13. Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-2)
Last week's ranking: No. 11 (-2)
Last week's game: L, 42-3 vs No. 1 Ohio State
Minnesota simply fell flat against Ohio State, which was a game that was a longshot to win anyways, but still didn't inspire much hope for a program that was supposed to take a leap this year. The Golden Gophers' offense doesn't look horrible, as quarterback Drake Lindsey and running back Fame Ijeboi form a solid tandem, but they've had severe struggles in the red zone this season.
14. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-2)
Last week’s ranking: No. 14
Last week’s game: BYE
The Scarlet Knights had a bye after a loss to Minnesota, and now travel across the country to take on the Huskies in their biggest test yet. Rutgers is certainly well-coached and have enough athletes to pull off the upset, the question is if it can all be put together for 60 minutes.
15. UCLA Bruins (1-4)
Last week's ranking: No. 18 (+3)
Last week's game: W, 42-37 vs No. 7 Penn State
After falling to the last spot in the Big Ten power rankings a week ago, UCLA surprised everyone by defeating No. 7 Penn State in a massive upset for its first win of the season. Offensive coordinator Jerry Neuheisel is becoming a cult hero, and may have unlocked the dormant talents of quarterback Nico Iamaleava. However, still with the worst-overall record in the conference, the Bruins still have plenty to prove going forward.
16. Purdue Boilermakers (2-3)
Last week's ranking: No. 15 (-1)
Last week's game: L, 43-27 vs No. 22 Illinois
Purdue's offense continues to show promise, but its defense still has a way to go, as the Boilermakers lost their third game in a row. However, they played worthy opponents each time (USC, Notre Dame, Illinois), which means their upcoming three-game stretch against Minnesota, Northwestern, and Rutgers feels like a terrific chance for Purdue to get some conference wins.
17. Northwestern Wildcats (3-2)
Last week's ranking: No. 17
Last week's game: W, 42-7 vs UL Monroe
Northwestern earned its third win of the season against a non-conference opponent by a larger margin than expected. The Wildcats certainly aren't putting fear in the hearts of any Big Ten opponent they may face, but have shown some glimpses of solid football this season. At the end of the day however, there's just such a huge talent disparity between Northwestern and the rest of the teams in this conference.
18. Wisconsin Badgers (2-3)
Last week's ranking: No. 16 (-2)
Last week's game: L, 24-10 vs No. 20 Michigan
Wisconsin's brutal schedule continued in its lost against Michigan, and it doesn't get any easier from here. An upcoming matchup at home against Iowa may be the last chance the Badgers have at getting a win until the final week of the season against Minnesota. The offense has been awful this season -- scoring more than 20 points in a game just one time and totaling just 34 points in the last three games.