Big Ten Power Rankings, Week 9: Ohio State and UCLA lead way, but uncertainty remains

"Is anyone actually really good in college football this season?"

This is the general question I get asked more than any other when people find out what I do for a living, and after eight weeks of the season there are still very few teams I feel comfortable answering affirmatively about. In the Big Ten, that list seemingly grows shorter by the week as injuries pile up at key positions and teams who were supposedly contenders continue to lose in stunning fashion.

It's fitting for the conference's long-time identity that I am mostly confident in a handful of defenses to be genuinely elite. Ohio State, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Michigan seem to fit the bill, and UCLA's defense is entering that mix with a midseason turnaround that has kept the Bruins undefeated.

The problem is, none of those teams have an offense I trust — with some worse than others. The Buckeyes and Hoosiers have elite talent at the skill positions, but quarterback play is a major question entering the stretch run of the regular season. Josh Hoover has proven to be a significant downgrade for Indiana, and Ohio State now faces real uncertainty with a backup quarterback.

UCLA…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/