Ohio State had a successful bye week, watching its main rival lose and the team it just beat assert itself in the conference. It was certainly a more successful week than last, when quarterback Julian Sayin was potentially lost for the rest of the year.
The Big Ten continued taking shape around the Buckeyes in Week 8. It was another wild week in the conference.
Some ascending teams, like UCLA, continued to rise. A team with a CFP dream that's already dead, Oregon, fell to lows previously unseen in the NIL era.
Here's how the conference ranks with five weeks left in college football's regular season:
No. 1: Ohio State
Watching Indiana beat TTUN in overtime was nice for Ohio State. Now, the Buckeyes know the Hoosiers could be beaten in a defensive battle, while understanding that "The Game" won't have a quarterback worth being afraid of. Of course, Davis Warren beat OSU two years ago, so looks may deceive.
No. 2: UCLA
Undefeated UCLA continues to be an unbelievable story on the West Coast. The Bruins handled Michigan State 28-10 to continue the Bob Chesney debut dream year. This may be the Buckeyes' Big Ten Championship counterpart if Ohio State could make the final B1G title game in December.
No. 3: Indiana
Indiana may have defeated the Wolverines at the "Big House," but the Hoosiers are not the same dominant program they were last year with Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza. Quarterback Josh Hoover had 81 passing yards against TTUN.
No. 4: Northwestern
Beating Rutgers is hardly a feat in the year 2026. Still, Northwestern was one of the only teams that didn't massively disappoint in the Big Ten's middle class. The Wildcats are in the upper tier of the conference these days.
No. 5: Wisconsin
Wisconsin's investment in its program has been a boon for the Badgers. Week 8 saw Wisconsin defend Camp Randall Stadium against a USC squad that wasn't ready. Don't look now, but the Badgers are 5-2 with one loss in the conference.
No. 6: Minnesota
Don't count out Minnesota, which is all of a sudden in the same boat as Wisconsin, record-wise. The Golden Gophers upset Iowa on a game-winning field goal by Luke Drzewiecki.
No. 7: Iowa
The Hawkeyes are right there with them, but Iowa can separate itself with a win over the Badgers on Halloween at Kinnick Stadium.
No. 8: Illinois
Upsetting the Ducks and ending Oregon's season instills plenty of hope for a strong finish for Bret Bielema's squad. Illinois stacks up well in the Big Ten with two straight wins.
No. 9: Nebraska
Nebraska has the chance to close out its slate strong, but the Cornhuskers were never ranked despite a 5-0 start and may finish, at best, 3-4. Nebraska had its bye in Week 8.
No. 10: USC
Lincoln Riley can't afford many more losses. The Trojans are one away from being eliminated from the CFP after being upset by Wisconsin in Madison.
No. 11: Washington
Washington was on its bye and maintained its spot from last week. A trip to Lincoln, Nebraska, is next on Halloween night.
No. 12: Purdue
Purdue rises a spot despite coming off a loss. The Boilermakers could get back in the win column in Happy Valley this Saturday afternoon.
No. 13: Michigan
Kyle Whittingham clearly isn't the answer for the Maize and Blue. Whatever the answer is offensively, it's not revealing itself this season for Tommy Carr, Bryce Underwood, or the inadequate running game.
No. 14: Oregon
Dan Lanning is enduring his worst year in Eugene since taking the job in 2022. Whatever the issue is, it's completely consumed Oregon. A loss to the Fighting Illini should be as low as it gets for the Ducks, but who knows at this point.
No. 15: Michigan State
Losing to UCLA isn't so bad. There's just not much else to look forward to in East Lansing, where the Spartans have a 0-5 conference record and haven't won since mid-September.
No. 16: Penn State
No movement during the bye week for Penn State.
No. 17: Rutgers
Rutgers may not have a win left on the schedule, but beating Maryland keeps the Scarlet Knights out of the bottom spot.
No. 18: Maryland
The Terrapins finally fired head coach Mike Locksley. We'll see if that means anything for Maryland for the rest of the season.
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