Big Ten power rankings after week 6: How far does USC fall after second conference loss?

The Big Ten saw some separation in week six. Three of the top five teams in the conference handled their business against lesser opponents while the other two couldn't survive tough road tests.

Ohio State, Oregon, and Penn State all look the part of conference title contenders. Each was impressive in week six by dispatching teams that had no business thinking they could spring an upset.

However, USC and Michigan both found out that traveling two time zones to play a game is a difficult proposition. Now, there appears to be a clear group of three Big Ten contenders who have pulled away from the rest of the league. So how did a week of upsets and intrigue impact our Big Ten power rankings? Let's take a look.

Week 6: 52-6 road loss to Wisconsin

Firing offensive coordinator Graham Harrell after week five did nothing to help the Purdue offense against Wisconsin. Racking up only 216 yards of offense, the Boilermakers lost their fourth-straight game in week six. It won't get any easier for Purdue with No. 23 Illinois, No. 3 Oregon, No. 4 Penn State, and No. 2 Ohio State being four of the next five opponents on the schedule.

Week 6: 27-11 road loss to No. 7 Penn State

UCLA has climbed out of the Big Ten basement in our power rankings by playing LSU and Penn State respectably in two of the last three weeks. But the Bruins really didn't come close to winning either of those games. Unfortunately, injuries are taking their toll on UCLA and the Big Ten schedule isn't going to provide any breaks. Look for the Bruins to continue to be at the bottom of our power rankings for some time to come.

Week 6: 41-24 home loss to No. 23 Indiana

Northwestern played undefeated Indiana tough in week six. However, the Hoosiers pulled away late with a strong fourth quarter. Now, the Wildcats enter a four-game stretch of winnable games against Maryland, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Purdue before taking on Ohio State. But three of the next four games are on the road.

Week 6: Off

Maryland was off this week after starting Big Ten play 0-2. Now they have back-to-back home games against Northwestern and USC to try to get back on the winning path and turn their season into a success.

Week 6: 31-10 road loss to No. 6 Oregon

Michigan State has dropped two of its three conference games this year. The last two saw Sparty fall by at least 21 points. The offense remains an issue in East Lansing as the Spartans have not put up more than 27 points against an FBS team this year. After an off week this week, they then face Iowa and three ranked teams so the road to respectability will only get tougher.

Week 6: 52-6 home win over Purdue

Rebounding from their loss to USC in week 6, Wisconsin took out some frustrations on lowly Purdue. That had to feel like a nice reprieve after facing Alabama and the Trojans in the two previous games. Now, a road trip to Rutgers will tell us if Wisconsin's 52-point showing this week was a sign of offensive improvement or if it was just a by-product of playing Purdue.

Week 6: 24-17 home win over No. 11 USC

Minnesota gutted out a win over USC by being the more physical and hungry team. The Gopher's defense, one that had given up an average of 29 points to Iowa and Michigan in the last two games, looked more like itself against the Trojans. Now the challenge is to find a way to avoid the trap game against UCLA after traveling west across two time zones.

Week 6: 35-7 road loss to No. 3 Ohio State

Iowa stepped up in class by taking on Ohio State this weekend and learned how far it is from being a Big Ten contender. The Hawkeyes have to find a way to get their offense going as they are now 127th nationally in passing. With a hot Washington team coming to Iowa City, the Hawkeyes won't be able to simply hope their defense will carry them in week 7.

Week 6: 24-17 road loss to Minnesota

Perhaps no ranked team took a bigger perception hit in week six than USC. With their loss to Minnesota, they not only fell out of the rankings completely but they are also being labeled as soft and unprepared for the physicality of Big Ten play. A home game against Penn State this week will test their resolve even more this week in what could be the most important game of head coach Lincoln Riley's career.

Week 6: 14-7 road loss to Nebraska

Rutgers' dream season suffered its first setback this week in a sluggish loss to Nebraska. In that game, Rutgers learned that capable defenses can shut down their rushing game because they don't fear the Scarlet Knights' ability to throw the football. If Rutgers can't find balance on offense, they won't be a threat to compete in the Big Ten for the rest of the season.

Week 6: 27-17 road loss to Washington

Michigan is now relying on its third QB of the season with both QB changes being brought on by performance issues. Jack Tuttle was better than Alex Orji against Washington but ultimately, the Michigan offense was stymied by the Huskies' defense. Though defense is usually the Wolverines calling card, they will have to be better than 115th nationally in passing offense to be able to compete with the better teams in the conference.

Week 6: 27-17 home win over No. 10 Michigan

With 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, Washington found a way to get a little revenge on Michigan after last season's National Championship Game. The Huskies also showed impressive skill on offense by putting up 429 yards of offense on a pretty good Michigan defense.

Week 6: 14-7 home win over Rutgers

Nebraska picked up an old-school win over Rutgers with the black-shirt defense ruling the day in Lincoln. They held Rutgers to under 2.5 yards per carry and held the line on a night when the Cornhusker offense was able to score only twice. Now, after a week off in week 7, they have to face No. 18 Indiana and No. 2 Ohio State so they had better find their offense in a hurry.

Week 6: Off

The Illini had a week off after a respectable showing in a loss to then-No. 9 Penn State, their first loss of the season. This week, the Illini should prevail against an awful Purdue team before a difficult set of games at home against No. 24 Michigan and at No. 3 Oregon. 

Week 6: 41-24 road win over Northwestern

Indiana became the first team in America to become bowl-eligible this season. Now, they will host Nebraska and Washington in their two toughest games thus far. If they win those, they could be a dark horse contender to play for the Big Ten title.

Week 6: 31-10 home win over Michigan State

Oregon readied for this week's showdown with Ohio State by mauling Michigan State in week 6. Only one team this year (Boise State) has scored over 14 points on the Ducks. However, this week, the defense will have to find a way to slow down a Buckeye offense that could be the most talented in the nation.

Week 6: 27-11 home win over UCLA

The Nittany Lions have put forth two workman-like efforts in their last two games against Illinois and UCLA. Will they be able to overmatch USC physically this week after a cross-country trip? If they can, they will take a huge step toward being a Big Ten Conference contender and proving that this program is finally moving toward being a National Championship contender under James Franklin.

Week 6: 35-7 home win over Iowa

The hope was that Iowa would test the Ohio State Buckeyes in week six. However, that didn't happen as OSU jumped out to a 35-0 lead. This week's road trip to Oregon will be the first time that the Buckeyes will be pushed. If they survive that challenge, they could be the top team in the country in the national polls.