Big Ten Power Rankings for Week 8: Nebraska, Oregon Trade Places

Ohio State keeps the top spot in the Big Ten power rankings entering Week 8 after ending Indiana’s 22-game winning streak, but quarterback Julian Sayin’s arm injury leaves the Buckeyes with a true freshman starter for at least several weeks.

Iowa moves to No. 4 past Northwestern, Oregon climbs two spots to No. 7 after Dylan Raiola’s fourth-quarter rescue against Nebraska, and Washington jumps to No. 12. Purdue takes the biggest fall, sliding three spots to No. 13 after a home loss to the Huskies.

18. Maryland (Previous rank: 17)

• Last week: L vs. Rutgers, 30-37
• Next: Bye week

Maryland built a 23-13 halftime lead at SECU Stadium, then lost the lead in the second half and dropped its fifth straight game. Malik Washington threw for 263 yards and two touchdowns, but the Terps’ final drive stalled on fourth down at the Rutgers 11 with 16 seconds left.

Maryland is 0-4 in Big Ten play, and head coach Mike Locksley’s position keeps getting more precarious on the college football hot seat index heading into the bye.

17. Rutgers (Prev: 18)

• Last week: W at Maryland, 37-30
• Next: at Northwestern, Saturday, Oct. 24, 12 p.m. ET

Rutgers trailed 23-13 at halftime, then took control after the break for its first win over an FBS opponent this season. KJ Duff caught two touchdown passes from Dylan Lonergan, including a one-handed grab, and the Scarlet Knights beat the Terps for a third straight time.

“When the ball is in the air, you just got to make a play,” Duff said.

Losses to UMass and Boston College keep head coach Greg Schiano’s team below Michigan State, but Rutgers now owns the head-to-head edge over Maryland.

16. Michigan State (Prev: 16)

• Last week: L vs. Northwestern, 21-24
• Next: at UCLA, Saturday, Oct. 24, 3:30 p.m. ET

Michigan State led 21-13 early in the fourth quarter and sacked former Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles five times, but its losing streak still reached five games. Brendan Flakes blocked a go-ahead 33-yard field goal with about a minute left, and Northwestern won on the final drive.

Alessio Milivojevic threw for 216 yards and two touchdowns. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald’s team has lost its last two games by a combined four points, which keeps the Spartans narrowly ahead of the two programs below them.

15. Illinois (Prev: 15)

Last week: Bye
Next: vs. Oregon, Saturday, Oct. 24

Illinois used its off week to prepare true freshman Michael Clayton II for his first career start after Katin Houser had surgery on his broken hand. Head coach Bret Bielema expects the senior quarterback to miss four to six weeks.

Clayton went 6 of 8 for 88 yards in relief at Michigan State, including a 25-yard touchdown pass in overtime. Bielema called the Orlando native “one of the most dynamic arms just purely as a quarterback that I’ve recruited and been around.” The Illini (3-3, 1-2) face Maryland and Nebraska after Oregon.

Last week: L at Michigan, 18-21
Next: Bye week

Penn State led 3-0 at halftime in Ann Arbor, then watched Rocco Becht commit three turnovers that each set up a Michigan touchdown. The Nittany Lions averaged 2.2 yards per carry, and Becht’s 24-yard touchdown pass to Chase Sowell pulled them within three with 1:11 left before Michigan recovered the onside kick.

Head coach Matt Campbell ruled out a quarterback change, saying, “I have complete faith in who Rocco Becht is and what he’s about.” Penn State is 0-4 in Big Ten play and hasn’t won since beating Buffalo on Sept. 19.

13. Purdue (Prev: 10)

Last week: L vs. Washington, 26-38
Next: Bye week

Purdue’s two-game Big Ten winning streak ended at Ross-Ade Stadium despite five takeaways, including three interceptions of Elijah Brown. Fame Ijeboi ran for 19 yards on 13 carries a week after his 195-yard game against Minnesota, and the Boilermakers converted only 1 of 4 fourth downs.

“Their defensive line won on the line of scrimmage,” head coach Barry Odom said. “They had everyone in the box and we were not able to counter, unfortunately.”

The Boilermakers (3-4, 2-2) need three wins in their final five games to reach bowl eligibility, and allowing 488 yards at home erased much of the credit from last week’s rout of Minnesota.

12. Washington (Prev: 14)

Last week: W at Purdue, 38-26
Next: Bye week, then at Nebraska on Saturday, Oct. 31

Washington snapped a three-game losing streak and earned its first Big Ten win with Brown, a Stanford transfer, starting in place of the injured Demond Williams Jr. Brown completed 21 of 27 passes for 302 yards and three touchdowns, while Trey Cooley ran for 113 yards on eight carries, including a 53-yard score.

