Name a college football conference that isn't a total mess right now. Go ahead; I will be waiting for a while because, honestly, you can't. The Big Ten suddenly has three teams - UCLA, Northwestern, and Wisconsin - that could be legitimate College Football Playoff selections. Yeah, I don't believe it either.
The very top and the very bottom of the Big Ten are pretty set, but the middle is a mush of teams that no one knows whether they are good or bad. Luckily, you don't have to try to figure it out, as I have a list of power rankings waiting for you below.
Tier 5
18. Michigan State 2-6 (0-5) vs. UCLA 28-10 L
17. Maryland Terrapins 2-5 (0-4) BYE
16. Rutgers Scarlet Knights 2-5 (1-3) vs. Northwestern 42-14 L
For the first time this season, there are three teams in tier five because, let's face it, these are the three worst teams in the Big Ten, and there isn't much competition. Maryland was given a breather this week with the bye and ultimately chose to part ways with Mike Locksley, and it's no surprise why.
Michigan State and Rutgers simply can't get off the ground in conference play, and while Pat Fitzgerald looked competent for one quarter against UCLA, it didn't last much longer than that. Rutgers ran into the wall that is Northwestern, and yes, it is still weird to say that.
Tier 4
15. Penn State Nittany Lions 3-4 (0-4) BYE
14. Washington Huskies 4-3 (1-3) BYE
13. Illinois Fighting Illini 4-3 (2-2) vs. Oregon 21-10 W
12. Purdue Boilermakers 3-4 (2-2) BYE
11. Michigan Wolverines 4-3 (1-3) vs. Indiana 13-6 L
Tier four feels as jumbled as ever, but the Wolverines are the newest arrival after the loss to Indiana, in which Michigan simply could not find the end zone to save their lives. The defense is one of the top units in the country, and yet the offense is so bad that it practically doesn't matter how good the defense is.
Illinois made a small jump after the emotional win against Oregon, backup QB Michael Clayton II's first win as a starter, but the Illini really aren't a threat in the Big Ten. Penn State, Washington, and Purdue got through the bye week, but it was a tough battle for the Nittany Lions.
Tier 3
10. Oregon Ducks 4-3 (2-2) vs. Illinois 21-10 L
9. Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Minnesota 13-10 L
8. Minnesota Golden Gophers 5-2 (3-1) vs. Iowa 13-10 W
7. USC Trojans 6-2 (3-2) vs. Wisconsin 24-7 L
6. Nebraska Cornhuskers 5-2 (2-2) BYE
At this point, this tier in the power rankings is full of teams that no one can figure out if they are really good or bad. USC, at times, has shown flashes of being good, but Lincoln Riley is still in Los Angeles, so they also have moments of looking really bad. Losing to Wisconsin may not be as bad of a look as some might have thought it would, but with how much Riley is getting paid and USC is spending on that roster, a lot more is expected out of the Trojans.
The Ducks and the Hawkeyes fell this week after losses to inferior teams, and honestly, at this point, Oregon may want to deal with falling lower and lower in these rankings. Without Dante Moore, this team is a complete mess, and firing OC Drew Mehringer is just the cherry on top.
Nebraska got a little bump thanks to being in bye and not risking a loss, but who knows what the Cornhuskers will look like going forward.
Tier 2
5. Wisconsin Badgers 5-2 (3-1) vs. USC 24-7 W
4. Northwestern Wildcats 6-1 (3-1) vs. Rutgers 42-14 W
3. UCLA Bruins 7-0 (5-0) vs. Michigan State 28-10 W
This tier almost feels like a dream because if you told me at the beginning of the season these would be some of the best teams in the Big Ten, I probably would have rolled on the floor laughing. Luke Fickell has figured some things out with the Badgers, but let's face it, that could be aided by a favorable schedule rather than truly competing at a high level.
Northwestern continues to prove that Chip Kelly has coached Aidan Chiles into a quality quarterback. The Wildcats are taking care of business against their lesser opponents, making them a true threat for a CFP spot. UCLA has not looked as explosive without Nico Iamaleava, but the fact that they have continued to win without him speaks to the coaching efforts of first-year head coach Bob Chesney.
Tier 1
2. Ohio State Buckeyes 6-1 (4-0) BYE
1. Indiana Hoosiers 7-1 (3-1) vs. Michigan 13-6 OT W
Ohio State was on bye, and it came at the perfect time for this team because they needed extra time to adjust to life without Julian Sayin. The Buckeyes QB could now be out for the rest of the season, including the CFP, as long as Ohio State is still there. Because of Sayin's injury and the bye, the Buckeyes drop one spot, putting Indiana back on top.
It wasn't pretty, but Indiana was able to escape Ann Arbor without being upset. The Wolverines put up their best effort defensively, but luckily the Hoosiers' defense simply made a few more plays to help secure the win. Hopefully Josh Hoover continues to get healthier because that kind of play won't help his team in the postseason.
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