Big Ten Week 5 status update: Latest on Ohio State, Indiana, Oregon & sleeper CFP teams
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Big Ten Week 5 status update: Latest on Ohio State, Indiana, Oregon & sleeper CFP teams originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Week 5 of Big Ten football is right around the corner. Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen parity, chaos, dominance, key questions answered, and new stakes attached.
As I did a few weeks back (and will continue to do every week through the postseason), let’s break down the conference team by team, including where each is headed, plus each team's ceiling and floor as September turns to October.
Big Ten Week 5 outlook
Illinois: At 2-2 (0-1 Big Ten), Illinois is at a crossroads. The Illini fell flat in their Big Ten opener to the Ohio State Buckeyes, 42-19, in Columbus. Despite glimpses of success offensively, the defense failed to get off the field when it mattered most as the Illini left nine defenders on the field with the game well out of reach. Not to mention that wide receiver Jeremiah Smith hauled in four touchdowns, accounting for 217 Buckeye receiving yards on a smooth-sailing day offensively.
The fallout from the loss, however, was eye-opening. Defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck was dismissed after only four games following an early Sunday morning meeting that led coach Bret Bielema to make the change.
“Coach Hauck reached out to me early this morning and asked to meet ahead of our planned meeting time," Bielema's statement read. "We met and mutually agreed that a change in leadership was in the best interests of our defense. Coach Hauck and I agreed this is the best path forward for our staff, and most importantly, our student-athletes, at this time. I would like to thank Bobby for his work with our program."
"As with any turnover, we have prepared for this moment and we have a plan to move our program forward.”
At Monday’s local media session in Champaign, Bielema made two things clear: there is a plan in place, which fans, media and donors will have to see for themselves when the Illini welcome the Purdue Boilermakers to Gies Memorial Stadium Saturday (4:15 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network), and there are no plans to bring in an interim defensive coordinator midseason.
Hauck shared his parting thoughts, too.
“I enjoyed being a part of the staff here at Illinois and working alongside Coach Bielema every day,” Hauck said. “I am very appreciative of the opportunity to be here and thankful for all of the hard work from the players, coaches, and staff. I wish Illinois the best of luck.”
Indiana: A 29-23 Hoosiers win last Friday in Bloomington was unsatisfactory by coach Curt Cignetti’s standards, praising the Northwestern Wildcats for a hellacious effort in a tough environment. While the game was seen by over three million people on Fox, the Hoosiers must bounce back quickly ahead of a critical October that could see a top five matchup commence when Indiana (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) hosts the Ohio State Buckeyes (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) in Bloomington Oct. 17.
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Iowa: It isn’t just nastiness upfront that makes the Iowa Hawkeyes (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) a possible College Football Playoff sleeper. It’s the fact they can win in crunch time. A last-second touchdown pass to beat the Michigan Wolverines (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) in Ann Arbor sparked a wild shakeup in this week’s AP Top 25 and led College GameDay to host its weekly show on a Big Ten campus for the first time this season.
It also marks College GameDay’s first trip to Iowa City since 2006, as the Hawkeyes will host the Buckeyes (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS) in a potential measuring stick game for both teams’ College Football Playoff hopes.
Nebraska: Is a potential version of the 2024 Illini brewing in Lincoln? The Cornhuskers have cruised out of the gate with a 4-0 start, including a streak-breaking road win against an upstart Michigan State team in East Lansing last week. Assuming the Cornhuskers can get by Maryland, it’ll set up a massive test a week from Saturday against the Hoosiers in a potential showdown of unbeatens.
Northwestern: Not much more needs to be said than that Friday night marks history. When the Wildcats (2-1, 0-1 Big Ten) take the field at New Ryan Field just after 8 p.m. ET Friday (FOX), it will mark 100 years since the opening of the original Dyche Stadium (later Ryan Field).
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The Wildcats welcome a familiar opponent to Evanston, a perennial Big Ten juggernaut in the Penn State Nittany Lions (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) still attempting to remain in the way-too-early College Football Playoff picture following their home loss last Saturday to the Wisconsin Badgers (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) in Happy Valley, 24-20.
