On a weekend of carnage across college football, Ohio State was one of the few top-10 teams to survive in a 19-15 win at Indiana -- even if only by a foot out of bounds.
That win in a battle of Big Ten titans should have cleared the path for the Buckeyes to roll to the Big Ten title game and the College Football Playoff, but in the fourth quarter, quarterback Julian Sayin injured his throwing arm and could miss the rest of the season.
Quarterback injuries have unfortunately become a common theme at the top of the Big Ten this season. Sayin joins UCLA's Nico Iamaleava as starters on contenders to suffer potentially season-ending injuries, while Oregon has been without Dante Moore since he suffered a concussion against USC.
The Buckeyes turned things over to Luke Fahey against Indiana, with the freshman throwing a pair of incompletions in support duty, but Tavien St. Clair will also get first-team reps over the next two weeks as Ohio State uses its bye to figure out the quarterback situation moving forward. We'll learn who will take over for Sayin when Ohio State hits the field on Halloween against USC, and find out if the Buckeyes' offense can remain a title-contending unit with a backup under center.
For now, Ohio State nabs the top spot in our Big Ten Power Rankings for the first time this season, but their hold on that position feels tenuous amid the uncertainty at the most important position on the field. Let's dive into where the rest of the Big Ten sorts out behind them heading into Week 8.
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1. Ohio State
Last week: 2
A win on the road at Indiana is big for the Buckeyes, especially after what happened in Austin earlier this season. Losing Julian Sayin is brutal for Ohio State's title hopes (and Jeremiah Smith's Heisman hopes), but getting a bye week immediately to sort things out is pretty significant. Whether it's Luke Fahey or Tavien St. Clair getting the start at USC in two weeks, the Buckeyes will be leaning on their run game and a defense that's been fantastic to try and remain at the top of the conference. Having a star like Smith to target should help whoever takes over, and in a wild year where no one seems to be a super-elite team, I'm not ready to count the Buckeyes out just yet.
2. UCLA
Last week: 1
The Bruins took care of business against Wisconsin last week in a sneaky difficult challenge coming off the high of that Oregon win. The UCLA offense struggled to get the rushing attack going and had to put a lot on Ty Dieffenbach, but he performed well, and that should raise confidence in Westwood that the Bruins can remain a playoff contender even without Nico Iamaleava. Next up is a home game against Michigan State, and while the Spartans are winless in conference play, they've been competitive in their last two, and the Bruins can't allow themselves to look ahead -- the good news is, with Nevada up next, there shouldn't be too much temptation to do so.
3. Indiana
Last week: 3
Hoosiers fans will be seeing Nick Marsh stepping out of bounds on that fourth-down pass in their nightmares for a while, but Indiana has to turn the page quickly as they head on the road to face Michigan this week. The Wolverines are starting freshman Tommy Carr at quarterback, which will have the Hoosiers' defense licking its chops, looking to confuse and pressure a young QB. That said, given Indiana's recent offensive woes, they can't expect this to be easy against a good Michigan defense, and the Hoosiers faithful will need to be prepared for another stressful 60 minutes.
4. Northwestern
Last week: 4
It wasn't pretty, but Northwestern kept the train on the tracks with a comeback win on the road at Michigan State. That was the first game since Indiana in which someone had a defensive game plan to slow down Chip Kelly's offense from the jump, but he was able to turn enough knobs to find the right adjustments to get them a win. This week the Wildcats welcome in a Rutgers team fresh off a win, but there should be plenty of space for Aidan Chiles and company to operate against a leaky Scarlet Knights defense. The bigger challenge will be for Northwestern's defense, as Rutgers has proven it can score on teams if they aren't focused -- just ask Maryland and USC.
