In addition to Michigan beating Michigan State on Saturday, Indiana and Penn State continue to rise in this week’s Big Ten Power Rankings:
The Indiana Hoosiers kept on winning, the Michigan Wolverines sent Sparty back to East Lansing with many ‘little bro’ comments and Penn State passed its biggest test of the season.
As it stands at the start of Week 10, four Big Ten football teams would make the 12-team College Football Playoff. With a few top-heavy teams, and many that are fighting at the bottom for last place, the 18-team Big Ten Conference has gone through a lot in its first season altogether.
It feels as if every week there is a lot of movement in this week’s Power Rankings, and this week is no different.
18. Purdue Boilermakers
(1-6, 0-4 Big Ten) — Last Week: 18
Purdue was off this past weekend, so it had ample time to prepare for Northwestern. If the Boilermakers want to have any success this season, they must beat the Wildcats. After this matchup, Purdue still has Ohio State , Penn State, Michigan State and Indiana on the schedule.
17. Northwestern Wildcats
(3-5, 1-4 Big Ten) — Last Week: 17
Northwestern fell to Iowa, 40-14, on Saturday in what was a tight first half turning into a blowout in the third quarter. The Wildcats gave up 28 unanswered points to the Hawkeyes, and quarterback Jack Lausch accumulated just 62 passing yards and threw two interceptions. Northwestern was able to prevent Iowa’s air attack, but it got torched on the ground for 203 rushing yards allowed. It will be a battle for last place on Saturday at Purdue.
16. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
(4-4, 1-4 Big Ten) — Last Week: 16
Rutgers’ skid continues as the Scarlet Knights dropped their fourth straight conference game, losing to USC, 42-20. Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis was actually very productive through the air, throwing for 313 yards and a touchdown, and receiver Dymere Miller hauled in 11 catches for 131 yards, but Rutgers’ defense could not stop Miller Moss and co., giving up 14 points in each of the first three quarters. The Knights get a bye week to rest and recover.
15. UCLA Bruins (2-5, 1-4 Big Ten) — Last Week: 15
UCLA comes off the bye week preparing for Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Bruins will try to respond after their big win over Rutgers the week before.
14. Maryland Terrapins
(4-4, 1-4 Big Ten) — Last Week: 13
The Terps fell to Minnesota at home on Saturday, largely due to quarterback mishaps that put the game out of reach. Quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. struggled, throwing two first-quarter interceptions, and Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer looked like a Heisman candidate, throwing for four touchdowns on the Maryland defense. The one positive was that backup quarterback MJ Morris gave the Terps some life in the second half, throwing for 122 yards and two touchdowns while completing 7-of-8 passes. We will see what coach Mike Locksley decides to do after the bye week.
13. Washington Huskies
(4-4, 2-3 Big Ten) — Last Week: 9
The Huskies were competitive for four quarters, but ultimately fell to the scorching-hot Indiana Hoosiers, 31-17, in Seattle. Quarterback Will Rogers put up 202 yards but threw two interceptions, and Washington was inefficient on third and fourth down, converting just 3-for-11 on third down opportunities, and 1-for-3 on fourth. The Huskies may have played Indiana the best out of the Big Ten teams, but it’s back to the drawing board for Jedd Fisch as he prepares for USC.
12. USC Trojans (4-4, 2-4 Big Ten) — Last Week: 14
The Trojans offense finally put it together as USC picked up its second Big Ten win of the season after a three-game losing streak. Quarterback Miller Moss threw for 308 yards and scored three total touchdowns, running back Woody Marks had three rushing touchdowns and receiver Makai Lemon had 134 yards and a touchdown on just four catches. USC now takes a trip to Washington to face the Huskies.
11. Minnesota Golden Gophers
(5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) — Last Week: 12
After the Gophers’ loss to Michigan, PJ Fleck ignited something into his team because Minnesota has now won three straight conference games and is one win away from a bowl game. Quarterback Max Brosmer was lights-out against Maryland, ending with 320 yards and four touchdown passes while completing 26-of-33 passes. Receivers Daniel Jackson and Elijah Spencer had big games, combining for 216 yards and four touchdowns on 15 receptions. Minnesota will try to keep the hot streak alive at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.
10. Iowa Hawkeyes
(5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) — Last Week: 11
Iowa kept the game close with Northwestern throughout the first half, leading 12-7 at halftime. However, the Hawkeyes put up a 28-spot in the third quarter to blow the gates wide open in Evanston. Kaleb Johnson rushed for 109 yards and three touchdowns on just 14 carries, and receiver Kaden Wetjen had the play of the game when he ran an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown. The Iowa defense also showed up, holding Wildcats’ quarterback Jack Lausch to just 62 passing yards and forced two interceptions. With one rivalry done, the Hawkeyes host Wisconsin in a night game this weekend.
