It was a chaotic weekend of college football, and that extended to the Big Ten.
The Hawkeyes were idle in week seven, with a big-time week-eight matchup against Minnesota for the coveted Floyd of Rosedale trophy. The conference did a solid job of knocking each other around, and before the second half of the season, we have updated power rankings.
No. 18: Maryland (2-5, 0-4 Big Ten, -1)
Week seven: 37-30 loss vs. Rutgers
Maryland lost the battle of the cellar dwellers in week seven, leading to a slight drop in the ranking. The Terrapins continue to struggle, and could easily go winless in the Big Ten this season. They'll need a drastic turnaround to get out of the cellar for the rest of the season.
Week eight: BYE
No. 17: Rutgers (2-4, 1-2 Big Ten, +1)
Week seven: 37-30 win at Maryland
Rutgers earned its first Big Ten win of the season with an offensive explosion against Maryland. The Scarlet Knights had a balanced offensive attack with 442 total offensive yards and dominated time of possession. Rutgers will try to carry that momentum into a tough road week eight matchup.
Week eight: at Northwestern (Evanston, IL)
No. 16: Michigan State (2-5, 0-4 Big Ten, --)
Week seven: 24-21 loss vs. Northwestern
Michigan State remains winless in the Big Ten in Pat Fitzgerald's first season. The Spartans stayed close against Northwestern after the Wildcats jumped to No. 25 in the rankings, but ultimately fell short. An early fourth-quarter touchdown got them within one score, but Northwestern scored a touchdown and a late FG to seal the win.
Week eight: at No. 9 UCLA (Pasadena, CA)
No. 15: Illinois (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten, --)
Week seven: BYE
Illinois was idle in week seven, but its outlook worsened after the program announced that starting quarterback Katin Houser will miss at least four to six weeks after breaking a bone in his throwing hand. The Fighting Illini squeaked by a winless Michigan State squad in week six, but it will be interesting to see how they respond to Houser's injury.
Week eight: vs. Oregon (Champaign, IL)
No. 14: Penn State (3-4, 0-4 Big Ten, -2)
Week seven: 21-18 loss at Michigan
Penn State continued its freefall with another loss. It has not gone well in Matt Campbell's first season with the Nittany Lions, and they have now lost four straight. Penn State dominated most statisical categories, but three costly turnovers decided the game. The Nittany Lions are reeling, and have a much-needed bye week before a Halloween matchup against Purdue.
Week eight: BYE
No. 13: Purdue (3-4, 2-2 Big Ten, -3)
Week seven: 38-26 loss vs. Washington
After winning two straight Big Ten games, Purdue's streak ended with a disappointing home loss to Washington. Backup quarterback Elijah Brown earned his second straight start and torched the Boilermakers' defense. Brown threw for 302 yards and three touchdowns, and his three interceptions didn't come back to bite them. Luckily for the Boilermakers, they have a bye week before a Halloween matchup against Penn State.
Week eight: BYE
No. 12: Washington (4-3, 1-3 Big Ten)
Week seven: 38-26 win at Purdue
Washington had another Friday game, but came out on top this time. The Huskies traveled to West Lafayette to face Purdue, and despite allowing 273 passing yards, backup quarterback Elijah Brown was solid again. Brown took over for starter Demond Williams in the second quarter of Washington's loss to Iowa in week six, and he had another stellar outing. He threw for 302 yards and three touchdowns, guiding Washington to its first Big Ten win.
Week eight: BYE
No. 11: Minnesota (4-2, 2-2 Big Ten, +2)
Week seven: BYE
Minnesota got a rare bye week boost after movement below them. The Golden Gophers suffered a disappointing week-six loss, and it doesn't get easier with Iowa coming to town in week eight. The Hawkeyes are rolling right now, and Minnesota struggles mightily against the run. This game has all the makings of another Iowa blowout, and Minnesota will have to play much better to bring Floyd back to Minneapolis.
Week eight: vs. No. 15 Iowa (Minneapolis, MN)
No. 10: Michigan (4-2, 1-2 Big Ten, +1)
Week seven: 21-18 win vs. Penn State
The sky isn't completely falling in Ann Arbor, but Bryce Underwood's days might be numbered. The Wolverines knocked off Penn State at home thanks to their defense forcing three turnovers. Tommy Carr got his first start of the season before giving way to Underwood, who finished 5/11 for 43 yards and two interceptions. Penn State is a solid team despite its record, and any Big Ten win is a good win.
