Big 10 Power Rankings Entering Week Seven

The Big 10 is making its case as football's greatest conference, with B1G schools possessing three of the top four slots in this week's AP Top 25. Ohio State (2), Oregon (3) and Penn State (4) are joined by Indiana (18), Illinois (23) and Michigan (24) in the list. However, the conference wasn't spared from a wild weekend full of upsets, with USC and Michigan being upended on the road.

See Last Week's Rankings Here.

Week 6 Result: Lost 52-6 at Wisconsin

Save for a pair of interceptions, nothing went well for the Boilermakers in Madison. They went 1-for-11 on third down, lost two fumbles and failed to score a touchdown. Purdue's lone points came from a pair of field goals, which were set up by interceptions. Things got real ugly in the second half, when Wisconsin scored 31 unanswered points while the Boilermakers failed to sustain a drive of more than five plays. Since routing Indiana State to start the year, Purdue has been outscored 184-44. It won't get any easier for Purdue, with four of their next five games coming against ranked opponents.

Week 6 Result: Lost 41-24 vs Indiana

The Wildcats were largely competitive with the Hoosiers, pulling within three points with 11 minutes left in the game before Indiana put Northwestern away. It was a nice bounce back performance from the offense, which was held to five points last week against Washington. Quarterback Jack Lausch tallied 243 passing yards and two touchdowns while adding 34 yards on the ground. Northwestern has yet to compile a quality win, but they could parlay Saturday's strong showing into a victory at Maryland next week.

Week 6 Result: Lost 27-11 at Penn State

The Bruins were down starting quarterback Ethan Garbers due to a lower leg injury, resulting in Justyn Martin making his first career start. Facing a stout Penn State defense at Beaver Stadium, Martin played a clean game. He didn't turn the ball over and completed 73 percent of his attempts. Still, head coach DeShaun Foster reiterated Garbers would be the team's starter when healthy, which could be as early as a Week 7 matchup with Minnesota.

Week 6 Result: Idle

With the teams surrounding them in the rankings losing, the Terrapins stay put at 15th. Maryland is 0-2 in conference play but will have a chance to get in the win column in Week 7 versus Northwestern.

Week 6 Result: Lost 31-10 at Oregon

The Spartans were held scoreless by Oregon until the fourth quarter and were never truly in contention. The only positive takeaway for MSU is that Aidan Chiles didn't throw an interception after logging multiple interceptions in three of the team's first five games. However, Chiles did lose a fumble. Currently on a three-game skid, Michigan State will have a bye in Week 7 before hosting Iowa.

Week 6 Result: Won 52-6 vs Purdue

The Badgers were in dire need of a decisive victory after struggling early in the season, and they delivered just that against Purdue. Braedyn Locke shook off a pair of interceptions -- one on a dropped pass by Will Pauling -- and finished with 359 passing yards and three scores. His 359 yards were the seventh most in Badgers history. The biggest question surrounding Wisconsin ahead of the contest came in the RB room after Chez Mellusi stepped away from the team to focus on his health. Tawee Walker supplied a definite answer, rushing for 95 yards and three scores. The Badgers will travel to Piscataway in Week 7.

Week 6 Result: Lost 35-7 at Ohio State

Cade McNamara hasn't thrown for a touchdown since Week 1 and Saturday's performance may have been the Michigan transfer's worst of the campaign. He tallied just 98 passing yards and threw an interception while taking three sacks. The Hawkeyes are 3-0 in games they score at least 20 points in but offensive inconsistency has them sitting slightly above .500.

Week 6 Result: Lost 14-7 at Nebraska

This game was a complete rock fight. The Cornhuskers bottled up Kyle Monangai (19 carries for 78 yards) and forced the Scarlet Knights to beat them through the air. Athan Kaliakmanis wasn't able to do so, throwing two interceptions and failing to lead a scoring drive until the fourth quarter. Rutgers' defense was still able to keep it close but it wasn't enough. By no means is a road loss to Nebraska a bad defeat, though upset wins by Minnesota and Washington were enough to push Rutgers out of the top 10. They'll face Wisconsin in Piscataway next week.

Week 6 Result: Lost 27-17 at Washington

After three consecutive punts to start the game, Michigan moved on to their third quarterback of the season and replaced Alex Orji with Jack Tuttle. Trailing by 14 at that point, Tuttle commanded three consecutive scoring drives and had Michigan tied with the Huskies heading into the fourth quarter. The senior QB couldn't pull out the win, fumbling the ball and throwing an interception on back-to-back drives, each resulting in a Washington score. With this much uncertainty in the QB room, it's tough to have faith in the Wolverines.

