Week 3 Sees Changes Again in Power Ranking for Big Ten

© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK

The Big Ten Conference came into Week 2 with a few key matchups on the schedule and came out 1-2 when the weekend ended. The B1G vs. Southeastern Conference matchup between No. 2 Texas (2-0) and No. 17 Michigan (1-1, 0-1 B1G) ended up being not a matchup at all. Iowa State (2-0) at Iowa (1-1) came right down to the wire in a typical low-scoring Iowa-type game but this time the Hawkeyes came out on the wrong side. The prime-time matchup featured Colorado (1-1) heading to No. 23 Nebraska (2-0), and like the Michigan game, it wasn’t much of a matchup and now has fans starting to believe that Nebraska is back.

To start the season many believed No. 3 Ohio State (2-0) and No. 9 Oregon (2-0) were the top two teams in the conference. Coming out of Week 2, Ohio State is still there but the Ducks look to be more hype. No. 11 USC (2-0) looks to be Ohio State's biggest competitor for the B1G title.

Here is the Week 2 B1G power ranking as voted on by College Football Dawgs' writers.

1. No. 3 Ohio State (2-0)

56-0 win over Western Michigan (0-2)

Previous ranking: 3

Ohio State welcomed Western Michigan and took care of business with a 56-0 win. The Buckeyes showed early they were the better team and by half were up 35-0—pretty much ending the game. After losing the top spot a week ago the Buckeyes put themselves right back in it with another dominating performance. The only problem for fans is they won’t find out just how good the Buckeyes are until Oct. 12 when they play Oregon.

Upcoming game: Marshall (1-1)

2. No. 11 USC (2-0)

48-0 win over Utah State (1-1)

Previous ranking: 2

USC, like Ohio State, took care of business and showed Utah State they didn’t have the talent to compete with the Trojans right from the start. USC's convincing 48-0 win was led by quarterback Miller Moss who went 21-of-30 for 229 yards and 1 touchdown. Head coach Lincoln Riley is known for developing top QBs and Moss looks to be another name that will be added to Riley's list.

The belief is that Riley’s teams can't play defense but after two weeks it looks like that belief is officially gone. In Week 2 the Trojans defense held Utah State to 190 total yards and 10 first downs in the game. After two weeks USC looks to be the biggest contender to take down Ohio State and secure the first-round bye in the new 12-team College Football Playoff .

Upcoming game: Bye

3. No. 9 Oregon (2-0)

37-34 win over Boise State (1-1)

Previous ranking: 4

Two weeks in and Oregon looks nothing like the team we thought they would. After struggling in Week 1, many believed the Ducks would come out firing in Week 2. Unfortunately for Ducks fans, not much had changed. It took a punt and kickoff return for Oregon to come out of its matchup with Boise State with a win. After two disappointing weekends the Ducks now find themselves just inside the Associated Press (AP) top 10 and with traveling to in-state rival Oregon State (2-0) the Ducks won’t have long to figure it out.

Upcoming game: at Oregon State (2-0)

4. No. 8 Penn State (2-0)

34-27 win over Bowling Green (1-1)

Previous ranking: 1

Penn State came into the first home game as 34.5-point favorites and came nowhere near close to covering that number. It took Penn State halfway through the third quarter to finally get the lead from Bowling Green 27-24, eventually winning 34-27. After a big Week 1 win this looked to be the typical up/down theory and in the end a win is a win. 

Penn State’s one-two punch at running back in Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton each had 100-yard rushing days. Singleton had 13 carries for 119 yards and 1 TD, and Allen had 101 yards on 14 carries. Quarterback Drew Allar only threw 20 passes and completed 13 for 204 yards and 2 TDs. The biggest problem that plagued Penn State in this game was not being able to take the Bowling Green QB down, recording zero sacks. But with the early bye week, it should give Penn State's defensive coordinator a chance to figure it out.

Upcoming game: Bye

5. No. 23 Nebraska (2-0)

28-10 win over Colorado (1-1)

Previous ranking: 7

Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders brought his Buffs team to Nebraska, and it didn’t take the Cornhuskers long to show they were the better team. By the time it was halftime Nebraska was up 28-0, with the game ending 28-10 with Coach Prime's son and quarterback Shedeur Sanders running off the field with 2 minutes left in the game. Even though the offense struggled in the second half the Cornhuskers gave fans a lot to like in this game.

Nebraska is led by true freshman QB Dylan Raiola, who after two games has yet to throw an interception and has 3 touchdown passes. The Cornhuskers take on Northern Iowa (2-0) this week giving Raiola another game to get ready and find his rhythm before getting into B1G play. 

Upcoming game: Northern Iowa (2-0)

B1G Power Rankings: Nos. 6-18

6. No.17 Michigan (1-1)

31-12 loss to No. 2 Texas (2-0)

Previous ranking: 5

Upcoming game: Arkansas State (2-0)

7. Illinois (2-0)

23-17 win over Kansas (1-1)

Previous ranking: 12

Upcoming game: Central Michigan (1-1)

8. Washington (2-0)

30-9 win over Eastern Michigan (1-0)

Previous ranking: 9

Upcoming game: Washington State (2-0)

9. Iowa (1-1)

20-19 loss to Iowa State (2-0)

Previous ranking: 6

Upcoming game: Troy (0-2)

10. Rutgers (2-0)

49-17 win over Akron (0-2)

Previous ranking: 10

Upcoming game: Bye

11. Wisconsin (2-0)

27-13 win over South Dakota (1-1)

Previous ranking: 11

Upcoming game: No. 4 Alabama (2-0)

12. Michigan State (2-0, 1-0 B1G)

27-24 win over Maryland (1-1, 0-1 B1G)

Previous ranking: 15

Upcoming game: Prairie View A&M (1-1)

13. Indiana (2-0)

77-3 win over Western Illinois (0-2)

Previous ranking: 14

Upcoming game: at UCLA (1-0)

14. Minnesota (1-1)

48-0 win over Rhode Island (1-1)

Previous ranking: 16

Upcoming game: Nevada (1-2)

15. Purdue (1-0)

Bye

Previous ranking: 13

Upcoming game: No. 18 Notre Dame (1-1)

16. Maryland (1-1,0-1B1G)

27-24 loss to Michigan State (2-0, 1-0 B1G)

Previous ranking: 8

Upcoming game: at Virginia (2-0)

17. UCLA (1-0)

Bye

Previous ranking: 18

Upcoming game: Indiana (2-0)

18. Northwestern (1-1)

26-20 loss to Duke (2-0)

Previous ranking: 17

Upcoming game: Eastern Illinois (1-1)