With only ten teams in action, there’s not much new to take away from a quiet week around the B1G. In Big Ten Power Rankings, we take a close look at each team’s body of work up to this point in the season. When comparing teams head-to-head, I will first answer the question: “Who would be favored if these teams were to play head-to-head?” From there, if no obvious favorite exists, I will be specifically focused on comparing relative strength of victories and strength of losses to determine appropriate
rank.
Note: All CFP Top 25 rankings listed represent the current rank of the team, not the rank at the time of the game.
Bold Wins/Losses: Represent the outcome of the game that team played in Week 9
1. No. 2 Indiana (-)
Wins (9): Old Dominion, Kennesaw State, Indiana State, Illinois, No. 20 Iowa, No. 9 Oregon, Michigan State, UCLA, Maryland
Losses (0): N/A
Scoring Margin: +31.0 (1st in FBS)
55-10, 56-6, 38-13, 63-10, 73-0, 56-9 — those are all Indiana football wins this season. The Hoosiers have a scoring margin of +31.o that leads FBS football, and it seems to continue to get better every week.
On the road against Maryland, Indiana won 55-10, continuing to blaze a path of complete domination in B1G conference play. For the fifth time this season Indiana gained over 500 yards, and for the third week in a row, Indiana gained over 450 yards in a single game.
However, though everybody likes to talk about Fernando Mendoza and the explosive Hoosier offense, this is a Curt Cignetti defense that is much improved from 2024. Indiana has allowed just 10.8 points per game, ranking third in the nation behind San Diego State and Ohio State.
Indiana is a football school.
2. No. 1 Ohio State (-)
Wins (8): N0. 11 Texas, Grambling, Ohio, Washington, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Penn State
Losses (0): N/A
Scoring Margin: +24.0 (4th in FBS)
After a slow first half, Ohio State got rolling, outscoring Penn State 21-0 in the second half en route to a 38-14 victory. After cruising the last thirty minutes, the Buckeyes finished the game having outgained the Nittany Lions by 280 yards, 480-200.
With Julian Sayin playing Heisman-level football the past few weeks, the talk around the country has centered around the idea that the N0. 1 ranked Buckeyes might have the four best players in college football. There’s junior safety Caleb Downs, the leader of the Buckeye defense who has 39 tackles and 2 interceptions thus far this season. There’s the dynamic Jeremiah Smith-Carnell Tate wide receiver duo being touted as one of the best 1-2 punches of all time. Against Penn State, both Smith and Tate hauled in over 120 yards, combining for three touchdowns and 11 receptions.
And, finally, there’s Sayin, who is now dominating after being conservatively used early in the season. In back-to-back weeks, he has thrown for over 300 yards and four touchdowns.
On the season, Sayin is the far-and-away national leader in completion percentage at a whopping 80.7%, 5.7 percentage points ahead of second place. Lots and lots of talent in Buckeye town this season.
3. N0. 9 Oregon (-)
Wins (7): Montana State, Oklahoma State, Northwestern, Oregon State, Penn State, Rutgers, Wisconsin
Losses (1): No. 2 Indiana
Scoring Margin: +25.1 (3rd in FBS)
Bye week for the Ducks! Though nothing happened on the field, many Oregon fans are mad about the College Football Playoff Committee’s decision to rank Oregon N0. 9, slotting them behind one-loss Texas Tech (8), undefeated BYU (7), and one-loss Ole Miss (6). With three games against ranked opponents still on the schedule, Oregon will have plenty of chances to prove themselves down the stretch. However, there’s no doubt that Dan Lanning and his boys are aware of the Committee’s ranking and motivated to prove themselves this weekend in Iowa City against the red-hot N0. 20 Iowa Hawkeyes.
4. No. 19 USC (-)
Wins (6): Missouri State, Georgia Southern, Purdue, Michigan State, N0. 21 Michigan, Nebraska
Losses (2): Illinois, No. 10 Notre Dame
Scoring Margin: +17.4 (7th in FBS)
In a must-win road game against Nebraska, the Trojans took care of business with a 21-17 victory. The game entered the fourth quarter deadlocked at 14, but USC made more plays down the stretch.
Though Jayden Maiava threw for just 135 yards on the day, he connected with Jaden Richardson for a big 43-yard gain on USC’s go-ahead touchdown drive, coming up big when it mattered most. However, it was actually the defense that won the day for the Trojans. For the first time since Week 1 against Missouri State, the USC defense held its opponent to sub-300 yards, limiting the Cornhuskers to 286.
If USC’s defense can turn a corner late in the season, it could be a scary team to face come late November.
