Big Ten Landscape After Week 7 and What It Means for Michigan Football

After a two-game skid, the Michigan Wolverines finally got back in the win column during Week 7. That outcome came after some major developments for the team, which benched starting quarterback Bryce Underwood at halftime in favor of freshman Tommy Carr. After the switch, the Michigan offense produced two touchdowns over its first three drives of the second half, adding a third score late in the contest to effectively put the game out of reach.

At least officially, it remains uncertain whether the Wolverines will stick with Carr moving forward or give Underwood another shot. Head coach Kyle Whittingham praised the freshman signal-caller but stopped short of committing to him for next week.

Michigan's ambiguity under center represents just one of the QB situations worth monitoring in the Big Ten after Week 7. With that in mind, let's dive into the games within the conference that had a significant development from the Wolverines' perspective.

Ohio State 19, Indiana 15

On a Saturday stacked with crazy moments, the matchup between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Indiana Hoosiers arguably featured the wildest ending. Facing fourth-and-4 with just over a minute left in regulation, Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover found a wide-open Nick Marsh for what seemed like the go-ahead touchdown. However, Marsh failed to get either of his feet in bounds, resulting in a turnover on downs that ended the contest.

As a result of the loss, Indiana snapped a 22-game win streak that stretched back to the 2025 season opener.

What matters for Michigan: Ohio State narrowly avoided a road upset, but it came at a significant cost. Quarterback Julian Sayin, one of the top quarterbacks in the nation, suffered an arm injury during the fourth quarter that head coach Ryan Day said would keep the signal-caller sidelined for "several weeks." Freshman Luke Fahey replaced Sayin on Saturday, and he'll presumably get the nod in two week as well.

Sayin has just over a month to recover before Ohio State's regular-season finale against Michigan. However, that doesn't necessarily mean he will return by that matchup -- Day didn't give a precise timetable -- and he might need some time to shake off the rust once he does receive clearance to play. At least until Sayin's timeline becomes clearer, this situation bears monitoring.

UCLA 17, Wisconsin 7

Saturday's matchup of the Wisconsin Badgers and UCLA Bruins, unsurprisingly, centered on the defenses. UCLA forced three punts in its opening three defensive series, while Wisconsin intercepted a pass to end the first half and on the opening drive of the third quarter.

The contest remained close until the fourth quarter. The Bruins leaned on Anthony Woods extensively, with the running back capping off their third-to-last possession with a 3-yard touchdown to go up 17-7.

The Badgers never threatened again. Their final two drives accounted for 10 plays and 29 total yards.

What matters for Michigan: Though the Bruins have delivered an exciting first season so far under new head coach Bob Chesney, they entered the week with uncertainty at quarterback. Nico Iamaleava suffered a season-ending knee injury last week, and it remained entirely unclear whether backup Ty Dieffenbach could adequately fill his shoes. One start doesn't provide proof of concept, but Dieffenbach did enough to keep UCLA's offense on the tracks.

With the Wolverines scheduled to host the Bruins in just over a month, Dieffenbach's performance carries significant weight. Nobody expects him to deliver highlight moments like his predecessor, but if he can threaten defenses enough to keep them from keying on the run, running backs Wayne Knight and the aforementioned Woods can continue to punish opponents.

Oregon 17, Nebraska 14

In an often-ugly game that kicked off after 10 p.m. CT, the Oregon Ducks produced just six points through the first three quarters. The Nebraska Cornhuskers fared only a little better, managing an eight-point lead over that same stretch. The dam finally broke in the final quarter, with Oregon producing two scoring drives while making no major mistakes on defense. The door finally closed on Nebraska when wide receiver Nyziah Hunter failed to get out of bounds, killing the remainder of the game clock in the process.

What matters for Michigan: The Ducks, who come to Ann Arbor on Nov. 14, do not appear to have any cohesion on offense without Dante Moore under center. Dylan Raiola committed three turnovers as the replacement starter a week ago. On Saturday, Brock Thomas arguably played worse, accounting for just 54 yards through the air and -3 yards on the ground before Raiola replaced him at the start of the fourth quarter.

Due to the nature of Moore's situation -- he suffered a severe concussion against the USC Trojans two weeks ago -- Oregon doesn't know when he'll suit up again. Whether he returns by the Michigan game will materially affect that matchup as much as any player currently in limbo.

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