Michael Cohen
College Football and College Basketball Writer
This past week quickly evolved into a showcase for backup quarterbacks as a number of Big Ten schools either entered or exited games without the top signal-caller on their respective depth charts, forced instead to scratch and claw with far less experienced players.
Such was the case at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin, where No. 3 Penn State lost Drew Allar to an undisclosed knee injury late in the first half. At Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana, where No. 13 Indiana played without former Ohio transfer Kurtis Rourke. At Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where the defending national champions went back to their opening day starter in Davis Warren. At Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa, where a former Michigan man, Cade McNamara, was removed by head coach Kirk Ferentz due to poor performance.
All four of those teams wound up victorious amid a wild slate of games across the Big Ten, an increasingly logjammed conference beyond the top four contenders: Oregon, Penn State, Ohio State and Indiana. Everyone else, it seems, can be beaten on any given weekend.
Here’s a fresh batch of Big Ten Power Rankings following Week 9:
1. Oregon (8-0 overall, 5-0 Big Ten)
Result: 38-9 home win over No. 20 Illinois
Those early season concerns over Oregon’s offense are beginning to feel like nothing more than a distant memory as head coach Dan Lanning’s crew continues to round into form with one impressive victory after the next. The Ducks exploded for 35 points in the first half on Saturday before coasting to another comfortable win that will keep them atop the national rankings for another week. An ever-improving Heisman Trophy campaign from quarterback Dillon Gabriel took another step in the right direction against the Illini when he completed 18 of 26 passes for 291 yards and four total touchdowns, one of which came on the ground. He spearheaded an offense that racked up 527 total yards and converted seven of 13 times on third and fourth down combined to torment a defense that limited Penn State to 21 points late last month. Oregon now ranks 11th nationally in total offense (467.1 yards per game) and 12th nationally in passing offense (300 yards per game) amid the program’s first 8-0 start since 2013. Lanning’s team already has three wins over ranked opponents.
2. Penn State (7-0 overall, 4-0 Big Ten)
Result: 28-13 road win over Wisconsin
This proved to be a massive test for head coach James Franklin as Penn State faced a surging opponent for a difficult road test the week before hosting No. 4 Ohio State in what should be one of the most impactful games on the Big Ten schedule. And then the Nittany Lions lost starting quarterback Drew Allar to an undisclosed knee injury shortly before halftime on Saturday night, thrusting backup Beau Pribula into full-time duty. Pribula answered the call by orchestrating touchdown drives of 81 yards and 76 yards in the fourth quarter to help Penn State erase a narrow halftime deficit. He completed 11 of 13 passes for 98 yards and one touchdown while also rushing six times for 28 yards in support of tailbacks Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton, who combined for 135 yards and a touchdown on 23 attempts. A 19-yard interception return for a touchdown by safety Jaylen Reed near the midway point of the third quarter helped shift momentum toward the Nittany Lions for good. Franklin did not provide an immediate update on Allar’s condition in his postgame news conference.
3. Ohio State (6-1 overall, 2-1 Big Ten)
Result: 21-17 home win over Nebraska
Technically speaking, the Buckeyes bounced back from a deflating loss to then-No. 3 Oregon with a hard-fought win over Nebraska that kept Ohio State firmly in the hunt for a potential berth in the Big Ten Championship game and College Football Playoff alike. But there was little about Saturday’s lackluster performance at Ohio Stadium that felt like a win considering the Buckeyes entered the game as nearly four-touchdown favorites. A shaky effort from the Buckeyes’ offensive line — especially reserve left tackle Zen Michalski — posed problems for both quarterback Will Howard and the running back tandem of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, who combined to average fewer than 3 yards per carry on 20 attempts. Ohio State converted just once in 10 tries on third down and was limited to 285 yards of total offense by a Nebraska defense that surrendered 495 yards and 56 points in a blowout loss to Indiana two weeks ago. Now head coach Ryan Day and his staff must regroup in a hurry before a difficult trip to No. 3 Penn State later this week.
