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. Perhaps the most awaited Big Ten clash of the season took place over the weekend, shaking up the top of the rankings as we hit the midway point of the college football season.

Without further ado, here's every team in the conference ranked from first to worst:

WEEK 7 RESULT: Beat Ohio State, 32-31

PREVIOUS RANK: 2

MOVEMENT: +1

Oregon reclaims the top spot in these rankings for the first time since the initial installment this preseason. What an emphatic introduction to the Big Ten for the Ducks, who appear to be Ohio State's kryptonite in recent years. What a game this was; Autzen Stadium delivered as an environment in every way and head coach Dan Lanning has his biggest win yet in Eugene.

WEEK 7 RESULT: Beat USC, 33-30

PREVIOUS RANK: 3

MOVEMENT: +1

Penn State just keeps winning. USC has proven to be not quite as dangerous as people thought, but to come back and win on the road some 2,570 miles from home is impressive nonetheless. After a potential trap game on the road in Madison, the Nittany Lions only real remaining test awaits with the Buckeyes in Columbus. If Penn State can find a way to slay the dragon in that one, a 12-0 regular season is very feasible.

WEEK 6 RESULT: Lost to Oregon, 32-31

PREVIOUS RANK: 1

MOVEMENT: -2

The Buckeyes fell to Oregon on the road in an instant classic. Ryan Day is now 2-6 against top five teams as the skipper in Columbus, but this team has plenty more chances for statement wins. No. 3 Penn State, No. 16 Indiana and No. 24 Michigan all await in the second half of the season.

WEEK 7 RESULT: BYE

PREVIOUS RANK: 4

MOVEMENT: N/A

The Hoosiers enjoyed a bye week as they watched their ranking jettison all the way to No. 16 in the AP Top 25. Looking at Indiana's remaining schedule, it should be favored in every contest save for the Nov. 23 clash with Ohio State. They're dreaming big in Bloomington.

WEEK 7 RESULT: BYE

PREVIOUS RANK: 5

MOVEMENT: N/A

A huge showdown awaits the Huskers this week in the form of Curt Cignetti's upstart Hoosiers. They'll have to travel to Indiana, and are currently 6.5-point underdogs. A win would jettison Nebraska back into the top 25. A loss would start whispers that this team is only good until it plays ranked competition.

WEEK 7 RESULT: Beat Purdue, 50-49

PREVIOUS RANK: 7

MOVEMENT: +1

Illinois escaped Purdue and what would've been an extremely embarrassing loss by the skin of its teeth. This game was out of control, with a wild 4th quarter that featured six touchdowns. Purdue went for the win after its game-tying touchdown in overtime, but first-time starter Ryan Browne was sacked on the two-point attempt. After all that, Illinois is still 5-1 and ranked No. 22 in the nation.

WEEK 7 RESULT: BYE

PREVIOUS RANK: 6

MOVEMENT: -1

Michigan got a much-needed bye after its loss to Washington. The Wolverines will gear up for a road test against ranked Illinois in what will be a huge game for a program that's desperately trying to remain relevant for 2024 and salvage its season. Right now, Michigan's best win is a home victory over now unranked and 3-3 USC.

WEEK 7 RESULT: Beat Washington, 40-16

PREVIOUS RANK: 11

MOVEMENT: +3

Iowa is a big riser this week after a drubbing of Washington. The Hawkeyes offense scored 40 points had likely its best game of the season despite passing for just 108 yards. Once again, the catalyst was tailback Kaleb Johnson, who's on pace for a 1,874-yard, 24-touchdown season. Iowa could now start to generate some serious momentum, as it doesn't have a ranked team remaining on its schedule and its toughest remaining games (Nebraska and Wisconsin) will both be in the friendly confines of Kinnick Stadium.

