The Spartans' win over Illinois bought breathing room against one of the Big Ten's most dangerous title contenders.

While MSU’s win over Illinois was huge, Purdue’s win over Oregon was even more impressive, as the Boilermakers took down the Ducks on the road. Without a loss to the scrappy Penn State Nittany Lions, that win would have put them in the No. 1 spot.

Bigger picture, it was an important bounce-back game. The Wolverines are in the hunt for a Big Ten title, and the win kept them near the top of the standings. They’re 6-1 in the league, behind Michigan State (7-0) and tied in the loss column with Purdue (7-1). Wisconsin is 5-2, three teams have three losses, and on down it goes.

Michigan State remained undefeated with a big win over Illinois, Rutgers gets two wins, and Purdue extends its win streak to seven. How it all impacts the Big Ten power rankings.