Each week during the regular season, BadgerBlitz.com will compile a power rankings article that ranks each program in the conference from best to worst. Only the teams at the very top (Oregon) and the very bottom (Purdue) stayed put this week — every other team moved up or down in a massive week for shuffling in the rankings.
Without further ado, here's every team in the conference ranked from first to worst:
1. Oregon Ducks
WEEK 10 RESULT: Beat Michigan, 38-17
PREVIOUS RANK: 1
MOVEMENT: N/A
Oregon continues to simply roll through opponents. They're not only clearly the top team in the conference, but they're the only national title contender that leaves no doubt week in and week out. With Maryland, Wisconsin and Washington on tap to close out the season, the pieces are falling into place for the Ducks to run the table.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
WEEK 10 RESULT: Beat Penn State, 20-13
PREVIOUS RANK: 3
MOVEMENT: +1
I had a sneaking suspicion — as I'm sure many others did — that Ohio State was better than Penn State despite its worse record and lower ranking here. The Buckeyes have no problem with the Nittany Lions so long as James Franklin is their head coach.
3. Indiana Hoosiers
WEEK 10 RESULT: Beat Michigan State, 47-10
PREVIOUS RANK: 4
MOVEMENT: +1
You thought Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke might miss a beat after missing a game? Think again. He carved up the Spartans for four touchdowns and 263 yards. Now, Washington is still probably the best team Indiana has played — not to diminish its 9-0 start, but the Hoosiers haven't been truly tested yet. They're on a collision course with Ohio State on Nov. 23.
4. Penn State Nittany Lions
WEEK 10 RESULT: Lost to Ohio State, 20-13
PREVIOUS RANK: 4
MOVEMENT: -2
Another year, another loss to Ohio State for Franklin and company. This was a bad look for Penn State — all of it. The goal-line failure where it inexplicably didn't get the ball in Tyler Warren's hands, Franklin jawing with a fan as he walked off the field. The narrow loss, the Nittany Lions' brutal eighth-straight to the Buckeyes, once again cemented them as the little brother.
5. Iowa Hawkeyes
WEEK 10 RESULT: Beat Wisconsin, 42-10
PREVIOUS RANK: 7
MOVEMENT: +2
Iowa and Wisconsin nearly always play tight games, which is why it was so cathartic for Iowa —and alarming for the Badgers — that the Hawkeyes rolled by 32 points. That was the largest margin of victory in this series since Wisconsin eviscerated Iowa in 1999 in Madison, 41-3. With Brendan Sullivan at quarterback, Iowa might just have something on offense.
6. Minnesota Gophers
WEEK 10 RESULT: Beat Illinois, 25-17
PREVIOUS RANK: 10
MOVEMENT: +4
Don't look now, but Minnesota has quietly won four straight with two ranked wins in the process. With a balanced offensive attack and a quarterback in Max Brosmer who hasn't turned the ball over since Week 5, the Gophers are finding ways to win games.
7. Illinois Illini
WEEK 10 RESULT: Lost to Minnesota, 25-17
PREVIOUS RANK: 5
MOVEMENT: -2
Two fumbles, a missed field goal and a turnover on downs doomed the Illini in a disappointing effort versus the Gophers. After the 6-1 start, Illinois has fallen back down to earth a bit with two straight losses. Still, with Michigan State, Rutgers and Northwestern on tap to close out the season, the Illini are still quite feasibly looking at an eight or nine win regular season.
8. Washington Huskies
WEEK 10 RESULT: Beat USC, 26-21
PREVIOUS RANK: 12
MOVEMENT: +4
Washington has had one of the most up-and-down years in the conference, but truthfully, at 5-4, they're right about where I expected them to be in year one under Jedd Fisch. The Huskies got in on the fun that most Big Ten teams who've played USC enjoyed — beating the Trojans in their debut season in the conference.