9. Nebraska Cornhuskers
(5-3, 2-3 Big Ten) — Last Week: 7
Every Michigan fan was on the edge of their seats watching Nebraska take Ohio State to the wire, even owning a 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter. Ultimately, the Buckeyes were able to seal the game with a fourth-quarter interception off Huskers quarterback Dylan Raiola, but it was a strong bounce back after Nebraska got pummeled by Indiana the week before. Holding Ohio State to 21 points is no joke and defensive lineman Jimari Butler was a large reason for that, finishing with three tackles for loss. The Cornhuskers can become bowl-eligible against UCLA on Saturday.
8. Michigan State Spartans (4-4, 2-3 Big Ten) — Last Week: 8
Michigan State had three or more opportunities to steal a road win in Ann Arbor on Saturday night, but a missed field goal on the opening drive and a fumble on the final possession before half was not going to work in a hostile environment. The Spartans fell to the Wolverines, 24-17, in a thriller under the lights. Quarterback Aidan Chiles did a good job of protecting the football, completing 72 percent of his throws for 189 yards and a touchdown, but penalties and field position contributed to the close loss. MSU will shift its focus to one of the hottest teams in the country, Indiana.
7. Michigan Wolverines (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) — Last Week: 10
There are two sides to every story, and while it wasn’t pretty, the Wolverines pulled out a massive victory for the home crowd. Michigan made its third quarterback change of the season, electing to go with Davis Warren, who started the season, and controlled the ball efficiently, and let his playmakers do the rest. Backup quarterback Alex Orji led the team in rushing, and tight end Colston Loveland is cementing himself as a first-round pick. With all of the chaos that ensued, Michigan didn’t make any mental mistakes, finishing the game with no penalties and no turnovers, going back to the disciplined football we saw under Jim Harbaugh.
6. Wisconsin Badgers
(5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) — Last Week: 6
The Badgers looked like they could knock off Penn State for the first time this season, but a pick-six in the third quarter as they led, 10-7, killed all of Wisconsin’s momentum. The Badgers fell, 28-13, but it was a tough battle until the end. They will get a chance to bounce back this weekend against Iowa on the road.
5. Illinois Fighting Illini
(6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) — Last Week: 5
Illinois tried competing with the top dawgs in the conference, but it appears the Illini sit firmly in the second tier. Illinois struggled with Oregon from start to finish, losing 38-9. Quarterback Luke Altmyer didn’t have a good game, throwing two interceptions, and Illinois got demolished in the yards category, giving up 527 total yards to the Ducks while putting up just 293 themselves. The Illini will host Minnesota in an interesting matchup at home this week.
4. Indiana Hoosiers (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) — Last Week: 4
The Hoosiers are on Cloud Nine and head coach Curt Cignetti is running away with the Coach of the Year Award. Indiana is 8-0 on the season and in pole position to make the Big Ten Championship Game and potentially make the first-ever 12-team playoff. The Hoosiers were without starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke, but that didn’t matter. Between a pick-six for the first touchdown and 123 rushing yards on 29 carries from running back Justice Ellison, Indiana cruised to a 31-17 victory over Washington.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) — Last Week: 2
The Buckeyes are starting to crack once again, escaping narrowly against Nebraska on the road. Ohio State won, 21-17, but totaled just 64 yards on 31 carries on the ground, and the Buckeyes picked up just one third down conversion out of 10 attempts. OSU secured a game-winning interception with under two minutes remaining, but it needed everything to go their way at the end to defeat the Cornhuskers. Now, the Buckeyes will face an even tougher opponent, going to Beaver Stadium to take on undefeated Penn State.
2. Penn State Nittany Lions
(7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) — Last Week: 3
The Nittany Lions pulled off a gritty win in Madison this weekend, beating Wisconsin with a backup quarterback. With Drew Allar injured, backup quarterback Beau Pribula stepped in and completed 11-of-13 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 28 yards. Running back Kaytron Allen also helped out, taking 11 carries for 86 yards and a score, and Jaylen Reed’s pick-six in the third quarter completely shifted the momentum toward Penn State. We will see if Allar can go next week against Ohio State, but undefeated through seven games is a massive accomplishment.
1. Oregon Ducks
(8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) — Last Week: 1
The Oregon Ducks are dominating everyone they are playing right now. In a ranked matchup with Illinois, Oregon exposed the Illini offense’s weaknesses while piling on yards on their defense. The Ducks totaled 527 yards on offense while holding Illinois to just 293 yards and forcing two turnovers. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel threw for three touchdowns once again, wide receiver Tez Johnson surpassed 100 yards and defensive back Tysheem Johnson finished with 10 tackles and an interception. The moment we have all been waiting for is finally upon us, as Oregon travels to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan.