Big Ten slate features Nebraska-Indiana showdown plus rare Top 25 matchup at Illinois

Things to watch this week in the Big Ten Conference:

Nebraska (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) at No. 16 Indiana (6-0, 3-0), Saturday, noon ET (Fox)

Indiana hasn’t trailed in a game all season on its way to posting its first 6-0 start since its Rose Bowl season of 1967. Nebraska's 5-1 start is its best since 2016, the last season the Cornhuskers made a bowl game. Nebraska's only loss came in overtime against No. 22 Illinois.

Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke has thrown 14 touchdown passes with only two interceptions, and he leads all Football Bowl Subdivision players in passer rating. Indiana will need a potent passing attack to win this one, as Nebraska is the lone FBS team that hasn’t allowed a touchdown run all season.

Both teams had an off week to prepare. Indiana is a 6 ½-point favorite, according to BetMGM.

No. 24 Michigan (4-2, 2-1) at No. 22 Illinois (5-1, 2-1), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS)

Illinois has two AP Top 25 wins in a single season (over Kansas and Nebraska) for the first time since 2007, when the Illini beat three AP ranked teams.

This marks the first time two Top 25 teams have faced off at Illinois’ Memorial Stadium since a 10th-ranked Michigan team beat the 19th-ranked Illini 35-31 on Sept. 23, 2000.

Michigan has won its last six meetings with Illinois, which hasn’t beaten the Wolverines since a 38-13 triumph in 2009. Michigan is a 3-point favorite this time.

Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel was named the Davey O’Brien national quarterback of the week for the second-ranked Ducks after throwing for 341 yards and two touchdowns and also delivering a 27-yard touchdown run in the 32-31 triumph over Ohio State, then ranked third.

Iowa DT Aaron Graves recorded two sacks and forced two fumbles in a 40-16 victory over Washington. His five sacks this season put him in a five-way tie for the Big Ten lead.

Minnesota’s Koi Perich was named the Jim Thorpe Award national defensive back of the week after intercepting two passes in a 21-17 victory at UCLA. Perich, a freshman, has made game-clinching interceptions each of the last two weeks.

Penn State TE Tyler Warren caught 17 passes for 224 yards in a 33-30 overtime victory at Southern California. His 17 receptions tied an FBS single-game record for a tight end. New Mexico’s Emilio Valley did it in 1967 and Northwestern’s Jon Harvey matched the feat in 1982.

This is the first time in school history that Indiana has scored at least 40 points in five straight games. … In his first college start last week, Purdue’s Ryan Browne became the third Boilermakers quarterback in the last 55 years to throw for at least 200 yards and rush for over 100 yards in the same game. … Maryland’s Tai Felton is the first Big Ten player to have at least 55 catches in his team’s first six games since Purdue’s Dorien Bryant had 58 in 2005. … UCLA LB Carson Schwesinger has 41 solo tackles to rank second among all FBS players, behind Buffalo’s Shaun Dolac (47). … Nebraska has a plus-6 turnover margin that puts the Huskers in a tie for 16th among all FBS teams. Last year, Nebraska’s turnover margin of minus-17 ranked second-to-last.

Indiana’s fast start already includes two road wins over UCLA and Northwestern, but Saturday’s home game with Nebraska arguably will be the toughest test the Hoosiers have faced this season. This looks like a down-to-the-wire game that could be decided by a late field goal. The 6 ½-point spread seems a bit large.

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Michigan linebacker Ernest Hausmann (15) celebrates making an interception against Washington with defensive lineman Mason Graham, back, during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Seattle. Washington won 27-17. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Big Ten slate features Nebraska-Indiana showdown plus rare Top 25 matchup at Illinois

Big Ten slate features Nebraska-Indiana showdown plus rare Top 25 matchup at Illinois

Illinois wide receiver Pat Bryant (13) Declan Duley (31) and Devin Hale (53) celebrate with the Purdue cannon after the team's 50-49 overtime win over Purdue in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — A British mountaineer who set the record as the youngest female to climb all the 14 tallest mountains in the world said Thursday that inexperienced climbers should not be allowed to climb the highest peaks because they run the risk of endangering their lives and others.

Adriana Brownlee, 23, climbed Mount Everest at 20 in 2021 and earlier this month climbed Mount Shishapangma in China, completing her endeavor to scale all 14 peaks over 8,000 meters (26,247 feet) high.

She said she has seen numerous climbers who lack training in basic skills and in coping with the unpredictable slopes of the high peaks.

“I have seen many examples of people in the mountains that should not really be there, that should have more training beforehand,” Brownlee told The Associated Press in Kathmandu on Thursday. “We have had to support them and have had to help with like small things like how to put on crampons, how to put on harness.”

She said that mountaineering authorities should ensure that climbers attempting to scale the highest peaks have at least climbed smaller mountains to ensure they can handle the altitude and have the proper skills.

Brownlee flew to Nepal this week alongside other climbers from Tibet including Nima Rinji Sherpa, who is now the youngest person to climb the 14 peaks at age 18.

There are generally no rules besides age restrictions on people who want to climb mountains as long as they are able to pay their permit fees. In Nepal, climbers need to be at least 16 years old.

Brownlee said she was just 8 years old when she began dreaming of becoming a mountaineer like her father, who she said was her main inspiration.

She said she now wants to scale unclimbed peaks in Nepal and explore mountains in other parts of the world.

Brownlee and her partner have opened a mountaineering company in Nepal focusing on helping customers who are skilled and experienced enough to handle the harsh condition of the mountains.

She said she hopes to inspire other young people to pursue their dreams.

“For me the message is that in life ... you can take any path you like to reach your goal,” she said. “That goal might be totally unique to you and it's very important to keep at that and not to listen to rest of society what they have to say.”

Adriana Brownlee, 23, the youngest woman to scale all the 14 highest mountains in the world, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Adriana Brownlee, 23, the youngest woman to scale all the world's 14 highest peaks, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press, in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Adriana Brownlee, 23, the youngest woman to scale all the 14 highest mountains in the world, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Adriana Brownlee, 23, youngest woman to scale all the world's 14 highest peaks, poses for a photograph at the summit of Shishapangma Tibet, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AGA Adventures via AP)

Adriana Brownlee, 23, youngest woman to scale all the world's 14 highest peaks, pose for a photograph at the summit of Shishapangma Tibet, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AGA Adventures via AP)