Big Ten Power Rankings Week 10: UCLA Takes Over as USC Upends Ohio State

UCLA takes over No. 1 in the Big Ten power rankings entering Week 10 after Ohio State’s Halloween loss at USC, while Iowa and Oregon climb and Nebraska drops six spots after a third straight late collapse.

The Bruins moved to 8-0 with their first shutout since 2015, and USC jumps seven spots to No. 3 after handing the Buckeyes their second loss. Ohio State falls to No. 4 with freshman Luke Fahey at quarterback, and Indiana holds No. 2 entering its bye.

18. Maryland (Previous rank: 18)

Maryland Terrapins head coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim looks on during the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week: L vs. Illinois, 17-20
Next: at Purdue, Saturday, Nov. 7, 12:30 p.m. ET

Maryland took Illinois to the final play in Aazaar Abdul-Rahim’s first game as interim coach and tied it at 17 with a fourth-quarter field goal. The Terps started drives at the Illinois 12, 45 and 49 but couldn’t turn those short fields into a lead. Illinois then drove 67 yards on 13 plays over the final 5:45 to kick the winning field goal. Maryland (2-6, 0-5) stays last because Rutgers owns the head-to-head win.

17. Rutgers (Prev: 17)

Last week: L vs. Michigan, 21-28
Next: at Wisconsin, Saturday, Nov. 7, 4:15 p.m. ET

Rutgers tied Michigan at 21 on Clay Thevenin’s 1-yard run with 11:43 left before giving up the winning touchdown. AJ Surace started for the injured Dylan Lonergan and completed 3 of 12 passes, though Jourdin Houston’s 80-yard catch was the program’s longest touchdown since 2014.

Star receiver KJ Duff left in the first quarter, and head coach Greg Schiano said, “We are not certain if he will be able to play again this year.” The Scarlet Knights (2-6, 1-4) stay ahead of Maryland on the head-to-head result.

16. Michigan State (Prev: 16)

Michigan State’s head coach Pat Fitzgerald looks on as the team warms up before the game against Illinois | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Last week: Bye
Next: at Michigan, Saturday, Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m. ET

Michigan State spent its off week trying to get healthy after injuries forced true freshman Kayd Coffman into the start at UCLA. “We need the bye week, we’ve got to get some guys back, hopefully,” head coach Pat Fitzgerald said.

The Spartans (2-6, 0-5) carry a six-game losing streak into Ann Arbor, where Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham called Saturday’s game Michigan State’s “Super Bowl.” Michigan State hasn’t won the rivalry since 2021.

15. Purdue (Prev: 14)

Last week: L at Penn State, 17-31
Next: vs. Maryland, Saturday, Nov. 7, 12:30 p.m. ET

Purdue ran for 33 yards at Beaver Stadium, went 2 of 11 on third down and threw two interceptions. Its two touchdowns came on a 33-yard pass and a blocked punt return. “They were whooping our tail, and that’s hard to say out loud. But that’s the truth,” head coach Barry Odom said.

Wins over Illinois and Minnesota keep the Boilermakers (3-5, 2-3) above the bottom three, but the head-to-head loss drops them behind Penn State.

14. Penn State (Prev: 15)

Last week: W vs. Purdue, 31-17
Next: at Washington, Saturday, Nov. 7, 3:30 p.m. ET

Penn State snapped a four-game losing streak and gave head coach Matt Campbell his first Big Ten win by running for 269 yards. Cam Wallace ran for a career-high 135 yards, Carson Hansen added 96 and Rocco Becht accounted for two touchdowns.

“You’ve got to earn the right to play, and Cam did,” Campbell said. The defense also held Purdue to 33 rushing yards. The Nittany Lions (4-4, 1-4) pass the Boilermakers on the head-to-head result, but one conference win isn’t enough to jump the established middle of the league.

13. Michigan (Prev: 12)

Michigan quarterback Tommy Carr (14) walks up the tunnel after 13-6 loss to Indiana in overtime | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Last week: W at Rutgers, 28-21
Next: vs. Michigan State, Saturday, Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m. ET

Tommy Carr completed 22 of 27 passes for 266 yards and accounted for three touchdowns, two on the ground, as Michigan earned its first road win of the season. His completion rate was the highest by a freshman starter in program history with at least 20 attempts, and the offense converted 12 of 16 third downs.

Still, the Wolverines needed a fourth-quarter touchdown to beat a two-win team, and their three running backs combined for 113 yards. Michigan (5-3, 2-3) slips one spot as Washington moves past.

