MOLINE, Ill — In Week Nine, Ohio State held off a Penn State upset bid, notching their biggest win to date against the No. 13 Nittany Lions. No. 4 Michigan trounced Michigan State in their storied in-state rivalry. No. 17 Illinois went on the road and handled Nebraska. Minnesota easily beat Rutgers, shutting out the Scarlet Knights. Iowa got back in the win column, with a dominant victory over Northwestern.
Let's take a look at WQAD's Big Ten power rankings as we head into Week Ten.
14. Northwestern Wildcats (1-7)
Result: L, 33-13 vs. Iowa
Previous power ranking: 14
Analysis: Northwestern mustered just 177 yards of total offense against Iowa. The Wildcats' only points came in the second half after a shanked Tory Taylor punt gave the Wildcats a short field from the Iowa 34, and also a late score on the game's final drive. Northwestern's defense couldn't stop the abysmal Iowa offense, allowing the Hawkeyes their best offensive performance of the season.
This week: Hosts No. 2 Ohio State
13. Indiana Hoosiers (3-5)
Result: Bye
Previous power ranking: 13
Analysis: After five straight losses, Indiana received bad news on Monday, when head coach Tom Allen announced that team leader in receptions and receiving yards, Cam Camper, is out for the season with a torn ACL. Coming off the bye week, they'll have a tough match with No. 15 Penn State.
This week: Hosts No. 15 Penn State
12. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-4)
Result: L, 31-0 vs. Minnesota
Previous power ranking: 12
Analysis: Rutgers gained just 134 yards of offense and seven first downs against the staunch Minnesota defense. The Scarlet Knights committed three turnovers, which Minnesota cashed in for 14 points. The path to bowl eligibility gets darker for Rutgers, as they host No. 5 Michigan on Saturday.
This week: Hosts No. 5 Michigan
11. Michigan State Spartans (3-5)
Result: L, 29-7 vs. No. 4 Michigan
Previous power ranking: 10
Analysis: Michigan State lost more than just the game, after a post-game scuffle led to the indefinite suspension of four Spartans. The MSU defense gave up 443 yards, while the Spartan offense garnered just 252 yards and a slight 37 rushing yards. Despite successfully holding the Wolverines to five field goal attempts, the MSU offense was lifeless, gaining a net of -1 yard during their opening four second-half drives. Another daunting task awaits on Saturday.
This week: at No. 16 Illinois
10. Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-5)
Result: L, 26-9 vs. No. 17 Illinois
Previous power ranking: 9
Analysis: Four Nebraska turnovers yielded 13 Illinois points, which was all the Illini needed to eclipse Nebraska's negligible offense. Quarterback Casey Thompson left the game due to an elbow injury with 6:31 remaining in the second quarter and Nebraska leading 9-6. Thompson's exit was devastating, as Nebraska gained just 34 yards of offense thereafter, and gave up 20 unanswered points.
This week: Hosts Minnesota
9. Iowa Hawkeyes (4-4)
Result: W, 33-13 vs. Northwestern
Previous power ranking: 11
Analysis: Iowa dominated Northwestern, the only team they hadn't beaten inside Kinnick Stadium since 2015. The Hawkeyes' offense had no problem driving the ball on the meager Northwestern defense, gaining 398 yards and 24 first downs. Quarterback Spencer Petras had his best game all season, completing 21 of 30 passes for 220 yards. True freshman kicker Drew Stevens had a stellar performance, converting on all four field goal attempts, including a career-long 54-yarder.
Iowa will travel to Purdue on Saturday. When these two teams met in 2021, No. 2 Iowa was slaughtered by unranked Purdue.
This week: at Purdue
8. Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-3)
Result: W, 31-0 vs. Rutgers
Previous power ranking: 8
Analysis: Minnesota dominated Rutgers, allowing just 123 yards and seven first downs defensively. The Golden Gophers' offense racked up 375 yards of offense and over 41 minutes of possession in the shutout victory. Star RB Mo Ibrahim ran for 159 yards on 36 carries. They'll be challenged in a hostile environment when they travel to Nebraska on Saturday.
This week: at Nebraska
7. Wisconsin Badgers (4-4)
Result: Bye
Previous power ranking: 7
Analysis: Coming off a bye week, Wisconsin will host Maryland. ESPN's Analytics matchup predictor gives Wisconsin a 61% chance of winning.
This week: Hosts Maryland
6. Maryland Terrapins (6-2)
Result: Bye
Previous power ranking: 6
Analysis: Maryland will travel to Wisconsin as five-point underdogs, with ESPN's matchup predictor giving the Terrapins a 39% of winning.
This week: at Wisconsin
5. Purdue Boilermakers (5-3)
Result: Bye
Previous power ranking: 5
Analysis: Purdue comes off a bye week as 4.5-point favorites against Iowa. Purdue thrashed the then No. 2 Hawkeyes last season in Iowa City, 24-7. The Boilermakers have a 70% chance of prevailing, according to ESPN's matchup predictor.
This week: Hosts Iowa
4. Penn State Nittany Lions (6-2)
Result: L, 44-31 vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Previous power ranking: 4
Analysis: Penn State outgained Ohio State, won the time of possession battle, and ESPN's Analytics even predicted that the Nittany Lions would prevail as late as with 9:00 remaining in the fourth quarter. But four PSU turnovers proved the difference, as OSU cashed in a pair for touchdowns. PSU gave the Buckeyes their toughest challenge yet, but the College Football Playoff's No. 2 team ultimately prevailed.
This week: at Indiana
3. Illinois Fighting Illini (7-1)
Result: W, 26-9 vs. Nebraska
Previous power ranking: 3
Analysis: Illinois was in an early road slugfest with Nebraska, trailing 9-6 before Nebraska had to plug in their reserve quarterbacks. The Fighting Illini flipped the script after Casey Thompson's exit, scoring 20 unanswered points. QB Tommy DeVito was stellar, completing 20 of 22 pass attempts for two touchdowns. Heisman candidate Chase Brown ran for 149 yards on 32 carries and a touchdown. The Illini defense gave up just 34 yards in the final 36 minutes of play, as Illinois' top-ranked defense dominated. With six straight victories, can anybody stop this spirited Fighting Illini squad? Michigan State hopes to answer that question on Saturday when they travel to Champaign.
This week: Hosts Michigan State
2. Michigan Wolverines (8-0)
Result: W, 29-7 vs. Michigan State
Previous power ranking: 2
Analysis: Michigan beat their in-state rivals convincingly, scoring on every offensive drive aside from two. The Wolverines dominated both sides of the ball, scoring 26 unanswered points after briefly trailing in the first quarter. Michigan sliced through the Spartan defense as if gliding through butter, gaining 276 rushing yards on 52 carries. Michigan entered the first edition of the CFP rankings at No. 5.
This week: at Rutgers
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0)
Result: W, 44-31 vs. No. 13 Penn State
Previous power ranking: 1
Analysis: The back-and-fourth game ended after a fourth-quarter outburst in which the Buckeyes scored four touchdowns. QB C.J. Stroud passed for 354 yards and completed 26 of 33 passes. Defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau snagged two interceptions, six tackles, two sacks and an interception return for a touchdown. OSU faced their toughest test of the year and pulled away decisively in the end.
This week: at Northwestern
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