The Week 10 slate in the 2026 college football season was billed to be historic, with seven top-25 matchups and some of the biggest names in the sport facing off against each other on the gridiron. We got a ton of entertainment, but as far as chaos, it was a bit lacking.
There were a couple of upsets in the Big Ten Conference, headlined by the Oregon Ducks blowing out the Ohio State Buckeyes on the road, 41-28, but outside of that, the expected teams largely came out on top across the league.
With three weeks of regular-season play remaining, the next couple of weeks will be fascinating as teams jockey for position and try to grab those two spots in the Big Ten Championship Game.
For now, here are our Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 8:
18 - Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Previous
Ranking: 16
Week 10 Result: 31-10 Loss to Wisconsin
Record: 2-7
Analysis: No real surprises, as Rutgers continued what has been a hellish season under Greg Schiano, losing in blowout fashion to the Wisconsin Badgers, a team that just got skunked by the Iowa Hawkeyes a week ago. With this loss, the Scarlet Knights move into the bottom spot in our power rankings.
17 - Maryland Terrapins
Previous Ranking: 18
Week 10 Result: 34-29 Win over Purdue
Record: 3-6
Analysis: Maryland snapped a six-game losing streak with a road win over Purdue, so the Terrapins can celebrate getting out of the bottom spot in our power rankings. The Terrapins' only hope for the rest of the season should be to get production from Malik Washington and find a way to keep him out of the portal, but without a head coach of the future in place, nothing is certain in College Park this time of year.
16 - Purdue Boilermakers
Previous Ranking: 15
Week 10 Result: 34-29 Loss to Maryland
Record: 3-6
Analysis: Losing to the Maryland Terrapins outside of the month of September is always a tough pill to swallow. Purdue continues to struggle greatly this year, and they're running out of time to try and turn things around.
15 - Michigan State Spartans
Previous Ranking: 17
Week 10 Result: 15-6 Win over Michigan
Record: 3-6
Analysis: The Spartans got a huge win on Saturday, beating in-state rival Michigan in an ugly game that fortunately took a back seat to a lot of other high-profile matchups during the evening slate. It may be too late to make anything of this season in East Lansing, but at least they got the win over Michigan.
14 - Minnesota Golden Gophers
Previous Ranking: 14
Week 10 Result: 34-20 Loss to UCLA
Record: 5-4
Analysis: Minnesota put a good scare in UCLA, but a pair of missed field goals and another late mistake by Drake Lindsey proved costly. The Gophers have the tools to be an explosive offense, but Lindsey hasn't put it all together this season. The defense hasn't been good enough all season long, but the good news is a fairly light schedule of offenses down the stretch of the season as the Gophers seek bowl eligibility.
13 - Michigan Wolverines
Previous Ranking: 10
Week 10 Result: 15-6 Loss to Michigan State
Record: 5-3
Analysis: The disappointments continue for Michigan as the Kyle Whittingham era goes awry. An ugly loss to their in-state rival set a new low bar for the season in Ann Arbor, and with games against the Oregon Ducks and Ohio State Buckeyes over the final three weeks, it's fair to question how much better things are going to get.
12 - Nebraska Cornhuskers
Previous Ranking: 9
Week 10 Result: 24-13 Loss to Illinois
Record: 5-4
Analysis: Four straight losses for the Cornhuskers. It might be fair to say now that Dylan Raiola's game-winning drive against his former team might have snatched Nebraska's soul this season. Nebraska had several long drives against Illinois but failed to finish often, missing a pair of field goals and failing twice on fourth down, and the tackling was as poor as ever defensively. Matt Rhule's seat should be hot, but after he signed an extension last season and locked in with Nebraska through 2032, offensive coordinator Dana Holgerson was fired as the scapegoat. A season of promise is going to end with a whimper, with Rutgers, Ohio State, and Iowa still to come.
11 - Washington Huskies
Previous Ranking: 8
Week 10 Result: 28-25 Loss to Penn State
Record: 5-4
Analysis: Washington surrendered 300 yards in just the first half to a Penn State offense that had been gasping for air for weeks. That's ugly. The game plan on offense still revolves entirely around Demond Williams Jr. playing "Superman," and when he's off, the whole operation goes sideways. The Huskies still managed to come back from a 28-6 deficit at halftime and had a chance to win in the fourth quarter, but the defense couldn't get off the field on Penn State's final drive, which consumed the final 7:40 on the clock. The Huskies got pushed around at home by a team that traveled across the country and hadn't pushed anyone around this season. Rough.
10 - Penn State Nittany Lions
Previous Ranking: 12
Week 10 Result: 28-25 Win over Washington
Record: 5-4
Analysis: The Nittany Lions were the aggressors at the line of scrimmage for once, as Carson Hansen and Cam Wallace both had big days on the ground, opening up the passing game for Rocco Becht early on. Despite having little offense to speak of in the second half, Penn State finished the game by imposing its will on the ground with a 14-play drive to end the game. It's too late in the season to expect Penn State's offense to change dramatically at this point, but if Penn State can establish some sort of identity on the ground in the final weeks of the season, there should be some optimism that Matt Campbell can flip the roster and build around the trenches in year two.
