Week 10 has arrived in the incredible world of college football. Nothing changed at the top from last week, but there is change in the top 4 here. Oregon cruised over Illinois, Penn State rolled in Madison, and Indiana continued its winning ways with backup QB Tayven Jackson over Washington. Here comes the big hairy but - But a week after being throttled by Indiana 56-7 Nebraska went to Columbus and led the Buckeyes in the 4th quarter. That's a good enough comparison for me to move the one-loss Bucks. They get their chance this week to make up for it, but until then OSU gets relegated.
I am moving Indiana up to the #3 spot because of their incredibly consistent play in their 8-0 start this season. Indiana will face a stiff challenge on the road in front of 80,000 in East Lansing, but the Hoosiers need some tuff wins on their CFP resume. Ohio State gets a shot at redemption of sorts as the #4 Buckeyes will play #3 Penn State in Happy Valley. An Ohio State loss pushes the dagger in a little deeper for Ryan Day's team that has a multi-million-dollar payroll. It would also leave Buckeye fans howling. A Penn State loss would potentially add another 11-1 fly to the Big Ten's CFP ointment.
#1 Oregon (AP #1) 8-0 (5-0) Thumped Illinois early and cruised in the 2nd half for a 38-9 win over what was/is considered one of the B1G's better "middle-of-the-pack teams. The Ducks travel across the country to play in the "Big House" in what should be a challenge only by noise standards this week as the reigning national champs have a solid D-line, but so-so offense and a QB who doesn't throw the ball much. This week: -15.5 at Michigan
#2 Penn State (AP #3) 7-0 (4-0) The Nittany Lions are undefeated and an underdog at home in Happy Valley? Their opponent did not look that sharp last week playing at home. This game comes down to PSU's defense vs Ohio State's speedy offense. This week: +3.5 vs Ohio State
#3 (AP#13) Indiana 8-0 (5-0) Is flying higher than ever in the pantheon of college football. The Hoosiers are likely to make an improbable appearance in the first iteration of the 12-team College Football Playoffs. The big question is who is who trots out as QB1 Saturday? Indiana is a non-traditional power and needs Kurtis Rourke back asap to keep impressing the people who still cannot believe what Curt Cignetti is accomplishing in Bloomington. This week: -7.5 at Michigan State.
#4 Ohio State (AP #4) 6-1 (3-1) I was not impressed with the job Ohio State did at home vs Nebraska. The Buckeye offense was stymied by a defense that surrendered 56 points just 1 week prior and OSU might be playing a better defense on Saturday? This week: -3.5 at Penn State
#5 Iowa 5-3 (3-2) Has split their last 4 games. needing one more win to secure bowl eligibility. It's a rivalry game with their neighbors to the North. Run game vs pass. Iowa City is a tough place to play. This week: -3.5 vs Wisconsin
#6 Illinois (AP #20) 6-2 (3-2) The Illini have secured their place in the bowl picture, now they want to add to their resume. The Illini offense looked comatose in Eugene last week. They will face another throwing offense this week, but in the comfy confines of home. This week: +2.5 vs Minnesota
#7 Minnesota 5-3 (3-2) Has been up and down, but are on a roll, winners of 3 straight. The Gophers offense can produce and then sputter. Going on the road is tough. This week: -2.5 at Illinois
#8 Michigan 5-3 (3-2) Has split their last 4 games, but did a rivalry win over Sparty last week provide some spark for another big-game performance in the "Big House?" Not so fast my friend. The most prolific offense the Wolverines have seen to date rolls in. This week: +15.5 vs Oregon
#9 Nebraska 5-3 (2-3) Sure surprised a lot of us last week with their rebound after Indiana's 56-7 drubbing the previous week. The Cornhuskers showed grit and fight (and maybe exposed OSU?) in a road loss. This should be the week bowl eligibility is locked down in Lincoln. This week: -6.5 vs UCLA
#10 Wisconsin 5-3 (3-2) Battled last week but were just over-matched by a better team. This could be a very entertaining game, with very different styles. Winning in Iowa City is tough. This week: +3.5 at Iowa
#11 Michigan State 4-4 (2-3) Is probably a better team than most give them credit for. This will also be a tougher game than many IU fans expect. How much tougher? well, that definitely depends on which QB they face. If it's Rourke they have a lot less of a chance. If it's Jackson, this game might get interesting with the 80,000-seat environment. This week: +7.5 vs Indiana
#12 USC 4-4 (2-4) Has to travel, but the Trojans get to stay on the West coast this week. Lincoln Riley's team had lost 3 straight until winning at home last week over Rutgers. I think the noise of the Puget sound will be too much. This week: -2.5 at Washington
#13 Washington 4-4 (2-3) Returns from Bloomington the same way every other team has this season, with a loss. The Huskies are still hunting for 6 wins and having the Puget Sound behind them might be just the elixir. This week: +2.5 vs USC
#14 Maryland 4-4 (1-4) Has lost 3 of their last 4 and with #1 Oregon and #3 Penn State still on the schedule to play, the Terp's bowl hopes are on life support. This week: Bye
#15 Northwestern 3-5 (1-4) There are two things at stake in this game. No one wants to be the conference team that loses to Purdue. This might be Purdue's last shot at a B1G win because the Boilers finish with OSU, PSU, @ MSU and @ IU. This week: -2.5 at Purdue
#16 Rutgers 4-4 (1-4) Has now lost 4 consecutive conference games. Will the Scarlet Knights make it 5 in a row? Maybe, but it will not be this week. This week: Bye
#17 UCLA 2-5 (1-4) Has definitely improved over the course of the season, just not nearly enough. Going to Lincoln after what we saw from Matt Rhule's team in Columbus probably will not help the Bruins cause. This week: +6.5 at Nebraska
#18 Purdue 1-6 (0-4) Is officially awful and trending downward, if that is even possible. This is probably the last opportunity for Ryan Walters' squad to get a conference win this season. The road ahead looks very daunting for the Boilermakers. This week: +2.5 vs Northwestern
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