Ohio State has fallen six spots in the latest Big Ten football power rankings, dropping from No. 2 to No. 8 after a 6-3 season that has left the Buckeyes on the outside of the conference’s upper tier. The slide marks one of the steepest single-step drops among the league’s traditional powers this fall.
UCLA, at 9-0, holds the top spot for the second straight week, with the Bruins still unbeaten and showing no signs of slowing down. Indiana, 8-1 overall and 5-1 in conference play under coach Curt Cignetti, sits at No. 2, followed by Iowa (7-2) at No. 3 and Wisconsin (6-3) at No. 4. Oregon (6-3) climbed two spots to No. 5.
The headline matchup of the week pits No. 20 USC (7-2 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) against No. 4 Indiana on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PST on CBS. The game carries heavy stakes for USC coach Lincoln Riley, whose job security has been the subject of speculation. A win over Indiana would keep USC’s College Football Playoff hopes alive, provided the Trojans close the regular season with victories over Maryland and UCLA.
USC itself climbed two spots in the rankings, from No. 8 to No. 6, as the Trojans try to keep pace in a crowded playoff picture.
Ohio State’s Steep Drop
Ohio State now sits at No. 8 with a 6-3 record, a sharp fall for a program long regarded as a conference and national power. Minnesota, at 5-4, dropped one spot to No. 7 after giving up back-to-back 75-yard touchdowns in its latest setback.
Elsewhere in the rankings, Illinois (6-3) rose to No. 9 ahead of a Friday night matchup against UCLA, while Northwestern (6-3) rounded out the top ten at No. 10.
Coaching Pressure Mounts
Nebraska, at 5-4 and No. 13, parted ways with offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, with head coach Matt Rhule’s own position reportedly in question. Michigan, 5-4 and now ranked No. 15, faces questions about head coach Kyle Whittingham’s tenure in Ann Arbor.
At the bottom of the rankings, Maryland (3-6) sits at No. 16, Purdue (3-6) at No. 17, and Rutgers (2-7) closes out the list at No. 18, with the Scarlet Knights playing out a difficult season.
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