Big Ten Football Power Rankings (Week 8): Ducks Replace Bucks in Top Spot

Oregon defeated Ohio State in one of the biggest games of the 2024 college football season. That puts the Ducks in the driver's seat in the Big Ten.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel scores a touchdown against Ohio State / Chris Pietsch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What a weekend in the Big Ten. We were blessed to see two overtime games — Penn State vs. USC and Purdue vs. Illinois — and an instant college football classic with Oregon's win over Ohio State. It was an incredible weekend on the gridiron.

That awesome weekend resulted in some major shakeups in this week's Big Ten power rankings. Most notably, Oregon becomes the new top dog in the conference after a 32-31 win over Ohio State.

How do the rest of the power rankings shake out? Here's a look at the latest.

1. Oregon Ducks

• Record: 6-0 overall, 3-0 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 3 (up 2 spots)
• Last week: Oregon 32, Ohio State 31
• This week: Oregon at Purdue (Friday, Oct. 18)
• Location: Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind.
• Time & TV: 8 p.m. ET (TV: FOX)
• The skinny: Oregon passed the biggest test of the year, taking down Ohio State and earning the No. 1 spot in the power rankings. It took a total team effort, but quarterback Dillon Gabriel, running back Jordan James and wide receiver Evan Stewart put on quite the show in Eugene under the lights. The season is far from over, but the Ducks are now in the driver's seat and have a pretty clear path to the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis, now that the biggest hurdle has been cleared.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

• Record: 5-1 overall, 2-1 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 1 (down 1 spot)
• Last week: Oregon 32, Ohio State 31
• This week: OFF
• The skinny: Was Saturday's outcome disappointing? Obviously. But there are still plenty of opportunities for Ohio State to make up ground following last week's loss to Oregon. While the offense played well, the defense struggled to keep Oregon's receivers in check, which could be problematic if the Buckeyes reach the College Football Playoff and take on some of the sport's elite talent. Ohio State gets a week off to regroup before a home game against Nebraska.

3. Penn State Nittany Lions

• Record: 6-0 overall, 3-0 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 2 (down 1 spot)
• Last week: Penn State 33, USC 30 (OT)
• This week: OFF
• The skinny: Traveling to the West Coast has proven to be a difficult taks for many Big Ten teams this season. So, escaping Los Angeles with a three-point win has to feel pretty good to James Franklin and his staff. Penn State overcame quarterback Drew Allar's three interceptions to get a victory, an impressive feat against a high-caliber opponent like USC. And major props go out to tight end Tyler Warren, who finished the game wth 224 receiving yards and a touchdown on 17 catches. Just give that man the Mackey Award now.

4. Indiana Hoosiers

• Record: 6-0 overall, 3-0 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 4 (no change)
• Last week: OFF
• This week: Nebraska at Indiana
• Location: Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind.
• Time & TV: Noon ET (TV: FOX)
• The skinny: The first half of the season is over and Indiana aced the exam. Now, the Hoosiers have a much tougher six-game stretch to close out the 2024 season, beginning with this weekend's Homecoming clash against Nebraska. We're going to find out just how good Curt Cignetti's team is over the next two months.

5. Illinois Fighting Illini

• Record: 5-1 overall, 2-1 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 5 (no change)
• Last week: Illinois 50, Purdue 49 (OT)
• This week: Michigan at Illinois
• Location: Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill.
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET (TV: CBS)
• The skinny: Sometimes, all that matters is that you get the win. That was the case for Illinois on Saturday, which blew a 27-3 third quarter lead and needed overtime to defeat rival Purdue. The Illini played nearly flawless football in the first half but were hindered by errors in the final 30 minutes. It was an ugly outing, but a win is a win. Bret Bielema will take a 5-1, no matter how it looked. There's a lot for this team to clean up before playing Michigan on Saturday, especially on the defensive side.

6. Nebraska Cornhuskers

• Record: 5-1 overall, 2-1 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 6 (no change)
• Last week: OFF
• This week: Nebraska at Indiana
• Location: Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind.
• Time & TV: Noon ET (TV: FOX)
• The skinny: Can Nebraska put together two complete halves this weekend? That's been a problem for Matt Rhule's team through six games. Going against a high-powered Indiana offense, the Huskers will have to be locked in for a full 60 minutes.

7. Iowa Hawkeyes

• Record: 4-2 overall, 2-1 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 10 (up 3 spots)
• Last week: Iowa 40, Washington 16
• This week: Iowa at Michigan State
• Location: Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich.
• Time & TV: 7:30 p.m. ET (TV: NBC)
• The skinny: It's safe to say the Iowa offense is no longer a storyline, right? Maybe it's not quite good enough to compete with teams like Ohio State and Oregon, but running back Kaleb Johnson continues to carve up defenses and the run blocking is significantly better than it was a season ago. The Hawkeyes own the Big Ten's top rushing offense, averaging 222.8 yards per game on the ground. That's a drastic improvement from the previous two seasons.

8. Michigan Wolverines

• Record: 4-2 overall, 2-1 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 7 (down 1 spot)
• Last week: OFF
• This week: Michigan at Illinois
• Location: Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill.
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET (TV: CBS)
• The skinny: Michigan is going to have to figure something out with its passing attack moving forward. Sherrone Moore has a run game and a defensive unit good enough to win games, but to compete at the highest level of the Big Ten, the Wolverines need to be able to throw the football. Did they make any changes to make that a bigger part of their game during the bye week?

