Iowa was on a bye this past weekend, getting extra time to prepare for a huge matchup with Oregon next weekend. However, there’s no bye week for the Big Ten football power rankings.
There weren’t any monumental upsets in conference play this weekend, as most of the teams who were expected to win took care of business. That doesn’t mean that chaos won’t reign supreme in the power rankings, though. Some teams won convincingly, while others barely scraped by against teams they should’ve easily defeated.
Did the Hawkeyes benefit from the results this past weekend? Let’s find out and jump into a week ten edition of the Big Ten football power rankings.
1. Ohio State (8-0)
The Buckeyes are the best team in college football, and showed why in a 38-14 dismantling of Penn State. Ohio State only led by three at halftime, but increased its intensity in the second half to run away with the game. Quarterback Julian Sayin should be in the Heisman Trophy conversations, and wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are elite.
Next week: @ Purdue
2. Indiana (9-0)
The Hoosiers continue to win under Curt Cignetti, dominating Maryland 55-10 on the road. Indiana ran for an astounding 367 yards and averaged 7.1 yards per carry. The Hoosiers have every single game on their schedule by at least two scores except for Iowa, where they escaped with a five-point win. This team should be able to sleepwalk its way to a 12-0 season and a spot in the Big Ten title game.
Next week: @ Penn State
3. Oregon (7-1)
The Ducks got a bye week to rest, recover, and refocus following a win over Wisconsin that was way closer than it had any business being. They’ll now take their game on the road to Kinnick Stadium, and a matchup with a hot Iowa team. We’ll know a lot more about Oregon by this time next week.
Next week: @ Iowa
4. Iowa (6-2)
The Hawkeyes have reached new heights in the power rankings, climbing to a season-best number four ranking this week, despite a bye week. Iowa is playing great complementary football right now, getting contributions from all three phases of the game. And now they have an opportunity to further cement themselves as an elite Big Ten team. A win over Oregon would induce some interesting conversations about the ceiling of this team.
Next week: vs Oregon
5. USC (6-2)
That was an impressive win for the Trojans. Lincoln Riley’s squad went on the road to Lincoln, took on a sold-out Nebraska crowd, and managed to come back for a 21-17 win. After managing only two field goals in the first half, the offense rallied for two touchdowns in the second half. The defense bottled up Nebraska’s passing game, holding them to just 98 passing yards on the night. That was a big win for USC.
Next week: vs Northwestern
6. Michigan (7-2)
Despite the result, I wasn’t very impressed with the Wolverines in their 21-16 win over Purdue. The Boilermakers are one of the worst Power Five teams in the nation, and Michigan just barely survived at home. Running back Jordan Marshall was fantastic, but quarterback Bryce Underwood was subpar again. He’ll be the reason this team reaches its ceiling or flames out in 2025.
Next week: BYE
7. Washington (6-2)
The Huskies were on a bye this past weekend, coming off a big home win over Illinois. Their offense is very fun to watch, with quarterback Demond Williams, running back Jonah Coleman, and wide receiver Denzel Boston creating one of the most productive and exciting trios in the entire country. The Huskies should be able to win out until the final week of the season, setting up a huge game with Oregon to cap off the regular season.
Next week: @ Wisconsin
8. Illinois (6-3)
The Fighting Illini did what they were supposed to do against a reeling Rutgers squad, winning 35-13 at home. Quarterback Luke Altmyer had a big day on the ground, rushing for 88 yards and a touchdown, while also throwing four scores. Illinois’ defense was a lot better on Saturday, holding Rutgers to just 59 yards on the ground. And with a cakewalk schedule remaining, anything other than a 3-0 finish to this season would be a disappointment.
Next week: BYE
9. Minnesota (6-3)
Here’s the part of the power rankings where there’s a huge gap. The top eight in the conference have clearly separated themselves from the rest of the pack. Right now, Minnesota is the best of the rest following a 23-20 overtime win over Michigan State. It was a nice response from the Golden Gophers, but they still surrendered almost 500 yards of offense to the Spartans. PJ Fleck’s team is rowing the boat toward another mediocre season.
