Big Ten Power Rankings for College Football Week 7: UCLA Climbs, Oregon Plummets

Nico Iamaleava’s knee injury and Oregon’s seven-turnover afternoon reshaped the conference order ahead of Ohio State’s trip to Bloomington for a first-place showdown.

UCLA Bruins head coach Bob Chesney yells during the second quarter against the California Golden Bears | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ohio State holds the top spot in the Big Ten power rankings entering Week 7, while UCLA’s 17-15 win at Oregon lifted the unbeaten Bruins to No. 3 and sent the Ducks tumbling six spots.

Purdue made the biggest climb, jumping four spots to No. 10 after a 41-13 rout of Minnesota for its second straight Big Ten win. Oregon’s slide to No. 9 came after seven turnovers and a benching at quarterback.

Week 7 opens Friday with Washington at Purdue and features seven conference games, headlined by Ohio State at Indiana in a rematch of last season’s Big Ten championship game. Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and USC are off. Here’s how all 18 Big Ten teams stack up entering Week 7.

18. Rutgers (Previous rank: 18)

• Last week: Bye
• Next: at Maryland, Saturday, Oct. 17, 12:30 p.m. ET

Rutgers had a week off after a 47-15 loss to Indiana in which quarterback Dylan Lonergan and four defenders were injured. The Scarlet Knights’ four losses include a 37-21 home defeat to UMass in the opener, and Saturday’s trip to College Park is the lone game this week between two winless Big Ten teams.

17. Maryland (Prev: 17)

Maryland Terrapins quarterback Malik Washington (7) celebrates his touchdown run with Maryland Terrapins offensive lineman Michael Hershey (61) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

• Last week: L Ohio State, 16-45
• Next: vs. Rutgers, Saturday, Oct. 17, 12:30 p.m. ET

Maryland trailed only 14-10 in the second quarter and pulled within 31-16 on Daniel Wingate’s 51-yard interception return, but Ohio State put the game away on the ground after halftime. The Terps have lost four straight and have been outscored 147-42 across their three Big Ten games.

Head coach Mike Locksley, who’s 38-48 in his eighth season, is one of two coaches in this game on the college football hot seat. “My focus is on Rutgers for next week,” Locksley said.

16. Michigan State (Prev: 16)

• Last week: L Illinois, 37-38 (OT)
• Next: vs. Northwestern, Saturday, Oct. 17, 12:00 p.m. ET

Michigan State rallied from 16 points down to force overtime, and head coach Pat Fitzgerald went for the win after Jaziun Patterson’s third touchdown run. The two-point pass fell incomplete, extending the Spartans’ losing streak to four games.

Alessio Milivojevic completed 22 of 26 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns. Next up is Northwestern, Fitzgerald’s former program, led by a quarterback who made 20 starts in East Lansing.

15. Illinois (Prev: 15)

Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Hudson Clement (13) can't quite reach this touchdown pass | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

• Last week: W Michigan State, 38-37 (OT)
• Next: Bye week

Illinois scored on its first five possessions and led by 16 in the third quarter, then needed a stop on Michigan State’s two-point try to escape East Lansing. The win came at a cost, as quarterback Katin Houser broke his hand while making a tackle on an interception return and is out indefinitely.

Freshman Michael Clayton II threw the first passes of his career in relief, including a 25-yard touchdown to Hudson Clement on the first play of overtime. Head coach Bret Bielema said, “I do know he had something broken in his hand, so we’ll try to gather information as best we can there.”

14. Washington (Prev: 12)

• Last week: L Iowa, 24-41
• Next: at Purdue, Friday, Oct. 16, 8:00 p.m. ET

Washington fell behind 27-0 at home before halftime and finished with minus-3 rushing yards against an Iowa defense that recorded six sacks and nine tackles for loss. Demond Williams Jr. left late in the first half with an injury, and head coach Jedd Fisch couldn’t say after the game whether his starter will be available Friday.

Stanford transfer Elijah Brown went 28 of 39 for 251 yards and three touchdowns in relief. Linebacker Xe’ree Alexander also suffered a high ankle sprain, and the Huskies are still searching for their first Big Ten win.

13. Penn State (Prev: 13)

Penn State head coach Matt Campbell looks on from the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

• Last week: L USC, 23-31
• Next: at Michigan, Saturday, Oct. 17, 3:30 p.m. ET

Penn State played its most competitive Big Ten game under head coach Matt Campbell, converting three fourth downs on scoring drives and taking a 20-17 lead after recovering USC’s onside kick to open the second half.

The Nittany Lions still ran for only 68 yards on 31 carries, and USC’s Christian Pierce forced a fumble from Brett Eskildsen with 3:59 left to end the comeback bid. Saturday’s trip to Ann Arbor pairs two first-year coaches whose teams are a combined 0-5 in conference play.

