Big Ten Week 8 power rankings: Michigan rebounds, Wisconsin sinks to new low after loss

Week 8 didn't have the matchup cache that Week 7 had, but it was still an entertaining weekend of Big Ten football. And it started out with some fireworks, as Minnesota upset a finally-ranked Nebraska on Friday night.

On Saturday, it started with Michigan dominating Washington, Ohio State obliterating Wisconsin, Indiana blowing out MSU, and Northwestern shutting out Purdue. Then, the interesting slate of night games, including the rivalry game between USC and Notre Dame, Iowa hosting Penn State, Maryland at UCLA, and Oregon at Rutgers.

It might not have had the big upsets or matchups like Week 7 with Indiana over Oregon or Northwestern over Penn State, but it was a week with some pretty big in-conference implications.

Here are our Big Ten power rankings after Week 8.

18. Wisconsin Badgers (2-5, 0-4)

This week: L, vs. Ohio State, 0-34

Previous ranking: 17

Hi/Lo: 16/18

Welcome to the new worst in the Big Ten. Yes, Wisconsin played Ohio State, who might be the best in the conference when it’s all said and done. But Luke Fickell managed exactly zero magic against his alma mater with bad quarterback play, a mediocre run game, and bad – well, everything. The Badgers allowed 34 points and scored nothing -- the second straight week without a touchdown -- and it's been 11 quarters since they've reached the end zone. The Fickell experiment in Madison is not going even remotely well.

17. Purdue Boilermakers (2-5, 0-4)

This week: L, at Northwestern, 0-19

Previous ranking: 15

Hi/Lo: 15/17

Even before Ryan Browne left with an injury in the second half, he wasn’t exactly looking too sharp, going 5-for-10 for 31 yards. His replacement, Malachi Singleton didn’t throw much better, though he got 187 yards. The run game struggled, and the defense allowed Northwestern to rush for 232 yards. The Boilermakers may have two wins in Barry Odom’s first year, but getting any in Big Ten play feels like a tall order at this point.

16. MSU Spartans (3-4, 0-4)

This week: L, at Indiana, 13-38

Previous ranking: 18

Hi/Lo: 12/18

The Spartans put up a fight – for nearly a half. But then, Indiana did what Indiana does (under Curt Cignetti) and put its foot on MSU’s throat. Aidan Chiles was quite good, completing 81.8% of his passes for 243 yards, and he ran for 48 more. While he took care of the football, all of the yards weren’t enough to keep the Spartans in this one. There were a couple of missed opportunities, but even so, the score wasn’t even as close as the 38-13 final indicated. The sad, game-ending field goal shows that MSU isn’t up to snuff. Also, it was the third straight week MSU gave up 38 points and the second straight week the score was 38-13.

Michigan is next, and it could get Spartan Nation in a tizzy if State isn’t competitive against its rival.

15. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-4, 0-4)

This week: L, vs. Oregon, 10-56

Previous ranking: 14

Hi/Lo: 14/14

The Scarlet Knights showed some fight in nearly every game this season, but on Saturday, not so much. The defense was atrocious, as the halftime stats by Oregon looked like what you’d expect in the final box score. Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis lost a bit of his luster in this one, as he struggled mightily to complete passes. This is a burn-the-tape type of game, and it’s not unexpected given how good Oregon is (or is supposed to be).

14. Penn State Nittany Lions (3-4, 0-4)

This week: L, at Iowa, 24-25

Previous ranking: 16

Hi/Lo: 3/16

The post-James Franklin-Drew Allar era started out uninspiring, but the Nittany Lions fought hard at the toughest venue in the Big Ten. Iowa did everything it could to muck up the game, but Kaytron Allen came alive, and quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer made just enough plays to keep the Hawkeye defense honest. Meanwhile, the Penn State defense rounded back into form and made the resurgent Iowa offense look like the version we've come to know over the past four years, but there were some lapses -- such as allowing Iowa QB Mark Gronowski to rush for more than 100 yards in the game.

Penn State is still winless in the Big Ten.

