Week 9 Big Ten power rankings

Previous: 1. Last Week: W 35-0 vs. Purdue.

A potential trap game against Purdue turned into a commanding Oregon win behind another excellent performance from quarterback Dillon Gabriel. The Ducks are firing on all cylinders at the moment and will be heavy favorites against Illinois this weekend.

Following a bye week, Penn State has to gear up for a road game to Wisconsin that has the makings of a potential upset threat. The Badgers are playing better as of late, but Penn State’s excellent defense will look to make its mark.

Ohio State spent its bye week gearing up for a matchup against Nebraska, one that the Buckeyes will expect to control following the Huskers’ recent blowout loss.

Previous: 4. LW: 56-7 vs. Nebraska.

The big three remain ahead of Indiana in the rankings, but the Hoosiers continue to narrow the gap with every ensuing week. A dominant win over Nebraska further solidified Indiana’s status as a College Football Playoff contender, and College GameDay is coming to Bloomington next week. With quarterback Kurtis Rourke set to miss the game against Washington, though, it’ll take a team effort to keep it going.

Previous: 5. LW: W 21-7 vs. Michigan.

Illinois beat Michigan at its own game, earning a victory despite completing just nine passes for 80 yards. The Illini defense forced three turnovers in the win, the program’s first over the Wolverines since 2009. A trip to Oregon will challenge that unit in an entirely new way.

Previous: 12. LW: W 23-3 vs. Northwestern.

Four weeks into Wisconsin’s season, the Badgers had no standout wins and a potentially bleak outlook for their season. Three weeks later and Wisconsin has rattled off three straight wins in which it outscored its opponents 117-16. A matchup against Penn State could further that progress, or it could stop it altogether.

Previous: 7. LW: L 56-7 vs. Indiana.

Nebraska was thoroughly outplayed and outmuscled in a loss to Indiana that exposed many gaps in the Husker defense. As the Huskers prepare to face the nation’s sixth-best scoring offense in a trip to Ohio State, they’ll need to bounce back in a big way on defense.

Previous: 8. LW: L 32-20 vs. Michigan State.

Iowa stumbled early and was unable to recover as it averaged nearly as much on the ground (5.8 yards per carry) as it did in the air (6.5 yards per attempt). A low-scoring contest against Northwestern is up next.

Movement elsewhere allows Minnesota to rise ahead of a home matchup against Maryland. Having won its last two games with last-minute touchdowns, Minnesota will hope for an easier go of things this time around.

Each of Washington’s losses this season has been followed by a major bounce-back effort, but it’ll be difficult to manage the same in a visit to Indiana this week.

Previous: 6. LW: L 21-7 vs. Illinois.

Michigan managed to move the ball on offense for once, including a 200-yard day in the air, but three turnovers cost it heavily in a loss to Illinois. Should the Wolverines drop this week’s rivalry game to Michigan State, even reaching a bowl game will be in question.

Previous: 9. LW: L 29-28 vs. Maryland.

A three-game losing streak to Minnesota, Penn State and Maryland wouldn’t have been what USC envisioned when it joined the Big Ten. A blown 14-point lead and late blocked field goal makes the Trojans’ latest loss the most embarrassing yet.

Previous: 14. LW: W 32-20 vs. Iowa.

Kicker Jonathan Kim accounted for 20 of Michigan State’s 32 points in a game where he made six field goals. Next up is a chance to take down in-state rival Michigan.

Previous: 16. LW: W 29-28 vs. USC.

After losing its first three conference games of the season, Maryland came up clutch with a comeback win at USC. The Terrapins can build on their momentum during a visit from Minnesota.

Previous: 13. LW: L 35-32 vs. UCLA.

An undefeated start has given way to a three-game losing streak which could run to four straight this Friday. Rutgers will face another team in the midst of a damaging skid, USC.

Previous: 15. LW: L 23-3 vs. Wisconsin.

Northwestern threw for just 82 yards in a loss to Wisconsin, the Wildcats’ second of the season in which they have failed to score a touchdown.

Previous: 18. LW: W 35-32 vs. Rutgers.

A career day for quarterback Ethan Garbers helped break the UCLA offense’s slump, snap a five-game losing streak and send the Bruins into a bye week off a win.

Previous: 17. LW: L 35-0 vs. Oregon.

After showing signs of life against Illinois, the Boilermakers reverted back to their usual form in a loss to Oregon. A bye week comes at the right time.