Big Ten Landscape After Week 9 and What It Means for Michigan Football

Yet another wild weekend of football altered the makeup of the Big Ten, especially from the Wolverines' perspective.

Southern California offensive lineman Elijah Vaikona (79) leaves the field after his team's defeat of Ohio State at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Oct. 31, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Michigan Wolverines finally broke out of their offensive malaise during Saturday's matchup with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, scoring 28 points against a Power Four opponent for the first time in 2026. Tommy Carr, who made his second career start despite battling the flu, delivered his best game to date, going 22 of 27 for 266 yards and a touchdown as a passer while adding another 54 yards and two scores with his legs. Carr put the contest out of reach for Rutgers via a 3-yard run on third-and-1 during the final minutes of regulation.

While few expected Rutgers to pull off the upset over Michigan, the weekend featured no shortage of wild sequences and outcomes in the Big Ten. Let's dive into the games that had a significant development from Michigan's perspective.

USC 30, Ohio State 18

Just days after reports suggested that Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans had become "an unhealthy marriage" destined for a breakup, they bounced back with a 12-point victory over the No. 2 team in the nation, the Ohio State Buckeyes. While it remains unclear whether Riley salvaged his tenure in Los Angeles -- though he figuratively and literally delivered a statement on that matter -- Ohio State now finds itself in a precarious position with two losses before November.

Goodnight, Los Angeles ✨@uscfb ends the night with a field rush following their ranked win over No. 2 Ohio State ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/WfA6OqZfpg

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 1, 2026

What matters for Michigan: Putting aside any schadenfreude for the Wolverines when their archrival loses in such surprising fashion, Saturday's result sets up incredibly high stakes for all parties in The Game. In terms of qualifying for the College Football Playoff, the Buckeyes probably cannot afford another loss. Meanwhile, Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham can generate plenty of goodwill by ending his first regular season in Ann Arbor with a win over Ohio State. Even more so than usual, narrative will dominate that contest.

Oregon 34, Northwestern 26

The Dylan Raiola roller coaster continues in Eugene. A week after the former five-star recruit averaged just 6 yards per throw and accounted for zero touchdowns, he threw for 336 yards and three scores against one of the nation's top defenses. The Northwestern Wildcats actually controlled the game through the first three quarters and held a multi-possession lead for large stretches. However, the Oregon Ducks effectively put the game on ice via Raiola's 75-yard connection with wideout Dakorien Moore.

Making plays.

🎱 ➡️ 1⃣#GoDucks pic.twitter.com/87vrFLrDYs

— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) October 31, 2026

What matters for Michigan: The Wolverines head to Eugene in two weeks. Will they see the Raiola who couldn't figure out an Illinois defense called by an interim coordinator, or will they see the quarterback who showed he can sling it all over the field against Northwestern? Michigan's defense remains one of the best in the nation even after yielding 21 points to a woeful Rutgers offense, but the unit has yet to face a signal-caller who exhibits as much variance as Raiola thus far in Big Ten play.

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