One of the most highly anticipated weekends on the Big Ten calendar delivered two absolute classics as No. 3 Oregon upended No. 2 Ohio State by a point at Autzen Stadium and No. 4 Penn State came from behind to beat USC in overtime at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. There’s little doubt about the three best teams in the league after the way things unfolded on Saturday afternoon and evening.
Elsewhere around the conference, Iowa hammered Washington and No. 23 Illinois survived a valiant comeback attempt from Purdue to preserve their standing in the Big Ten’s second tier. While things continue to go from bleak to bleaker for the likes of Maryland and UCLA at the other end of the spectrum.
[Related: RJ Young’s College Football Top 25 ]
Here’s a fresh batch of Big Ten Power Rankings following Week 7:
1. Oregon (6-0 overall, 3-0 Big Ten)
Result: 32-31 home win over No. 2 Ohio State
Oregon ascends to the top spot in our Big Ten Power Rankings after securing a gutsy victory over the Buckeyes in which kicker Atticus Sappington connected on the game-winning 19-yard field goal with 1:47 remaining. In the biggest moment of his brief Oregon career, transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel turned in a near-flawless performance by completing 23 of 34 passes for 341 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions while shredding an Ohio State defense that many had considered the best in the country. The aerial exploits were buttressed by a rushing attack that averaged 5 yards per carry as tailback Jordan James racked up 115 yards and a touchdown on 23 attempts to lead the way. Gabriel also added a 27-yard rushing score early in the fourth quarter that gave the Ducks a one-point lead. Oregon outgained the Buckeyes 496-467 in total yardage and also scored key wins in the turnover battle (plus-1), the penalty battle (plus-45 yards) and the third-down battle (plus-2 in conversions) to climb the expanded conference hierarchy. The Ducks will now face Purdue on Friday night.