Though the Big Ten finally returned to the top 10 of the USA Today Coaches Poll for Week 13, thanks to differences in the voting rules between the polls, the conference will remain outsiders in the AP Poll this week. In the Coaches Poll, the USC Trojans are ineligible to receive votes, which has opened up a spot in the rankings, allowing the Michigan State Spartans to jump into the top 10 this week.
But the AP Poll allows its voters to rank the Trojans, and after their upset victory over the Oregon Ducks on Saturday, USC is ranked No. 10, bumping the Spartans down to No. 11. The Wisconsin Badgers, who many believe will face the Spartans in the Big Ten's inaugural championship game, clock in at No 15, while the Michigan Wolverines, who are fresh off of a route of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, jump up to No. 17. The Cornhuskers are down to No. 22 this week, two spots below the Penn State Nittany Lions, who sit at No. 20.
For more updates on the national polls, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more news and notes from around college football, visit SB Nation's college football news hub.