Week 6 Result: Won 24-17 vs USC

If one or two dominos had fallen in favor of Minnesota this season, we'd have a drastically different outlook of the team. Yet, a close lose and a blowout loss look the same in the win/loss column, so despite narrow defeats to Michigan and North Carolina, I'm here to evaluate the Golden Gophers for what they are. What they are is a team fresh off a gutsy victory over a ranked USC group, building on an impressive Week 5 showing at Michigan. Minnesota has a chance to go on a run, with matchups against UCLA and Maryland on the docket.

Week 6 Result: Won 27-17 vs Michigan

The Huskies started and finished hot Saturday. They leapt out to a 14-0 lead and forced the Wolverines to make a change at quarterback. The QB shift, along with a pair of first-half missed field goals (one blocked), brought the score 17 all entering the fourth. Washington locked down on defense, forcing a three and out, a fumble and an interception on consecutive drives. The turnovers set up the offense deep in Michigan territory, and Washington cashed in with 10 points and the victory. Special Teams has become a noteworthy issue as of late, with five kicks being missed across the last two games. Still, the Huskies look the part of a competitive Big 10 squad.

Week 6 Result: Lost 24-17 at Minnesota

The warning signs have been there for the Trojans, dropping to Michigan and falling flat in the first half against Wisconsin before roaring back in the second half to take a win. Even USC's season-opening win over LSU looks a little murky considering the Tigers haven't faced any stiff competition since. The Trojans repeatedly shot themselves in the foot late, turning the ball over three times including a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions by Miller Moss. The second pick came in the final seconds of a potential game-tying drive from inside the redzone on a puzzling decision from Moss to throw into double coverage. USC has also struggled to defend the run. Both Michigan and Minnesota have physical, run-heavy offensive philosophies, and each have had their way with the Trojan front. The two teams combined to rush for 483 yards and six touchdowns against USC. Stopping the run will likely be at the forefront of USC's gameplan next week against Penn State.

Week 6 Result: Idle

Illinois may have not played in Week 6 but they benefitted from Michigan and USC dropping their games, respectively. After losing to Penn State in Week 5, Illinois will look to get back on track with a win over Purdue in Week 7.

Week 6 Result: Won 14-7 vs Rutgers

Dylan Raiola set season lows in completions, completion percentage and passing yards, but the Cornhuskers defense and run game did enough to earn the victory over a scrappy Rutgers squad. Raiola has been sacked 11 times in the last three games -- four times Saturday -- after going down merely once in the team's first three contests. Heading into back-to-back road games against Indiana and Ohio State, respectively, Nebraska will have to be better on offense.

Week 6 Result: Won 41-24 at Northwestern

For the first time since the Covid-shortened 2020 season, the Hoosiers are bowl eligible. However, it's safe to say the Hoosiers aspirations don't stop there as Curt Cignetti has IU ranked 18th in the nation and one of eight undefeated power conference programs. While Indiana didn't put Northwestern away until the fourth quarter, the Hoosiers stepped up when it mattered. They scored touchdowns on back-to-back drives in response to the Wildcats pulling within three points, and they forced two consecutive turnovers on downs defensively. Indiana will be on bye during Week 7.

Week 6 Result: Won 27-11 vs UCLA

A 16-point victory doesn't jump off the page, but Penn State looked a cut above the Bruins. PSU converted seven of 12 third downs and averaged nearly 10 yards per pass. They issued no turnovers, committed merely two penalties and didn't allow a touchdown until the closing seconds of the fourth quarter. Ranking fourth in the country, Penn State enters possibly the hardest part of their schedule. Their next four games are at USC, at Wisconsin, home vs Ohio State and home vs Washington.

Week 6 Result: Won 31-10 vs Michigan State

The Ducks got off to a slow start, going three and out to open the contest and throwing interceptions on their second and fourth drives. However, the Oregon defense stepped up, forcing Michigan State to punt on their first eight possessions and holding MSU scoreless until the fourth quarter. Oregon, now the third-ranked team in the country, will host No. 2 Ohio State in Week 7.

Week 6 Result: Won 35-7 vs Iowa

It was another week of complete dominance by the Buckeyes, who took care of business against Iowa. Emeka Egbuka put on a show, catching nine passes for 71 yards and three scores. Ohio State hasn't been challenged to this point, with Saturday's 28-point win being their slimmest margin of victory of the year. A Week 7 matchup with Oregon should change that, though.