WEEK 7 RESULT: Beat Rutgers, 42-7

PREVIOUS RANK: 12

MOVEMENT: +3

Two weeks, two straight blowouts for Wisconsin. Has this team suddenly hit its stride, seemingly out of nowhere? Confidence and momentum is huge in this sport, and the Badgers are dripping in it after manhandling two straight conference opponents. After Northwestern on Saturday, the real gauntlet begins: Penn State, Iowa and Oregon back-to-back-to-back.

WEEK 7 RESULT: Lost to Wisconsin, 42-7

PREVIOUS RANK: 8

MOVEMENT: -2

Are things unraveling in Piscataway? After a 4-0 start, Rutgers has dropped two straight and has scored 14 points in its last eight quarters. Kyle Monangai remains a superstar, but when the defense gets picked apart like it did against Wisconsin, quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis is not nearly good enough to compensate for the rest of the team's deficiencies.

WEEK 7 RESULT: Lost to Iowa, 40-16

PREVIOUS RANK: 10

MOVEMENT: -1

This has been a strange year for the national champion runner-ups and first-year head coach Jedd Fisch. The best team they've beaten — then No. 10 Michigan — looks worse each week and the losses to not particularly daunting opponents (Washington State, Rutgers, Iowa) are beginning to pile up.

WEEK 7 RESULT: Beat UCLA, 21-17

PREVIOUS RANK: 13

MOVEMENT: +1

Minnesota followed up its upset win over USC with a comeback victory over UCLA. Still, the Gophers were down three with 32 seconds left and needed a complete defensive breakdown that allowed tailback Darius Taylor to walk into the end zone to escape with the win in Pasadena. Another winnable game, and a chance to stack three straight wins, awaits in two weeks against Maryland.

WEEK 7 RESULT: Lost to Penn State, 33-30

PREVIOUS RANK: 9

MOVEMENT: -4

The free fall continues for USC. Once perched as high as No. 2 in these rankings, USC is now 3-3 with the third-worst record in conference play at 1-3. Save for a rivalry week game against current No. 12 Notre Dame, the Trojans are almost out of opportunities to make a statement as the CFP slips further and further away.

WEEK 7 RESULT: BYE

PREVIOUS RANK: 14

MOVEMENT: N/A

Michigan State has hung out at 14 in these rankings for four straight weeks now. After a Week 7 bye, the Spartans will have their best chance at a win in several games when they play Iowa.

WEEK 7 RESULT: Beat Maryland, 37-10

PREVIOUS RANK: 16

MOVEMENT: +1

The Wildcats finally picked up a conference win on Friday night, and looked like they've taken positive strides in the process. That was easily this team's best showing, and they'll get a chance to follow that up against Wisconsin this week.

WEEK 7 RESULT: Lost to Northwestern, 37-10

PREVIOUS RANK: 15

MOVEMENT: -1

This hasn't been a good Maryland team by any stretch, but what was that? The Terps were absolutely flat at home in a Friday night game. Head coach Mike Locksley's seat figures to have raised a few notches in temperature.

WEEK 7 RESULT: Lost to Illinois, 50-49

PREVIOUS RANK: 18

MOVEMENT: +1

We've been waiting to see something, anything from the Boilermakers this season. A pulse. Signs of life. It took until midway through October, but Purdue looked like an inspired football team against ranked Illinois in Champaign. It nearly got the upset win, failing on a win-or-go-home two-point attempt, which you have to applaud head coach Ryan Walters for attempting. A 1-5 team can't live in its fears. In a cruel twist of fate, Purdue still has to play three (!) teams currently ranked in the top five this season.

WEEK 7 RESULT: Lost to Minnesota, 21-17

PREVIOUS RANK: 17

MOVEMENT: -1

UCLA becomes the fifth team so far this season with the undesirable honor of dead last in these rankings. The Bruins were on the doorstep of beating Minnesota, but inexplicably didn't account for Gophers' star tailback Darius Taylor on Minnesota's go-ahead touchdown wit 32 seconds left. It's ugly in year one of the Deshaun Foster era.

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