Where does each team stand halfway through October?
Big Ten football fans were treated to an action-packed slate of games this past weekend, headlined by several major upsets and other entertaining matchups. Michigan State took down a gritty Iowa defense, while Maryland toppled a once-ranked USC squad to bounce back for its first conference win of the year. Meanwhile, UCLA notched a win over Rutgers, its first-ever conference victory as a member of the Big Ten, while No. 13 Indiana continued its dominant undefeated season with a rout of Nebraska. With the back half of the season underway (time really does fly), here’s how each Big Ten team ranks in this week’s power rankings.
1. No. 1 Oregon
Last Ranking: 1
Result: Defeated Purdue 35-0
Next Game: vs. No. 20 Illinois
Oregon followed a classic prime-time victory over Ohio State with a dominant shutout of Purdue in West Lafayette. Dillon Gabriel continued a Heisman-caliber season with 290 passing yards and a pair of scores, but the story of the game was Oregon’s defense, which held Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne to just 93 passing yards and an interception. With the win and Texas’ loss to Georgia, Oregon has claimed the top spot in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2012. The Ducks look to maintain that title this week as they host No. 20 Illinois, their second ranked matchup in three weeks.
2. No. 3 Penn State
Last Ranking: 2
Result: Bye Week
Next Game: at Wisconsin
Penn State stays put after a bye week, one it was likely relieved to have after being put on upset watch at USC. Heading into a tough road environment against a hot Wisconsin team, the Nittany Lions will need to address the issues that almost jeopardized their undefeated season in Los Angeles, including Drew Allar’s three interceptions and the defensive woes that allowed the Trojans to take the game to overtime.
3. No. 4 Ohio State
Last Ranking: 3
Result: Bye Week
Next Game: vs. Nebraska
Ohio State is another team that was probably thankful for a week off after suffering a crushing defeat to Oregon in Eugene. The team that many considered to be the front-runner for the Big Ten Championship is now looking up in the conference standings, and Ryan Day’s record against top-five opponents has slipped to 1-7. That record should concern the Buckeyes, who will face No. 3 Penn State next weekend after they host Nebraska.
4. No. 13 Indiana
Last Ranking: 4
Result: Defeated Nebraska 56-7
Next Game: vs. Washington
Indiana showed no signs of rust after its bye week, completely dismantling a promising Nebraska squad behind an offensive explosion that continued even after quarterback Kurtis Rourke suffered an injury to his throwing hand and missed the second half. Rourke, who can be credited with much of IU’s resurgence this year, is “out indefinitely” following his surgery on Monday, according to ESPN, though he is expected to return at some point this season. However, he will not be ready by this week’s game against Washington, meaning Tayven Jackson will be tasked with continuing the Hoosiers’ undefeated campaign.
5. No. 20 Illinois
Last Ranking: 5
Result: Defeated Michigan 21-7
Next Game: at No. 1 Oregon
Illinois delivered the final blow to Michigan’s tenure in this year’s AP Top 25 with a strong 21-7 victory over the Wolverines. However, despite a stellar defensive showing, the Illini had some trouble on the other side of the ball. The team only mustered 267 yards of offense on the day, including just 80 passing yards from Luke Altmeyer. Altmeyer’s offense was able to capitalize when it needed to and benefited from the team’s great defense, but Illinois will need to adopt a more effective strategy as it travels to Oregon to face the top team in the country.
6. Wisconsin
Last Ranking: 9
Result: Defeated Northwestern 23-3
Next Game: vs. No. 3 Penn State
Wisconsin has jumped seven spots over the past two weeks in InsideNU’s weekly power rankings, in large part due to the poor performance of the teams ahead of it. However, the Badgers also deserve their share of credit for their ascension, with the victory over Northwestern marking their third win in four games since Braedyn Locke took over for the injured Tyler Van Dyke. Running back Tawee Walker has also been a force to be reckoned with, recording his second straight 100-yard rushing game in Evanston on Saturday. The team will look to rally behind Locke, Walker and a defense that has picked up steam as of late as it prepares to host No. 3 Penn State this weekend.
7. Michigan
Last Ranking: 7
Result: Lost to No. 20 Illinois 21-7
Next Game: vs. Michigan State
Michigan probably deserved to move down following its weak showing at Illinois, but it gets to stay put for the week simply because the three teams below it suffered even more embarrassing defeats. Jack Tuttle looked subpar, throwing for 208 yards and an interception, while Kalel Mullings was held under 100 rushing yards for the second straight week after a monster start to the year. The Wolverines are now unranked for the first time since Week 2 of 2021, and their schedule only gets harder from here, as they face Oregon, Indiana and Ohio State down the stretch.
8. Iowa
Last Ranking: 6
Result: Lost to Michigan State 32-20
Next Game: vs. Northwestern
Iowa’s defense, usually the heart and soul of the program, faltered in its trip to East Lansing, giving up 256 yards through the air and 212 on the ground as Michigan State put up 32 points on the day. Kaleb Johnson was once again the highlight of the offense, rushing for 98 yards and a score on 14 carries in addition to his 49 receiving yards, but the Hawkeyes will need more of their playmakers to step up if they want to avoid dropping another winnable matchup during the second half of the season.