“Obviously, I had those three interceptions, but everyone kind of stayed positive and kept on encouraging me and we got it done,” Brown said.

The Huskies move past Purdue on the head-to-head result, though Minnesota’s win over Washington keeps head coach Jedd Fisch’s team behind the Gophers.

11. Michigan (Prev: 12)

Last week: W vs. Penn State, 21-18
Next: vs. Indiana, Saturday, Oct. 24, 12 p.m. ET

Michigan trailed 3-0 at halftime before head coach Kyle Whittingham benched Bryce Underwood for true freshman Tommy Carr. The grandson of former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr led three touchdown drives after Penn State turnovers and sealed the win with a 12-yard touchdown run on third down with 2:58 left.

Michigan’s defense intercepted Becht twice in the third quarter, and Chris Bracy’s strip sack set up Carr’s final score. The win kept the Wolverines from their first 0-3 Big Ten start since 1967.

Whittingham said Monday he has picked a starter for Indiana but won’t announce it. “We’re not going to tip our hand to the opponent,” he said.

10. Minnesota (Prev: 11)

Last week: Bye
Next: vs. Iowa, Saturday, Oct. 24, 3:30 p.m. ET

Minnesota moves up a spot without playing because Purdue lost. The Gophers sit in the middle of a four-team loop, as they beat Michigan and Washington, Purdue beat them 41-13 and Washington beat Purdue on Friday night.

Head-to-head results can’t settle that group, so the full resume decides it, and Minnesota’s two conference wins both came against teams ranked below it. Michigan and Washington each have one Big Ten win, while Purdue’s two came against Illinois and the Gophers.

Drake Lindsey and Minnesota (4-2, 2-1) return home to face an Iowa team whose only loss came against Ohio State.

9. Wisconsin (Prev: 8)

Last week: L at UCLA, 7-17
Next: vs. USC, Saturday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m. ET

Wisconsin’s four-game winning streak ended at the Rose Bowl, where Colton Joseph completed 6 of 16 passes for 66 yards and the Badgers were held scoreless in the first half. The defense that carried the streak allowed scoring drives of 95, 91 and 84 yards, committed 10 penalties for 102 yards and let UCLA convert 13 of 20 third downs.

The Badgers still limited UCLA’s ground game to 3.2 yards per carry. Head coach Luke Fickell’s team falls only one spot because the loss came on the road against the conference’s last unbeaten team, but a 66-yard passing performance keeps Wisconsin behind Nebraska.

8. Nebraska (Prev: 6)

Last week: L at Oregon, 14-17
Next: Bye week, then vs. Washington on Saturday, Oct. 31

Nebraska led 14-6 entering the fourth quarter in Eugene and lost a fourth-quarter lead for the second straight week. The Blackshirts posted a season-high 11 tackles for loss, held Oregon to 50 first-half yards and 91 yards through three quarters and allowed only 3 conversions on 16 third downs.

Anthony Colandrea accounted for 202 of the Huskers’ yards and threw a touchdown pass to Kwazi Gilmer, but Nebraska never established a running game. Head coach Matt Rhule also burned all three timeouts during Oregon’s winning drive.

“I thought it was one of the finer defensive performances I’ve been around,” Rhule said. Nebraska (5-2, 2-2) has allowed 23 or fewer points in all seven games, which keeps it ahead of Wisconsin.

7. Oregon (Prev: 9)

Last week: W vs. Nebraska, 17-14
Next: at Illinois, Saturday, Oct. 24

Oregon gained 91 yards through three quarters with Brock Thomas at quarterback, then turned to Raiola, who had been benched a week earlier against UCLA. Raiola’s first drive covered 69 yards in 17 plays for a field goal, and his second went 82 yards before ending with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Jamari Johnson with 28 seconds left. He also threw the two-point conversion.

The former Nebraska starter beat the program he left in January. “We just rallied around each other,” Raiola said.

The Ducks (4-2, 2-1) pass Nebraska on the head-to-head result, but an offense that managed two first downs in the first half keeps head coach Dan Lanning’s team at No. 7. Oregon hosts Northwestern on Oct. 31 and visits Ohio State a week later.

6. USC (Prev: 7)

Last week: Bye
Next: at Wisconsin, Saturday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m. ET

USC climbs one spot during its off week after Nebraska lost a second straight fourth-quarter lead. The Trojans (6-1, 3-1) last played on Oct. 10, when Jayden Maiava threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-23 win at Penn State.

USC sits ahead of Oregon despite losing to the Ducks at the Coliseum on Sept. 26, since Oregon has dropped two games to the Trojans’ one. The trip to Camp Randall Stadium opens the defining stretch of head coach Lincoln Riley’s fifth season, with Ohio State visiting the Coliseum on Halloween night before USC’s second bye.