9. Minnesota Golden Gophers

• Record: 4-3 overall, 2-2 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 12 (up 3 spots)
• Last week: Minnesota 21, UCLA 17
• This week: OFF
• The skinny: The Gophers seem to have a little momentum after getting back-to-back wins over USC and UCLA — even though PJ Fleck doesn't believe in it. UCLA shut down Minnesota's run game, which forced Minnesota to win the gam with quarterback Max Brosmer through the air. He delivered again, hitting 26-of-37 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns. Koi Perich also had an outstanding evening defensively, recording two interceptions and two tackles in the win.

10. USC Trojans

• Record: 3-3 overall, 1-3 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 9 (down 1 spot)
• Last week: Penn State 33, USC 30 (OT)
• This week: USC at Maryland
• Location: SECU Stadium in College Park, Md.
• Time & TV: 4 p.m. ET (TV: Fox Sports 1)
• The skinny: For the third time this season, USC has been in position to win a big game but came up short. Saturday's 33-30 loss to Penn State dropped the Trojans to 3-3 on the year, losing all three of those contests by a single possession. Talk about frustrating. It's back to the drawing board for Lincoln Riley, whose team is now out of the College Football Playoff picture. How will this team respond for the remainder of the season?

11. Wisconsin Badgers

• Record: 4-2 overall, 2-1 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 13 (up 2 spots)
• Last week: Wisconsin 42, Rutgers 7
• This week: Wisconsin at Northwestern
• Location: Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium in Evanston, Ill.
• Time & TV: Noon ET (TV: Big Ten Network)
• The skinny: Has Wisconsin figured something out? After a sluggish 2-2 start to the season, the Badgers have outscored their last two opponents (Purdue and Rutgers) 94-13. They've done it without starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke and running back Chez Mellusi, too. Running back Tawee Walker had a huge outing, piling up 198 yards and three touchdowns against the Scarlet Knights. Wisconsin might be hitting its stride at the right time, with games against Northwestern, Penn State, Iowa and Oregon on the horizon.

12. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

• Record: 4-2 overall, 1-2 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 8 (down 4 spots)
• Last week: Wisconsin 42, Rutgers 7
• This week: UCLA at Rutgers
• Location: SHI Stadium in Piscataway, N.J.
• Time & TV: Noon ET (TV: Fox Sports 1)
• The skinny: All the talk about Rutgers being a sleeper in the Big Ten has gone quiet after back-to-back losses to Nebraska and Wisconsin. It just didn't look like th Scarlet Knights even showed up Saturday against the Badgers. It's been a really disappointing offensive effort from Greg Schiano's team the last two weeks.

13. Washington Huskies

• Record: 4-3 overall, 2-2 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 11 (down 2 spots)
• Last week: Iowa 40, Washington 16
• This week: OFF
• The skinny: Washington's inability to capitalize offensively continues to be a problem. The Huskies have 28 red zone visits this season, with 14 resulting in touchdowns, seven resulting in field goals and seven resulting in nothing. That's not good. The Washington defense kept the team in the game through three quarters until the Hawkeyes decided to break it wide open in the fourth. The good news? After waiting seven weeks, the Huskies finally get a bye.

14. Northwestern Wildcats

• Record: 3-3 overall, 1-2 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 16 (up 2 spots)
• Last week: Northwestern 37, Maryland 10
• This week: Wisconsin at Northwestern
• Location: Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium in Evanston, Ill.
• Time & TV: 8 p.m. ET (TV: FOX)
• The skinny: A lot will talk about Northwestern's offense, and for good reason. The Wildcats put up 37 points on Maryland in Friday night's showdown. But how about David Braun's team holding the Terps to just 10 points, their worst outing of the year. Linebacker Mac Uihlein had 13 tackles, including 11 solo stops in the win. Defensive back Damon Walters had an interception and a fumble recovery. It was an impressive effort all around.

15. Michigan State Spartans

• Record: 3-3 overall, 1-2 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 14 (down 1 spot)
• Last week: OFF
• This week: Iowa at Michigan State
• Location: Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich.
• Time & TV: 7:30 p.m. ET (TV: NBC)
• The skinny: Hopefully, Jonathan Smith and his staff worked on ball control during the off week. Michigan State's trouble with turnovers has been costly this season. The Spartans must protect the football this week against Iowa, otherwise it could get ugly quick.

16. Maryland Terrapins

• Record: 3-3 overall, 0-3 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 15 (down 1 spot)
• Last week: Northwestern 37, Maryland 10
• This week: USC at Maryland
• Location: SECU Stadium in College Park, Md.
• Time & TV: 4 p.m. ET (TV: Fox Sports 1)
• The skinny: It's been a tough run for Maryland since Big Ten play started. This program is clearly in rebuilding mode and is a long way away from where it was the previous two seasons. The Terps have another tall task this weekend, hosting an angry USC team.

17. UCLA Bruins

• Record: 1-5 overall, 0-4 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 17 (no change)
• Last week: Minnesota 21, UCLA 17
• This week: UCLA at Rutgers
• Location: SHI Stadium in Piscataway, N.J.
• Time & TV: Noon ET (TV: Fox Sports 1)
• The skinny: Close, but no cigar. UCLA was within striking distance of its first Big Ten win but came up short. Turnovers and penalties hindered the Bruins' momentum in this one, dropping DeShaun Foster's squad to 1-5 on the season.

18. Purdue Boilermakers

• Record: 1-5 overall, 0-3 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 18 (no change)
• Last week: Purdue 50, Illinois 49 (OT)
• This week: Oregon at Purdue (Friday, Oct. 18)
• Location: Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill.
• Time & TV: 8 p.m. ET (TV: FOX)
• The skinny: For the first time since the season opener, Purdue showed some fight. It didn't result in a win, but the Boilermakers actually competed, and that's a sign of improvement. Backup quarterback Ryan Browne deserves major praise, throwing for 297 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 118 yards in his first career start.