Big Ten Football Power Rankings (Week 10): Can Penn State Finally Beat Ohio State?

Penn State is undefeated heading into Saturday's game against Ohio State. Can James Franklin finally notch a top-five win this weekend?

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin greets players / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Through the first seven games of the season, Penn State has passed the test. The Nittany Lions are 7-0 and have put themselves in position to compete for a Big Ten title at the end of the season. But the biggest challenge still lies ahead.

Coach James Franklin has taken heat over the years for his inability to win "the big one." Will that change this weekend, when the Nittany Lions host Ohio State?

We'll find that out soon enough. But, for now, let's reflect on Week 9 and run through the latest Big Ten power rankings.

1. Oregon Ducks

• Record: 8-0 overall, 5-0 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 1 (no change)
• Last week: Oregon 38, Illinois 9
• This week: Oregon at Michigan
• Location: Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich.
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS
• The skinny: Another dominant performance from Dan Lanning's team on Saturday, this time against a ranked Illinois squad. Oregon got it done on both sides of the football, piling up more than 527 yards on offense while holding Illinois to just 293 yards and forcing two turnovers. Ducks defensive back Tysheem Johnson deserves a shoutout, ending the game with 10 tackles and an interception. Oregon is firing on all cylinders right now.

2. Penn State Nittany Lions

• Record: 7-0 overall, 4-0 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 3 (up 1 spot)
• Last week: Penn State 28, Wisconsin 13
• This week: Ohio State at Penn State
• Location: Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa.
• Time & TV: Noon ET on FOX
• The skinny: It was shaky for awhile, but Penn State was able to secure an impressive road win over a confident Wisconsin squad. The Nittany Lions did it with backup quarterback Beau Pribula replacing the injured Drew Allar, too. Pribula stepped in and completed 11-of-13 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 28 yards. Not a bad outing for a backup. Now, Penn State turns its attention to Ohio State, a team it hasn't beaten since 2016. Can James Franklin notch a massive victory this Saturday?

3. Ohio State Buckeyes

• Record: 6-1 overall, 3-1 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 2 (down 1 spot)
• Last week: Ohio State 21, Nebraska 17
• This week: Ohio State at Penn State
• Location: Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa.
• Time & TV: Noon ET on FOX
• The skinny: Did Ohio State get exposed by Nebraska? The Buckeyes have had a solid rushing attack this season, but managed just 64 yards on 31 carries in Saturday's 21-17 victory over the Huskers. Coach Ryan Day wasn't pleased with the run game, knowing it has to be much more dominant to win a Big Ten championship and compete for a national title. The Buckeyes survived a scare, yes, but there's a little unrest in Columbus after that performance.

4. Indiana Hoosiers

• Record: 8-0 overall, 5-0 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 4 (no change)
• Last week: Indiana 31, Washington 17
• This week: Indiana at Michigan State
• Location: Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich.
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on Peacock
• The skinny: No Kurtis Rourke, no problem. Indiana's offense wasn't as prolific without its starting quarterback but still notched a big win over Washington. The defense stepped up in a big way, especially defensive back D'Angelo Ponds, who had two interceptions, including a pick-six early to give the Hoosiers their first touchdown. IU depended heavily on the run game, getting 123 yards on 29 carries from Justice Ellison.

5. Illinois Fighting Illini

• Record: 6-2 overall, 3-2 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 5 (no change)
• Last week: Oregon 38, Illinois 9
• This week: Minnesota at Illinois
• Location: Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill.
• Time & TV: Noon ET on Fox Sports 1
• The skinny: Illinois is not quite ready to compete with the power players in the Big Ten just yet. At least not on the road. The Fighting Illini struggled against Oregon from start to finish, suffering their worst loss of the season. This is still a talented a fiesty Illinois team that Bret Bielema has in Champaign, it just ran into a buzzsaw in Eugene.

6. Michigan Wolverines

• Record: 5-3 overall, 3-2 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 8 (up 2 spots)
• Last week: Michigan 24, Michigan State 17
• This week: Oregon at Michigan
• Location: Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich.
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS
• The skinny: The season hasn't gone quite as planned so far, but defeating Michigan State and keeping the Paul Bunyan Trophy certainly makes life better in Ann Arbor. It wasn't pretty, but Michigan didn't make any mental mistakes, finishing the game with no penalties and no turnovers. The Wolverines also had a solid offensive day from quarterback Alex Orji, who ran six times for 64 yards, doing just enough to keep the Spartans on their toes.

7. Wisconsin Badgers

• Record: 5-3 overall, 3-2 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 6 (down 1 spot)
• Last week: Penn State 28, Wisconsin 13
• This week: Wisconsin at Iowa
• Location: Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa
• Time & TV: 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC
• The skinny: A pick-six midway through the third quarter really changed the momentum of Saturday's game against Penn State. Wisconsin was ahead 10-7 before quarterback Braedyn Locke made that mistake. Still, the Badgers put up a really good fight against one of the top teams in the country. They'll get a chance to bounce back this weekend with a road trip to Iowa.

8. Michigan State Spartans

• Record: 4-4 overall, 2-3 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 7 (down 1 spot)
• Last week: Michigan 24, Michigan State 17
• This week: Indiana at Michigan State
• Location: Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich.
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on Peacock
• The skinny: A missed field goal on the opening drive and a fumble on the final possession before half haunted Michigan State at the end of the rivalry game against Michigan. The Spartans had their chances, but couldn't capitalize. It's part of the growing pains in East Lansing. Running back Nate Carter was phenomenal, though, rushing for 118 yards and a touchdown and hauling in two catches for 56 yards.

