Big Ten Football Power Rankings (Week 6): Penn State Passes First Major Test

Penn State passed its first big test on Saturday, defeating Illinois 21-7. Is this the year the Nittany Lions finally get back to the Big Ten Championship Game?

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (13) is pushed out of bounds / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Right now, it's hard to dethrone Ohio State from the top spot in the Big Ten power rankings, but Penn State solidified its position at No. 2 after Saturday's performance against Illinois.

Saturday marked the first major test of the season for James Franklin and the Nittany Lions. Playing a ranked Illinois team this weekend, Penn State endured its share of struggles, but it ultimately flexed its muscle and shut down the Fighting Illini's hopes of an upset.

It's easy to look at the "Illinois" name and dismiss Penn State's victory. But that was a solid win against a really talented Illini squad.

Now that you know which teams sit in the first two spots of the weekly Big Ten power rankings, let's see where the rest of the conference stands.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes

• Record: 4-0 overall, 1-0 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 1 (no change)
• Last week: Ohio State 38, Michigan State 7
• This week: Iowa vs. Ohio State
• Location: Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET (TV: CBS)
• The skinny: Even against Big Ten competition, Ohio State looks like it's on cruise control. The Buckeyes had no problems with Michigan State on Saturday. The Buckeyes averaged more than 5.0 yards per carry and got great production from receivers Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka. Defensively, Ohio State racked up four sacks, seven tackles for loss and forced three turnovers in another blowout win.

2. Penn State Nittany Lions

• Record: 4-0 overall, 1-0 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 2 (no change)
• Last week: Penn State 21, Illinois 7
• This week: UCLA vs. Penn State
• Location: Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa.
• Time & TV: Noon ET (TV: FOX)
• The skinny: Moving defensive coordinator Tom Allen into the press box seemed to pay off in a big way for Penn State on Saturday. The Nittany Lions were unstoppable on that side of the football, ending the game with seven sacks and 13 tackles for loss. Abdul Carter and Zane Durant looked like two of the best players in college football all night long. The offense didn't put up a ton of points, but Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton led a rushing attacked that piled up 241 yards and three touchdowns. It was a dominant performance, one that makes many think Penn State is the real deal.

3. Oregon Ducks

• Record: 4-0 overall, 1-0 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 3 (no change)
• Last week: Oregon 34, UCLA 13
• This week: Michigan State vs. Oregon (Friday, Oct. 4)
• Location: Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.
• Time & TV: 9 p.m. ET (TV: FOX)
• The skinny: How much do we really know about Oregon? Yes, we know the Ducks are good, but are they championship-level good? Dan Lanning's team has played much better in recent wins over Oregon State and UCLA, but those aren't the best measuring sticks. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel continues to shine, throwing for 278 yards and three touchdowns in a lopsided victory over the Bruins.

4. Michigan Wolverines

• Record: 4-1 overall, 2-0 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 4 (no change)
• Last week: Michigan 27, Minnesota 24
• This week: Michigan vs. Washington
• Location: Husky Stadium in Seattle, Wash.
• Time & TV: 7:30 p.m. ET (TV: NBC)
• The skinny: For three quarters, Michigan looked like Michigan. Then, the fourth quarter happened. The Wolverines benefited from a fortuitous offsides penalty on an onside kick attempt to secure a 27-24 victory over Minnesota. For the most part, Michigan's defense played well, but the offense was a problem, totaling just 241 yards. Coach Sherrone Moore is going to have to find a way to get more balance on that side of the football.

5. USC Trojans

• Record: 3-1 overall, 1-1 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 6 (up 1 spot)
• Last week: USC 38, Wisconsin 21
• This week: USC vs. Minnesota
• Location: Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn.
• Time & TV: 7:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network)
• The skinny: It was the tale of two halves for USC on Saturday. After trailing Wisconsin 21-10 at halftme, the Trojans outscored the Badgers 28-0 in the final 30 minutes to pick up their first conference win as a member of the Big Ten. The run defense looked much better than a week ago, allowing just 106 yards on the ground. Plus, receiver Ja'Kobi Lane had a huge game, hauling in 10 passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns.

