have its own section, Penn State has been quite the disappointment this year. Heading into the year, folks thought the Nittany Lions were going to be the third different B1G team to win it all in as many years. They had the same formula as the previous two: veteran quarterback, stout defense, so much returning talent, and a quality-over-quantity approach to the portal.

Then, Penn State lost to Oregon. Okay, not the end of the world. Then, UCLA. Then, Northwestern. As a result, Penn State (and Adidas) pulled the plug, sent James Franklin his exorbitant buyout, and is looking to 2026. Drew Allar suffered a season-ending injury, and overall, Penn State is in a free fall.

What Are You?

One team that is a mystery is Michigan State. After starting 3-0, the Spartans have dropped three in a row. With matchups against Indiana and Michigan up next, Michigan State is going to need to figure it out quickly. After those two matchups, there are wins to be had, but getting to bowl eligibility will be difficult.

There have been flashes, of course. Aidan Chiles is developing into a promising quarterback…or at least, he was. In his first four games of 2025, Chiles threw for 868 yards and nine touchdowns with just one interception. His last two games have been rough, however. Chiles passed for just 151 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions.

Heading into the year, the Spartans were a popular pick to take a step and surprise. With no Oregon or Ohio State on the schedule, there looked to be a path. Of course, there is only one currently-ranked team left on the schedule (Indiana), but anything can happen within Big Ten play.

Onto 2026

In addition to Michigan State and Penn State, the three teams yet to secure a Big Ten win are Wisconsin, Purdue, and Rutgers. Rutgers and Purdue are the usual suspects, but Wisconsin was dealt a difficult hand. With Luke Fickell potentially on the hot seat, the Badgers had to navigate a difficult schedule. It won’t get much easier this weekend as the top-ranked Buckeyes come to town.