9. Nebraska Cornhuskers

• Record: 5-3 overall, 2-3 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 9 (no change)
• Last week: Ohio State 21, Nebraska 17
• This week: UCLA at Nebraska
• Location: Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb.
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network
• The skinny: Matt Rhule got his team to respond the right way after a blowout loss to Indiana one week ago. Nebraska took Ohio State to the wire, even owning a 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter. The Huskers shut down the Buckeyes' rushing attack all afternoon long. Defensive lineman Jimari Butler was a force, finishing the game with three tackles for loss. Nebraska gets another shot to clinch bowl eligibility this weekend as it hosts UCLA.

10. Iowa Hawkeyes

• Record: 5-3 overall, 3-2 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 10 (no change)
• Last week: Iowa 40, Northwestern 14
• This week: Wisconsin at Iowa
• Location: Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa
• Time & TV: 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC
• The skinny: A 28-point third quarter helped Iowa put Northwestern away on Saturday. Kaleb Johnson did his thing again, rushing for 109 yards and three touchdowns on just 14 carries. The play of the game came from receiver Kaden Wetjen, who had an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown to help the Hawkeyes cruise to a victory. Iowa now will try to win its second Big Ten rivalry game of the season, hosting Wisconsin in a night game this weekend.

11. Minnesota Golden Gophers

• Record: 5-3 overall, 3-2 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 11 (no change)
• Last week: Minnesota 48, Maryland 23
• This week: Minnesota at Illinois
• Location: Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill.
• Time & TV: Noon ET on Fox Sports 1
• The skinny: Make it three straight victories for PJ Fleck's team. The Gophers used the big arm of quarterback Max Brosmer to post a huge win over Maryland. Brosmer ended the game with 320 yards and four touchdown passes while completing 26-of-33 passes. Receivers Daniel Jackson and Elijah Spencer had big days, combining for 216 yards and four touchdowns on 15 receptions. Minnesota is rolling right now.

12. USC Trojans

• Record: 4-4 overall, 2-4 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 16 (up 4 spots)
• Last week: USC 42, Maryland 20
• This week: USC at Washington
• Location: Husky Stadium in Seattle, Wash.
• Time & TV: 7:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network
• The skinny: It took some time, but USC finally got its second Big Ten win of the season and ended a three-game losing streak. It was a strong offensive performance from the Trojans in the win. Miller Moss threw for 308 yards and accounted for three total touchdowns. Running back Woody Marks had three rushing touchdowns. Receiver Makai Lemon had 134 yards and a touchdown on just four catches. This was the USC we expected to see all season long.

13. Washington Huskies

• Record: 4-4 overall, 2-3 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 12 (down 1 spot)
• Last week: Indiana 31, Washington 17
• This week: USC at Washington
• Location: Husky Stadium in Seattle, Wash.
• Time & TV: 7:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network
• The skinny: You can make the argument that Washington put up a better fight against Indiana than anyone else thus far. That probably isn't helpful for coach Jedd Fisch, but the Huskies were competitive for four quarters. Quarterback Will Rogers has to clean up the mistakes moving forward.

14. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

• Record: 4-4 overall, 1-4 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 13 (down 1 spot)
• Last week: USC 42, Rutgers 20
• This week: OFF
• The skinny: Is it safe to say that Rutgers' season has gone off the rails? The Scarlet Knights have lost four straight games and have become one of the conference's most disappointing teams. Rutgers gets a bye week to rest and recover before the final four-game stretch of the season.

15. Northwestern Wildcats

• Record: 3-5 overall, 1-4 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 14 (down 1 spot)
• Last week: Iowa 40, Northwestern 14
• This week: Northwestern at Purdue
• Location: Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind.
• Time & TV: Noon ET on Big Ten Network
• The skinny: The last two games haven't looked pretty for Northwestern, falling to both Wisconsin and Iowa. The Wildcats have a road trip to Purdue this weekend before closing out the year with Ohio State, Michigan and Illinois. Can David Braun's team even get to five wins?

16. Maryland Terrapins

• Record: 4-4 overall, 1-4 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 15 (down 1 spot)
• Last week: Minnesota 48, Maryland 23
• This week: OFF
• The skinny: Maryland didn't maintain any momentum from that thrilling 29-28 win over USC two weeks ago. Quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. struggled, but MJ Morris gave the Terps some life, throwing for 122 yards and two touchdowns while completing seven-of-eight passes. We'll see how the Terps address the situation in the off week.

17. UCLA Bruins

• Record: 2-5 overall, 1-4 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 17 (no change)
• Last week: OFF
• This week: UCLA at Nebraska
• Location: Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb.
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network
• The skinny: How will UCLA come out of the bye week? The Bruins haven't been good this season, but they have been competitive. It'll be interesting to see how they play against Nebraska after having an extra week to prepare.

18. Purdue Boilermakers

• Record: 1-6 overall, 0-4 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 18 (no change)
• Last week: OFF
• This week: Northwestern at Purdue
• Location: Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind.
• Time & TV: Noon ET on Big Ten Network
• The skinny: If Purdue wants to salvage this season in any way, it has to get a win over Northwestern. After this weekend, the Boilers still have Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State and Indiana on the schedule.