A decent amount of bye weeks and a larger amount of expected results means that there is not much in terms of major moves in this week’s iteration of the power rankings, and that ought to be expected the later we get into the season. Most teams have played eight games now, and there’s a lot less speculation on the true quality of these teams. As a result, I feel comfortable placing these teams into tiers based on the quality they have shown up to this point.
Tier 1: Best in the Nation
- No. 2 Indiana (-)
Week 9 was more of the same for Indiana.
Another dominant win, this time over a UCLA team that had been surging in recent weeks. Fernando Mendoza was efficient as usual, throwing three touchdowns and posting a 168.2 passer rating.
This is now the Hoosiers’ fourth time beating a team by over 40 points this season.
At this point, it’s hard to deny that Indiana doesn’t have the best resume in the country. No team has dominated its opponents to the same extent that Indiana has. If the Hoosiers keep on this trajectory, they’ll stay at the top of the power rankings for the time being.
- No. 1 Ohio State (-)
Ranked number one for a reason. The national champs didn’t have a chance to make a claim for number one during their bye week, but their body of work has been more than enough to stay at number two.
Seven games in and the Buckeyes have only allowed 41 points and have yet to give up 17+ points in a game. Caden Curry and Arvell Reese have been absolutely terrorizing quarterbacks on the pass rush, and the secondary has allowed fewer than 1,000 passing yards on the season. The defense is generational, and none of the offenses on its schedule should give Ohio State serious troubles.
Tier 2: Playoff Caliber
- No. 6 Oregon (-)
Oregon had a much-needed tune-up game against Rutgers last week, but its visit to Camp Randall Stadium left a lot to be desired.
Dante Moore came back down to Earth after his four-touchdown day in Piscataway and only managed 86 yards on 15 attempts. The run game stepped up with 203 yards, but the Ducks only put up 21 points against a defense that allowed 32 per game coming into the contest.
Realistically, a win is a win, but that kind of performance does not inspire confidence right before a visit to Iowa this coming Saturday.
- No. 23 USC (-)
The Trojans were on bye following their 10-point defeat in Indiana at the hands of rival Notre Dame. Thus, it’s hard to justify a movement up or down in this week’s power ranking.
This offense remains arguably the most potent in the B1G, with Jayden Maiava and Co. averaging approximately 35 points per game in conference play.
The questions will continue to consist of whether USC can get out of its own way and whether the defense can show up, as three turnovers and 306 rushing yards allowed (228 to Jeremiyah Love) sunk the Trojans on Saturday.
- No. 21 Michigan (-)
Michigan’s win against in-state rival Michigan State this week actually proved something very important. The Wolverines have become the caliber of team that can sleepwalk games against weaker opponents and thoroughly dominate them while doing it.
Bryce Underwood only attempted 17 throws all game, because there was absolutely no reason for him to do more than that. Michigan simply leaned on what it’s good at, getting after the quarterback and running the ball, and coasted to 31 points. That’s the sign of a playoff-caliber team.
Tier 3: Looking for a Ranking
- Washington (+3)
The Huskies bounced back in resounding fashion after what was an extremely disappointing loss in Ann Arbor last weekend.
The biggest change was that Washington didn’t turn the ball over once after putting up three last week. Washington was also able to force a timely pick on Luke Altmyer midway through the third, and it took advantage to stretch its lead to a margin that Illinois realistically couldn’t surmount.
Stifling this Illinois offense is a huge achievement for this Washington squad, especially after giving up over 400 yards to Michigan the week prior. The Huskies will aim to have similar success when they visit a floundering Wisconsin this coming week.
- Iowa (-)
The Hawkeyes simply take care of business week in and week out. After cutting it close against Penn State last week, Iowa blew the doors off of Minnesota en route to a 41-3 victory.
As usual, special seams and defense were the heroes of the day for Iowa. A 34-yard pick-six was one of the three turnovers forced on the day, and a 50- yard punt return capped off a 31-point first half and signaled to everyone that a blowout was in order.
Mark Gronowski continued to be a threat on the ground as he hit 11 rushing touchdowns on the season. Regarding the other side of the ball, Iowa’s defense is good enough to keep it in basically any game the rest of the way.
- Nebraska (-)
It wasn’t the prettiest, but Nebraska managed to fend off a comeback attempt to take care of a surging Northwestern at home.
Emmett Johnson continued his stellar season, with his 124 rushing yards and two touchdowns serving as the driving force behind Nebraska’s victory. Special teams contributed a 95-yard kickoff return to open the 2nd half, and Dylan Raiola led a game-winning drive down the stretch.
The Cornhuskers will be delighted that Raiola was only sacked one time in this one after he was dropped nine times against Minnesota. Keeping its quarterback upright should be top of Nebraska’s priority list the rest of the way.
Tier 4: Middle of the Pack
- Illinois (-3)
While Illinois could be forgiven for losing to the number one team in all of college football last week, getting thoroughly beaten by Washington is a lot less forgivable. The Illini defense allowed Demond Williams Jr. to carve them up to the tune of four touchdowns and nearly 300 yards through the air.