12. Nebraska (Prev: 6)

Last week: L vs. Washington, 10-17
Next: at Illinois, Friday, Nov. 6, 8 p.m. ET

Nebraska takes the week’s biggest fall after losing a third straight game it led entering the fourth quarter. Anthony Colandrea threw interceptions on the first two possessions, and Alex McLaughlin returned his third pick 48 yards for a touchdown 15 seconds after Washington took the lead.

Colandrea finished 24 of 44 for 255 yards. The three losses to Indiana, Oregon and Washington total 13 points, but close losses no longer justify a top-half ranking for the Huskers (5-3, 2-3) when they keep happening the same way.

11. Illinois (Prev: 11)

Last week: W at Maryland, 20-17
Next: vs. Nebraska, Friday, Nov. 6, 8 p.m. ET

Illinois won its third straight game on Ethan Moczulski’s 26-yard field goal as time expired, capping a drive that ran out the final 5:45. Katin Houser returned from a broken throwing hand well ahead of his projected timetable and completed 18 of 32 passes for 223 yards.

The win came days after the death of head coach Bret Bielema’s father, Arnie. “The way this team’s persevered, nothing’s really come easy,” Bielema said. The Illini (5-3, 3-2) hold steady after a narrow win over a winless Big Ten team.

10. Washington (Prev: 13)

Washington Huskies QB Demond Williams Jr. (1) throws a pass during warm-ups ahead of the game vs. the Purdue Boilermakers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week: W at Nebraska, 17-10
Next: vs. Penn State, Saturday, Nov. 7, 3:30 p.m. ET

Washington punted on eight of nine possessions before Demond Williams Jr. came off the bench early in the fourth quarter. Back from a fractured rib, Williams led a 12-play, 81-yard drive that included a fourth-and-18 conversion to Chris Lawson, then hit Lawson for the go-ahead 25-yard touchdown with 1:30 left. McLaughlin’s pick-six sealed it.

The Huskies (5-3, 2-3) climb three spots, though losses to Minnesota and Iowa keep them behind both teams.

9. Wisconsin (Prev: 5)

Last week: L at Iowa, 0-30
Next: vs. Rutgers, Saturday, Nov. 7, 4:15 p.m. ET

A week after holding USC to minus-17 rushing yards, Wisconsin managed 235 yards and nine first downs at Kinnick Stadium and turned it over three times. The Badgers ran for 52 yards and were stopped on fourth-and-goal inside the Iowa 5 in the second quarter.

Iowa has now shut out Wisconsin in consecutive seasons, the first time either team has done that in a series that spans 100 games. The USC win keeps the Badgers (5-3, 3-2) in the top half, but the four-spot drop reflects an offense that can’t keep pace when the defense isn’t dominant.

8. Minnesota (Prev: 7)

Last week: L at Indiana, 16-23 (OT)
Next: vs. UCLA, Saturday, Nov. 7, 12 p.m. ET

Minnesota was 19 seconds from beating the defending national champions after Luke Drzewiecki made a 60-yard field goal for a 16-13 lead. Indiana answered with its own 60-yarder as time expired, scored on the first snap of overtime and sacked Drake Lindsey on fourth down to end it.

Lindsey completed 20 of 37 passes for 120 yards, and the offense remains the reason the Gophers (5-3, 3-2) aren’t higher. The loss itself costs little, and Minnesota slips one spot only because Oregon moves past.

7. Northwestern (Prev: 4)

Northwestern Wildcats quarterback Aidan Chiles warms up before a game against the Oregon Ducks | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week: L at Oregon, 26-34
Next: vs. Iowa, Saturday, Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m. ET

Northwestern led 20-6 in the second quarter at Autzen Stadium and then managed six points after halftime. Aidan Chiles threw for 281 yards and ran for 93, but Dylan Raiola answered a Northwestern field goal that cut the lead to 27-26 with a 75-yard touchdown pass to Dakorien Moore. Jackson Kleather also missed a late field goal.

The Wildcats (6-2, 3-2) drop three spots after the head-to-head loss, but a competitive road defeat doesn’t erase a four-game winning streak, and they stay ahead of Minnesota on the strength of the offense.

6. Oregon (Prev: 9)

Last week: W vs. Northwestern, 34-26
Next: at Ohio State, Saturday, Nov. 7, 3:30 p.m. ET

Oregon rallied from a 14-point deficit in Jay Johnson’s debut as play caller after the firing of offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer. Raiola completed 22 of 31 passes for 336 yards and three touchdowns in his second straight start with Dante Moore ruled out for the season, and Moore finished with 128 receiving yards and two scores.