4. Indiana (8-0 overall, 5-0 Big Ten)
Result: 31-17 home win over Washington
Anyone who thought the absence of quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who injured his thumb in the blowout win over Nebraska, would be enough to derail the Indiana hype train amid an unexpectedly dominant start to the season was sorely mistaken. Backup quarterback Tayven Jackson, a former Tennessee transfer now in his second year with the Hoosiers, completed 11 of 19 passes for 124 yards and scored two total touchdowns to keep IU afloat in a game head coach Curt Cignetti’s team never trailed. The offense leaned heavily on tailback Justice Ellison for 123 rushing yards and a score on 29 punishing carries to help Indiana convert nine times in 17 attempts on third and fourth down combined. An IU defense that now ranks fifth nationally in yards per game (269.5) and seventh nationally in scoring (14.1 points per game) intercepted Washington quarterback Will Rogers twice to finish plus-one in the turnover battle. Indiana is now 8-0 for the first time since 1967 and won’t face another ranked opponent until traveling to Ohio State on Nov. 23.
5. Illinois (6-2 overall, 3-2 Big Ten)
Result: 38-9 road loss to No. 1 Oregon
It’s difficult to find much fault with Illinois for traveling to Autzen Stadium and losing to the No. 1 team in the country in an extremely difficult road environment. The Illini have certainly taken significant strides under head coach Bret Bielema, who is now 24-21 overall since taking the job ahead of the 2021 campaign, but the talent gap between Bielema’s roster and the top teams in the league remains rather significant. A high-flying Oregon offense that scores points in bunches was always going to present problems for an Illinois team that is at its best in grind-it-out affairs. Illinois fell behind 14-0 by the 6:05 mark of the first quarter and trailed 35-3 at the break, by which point the outcome was all but confirmed. The good news for Bielema & Co. is that there aren’t any ranked opponents remaining on this year’s schedule: vs. Minnesota, vs. Michigan State, at Rutgers, at Northwestern. The program’s first nine-win season since 2007 is within reach.
6. Wisconsin (5-3 overall, 3-2 Big Ten)
Result: 28-13 home loss to No. 3 Penn State
Wisconsin entered Saturday’s game with three consecutive blowout victories over Purdue (52-6), Rutgers (42-7) and Northwestern (23-3) to restore some faith in second-year head coach Luke Fickell following early season losses to then-No. 4 Alabama and then-No. 13 USC. But the Badgers fell apart in the fourth quarter against Penn State despite leading 3-0 at the end of the first quarter, 10-7 at halftime and only trailing 14-13 entering the final stanza. A defense that ranks 24th nationally in scoring at 18.9 points per game allowed Penn State backup quarterback Beau Pribula to lead two fourth-quarter touchdown drives that gave the Nittany Lions the lead for good. But the play Fickell and his staff will want back was an ill-advised throw from quarterback Braedyn Locke deep in his own territory midway through the third quarter, the result of which was a pick-six for Penn State safety Jaylen Reed that proved to be the winning score. Wisconsin now travels to Iowa for a rivalry game on Saturday night.
7. Iowa (5-3 overall, 3-2 Big Ten)
Result: 40-14 home win over Northwestern
With his offense struggling near the midway point of the second quarter, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz swapped starting quarterback Cade McNamara for backup Brendan Sullivan, a former Northwestern transfer, to inject some life into the Hawkeyes for what finished as a very comfortable win. Sullivan only completed nine of 14 passes for 79 yards, but he also carried eight times for 41 yards and found the end zone with his legs — all while avoiding a turnover after McNamara had thrown an early interception. Tailback Kaleb Johnson remained the focal point of Iowa’s offense with 14 carries for 109 yards and three touchdowns, which brought his total to 16 rushing touchdowns on the year, fourth-most in college football. The Hawkeyes’ defense limited Northwestern to just 163 yards of total offense, including a lowly 43 on the ground, and only allowed two third-down conversions in 12 attempts. They also forced three turnovers and generated a safety. Even the special teams units got involved with an 85-yard punt return touchdown from Kaden Wetjen.
