Week 10 saw just six Big Ten games be played, as Oregon, Washington, Iowa, Northwestern, UCLA, and Wisconsin all had bye weeks. Additionally, the team that was favored in each of those games proceeded to win, meaning there weren't many surprises to cause movement on the conference ladder.
Still, with the first release of the College Football Playoff rankings scheduled later today, it's important to see where things stand going into the final stretch of the regular season -- especially with Washington entering the AP Poll for the first time.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0)
Last week's ranking: No. 1
Last week's game: W, 38-14 vs Penn State
Ohio State continues its dominance, hanging on to the No. 1 spot in the Big Ten and entire nation -- but Indiana is gaining ground fast. It will be interesting to see who the CFP Selection Committee sides with, but for now, the Buckeyes are the betting favorite to repeat as national champions.
2. Indiana Hoosiers (9-0)
Last week's ranking: No. 2
Last week's game: W, 55-10 vs Maryland
It feels like this is being said every week, but Indiana is for real. The Hoosiers have now scored 50-plus points in five of their nine games this season, leaving no doubt against the opponents they are favored against. Of course, their win on the road against Oregon still looms large as one of the best in college football, but now, even their win in Iowa the week before is beginning to look better and better with how the Hawkeyes have been playing. Don't be surprised if Indiana cracks the No. 1 spot later tonight.
3. Oregon Ducks (7-1)
Last week's ranking: No. 3
Last week's game: BYE
With all the talk about Ohio State and Indiana, the Ducks have flown under the radar somewhat -- but perhaps that's a good thing. Still at No. 6 in the latest AP Poll, Oregon is ranked below Alabama and Georgia despite its only loss being to No. 2 Indiana. Dan Lanning and the Ducks can use that slight as motivation, but they have a very tough remaining schedule against Iowa, Minnesota, USC, and Washington -- who have a combined 24-9 record.
4. USC Trojans (6-2)
Last week's ranking: No. 5 (+1)
Last week's game: W, 21-17 vs Nebraska
USC once again jumps ahead of Michigan after the Wolverines struggled a bit in their win against Purdue. Meanwhile, the Trojans pulled out a gutsy road win against a solid Nebraska team -- one that won't look too impressive based on the final score, but certainly showed why USC isn't a team to ever count out.
5. Michigan Wolverines (7-2)
Last week's ranking: No. 4 (-1)
Last week's game: W, 21-16 vs Purdue
Michigan has a high ceiling with top-level talent, but has been inconsistent so far this season. Its win against Washington showed what that ceiling looked like, but its losses to Oklahoma and USC exposed glaring issues. Those issues again popped up in a narrow win versus a two-win Purdue team, as Bryce Underwood and the Wolverines again struggled to get anything going in the passing game.
6. Washington Huskies (6-2)
Last week's ranking: No. 6
Last week's game: BYE
The Huskies finally became ranked despite not playing a game, but are still being disrespected with some of the teams ranked ahead of them. However, it's best to block out the noise and continue to ball out every week, as Washington has to love the position it's in to close out the regular season. The team is beginning to hit its stride, and hopefully the bye week was a much-needed opportunity to refresh and prepare for the important road ahead. It's time to lock in.