Several critical quarterback injuries across the conference have thrown a wrench into the 2026 Big 10 season, but three of those teams, the Ducks, Bruins and Buckeyes, managed to win in spite of those setbacks. Here’s where the Big Ten sits with just over a month left in the regular season:

18. Michigan State

Yet again, the Spartans play one good half and fail to convert in the other. This week against Northwestern, Michigan State led at halftime before allowing the Wildcats to come back in the fourth quarter. Simply put, Michigan State needs to play a complete game. There are moments each week where it seems as though the Spartans are about to turn the corner, but until they turn “about to” into “do,” they’ll stay at the bottom of the league.

17. Illinois

The Illini were on bye this week.

16. Maryland

Maryland had a chance in this one. They led 23-13 at halftime. Then, the defense fell apart. KJ Duff is a difficult matchup for any secondary, but the Terrapins had no answer for the Rutgers passing game on Saturday. The offense did enough to keep the game competitive, but they need more out of the defense to hold onto leads and convert winnable games into victories.

15. Penn State

Penn State, simply put, looks soft. The Nittany Lions have no answer for the physical run games of Big Ten opponents, yet again allowing a team to have their best game of the year on the ground. They continue to struggle to create space in the run game. Yes, three turnovers were costly for Penn State and they probably win the game without those mistakes. Without their fundamental issues in the trenches, though, their bout with Michigan wouldn’t have been a game to begin with.

14. Rutgers

Rutgers is in the Big Ten win column. KJ Duff looked like one of the nation’s best receivers once again, while quarterback Dylan Lonergan had his best game of the year against the Terrapins. Rutgers gave up a 16-point second quarter that nearly gave Maryland the win, but credit to the Scarlet Knights for completing the comeback and showing a level of offensive explosiveness that should give fans in New Jersey hope for the future of this program.

13. Michigan

There have been rumblings of a move at quarterback all year, and it finally happened on Saturday. Tommy Carr entered the game in relief of Bryce Underwood, and while Carr wasn’t exceptional, he protected the ball and allowed a dominant Wolverine run game to take over. Saturday was Michigan’s best day on the ground offensively, and that dominance carried them to victory, holding off a late Penn State surge. Only time will tell whether these changes stick or if they’re flashes in the pan (Carr will start Saturday), but the adjustments and improvements were certainly a positive sign for fans in Ann Arbor.

12. Washington

In their second straight Friday night game, the Huskies flipped the result this week with a win over Purdue. Husky quarterback Elijah Brown had a mixed bag of a performance with 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, but 5.5 yards per carry for the Husky running backs and a stout defensive day for Washington lifted them to victory in Seattle. The win stopped Washington’s 3-game tailspin to open Big Ten play, the question is now whether they’ve righted the ship or if this was an isolated surge.

11. Minnesota

The Gophers were on bye this week.

10. Purdue

After two straight wins, the Boilermakers came back down to earth with a loss to Washington in Seattle. The defense had moments of brilliance, forcing 5 turnovers, but the offense struggled to get anything going. With a bye this week, Purdue will have a chance to reset and refocus its offense on what worked the past two weeks ahead of a trip to Happy Valley to take on Penn State.

9. Nebraska

How did Nebraska lose that game? It’s a question Husker fans have been forced to ask more than any other fanbase in America over the years, and they were left asking yet again on Saturday as the Huskers collapsed against Oregon. Anthony Colandrea had his worst game as a Cornhusker. Nebraska had no ground game. The defense had no response to a real Power 4-caliber quarterback entering the game in former Husker Dylan Raiola. Despite all those shortcomings, they were in position to win, but they fell short again. Husker fans are a patient bunch as far as college football fans go, but their patience has worn thin after a decade of deja vu in spite of multiple head coaching changes. Something has to change in Lincoln.

8. Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s offense was a tough watch on Saturday. They simply need more out of starting quarterback Colton Joseph. That said, the Badger defense mucked up the game and held one of the country’s best run games to just 3.2 yards per carry. Play that level of defense against a team not in the top ten, and that’s a recipe that will win Wisconsin plenty of games.

7. Northwestern

A win is a win. Northwestern escaped East Lansing with a win. To get there, though, they needed a Michigan State missed field goal and 11 straight points in the final 8 minutes of the game to avoid overtime. Northwestern has shown that it knows how to win when push comes to shove, but the Wildcats can’t put themselves in that position against the worst team in the league if they want to be among the Big Ten’s best.

6. Oregon

Dan Lanning refusing to play quarterback Dylan Raiola for the first three quarters was a mistake. Fortunately for Lanning, his defense kept the game in range long enough for him to realize his error and allow the Nebraska transfer to enter the game, lead two scoring drives and break the hearts of his former team. The Ducks desperately need Dante Moore to return with ranked matchups against Northwestern and Ohio State on the horizon, but Raiola kept Oregon’s playoff hopes alive with his heroics on Saturday.

5. USC

The Trojans were on bye this week.

4. Iowa

The Hawkeyes were on bye this week.

3. Indiana

Josh Hoover isn’t Fernando Mendoza. No matter what anyone tells you, Mendoza succeeded under Cignetti due to his own talent and storied work ethic. The Hoosiers’ coach isn’t a magician. That said, Indiana’s defense remains elite and their run game has been one of the most efficient in the country. In spite of their inability to capitalize on Ohio State’s complete lack of an offense in the fourth quarter, the Hoosiers remain among the league’s best.

2. UCLA

UCLA is the last undefeated team in the Big Ten. Their defense is elite. Their run game is among the nation’s best. What more is there to say? The Bruins execute at an elite level and defend early leads as well as anyone in the country. Do they have the firepower to keep up with elite offenses? We’ll find out when they take on USC in rivalry week. Until then, UCLA has more than earned the benefit of the doubt and should be 11-0 headed into their bout with their crosstown rival.

1. Ohio State

What will the Buckeyes look like without Julian Sayin? That question looms over Columbus with their star quarterback out for at least the rest of the regular season, but the defense showed an ability to carry this team to victory with its performance on Saturday against Indiana. Jeremiah Smith will remain the best player in college football no matter who is throwing passes to him, and he’ll provide a good floor for the offense regardless of what the Buckeyes get in terms of quarterback play. The bye couldn’t come at a better time for Ohio State, as they’ll have this week to install a new quarterback ahead of their two biggest challenges left against USC and Oregon.