Big Ten power rankings: UCLA fires coach; Oregon, USC pick up conference wins

1. Ohio State (3-0): Julian Sayin passed for 347 yards and three touchdowns as the Buckeyes toyed with Ohio University, winning 37-9. Ohio State has a bye this week before opening Big Ten play at Washington.

2. Penn State (3-0): The Nittany Lions outscored nonconference foes Nevada, Florida International and Villanova by a combined 132-17. After a bye this week, the schedule gets serious with a visit from Oregon on Sept. 27 for the “White Out” game.

3. Oregon (3-0, 1-0 Big Ten): The Ducks were workmanlike in their 34-14 victory at Northwestern, converting seven of 11 third-down situations. They step out of conference to face a dreadful Oregon State team in the Civil War rivalry game on Saturday.

4. Illinois (3-0): The Fighting Illini endured a sluggish start before rolling to a 38-0 victory over Western Michigan. They will need to be more focused in Big Ten opener against Indiana.

5. USC (3-0, 1-0): There might not have been a better image this week than Jamal Jarrett, the Trojans’ 360-pound defensive tackle, rumbling 70 yards for a touchdown on an interception return in a 33-17 victory at Purdue.

6. Indiana (3-0): Hoosiers hang a 73-0 rout on Indiana State. Their Charmin-soft nonconference slate is finished, and we’ll know a lot more about them when Illinois comes to Bloomington on Saturday night for the Big Ten opener.

7. Nebraska (3-0): Most of the Cornhuskers starters played only the first half in a 59-7 rout of FCS Houston Christian. Nebraska still finished with 554 yards. A visit from Michigan will present a much bigger challenge.

9. Iowa (2-1): QB Mark Gronowski put it all together against Massachusetts, passing for two TDs and rushing for one in a 47-7 win that gave coach Kirk Ferentz his Big Ten-record 206th victory.

10. Michigan State (3-0): QB Aidan Chiles amassed 346 yards of offense as the Spartans beat FCS Youngstown State. The bad news: four key players, including receiver Nick Marsh, suffered injuries and are uncertain to play in Saturday’s Big Ten opener at USC.

11. Rutgers (3-0): Scarlet Knights tune up for Big Ten opener against visiting Iowa by routing FCS-level Norfolk State 60-10. QB Athan Kaliakmanis has completed 72.9% of his passes, which ranks 14th nationally.

12. Washington (2-0): Huskies were idle this weekend and meet intrastate rival Washington State in the Apple Cup rivalry on Saturday.

13. Gophers (2-1): Too many mistakes — eight penalties, an interception thrown and a fumble lost — doomed the Gophers in their 27-14 loss at California. The absence of running back Darius Taylor (hamstring) left a hole in the offense that they couldn’t fully fill.

15. Maryland (3-0): Terrapins feast on FCS-level Towson in a 44-17 romp. The schedule stiffens with a trip to Wisconsin.

16. Purdue (2-1, 0-1): Boilermakers QB Ryan Browne accounts for four touchdowns — and three interceptions. The latter doomed Purdue in a 33-17 loss to USC. Boilers now visit an 0-2 Notre Dame squad.

17. Northwestern (1-2, 0-1): Wildcats keep Oregon from its usual scoring binge in 34-14 loss that was 34-0 deep into the fourth quarter. The good news: After a bye, Northwestern is host to UCLA.