Midwest Spotlight: Winners and losers of October
Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Clint Cosgrove breaks down notable winners and losers from the month of October in the Midwest and Big Ten.
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RELATED: Mid-South winners and losers from October
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WINNER: Nebraska
We all know that Nebraska had a major rebuild in front of itself when hiring Matt Rhule and while the results on the field haven't always been magical like Husker fans hoped, there are signs of progress including three-straight conference wins to put the team in a three-way tie for first place in the West. The young talent is also beginning to thrive and the Huskers have some momentum heading into the latter part of the season.
October also brought a few new additions to the program with fast-rising Husker legacy Caleb Benning announcing his decision to stay home along with three-star defensive end Jaxon Lee from Texas.
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LOSER: Michigan State
The longer Michigan State goes without a permanent head coach or a publicly detailed plan for finding one, the worse things seem to get for the Spartans on the field and recruiting trail. Michigan State went 0-for-October on the field, suffering losses to Rutgers, Michigan and Minnesota while being outscored 103-36.
While the caliber of commits in the 2024 class is impressive, the Spartans are holding on for dear life on the recruiting trail with only 10 left, and current pledges such as Rivals250 wide receiver Nicholas Marsh are taking visits.
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WINNER: Oklahoma
Despite losing to Kansas on Saturday, the Sooners are likely ahead of schedule in year two of the Brent Venables' era and had a phenomenal month recruiting. Especially on defense.
Four-star athlete Michael Boganowski chose Oklahoma over a final four that also included Kansas, Kansas State and Florida State. Four-star cornerback Devon Jordan announced his pledge the following day. Four-star candidate and Ohio native Reggie Powers decommitted from Michigan State prior to finishing the flip to Oklahoma on Saturday. High three-star international offensive lineman Daniel Akinkunmi was another 2024 addition to the Sooner class in October and Venables also kicked off the 2026 class with a bang when landing four-star running back Jonathan Hatton Jr.
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LOSER: Michigan
I think it goes without saying that the public perception of Michigan football has been tarnished by sign-stealing gate, but I'm almost hesitant to put the Wolverines on here because Jim Harbaugh and staff have done a remarkable job of keeping things together in the face of scrutiny. Michigan is still undefeated, it still has its head coach, it still has a legit Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback in J.J. McCarthy and the impressive 2024 class of commits seem relatively unfazed.
This could all obviously unwind in the coming weeks, but for a school that is listed in the losers column here, I'm actually kind of impressed in a weird way.
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WINNER: Notre Dame
Many considered the Irish program to be in disarray when Notre Dame lost at Louisville to start the month, but the team showed its true colors in the face of doubters with back-to-back statement wins against USC and Pitt. While the dreams of a 2023 national championship are likely gone, this program has shown grit under the leadership of Marcus Freeman and I'm more impressed with the ability to swing momentum back in its favor in the face of adversity than I am disappointed in laying an egg at Louisville. For those keeping track, Louisville is pretty darn good in its own right.
Notre Dame has also done a great job keeping its talented 2024 class that currently ranks No. 7 overall intact and while the Irish didn't add any new 2024 commits in October, it did land a massive recruiting win in four-star 2025 tight end, and Notre Dame legacy, James Flanigan.
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LOSER: Maryland
October has been a month to forget for the Terrapin faithful. Maryland was 5-0 and flying high at the end of September prior to getting dismantled by Ohio State in a game that many picked as a potential upset. Mike Locksley went from a hot name on the coaching front to losing three-straight games, including against Illinois and a Northwestern team that would have been listed here instead.
On the bright side, the Terps did land three-star offensive lineman Trevor Szymanski and the 2024 recruiting class has some quality talent. Locksley's team also has plenty of opportunity to right the ship with games against Penn State, Nebraska, Michigan and Rutgers to close out the season.