13. Iowa Hawkeyes (5-2, 3-1)

This week: W, vs. Penn State, 25-24

Previous ranking: 13

Hi/Lo: 11/13

You’re not going to believe this, but Iowa Iowa’ed up yet another game, with no offense to speak of and a stingy defense. But it didn't last forever, as the Hawkeye defense started getting gashed by Penn State running back Kaytron Allen. The pass game was nonexistent, and the Nittany Lions had a six-plus-minute drive to extend the lead. But then, quarterback Mark Gronowski had a huge 67-yard run to set up the go-ahead touchdown.

12. Maryland Terrapins (4-2, 1-2)

This week: L, at UCLA, 17-20

Previous ranking: 10

Hi/Lo: 10/12

Maryland controlled much of the game against the Bruins, picking off Nico Iamaleava twice, but untimely plays given up nearly cost the Terrapins a big West Coast win. Despite having a 10-7 lead for much of the contest, the second targeting called on the Terps in the game (on a fourth-and-10 pass converted, no less) upended the balance, as it led to a go-ahead touchdown for UCLA. But freshman quarterback Malik Washington was magic, and he drove the Terps down the field for a huge game-tying touchdown with under a minute to go. But the Bruins answered with a 73-yard game-winning field goal drive.

And, with that, for the third straight week, Maryland loses a heartbreaker. This for a team that has looked extremely capable and potentially scary.

11. UCLA Bruins (3-4, 3-1)

This week: W, vs. Maryland, 20-17

Previous ranking: 9

Hi/Lo: 9/18

You just can't count out this new-look UCLA team. After trailing for much of the game, interim offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel pushed all of the right buttons, and the Bruins took the lead with just three-and-a-half minutes remaining. A timely interception of Maryland quarterback Malik Washington by Scooter Jackson appeared to seal the deal for the Bruins. But UCLA couldn't do anything with the ball, and Nico Iamaleava was injured on the drive (he returned). Meanwhile, the Terps marched down and tied the game with two minutes left. But the Bruins answered with big plays, despite having just 40 seconds remaining, and ended up winning on a (nearly) walk-off field goal.

Don't look now, but UCLA has won three straight and is 3-1 in the Big Ten. Take the interim tag off of Tim Skipper now!

10. Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-2, 2-2)

This week: L, at Minnesota, 6-24

Previous ranking: 5

Hi/Lo: 5/10

Just when it looked like Nebraska was going to go on something of a tear, it went to Minneapolis on Friday night and looked like its old self. Despite having a top-tier offense this year, the Huskers got nothing going in any facet – with only 36 rushing yards and 177 yards through the air. At no point did Nebraska find the end zone against a Minnesota team that hasn’t exactly been one of PJ Fleck’s best. It’s a disappointing setback for Matt Rhule and company – just after they found a way to win at Maryland.

9. Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-2, 3-1)

This week: W, vs. Nebraska, 24-6

Previous ranking: 13

Hi/Lo: 9/14

Didn’t see this one coming. Even entering the game at 4-2, Minnesota appeared to be somewhat on the ropes, but PJ Fleck’s team found a way to eke out a convincing, but ugly win over Nebraska. The defense was very good, holding the Huskers to two early field goals – and that’s it. The nine sacks on Dylan Raiola meant that there was only 36 rushing yards given up. The Minnesota offense wasn’t exactly burning the candle at both ends, but it did enough to get the dub.

8. Northwestern Wildcats (5-2, 3-1)

This week: W, vs. Purdue, 19-0

Previous ranking: 12

Hi/Lo: 8/18

Ryan Braun’s Northwestern appears to be a similar type of conundrum as that of his predecessor, Pat Fitzgerald. While Purdue wasn’t exactly a top-tier opponent, the Wildcats shut the Boilermakers out, and thrived defensively. Northwestern might just be building on the win over Penn State to at least have a solid season. Don’t look now, but Northwestern is 5-2.

