A new potential favorite is emerging in the Big Ten. Ohio State continues to look dominant, but it could have its hands full in a possible matchup against Indiana, which defeated Oregon and Dan Lanning in Autzen Stadium to the delight of USC football fans. UCLA not only looks revived, but this is a team that can beat anybody if it continues to play this well. The days of UCLA being an easy win are now over. Who would have expected that Penn State’s season would be over after Week 7? Not me.
Here are the scores from this weekend in Big Ten football for Week 7, along with my breakdown for each team:
Washington 38-19 vs Rutgers (Friday)
Demond Williams put up video game numbers against Rutgers on Friday. Demond Williams continues to display how special a quarterback he is. Williams and this offense will give the Huskies a shot against anybody. They have one of the most underrated home crowds in college football, too. Even up 10-0 Rutgers stood no chance.
Ohio State 34-16 vs Illinois
This was pretty much the game everyone expected to see. Indiana’s win over Illinois continues to look more and more impressive by the day. We know how good this Ohio State defense is, but their offense continues to get better and better; that is so dangerous for the rest of college football.
UCLA 38-13 vs Michigan State
What was DeShaun Foster doing? UCLA not only has life, but it also has a completely different football team. The only thing that changed was their head coach. Michigan State is not a top-tier team, but the expectation was that they and the Bruins were on the same level at least. Offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel gets a lot of credit, but let’s not forget Tim Skipper has been the interim head coach; he should be in consideration for the Bruins’ job at the end of the season.
Indiana 30-20 vs Oregon
Indiana will be No. 1 in the Big Ten football standings. Everybody, including me, had Oregon beating the Hoosiers. Dante Moore had no shot against the Hoosiers’ defense; there was not a moment he looked comfortable. Fernando Mendoza is the Heisman Trophy favorite right now. Minus his pick-six, he was the better quarterback on the field in this game. Ohio State looked like the best team in the country before this game; the Hoosiers said hold my drink.
Northwestern 22-21 vs Penn State
James Franklin will get fired any second now. This team is spiraling. This team was a shoo-in to be in the College Football Playoff; some even had this team being the favorite to win the Big Ten. James Franklin has lost this team and this fanbase it is over for him.
Nebraska 34-31 vs Maryland
Nebraska just won a game that they usually lose. They must be kicking themselves over the Michigan loss, but this game marked a huge step in the right direction. Nebraska got out to a fast start, and then they were the better team in the 4th quarter. Dylan Raiola was not great, but he was fantastic when he needed to be. He threw for 108 yards in the 4th quarter and threw the game-winning touchdown pass.. Is Nebraska a sleeper in the Big Ten?
Iowa 37-0 vs Wisconsin
Someone needs to put an end to the Luke Fickell era immediately. Homecoming week and the Badgers get embarrassed more than anybody expected. There needs to be a full-on revamp of this football program. The Badgers are now the laughing stock of the Big Ten.
USC 31-13 vs Michigan
USC showed truly how dominant this team can be offensively. If their defense can show up like this maybe the Trojans have a shot against Notre Dame and Oregon. This was the statement victory this Trojans team and Lincoln Riley needed.
Minnesota 27-20 vs Purdue
Koi Perich finally made his big play this season, having a game-winning pick-six. It wasn’t pretty, and the Gophers should have blown out the Boilermakers, but nobody ever regrets a win. The Gophers have a manageable schedule minus Oregon, this could end up being a successful season for the Gophers.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Oregon and Dan Lanning lose, highlighting Big Ten football Week 7