9. Michigan Wolverines
WEEK 10 RESULT: Lost to Oregon, 38-17
PREVIOUS RANK: 6
MOVEMENT: -3
Michigan kept it closer than at least I expected in the Big House, but this game was far less competitive than the score might indicate. The Ducks had their way with the Wolverines by air and by ground. How many hits will Michigan take before it limps into The Game against Ohio State?
10. Wisconsin Badgers
WEEK 10 RESULT: Lost to Iowa, 42-10
PREVIOUS RANK: 9
MOVEMENT: -1
The Badgers' probably deserve to fall further than one spot after the worst loss of the Luke Fickell era, but this is where the conference gets extremely muddy. No one in Madison should consider themselves safe after an absolute embarrassment in Iowa City.
11. Nebraska Cornhuskers
WEEK 10 RESULT: Lost to UCLA, 27-20
PREVIOUS RANK: 8
MOVEMENT: -3
Nebraska has now lost three straight. After a bowl game seemed all but inevitable following the Huskers' 5-1 start, there's a serious chance Matt Rhule and company could drop the last three games of the season (USC, Wisconsin, Iowa) and miss the post-season yet again in heartbreaking fashion.
12. Michigan State Spartans
WEEK 10 RESULT: Lost to Indiana, 47-10
PREVIOUS RANK: 11
MOVEMENT: -1
Aidan Chiles has four turnovers to three touchdowns in the past three weeks. That was far from the Spartans' main concern, however — they mustered -36 rushing yards against the Hoosiers. That's not a typo. It's not sack-adjusted, either, but it underscores just how dominated Michigan State was in this game.
13. Northwestern Wildcats
WEEK 10 RESULT: Beat Purdue, 26-20
PREVIOUS RANK: 17
MOVEMENT: +5
An overtime win over the worst team in the conference usually wouldn't merit a jump five spots, but that's how desolate the bottom of this conference is. Against all odds, the Wildcats have kept their season — namely their hopes at a bowl game — intact despite what's been a rather disastrous year.
14. UCLA Bruins
WEEK 10 RESULT: Beat Nebraska, 27-20
PREVIOUS RANK: 16
MOVEMENT: +2
UCLA has now won two straight and while this is still a lost season in Westwood, it hasn't gone as horrendous as it appeared it had a chance to early when the Bruins were 1-5. Notably, Ethan Garbers has continued to play well recently, as he has 602 yards and six interceptions over the past two games while completing 77.8 percent of his passes.
15. Maryland Terrapins
WEEK 10 RESULT: BYE
PREVIOUS RANK: 14
MOVEMENT: -1
Maryland took a bye in Week 10, which likely came at a great time coming off a loss and with No. 1 Oregon on tap next. The Terps do get to face reeling Rutgers, but if they want to become bowl-eligible they'll need to beat at least Oregon, Iowa or Penn State.
16. USC Trojans
WEEK 9 RESULT: BYE
PREVIOUS RANK: 16
MOVEMENT: N/A
It's gone from bad to worse in Los Angeles, as news broke Tuesday morning that USC will bench quarterback Miller Moss for UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava. For a team that had playoff aspirations, it's clear that the Big Ten will take some getting used to for the Trojans.
17. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
WEEK 10 RESULT: BYE
PREVIOUS RANK: 17
MOVEMENT: N/A
Losers of four straight, Rutgers mercifully had a bye week to recuperate. Next up, the Scarlet Knights will host Minnesota, who have won four straight. Will the tailspin continue for Greg Schiano and company?
18. Purdue Boilermakers
WEEK 10 RESULT: Lost to Northwestern, 26-20
PREVIOUS RANK: 18
MOVEMENT: N/A
Purdue has now been at the bottom of these rankings for three straight weeks, and have occupied 18th place in this series for six of the 11 installments. The Boilermakers had a great chance to pick up their first conference win, but crumbled in overtime and fell to 1-7 overall, with its only win coming against an FCS team.
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