We are about midway through the college football season, and the more we learn about the Big Ten Conference, the less we know.
The Ohio State Buckeyesare as good as expected. The UCLA Bruins may be right there? The Iowa Hawkeyes certainly look explosive offensively, and the Northwestern Wildcats may be the biggest surprise of all. Meanwhile, the Oregon Ducks are free-falling in the rankings; the once-hot Minnesota Golden Gophers are getting blown out by...the Purdue Boilermakers? And the Washington Huskies continue to be lost up a creek without a paddle.
Week 6 brought some more craziness to the conference, and there were a handful of upsets and near upsets that captured a lot of the attention.
At this point, the top of the Big Ten is starting
to separate, but chaos is flourishing underneath. A few teams are trending up quickly, while others are starting to slide as conference play ramps up.
Here are our Big Ten power rankings after Week 6:
18 - Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Previous Ranking: 18
Week 6 Result: BYE
Record: 1-4
Analysis: Rutgers didn't lose this week since they didn't play anyone, and they got extra rest before hitting the road to face a Maryland defense that hasn't been able to stop a housefly in recent weeks, so maybe the Scarlet Knights can recapture some of their offensive success against Howard and USC and muster a conference win next weekend. It might be their last shot until the regular season finale against Michigan State.
17 - Michigan State Spartans
Previous Ranking: 17
Week 6 Result: 38-37 Loss (OT) to Illinois
Record: 2-4
Analysis: Give Michigan State credit here. Facing a lost season and trailing by 16 in the third quarter, the Spartans fought back to tie the game. Alessio Milivojevic looked like the quarterback that had fans excited last season, while Jaziun Patterson took command as the lead back with three touchdowns. However, the Spartans are running out of bodies defensively, losing both starting linebackers and two corners in this one. More tough times are ahead.
16 - Maryland Terrapins
Previous Ranking: 16
Week 6 Result: 45-16 Loss to Ohio State
Record: 2-4
Analysis: It's hard to defend Malik Washington's play at this point, but he is still the best weapon the Terrapins have. He completed just 12-of-24 pass attempts for a career-low 64 yards against Ohio State, as Maryland once again couldn't find any offensive rhythm and didn't tackle well on defense. It's easier to give Maryland a pass this week because it's the Buckeyes, but it's ahrd to see many signs of life in this team until any changes are made.
15 - Minnesota Golden Gophers
Previous Ranking: 12
Week 6 Result: 41-13 Loss to Purdue
Record: 4-2
Analysis: Minnesota proved once again why it is hard to take seriously. Big wins over Washington and Michigan had the Golden Gophers feeling good, but maybe too good, as the Boilermakers pounded the Gophers on the ground once again. Minnesota was outgained on the ground 305-27, and the offense simply couldn't stay on the field. That's a recipe for a blowout heading into the bye week before facing another physical running team in Iowa.
14 - Illinois Fighting Illini
Previous Ranking: 15
Week 6 Result: 38-37 Win (OT) over Michigan State
Record: 3-3
Analysis: When Katin Houser left with a hand injury, it was problem fixer Michael Clayton who was brought in to save the day for the Illini, tossing a pair of touchdowns, including one in overtime. Illinois scored on each of its first five drives and built a nice lead, but the defense nearly blew it all away if not for a stop on the 2-point try in overtime. Illinois has no stamina defensively, so winning it shootouts is going to be the formula moving forward, and if Houser is forced to miss time, it will be interesting to see if Clayton can use the bye week to his advantage before hosting Oregon.
13 - Michigan Wolverines
Previous Ranking: 13
Week 6 Result: BYE
Record: 3-2
Analysis: Michigan had a work week, and it was badly needed after how out of sort the offense looked against Iowa and Minnesota. Bryce Underwood needs to get his swagger back, and a large part of that comes from his ability to run the football. If Underwood runs more, he could make more confident decisions through the air. The Woverines will host Penn State next week, so they will probably need to score at least a couple of touchdowns to win, which does seem to be a big ask.
12 - Washington Huskies
Previous Ranking: 11
Week 6 Result: 41-24 Loss to Iowa
Record: 3-3
Analysis: Washington is officially entering the danger zone of the season, and with a tough schedule upcoming, there are legitimate questions about whether or not they will be bowl-eligible this season. Jedd Fisch's team isn't just losing games; they're getting out-coached and struggling with basic plays. Until further notice, it looks as if the Huskies are slipping into the bottom tier of Big Ten teams.
11 - Purdue Boilermakers
Previous Ranking: 14
Week 6 Result: 31-13 Win over Minnesota
Record: 3-3
Analysis: Typically, Purdue has competed this season by airing it out, but it was evident early on that Fame Ijeboi was in for a career day against his former team, rushing for 196 yards and three scores. Even if the Boilermakers have trouble stopping teams defensively, which they didn't against Minnesota, they are a safe bet to score in bunches, and if the running game persists, they can control the clock as well. Purdue welcomes slumping Washington next week and could earn a marquee victory in the second season of Barry Odom's rebuild.
10 - Penn State Nittany Lions
Previous Ranking: 10
Week 6 Result: 31-23 Loss to USC
Record: 3-2
Analysis: Penn State turned into a dropback offense in the second half, but it wasn't enough to keep up with USC's firepower offensively. The Nittany Lions just ran out of punches and coughed up the ball on the final drive while trying to tie the game. Rocco Becht was solid, and Penn State overall played a much better game than it did a week ago, but the Nittany Lions are the dividing line between the good and the great in the Big Ten.