6. Indiana Hoosiers

• Record: 5-0 overall, 2-0 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 7 (up 1 spot)
• Last week: Indiana 42, Maryland 28
• This week: Indiana vs. Northwestern
• Location: Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium in Evanston, Ill.
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network)
• The skinny: Indiana is 5-0 for the first time since 1957 and could secure a bowl berth in the first week of October. The Hoosiers got a lot of production from quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who threw for 359 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-28 win over Maryland. Because of the schedule it's played thus far, it's hard to tell if Indiana is a real championship-level contender. But there's no question Curt Cignetti has quickly changed the culture in Bloomington.

7. Illinois Fighting Illini

• Record: 4-1 overall, 1-1 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 5 (down 2 spots)
• Last week: Penn State 21, Illinois 7
• This week: OFF
• The skinny: It didn't end the way Illinois would've liked, but Bret Bielema's team rose to the challenge in Happy Valley on Saturday. The Fighting Illini had plenty of chances to upset Penn State in Beaver Stadium, but just couldn't make enough plays offensively. A bye week comes at an advantageous time, with Purdue, Michigan and Oregon occupying the next three Saturdays on Illinois' schedule.

8. Nebraska Cornhuskers

• Record: 4-1 overall, 1-1 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 8 (no change)
• Last week: Nebraska 28, Purdue 10
• This week: Rutgers vs. Nebraska
• Location: Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb.
• Time & TV: 4 p.m. ET (TV: Fox Sports 1)
• The skinny: Sometimes, just escaping with a win s good enough. Despite, converting just one-of-eight third down opportunities, missing three field goals and going 42 minutes without scoring a point, Nebraska managed to pick up a road win against a desperate Purdue team. The Huskers' defense completely shut down Purdue's offense, especially the run game. This wasn't a pretty performance, but it was enough to get to 4-1 on the year.

9. Iowa Hawkeyes

• Record: 3-1 overall, 1-0 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 9 (no change)
• Last week: OFF
• This week: Iowa vs. Ohio State
• Location: Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET (TV: CBS)
• The skinny: After a week off, Iowa will face its biggest challenge of the season, traveling to Columbus to play Ohio State. The Hawkeyes will need a brilliant performance from its defense and a lot of production from running back Kaleb Johnson to pull off an upset.

10. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

• Record: 4-0 overall, 1-0 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 10 (no change)
• Last week: Rutgers 21, Washington 18
• This week: Rutgers vs. Nebraska
• Location: Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb.
• Time & TV: 4 p.m. ET (TV: Fox Sports 1)
• The skinny: Look at the box score, and you'll scratch your head wondering how Rutgers knocked off Washington. The Huskies piled up 521 yards of offense compared to the Scarlet Knights' 299. The difference? Special teams. Rutgers forced Washington into several field goal attempts, which the Huskies failed to convert. Yes, Greg Schiano's team got the win, but it played with fire on Saturday. The Scarlet Knights' defense is going to have to play a lot better between the 20s against Nebraska.

11. Michigan State Spartans

• Record: 3-2 overall, 1-1Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 11 (no change)
• Last week: Ohio State 38, Michigan State 7
• This week: Michigan State vs. Oregon (Friday, Oct. 4)
• Location: Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.
• Time & TV: 9 p.m. ET (TV: FOX)
• The skinny: It's hard to depend so heavily on explosive plays and expect to beat teams like Ohio State. Michigan State learned that lesson the hard way on Saturday. The Spartans couldn't get much going offensively and struggled to slow down a high-octane Buckeyes offense. Life doesn't get any easier this weekend, with Michigan State traveling to Eugene to play Oregon on Friday night.

