Conference Power Rankings: Big Ten holds top spot ahead of epic battle

As the college football season enters its last full weekend, the Conference Power Rankings enter their final stages as well.

The top eight stayed the same from a week ago, with the only change at all coming with the Sun Belt and Conference USA exchanging the ninth and 10th spots. While some minor adjustments could come from what's left of the season, the bulk of the work is in, and these conferences have been judged.

How the results are calculated: Seven editors submit their rankings. Every first-place vote is worth 10 points, each second-place vote is worth nine, and so on. Voting isn't just based on performance, but also on factors like key injuries and strength of schedule. Last week's rankings are in brackets.

1. Big Ten (1)

It all comes down to this in the Big Ten: No. 2 Ohio State versus No. 3 Michigan in arguably the biggest game of the season. No one will be cheering harder for the Buckeyes than Penn State, who can get into the Big Ten title game with a victory and a Michigan loss.

Outside of the Wolverines, the Big Ten in general may also be rooting for Ohio State, as a win by the Buckeyes would greatly increase the conference's chance of landing two teams in the College Football Playoff.

2. SEC (2)

While the SEC doesn't have the likes of Rutgers and Illinois to drag it down like the Big Ten does, the SEC also doesn't feature four teams in the top seven of the CFP rankings. That's the difference that sets the Big Ten apart, as Alabama is really left to carry the mantle for elite SEC teams all by itself. The fact the Tide will face Auburn, the next-highest-ranked team in the SEC, this weekend means that gap between Bama and everyone else will likely only widen.

3. ACC (3)

The ACC still seems to have a solid shot at the playoff in Clemson, but the Tigers now stand alone. Both Florida State and Louisville appeared to be viable contenders earlier this season, and while both are still undeniably talented teams, they've faded away from contention.

4. Pac-12 (4)

For the first time in 15 years, both Washington and Washington State enter the Apple Cup ranked in the top 25. In fact, before last season, neither team had been ranked at all in the matchup since 2003. This signals a change in the conference and should mean a more competitive and unpredictable Pac-12 over the next few years.

5. Big 12 (5)

Some good news for the Big 12: a disastrous 2016 is nearly over. While it may be the only Power 5 conference without a true title game, the Big 12 gets a de facto title version of one when Oklahoma State takes on Oklahoma in two weeks, with the winner emerging as champ. Too bad it won't mean anything for the playoff.

6. AAC (6)

The AAC appears to be back on the upswing, as it landed not one, but two member institutions inside the CFP Top 25 this week. Houston returned with a vengeance at No. 20, while Navy, despite being left off the AP and Coaches' Top 25, was No. 25. The American remains the class of the Group of 5.

7. Mountain West (7)

If not for the American, the crop of quality teams in the Mountain West would look downright impressive. Boise State, Wyoming, New Mexico, and San Diego State are all intriguing teams, and the Cowboys and Aztecs put on quite the show this past weekend. Problem is, they just don't quite measure up with the best of the AAC.

8. MAC (8)

After starting the season 0-6, Miami (Ohio) managed to put together six straight wins to become bowl eligible. The RedHawks just missed out on a spot in the conference championship game, however, as the honor of taking on undefeated Western Michigan will fall to Ohio.

9. Conference USA (10)

The fluctuation in Conference USA's rankings in recent weeks has more to do with what the Sun Belt's been up to than what's actually been happening in C-USA. This week is no exception, as noted below.

10. Sun Belt (9)

For the first time in program history, Troy was ranked in the AP Top 25 last week. It didn't last long. A 35-3 drubbing at the hands of Arkansas State was enough for the Trojans to wave goodbye to their ranking, and for the Sun Belt to wave hello to the basement in our rankings once again.

theScore's Conference Power Rankings will be released every Wednesday during the regular season. This week's edition was voted on by Michael Amato, Dane Belbeck, Alex Chippin, McKenzie Dalgleish, Michael deCourcy, Mike Dickson, and Dylan Perego. The full vote count is paired with the rankings below.