The Big Ten benefitted a ton in national perception from chaos in the SEC.
The script has officially flipped. After the SEC had four teams in the top five of the Week 6 AP Poll, Big Ten teams now hold three of the top four spots in Week 7. Outside of the top three teams, upsets elsewhere in the conference have completely shaken up the middle of these power rankings.
1. No. 2 Ohio State
Last Ranking: 1
Result: Defeated Iowa 35-7
Next Game: at No. 3 Oregon
Ohio State did exactly what it were supposed to do this weekend against Iowa. The Buckeyes have averaged 5.1 yards per carry or better in every game this season, and on Saturday, 40 carries for 203 yards and a touchdown was more than enough offense from the ground game to defeat an Iowa team that does not have a ton of offense. Will Howard threw an interception for the third consecutive game, but was efficient (21-for-25) outside of that one mistake. The Buckeyes now shift their attention to flying across the country for a blockbuster matchup with No. 3 Oregon.
2. No. 3 Oregon
Last Ranking: 3
Result: Defeated Michigan State 31-10
Next Game: vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Oregon continued to show signs of improvement, jumping out to a 31-0 lead over the Spartans before Michigan State was able to get on the board in garbage time. If Dillon Gabriel did not throw two red zone interceptions, this game would have looked even more lopsided than the final score indicated. The current difference between Oregon and No. 4 Penn State is almost negligible, but a weekend matchup against No. 2 Ohio State will give the Ducks the opportunity to cement themselves either as the top team in the conference, or just another high-level team chasing down one of college football’s perennial juggernauts.
3. No. 4 Penn State
Last Ranking: 2
Result: Defeated UCLA 27-11
Next Game: at USC
Penn State was able to take care of business this weekend despite averaging just 2.8 yards per carry. UCLA’s run defense has been effective this season (ranking 25th-best in the country heading into Week 7), but the Nittany Lions adjusted to their opponent’s strength by relying on their vaunted defense and veteran quarterback Drew Allar, who has done an excellent job taking care of the football this season. Allar will have to be sharp again this weekend, as he heads to the west coast to take on USC in what will be Penn State’s first true test of the season.
4. No. 18 Indiana
Last Ranking: 6
Result: Defeated Northwestern 41-24
Next Game: Bye week
Indiana got off to a slow start against Northwestern, with a turnover-on-downs and a three-and-out on their first two possessions. But the Hoosiers’ incredible offense woke up after that, scoring on every drive for the rest of the game until they lined up in victory formation on their final possession. Kurtis Rourke was a masterful conductor of the Indiana orchestra on Saturday, as he threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns, and seven different Hoosiers had 20+ receiving yards. In all three games against Big Ten opponents, Indiana has scored at least 41 points, and they will look to resume their hot start after a bye week.
5. No. 23 Illinois
Last Ranking: 7
Result: Bye week
Next Game: vs. Purdue
Illinois was the only ranked team in the Big Ten to have the week off in Week 6. But considering how some of the top teams in the conference played, the Illini might be very happy that they avoided playing during one of the most upset-filled weeks in recent memory. Illinois moves on to take on the worst team in the conference (and maybe in all of Power 4 football) at home this week, as the Illini will be looking to make a statement against Purdue.
6. Washington
Last Ranking: 11
Result: Defeated No. 10 Michigan 27-17
Next Game: at Iowa
Washington had an iffy start to the season, taking one-score losses against Washington State and Rutgers in their first five games. The Huskies lost a ton of production from their national runner-up roster last season, and entered a national championship rematch with then-No. 10 Michigan desperately needing a victory. Washington exploited a banged-up Michigan secondary, as Will Rogers completed three different passes for 36+ yards, and helped the Huskies’ offense gain more than 300 yards through the air. Washington will now move on to play on the road against an Iowa team that will be seeking a bounce-back victory.
7. No. 24 Michigan
Last Ranking: 4
Result: Lost to Washington 27-17
Next Game: Bye week
For the second time this season, Michigan made a quarterback change. This time, after Alex Orji was at the helm for three straight drives that resulted in punts, Michigan trailed 14-0 and turned to veteran (and former Indiana quarterback) Jack Tuttle. Tuttle led the Wolverines to three straight scoring drives, including a touchdown on the first drive of the second half which gave Michigan a 17-14 lead early in the third quarter. Unfortunately, Michigan’s next four drives went punt, punt, fumble, interception, allowing Washington to retake the lead and close out the game. The Wolverines will now have a bye week to sort out who will lead the reigning national champions in their quest (which is now on life support) to repeat.
8. Nebraska
Last Ranking: 8
Result: Defeated Rutgers 14-7
Next Game: Bye week
Nebraska took care of a Big Ten West-esque battle this weekend, defeating Rutgers 14-7. ‘Huskers quarterback Dylan Raiola finished the game with a sub-50% completion rate, but the Nebraska defense made up for the lack of offense. In total (including sacks), Rutgers was limited to 2.4 yards per carry on the ground, with star Kyle Monangai failing to reach 80 yards. Nebraska sits at 5-1 (2-1 B1G) right now, but on the other end of a bye week, the ‘Huskers will face their toughest tests of the entire season: No. 18 Indiana and No. 2 Ohio State. Nebraska faltered against the only ranked team it has played this season when it lost to then-No. 24 Illinois at home, and will likely need to win at least one of these two games to be considered for an at-large CFP bid.
