Big Ten Top Ten: Conference's football teams ranked ahead of Week 10 action
It's already week 10 of the college football season and week four of my Big Ten Top Ten series. This week stayed chalky, so don't expect too many changes to the list (spoiler alert, Rutgers did not make its way back on).
No. 1 - Oregon (8-0, 5-0)
LW: Win vs Illinois 38-9
NW: @ Michigan
The No. 1 Ducks are soaring high above the rest after a convincing win this weekend against No. 24 Illinois, maintaining their top spot in my rankings and the AP Poll. Dillon Gabriel stacked another good game on his resume as he threw for 291 yards and a trio of touchdowns. With this win, Oregon should stroll into the postseason undefeated, with its toughest matchup left on the schedule being this week against Michigan.
No. 2 - Ohio State (6-1, 3-1)
LW: Win vs Nebraska 21-17
NW: @ Penn State
No, I'm still not moving Penn State ahead of No. 4 Ohio State — call me biased. Lucky enough for any Nittany Lions fans, the Buckeyes make their way to Happy Valley, Pennsylvania, this weekend, giving Penn State the chance to prove me wrong. Ohio State handled business against Nebraska last weekend, albeit sloppily. The Buckeyes picked up the win thanks to a three-touchdown performance from quarterback Will Howard. Also, despite Carnell Tate being the leading receiver this week, this is your weekly reminder that Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith are the best receiver tandem in college football.
No. 3 - Penn State (7-0, 4-0)
LW: Win @ Wisconsin 28-13
NW: vs Ohio State
No. 3 Penn State cooled off a red-hot Wisconsin team that blew out its last two opponents prior to Saturday's game. The Nittany Lions started slow but finished strong, outscoring the Badgers 21-3 in the second half. Penn State’s schedule up to this point hasn't been too difficult, which keeps me skeptical, so this week's game will be the perfect test.
No. 4 - Indiana (8-0, 5-0)
LW: Win vs Washington 31-17
NW: @ Michigan State
As much as I want to bump No. 13 Indiana up to the second spot, it'll sit at four. The Hoosiers have been dominant through eight games, but they still have yet to play a ranked opponent, which has me skeptical. Starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke didn't suit up following thumb surgery, but the offense still managed to put up 24 points. Indiana won't get any true test until it faces Michigan and Ohio State following the Michigan State game. Rourke should be back for all three of these games.
No. 5 - Illinois (6-2, 3-2)
LW: Loss @ Oregon 38-9
NW: vs Minnesota
No. 24 Illinois wasn't expected to upset No. 1 Oregon, but given its success this season, there was optimism the game could be close … it was not. The Fighting Illini struggled to get anything going on offense and got torn up by Gabriel and company on defense. This loss has to feel like a gut punch for Illinois fans, especially with how easy the rest of its schedule looks.
No. 6 - Michigan (5-3, 3-2)
LW: Win vs Michigan State 24-17
NW: vs Oregon
Michigan gets back in the win column thanks to beating up on its little brother, Michigan State. Somehow, Alex Orji was the leading rusher for the Wolverines, despite being a quarterback and not even starting at quarterback in this game. Michigan is very much a middle-of-the-pack Big Ten team and will likely serve as fodder for Oregon when the Ducks travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan.
No. 7 - USC (4-4, 2-4)
LW: Win vs Rutgers 42-20
NW: @ Washington
USC was able to snap its three-game losing streak and extend Rutgers' to four. It's difficult to take much from this game with both defenses severely injured, although one thing that stood out was the receiving core for the Trojans. Quarterback Miller Moss had eight different pass catchers in this game, five being wide receivers. Given how poorly the Knights have played recently, a win is a win, but I wouldn't put too much stock in this one.
No. 8 - Washington (4-4, 2-3)
LW: Loss @ Indiana 31-17
NW: vs USC
It's difficult to draw much from Washington's loss to Indiana. This was simply a case where the better team played better and won. Quarterback Will Rogers struggled in this game and threw two picks, a clear dropoff from former Husky, current Atlanta Falcons backup rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The team isn't what it was a year ago and will struggle to secure a bowl game with games against USC, Penn State, UCLA and Oregon to close the season.
No. 9 - Nebraska (5-3, 2-3)
LW: Loss @ Ohio State 21-17
NW: vs UCLA
I'm unsure if this close game was more on Nebraska playing well or Ohio State playing badly. Either way, this game was close to being a win for the Cornhuskers despite a poor showing from freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola. Raiola hasn't thrown a touchdown since September, and Nebraska is now on a two-game skid ahead of a favorable UCLA matchup.
No. 10 - Wisconsin (5-3, 3-2)
LW: Loss vs Penn State 28-13
NW: @ Iowa
Following its trio of landslide wins against Purdue, Rutgers and Northwestern, Wisconsin came back down to earth with a loss to Penn State. The Badgers kept things close for three quarters before getting outscored 14-0 in the fourth. Despite the loss, it was an impressive showing by Wisconsin and showed it has the potential to win 3 of its final 4 games.
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