Big Ten power rankings: Oregon takes down USC, Michigan easily handles Maryland

1. Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten): The Buckeyes rested star wideouts Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate in 42-9 rout of Rutgers. It’ll be all hands on deck Saturday for Ohio State, which will try to end a four-game skid at Michigan and clinch a spot in the Big Ten championship game.

2. Indiana (11-0, 8-0): Idle this weekend, the Hoosiers can secure a spot in the Big Ten title game with a victory at Purdue on Black Friday.

3. Oregon (10-1, 7-1): The Ducks outlasted USC 42-27 and kept alive their chances to advance to Indianapolis for the Big Ten title game. They must win at Washington and get a Michigan upset of Ohio State to play on.

4. Michigan (9-2, 7-1): The Wolverines took care of Maryland 45-20 and still are alive to make the Big Ten title game and earn a College Football Playoff berth. First, they must beat Ohio State. Then, they need a Washington victory over Oregon or a Purdue victory over Indiana.

5. USC (8-3, 6-2): The Trojans saw their playoff dreams die in 42-27 loss at Oregon. They finish the regular season at home against UCLA and could be bound for the Alamo Bowl.

6. Washington (8-3, 5-3): With their 48-14 victory at UCLA, the Huskies posted their second win at the Rose Bowl in 30 years. They’ll try to deal a blow to Oregon on Saturday in Seattle.

7. Iowa (7-4, 5-3): The Hawkeyes needed a 13-point fourth-quarter rally, capped by Drew Stevens’ 44-yard field goal as time expired, to beat Michigan State 20-17. Iowa travels to Nebraska for the annual Black Friday game.

9. Northwestern (6-5, 4-4): Wildcats QB Preston Stone passed for 305 yards and two TDs in a 38-35 win over the Gophers. He had surpassed 200 passing yards only twice this season before Saturday.

10. Gophers (6-5, 4-4): Minnesota squanders a 15-point second-half lead, gives up 525 yards of offense and misses a 40-yard field-goal attempt as time expires in a three-point loss to Northwestern at Wrigley Field. The Gophers will try to avoid a .500 regular season in Saturday’s home game for Paul Bunyan’s Axe against surging Wisconsin.

11. Nebraska (7-4, 4-4): The Huskers surrender 412 yards to Penn State in a 37-10 road loss. Lone bright spot was former Holy Angels standout Emmet Johnson rushing 19 times for 103 yards and catching eight passes for 48 yards.

12. Penn State (5-6, 2-6): Kaytron Allen rushes for 160 yards and two TDs in 37-10 win over Nebraska. He also became the Nittany Lions’ all-time leading rusher with 3,954 yards, topping Jerry Royster’s 3,932 in 2010.

13. Wisconsin (4-7, 2-6): Suddenly, the Badgers have become a problem for Big Ten foes. Their 27-10 victory over No. 21 Illinois was their second over a ranked team in three weeks, joining a 13-10 win over No. 23 Washington.

15. Maryland (4-7, 1-7): The Terrapins’ 45-20 loss to Michigan secured their second consecutive losing season.

16. UCLA (3-8, 3-5): After falling 48-14 to Washington, the Bruins have lost four in a row. Even worse: They are considering moving out of the Rose Bowl in favor of SoFi Stadium.

17. Michigan State (3-8, 0-8): The Spartans mustered only 26 yards in four fourth-quarter possessions, leading to their 20-17 loss at Iowa.