Next week: BYE
10. Northwestern (5-3)
The Wildcats moved up the power rankings despite having a bye week. This team defies logic, as they turn the ball over a ton, but have still won five games up to this point. I have no idea what to expect from this team going forward, but give head coach David Braun some credit for what he’s done with this program in one year.
Next week: @ USC
11. Nebraska (6-3)
0-30. That’s the Cornhuskers’ record against ranked opponents since 2016, a losing streak that continued with a 21-17 loss to USC on Saturday night. Despite a sold-out crowd and a lot of hype around the team, Nebraska couldn’t end its losing streak to ranked opponents. Sure, the injury to quarterback Dylan Raiola didn’t help, but this game was still right there for the taking. Maybe Nebraska should focus more on winning games than copying its big brother’s pregame traditions.
Next week: @ UCLA
12. Maryland (4-4)
Things continue to spiral for Mike Locksley’s team, which lost its fourth straight game in blowout fashion. The 55-10 loss to Indiana showcased a lot of issues, but nothing more glaring than the trenches. The Terrapins were outrushed 367-37 in this game. That’s an embarrassing number for this team, and a number that should spark real change this offseason. Until the trenches are improved, nothing else matters.
Next week: @ Rutgers
13. UCLA (3-5)
The Bruins were on a bye week after seeing their three-game win streak snapped against Indiana. Reality has struck with this team, as the magic carpet ride following DeShaun Foster’s firing seems to have come to an end. It’s time to start looking ahead to the offseason and finding the next head coach of this program. The 2025 season is a wash, which is very disappointing considering the preseason excitement surrounding this team.
Next week: vs Nebraska
14. Penn State (3-5)
This team is a mess. The Nittany Lions battled in the first half, but folded in the second half of a 38-14 loss to Ohio State. The defense was awful, giving up almost 500 yards of offense to the Buckeyes. It’s hard to blame quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, who’s been thrown into an impossible situation the last few weeks. That’s now five losses in a row, and it’ll be six after next weekend. This has been a disaster of a season in Happy Valley.
Next week: vs Indiana
15. Purdue (2-7)
The Boilermakers didn’t get the result they wanted, but they battled hard in a 21-16 road loss to Michigan. Despite the loss, that was an impressive performance from Barry Odom’s team, who showed a lot of heart playing in a difficult road environment. This is the kind of game that establishes a winning culture in a program. Cudos to Purdue for putting up a fight. It’s more than some of these other teams can say.
Next week: vs Ohio State
16. Rutgers (4-5)
The Scarlet Knights’ struggles continued with a 35-13 road loss to Illinois. Rutgers is now 1-5 in conference play and has an imbalanced offense to blame. The passing game is really fun to watch, but the rushing game leaves a lot to be desired. They only rushed for 59 yards on 2.2 yards per carry against Illinois. Until Rutgers improves in the trenches, that ground game will continue to look lifeless.
Next week: vs Maryland
17. Michigan State (3-6)
The Spartans came close to winning their first conference game of the season, but fell short in a 23-20 overtime defeat to Minnesota. The move to go to freshman quarterback Alessio Milivojevic paid off, as he passed for 311 yards and a touchdown while completing 71% of his passes. But an inability to close games popped up again. The Spartans had plenty of chances to win, but couldn’t make the big play. And it might cost head coach Jonathan Smith his job.
Next week: BYE
18. Wisconsin (2-6)
Mercifully for Wisconsin fans, the Badgers were on a bye this past weekend. Unfortunately for those fans, it looks like head coach Luke Fickell is here to stay, which is an embarrassing decision for the university to come to. This program is a tire fire under Fickell and will continue to bottom out. What a joke.
Next week: vs Washington
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Big Ten football power rankings: Did Iowa rise over bye week?
Reporting by Zach Hiney, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
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