5. N0. 21 Michigan (-)
Wins (6): New Mexico, Central Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin, N0. 23 Washington, Michigan State, Purdue
Losses (2): No. 12 Oklahoma, N0. 19 USC
Scoring Margin: +10.9 (27th in FBS)
In Week 10, Michigan fans held their breath as Purdue kept things competitive late into the Wolverines’ 21-16 victory. Though Michigan’s offense was dominant on the ground, racking up 253 yards behind Jordan Marshall’s big 185-yard day, it was once again lackluster through the air, as Bryce Underwood went 13 for 22 for just 145 yards.
While Michigan can certainly win football games with a run-dominant offense, it is concerning to see that Underwood has had a sub-60% completion percentage and fewer than 150 yards in four games this season. Two of those four games have come in back-to-back weeks against Michigan State and Purdue, ranked N0. 17 and N0. 18, respectively, in these power rankings.
After a bye week this coming weekend, Michigan will look to take care of business against Northwestern and Maryland before The Game, when the Wolverines will host N0. 1 Ohio State. If the Wolverines can win out and find a way to upset the Buckeyes for a fourth-straight rivalry win, Michigan will likely find itself in the College Football Playoff with a 10-2 record.
6. N0. 20 Iowa (+1)
Wins (5): Albany, UMass, Rutgers, Wisconsin, Penn State, Minnesota
Losses (2): Iowa State, No. 2 Indiana
Scoring Margin: +16.9 (8th in FBS)
Though both N0. 20 Iowa and N0. 23 Washington had byes this past week, I disagreed with my colleague Bryan’s ranking of Washington ahead of Iowa last week, and felt the need to move Iowa up to N0. 6 in these rankings.
Comparing the resumés of these two teams, I feel that Iowa’s body of work to this point in the season is better than Washington’s. Iowa has been running teams off of the field, beating Wisconsin 37-0 and Minnesota 41-3 in recent weeks. For context, N0. 9 Oregon played Wisconsin at home in Week 9 and won just 21-7, struggling to move the ball for lots of the game.
Meanwhile, one of Iowa’s two losses was to Indiana, the N0. 2 team in the country. Iowa lost just 20-15, playing Indiana tougher than any team has all year and walking off the field thinking it should have pulled off the upset after ending the game with an interception, a missed field goal and a turnover on downs on its final three drives of the game.
On the other hand, though, Washington’s two losses are both against ranked B1G opponents. It did lose by three scores in both games, falling to N0. 1 Ohio State 24-6 and No. 21 Michigan 24-7. Washington will likely finish the season ranked ahead of Iowa in the College Football Playoff rankings because of its easy schedule to close the year, but at this point in time, the Hawkeyes have played like the better team.
7. N0. 23 Washington (-1)
Wins (5): Colorado State, UC Davis, Washington State, Maryland, Rutgers, Illinois
Losses (2): No. 1 Ohio State, No. 21 Michigan
Scoring Margin: +8.1 (36th in FBS)
After a big home win over Illinois in Week 9, Washington got a restful Week 10 bye week. The College Football Playoff Committee moved the Huskies up from their N0. 24 rank in the AP Poll to No. 23, penciling them in as the seventh-highest ranked team in the B1G. Not out of the playoff yet, Washington will look to run the table, with winnable games against Wisconsin, Purdue, and UCLA predating a blockbuster rivalry matchup against N0. 9 Oregon in Week 14.
8. Illinois (+1)
Wins (6): Western Illinois, Duke, Western Michigan, No. 19 USC, Purdue, Rutgers
Losses (3): No. 2 Indiana, No. 1 Ohio State, N0. 23 Washington
Scoring Margin: +1.8 (63rd in FBS)
It was a bounce-back week for Illinois, who took the victory 35-13 back home in Champaign. Luke Altmyer accounted for all five of Illinois’ touchdowns, throwing for four and running for one. In fact, Altmeyer’s 88 yards on the ground was his best rushing performance since October of 2023, when the Missouri native ran for 100 yards in a loss to Wisconsin.
Though Illinois expected the win over a subpar Rutgers squad, it was a triumphant day for the Fighting Illini, who beat the Scarlet Knights in almost every notable statistical category. At 6-3, Altmyer and Illinois are bowling but still hungry to reach nine wins, with winnable games against Maryland, Wisconsin and Northwestern on the docket to close out the season.
9. Nebraska (-1)
Wins (6): Cincinnati, Akron, Houston Christian, Michigan State, Maryland, Northwestern
Losses (3): N0. 21 Michigan, Minnesota, N0. 19 USC
Scoring Margin: +8.4 (35th in FBS)
Sure, Nebraska lost a close game to N0. 19 USC in a blackout game at Memorial Stadium. But the real heart-wrencher for Nebraska fans is the loss of star quarterback Dylan Raiola, who will be out for the remainder of the season after breaking his fibula late in the game against the Trojans. Raiola took strides his sophomore year, averaging 222.2 yards per game, a slight improvement from his 216.84 yards per game last season, and upping his TD/INT ratio to 3.0, a major improvement from his lackluster 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions his freshman season.