9. USC
Last Ranking: 10
Result: Lost to Maryland 29-28
Next Game: vs. Rutgers
USC blew a 14-point lead to suffer its third straight defeat last week, this one at the hands of a Maryland squad that had previously been embarrassed at home by Northwestern and was still searching for its first Big Ten victory. Quarterback Miller Moss led a strong offensive showing, throwing for 336 yards and a trio of touchdowns, but the defense allowed the Terps back in the game before quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. capped off the comeback with a last-minute rushing touchdown. The Trojans will look to get back on track against a Rutgers squad that has struggled as of late.
10. Nebraska
Last Ranking: 8
Result: Lost to No. 13 Indiana 56-7
Next Game: at No. 4 Ohio State
Putting an end to Indiana’s storybook undefeated season was always going to be a tall task for 19-year-old Dylan Raiola and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. However, losing 56-7 is not exactly a defendable result. Raiola struggled against the Hoosiers’ defense, throwing three interceptions, while nine different ball carriers combined for just 70 yards on the ground. The defense was similarly ineffective, allowing Indiana to produce almost 500 total yards of offense. Unfortunately for the Huskers, they face an even tougher road test this week, as they head to Columbus to face an Ohio State team fresh off a bye week.
11. Washington
Last Ranking: 11
Result: Bye Week
Next Game: at No. 13 Indiana
Washington does not move in the rankings coming off a bye week, one it probably needed after a disappointing 40-16 loss to Iowa. Despite defending well against the pass, last year’s national runner-up had no answers for Iowa’s running attack led by Kaleb Johnson. The Huskies will need to hope their bye week adjustments are enough to fix their defensive issues, as they travel to Bloomington to face a red-hot Indiana squad.
12. Minnesota
Last Ranking: 12
Result: Bye Week
Next Game: vs. Maryland
Minnesota also stays put after a bye week. The Golden Gophers earned two consecutive wins before their bye, though the 21-17 victory over Big Ten bottomfeeder UCLA was not pretty. In that game, Minnesota mustered just 234 total yards of offense and found itself at risk of an upset until a Max Brosmer touchdown with 27 seconds left spared the team. The Gophers return to action this weekend when they host Maryland.
13. Michigan State
Last Ranking: 16
Result: Defeated Iowa 32-20
Next Game: at Michigan
Michigan State notched its most impressive victory of the season thus far, taking down Iowa 32-20 courtesy of a strong showing by quarterback Aidan Chiles and a school-record six field goals from Jonathan Kim. The Spartans desperately needed to get back in the win column following consecutive blows from Ohio State and Oregon, and this win is a huge momentum-builder as they prepare for a gauntlet schedule that includes Michigan, No. 20 Illinois and No. 13 Indiana in back-to-back-to-back weeks.
14. Northwestern
Last Ranking: 13
Result: Lost to Wisconsin 23-3
Next Game: at Iowa
Following a complete dismantling of Maryland in College Park, the ‘Cats looked primed for another big victory in Evanston over Wisconsin. And despite the defense’s desperate attempts to keep the team in the game, Northwestern’s offense was virtually nonexistent following a 37-point performance the week prior. Jack Lausch was 9-for-24 with just 82 yards on the day, and the rushing attack was not much more effective. Northwestern will need a win this week at Iowa if it wants to preserve its bowl hopes for 2024, considering it still has to face No. 4 Ohio State, No. 20 Illinois and Michigan down the stretch.
15. Maryland
Last Ranking: 15
Result: Defeated USC 29-28
Next Game: at Minnesota
Maryland’s showing at home under the Friday-night lights against Northwestern provided little optimism for the team and its fans. However, the Terps responded by walking into the Coliseum and rallying behind quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. to knock off USC. Edwards Jr. had perhaps his most impressive performance of the season, throwing for 373 yards and a pair of touchdowns, as well as running the ball in for a score himself to ice the game away late in the fourth quarter. With its first conference win under its belt, Maryland will look to keep the good times rolling in Minneapolis this weekend.
16. Rutgers
Last Ranking: 14
Result: Lost to UCLA 35-32
Next Game: at USC
After starting the season 4-0, Rutgers should have been able to get back in the win column over a weak UCLA squad after losing two straight. Instead, the Scarlet Knights watched their defense get torched by Ethan Garbers, whose four passing touchdowns were more than enough to make up for Kyle Monangai’s trio of scores for Rutgers. Now the losers of two straight home contests against beatable teams, the Scarlet Knights must try and salvage their season in Los Angeles against USC.
17. UCLA
Last Ranking: 18
Result: Defeated Rutgers 35-32
Next Game: Bye Week
UCLA finally earned its first conference victory as a member of the Big Ten, largely due to Ethan Garbers’ signature performance that included 383 passing yards and four touchdowns. The Bruins remain below the team they just beat in the power rankings simply because they are still 2-5 as opposed to Rutgers’ 4-3, but they have a lot to be excited about heading into a bye week before heading to Nebraska.
18. Purdue
Last Ranking: 17
Result: Lost to No. 1 Oregon 35-0
Next Game: Bye Week
Purdue is back in the gutter of the power rankings following a brief stint at 17. After the Boilermakers nearly took down Illinois in an overtime thriller, they were rendered ineffective on both sides of the ball as Oregon shut them out in dominant fashion. Purdue still has just one win on the year, and all five of its losses aside from the aforementioned Illinois game have not been particularly close. The team will take a week off before hosting Northwestern to kick off its November slate.