Conference play within The Big Ten is starting to ramp up, as several teams took to the field this past Saturday. A few surprises were unveiled, while things are beginning to look very ominous in Madison, Wisconsin for the Badgers this 2025 season.
(Non-Conference) Rivalry Wins: The Civil War and The Apple Cup have traditionally been played at the end of the regular season, but with Oregon and Washington leaving for The Big Ten, it has necessitated the need to play those games in a non-conference setting. Both Oregon (Oregon 41, Oregon State 7) and Washington (Washington 59, Washington State 24) emerged victoriously in their games against their in-state rivals. Oregon travels to play at Penn State for a 7:30pm ET night game in Happy Valley (NBC), while Washington will welcome in Ohio State for a 3:30pm ET game in Husky Stadium (CBS).
Better Than 2024, But Still A Loss: Purdue has improved since last season, but the Boilermakers still wound up on the losing side of the ledger with a loss at Notre Dame in non-conference play, 56-30. Purdue has a bye week this coming weekend.
Gutty Road Wins: Iowa battled Rutgers into the 4th quarter before clinching the win over the Scarlet Knights, 38-28. This handed Rutgers their first loss of the 2025 season. Iowa hosts Indiana at 3:30pm ET in Kinnick Stadium (Peacock). Michigan went on the road and ran all over Nebraska for 290 yards on the ground, with a close 30-27 win in Lincoln. Both teams have a bye week this coming weekend.
Did Not See That Coming: Indiana had no problems with dispatching Illinois, 63-10. The Hoosiers served notice to The Big Ten, and to college football, that their 2024 season was no fluke with that performance. Indiana travels to play at Iowa this coming weekend at 3:30pm ET (Peacock).
Storm Cloud Are Gathering: Maryland went on the road to take on the Wisconsin Badgers in Camp Randall Stadium and handled Luke Fickell’s team, winning 27-10. Wisconsin did not score a touchdown until less than a minute remaining in the game. The fans chanting “Fire Fickell” were audible to the television viewing audience, and things do not look promising for the Badgers as they get deeper into Big Ten play. Mike Locksley said, “We made just enough plays on offense and took advantage of some of the things that they gave us.”. Both teams have a bye week this coming weekend.
Saturday Night Was Right For The Trojans: In a game that kicked off after 11pm ET, USC defeated Michigan State 45-31. The Trojans are 2-0 in The Big Ten, and will be traveling to Champaign, Illinois for a 12pm ET conference game (Fox) versus the Fighting Illini, who will be looking to bounce back after their disastrous performance versus Indiana this past weekend. Michigan State has a bye week this coming weekend.
