Wild Finishes and Shutouts: Football's Back in Business

Big Ten football delivered blowouts, shutouts, and intense late-game survivals in its return over opening weekend. From highlight-reel plays to suffocating defenses, Week 1 set the stage for the rest of the 2026 football season. 

Oregon Defeats Boise State in Autzen Thriller 

While the Ducks admitted there were lessons to be learned from week one, No. 2 Oregon secured one of the weekend's most exciting victories, surviving a fierce 34-27 battle against Mountain West Champion Boise State to open the season in front of a rocking Autzen Stadium crowd. Led by quarterback Dante Moore’s 378 passing yards and three touchdowns — including  the 62-yard winner  to Dakorien Moore — the Ducks offense outscored Boise State 20-10 in the second half to take control. 

Three Oregon targets had over 70 receiving yards. Jeremiah McClellan and Moore had 150 and 93, respectively, with a score apiece, while Evan Stewart tallied a game-high eight receptions in his first game back after missing all of last season.  Read Oregon’s full recap . 

Four for Four: Newcomers Sweep Opening Weekend 

New chapters began for four Big Ten programs this weekend, and every single new head coach passed their debut test. All four leaders — Michigan State’s Pat Fitzgerald, Penn State’s Matt Campbell, Michigan’s Kyle Whittingham and UCLA’s Bob Chesney — secured victories to open their tenures at their new schools. 

After Fitzgerald’s Spartans beat Toledo in East Lansing Friday night, Campbell’s Penn State dominated Marshall, defeating the Thundering Herd 45-0 behind Rocco Becht’s 271 passing yards and four touchdowns. Out west, Chesney’s Bruins had six rushing touchdowns in a 45-24 win over Cal. 

The most dramatic of the four wins came in Ann Arbor, where Kyle Whittingham’s first Michigan win was one to remember.  After replay review  put one second back on the clock,  Bryce Underwood threw up a Hail Mary  which was caught by JJ Buchanan as time expired to give the Wolverines a 13-12 win over Western Michigan.  

The Apple Cup 

The Boeing Apple Cup will reside in Seattle after No. 17 Washington defeated long-time rival Washington State 24-10 on Sunday. It took every unit to clinch the victory; Tyler Robles kicked a 48-yard field goal, Demond Williams Jr. threw a touchdown pass and scored with his legs, all while the Husky defense forced three turnovers on the day. The Purple and Gold have now won four of the last five meetings with the Cougars. 

Standing Tall: Contenders Handle Business 

Elsewhere, ranked conference teams picked up right where they left off.  

• Defending national champion and No. 6 Indiana extended its winning streak to 17 games with a dominant 52-16 victory over North Texas in front of a sold-out crowd in Bloomington. Quarterback Josh Hoover shined in his Hoosier debut, throwing for 231 yards and four touchdowns, including a  spectacular one-handed touchdown grab  from Nick Marsh. 
• No. 1 Ohio State kicked off the season with a 56-3 win over Ball State. Quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith put on an absolute clinic in the first half. For the game, Sayin threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns, while Smith brought in eight catches for 151 yards and two scores — highlighted by a  spectacular 48-yard helmet catch . 
• Kirk Ferentz’s 28^th season at Iowa got off to a hot start, with the Hawkeyes’ defense allowing just 120 total yards against NIU at Kinnick Stadium, forcing two turnovers and pitching a 40-point shutout.  

Up next: Week 2 action packed with benchmark battles. We’ll break down all the top matchups in our full preview this Friday — in the meantime, view the complete schedule  here .