Yet, despite Raiola going down in the third, Nebraska led 17-14 with 12:53 to go in the fourth quarter. Despite going 9-of-23 on the day, Maiava led his team down the field when it mattered most, as Nebraska conceded a USC go-ahead touchdown.
Behind the blackout crowd, the Cornhusker defense held Maiava to his lowest single-game passing total of the season (135). Though the offense may struggle with Raiola out, Nebraska fans should still trust the defense, which ranks 5th in the B1G in yards allowed (289.9 per game), to keep them in games.
10. Northwestern (-)
Wins (5): Western Illinois, UCLA, Louisiana Monroe, Penn State, Purdue
Losses (3): Tulane, No. 6 Oregon, Northwestern
Scoring Margin: +1.6 (60th in FBS)
After a tough 28-21 loss on the road against Nebraska in Week 9, Northwestern had a bye this past weekend, pondering their 5-3 record. With four games to go in the season, the goal for the Wildcats is clear: make a bowl game. However, with three of the ‘Cats’ four remaining games against teams in the top half of the B1G (N0. 19 USC, N0. 21 Michigan and 6-3 Illinois), it seems likely that Northwestern will be favored in just one more game: Minnesota at Wrigley Field. Northwestern’s bowl game roadmap is clear, but the ‘Cats will have to get to work coming out of the bye.
11. Minnesota (-)
Wins (6): Buffalo, Northwestern State, Rutgers, Purdue, Nebraska, Michigan State
Losses (3): California, No. 1 Ohio State, N0. 20 Iowa
Scoring Margin: -5.8 (91st in FBS)
It’s been a rough two weeks for the Golden Gophers. Just two weeks ago, Minnesota was 5-2 coming off an upset victory against 5-1 Nebraska, with many pundits making the argument that Minnesota was one of the best teams in the B1G. The following week, Minnesota got thumped by Iowa 41-3 in their worst loss of the season.
This week, though Minnesota pulled out the 23-20 overtime victory over Michigan State, it almost lost a home game to one of the worst teams in the B1G. Moreover, Minnesota got outgained by 166 yards, surrendering 467 yards to freshman quarterback Alessio Milivojevic in his first career start.
The positive for Gopher fans is that Minnesota is going to a bowl game and likely has a chance to win one or two more games with Wisconsin and Northwestern still on the schedule. Is this a top-of-the-B1G team? No. But when you’re going bowling, you can never be mad.
12. UCLA (-)
Wins (3): Penn State, Michigan State, Maryland
Losses (5): N0. 13 Utah, UNLV, New Mexico, Northwestern, N0. 2 Indiana
Scoring Margin: -10.6 (113th in FBS)
On a bye this past week, UCLA looked to recuperate following a rough 56-6 blowout loss to N0. 2 Indiana. With three wins and five losses, UCLA needs to finish 3-1 to make a bowl game. This next week, the Bruins will host Nebraska, with a tough stretch ranked games against N0. 1 Ohio State, N0. 23 Washington, and N0. 19 USC to follow.
13. Maryland (-)
Wins (4): Florida Atlantic, Northern Illinois, Towson, Wisconsin
Losses (4): N0. 23 Washington, Nebraska, UCLA, N0. 2 Indiana
Scoring Margin: +0.7 (65th in FBS)
Geez, talk about a plummeting team… after starting 4-0 and leading the N0. 23 Washington Huskies 20-0 in the third quarter of Week 6, Maryland has been outscored 133-58, suffering four straight losses (including the Washington game, which finished 24-20). This week Maryland lost 55-10 at home against N0. 2 Indiana. The Terrapins were outgained 588-293 and turned the ball over five times. For ‘Terps fans, the calls to fire head coach Mike Locksley reached a new high, as fake rumors spread online that head coach had been fired. Though Locksley remains with the team, there is reason for uncertainty—over Locksley’s seven year tenure at Maryland, he is 37-45, though over the past two seasons, he is 8-12, with a rough 2-12 record in the B1G.
