Saturday Preview - Week 8

Cole Brennan

No. 6 Indiana, six and one, walks into Michigan Stadium at noon Eastern. Michigan is four and two. Last Saturday Ohio State ended Indiana's 22 game winning streak, 19 to 15, after Nick Marsh's potential go ahead touchdown was ruled out of bounds with 1:02 left. Now the Hoosiers are three and one in the Big Ten. Michigan is one and two.

Cole Brennan

This Week in the Big Ten is brought to you by Jellypod AI. Six league games today, across two time zones. Let's go through them.

Cole Brennan

Start with Indiana at Michigan, noon on FOX. Quarterback Josh Hoover threw for 296 yards against Ohio State, but he lost his first fumble of the season. Michigan's question is behind center. Kyle Whittingham benched Bryce Underwood at halftime against Penn State. Tommy Carr came in and ran for the game winning 12 yard touchdown, 21 to 18. Who starts today is the thing to watch.

Cole Brennan

Also at noon, Rutgers at No. 24 Northwestern on Peacock. Northwestern beat Michigan State 24 to 21 on a 34 yard Jackson Kleather field goal with two seconds left. That put the Wildcats in the Top 25 at five and one. Rutgers, two and four, got its first Big Ten win at Maryland. The Scarlet Knights scored 24 straight points after trailing 23 to 13 at the half. Dylan Lonergan threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns.

Cole Brennan

At 3:00 Eastern on Big Ten Network, Oregon at Illinois. Oregon beat Nebraska 17 to 14 on an 82 yard, 20 play fourth quarter drive. Dylan Raiola led it off the bench, against his former team. Dante Moore missed that game in concussion protocol. Illinois is coming off a bye. Starting quarterback Katin Houser broke a hand and is out indefinitely. Michael Clayton finished the 38 to 37 overtime win over Michigan State.

Cole Brennan

Now the cross coast game. Michigan State at No. 9 UCLA, 3:30 Eastern, 12:30 Pacific, on CBS from the Rose Bowl. Spartans out of East Lansing, all the way to Pasadena. UCLA is six and oh, its first such start since 2022, and four and oh in the league. Nico Iamaleava is out indefinitely with a lower leg injury. Backup Ty Dieffenbach was 22 of 33 for 264 yards in a 17 to 7 win over Wisconsin. Wayne Knight anchors the league's leading rushing attack.

Cole Brennan

Michigan State is zero and four in the Big Ten under Pat Fitzgerald. But the last two losses came by a combined four points. Overtime to Illinois, then Northwestern on that last second kick.

Cole Brennan

Also at 3:30, No. 15 Iowa at Minnesota on FS1. This is the Floyd of Rosedale game, the bronze pig. Both teams are two and one in the league and both are off a bye. Iowa won 41 to 24 at Washington. Kamari Moulton ran for 208 yards, and Washington finished with minus 3 rushing yards. Minnesota is looking to bounce back from a 41 to 13 loss to Purdue.

Cole Brennan

Then primetime. No. 16 USC at Wisconsin, 7:30 Eastern, 6:30 in Madison, on NBC. Another cross coast game, this one at Camp Randall. USC beat Penn State 31 to 23 before its bye, with Jayden Maiava throwing for 301 yards and three touchdowns. Wisconsin lost at UCLA, 17 to 7, with 10 penalties for 102 yards. Safety Matt Jung was ejected for targeting in that game. He must sit out the first half tonight.

Cole Brennan

One line on Indianapolis. UCLA and Ohio State are the two unbeaten teams in league play at four and oh. Ohio State is on a bye, so UCLA is the only one that can reach five and oh today. Indiana and USC sit at three and one. Iowa, Minnesota, Northwestern, Oregon and Wisconsin are two and one. Iowa at Minnesota and USC at Wisconsin will cut that group down by tonight.

Cole Brennan

Circle these. Noon, Indiana at Michigan. 3:30, Michigan State at UCLA and Iowa at Minnesota. And 7:30 on NBC, USC at Wisconsin.