7. Washington Huskies (5-2, 2-2)

This week: L, at Michigan, 7-24

Previous ranking: 5

Hi/Lo: 5/9

First things first: it was a difficult ask for Washington to travel 2,000 miles and play at 9 a.m. PDT. Even so, in the beginning, it looked as if the Huskies were going to make it a challenge for what was a reeling Michigan defense. But then, the offense struggled. And struggled. And struggled. The defense held up (well enough) for awhile, but eventually, with three turnovers, it broke, and the Wolverines took advantage. It’s only the second loss of the season, but not much worked in this one and UW had few opportunities outside of the one touchdown scored right before the half.

6. Michigan Wolverines (5-2, 3-1)

This week: W, vs. Washington, 24-7

Previous ranking: 8

Hi/Lo: 4/8

This was (almost) exactly the type of response that the Wolverines needed. With the 24-7  win, the maize and blue didn’t fall into the same pratfall they did a year ago. Bryce Underwood completed nearly 80% of his passes, the defense rebounded and dominated a good offense, and even punter Hudson Hollenbeck boomed a 55-yard punt. Everything was working (mostly). And this happened without several key players on the field (Rod Moore, Justice Haynes, Marlin Klein).

The killer instinct is still missing, however. This could have been an epic blowout, but Michigan missed a ton of opportunities. Dropped passes reared their ugly head again (though on a limited basis) and a dropped interception by Jyaire Hill early kept the Wolverines from scoring super early. There’s a lot to still work on, but this was a massive step in the right direction. Up next is rival Michigan State.

5. USC Trojans (5-2, 3-1)

This week: L, at Notre Dame, 24-34

Previous ranking: 4

Hi/Lo: 4/8

USC had every chance in the world, but the defense's inability to contain big plays returned against its archrival. After dominating the trenches in Week 7 against Michigan, the opposite happened against Notre Dame, with the run game stalling out, as the Irish ran all over the Trojans. Just as USC appeared to be driving to tie the game at 27, an odd trick pass call was made in the rain, and wide receiver Makai Lemon fumbled the ball at midfield, setting up ND with a touchdown to push the Irish lead to 10. USC never recovered, but it still has a lot to play for, regardless of the loss.

4. Illinois Fighting Illini (5-2, 2-2)

This week: BYE

Previous ranking: 6

Hi/Lo: 4/9

Illinois was the sole Big Ten team on bye this week but will resume with a road trip to Washington next week.

3. Oregon Ducks (6-1, 3-1)

This week: W, at Rutgers, 56-10

Previous ranking: 3

Hi/Lo: 1/3

After losing to Indiana, the Ducks went across the country (literally) and dominated Rutgers in Piscataway. It wasn’t even a contest, not even for a minute. Oregon looked powerful and more in line with what was expected following the win over Penn State. Quarterback Dante Moore was sensational, as was the defense.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes (7-0, 4-0)

This week: W, at Wisconsin, 34-0

Previous ranking: 2

Hi/Lo: 1/2

Julian Sayin continues to ball out for the Buckeyes, this time having the second-best completion percentage for an Ohio State quarterback ever (85.7%). Sayin also threw for nearly 400 yards, with Carnell Tate leading in yards (111) and Jeremiah Smith in receptions (nine). The defense overwhelmed a moribund Wisconsin offense, allowing under 150 yards in Madison. The run game continues to be the Buckeyes’ Achilles heel, but Isaiah West was a new face who led the way with 55 yards on nine carries.

1. Indiana Hoosiers (6-0, 3-0)

This week: W, vs. Michigan State, 30-20

Previous ranking: 1

Hi/Lo: 1/4

A weather delay couldn’t slow IU and the Curt Cignetti train down. With a struggling Michigan State team coming to Bloomington, Indiana’s offense went wild all over the Spartans, with 464 yards. In fact, it could have been much worse than the 38-13 score ended up being. Fernando Mendoza missed only four passes en route to 332 yards and four touchdowns. The rushing defense was stellar, as well. But the passing defense (which was somewhat skewed with 50 yards given up in garbage time) wasn’t quite as sharp as it’s been, as Aidan Chiles went 27-for-33 (and no interceptions).

We’re keeping the Hoosiers as our top team in the conference for now, but Ohio State is right there.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Big Ten power rankings: Michigan rises after Week 8 bounce-back win