Now more than ever, it is clear that the UCLA Bruins are here to stay. They are genuine contenders in the Big Ten this season, partly because they don't play Indiana or Ohio State. USC, for its part, did exactly what it needed to get back into the hunt. Washington and Oregon both look like a shell of their 2025 selves.

Here are my Big Ten football rankings after Week 6:

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (5-1)

Ohio State, after the loss to Texas, has been on a dominant run. That loss may very well be the loss they needed to help them go on a national title run. While no team has been able to slow down Jeremiah Smith, the run game for the Buckeyes is looking just as dominant.

2. Indiana Hoosiers (6-0)

The Indiana Hoosiers are a good football team, but it is fair to question whether they are just playing down to their opponents. Nebraska and Northwestern look like good football teams; however, Ohio State against them may look like a completely different score. This upcoming week will give clarity on who the best team in the Big Ten is, but for right now Ohio State has been the more domiant team.

3. UCLA Bruins (5-0)

Bob Chesney has completely shifted this program around. The Bruins are an elite football team already. They proved they can face adversity and come out on top. They passed their first test against a good football team. Hard not to feel really good about this team headed into the rest of the season. This team has a shot to go undefeated and be the next Indiana.

4. USC Trojans (6-1)

The USC Trojans got back on the right track this week. It will take a lot more for the Trojans to prove that this year's team is different, but beating Penn State on the road is a great start.

5. Iowa Hawkeyes (5-1)

The Hawkeyes beat up on the Washington Huskies the old-fashioned way. It was a domiant performance on the ground and, as usual, a good defensive performance early that kept things in the Hawkeyes' favor. Their only blemish was the Ohio State Buckeyes, which bodes well for their contention status.

6. Northwestern Wildcats (4-1)

UCLA has been a big surprise this season, but maybe the biggest surprisehas been how good Northwestern has been to start the year. Aidan Chiles has been rejuvenated; he looks like everything he was expected to be with Chip Kelly. The Wildcats are slowly becoming a very dangerous team in the Big Ten.

7. Oregon Ducks (3-2)

The Oregon Ducks have been a shell of themselves since the start of the year. This team is not impressive by any means, and when a team with heart comes and plays them, they end up getting beaten up for 4 quarters. Dan Lanning seat is definitely getting hotter.

8. Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1)

Nebraska more than held its own against the Indiana Hoosiers. They may have ended up on the losing side of things, but this is a team that earned some credibility, and Matt Rhule has quickly flipped things in the right direction in Nebraska. Anthony Colandrea is panning out greatly as the guy at quarterback.

9. Wisconsin Badgers (4-1)

Colton Joseph and the Badgers offense are finding their groove. This is a team that is trending in the right direction, and following their bye week, they will get 3 great opportunities to further prove themselves.

10. Penn State Nittany Lions (3-3)

Penn State now has 3 straight losses. The hype and expectation for the Matt Campbell era to restore the glory days, especially early on, have died down. Injuries have played a part, but their defense has consistently not gotten the job done. Penn State will, at best, be a bowl game-level team.

11. Michigan Wolverines (3-2)

The Wolverines got a much-needed bye week; however, this team is headed towards a path of being one of the most disappointing football teams in the conference this season. They make a ton of mistakes, and it is clear Bryce Underwood is not a winning quarterback. His coaching staff definitely is not helping his case either.

12. Washington Huskies (3-3)

The Huskies got embarrassed at home, and this team has shown exactly what it is already for a couple of weeks. They are nowhere near being a force in the Big Ten. The drop-off for this team has been disappointing to see.

13. Illinois Fighting Illini (3-3)

Illinois should have gotten upset on Saturday to Michigan State. Illinois, year after year, has been an underrated football team; this season, they will be just in the middle of the pack. They will not surprise anyone, and against the top teams, they will get severely outmatched.

14. Purdue Boilermakers (3-3)

Is Purdue headed for a competent season this year? The run game looked great against the Gophers, and they are coming off a statement win. There are a couple more wins this team could pull off before the season ends, given how the Big Ten landscape is looking.

15. Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-2)

All hope and hope Minnesota had for a meaningful season went out the door with their blowout loss to Purdue. You cannot perform like that as a Big Ten contender. That is a loss that will stain the rest of the season for the Gophers.

16. Michigan State Spartans (2-4)

The Spartans showed great life against Illinois, and they should be sitting at a higher spot after an upset. This team is not headed for any success this season, but you can see the light at the end of the tunnel for Michigan State. The future looks bright, especially with their young quarterback.

17. Maryland Terrapins (2-4)

The Terrapins for another season are already waiting for next year. Change has to be coming for this program very soon.

18. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-4)

Rutgers is coming off a bye, and things are looking up for a couple of the bottom Big Ten teams. Rutgers could steal 1 or more games on their upcoming schedule, yet there is still a lot to be concerned about with this team.

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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Big Ten football power rankings after Week 6 - UCLA is here to stay

Source: Yahoo Sports