Week eight: vs. No. 6 Indiana
No. 9 Nebraska (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten, -3)
Week seven: 17-14 loss vs. Nebraska
After a heartbreaking week-six loss to Indiana, Nebraska didn't show up in a road loss to Oregon. The Ducks were sliding after a horrible week-six performance against UCLA, but played slightly cleaner football and went 3/3 on fourth down to knock off the Cornhuskers. To add insult to injury, former Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola came off the bench and threw a critical touchdown.
Week eight: BYE
No. 8: Oregon (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten, +1)
Week seven: 17-14 win vs. Nebraska
It wasn't pretty, but Oregon got it done at home against Nebraska. It was a defensive struggle, with three total turnovers, but the Ducks were just slightly better than the Cornhuskers. Dylan Raiola got his revenge!
Week eight: at Illinois (Champaign, IL)
No. 7: USC (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten, +1)
USC had a bye in week seven, and now takes their high-powered offense on the road in week eight. Quarterback Jayden Maiava has posted Heisman-level numbers this season, throwing for 2,045 yards and 18 touchdowns through seven games. The big question has been their defense, but they shouldn't struggle against Wisconsin, which only mustered seven points against UCLA in week seven.
No. 6: Wisconsin (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten, -1)
Week seven: 17-7 loss at UCLA
UCLA torched Wisconsin's secondary, a rare sight for the Bruins this season. Backup Ty Dieffenbach threw for 264 yards in his first start of the season as the Bruins squeaked by Wisconsin at home. UCLA remains a perfect 6-0 in Big Ten play, while Wisconsin drops to 2-1 after two straight wins.
Week eight: vs. No. 16 USC (Maddison, WI)
No. 5: Northwestern (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten, +2)
Week seven: 24-21 win at Michigan State
Northwestern remains one of the conference's biggest surprises, picking up another win. The Wildcats jumped to No. 25 in the AP Top 25 after week six, and celebrated by knocking off Michigan State on the road. In Pat Fitzgerald's first game against his former team, Northwestern used a stellar ground game to hold off the Spartans on the road. The Wildcats return home for a soft landing in week eight before hitting the road in week nine.
Week eight: vs. Rutgers (Evanston, IL)
No. 4: Iowa (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten, --)
Week seven: BYE
Iowa got a week-seven bye after knocking off Washington in Seattle, earning their second Big Ten win of the season. Quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski played well in relief of starter Hank Brown, and his solid performance earned him another start in week eight. The Hawkeyes have a golden opportunity to continue their stellar running attack against Minnesota in week eight, one of the worst teams against the run.
Week eight: at Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN)
No. 3: UCLA (6-0, 4-0 Big Ten, --)
Week seven: 17-7 win vs. Wisconsin
UCLA used a stellar defensive performance to stiffle Wisconsin's offense and remain perfect this season. Backup quarterback Ty Dieffenbach played well, throwing for 264 yards, and although running game struggled, the Bruins did just enough to earn the victory.
Week eight: vs. Michigan State
No. 2: Indiana (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten, -1)
Week seven: 19-15 loss vs. Ohio State
In one of the weekend's best games, Indiana hosted Ohio State, and it didn't disappoint. Indiana somehow held Jeremiah Smith to a pedestrian 68 receiving yards, but it wasn't enough. The Hoosiers got a chance on fourth down with Nick Marsh wide open in the end zone, but the pass led him out of bounds and was ruled incomplete, and Indiana lost a heartbreaker. Their 22-game winning streak is officially over, but they are still thoroughly in the mix for the College Football Playoff.
Next game: at Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)
No. 1: Ohio State (6-1, 4-0 Big Ten, +1)
Week seven: 19-15 win at Indiana
Ohio State continues its winning ways with a massive road victory over Indiana, but its offense took a major hit. Starting quarterback Julian Sayin suffered an injury and has been ruled out for the foreseeable future. Sayin and Jeremiah Smith formed one of the most lethal duos in college football, and it will be interesting to see how the offense responds moving forward. Ohio State proved they are the real deal and will be in the hunt for another National Championship at the end of the season.
Week eight: BYE
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