Big Ten Power Shift! Is USC Poised to Dethrone Ohio State?

Alright folks, the Big Ten is heating up, and as usual, FOX Sports' Michael Cohen has dropped his latest power rankings. Let's dive in. The headline? Ohio State and Indiana are still sitting pretty at the top, poised for what promises to be an absolute barnburner of a Big Ten Championship game.

Big Ten Power Shift! Is USC Poised to Dethrone Ohi...

We all saw the Ohio State-Michigan game. The rivalry is always intense, but this year felt different. The Buckeyes absolutely steamrolled the Wolverines, ending a four-game losing skid that had to be eating at Ryan Day. Honestly, the line of scrimmage was where the game was won. Ohio State just dominated. Now, they get a crack at Indiana for the title, and a likely spot in the College Football Playoff is on the line. I wouldn't want to be in Indiana's shoes this week.

On the other end of the spectrum, things are looking grim in West Lafayette. Purdue, bless their hearts, just wrapped up back-to-back winless conference seasons. That's a tough pill to swallow. They haven't been this bad in conference play since Woodrow Wilson was in office. Last year was a disaster under Ryan Walters, and his replacement, Barry Odom, didn't fare much better. A couple of wins against smaller schools to start the year, and then nothing. Ouch. They're just not getting it done on either side of the ball, and it's going to take a serious overhaul to turn that program around.

Then there's Maryland. Talk about a rollercoaster. They started 4-0, and you almost started believing they might actually make some noise in the Big Ten East. And then... the wheels completely came off. Eight straight losses, including some real blowouts. The head coach, Mike Locksley, is somehow staying put, which is kind of surprising given how impatient college football has become. Quarterback Malik Washington had a decent year, breaking some freshman records, but one player isn't going to fix that mess. They need a serious influx of talent, and quick.

Michigan State... where to even begin? They finally snapped an eight-game losing streak with a win over Maryland, but it was too little, too late. Alessio Milivojevic had a huge game, but it wasn't enough to save Jonathan Smith's job. The guy did great things at Oregon State, but he just couldn't replicate that success in East Lansing. It's a brutal business. Word on the street is that Pat Fitzgerald is the frontrunner to take over. That would certainly be interesting, to say the least. Lots of moving pieces in the Big Ten, folks. Stay tuned!