Big Ten power rankings after Week 3: USC drops after close win

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

After a wild Week 2 where we watched the Oregon Ducks and Ohio State Buckeyes fall in the rankings thanks to upsets on the road, it feels safe to say that Week 3 was pretty mundane. There were very few upsets, a couple of scares, but for the most part, a handful of blowout victories that followed the script.

The Ducks had their way with the Portland State Vikings on Friday night to the tune of an 84-0 blowout, and both Ohio State and the Indiana Hoosiers won big as well. Meanwhile, the USC Trojans had a bit of a scare on the road, barely eking out a win over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, the last-place team in our Big Ten Power rankings.

In Week 2, our Big Ten power rankings tried to predict the future for each team based on their first couple of games. Now, as teams get set to enter conference play and put the non-conference slate behind them, we're likely to start getting more answers as to who belongs where in the conference hierarchy.

Here are our Big Ten power rankings after Week 3:

18 – Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Previous Ranking: 18

Week 3 Result: 42-35 Loss vs. USC

Record: 0-3

Analysis: To Rutgers' credit, that was the best game the Scarlet Knights have played so far this season. Dylan Lonergan made it a shootout for a little bit in the second half, and Antwan Raymond picked up nearly six yards per carry. However, turnovers are still an issue and there is nothing to write home about defensively. "A" for effort, though, and now Rutgers might have some momentum to finally win a game next week against Howard.

17 – Michigan State Spartans

Previous Ranking: 16

Week 3 Result: 27-10 Loss at Notre Dame

Record: 2-1

Analysis: The final score makes this game look a lot closer than it really was. This was a rock fight, and Michigan State's defense couldn't get off the field. Notre Dame had four drives that lasted at least five minutes, and Alessio Milivojevic tossed two interceptions. The Spartans just couldn't run the ball, and there was no rhythm offensively. The Spartans figure to be a mainstay here at the bottom of the rankings, especially as conference play begins with tough matchups for their defense.

16 – Purdue Boilermakers

Previous Ranking: 17

Week 3 Result: 52-38 Loss at UCLA

Record: 1-2

Analysis: Yes, Purdue lost the game, but I think the offense might be real. The Boilermakers totaled nearly 500 yards of offense, most of it coming from Ryan Browne's right shoulder. It was quickly evident that Purdue was in a track meet against UCLA, and while the Boilermakers did run out of gas toward the end of the game, there is no shortage of confidence in the explosiveness of Purdue's passing game. Barry Odom always improves in year two, and Purdue seems to be on track to do that this season, although their bowl potential remains unclear. Purdue's defense wouldn't be able to stop a child running through the teeth of their defense, but if they score enough points to stick around in Big Ten play, does it really matter? I guess we'll find out next week against Notre Dame.

15 – Minnesota Golden Gophers

Previous Ranking: 14

Week 3 Result: 41-7 Win vs. Akron

Record: 2-1

Analysis: Minnesota ran the ball well to bounce back from an ugly loss last week, but there are still too many holes to think this team will compete consistently in conference play. While I like Drake Lindsey, his play has been up and down so far this season, lowering the ceiling for the offense. He'll have the chance to change the narrative next week at Washington.

14 – Maryland Terrapins

Previous Ranking: 12

Week 3 Result: 35-26 Loss vs. Virginia Tech

Record: 2-1

Analysis: Maryland's defense got gashed in this one, giving up over 300 yards and 3 TDs to Ethan Grunkemeyer in the loss. While Malik Washington was able to have a massive day through the air, with 359 yards and 3 TDs of his own, it was all about the inability to stop Virginia Tech at home in this one. The Terps have finally lost in September.

13 – Northwestern Wildcats

Previous Ranking: 15

Week 3 Result: 41-7 Win vs. Colorado

Record: 2-0

Analysis: Chip Kelly is working some magic in Evanston. Aidan Chiles finally looks like a solid quarterback and is operating the offense in an efficient manner, while the Northwestern backfield thrived on the ground with a pair of powerful backs. Northwestern forced four turnovers and created negative plays defensively, but the measuring stick will come next week on the road at Indiana.

12 – Wisconsin Badgers

Previous Ranking: 13

Week 3 Result: 54-10 Win vs. Eastern Michigan

Record: 2-1

Analysis: It was a slow start, but it ended up being a career day for Colton Joseph with 362 passing yards in the win. I'm starting to believe Wisconsin will be one of those teams that wakes up one day and runs through a team it shouldn't, and some of that has to do with Luke Fickell coaching for his job. The road ahead is tough, heading to Penn State next week and games against UCLA, USC, and Iowa still on the schedule, but the Badgers have been more competitive than I initially thought they would be.

11 – Nebraska Cornhuskers

Previous Ranking: 11

Week 3 Result: 34-7 Win vs. North Dakota

Record: 3-0

Analysis: Nebraska looked good once again, with the offense charting the path forward for Matt Rhule's team. Anthony Colandrea was solid and efficient, but RB Jamal Rule was the big winner of the day, rushing for 119 yards and two touchdowns. The Cornhuskers have impressed early on this year, and will be an interesting team to watch during conference play.

