LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lincoln Riley affirmed his love for the University of Southern California and his confidence in his program’s direction while praising his relationship with athletic director Jen Cohen as he prepares the Trojans to face No. 2 Ohio State on with their College Football Playoff hopes in big trouble. Riley acknowledged he understands why questions are being asked about his future after USC’s embarrassing 24-7 loss at Wisconsin last weekend in the worst offensive output ever from a Riley-led team. The Trojans are unranked two-thirds of the way the fifth season of Riley’s tenure, in which he has yet to earn a conference title or a Playoff berth.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says running back Kamari Moulton will miss the rest of the season with an upper-body injury. The Big Ten’s second-leading rusher left last week’s loss at Minnesota in the second quarter and did not return. Moulton was averaging 90 yards per game with four touchdowns in his fourth season with the Hawkeyes. He ran for a career-high 208 yards and two TDs in a 41-24 win at Washington on Oct. 9. Xavier Williams will start in Moulton’s place when the Hawkeyes host No. 25 Wisconsin on Saturday.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The backup quarterback spot has become crucial in the Big Ten this season. Half of the conference's 18 teams might start their second-string QBs this weekend. That includes Ohio State and UCLA, both dealing with injuries. Michigan and Rutgers could also see a backup battle on Saturday. Ohio State coach Ryan Day says the transfer portal and NIL make it hard to keep a solid QB room. Ohio State will choose between Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair for their game against Southern California. UCLA's Ty Dieffenbach is expected to start for the rest of the season.
UNDATED (AP) — Indiana coach Curt Cignetti says he expects quarterback Josh Hoover to start and deliver a stronger performance when the fourth-ranked Hoosiers host Minnesota on Saturday. Hoover played through a right arm injury last weekend at Michigan. The former TCU star was just 8 of 18 for 81 yards with no touchdowns and threw his first interception of the season against the Wolverines. Hoover scored the winning touchdown on a 4-yard run in overtime to give Indiana a 13-6 win, the program’s first win in Ann Arbor since 1967 and the first two-game winning streak in the series since 1958-59.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Luke Drzewiecki has been with Minnesota for two months. He will be gone from the program in just a few more. He's made the most of an unexpected experience that was sparked by a court ruling and began in earnest with a FaceTime call with Gophers coach P.J. Fleck during training camp. Drzewiecki became eligible for a final season after joining a lawsuit against the NCAA. His first four years were at New Mexico. Drzewiecki made a 46-yard field goal as time expired to lift Minnesota over rival Iowa and was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin is back in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2023 after producing arguably the best victory of coach Luke Fickell’s four-year tenure. A look at Wisconsin’s remaining schedule after its 24-7 victory over then-No. 16 Southern California indicates the 25th-ranked Badgers might have a shot to at least match their combined win total from the last two seasons. The Badgers go on the road Saturday to face an Iowa team that has beaten them each of the last four years by a combined 118-26 margin.
UNDATED (AP) — Ten small four-year colleges and universities started or restarted football programs this season. The National Football Foundation says that's the most in a single year since 2013. Seven schools have announced plans to start programs in 2027 or later. Administrators say adding football is a way to increase lagging enrollment and create a more vibrant campus life. A 2024 University of Georgia study found schools that add football generally haven't had sustained enrollment growth compared to non-football schools. Researcher Welch Suggs says adding football is a last-ditch effort to keep a school's doors open.
UNDATED (AP) — Three unbeaten teams remain in the Football Bowl Subdivision. That's the fewest at this point in a season in 49 years. A lot of teams will be in desperation mode from here on out in the race for College Football Playoff spots. Revenue sharing, NIL money and the ease of transferring have caused talent to be more widely distributed and narrowed the competitive gap on the field. This season is on the way to being the most chaotic since the Year of the Upset in 2007.