9 - Illinois Fighting Illini
Previous Ranking: 13
Week 10 Result: 24-13 Win over Nebraska
Record: 6-3
Analysis: Illinois has faced low lows this season, but after stringing together four wins in a row, Bret Bielema is taking the Illini bowling once again. Katin Houser played his best game of the season, throwing efficiently for nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns, while sustaining long drives. Illinois is a team that will have to outscore its opponents to win, considering the lack of defensive play this season, but if Houser and Collin Dixon continue to have big games together, anything is possible. The Illini still have some hope in the Big Ten race, but the final three games against UCLA, Iowa, and Northwestern will be massive tests that the Illini must ace.
8 - Wisconsin Badgers
Previous Ranking: 11
Week 10 Result: 31-10 Win over Rutgers
Record: 6-3
Analysis: After a brutal 30-0 loss to Iowa a week ago, Wisconsin was able to bounce back with a solid win, albeit against a poor Rutgers team. The Badgers have shown enough this year to prove that they are a decent team in the Big Ten, though probably not good enough to compete with the teams at the top.
7 - Northwestern Wildcats
Previous Ranking: 7
Week 10 Result: 24-10 Loss to Iowa
Record: 6-3
Analysis: Playing without Aidan Chiles, Northwestern tried to run a similar offense with Nicco Marchiol at the helm. The Wildcats remained efficient and spread the wealth in the run game, but the Wildcats fell short in the trenches. Northwestern was held to just 2.8 yards per carry and fell behind quickly. A late fumble by Iowa gifted Northwestern its only touchdown of the day in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late. The Wildcats need to get Chiles back and healthy next week for a trip to Ohio State.
6 - Ohio State Buckeyes
Previous Ranking: 3
Week 10 Result: 42-28 Loss to Oregon
Record: 6-3
Analysis: Ohio State has lost back-to-back regular season games for the first time since 2011, and although the offense has stumbled without Julian Sayin, it's the defense that once again let the Buckeyes down. The Ducks got whatever they wanted through the air and were more physical in the second half on the ground. For some reason, the Buckeyes didn't try to get the ball to Jeremiah Smith for much of the game, and the final score only looks better because of a pair of touchdowns in garbage time. Ryan Day has some decisions to make, and although they may not come right away, the Buckeyes' offseason could be full of change with the season now lost.
5 - Iowa Hawkeyes
Previous Ranking: 5
Week 10 Result: 24-10 Win over Northwestern
Record: 7-2
Analysis: Iowa played a classic brand of Hawkeye football on Saturday, rushing for 5.2 yards per carry, winning up front on defense, and getting a special teams score en route to a lopsided win on the road. Hank Brown didn't connect on many big plays in the passing game, but it doesn't matter when L.J. Phillips Jr. has control on the ground and Braeden Jackson returns a kickoff for a touchdown. Iowa is going to continue to win in unconventional ways and has a decent shot to win out and finish with 10 wins, with games against Purdue, Illinois, and Nebraska still to come.
4 - USC Trojans
Previous Ranking: 4
Week 10 Result: BYE
Record: 7-2
Analysis: After getting a program-defining win for Lincoln Riley over the Ohio State Buckeyes a week ago, USC got a chance to rest this week ahead of another massive game against Indiana next week, where they have a chance to completely upset the power balance in the conference.
3 - Oregon Ducks
Previous Ranking: 6
Week 10 Result: 42-28 Win over Ohio State
Record: 6-3
Analysis: After falling behind 14-0, it was fair to assume Oregon was going to get run out of "The Shoe" by Ohio State. Yet it was one gamble by Dan Lanning on a fake punt that flipped all the momentum and allowed the Ducks to rattle off 38 points unanswered and dominate the final three quarters. Oregon's defense held Jeremiah Smith in check and confused the Buckeyes often, while the Ducks found room to run in the second half and continued to fire the ball downfield with Dylan Raiola. Oregon has risen from the dead in the Big Ten, and while the Ducks don't control their own destiny to the conference title game and the College Football Playoff, there is absolutely a path now. Oregon's final three games of the season against Michigan, Michigan State, and Washington don't appear as daunting as they did in the preseason. For now, just win and figure out the rest later.
2 - Indiana Hoosiers
Previous Ranking: 2
Week 10 Result: BYE
Record: 8-1
Analysis: On the biggest weekend of college football this season, Indiana got a chance to sit back and watch the action while staying out of harm's way. They have a massive game upcoming, though, with the USC Trojans coming to town and looking to put their playoff chances in doubt.
1 - UCLA Bruins
Previous Ranking: 1
Week 10 Result: 34-20 Win over Minnesota
Record: 9-0
Analysis: Ty Dieffenbach only completed eight passes in his first road start, but all eight were big plays, finishing with 303 yards and three touchdowns. The ground game came alive for the Bruins late as they pulled away from Minnesota to remain undefeated. It was a punch-counter-punch affair in the fourth quarter as the Gophers battled, but the Bruins always had a response. That's the sign of a very good team playing through it's clear weaknesses. UCLA's final three games are all very winnable, and as long as they win two of them, they should be in the playoff in year one under Bob Chesney.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Big Ten power rankings after Week 10: Oregon skyrockets after upset