10 – UCLA Bruins

Previous Ranking: 10

Week 3 Result: 52-38 Win vs. Purdue

Record: 3-0

Analysis: The defense was badly exposed by Purdue's passing attack, allowing plenty of chunk plays, but the offense is clicking at a new level with Nico Iamaleava, who had his best outing as a Bruin. Wayne Knight led the way on the ground, tallying 170 yards and guiding the Bruins to nearly 400 yards rushing. The offensive line is an issue in pass protection, as Iamaleava took way too many hits and left the game twice with an injury. It's too early in the season to be taking shots like that, so I do worry about UCLA's long-term production as wear and tear sets in. It does feel like UCLA is starting to turn a corner, and a date with Oregon in a few weeks is circled on the calendar.

9 – Illinois Fighting Illini

Previous Ranking: 9

Week 3 Result: 48-10 Win vs. Southern Illinois

Record: 2-1

Analysis: After dropping a frustrating game to Duke last week, Illinois got a needed win over a small school on Saturday, and their offense looked to be clicking throughout. Katin Houser was efficient and dynamic on the day, and the rushing attack was strong.

8 – Iowa Hawkeyes

Previous Ranking: 8

Week 3 Result: 55-0 Win vs. Northern Iowa

Record: 3-0

Analysis: Does Iowa have a quarterback? Hank Brown was great again, completing all 12 of his passes, but the story is on the ground, where the Hawkeyes rushed for 422 yards and had three players eclipse the century mark. Iowa's method of play hasn't changed, but we've now seen the Hawkeyes win with a big rushing attack and win with Brown's arm. Iowa is clicking at the right time and can make a statement next week at Michigan.

7 – Washington Huskies

Previous Ranking: 7

Week 3 Result: 48-16 Win vs. Eastern Washington

Record: 3-0

Analysis: Washington really needed to pull away early in this one after failing to do so in their first two games, and Demond Williams rose to the occasion with four touchdowns. The offense scored efficiently, but the lack of depth at running back is concerning. Washington needs to establish a running game with Minnesota, USC and Iowa on deck. The Huskies have relied on Williams alone to carry the offense in the past, but to take a step into the elite tier in the Big Ten, they'll need to prove they can win in multiple ways against the conference's best.

6 – Oregon Ducks

Previous Ranking: 6

Week 3 Result: 84-0 Win vs. Portland State

Record: 2-1

Analysis: This is the game that Oregon needed after losing to Oklahoma State in embarrassing fashion last week. Does an 84-0 blowout over an FCS school mean Oregon is back in title contention? Absolutely not, but it was nice to see the Ducks execute and find some joy in football again. We will learn everything we need to know about this team next week against USC.

5 – Michigan Wolverines

Previous Ranking: 5

Week 3 Result: 52-17 Win vs. UTEP

Record: 3-0

Analysis: It took longer than it should have for Michigan to pull away in this one. The Wolverines needed a flurry of points and a poor punt to take just a three-point lead into the break, but Bryce Underwood was efficient throughout and kept mistakes to a minimum. Michigan averaged 4.4 yards per carry, and I honestly expect better at this point. I have no concerns about the defense, so it will be on Underwood and the run game next week when Iowa comes to Ann Arbor.

4 – USC Trojans

Previous Ranking: 3

Week 3 Result: 42-35 Win at Rutgers

Record: 3-0

Analysis: Maybe USC was looking ahead? The Trojans survived a close call in their first road game, but the defense looked like an old Lincoln Riley unit as the Scarlet Knights ripped through the secondary in the second half. It was back and forth, but the Trojans were able to run the ball late to end it and Jayden Maiava connected with nine different receivers while down a key weapon. USC might have given Oregon a blueprint for success next week in one of the biggest conference clashes of the season. Time to tighten up defensively.

3 – Penn State Nittany Lions

Previous Ranking: 4

Week 3 Result: 55-13 Win vs. Buffalo

Record: 3-0

Analysis: The big difference for Penn State this season is how balanced the offense has been. The Nittany Lions took care of business by being efficient through the air and rushing for 300 yards and five scores on the ground. The only concern is the lack of a pass rush, which could be exposed by Wisconsin's potent passing attack next week, but the Nittany Lions are checking all the boxes so far this season.

2 – Ohio State Buckeyes

Previous Ranking: 2

Week 3 Result: 59-3 Win vs. Kent State

Record: 2-1

Analysis: Ohio State was able to settle down against Kent State and get back on track after blowing a late lead last weekend. Jeremiah Smith set the new Ohio State receiving record, and the Buckeyes rolled, as predicted. Their defense isn't creating as many negative plays as I would expect, but the Buckeyes are in good shape heading into conference play next week.

1 – Indiana Hoosiers

Previous Ranking: 1

Week 3 Result: 38-0 Win vs. Western Kentucky

Record: 3-0

Analysis: It was an uncharacteristically slow start for Indiana, but once they got the momentum rolling, the defending national champions started to look like themselves again. Indiana now has back-to-back shutouts over the last two weeks and looks to be as good as expected.

Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.   

This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Big Ten power rankings after Week 3: USC drops after close win

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos