Week 5 - B1G Games and Big Games

My Goodness! Is it October already? College football (CFB): the longest offseason and the shortest season. This season is the longest in the history of CFB, ending on January 25, 2027, in, of all places, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Sin City - A place where college athletic postseason contests were once verboten.

AP Poll rankings. All times Pacific.

Oregon began the season ranked 2nd. Played poorly against a G6 opponent and had an inexcusable loss at Oklahoma State. But wait a minute!

That G6 opponent, Boise State, is ranked 22nd.

The inexcusable loss? Hold your horses, Cowboy; Oklahoma State is ranked 19th. And the Ducks just went on the road and defeated No. 18 USC.

Oregon is the only Power 4 team that played three top-25 teams in September. Based on this resume and not just the Eye Candy Test, Oregon's No. 15 ranking is too low.

I'm not out on a limb here; Massey Ratings has Oregon at No. 11, and SP+ ranks Oregon 9th.

Even with a second loss, Oregon's remaining schedule will allow the Ducks should receive a CFB Playoff invitation, and Oregon is not out of the running to win the Big Ten championship and capture the B1G's automatic bid.

Off this week, No. 19 Oklahoma State. October 10th versus UCF.

4:30 PM CBSSN - Another strength-of-schedule buddy, the No. 22 Boise State Broncos, host Utah State. Keep on Bucking!

Sending out an SOS: Apologies. But before SC pulls the plug on this dud, I'm not cheering for the Missing Linc to win another game.

FRIDAY, October 2, 2026 -

5 PM Fox - No. 28 - 3-1 Penn State -2.5 at 2-1 Northwestern - The opening game at the renovated Ryan Field will be played 100 years to the date the original stadium opened on October 2, 1926.

Argue over conference superiority all you like, but no conference has the Big Ten's traditions.

SATURDAY, October 3, 2026 -

9 AM Fox - No. 31 - 3-1 Michigan -5.5 at 2-2 Minnesota - The Little Brown Jug game.

Speaking of traditions, the Little Brown Jug trophy game is the oldest rivalry game in CFB's Football Bowl Subdivision.

The first game between the two programs was played pre Big Ten Conference, in Minneapolis in 1892, with Minnesota winning 14 to 6.

In 1903, Michigan coach Fielding Yost brought a five-gallon water jug to the game played on Northrup Field in Minneapolis. The coach was not happy about the water provided on the sidelines in previous games.

The game ended in a 6-6 tie. Golden Gophers fans rushed the field, and the jug was left on the sidelines. Minnesota staff members found the jug and painted it brown instead of blue, with a block M in gold replacing the golden Michigan block M.

In 1909, the programs agreed that the jug would be a traveling trophy, with the winning team painting the jug in its colors. In Minneapolis in 1909, Michigan won the game 15-6.

Some of us Forum greybeards' parents danced to Glenn Miller's hit song, Little Brown Jug, recorded in April of 1939 and released as a 78 RPM single. (Don't ask about 78 RPM and Duck the waving cane!)

Michigan has dominated the series 74-23-2. It's been 12 years since Minnesota last won, and the Gophers have two wins in the last 40 years.

Perhaps last Saturday's win at Washington, Minnesota's first conference road win in two years, will inspire it against a Michigan team coming off a last-second improbable home loss to Iowa? (Karma for Western Michigan?)

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12:30 PM CBS - No. 5 - 3-1 Ohio State -14.5 at 4-0 No. 14 Iowa.

College Gameday will be in Iowa Citee for the first time in 20 seasons, with the same Hawkeyes head coach, Kirk Ferentz, on the sidelines.

Ferentz, with 221 wins, 209 at Iowa, broke out in tears after Iowa's last second victory in Ann Arbor. Will he defeat the Big Ten's two B1Ggest brands back-to-back?

The last time Iowa defeated the Buckeyes was in 2017, 55-24 in Kinnick Stadium.

After this game, the rest of Iowa's conference schedule is 'manageable'. Win, or at least keep the game close, and Iowa is in the running for a playoff bid.

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4:30 PM - NBC - No. 18 - 3-1 USC -8.5 vs. 3-1 Washington

Something's got to give. The SC defense ranks 115th in Yards per Play surrendered. The Washington offense ranks 84th in Points Per Game.

It's a good thing for SC and the Missing Linc that UW is not ranked. After the loss to Oregon😍, Riley is 5-15 against top-25 opponents.

Compared to preseason expectations, Jedd Fisch's Washington team is one of CFB's B1Ggest disappointments. 😁

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5:00 PM Big Ten Network (BTN) - No. 6 - 4-0 Indiana -24.5 at 1-3 Rutgers

The Hoosiers 2026 Charmin-Soft schedule continues with a trip to New Jersey.

However, Scarlet Knight's WR KJ Duff is second in the B1G with 550 receiving yards and is tied with Jeremiah Smith (617 receiving yards) with seven touchdowns. And RB Antwan Raymond is second in the conference with 438 rushing yards.

And 4-0 UMass doesn't stink!

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9:30 AM BTN - Michigan State at No. 26 Wisconsin

Badgers QB Colton Joseph is from Newport Beach, CA, and played his high school football at Newport Harbor High School.

1 PM FS1 - Maryland at No. 33 Nebraska

1 PM BTN - Purdue at Illinois

Illinois QB Katin Houser is from Long Beach, CA, and played his high school football at Don Bosco Prep.

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Big Games -

9 AM ESPN - No. 3 4-0 Notre Dame -21 at 2-1 UNC

The Hoosiers are not the only team from Indiana with a joke of a schedule. Notre Dame is 3-0 vs. the B1G with wins against Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Purdue. 😧

9 AM ABC - No. 7 4-0 Alabama -4.5 at No. 16 4-0 Mississippi State

The Tide rolls into Cowbell Hell for a battle between two of CFB's top 1st-year QBs. Last Saturday at home against Mizzou, Bulldogs fans set the record for simultaneous cowbell ringing. 🤪 (There's a record for this? 🤔)

12:30 PM ABC - No. 8 4-0 Florida -5 at No. 25 Missouri

Mizzou is 1-9 in its last ten games vs. ranked opponents and continues to be ranked only because losses just mean less.

In its last 19 games, BS - Before Sumrall, Florida is 0-19 on the road against ranked opponents.

4:30 PM ABC - No. 4 4-0 Miami -17 at 3-1 Clemson

Can Dabo still do? The D is willing, but that O-no?

The Wake Forest D woke up in the second half and did put up a fight against Mario and the Hurricanes. But holding down the Toney Award-winning WR and his QB buddy purloined from Duke?

Whether Blue or Red, it's a Devil of a task to ask.

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Enjoy a stressless Week 5. Prepare for the game on 10/10 - 12:30 CBS - No. 15 Oregon - 12.5 vs. No. 23 UCLA - OBD's 4th-ranked opponent in five games. (I did send out a preseason warning - 😇)