Michigan got the week off from the Week 6 chaos that seemed to break out as the midway part of the season began. The Big Ten was not safe from the madness, as some teams are starting to emerge as serious threats while others are not as scary as they once looked.
The deeper we get into the season, the tougher games are going to become, and the more drama is bound to break out. So, with a lot that went on in Week 6, the power rankings really saw a big shake-up, and the same can probably be expected in Week 7, especially with a huge conference matchup between Ohio State and Indiana on the books.
Before we take a look at Week 7, though, let's see how Week 6 treated the rest of the teams that weren't on a bye.
Tier 5
18. Michigan State Spartans 2-4 (0-3) vs. Illinois 38-37 OT L
17. Rutgers Scarlet Knights 1-4 (0-2) BYE
For the first time, Rutgers is not at the very bottom of the power rankings, lucking out with a bye week. Michigan State takes over the bottom of the list with the overtime loss to not just Illinois, but the back QB who came in midway through the third quarter after starter Katin Houser went down with a hand injury.
The Spartans are struggling in the first season under Pat Fitzgerald, but that is to be expected with a new head coach and a program like Michigan State, which can't seem to find any traction on the football field. Don't worry, Spartan fans; basketball season is just a few short weeks away.
Tier 4
16. Maryland Terrapins 2-4 (0-3) vs. Ohio State 45-16 L
15. Washington Huskies 3-3 (0-3) vs. Iowa 41-24 L
14. Penn State Nittany Lions 3-3 (0-3) vs. USC 31-23 L
13. Illinois Fighting Illini 3-3 (1-2) vs. Michigan State 38-37 OT W
12. Minnesota Golden Gophers 4-2 (2-1) vs. Purdue 41-13 L
11. Purdue Boilermakers 3-3 (2-1) vs. Minnesota 41-13 W
There was a lot of shakeup in the fourth tier this week, with Purdue making some big moves after the massive win over Minnesota. The win was actually so big that the Boilermakers jumped ahead of the Golden Gophers, even with a slightly worse record. It took some time, but it seems like Barry Odom is finding some traction at Purdue and has a winning record in the Big Ten.
Penn State fell again, but at least they put up a good fight against the ranked USC Trojans. Now, they get a rested Michigan team coming off the bye, and it could be the make-or-break game for Matt Campbell, even though the Nittany Lions are well out of a College Football Playoff spot.
Tier 3
10. Michigan Wolverines 3-2 (0-2) BYE
9. Northwestern Wildcats 4-1 (1-1) vs. Ball State 45-14 W
8. Wisconsin Badgers 4-1 (2-0) BYE
7. USC Trojans 6-1 (3-1) vs. Penn State 31-23 W
6. Oregon Ducks 3-2 (1-1) vs. UCLA 17-15 L
Northwestern is a newcomer to the third tier after a dominant win over Ball State, as it should have been. The Wildcats have shown a lot this season, and their only loss came at the hands of Indiana, the reigning champs, whom they took down to the wire; they even earned a spot in the AP Top 25.
The Oregon Ducks find themselves back in the third tier after a sad loss to UCLA behind backup quarterback Dylan Raiola, who transferred from Nebraska in the offseason. The Ducks simply look lost this season after being ranked No. 2 in the preseason rankings.
Michigan stayed put during the bye week, but Kyle Whittingham will need to show that this team really reset during the bye. With a matchup against Penn State, the offense has to look marginally better, especially in the run game behind Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter, which should, in turn, open up the passing game for Bryce Underwood.
Tier 2
5. Nebraska Cornhuskers 5-1 (2-1) vs. Indiana 20-17 L
4. Iowa Hawkeyes 5-1 (2-1) vs. Washington 41-24 W
3. UCLA Bruins 5-0 (3-0) vs. Oregon 17-15 W
Now some may wonder why I moved Nebraska up a tier after losing to Indiana this past week. Well, like Northwestern, the Cornhuskers took the Hoosiers down to the wire, making the reigning champs really sweat this one out. Quarterback Anthony Colandrea has proved to be the better fit for the Cornhuskers, who could still be in play for the CFP.
UCLA is also looking like a serious threat in the Big Ten, taking down the Ducks in what was a tough game. Unfortunately, the Bruins lost QB Nico Iamaleava to a knee injury for a few games, so UCLA will have to figure out how to move forward with backup quarterback Ty Dieffenbach.
Tier 1
2. Indiana Hoosiers 6-0 (3-0) vs. Nebraska 20-17 W
1. Ohio State Buckeyes 5-1 (3-0) vs. Maryland 45-16 W
Still no change in the top tier of the Big Ten power rankings, but that could easily change after this week. Indiana and Ohio State will face off in what is a highly touted rematch from last season's Big Ten Championship, in which the Hoosiers took home the title and then went on to win it all, while Ohio State lost early to Miami, whom the Hoosiers beat in the championship.
Indiana has not looked its sharpest this season, while the Buckeyes have completely bounced back from the early Texas loss. Either way, this should be an electric matchup, and possibly a National Championship preview.
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