12. Michigan (Prev: 11)

• Last week: Bye
• Next: vs. Penn State, Saturday, Oct. 17, 3:30 p.m. ET

Michigan slides one spot because Purdue passed it, not because of anything that happened during the bye. Head coach Kyle Whittingham said Monday, “Jason is calling plays and Bryce is our guy,” but backup Tommy Carr took snaps with the first-team offense during the off week.

Bryce Underwood has lost three fumbles and thrown four interceptions against five touchdown passes, and the Wolverines are 0-2 in Big Ten play for the first time since 2014. “If we don’t get this turnover thing fixed rapidly, then something’s got to give,” Whittingham said.

11. Minnesota (Prev: 10)

Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey (5) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

• Last week: L Purdue, 13-41
• Next: Bye week, then vs. Iowa on Saturday, Oct. 24

A week after beating Michigan, Minnesota ran for 25 yards on 12 carries and trailed 20-3 at halftime in West Lafayette. Former Gophers running back Fame Ijeboi did the most damage against his old team.

Drake Lindsey threw for 248 yards, including a 42-yard touchdown to Jalen Smith, but Minnesota never got closer than 14 points after halftime. Wins over Michigan and Washington keep the Gophers (4-2, 2-1) ahead of both programs.

10. Purdue (Prev: 14)

• Last week: W Minnesota, 41-13
• Next: vs. Washington, Friday, Oct. 16, 8:00 p.m. ET

Purdue followed its win at Illinois, which snapped a 19-game Big Ten losing streak, with the most complete performance of head coach Barry Odom’s second season. Ijeboi, a Minnesota transfer, ran for a career-high 195 yards and three touchdowns, and the Boilermakers outrushed the Gophers 299-25 while scoring on all six red-zone trips.

Purdue’s three losses came by two points in double overtime against Wake Forest, at UCLA and against Notre Dame. A Friday night home game against a Washington team with an unsettled quarterback situation gives the Boilermakers a chance to move to 3-1 in Big Ten play.

9. Oregon (Prev: 3)

Oregon quarterback Brock Thomas (12) makes a pass during the fourth quarter against the UCLA Bruins | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

• Last week: L UCLA, 15-17
• Next: vs. Nebraska, Saturday, Oct. 17, 11:00 p.m. ET

Oregon drops six spots after committing seven turnovers in a home loss that also knocked it out of the AP Top 25. Dylan Raiola, starting for Dante Moore, who remains in concussion protocol, completed six passes for 43 yards with two interceptions and lost a fumble before Brock Thomas replaced him in the fourth quarter.

Thomas threw a 44-yard touchdown to Evan Stewart with 2:16 left, and the Big Ten said Sunday that officials spotted the ball incorrectly on the ensuing two-point retry after a UCLA facemask penalty.

“Per rule, the ball should have been spotted half-the-distance to the goal from the end of the run of the first attempt,” the conference said.

Head coach Dan Lanning didn’t commit to a starter after the game, and Nebraska is the program Raiola left in the offseason.

8. Wisconsin (Prev: 9)

• Last week: Bye
• Next: at UCLA, Saturday, Oct. 17, 7:30 p.m. ET

Wisconsin moves up one spot on Oregon’s loss and heads to Pasadena on its first four-game winning streak in five years. Since a season-opening loss to Notre Dame, the Badgers have won 24-20 at Penn State on a 72-yard touchdown pass from Colton Joseph with 1:13 left and routed Michigan State 31-3.

Game on Paper ranks Wisconsin sixth nationally in adjusted net EPA per play, ahead of every Big Ten team except Ohio State. Head coach Luke Fickell said after the Michigan State win, “We preach about being consistently good, not occasionally great.”

7. USC (Prev: 8)

Southern California running back King Miller (8) runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown during the third quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

• Last week: W Penn State, 31-23
• Next: Bye week, then at Wisconsin on Saturday, Oct. 24

USC entered 4-6 in Big Ten road games under head coach Lincoln Riley and left Beaver Stadium with a win in front of 114,419 fans at the White Out. Jayden Maiava went 21 of 33 for 301 yards and three touchdowns, and Trent Mosley caught nine passes for 111 yards and a score.

Riley called it “one of my favorite wins as a head coach, no question.” The Trojans (6-1) still stop at seventh because their defense ranks 95th in ESPN’s efficiency metric, the lowest mark among the conference’s top nine teams.

6. Nebraska (Prev: 5)

• Last week: L Indiana, 17-20
• Next: at Oregon, Saturday, Oct. 17, 11:00 p.m. ET

Nebraska outgained Indiana 391-328, held the ball for 39:33 and led 17-6 early in the fourth quarter after Anthony Colandrea’s 39-yard touchdown run. Nick Marsh then scored on a 75-yard catch 10 seconds later and a 44-yard catch on fourth-and-1, handing the Huskers their first loss.

Head coach Matt Rhule said, “That wasn’t an Indiana team sleepwalking through this and that wasn’t a Nebraska team that’s not in that class.”

The Cornhuskers (5-1) slip one spot, and they could see their former quarterback across the field if Oregon turns to Raiola again in Eugene.