12. Washington Huskies

• Record: 3-2 overall, 1-1Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 12 (no change)
• Last week: Rutgers 21, Washington 18
• This week: Michigan vs. Washington
• Location: Husky Stadium in Seattle, Wash.
• Time & TV: 7:30 p.m. ET (TV: NBC)
• The skinny: Special teams, Washington. The Huskies were able to move the football on Rutgers' defense, but failed to convert that success into points. The Huskies made just one of their four field goal attempts, resulting in a three-point loss in Piscataway. Washington has struggled to find success in the red zone this season, scoring points on just 13-of-18 visits, with only nine of those trips resulting in a touchdown. That's an area where Washington needs to see some major improvement.

13. Wisconsin Badgers

• Record: 2-2 overall, 0-1 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 13 (no change)
• Last week: USC 38, Wisconsin 21
• This week: Purdue vs. Wisconsin
• Location: Camp Randall Stadum in Madison, Wis.
• Tme & TV: Noon ET (TV: Big Ten Network)
• The skinny: In the first half against USC, it looked like Wisconsin had figured some things out. Then the second half happened. Right now, it's hard to gauge where the Badgers stand in the Big Ten. Their two wins have come against Western Michigan and South Dakota. The two losses have been to ranked opponents in Alabama and USC. All we really know is that Luke Fickell's team isn't close to competing at the top of the conference.

14. Maryland Terrapins

• Record: 3-2 overall, 0-2 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 14 (no change)
• Last week: Indiana 42, Maryland 28
• This week: OFF
• The skinny: There are still a lot of positive with Maryland's offense. Billy Edwards Jr. threw for 289 yards with three touchdowns and had eight different receivers get involved. But the Terps have to figure some things out on the defensive side of the football if they want to reach another bowl game. Having an off week to fix those issues could be a huge benefit.

15. Minnesota Golden Gophers

• Record: 2-3 overall, 0-2 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 15 (no change)
• Last week: Michigan 27, Minnesota 24
• This week: USC vs. Minnesota
• Location: Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn.
• Time & TV: 7:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network)
• The skinny: Give credit to Minnesota for fighting until the very end. The Gophers could have thrown in the towel after trailing 24-3, but they continued to battle and had an opportunity to win late. Even though they surrendered 27 points, Minnesota's defense played well, especially in the second half. This is still a team that hasn't really played a full 60 minutes against a quality opponent yet.

16. Northwestern Wildcats

• Record: 2-2 overall, 0-1 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 16 (no change)
• Last week: OFF
• This week: Indiana vs. Northwestern
• Location: Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium in Evanston, Ill.
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network)
• The skinny: Will an extra week to prepare help Northwestern slow down Indiana's high-powered offense? Did the Wildcats implement any changes offensively? These are a few questions we have for David Braun's group coming out of the bye week.

17. UCLA Bruins

• Record: 1-3 overall, 0-2 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 17 (no change)
• Last week: Oregon 34, UCLA 13
• This week: UCLA vs. Penn State
• Location: Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa.
• Time & TV: Noon ET (TV: FOX)
• The skinny: Through four games, UCLA still hasn't eclipsed 100 yards on the ground in a single game. The Bruins struggled running the ball again on Saturday, accounting for just 47 yards on 24 carries. Oregon may have only won by 21 points, but it actually felt like a much more lopsided outcome.

18. Purdue Boilermakers

• Record: 1-3 overall, 0-1 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 18 (no change)
• Last week: Nebraska 28, Purdue 10
• This week: Purdue vs. Wisconsin
• Location: Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
• Time & TV: Noon ET (TV: Big Ten Network)
• The skinny: For three quarters, Purdue's defense played well enough to beat Nebraska. But the ineptitude on offense continues to hold the Boilermakers back. At one point in the fourth quarter, Purdue had more penalty yards (165) than offensive yards (146). Now, the Boilers travel to Madison to play a team they haven't beaten since 2003.