Ohio State Holds Top Big Ten Slot as Quarterback Doubts Persist

The Big Ten has no dominant front-runners after eight weeks of college football.

CBS Sports placed Ohio State first and UCLA second in its Week 9 rankings. The evaluation notes that key injuries and surprising upsets have created uncertainty across the conference. Defenses remain strong in Ohio State, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and Michigan. UCLA joined this group after a midseason turnaround that kept the Bruins unbeaten. Offense is the primary concern for top teams.

Ohio State and Indiana possess elite skill-position talent, but their quarterback situations are unsettled. Josh Hoover is considered a downgrade for Indiana. Northwestern, coached by Chip Kelly, fields an entertaining offense but has not tested itself against the conference's best defenses. Ohio State coach Ryan Day has not named a starter for Saturday's game against USC. The Buckeyes will play without Julian Sayin. It is unclear whether Luke Fahey or Tavien St. Clair will start. UCLA faces Nevada this week. Its rushing attack has slowed since Nico Iamaleava was injured, but Ty Dieffenbach has secured two more victories.

Northwestern moved up to third place after beating Rutgers. The Wildcats travel to Oregon as slight underdogs. Indiana dropped to fourth after winning at Michigan. Its passing game remains inconsistent, though its defense stays competitive. Curt Cignetti's team plays Minnesota and USC next. Wisconsin jumped from eighth to fifth after a 24-7 victory over USC. The result stabilized Luke Fickell's position in Madison. The Badgers visit Iowa next. Minnesota rose to sixth place after beating Iowa 13-10 to keep the Floyd of Rosedale trophy. The Gophers visit Indiana, while Iowa, ranked seventh, faces Wisconsin and Northwestern in consecutive games.

Nebraska is eighth after a bye week following two losses, including a late collapse at Oregon. The Huskers host Washington and need a win to reach 6-2. USC is ninth at 6-2 after struggling at Wisconsin. The Trojans host Ohio State this week and face Indiana and UCLA later. Washington is 10th and Purdue is 11th. Purdue visits Penn State. Illinois climbed to 12th after beating Oregon and travels to Maryland. Maryland is playing under an interim coach. Oregon fell to 13th after a poor performance in Champaign. Quarterback Dante Moore is out for the season with a concussion. Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas have struggled at the position. Michigan is 14th after losing to Indiana. Tommy Carr's offense could not overcome a strong defensive effort.

Rutgers is 15th and hosts Michigan State. The Scarlet Knights seek a second conference win. Penn State is 16th under first-year coach Matt Campbell. The Nittany Lions need home wins to remain bowl-eligible. Michigan State is 17th after a 28-10 loss at UCLA. Maryland is 18th. It is no longer the only Power Four program without a permanent head coach, as NC State and Baylor fired their coaches this past weekend.