5. Iowa
Last week: 5
The Hawkeyes entered the bye week feeling great after dismantling Washington, but they're about to hit a stretch of schedule against a bunch of their old rivals from the Big Ten West. Minnesota's up first in the Floyd of Rosedale game, which is always a slobberknocker, before Wisconsin and Northwestern present some challenging tests for Kirk Ferentz's bunch. There's been plenty of talk about Iowa having an open path to the playoff, but Iowa fans know it's rarely that easy with the Hawkeyes. On Saturday in Minneapolis, we'll get a good idea of whether this team has really created some separation from the middle of the Big Ten pack.
6. Oregon
Last week: 8
The Ducks scratched out a win last week over Nebraska thanks to a fourth-quarter comeback, but it is tough sledding for Oregon right now. This is a team desperate to get Dante Moore back because both Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas have struggled to get things rolling. If there is a silver lining for Oregon, it is the fact that the defense seems to be waking up after a slow start to the season. Some of that might be the general tempo of Oregon games slowing down because the offense hasn't been able to get into a rhythm, but since the second half of the USC game, the Ducks have been salty on defense. That was supposed to be this team's identity from the jump, and if Moore makes it back soon, the Ducks aren't dead to the playoff just yet.
7. USC
Last week: 9
USC comes out of its bye week with a tough road test at Wisconsin, where the physicality of Lincoln Riley's squad will get a major test. The Badgers are excellent at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and if the Trojans are going to win this game, their line play is going to need to prove it's up to snuff. The edge USC has in this game is, without question, in their skill-position speed. If the offensive line can provide Jayden Maiava with the time to let that speed become an advantage down the field, the Trojans offense can find success. On the other side, Wisconsin wants to run the ball, and the USC defense will need to be ready for a downhill attack that will try to wear them down over 60 minutes.
8. Wisconsin
Last week: 6
I won't hammer the Badgers for a 17-7 loss at UCLA, but the limitations of this offense were on display in LA. Teams are going to load up the box and dare Colton Joseph to prove he can throw the ball effectively down the field. The good news for the Badgers is the defense is legitimately one of the best in the Big Ten and can keep them in any game. The challenge is getting enough out of a one-dimensional offense to contend with top teams, but a home game against No. 16 USC might present a real opportunity. The Trojans aren't exactly a stout defensive squad, and if there were ever a time for Wisconsin to lean on a ranked team and get a win, this week feels like that chance.
9. Nebraska
Last week: 7
Matt Rhule has instituted "Footloose Protocol" for the Huskers after they blew a 14-6 lead at Oregon after dancing on the sideline to "Shout" before the fourth quarter. It's never a sign things are going well when the coach bans dancing, and after a 5-0 start had folks excited in Lincoln, reality has unfortunately arrived. The offense has fallen apart since the mid-fourth quarter against Indiana, and getting Anthony Colandrea back on track will be the focal point of their bye week. The good news for the Huskers is that the next three weeks present an opportunity to get right back on track and reach 8-2 before closing with Ohio State and Iowa, where their losing streak to ranked opponents will once again be a leading topic of discussion.
10. Michigan
Last week: 12
The Wolverines got a win and, perhaps, have found clarity at the quarterback position. Kyle Whittingham finally benched Bryce Underwood after another dismal first half saw them trail 3-0 to Penn State, and the Tommy Carr era began with a bang as Michigan found the end zone three times to get a needed win at home. This week Carr gets the start against Indiana, which will be an early test of the freshman's nerves, but there was little doubt that the offense operated more freely with Carr under center, even as they weren't throwing it downfield.
T11. Purdue
Last Week: 10
Purdue, Minnesota and Washington have played a little round-robin over the last few weeks, where they've all gone 1-1, which says to me that they are all in the exact same spot. Purdue beat Minnesota before losing to Washington, where the Boilermakers' defense struggled. Purdue's offense continues to be good, but their success hinges on stops, and some weeks those have been extremely hard to come by. The Boilermakers are 123rd in the nation in scoring defense, and the only Big Ten defense worse than them is Maryland's. Some of that is a product of an offense that plays with tempo and piles up points themselves, but they will be limited in how good they can be this year if the defense can't improve. A bye week before playing Penn State provides an opportunity to solidify some fundamentals on that side.
