The Big Ten continues to be the conference of defense this college football season. Only one conference game last week saw more than 49 points scored.

The conference also boasts arguably 6 of the top-10 defenses in college football with Ohio State, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, UCLA, and Michigan. You may also have noticed that those teams all currently have just putrid offenses. Half of them are playing with backup quarterbacks.

This is going to be a conference where you can bet the under for the rest of the season.

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Top 10

Illinois’ Katin Houser throws a pass against Michigan State during the first quarter on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at Spartan
Illinois’ Katin Houser throws a pass against Michigan State during the first quarter on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

10. Illinois

Is Illinois back? After the massive upset win over Oregon, the Illini went on the road to beat Maryland this week, and now sit at 5-3. With QB Katin Houser back from injury, the Illini could certainly wreck someone else’s season before all is said and done.

9. Northwestern

Chip Kelly was in his bag against Oregon with his play-calling, but it wasn’t enough to beat the Ducks, as the defense just couldn’t get enough stops in a 34-26 defeat. Aidan Chiles has completely revitalized his career in Evanston. A date with the Buckeyes looms in two weeks, another potential revenge spot for Chip Kelly.

8. Wisconsin

The Badgers laid an egg against Iowa in Week 9. A badger is a mammal, so I mean that metaphorically, not literally. Either way, they played terribly. They lost 30-0 to an Iowa team that has struggled to score against anybody. The offense has to improve as well, and the way that they can do so is by unleashing Colton Joseph and allowing him to play a little more aggressively.

7. Minnesota

The Golden Gophers gave Indiana absolutely all that they could handle in Week 9. They used a long field goal to take the lead, but then gave up a long field goal to end regulation and saw the game go to overtime, where they eventually lost 23-16. This just feels like a perfectly average Big Ten team with a solid QB and above-average defense.

6. Oregon

The Ducks have been a mess this season. Just when you think you can count them out, they upset Northwestern 34-26. With Dante Moore now expected to be out for the season, this now looks like Dylan Raiola’s team. He played well against Northwestern, throwing for 336 yards and 3 TDs.

MORE: Biggest fallers in College Football after Week 9

Top 5

Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz watches his team compete against the Wisconsin Badgers Oct. 31, 2026 during a Big Ten
Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz watches his team compete against the Wisconsin Badgers Oct. 31, 2026 during a Big Ten football game at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

5. Iowa

No team rose more this week than the Iowa Hawkeyes. They came through with a massive 30-0 shutout win over Wisconsin. We know what Iowa is – they’re going to play great defense and special teams, and they’re going to struggle on offense. They’re a tough out for anyone left on their schedule.

4. USC

The Trojans came through with a season-changing win over Ohio State in Week 9. Jayden Maiava was solid, and his freshman receivers are blossoming right in front of our eyes. But it was the defense who keyed the win, bending but not breaking and coming up with key stops in the red zone against the Buckeye offense.

3. UCLA

A weird scheduling quirk for the Bruins was their Week 9 home game against Nevada. Why did they schedule this game? No clue. But they kept the train on the tracks and kept their undefeated season alive.

2. Indiana

I trust this Indiana defense more than any other unit in the Big Ten. They can stop the run, rush the passer, and are solid in coverage. There are no weaknesses, and they’re smothering. But I couldn’t compel myself to move them up to number one because of the unknown status of QB Josh Hoover, who left the Minnesota game early with a reported shoulder injury.

1. Ohio State

The Buckeyes get to remain number one for this week, but they are on thin ice! The first full game without Julian Sayin did not go well for the offense, getting stonewalled multiple times in the red zone by a USC defense that had been pretty bad all season. Tavien St. Clair was a five-star recruit before setting foot on campus, and you have to wonder if he would give the offense a better look than Luke Fahey.

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Source: Yahoo Sports