Predicting Big Ten football scores in Week 6: UCLA looks for statement win over Oregon
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Week 6 of the college football season has arrived, and as usual, there are some Big Ten games to keep an eye on. It will begin on Friday night when Iowa travels to the West Coast to take on Washington. The Huskies have dropped two games and would love to win over the No. 20 Hawkeyes.
There is another big matchup brewing for 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday between No. 21 UCLA vs. No. 13 Oregon. It doesn’t sound like Dante Moore will suit up for the Ducks, but Oregon will look to add another ranked win to its resume.
Here’s how every Big Ten game could play out this weekend.
MORE: College Football Big Ten power rankings entering Week 6
No. 7 Indiana vs. Nebraska
Indiana is doing what most people thought it would do. The Hoosiers don’t have a blemish on the 2026 season, and quarterback Josh Hoover appears to have exorcised his interception woes that haunted him during his TCU years.
Meanwhile, Nebraska is doing more than people thought. Despite losing quarterback Dylan Raiola to Oregon, the Huskers are 5-0 and have the No. 3 rushing attack of all Big Ten teams this season. Transfer Antony Colandrea is a good dual-threat quarterback, and freshman Jamal Rule has led the Nebraska rushing attack with 333 yards, despite being banged up.
This game is in Lincoln and Nebraska will have to run the ball to win. But IU has the No. 1 rushing defense in the Big Ten, allowing fewer than 65 yards per game on the ground. This will be the first game Nebraska falls.
Final score: Indiana 31, Nebraska 20
No. 21 UCLA vs. No. 13 Oregon
Bob Chesney has really turned UCLA around in a hurry. The Bruins are one of the pleasant surprises in college football, and he has UCLA 4-0 with a major game this weekend. James Madison transfer Wayne Knight is second in the Big Ten, averaging over 111 yards on the ground.
UCLA might have some good news. Quarterback Dante Moore isn’t likely to play this weekend, which sets up backup Raiola to start. While facing the backup is a good thing, Raiola is no typical backup. He started the last two seasons at Nebraska, and came in against USC and played well.
The Ducks are loaded with playmakers, and all Raiola has to do is run the offense. The Bruins are a feel-good story, but Oregon has turned a corner and will be tough to beat in Eugene.
Final score: Oregon 38, UCLA 27
No. 19 USC vs. Penn State
Both of these teams are at a crossroads, but for different reasons. USC is supposed to be a College Football Playoff team in 2026, but a typical loss to Oregon has the Trojans on the brink. Another loss could push USC out of contention.
As for Penn State, it had the most favorable schedule in the Big Ten, and head coach Matt Campbell had an outside chance to contend for a Big Ten title in Year 1. However, PSU has dropped the last two games against Wisconsin and Northwestern to move to 3-2 on the season. A .500 start is staring right at Penn State.
When you look at these wo teams, there is a path for either to win, but USC is playing like the better team, and we’ve yet to see Penn State bounce back under its new staff. White Out or not, the Trojans get a big win.
Final score:USC 30, Penn State 28
The rest of the games will be quick-hitter style:
- Washington 20, No. 20 Iowa 17
- Northwestern 38, Ball State 7
- Illinois 27, Michigan State 20
- No. 5 Ohio State 41, Maryland 10
- Minnesota 24, Purdue 17
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