8. Minnesota (5-3 overall, 3-2 Big Ten)
Result: 48-23 home win over Maryland
The box score from Minnesota’s blowout victory against Maryland might look somewhat foreign to longtime followers of the program under head coach P.J. Fleck, who has established a run-first identity during his eight seasons at the helm. Quarterback Max Brosmer, a transfer from New Hampshire, completed 26 of 33 passes for 320 yards and a season-high four touchdown passes in an impressive offensive outburst that resulted in the Gophers’ largest point total of the campaign against power-conference opposition. Minnesota built a 21-0 lead by the 4:31 mark of the first quarter and led 31-3 with 2:17 remaining in the first half to coast toward an easy win. Defensive back Justin Walley returned one of the Gophers’ two interceptions for a 29-yard touchdown along the way as Fleck’s team prevailed for the fifth time in its last six games. A difficult closing stretch still includes games against No. 24 Illinois (road), No. 3 Penn State (home) and Wisconsin (road).
9. Michigan (5-3 overall, 3-2 Big Ten)
Result: 24-17 home win over Michigan State
The quarterback carousel at Michigan took another spin on Saturday night when head coach Sherrone Moore handed the keys back to opening day starter Davis Warren, a former walk-on and zero-star recruit, after one start and one relief appearance from seventh-year senior Jack Tuttle left plenty to be desired. Warren completed 13 of 19 passes for 123 yards and one touchdown while avoiding an interception for the first time all season, much to the delight of Michigan’s coaching staff. Warren platooned with fellow quarterback Alex Orji, who leaned more heavily on his legs than at any point this season with six carries for 64 yards and a score. Tight end Colston Loveland remained the team’s primary receiving threat with team-high totals in receptions (six), receiving yards (67) and touchdown catches (two) on a night when the traditional rushing attack with tailbacks Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings never quite kicked into gear — though it was Edwards who connected with Loveland for a 23-yard touchdown on a trick play in the fourth quarter. Michigan hosts No. 1 Oregon on Saturday.
10. Nebraska (5-3 overall, 2-3 Big Ten)
Result: 21-17 road loss to No. 4 Ohio State
Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule gave an emotional news conference following Saturday’s narrow loss in which the Cornhuskers clung to a 17-14 lead until the 6:04 mark of the fourth quarter, at which point Ohio State tailback Quinshon Judkins caught what proved to be the game-winning touchdown pass. But how good is Nebraska, really? Is Rhule’s team closer to the group that pushed then-No. 24 Illinois to overtime and the fourth-ranked Buckeyes to the brink of a historic upset? Or are the Cornhuskers more like the team whose only Big Ten wins have come against Purdue and Rutgers? The fact remains that Nebraska has now lost 27 consecutive games against ranked opponents and continues treading water in the middle of the league standings. Rhule & Co. host UCLA on Saturday before a difficult finish against USC (road), Wisconsin (home) and Iowa (road). It’s anyone’s guess how this season finishes.
11. Michigan State (4-4 overall, 2-3 Big Ten)
Result: 24-17 road loss to Michigan
The Spartans dropped a third consecutive game to in-state rival Michigan on Saturday night as a last-ditch effort from quarterback Aidan Chiles fell incomplete in the end zone on fourth-and-5 with two minutes remaining. Michigan State led 7-0 at the end of the first quarter courtesy of a short touchdown run from tailback Nate Carter, but head coach Jonathan Smith and his team allowed the Wolverines to score nine points in the final 29 seconds of the half to climb in front, a fumble by Chiles aiding the home team. The Spartans never led from that point forward despite finishing plus-14 minutes in time of possession and limiting Michigan to just 3.8 yards per carry on 31 attempts. A skirmish after the final buzzer added some drama to a rivalry that always seems to bubble over regardless of what’s at stake. Michigan State now faces back-to-back ranked opponents in No. 13 Indiana (home) and No. 24 Illinois (away).
12. USC (4-4 overall, 2-4 Big Ten)
Result: 42-20 home win over Rutgers
The Trojans snapped a three-game losing streak with relative ease on Friday night by disposing of Rutgers to secure their largest Big Ten win of the season. Quarterback Miller Moss navigated his first interception-free game since a 48-0 blowout over Utah State in early September by completing 20 of 28 passes for 308 yards and three total touchdowns. He and tailback Woody Marks, who carried 15 times for 94 yards and three scores, paced the offense on a night when USC produced points on its first four drives to take a 28-12 halftime lead. A defense besieged by injuries limited Rutgers tailback Kyle Monangai to just 86 yards and stopped the Scarlet Knights three times on fourth down. The Trojans travel to Washington later this week.