5. Northwestern (Prev: 4)

Last week: W at Michigan State, 24-21
Next: vs. Rutgers, Saturday, Oct. 24, 12 p.m. ET

Northwestern needed a blocked field goal and a final-minute drive to win its first game as a ranked team in six years. Chiles tied the game at 21 with a 1-yard run and a two-point pass to Alex Honig with 7:24 left, but a failed fake punt from the Wildcats’ own 28 handed Michigan State a chance to win.

After Flakes blocked the Spartans’ kick, Chiles completed three passes for 50 yards and ran for 14 more to set up Jackson Kleather’s 34-yard field goal with two seconds left. “It was different being here, on the opposite sideline,” Chiles said.

Head coach David Braun said Kleather is “built for that opportunity.” Northwestern (5-1, 2-1) slips one spot because it needed a last-second kick against a team that’s 0-4 in the Big Ten, and the Wildcats visit Oregon on Oct. 31.

4. Iowa (Prev: 5)

Last week: Bye
Next: at Minnesota, Saturday, Oct. 24, 3:30 p.m. ET

Iowa passes Northwestern without playing, as Washington’s win at Purdue added weight to the Hawkeyes’ 41-24 victory in Seattle. Their only loss came against Ohio State, and their one-point win over Michigan holds up better after the Wolverines’ comeback against Penn State.

Hank Brown, who sprained the AC joint in his throwing shoulder against the Buckeyes, returned to practice during the bye, while Jeremy Hecklinski threw three touchdown passes in his first career start at Washington. Offensive coordinator Tim Lester said he didn’t know who would start in Minneapolis. “Hank’s still getting healthy,” Lester said.

Head coach Kirk Ferentz’s defense also remains without safety Tyler Brown, and opponents threw for at least 320 yards in each of the two games before the bye.

3. UCLA (Prev: 3)

Last week: W vs. Wisconsin, 17-7
Next: vs. Michigan State, Saturday, Oct. 24, 3:30 p.m. ET

UCLA is 6-0 for the first time since 2022 after its first full game without Nico Iamaleava. Ty Dieffenbach completed 22 of 33 passes for 264 yards in his first FBS start, hitting Semaj Morgan five times for 84 yards, while the defense held Joseph to 66 passing yards. The Bruins converted 13 of 20 third downs and held the ball for more than 37 minutes.

“We’re just trying to silence outside noise,” Dieffenbach said.

Head coach Bob Chesney said Monday that Iamaleava needs surgery, which is expected to end his season. “Nico, he’s going to be out,” Chesney said. “It’s severe. He’s probably going to have surgery coming up here today or tomorrow.” The Big Ten’s only unbeaten team stays at the Rose Bowl to face a Michigan State team that’s 0-4 in conference play.

2. Indiana (Prev: 2)

Last week: L vs. Ohio State, 15-19
Next: at Michigan, Saturday, Oct. 24, 12 p.m. ET

Indiana’s 22-game winning streak ended when Nick Marsh’s left foot landed out of bounds on a potential go-ahead touchdown catch on fourth-and-4 with 1:02 left. Josh Hoover returned from a right arm injury to lead a 75-yard touchdown drive that cut the deficit to 19-15, but he finished 20 of 40 for 296 yards.

The Hoosiers lost two fumbles and missed two field goals in head coach Curt Cignetti’s first home loss in three seasons. “We had it and we just didn’t make it happen,” Cignetti said. “So, it’s a hard one to swallow.”

Indiana stays second because a four-point loss to Ohio State doesn’t change how it stacks up against the rest of the league. The Hoosiers were one of five top-seven teams to lose during a historic Week 7, and they now visit a Michigan team that won’t reveal its starting quarterback.

1. Ohio State (Prev: 1)

Last week: W at Indiana, 19-15
Next: Bye week, then at USC on Saturday, Oct. 31

Ohio State keeps the top spot after becoming the first team to beat Indiana since December 2024, but the win cost the Buckeyes their starting quarterback. Sayin went down with 8:05 left when Indiana’s Mario Landino sacked him and forced a fumble, and the junior returned to the sideline with his right arm in a sling.

Before the injury, Sayin threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns, including a 38-yard strike to Jeremiah Smith on fourth-and-1 that put Ohio State up 19-7. Smith remains near the top of the Heisman Trophy odds entering Week 8.

Head coach Ryan Day said Monday that testing on Sayin continues. “It’ll be at the least several weeks, but no update right now,” Day said. True freshman Luke Fahey, who went 0 for 2 in relief, takes over, and the bye gives the Mission Viejo, California, product an extra week before the Buckeyes visit USC and host Oregon on Nov. 7.