5. Iowa (Prev: 7)

Iowa quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski (10) stands over center before a fourth-quarter play against the Washington Huskies | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

• Last week: W Washington, 41-24
• Next: Bye week, then at Minnesota on Saturday, Oct. 24

Iowa answered its loss to Ohio State by building a 27-0 lead in Seattle with Jeremy Hecklinski starting in place of the injured Hank Brown. Hecklinski went 14 of 19 for 202 yards and three touchdowns, including two scoring throws to tight end DJ Vonnahme, while Kamari Moulton ran for a career-high 208 yards on 26 carries.

The defense held Washington to minus-3 rushing yards with six sacks.

Head coach Kirk Ferentz said, “Being on the road, short week, you know, all kinds of reasons maybe we wouldn’t play well.”

The Hawkeyes’ lone loss came against the Buckeyes, and their one-point win over Michigan still holds up on the resume.

4. Northwestern (Prev: 4)

• Last week: W Ball State, 45-14
• Next: at Michigan State, Saturday, Oct. 17, 12:00 p.m. ET

Northwestern scored on its first four possessions and piled up 436 yards against Ball State, a week after rushing for 413 against Penn State. Aidan Chiles completed 17 of 23 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns, ran for another score and capped a 99-yard drive with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Alex Honig. Griffin Wilde caught eight passes for 144 yards.

Head coach David Braun said, “Aidan’s ability, when things break down, to extend things with his feet is a critical piece of what we’re doing.”

Several Week 7 rankings dropped the Wildcats to sixth or lower, but ESPN ranks them 11th nationally in overall efficiency, and their lone loss came by six points at Indiana. Chiles, who made 20 starts for Michigan State, now returns to East Lansing as the leader of a team chasing its first College Football Playoff berth.

3. UCLA (Prev: 6)

UCLA running back Wayne Knight (3) and wide receiver Aidan Mizell (1) celebrate after a touchdown during the second quarter against the Oregon Ducks | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

• Last week: W Oregon, 17-15
• Next: vs. Wisconsin, Saturday, Oct. 17, 7:30 p.m. ET

UCLA climbs three spots after forcing seven turnovers in Eugene and stuffing Jordon Davison on Oregon’s two-point retry to preserve the win. Wayne Knight ran for 103 yards and scored twice, including a 9-yard touchdown catch from Ty Dieffenbach that made it 17-6 in the fourth quarter. The Bruins (5-0) lead the nation with 10 interceptions.

Nico Iamaleava is reportedly out indefinitely with a knee injury he suffered late in the first half. First-year head coach Bob Chesney initially thought his quarterback took a hit to the thigh, then said, “There might be a little bit more to it.”

Chesney must now choose between Dieffenbach and Madden Iamaleava, Nico’s younger brother, while Oregon’s Bear Alexander faces possible Big Ten discipline for a late-half hit on Iamaleava.

2. Indiana (Prev: 2)

• Last week: W Nebraska, 20-17
• Next: vs. Ohio State, Saturday, Oct. 17, 12:00 p.m. ET

Indiana didn’t lead in Lincoln until 7:13 remained, and Marsh produced both fourth-quarter touchdowns. The senior receiver finished with six catches for 187 yards, and Josh Hoover threw for 263 yards on 12 of 22 passing.

Head coach Curt Cignetti said he borrowed the fourth-down play from Kansas, adding, “Nick made some big plays over the second half.” The win extended the defending national champions’ streak to 22 games, the longest in the Big Ten since Ohio State won 23 straight from 2013-14, and kept them among the nation’s undefeated teams.

The Hoosiers stay second because they needed a fourth-quarter rally against an unranked team, while Ohio State has played the more complete football. Saturday’s rematch of last season’s 13-10 Big Ten title game will settle the top spot.

1. Ohio State (Prev: 1)

Ohio State running back Bo Jackson (25) runs for a touchdown during the college football game against the Maryland Terrapins | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

• Last week: W Maryland, 45-16
• Next: at Indiana, Saturday, Oct. 17, 12:00 p.m. ET

Ohio State keeps the top spot despite a sloppy 45-16 win in which it committed two turnovers and eight penalties. Jeremiah Smith scored on his first two touches, a 33-yard catch-and-run and a 40-yard screen, and now has 38 career touchdown catches, one shy of the Big Ten record. The junior enters Week 7 as the Heisman Trophy front-runner.

Julian Sayin threw four touchdown passes, and Bo Jackson ran for two second-half scores. The Buckeyes played without starting tackles Phillip Daniels and Austin Siereveld and receivers Brandon Inniss and Devin McCuin. Iowa’s 41-24 win at Washington also adds weight to Ohio State’s 31-14 win at Kinnick Stadium.

Head coach Ryan Day said, “We’ve got to get this stuff fixed. There’s too much at stake here.” Ohio State visits Indiana and USC before hosting Oregon over its next three games, and the Hoosiers haven’t beaten the Buckeyes in Bloomington since 1988.