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The Power Four => Big Ten => Topic started by: medinabuckeye1 on September 18, 2025, 02:47:53 PM

Title: Week 4 Top-25 at a glance
Post by: medinabuckeye1 on September 18, 2025, 02:47:53 PM
When the SoC thread gets created please feel free to merge this into it:

Week 4 Top-25 at a glance:



Seven of the top-25 are off this week including the top-2 and three of the top-5.  Miami (vs UF) and Illinois (at IU) are the only top-10 teams with an opportunity to prove much of anything this week.  The rest are either off (tOSU, PSU, UGA, aTm) or might as well be off because they are either playing FCS o favored by more than 34 points (LSU, Ore, FSU, Tx).  
Title: Re: Week 4 Top-25 at a glance
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on September 18, 2025, 03:41:17 PM
Indiana-Illinois is bigger than Nebraska-Michigan
Title: Re: Week 4 Top-25 at a glance
Post by: FearlessF on September 18, 2025, 04:04:17 PM
:85:
Title: Re: Week 4 Top-25 at a glance
Post by: FearlessF on September 18, 2025, 04:19:01 PM
Quote from: Brutus Buckeye on September 18, 2025, 03:41:17 PM
Indiana-Illinois is bigger than Nebraska-Michigan
(https://i.imgur.com/HVsUpXY.png)
Title: Re: Week 4 Top-25 at a glance
Post by: medinabuckeye1 on September 18, 2025, 04:43:11 PM
Quote from: Brutus Buckeye on September 18, 2025, 03:41:17 PM
Indiana-Illinois is bigger than Nebraska-Michigan
I'm not sure that this is as laughable as @FearlessF (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=10) thinks but it is definitely up in the air. 

In theory #9 Illinois at #19 Indiana is a HUGE game but this early in the season, who knows. 

I think Michigan/Nebraska is arguably bigger mostly because Michigan's schedule is extremely easy.  Of the B1G's currently ranked teams the Wolverines:
Other than this game and the visit to SoCal, the Wolverines visit MSU, NU, and UMD.  They host UW, UDub, PU, and tOSU.  If they win this, 7-2 should probably be seen as their floor (losses at USC and vs tOSU).  That might get them into the CG mix and upsetting either USC or tOSU to go 8-1 would almost certainly get them in.  That makes this game a big deal. 

On the other side of the ledger, Nebraska has a pretty lightweight B1G schedule as well.  Of the B1G's currently ranked teams the Cornhuskers:

It is a similar story for the children of the corn.  If they win this weekend they'll probably be favored in every remaining game except PSU.  That makes 7-2/10-2 or 8-1/11-1 into very realistic possibilities. 

I do think that IL/IU is a huge game.  Both of them have CFP potential but I think they have more remaining decent tests.  Illinois still hosts #25 USC and #1 tOSU and has a West Coast road trip to Seattle.  Indiana still has to travel to both Eugene and State College for two road games against top-10 teams. 

Where I think IU/IL is important is that the winner gets some relief while the loser probably needs a big upset.  Indiana isn't getting into the CFP at 6-3/9-3 with losses to the only ranked teams they played so if they don't beat Illinois at home they'll have to find a way to upset either #6 Oregon in Autzen or #2 Penn State in Happy Valley.  Good luck with that. 

Similarly, I think that Illinois has zero chance at 6-3/9-3 with losses to the only ranked teams that they played.  They might not even get in at 7-2/10-2 with losses to IU and tOSU and a home win over USC so if they lose this they absolutely have to beat USC and they might need to spring an upset on the Buckeyes in a few weeks. 

FWIW:
Illinois' last five wins over Ohio State came in Columbus (2007, 2001, 1999, 1994, 1992) so they haven't beaten the Buckeyes in Champaign in over 30 years (1991).