By: Joe Cumberland (@punterjoe)
Big10 Coming Down To Wire
It seems that nobody in the Big10 is ready to call it a season. We enter the final week of regular season play with 3 teams still alive for the conference championship. Those 3 teams will represent the conference with the automatic playoff spots. Thanks to a crazy Week 7, however, the other 3 programs find themselves in the playoff hunt as well.
Surely you read Ryan Moreland’s Big10 playoff article and have a general idea of how things could shake out. To sum it up, Week 8 in the Big10 is a slobberknocker for all involved. Let’s jump in and see how Week 7 got us where we are.
Penn State Hands Michigan First Big10 Loss
The Week 7 matchup featuring Penn State travelling to Ann Arbor to do battle with Michigan was our Game of the Week pick on this blog last week. Conference record-wise, the teams were opposites. Michigan entered at a perfect 3-0 and was looking to lock up an automatic playoff spot, perhaps even clinch the Big10 title. Penn State entered at 0-3 and needed a win to keep any hopes of an automatic bid in play. A win would give the Nittany Lions 4 on the season, and no team has missed the playoffs with 4 wins. To say each team had a lot on the line would have been an understatement.
The eighth meeting between the two schools was an important one for both parties. Michigan came into the contest with a 5-2 overall edge. Penn State would use a stellar showing from their defense to slow freshman phenom Michael Amber and the rest of his Wolverine offense. The 24-12 victory ended an 8-game Big10 losing streak for the Nittany Lions and improved their record to 4-3 on the season. With the loss, Michigan drops to 4-3 as well.
While the Penn State defense rose to the task, the Nittany Lions’ offense used a balanced approach to do what it needed to secure victory. Overcoming 4 turnovers is never easy, but freshman quarterback Colter Thomas found a way to pull through. The CFSL leader in rushing touchdowns found paydirt twice more as he rushed for 79 yards on 18 attempts. Through the air, the freshman connected on 14 of his 19 passes for 191 yards. He had one touchdown against the 3 interceptions thrown. Sophomore star halfback Richard Williams III came up just short of 100 yards as he gained 96 on 14 carries. DJ Mayo was on the receiving end of the Thomas touchdown pass and caught 3 total passes for 57 yards. The Nittany Lions scored on every redzone attempt in the game on the way to 378 total yards.
Several Penn State defenders stepped up and had big games, but it was Barry Graves who heard his name called the most. The linebacker posted 13 tackles, with two being for a loss. Tyler Lee and Oscar Kellogg had multiple stops as well. Safety Lenny Hines recorded 7 tackles and had an interception, while Cletus Jackson also posted 7 stops with a sack. Buck Bolden made the most of his 5 tackles, as 5 went for a loss, and 2 were sacks. The 4 tackles for loss place him all alone at 2nd most in school history.
Week 8 will be just as important for both programs. Michigan hosts rival Ohio State in “The Game”. A win and the Wolverines are your Big10 champs. Penn State doesn’t want to be the first 4-win team to miss the playoffs, so a Week 8 victory over Iowa would certainly get them in with 5 wins on the season.
Oregon Wins, Takes Conference Lead
After a 52-28 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes in Week 7, the Oregon Ducks took over the top spot in the Big10. Not bad for a program that just two seasons ago went 0-8. The victory gave the Ducks a guaranteed spot in the playoffs. Oregon’s highly touted offense exploded for 678 total yards in the contest.
Alexa Earl had another great game as she went 41/55 for 453 yards and 3 touchdown passes. She also scored once on the ground in 19 tries for 61 yards. The reliable backfield workhorse, Ryan Ralosky, carried the rock 14 times for 156 yards and a score. Two-way standouts have become quite common in the CFSL, and Theo Markos is certainly one. The cornerback who moonlights as a wide receiver had 15 catches for 118 yards, one of those catches being a touchdown. Dylan Powell also scored and had 141 yards on just 6 receptions.
Just because he exploded on offense didn’t mean Theo Markos took the night off defensively. To go along with the offensive output, he added 8 tackles- 3 for a loss and one for a sack- he intercepted a pass and deflected 2 others. Linebacker Tyrone Evans also had 8 tackles in the game. Safeties AJ Zackery and Billy Davis both had interceptions to go along with 6 and 5 tackles, respectively.
While the Ducks will enter Week 8 at the top of the standings, they’ll be keeping a close eye on “The Game” and pulling for Ohio State. An Ohio State win, coupled with a Duck victory over USC, would mean the Big10 Championship heads to Eugene. Iowa will end the conference slate with a battle with Penn State. An important contest as both teams hope to be voted into postseason play.
One Point Win Keeps Buckeye Title Hopes Alive
Whether it’s 50 points or just one, a win is a win. Now, point differentials can sometimes come into play, but for the Ohio State Buckeyes, a 30-29 win over USC keeps them in the Big10 Championship hunt. The loss means back to back champion USC now faces an uphill climb to even make the playoffs. Not a situation the Season 21 National Champions are used to being in.
Neither offense came with much firepower in this contest as Ohio State managed just 455 total yards in the win. Jaylen Tyree was 42/53 for 423 yards. He threw 3 touchdowns, but was intercepted twice in addition to being sacked 6 times. Halfback Eden Ballard rushed for a score and 105 yards on 9 carries. Cornerback Jordan Little shined on the offensive side of the ball for the Buckeyes. He had 13 catches for 116 yards and a score.
Defensively, safety Johnny Taylor led the way with 10 tackles, one being for a loss. Vladimir Antkowiak had 8 tackles and a sack. Isaiah Bonilla also had 8 tackles and got in on the sack action with 2 of his own. Mak Griffin secured an interception to aid in the victory.
Ohio State travels to Ann Arbor for “The Game” with Michigan in a contest that could mean a conference championship for the winner. For that to be Ohio State, they’d need USC to win their Week 8 match with Oregon.
Big10 Week 7 Results
Penn State defeats Michigan 24-12
Ohio State defeats USC 30-29
Oregon defeats Iowa 52-28
Big10 Week 8 Schedule
Monday, June 23, 2025
Ohio State @ Michigan (8:30 CST Twitch)
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Iowa @ Penn State (6:00 CST Twitch)
Thursday, June 26, 2025
USC @ Oregon (6:30 CST Twitch)
Big10 Game of the Week
Honestly, all three games could be picked. Each has major playoff implications, and three teams are still alive for a conference title. One game, “The Game”, features two of those teams. It’s our Big10 Game of the Week. That’s right, Monday night, when Ohio State makes the trek to Ann Arbor, it could be for a Big10 championship. Michigan wins the conference with a victory. Ohio State would still need a favor from USC should they win on Monday, but that top spot is achievable for the Buckeyes. With so much on the line, this will be for more than bragging rights this season. Tune in and see how it all plays out.