This is the fourth time in the last five games that Illinois has given up more than 30 points. While this offense has been productive all season, it hasn’t shown the ability to be able to cover up for the defense when Illinois plays quality conference teams. Luckily for Illinois, it doesn’t play a team higher than it on the power rankings for the rest of the season, so there’s a chance the Illini can hit a groove to end their year.
- Northwestern (+1)
Make no mistake, the Wildcats do not move up based on their own merits this week. Northwestern showed that it could compete with a quality Big Ten team in Nebraska, but self-inflicted errors showed that there’s still a gap between it and the true top dogs of the conference.
The passing game has struggled in back-to-back weeks now. Preston Stone threw two costly interceptions this game, the second of which robbed the Wildcats of the momentum they had built throughout the fourth quarter and set up Nebraska for its go-ahead drive.
With the slate that it has coming up, these continued struggles for the Northwestern offense will likely lead to the ‘Cats fighting till the last two weeks of the season to clinch bowl eligibility.
- Minnesota (-1)
Fresh off a massive win at home against ranked Nebraska, the Golden Gophers followed it up by getting absolutely drubbed by Iowa in a 38-point blowout. That more than warrants moving down one spot.
The passing offense was absolutely smothered by Iowa. Drake Lindsey threw three interceptions on the day when he had only thrown three the entire season leading up to the game. Minnesota was simply unable to stay on the field, with five of its 11 drives lasting fewer than two minutes and none lasting more than five.
Minnesota will need a massive tune-up if it wants to get back on track. Thankfully, the Gophers play Michigan State on Saturday.
- UCLA (-)
Interim head coach Tim Skipper led the Bruins on an impressive three-game winning streak after the team’s 0-4 start, but UCLA was brought back down to Earth in its visit to Indiana. Even if the Hoosiers have been the most dominant team in the nation all year, you can’t really justify a 50-point loss through any metrics.
It’s hard to make any real conclusions from a game like this. Perhaps Nico Iamaleava and the offense haven’t quite turned the page, given the three total turnovers, and questions can certainly be asked of the defense.
- Maryland (-)
The Terrapins were close to moving up on a bye week in this week’s rankings given the magnitude of loss that UCLA suffered, but the last thing that Maryland put on film was a loss to that same UCLA team, meaning it’ll have to stay put.
Maryland has struggled in close games this year, with all three of its losses being by one score. While Indiana is unlikely to be in that category of “close game,” the Terrapins will need to buck the trend if they want to find success against Rutgers, Illinois and Michigan State in coming weeks.
- Penn State (-)
A much-needed bye for Penn State this past weekend amidst its four game skid. Obviously, Penn State didn’t put anything on film this week, and no team below it had an impressive enough win to jump it in the rankings, so the Nittany Lions stay here at No. 14.
The game against Iowa was somewhat of a positive in light of recent results. Keeping it close against a very impressive Hawkeyes squad means there is plausible hope that Penn State can pick up a conference win before season’s end.
It just won’t be happening at Ohio State this weekend or at home against Indiana the next.
- Rutgers (-)
Rutgers ended its four-game losing streak this past weekend, and it did so by putting up a strong offensive showing, doing what it has done for most of the year.
500 total yards on the ground, 359 of them coming from the arm of Athan Kaliakmanis. Offense has never been the problem for Rutgers this season.
But needing a last-second field goal to beat a team that’s winless in conference might not be the best indicator for success when you still have visits to Illinois and Ohio State on the schedule. It’s not enough to warrant moving up in the rankings this week.
Tier 5: Bottom Feeders
- Wisconsin (+2)
Wisconsin moves up two spots this week by having a surprisingly valiant effort against the Ducks. Oregon only scored 21 points on this Wisconsin defense.
It’s hard to tell whether or not that was more down to Oregon having an off-day or actual substantial improvement on the defensive end for the Badgers. Still, there is a positive that can be taken from this game for Wisconsin, which is more than can be said for the teams below it in the rankings.
- Michigan State (-1)
It was a fifth straight game allowing more than 30 points for the Spartans, and the 31-20 scoreline really makes this game seem closer than it actually was.
Aidan Chiles threw the ball nearly 30 times and only managed 130 passing yards, and Michigan State put up a touchdown in garbage time to make the final score look nicer. But the Spartans were absolutely demolished in the trenches, giving up four sacks, six tackles for loss and 276 yards on the ground.
- Purdue (-1)
Purdue has yet to find a win in conference play this season, and its game against Rutgers was probably the best chance for it to do so. Instead, the same trends that have showed up all season revealed themselves once again.
The defense couldn’t get Rutgers off the field, with the Scarlet Knights dominating time of possession and amassing over 500 total yards of offense. Purdue had 345 yards in its own right, and Ryan Browne had a good game, but that has been the case for many games this season, and Purdue still sits winless in the Big Ten.
The Boilermakers play four of the top six teams in this week’s power rankings to end the season. In a year where wins were hard to come by, Purdue likely won’t find another before season’s end.