14. Penn State (-)
Wins (3): Nevada, Florida International, Villanova
Losses (5): N0. 9 Oregon, UCLA, Northwestern, N0. 20 Iowa, N0. 1 Ohio State
Scoring Margin: +4.6 (45th in FBS)
For a moment there at halftime, with the Nittany Lions trailing by just three points (17-14) on the road against N0. 1 Ohio State, it felt like Penn State was their preseason themselves. Dani Dennis-Sutton forced a fumble, and Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton, one of college football’s most dynamic running back duos, both picked up touchdowns in the second quarter. Unfortunately, in the second half, Penn State regressed to the mean, getting shutout in the second half and gaining just 71 yards. The Buckeyes scored 21 unanswered, covering the 20.5 point spread with a 38-14 victory. With a broken spirit, and the absence of star linebacker Tony Rojas and talented quarterback Drew Allar, Penn State remains winless in B1G play and searching for answers.
15. Rutgers (-)
Wins (4): Ohio, Miami OH, Norfolk State, Purdue
Losses (5): N0. 20 Iowa, Minnesota, N0. 23 Washington, No. 9 Oregon, Illinois
Scoring Margin: -8.3 (102nd in FBS)
Things got out of hand pretty quickly for Rutgers last Saturday, as they entered the half down 21-6 to Illinois after surrendering 267 yards. Everything about this game was pretty lopsided, as Illinois outgained the Scarlet Knights 445-312 with seven more first downs. After falling 35-13, Rutgers slides closer to Wisconsin and the bottom of the B1G, with its bowl hopes dwindling. In order to see the postseason, Rutgers will have to win two of their next three against Maryland, N0. 1 Ohio State, and Penn State.
16. Wisconsin (-)
Wins (2): Miami OH, Middle Tennessee
Losses (6): N0. 4 Alabama, Maryland, No. 21 Michigan, N0. 19 Iowa, No. 1 Ohio State, N0. 9 Oregon
Scoring Margin: -11.4 (116th in FBS)
It was a bye week for the Badgers, who will host the N0. 23 Washington Huskies at Camp Randall Stadium in Week 11. Though, of note for Wisconsin fans, is Iowa’s new N0. 20 rank by the College Football Playoff Committee. Now that Iowa is ranked, five of six of Wisconsin’s losses have come against top 25 opponents. Though it’s been a rough year in Madison, it is important for Badger fans to keep in mind that Wisconsin has played the N0. 1 hardest schedule in college football this season according to ESPN’s College Football Power Index. And, with N0. 23 Washington and N0. 2 Indiana on the docket in the coming weeks, nothing is going to get easier.
17. Michigan State (-)
Wins (3): Western Michigan, Boston College, Youngstown State
Losses (6): N0. 19 USC, Nebraska, UCLA, N0. 2 Indiana, N0. 21 Michigan, Minnesota
Scoring Margin: -8.8 (107th in FBS)
Coming off a double-digit loss to rival N0. 21 Michigan, Spartan fans were excited for the opportunity to play a team in the bottom half of the B1G, with the hope that Sparty could secure its first B1G conference win of the season. Playing Minnesota west of Lake Michigan, head coach Jonathan Smith turned to freshman quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, benching junior quarterback Aidan Chiles. After trailing 10-0 at the half, Milivojevic orchestrated three scoring drives in the second half to give the Spartans a 17-10 lead with just 1:52 to go. However, after the defense surrendered a Minnesota game-tying touchdown, Michigan State went on to lose in overtime 23-20.
So, while the Spartans didn’t get the win in Minneapolis, it was certainly exciting for Spartan fans to see Milivojevic impress in his first career start. On the day, Milivojevic finished 20-of-28 for 311 passing yards and a touchdown, leading the Spartans offense to 467 total yards, the team’s highest single game total all season. Yes, Sparty is 3-6, but the future may have arrived in East Lansing.
18. Purdue (-)
Wins (2): Ball State, Southern Illinois
Losses (7): No. 19 USC, No. 10 Notre Dame, Illinois, Minnesota, Northwestern, Rutgers, No. 21 Michigan
Scoring Margin: -7.6 (99th in FBS)
Though Purdue remains last in these power rankings, it was a good week for the Boilermakers. Facing N0. 21 Michigan in the Big House, Purdue was 21.5-point underdogs, and a blowout was anticipated. However, the Boilermakers fought hard, entering the fourth quarter down just four points (14-10), with a 4th & 2 at midfield to push into Michigan territory. Unfortunately, the Wolverines stopped Purdue on 4th down and proceeded to drive down the field for a touchdown, going up 21-10. Yet despite the loss, Purdue played good football, holding Chase Underwood to just 145 yards passing, and forcing two turnovers.
Purdue’s effort was almost enough to slide them ahead of the N0. 17 Spartans. However, Michigan State’s valiant effort on the road against Minnesota, and the fact that East Lansing’s finest have one more win, and better results against common opponents such as USC and Minnesota, keep Purdue stuck at N0. 18 for the time being.
