Ohio State Tops Big Ten Standings

Ohio State sits at the top of the Big Ten power rankings for the start of Week 9. The Buckeyes have gone 2-0 in conference play, but head coach Ryan Day has not confirmed whether Luke Fahey or Tavien St. Clair will start Saturday against USC. This matchup marks the team's first game without Julian Sayin at quarterback.

UCLA holds the second position in the conference. The Bruins remain unbeaten, but their rushing attack has struggled since Nico Iamaleava sustained an injury. Quarterback Ty Dieffenbach has secured two additional wins through the air while the defense has shown improvement. UCLA hosts Nevada this week.

Northwestern jumped to third place following a decisive victory over Rutgers. Chip Kelly's offense has drawn attention for its style, though the team has yet to test itself against the conference's top defenses. The Wildcats travel to Oregon, where they are slight underdogs. Indiana dropped to fourth after winning at Michigan, though their passing game remains inconsistent.

Wisconsin moved from eighth to fifth after a 24-7 win over USC on Saturday. The result stabilized Luke Fickell's tenure in Madison. The Badgers now visit Iowa. Minnesota rose from a tie for 11th to sixth after defeating Iowa 13-10 to claim the Floyd of Rosedale trophy. That game featured strong defensive and special teams play.

Nebraska sits eighth after a bye week that followed two consecutive losses. The Huskers host Washington and require a victory to reach a 6-2 record. USC is ninth at 6-2 and faces Ohio State at home this week. Washington is 10th and Purdue is 11th, with the Boilermakers traveling to Penn State.

Illinois climbed from 14th to 12th with a win over Oregon. The Illini travel to Maryland, which is currently led by an interim coach. Oregon fell from sixth to 13th after a poor performance in Champaign. Quarterback Dante Moore is out for the season with a concussion, leaving Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas to manage the offense.

Michigan ranks 14th after losing to Indiana. Tommy Carr's offense could not overcome defensive issues during that game. Rutgers is 15th and hosts Michigan State. Penn State is 16th under first-year coach Matt Campbell. Michigan State is 17th after a 28-10 loss at UCLA. Maryland is 18th, joining NC State and Baylor as Power Four programs that fired their head coaches this weekend.