9 - Wisconsin Badgers
Previous Ranking: 7
Week 6 Result: BYE
Record: 4-1
Analysis: Since the season-opening loss to Notre Dame, Wisconsin has rolled and surprised many. The Badgers will head to Westwood to take on UCLA next week, and Luke Fickell's squad might have the right combination offensively with Colton Joseph at the helm to pull off the upset once again.
8 - Nebraska Cornhuskers
Previous Ranking: 9
Week 6 Result: 20-17 Loss to Indiana
Record: 5-1
Analysis: Nebraska led nearly the entire game, but good teams know how to close big games. The Cornhuskers have scored plenty in the fourth quarter this season, but they fell well short this time around. They made several special teams plays to put Indiana in tough situations, but a pair of blow coverages late and turnovers on downs blew the game. Anthony Colandrea was great in the first half and iffy in the second half. The Hoosiers made adjustments, and the Cornhuskers failed to respond in time. Still, they have to feel good about their play moving forward, especially traveling to Oregon next week.
7 - Oregon Ducks
Previous Ranking: 3
Week 6 Result: 17-15 Loss vs. UCLA
Record: 3-2
Analysis: It's hard to think of a time I've seen an offense more discombobulated than Oregon's against UCLA. Dylan Raiola looked like he was learning how to throw a football; nobody could hold onto the ball, and yet the Ducks still had a chance to win at the end, thanks to several stops by the defense. The offense devolved into pee-wee football in the second half, running everything out of the I-formation and petrified to throw the ball. It was an embarrassing display for the Ducks on their home field, and if their hopes for a dream season weren't out the window before, they most certainly are now. Dan Lanning needs to take a hard look in the mirror, and he might need to elect a new offensive play-caller.
6 - Northwestern Wildcats
Previous Ranking: 8
Week 6 Result: 45-14 Win over Ball State
Record: 4-1
Analysis: Taking a week off from conference play, Northwestern took advantage by giving Aidan Chiles more work while continuing to run the ball at an efficient rate. Chip Kelly has given Northwestern an identity over the past few weeks with the rushing attack, but Chiles has slowly taken steps to improve as a passer as well. The Wildcats are still going to give up plenty of points, which might be their downfall, but with the exception of Ohio State, Northwestern can beat everyone left on their schedule.
5 - Iowa Hawkeyes
Previous Ranking: 5
Week 6 Result: 41-24 Win vs. Washington
Record: 5-1
Analysis: Before the season, you would say that a double-digit win on the road over Washington was a great feat for the Hawkeyes, but considering how both teams have looked so far this season, I can't say it was much of a surprise. Iowa looked good, especially with backup QB Jeremy Hecklinski under center, and they are a serious contender in the conference moving forward.
4 - USC Trojans
Previous Ranking: 4
Week 6 Result: 31-23 Win vs. Penn State
Record: 5-1
Analysis: USC's offense is just so much better when Trent Mosley is part of it. He made several big plays to help the Trojans win in the White Out, as Jayden Maiava made smart decisions and aired it out on the road. The Trojans ran the ball at a decent clip as well and found ays to close it out defensively, coming up with a big fumble late. USC still has a lot to prove against better competition, but a win at Penn State will quiet some of the concerns around Lincoln Riley heading into the bye week.
3 - UCLA Bruins
Previous Ranking: 6
Week 6 Result: 17-15 Win over Oregon
Record: 5-0
Analysis: While UCLA did escape with an impressive win in Eugene, it was not all sunshine and rainbows for the Bruins. Nico Iamaleava turned the ball over three times and sat out the second half with an injury, and they also had trouble moving the ball for chunks of the game. When you force seven turnovers, you should win by more than two points and score more than 17 points. But, it was enough on Saturday, and Bob Chesney's train rolls on. The Bruins appear to have solidified themselves as contenders by pushing the Ducks into one of their worst performances in a long time. Oregon was far from its best, however, and UCLA still gave the Ducks plenty of chances to win the game. The Bruins have a lot of work to do before hosting a feisty Wisconsin team next week.
2 - Indiana Hoosiers
Previous Ranking: 2
Week 6 Result: 20-17 Win over Nebraska
Record: 5-0
Analysis: It wasn't pretty, especially because the game essentially flipped on two plays, both of which were long receiving touchdowns by Nick Marsh. Josh Hoover, for the most part, played on time and distributed well, and he checked into winning plays since the running game was not available. Still, Indiana's defense is what will carry this team into the postseason, tallying five sacks and consistently putting in long distance downs late in the game. I do worry about the Hoosiers' ceiling with Hoover running the show, especially after going just 1-for-10 on third down, and he will need to be better next week against Ohio State.
1 - Ohio State Buckeyes
Previous Ranking: 1
Week 6 Result: 45-16 Win over Maryland
Record: 5-1
Analysis: What's new? Ohio State blasted another Big Ten foe, Jeremiah Smith caught multiple touchdowns, and the Buckeyes ran the ball well. The big revenge game circled on the calendar arrives next week with a trip to Indiana, and there don't appear to be many holes in Ohio State's ship. Nothing the Buckeyes did against Maryland changed my opinion of them, and they have a chance to declare themselves as the Big Ten's best next week.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Big Ten power rankings after Week 6: Oregon Ducks begin free-fall