9. USC
Last Ranking: 5
Result: Lost to Minnesota 24-17
Next Game: vs. No. 4 Penn State
It looked like USC was going to cruise into its matchup with No. 4 Penn State with only one blemish on its résumé (a road loss to Michigan), as the Trojans led Minnesota 17-10 after the third quarter. After the defense had held up strong for the first three quarters, USC gave up two straight touchdowns to the Golden Gophers, allowing Minnesota to take a 24-17 lead with 56 seconds left in the game. While the defense was crumbling, Trojan quarterback Miller Moss exacerbated the problem by throwing two interceptions in Minnesota territory, including a game-sealing pick on a throw into the end zone. USC will have to re-group ASAP with a make or break matchup with the Nittany Lions looming.
10. Iowa
Last Ranking: 9
Result: lost to No. 3 Ohio State 7-35
Next Game: vs. Washington
Iowa held its ground against Ohio State for about as long as you could expect any team to. At the half, the Buckeyes only held a 7-0 lead, but the Hawkeyes just never got into a flow against a tough Ohio State defense. Iowa played extremely well defensively in the first half, but the Hawkeyes did eventually run out of steam. Next week, Iowa will take on a Washington team with a ton of momentum after beating then-No. 10 Michigan, with the hopes of a bounce-back week.
11. Minnesota
Last Ranking: 15
Result: Defeated No. 11 USC 24-17
Next Game: at UCLA
Minnesota pulled off the shocker of the week in the conference by defeating then-No. 11 USC. The Golden Gophers started to build momentum with a strong second half against Michigan last week, and continued the trend of becoming a comeback-oriented team by scoring 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to claim a ranked victory over the Trojans. With a 2-3 start to the season, the win against USC was a season-changer for the Golden Gophers. Minnesota now moves on to a winnable game on the road against a struggling UCLA team.
12. Rutgers
Last Ranking: 10
Result: Lost to Nebraska 14-7
Next Game: vs. Wisconsin
The Rutgers defense continues to show up every week, keeping a pedestrian Scarlet Knights offense in every game. While the formula of playing defense and running the ball with elite running back Monangai is likely a successful combination at home against the middle-of-the-pack teams in the Big Ten, it failed this weekend in a close matchup on the road. Luckily for Rutgers, No. 23 Illinois is the only ranked team left on the docket for the season, and with a 4-1 record and a firm identity in place, the Scarlet Knights have a good chance to finish the season strong.
13. Wisconsin
Last Ranking: 13
Result: Defeated Purdue 52-6
Next Game: at Rutgers
The Wisconsin offense was humming this weekend and would’ve gained some decent ground in these power rankings if other teams around this range hadn’t pulled out even more impressive victories of their own. Braedyn Locke threw for 359 yards and three touchdowns, and Tawee Walker added three touchdowns of his own on the ground in a game that was never in question. Now, the Badgers look to continue that trend of strong offense, but they will be dealing with an incredibly tough Rutgers team on the road.
14. Michigan State
Last Ranking: 12
Result: Lost to No. 6 Oregon 31-10
Next Game: Bye week
Michigan State did not score until the 8:27 mark in the fourth quarter against Oregon. The tough part for the Spartans is that they are in the middle of a daunting part of their schedule that became even more challenging than fans expected coming into the season, and it just doesn’t seem like Michigan State has the quality to even stay close in most of its games. The Spartans have played or will play either a ranked opponent or road game in all but one game (after the bye against Iowa) until their final two games of the season (home tilts with Purdue and Rutgers). Michigan State’s best chance for a win soon is right after the bye week against Iowa, but even that will be a tough challenge.
15. Maryland
Last Ranking: 14
Result: Bye Week
Next Game: vs. Northwestern
Maryland got an opportunity to rest up this past weekend after dropping a game to Indiana despite forcing four Hoosier turnovers. Maryland will now turn its attention to a Northwestern team that showed some signs of improvement, especially offensively, against then-No. 23 Indiana, but the ‘Cats are still a beatable team. No matter what, the winning team in the clash between the Terrapins and Wildcats will come out of that game with their first Big Ten win of the season.
16. Northwestern
Last Ranking: 16
Result: Lost to No. 23 Indiana 41-24
Next Game: at Maryland
The ‘Cats finally showed some signs of life on offense. Unfortunately for ‘Cats fans, in what was likely Northwestern’s best offensive game of the season, the defense had the tough assignment of playing opposite the third-best (and best in the conference) scoring offense in the country. However, if Northwestern can continue to execute on offense as well as it did on Saturday against a formidable defense, the ‘Cats should be in position to pull a few upsets before the end of the season.
17. UCLA
Last Ranking: 17
Result: Lost to No. 7 Penn State 27-11
Next Game: vs. Minnesota
UCLA has struggled in every phase of the game this season. The one strength of the Bruins — their 25th-ranked rushing defense — is, in theory, a great fit for succeeding in the Big Ten, but UCLA’s passing defense is bad enough (the 10th-worst passing defense by yards per game) that it gives opportunities to teams that typically rely on the ground game to air it out. Pair the weak passing defense with an offense that hasn’t scored more than 17 points in a game all season (it’s the 4th-worst scoring offense in the nation), and you have a formula for a lot of losses and not a lot of hope — at least until basketball season.
18. Purdue
Last Ranking: 18
Result: Lost to Wisconsin 52-6
Next Game: vs. Iowa
Outside of Purdue’s 49-point output against FCS opponent Indiana State, the Boilermakers have averaged 11 points per game, which, in turn, means that Purdue would have the worst scoring offense in the nation if it weren’t for a game against an FCS team to boost its stats. To make matters worse for Purdue (because why not?), the Boilermakers play four ranked opponents in their next five games — and in case you were wondering, yes, they do play No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Oregon and No. 4 Penn State in that stretch. Looking on the bright side for Purdue fans, by the time the Boilermakers are done with that ridiculous stretch of games, the games against Ohio State and Oregon are after the start of basketball season.