13. Washington (4-4 overall, 2-3 Big Ten)
Result: 31-17 road loss to No. 13 Indiana
The Huskies have now lost three of their last four games and four of their last six overall to slip into the bottom half of the Big Ten standings. Even as Indiana played without its starting quarterback, Kurtis Rourke, Washington fell behind 14-0 at the 13:24 mark of the second quarter and played from behind for the remainder of the afternoon. Quarterback Will Rogers completed 19 of 26 passes for 202 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions, the first of which was returned 67 yards for a touchdown by Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds. All four of Rogers’ interceptions this season have come in the last three games: one against Michigan (win), one against Iowa (loss) and two against the Hoosiers (loss). The Huskies only converted four times in 14 attempts on third and fourth down combined.
14. Maryland (4-4 overall, 1-4 Big Ten)
Result: 48-23 road loss to Minnesota
The wheels continue to spin in circles for Maryland, which has now dropped three of its last four games to Big Ten opponents and is mired near the bottom of the league standings. A defense that finished tied for 40th in scoring last season (22.5 points per game) now ranks 90th in the country at 27.8 points per game after allowing 48, 28, 37 and 42 in its last four games. Head coach Mike Locksley’s team trailed 31-3 with 2:17 remaining in the second half and added two late touchdowns in the fourth quarter to make the final score far more respectable than it really was. The Terrapins have a week off before traveling to No. 1 Oregon on Nov. 9.
15. Rutgers (4-4 overall, 1-4 Big Ten)
Result: 42-20 road loss to USC
A season that was already teetering endured another major wobble on Friday night as the Scarlet Knights dropped their fourth consecutive game, two of which were blowouts. Rutgers has now allowed 119 points to its last three opponents combined — 42 to Wisconsin, 35 to UCLA and 42 to USC — as defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak’s unit plummeted to 74th nationally in scoring defense and tied for 93rd nationally in total defense. The Trojans gouged Rutgers for 443 yards of total offense, including 308 through the air, and only faced third down six times throughout the game, converting three of them. The Scarlet Knights failed to generate a sack and only tallied one tackle for loss.
16. UCLA (2-5 overall, 1-4 Big Ten)
Result: Idle
The Bruins might have been hoping for another chance to play this week after finally snapping their five-game losing streak with a 35-32 win over Rutgers earlier this month. A brutal first half of the season included games against four teams now ranked in the top 15 nationally — Indiana, LSU, Oregon and Penn State — plus a lengthy road trip to Hawaii. All of that was enough to give UCLA the most difficult schedule in the country through the first nine weeks of the season, according to Pro Football Focus. Now head coach DeShaun Foster and his staff can breathe easier knowing there aren’t any ranked opponents left on the docket.
17. Northwestern (3-5 overall, 1-4 Big Ten)
Result: 40-14 road loss to Iowa
The Wildcats led 7-3 near the midway point of the second quarter before allowing a safety and a 26-yard touchdown run by tailback Kaleb Johnson that sent them to the locker room with a five-point deficit. From there, however, everything soon fell apart. Northwestern surrendered 28 points in the third quarter alone — all of which were scored in fewer than 11 minutes of game time — to sink toward a second consecutive blowout loss and fourth defeat in its last five contests. Head coach David Braun and his team still have to play No. 4 Ohio State, Michigan and No. 24 Illinois.
18. Purdue (1-6 overall, 0-4 Big Ten)
Result: Idle
Nobody in the Big Ten needed a week to regroup more than the Boilermakers, who have dropped six consecutive games and already fired their offensive coordinator. Purdue entered the weekend ranked 107th in total offense, 123rd in total defense, 116th in scoring offense and 130th in scoring defense. There is plenty for head coach Ryan Walters to address during the bye week before an incredibly difficult closing stretch that includes games against No. 4 Ohio State, No. 3 Penn State and No. 13 Indiana. Things appear destined to get worse before they get better.
Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13.
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