Week 6 of the college football season brought pleny of intrigue in the Big Ten. Indiana survived Nebraska's upset bid, while UCLA proved they are not a fluke by taking down Oregon in Eugene.
Heading into Week 7, more captivating storylines are on deck. The biggest game of the week, and possibly the game of the regular season, takes place in Bloomington as the Indiana Hoosiers battle the Ohio State Buckeyes.
There are several other games that can shake up the Big Ten title race this weekend as well. Heading into a jam-packed Week 7, let's take a look at how all 18 Big Ten teams stack up against one another.
Week 7 Big Ten Power Rankings
18. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-4, 0-2)
Last week: 18
Rutgers stays in the last spot after enjoying a bye week. The Scarlet Knights opened the season by losing to UMass as 24-point favorites, and haven't been able to find any momentum since then. Greg Schiano's second stint in Piscataway continues to in the wrong direction.
17. Maryland Terrapins (2-4, 0-3)
Last week: 17
Mike Locksley's seat continues to get hotter at Maryland. The Terrapins are 0-3 in Big Ten play and coming off a lopsided 45-16 loss to Ohio State this past weekend. Rutgers and Maryland meet this Saturday, and the losing coach won't do themselves any favors.
16. Michigan State Spartans (2-4, 0-3)
Last week: 16
Michigan State was one play away from beating Illinois this weekend, but ultimately fell short when going for 2 and the win in overtime. Pat Fitzgerald has things moving in the right direction in East Lansing, but there is still a lot of work to do.
15. Penn State Nittany Lions (3-3, 0-3)
Last week: 13
Things have gone downhill fast in Happy Valley for Matt Campbell. The Nittany Lions are 0-3 in Big Ten play, and are coming off a loss in their annual White Out game against USC. Things don't get any easier for Campbell and company as they head up north to face a Michigan team that is well-rested coming off a bye week.
14. Illinois Fighting Illini (3-3, 1-2)
Last week: 15
Illinois narrowly escaped with an overtime win over Michigan State in East Lansing on Saturday night. It was the first Big Ten win of the season for the Fighting Illini, who still have plenty of work to do if they want to get back into the top half of the Big Ten. It doesn't help that QB Katin Houser is now out for the season with a broken hand.
13. Washington Huskies (3-3, 0-3)
Last week: 11
Washington lost to Iowa 41-24 in Week 6. The Husky offense has underwhelmed this season, but the defense has looked strong and kept them in games. Jedd Fisch and company now travel across the country to face Purdue on Friday night.
12. Purdue Boilermakers (3-3, 2-1)
Last week: 14
Purdue continues to move up after beating Minnesota in West Lafayette in Week 6. Not only did the Boilermakers win, but they dominated the Golden Gophers to the tune of a 41-13 win while out-gaining Minnesota 464-275. The Boilers have now won back-to-back conference games and have another winnable game on deck at home against Washington on Friday night.
11. Michigan Wolverines (3-2, 0-2)
Last week: 12
Michigan was on a bye this week and claims the No. 11 spot. Kyle Whittingham is still searching for his first Big Ten victory, which he's hoping comes this weekend at home against a Penn State team that is reeling.
10. Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-2, 2-1)
Last week: 6
Minnesota picked up back-to-back impressive wins over Washington and Michigan, but then fell flat against Purdue in Week 6. The Golden Gophers are still a dangerous team, and have a huge tilt against No. 17 Iowa on Oct. 24 after enjoying a bye week this weekend.
9. Wisconsin Badgers (4-1, 2-0)
Last week: 10
Wisconsin will put its four-game winning streak on the line this weekend against No. 12 UCLA. The Badgers are coming off a bye and hoping the extra prep times serves them well.
8. Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1, 2-1)
Last week: 9
Nebraska had Indiana beat, but couldn't seal the deal down the stretch. The Cornhuskers dominated time of possession and held a 17-6 lead in the 4th quarter before the Hoosiers mounted a big comeback. Nebraska is still a talented team, but still can't seem to get over the hump and defeat a ranked opponent.
7. Oregon Ducks (3-2, 1-1)
Last week: 3
Oregon doesn't look like the same team without Dante Moore. Dylan Raiola simply didn't have anything on Saturday against UCLA, as he completed just six of his 19 passes for 43 yards while throwing two interceptions before behind benched. The Ducks committed seven turnovers as a team and somehow only lost 17-15. Dan Lanning has a lot to fix in a hurry.
6. Northwestern Wildcats (4-1, 1-1)
Last week: 7
Northwestern continued to roll with an emphatic 45-14 win over Ball State in Week 6. The Wildcats continue to look impressive, and head to East Lansing to face Michigan State owning a 4-1 record.
5. Iowa Hawkeyes (5-1, 2-1)
Last week: 8
Iowa defeated Washington 41-24 this past Friday night. The Hawkeyes continue to play excellent football, and when looking at how manageable the rest of their schedule is, they could be in a prime position to make some College Football Playoff noise. Don't sleep on the Hawkeyes.
4. USC Trojans (6-1, 3-1)
Last week: 4
USC has hit some bumps in the road this season, but they are still 6-1 overall and 3-1 in Big Ten play. This is a pivotal season for Lincoln Riley in Los Angeles, and he has his team looking strong. Jayden Maiava is a legitimate Heisman contender, as he's thrown for 2,045 yards and 18 touchdowns with just three interceptions while also adding two rushing touchdowns.
3. UCLA Bruins (5-0, 3-0)
Last week: 5
UCLA is off to an eye-popping start under Bob Chesney. The Bruins are 5-0 and just beat Oregon in Eugene. The 17-15 win wasn't pretty, but it showed that UCLA can win different types of games after averaging over 44 points per game through its first four contests. The Bruins are now up to No. 12 in the AP Poll, and don't face another ranked team until the season finale against No. 19 USC on Nov. 28.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (5-1, 3-0)
Last week: 2
Ohio State boat-raced Maryland 45-16 in Week 6. The Buckeyes are rolling right now, and Jeremiah Smith looks borderline unstoppable. Ryan Day and company are looking to avenge last year's Big Ten Championship Game loss to Indiana this Saturday in Bloomington.
1. Indiana Hoosiers (6-0, 3-0)
Last week: 1
Indiana holds onto the top spot after escaping Lincoln with a 20-17 win on Saturday. The Hoosiers have now won 22 games in a row, and have a huge test in Week 7 against Ohio State. Not to spoil anything, but the winner of this highly-anticipated contest will undoubtedly claim the No. 1 spot in the Big Ten Power Rankings next week.
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