“I feel like that’s the closest we’ve been to a complete performance,” head coach Dan Lanning said. The Ducks (5-3, 3-2) pass Northwestern on the head-to-head result, though one productive afternoon follows a three-game stretch that produced 42 points.

5. Iowa (Prev: 8)

Last week: W vs. Wisconsin, 30-0
Next: at Northwestern, Saturday, Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m. ET

Iowa followed its four-turnover loss at Minnesota with its third shutout of the season, the first time head coach Kirk Ferentz has posted three in one year. Hank Brown completed 20 of 24 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns, and the defense forced three turnovers and made a goal-line stand. “November football has always been important in our program and will continue to be,” Ferentz said.

Minnesota owns the head-to-head win, but that was a three-point loss on a final-play field goal. Ranked wins at Michigan and over Wisconsin give the No. 21 Hawkeyes (6-2, 3-2) the stronger full-season résumé.

4. Ohio State (Prev: 1)

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day motions during the college football game against the USC Trojans | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Last week: L at USC, 18-30
Next: vs. Oregon, Saturday, Nov. 7, 3:30 p.m. ET

Ohio State gained 464 yards at the Coliseum and still lost by 12. Fahey threw for 260 yards in his first start in place of the injured Julian Sayin, but the Buckeyes committed 11 penalties, settled for three field goals on their first five drives and didn’t score a touchdown until Jeremiah Smith’s 1-yard catch with 2:12 left. That catch broke Braylon Edwards’ Big Ten record for career touchdown receptions.

“At the end of the day, as a team, we weren’t able to play well enough to support a young freshman quarterback who has his first start on the road like this,” head coach Ryan Day said. Ohio State hasn’t lost twice before November since 2011. The road win at Iowa and a No. 2 national ranking in ESPN’s Football Power Index keep the Buckeyes (6-2, 4-1) ahead of the Hawkeyes.

3. USC (Prev: 10)

Last week: W vs. Ohio State, 30-18
Next: Bye week

USC beat a top-five opponent at the Coliseum for the first time since 2015, one week after scoring seven points at Wisconsin. Trent Mosley took a screen pass 69 yards for a touchdown on the second snap, freshman tight end Mark Bowman’s 70-yard catch set up a third-quarter score and the defense didn’t allow a touchdown until 2:12 remained. Jayden Maiava threw for 222 yards and a touchdown.

“It’s going to come down to who plays the situations best, and we did it tonight,” head coach Lincoln Riley said. The Trojans (7-2, 4-2) move ahead of Ohio State on the head-to-head result, while the Wisconsin loss keeps them behind UCLA and Indiana.

2. Indiana (Prev: 2)

Last week: W vs. Minnesota, 23-16 (OT)
Next: Bye week

Indiana needed overtime for the second straight week and a quarterback change to get there. Head coach Curt Cignetti pulled Josh Hoover at halftime after he went 8 of 19 for 119 yards and took a big hit on an interception. Seventh-year backup Grant Wilson went 9 of 17 for 156 yards, and his 33-yard completion to Charlie Becker set up Paddy McAteer’s 60-yard field goal as time expired.

Wilson then hit Becker for a 25-yard touchdown on the first snap of overtime, and the defense sacked Lindsey on fourth down. Becker finished with eight catches for 149 yards. The Hoosiers (8-1, 5-1) stay second because their only loss came by four points to Ohio State, but the quarterback decision during the bye now carries into a home date with USC.

1. UCLA (Prev: 3)

UCLA Bruins quarterback Ty Dieffenbach (14) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Nevada Wolf Pack | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week: W vs. Nevada, 27-0
Next: at Minnesota, Saturday, Nov. 7, 12 p.m. ET

UCLA intercepted Nevada on each of its first three possessions, including Derrick Barksdale’s 26-yard pick-six, and finished with four interceptions in its first shutout since 2015. Nevada managed 176 yards, and the Bruins have now held five of eight opponents under 100 yards in the first half. Ty Dieffenbach threw for 178 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score in his third start since Nico Iamaleava’s season-ending knee injury.

“8-0, obviously, a shutout,” head coach Bob Chesney said, while adding there was “just a lot to be desired in that moment on the offensive side.”

UCLA’s promotion rests on wins over Oregon and Wisconsin and a third-place national ranking in ESPN’s strength of record, which make the No. 5 Bruins (8-0, 5-0) the Big Ten’s most accomplished team now that Ohio State has a second loss.

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