T11. Minnesota
Last week: 11
The Gophers had a bye before their matchup with Iowa this week, and they'll hope to have cleaned up their defense after being carved up by Purdue. The Floyd of Rosedale is typically decided by the defenses, and if Minnesota wants to hoist that big, bronze pig, they'll need to be at their best on both sides of the ball. On offense, this may well come down to whether Drake Lindsey can make some of those NFL throws that have pro scouts intrigued by his skill set. Iowa won't provide a ton of opportunities, but if Lindsey can be sharp and hit some tight windows, the Gophers can tilt the scales in their favor.
T11. Washington
Last week: 14
The Huskies desperately needed an offensive performance like Saturday's against Purdue. It helps that the Boilermaker defense is leaky, but Washington hasn't exactly taken advantage of lesser competition this season. Elijah Brown impressed in his first start, throwing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns (and three interceptions), and there seems to be life in the Huskies, even without Demond Williams Jr. under center. A bye week gives Jedd Fisch a bit more time to get things sorted out, and perhaps a second-half run could be in the cards to salvage what was teetering on the brink of being a lost season in Seattle.
14. Illinois
Last week: 13
Illinois had a bye last week and will hope they used that time to shore up what's been a dreadful defensive performance to start the season. The Illini welcome Oregon to town this week, and the Ducks present an opportunity for the Illinois defense to find a little something. Michael Clayton will have his hands full going up against the Ducks' defense, but this isn't the Oregon team everyone anticipated would be rolling into Champaign, and a win here completely flips the script on this season for Bret Bielema's bunch.
15. Rutgers
Last week: 18
The Scarlet Knights won a game! In the Big Ten! Yes, it was against Maryland, but it still counts, and they earned a healthy move up the board over the rest of the Big Ten's winless squads. Some may scoff at this position, but it's not simply a byproduct of the win over Maryland, but the fact that Rutgers has been reasonably competitive since that horrific start. The signs were there when they pushed USC to the brink, and a road win provides a bit of affirmation that Rutgers is on an upward trajectory (even if just a slight incline). Now they get a much bigger test in a road trip to No. 24 Northwestern, where a team they once shared a room with in the Big Ten cellar has ascended to the top floor.
16. Penn State
Last week: 15
Matt Campbell was defiant when asked if he'd consider a quarterback change after Rocco Becht's three second-half turnovers cost the Nittany Lions a chance in the Big House. With a QB shakeup off the table, this bye week is about figuring out how to get Becht and the offense going beyond "throw it up to Chase Sowell." There will be opportunities for Penn State in the final five weeks of the season, as they close out the season against Purdue, Washington, Minnesota, Rutgers and Maryland. However, the flip side of that schedule is that if they don't take advantage, the heat will turn up considerably on Campbell in just Year 1.
17. Michigan State
Last week: 16
Back-to-back weeks where the Spartans fell just short of their first Big Ten win under Pat Fitzgerald have produced at least mild optimism that a foundation of competitiveness is being laid in East Lansing. That's all well and good, but wins need to arrive at some point, and that foundation will be put to a massive test this Saturday when the Spartans travel to LA to face No. 9 UCLA.
18. Maryland
Last week: 17
It took longer than expected for Maryland to finally fire Mike Locksley. A home loss to Rutgers was the last straw in College Park, and now the Terps will try to figure out who can lead them out of the Big Ten basement. Maryland's defense is the worst in the Big Ten and the second-worst in all of Power Four football -- saved from the bottom only by Stanford. The offense shows flashes with Malik Washington at quarterback but is also prone to mistakes and turnovers they cannot afford against a woeful defense. Whoever takes over at Maryland needs to have a clear identity they want to establish and recruit to, because right now the Terps are just wandering in the wilderness with no direction.
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