If quarterback Aidan Chiles and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly can pick up where they left off last week, it could make for a celebratory night in Evanston while also capping off a huge week in Chicago sports with the weekend looming.
As of Thursday, the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox are still in the postseason; the Chicago Blackhawks dropped their Tuesday night opener to the Las Vegas Golden Knights, 5-2; and the Chicago Bears improved to 2-1 with a 27-7 “Monday Night Football” win over the Philadelphia Eagles without their star quarterback, Caleb Williams.
The best of the rest:
- Oregon: Will miss quarterback Dante Moore for an extended period but remain one of the Big Ten’s superior teams.
- USC: Lincoln Riley can’t still win the big games, nor can he hold his teams accountable.
- Michigan State: A possible trap game looms against the Wisconsin Badgers this week, but a losing season is staring Pat Fitzgerald right in the face if things don’t change quickly.
- UCLA: It isn’t too early to start thinking about the College Football Playoff, but we’ll find out next Saturday in Eugene if the UCLA Bruins deserve to remain a top-20 team.
- Wisconsin: Luke Fickell has a simple assignment: keep winning, and the hot seat will quietly cool off. Beating Penn State was a good start, as it was the Badgers' first road win in two years.
- Penn State: Too early to panic, but Matt Campbell needs to steer the ship forward as Penn State’s schedule remains favorable.
- Michigan: Hard to tell if it’s good or not. Last week wasn’t encouraging.
- Minnesota: We’ll find out this week if Minnesota’s road win wasn’t a fluke
- Purdue: Try to score points and remain competitive, even if the score doesn’t indicate it.
- Rutgers: A win is a win. The schedule only gets harder from here.
- Maryland: Mike Locksley should be nervous; maybe eight years was too long.
- Washington: Jury is still out. May need to win out to keep CFP hopes alive.
- Ohio State: Beat the Hawkeyes this week, and the Indiana game becomes a can’t-miss.
Big Ten Week 4 final scores
No. 20 Oregon 41, No. 12 USC – Oregon moved up five spots to No. 15, while USC fell six spots to No. 18.
Up next for Oregon: Idle this week
Up next for USC: vs. Washington (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
No. 5 Indiana 29, Northwestern 23 – Hoosiers fell one spot to No. 6 in this week's poll.
Up next for Indiana: @ Rutgers (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, BTN)
Up next for Northwestern: vs. Penn State (Friday, 8 p.m. ET, FOX)
No. 7 Ohio State 42, Illinois 19 – Ohio State moved up two spots to No. 5.
Up next for Ohio State: @ Iowa (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
Up next for Illinois: vs. Purdue (Saturday, 4:15 p.m. ET, BTN)
UCLA 54, Maryland 3 – UCLA entered the AP Poll at No. 23 this week.
Up next for UCLA: Idle
Up next for Maryland: @ Nebraska (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, FS1)
No. 3 Notre Dame 49, Purdue 3.
Up next for Notre Dame: @ North Carolina (Saturday, noon ET, ABC/ESPN)
Up next for Purdue: @ Illinois (Saturday, 4:15 p.m. ET, BTN)
Wisconsin 24, Penn State 20 – Penn State fell out of the AP Poll entirely.
Up next for Wisconsin: vs. Michigan State (Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET, BTN)
Up next for Penn State: @ Northwestern (Friday, 8 p.m. ET, FOX)
No. 17 Iowa 20, No. 16 Michigan 19 – Iowa moved up to No. 16 in this week's poll. Michigan was bumped entirely.
Up next for Iowa: vs. Ohio State (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, Fox)
Up next for Michigan: @ Minnesota (Saturday, noon ET, Fox)
Nebraska 31, Michigan State 13
Up next for Nebraska: vs. Maryland (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, FS1)
Up next for Michigan State: @ Wisconsin (Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET, BTN)
Rutgers 58, Howard 7
Up next for Rutgers: vs. Indiana (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, BTN)
Up next for Howard: vs. Hampton (Saturday, 3 p.m. ET, HBCU GO)
Check back in next week to see how much the conference changed (or didn't). The weekend slate will be here soon.
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