Ranking and Grading Every Big Ten Football Team in Week 4

Week 4 of the College Football season saw the Big Ten win a pair of in-state rivalry games against former Pac-12 foes, big conference road wins from Iowa, Michigan, and Maryland, and a blowout by Indiana in the only B1G-ranked vs.- ranked game of the weekend. 

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INDIANA HOOSIERS | GRADE: A+

Week 4 Result: Indiana 63, Illinois 10 | Postgame Win Expectancy: 100%

Was Illinois really any good? Just kidding, Hoosiers fans! I hope y’all are still partying in Bloomington. The offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage, Fernando Mendoza (21 of 23!, 5 TDs, 0 INTs) was sharp with his decision-making and passing, and IU’s pass catchers toyed with the Illini in the open field. Defensively, Indiana smothered Illinois with seven sacks. If not for a busted coverage, the Illini would have never found the end zone.

OREGON DUCKS | GRADE: A-

Week 4 Result: Oregon 41, Oregon State 7 | Postgame Win Expectancy: 100%

After a slow start, for Oregon (didn’t score on two of their first three dives), the Ducks scored the game’s final 34 points. They outgained the Beavers 585 yards to 147. In the second half, the defense forced five three-and-outs and a fumble in six possessions, allowing only 43 yards on 20 plays. Wow. Dante Moore connected on four TD passes to four different receivers. They’re ready to be tested in Happy Valley this week.

USC TROJANS | GRADE: B+

Week 4 Result: USC 45, Michigan State 31 | Postgame Win Expectancy: 97.2%

With speed and playmakers at every position, I’m not sure who is slowing this offense down. Jayden Maiava was nearly perfect, and he will surprise with how quickly he can move. In nine possessions, they were not forced to punt once, but did lose the ball on downs once and had a turnover, which speaks to their tendency to get a little sloppy. Giving the defense a bit of a pass as 21 points came after a running into the kicker penalty, a fumble on USC’s first play of a drive, and, in garbage time, a 75-yard TD with 18 seconds left.

WASHINGTON HUSKIES | GRADE: B+

Week 4 Result: Washington 59, Washington State 24 | Postgame Win Expectancy: 99.8%

The offense deserves an A+. They had nine offensive possessions, which resulted in seven touchdowns, one field goal, and one kneel-down. It’s hard to do much better. Demond Williams Jr. accounted for five touchdowns (four passing), averaged 15.7 yards per pass (!), and 6.8 yards per rush as he led them with 88 yards on the ground. The pass defense showed vulnerability and struggled to get off the field without a turnover, as they did not force a punt until Wazzu’s final two offensive possessions.

MICHIGAN WOLVERINES | GRADE: B+

Week 4 Result: Michigan 30, Nebraska 27 | Postgame Win Expectancy: 72.1%

Justice Haynes (149 yards), Jordan Marshall (80 yards), and Bryce Underwood (61 yards) all rushed for over 60 yards, averaged more than 7.5 yards per carry, and had scoring scampers of at least 37 yards. The defense shut down Nebraska’s running game and recorded an impressive seven sacks. Boneheaded decisions (Biff Poggi gets an F for game management) and penalties helped keep the Huskers in the game. Also, the receivers need to help their QB more.

MARYLAND TERRAPINS | GRADE: B-

Week 4 Result: Maryland 27, Wisconsin 10 | Postgame Win Expectancy: 99.8%

This team has athletes! A pair of seniors who waited their turns had big games as Octavian Smith Jr. went for 113 yards on six catches and Shaleak Knotts turned three receptions into 80 yards and two touchdowns. Having speed at the receiver position is nothing new for the Terps, so what stood out even more was their athleticism in the front seven. They like to blitz and get into the backfield in a hurry. It was far from perfect, as Maryland had a negative EPA.

IOWA HAWKEYES | GRADE: B-

Week 4 Result: Iowa 38, Rutgers 28 | Postgame Win Expectancy: 94.3%

Iowa wins the game because of their offense?!? More specifically, their quarterback! Mark Gronowski didn’t put up gaudy numbers, but was 12 of 18 passing and averaged 10.3 yards per pass to go with 55 yards and three touchdowns rushing. It was his best game of the season and the best game from an Iowa signal caller in years. Special teams were also huge (KR TD and blocked FG). They’re cornerbacks, on the other hand, deserve an F for their performance in coverage.

RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS | GRADE: C-

Week 4 Result: Iowa 38, Rutgers 28 | Postgame Win Expectancy: 5.7%

This is not your typical Greg Schiano-led Rutgers team. The trio of Ian Strong (8-151), KJ Duff (7-92), and DT Sheffield (3-51) averaged 16.3 yards per catch and accounted for nearly 300 yards. They put forth an ‘A’ effort. The problem was…everything else. The defense barely puts up any resistance; they can’t run the ball effectively, and the special teams failed them.

MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS | GRADE: D+

Week 4 Result: USC 45, Michigan State 31 | Postgame Win Expectancy: 98.9%

The game wasn’t as close as the final score might indicate. Even when they cut the margin to seven, you never felt MSU was going to win this game. I will give them credit for fighting through injuries (including a very scary one late in the first half) and taking advantage of opportunities, such as a special teams penalty and a fumble (and for creating the fumble), which allowed MSU to have the equivalent of three possessions while USC ran one play. Some of the numbers are deceiving; take out a 75-yard TD pass with 18 seconds remaining, and Aidan Chiles’s YPA goes from 10.1 to 6.85. Chiles also got roughed up on the play. Was it worth it?

NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS | GRADE: D+

Week 4 Result: Michigan 30, Nebraska 27 | Postgame Win Expectancy: 27.9%

Matt Rhule kept bringing up how his team fought. They did. And they lost. Yet again, against a ranked team, as an underdog, and in a close game. They got a few breaks to go their way (including a Hail Mary before the half that they shouldn’t even have had the opportunity to try), and it still didn’t matter because the Huskers lost the battle on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. The offensive line couldn’t protect Dylan Raiola, who holds the ball too long, and the defense allowed 8.7 yards per carry!

PURDUE BOILERMAKERS | GRADE: D+

Week 4 Result: Notre Dame 56, Purdue 30 | Postgame Win Expectancy: 0%

The offense did some good things, enough to keep up with Notre Dame somewhat for a half (35-23), but first downs weren’t easy to come by in the second half. There was little positive to take from the defensive performance. They gave up seven touchdowns, didn’t force a single punt, allowed 254 rushing yards, and 14.1 yards per pass (18.6 YPA by Notre Dame’s starting QB).

ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI | GRADE: F

Week 4 Result: Indiana 63, Illinois 10 | Postgame Win Expectancy: 0%

Was Illinois really any good? This time I’m serious. They played this game like blocking and tackling were optional. The offensive line couldn’t keep Luke Altmyer upright (seven sacks allowed) or open holes for their running backs, who had no carries longer than six yards on 11 rushes. They were overwhelmed in the trenches. This applies to the entire defense. The defensive line was pushed around, and their second and third level couldn’t keep up with the Hoosiers. The Illini gave up touchdowns on seven straight possessions, a streak that was only stopped because the game ended.

WISCONSIN BADGERS | GRADE: F

Week 4 Result: Maryland 27, Wisconsin 10 | Postgame Win Expectancy: 0.2%

That was gross. Considering the opponent and the fact that they were at home, it was as gross as last week’s loss at Alabama. For the second straight week, the offense didn’t find the end zone until garbage time when the game was already out of reach. They stink. We’re a third of the way through the season, and they still can’t get the running game going. Danny O’Neil averaged just 5.5 yards per pass. Not good enough.

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