Big Ten Power Rankings (Week 13): Michigan, Iowa Heading to Big Ten Championship Game

Michigan is back on top of the Big Ten. Penn State was dominant vs. Michigan State, Iowa squeaked out another win and Purdue edged out Indiana. What do the power rankings look like to close the regular season?

The Big Ten Championship Game is set. Thanks to Michigan's 30-24 win over Ohio State, the Wolverines are headed to Indianapolis to play Iowa with the conference title hanging in the balance. 

While it was the headliner in Week 13, "The Game" wasn't the only game to be played. The Big Ten regular season came to a close over the weekend, with four games decided by a single possession. It was a pretty entertaining conclusion to the year.

Here's what the Big Ten power rankings look like after the end of the regular season:

1. Michigan Wolverines

• Records: 12-0 overall, 9-0 Big Ten
  
• Last week: Beat No. 2 Ohio State 30-24 in Ann Arbor, Mich.
• This week: No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 17 Iowa (Big Ten Championship Game), Indianapolis, Ind., 8 p.m. ET.
• TV: Fox
• The skinny: For a third straight year, Michigan has proven itself as the king of the Big Ten. The Wolverines' defense forced two Ohio State turnovers and held the Buckeyes to just 107 yards on the ground in Saturday's win, punching a ticket to another Big Ten Championship Game. 

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

• Records: 11-1 overall, 8-1 Big Ten
  
• Last week: Lost to No. 3 Michigan 30-24 in Ann Arbor, Mich.
• The skinny: Ohio State's defense played well enough to reclaim a spot atop the conference, but two Kyle McCord interceptions proved costly in the six-point loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor. The Buckeyes are heading to a New Year's Six bowl game but need a lot of help to potentially land a spot in the College Football Playoff.

3. Penn State Nittany Lions

• Records: 10-2 overall, 7-2 Big Ten
  
• Last week: Beat Michigan State 42-0 in Detroit, Mich.
• The skinny: Talk about ending the year with a statement win. Penn State pounded Michigan State in a convincing 42-0 win. Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton both eclipsed the century mark on the ground. The Nittany Lions defense held the Spartans to just 53 yards and five first downs for the game.

4. Iowa Hawkeyes

• Records: 10-2 overall, 7-2 Big Ten
  
• Last week: Beat Nebraska 13-10 in Lincoln, Neb.
• This week: No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 17 Iowa (Big Ten Championship Game), Indianapolis, Ind., 8 p.m. ET.
• TV: Fox
• The skinny: Once again, Iowa's defense did just enough to escape with a win. With the Black Friday win over Nebraska, the Hawkeyes improved to 5-1 in one-score games this season and recorded their third 10-win season in five years. This marks the second time in three years Kirk Ferentz will take Iowa to the Big Ten Championship Game.

5. Northwestern Wildcats

• Records: 7-5 overall, 5-4 Big Ten
  
• Last week: Beat Illinois 45-43 in Champaign, Ill. 
• The skinny: Two defensive touchdowns and a big day from Ben Bryant helped Northwestern secure its seventh win of the season and reclaim the Land of Lincoln Trophy. Plus, the Wildcats' victory probably also locked up the Big Ten Coach of the Year honor for David Braun. Seriously, who saw this coming?

6. Wisconsin Badgers

• Records: 7-5 overall, 5-4 Big Ten
  
• Last week: Beat Minnesota 28-14 in Minneapolis, Minn. 
• The skinny: Although it was an up-and-down season for Luke Fickell, the Badgers ended on a positive note with back-to-back wins over Nebraska and Minnesota. Running back Braelon Allen eviscerated the Gophers' defense, piling up 165 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.

7. Maryland Terrapins

• Records: 7-5 overall, 4-5 Big Ten
  
• Last week: Beat Rutgers 42-24 in Piscataway, N.J.
• The skinny: This wasn't the championship-caliber year Mike Locksley hoped for, but the Terrapins are headed to a bowl game for a third consecutive season. That four-game losing streak in the middle of the season was costly, especially dropping games to Northwestern and Illinois. Taulia Tagovailoa ended the year on a high note, becoming the Big Ten's all-time passing yards leader.

8. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

• Records: 6-6 overall, 3-6 Big Ten
  
• Last week: Lost to Maryland 42-24 in Piscataway, N.J.
• The skinny: It's a good thing Rutgers locked up bowl eligibility weeks ago. The Scarlet Knights dropped their last four games by an average of 20 points per game. Is the program making progress under Greg Schiano? Yes. But it's much slower than we previously thought.

9. Nebraska Cornhuskers

• Records: 5-7 overall, 3-6 Big Ten
  
• Last week: Lost to No. 17 Iowa 13-10 in Lincoln, Neb. 
• The skinny: It was a disappointing end for Nebraska, dropping each of its final four games by a single possession. The Huskers defense exceeded expectations this season but the offense still needs some work. Still, a 5-7 mark isn't a bad start in Matt Rhule's first season in Lincoln. 

10. Purdue Boilermakers

• Records: 4-8 overall, 3-6 Big Ten
  
• Last week: Beat Indiana 35-31 in West Lafayette, Ind.
• The skinny: Purdue was inconsistent throughout a majority of the season, resulting in some lopsided losses and, at one point, a four-game losing streak. But the Boilermakers found a way to win two of their final three games, despite being eliminated from bowl contention. It wasn't ideal, but Ryan Walters did a solid job in his first year as a head coach. 

11. Illinois Fighting Illini

• Records: 5-7 overall, 3-6 Big Ten
  
• Last week: Lost to Northwestern 45-43 in Champaign, Ill.
• The skinny: Mistakes proved costly on Saturday, with bowl eligibility slipping through Illinois' fingertips. The loss to Northwestern was essentially a microcosm of the season in Champaign. The Fighting Illini were expected to contend in the Big Ten West but ended the year with a disappointing 5-7 record. 

12. Minnesota Golden Gophers

• Records: 5-7 overall, 3-6 Big Ten
  
• Last week: Lost to Wisconsin 28-14 in Minneapolis, Minn.
• The skinny: Add Minnesota to the list of teams that ended the season with a four-game losing streak. The Gophers looked abysmal in their final three games, dropping contests to Purdue, Ohio State and Wisconsin by multiple scores. The good news? APR helped Minnesota land a spot in the postseason at 5-7, as not enough teams reached the six-win mark for bowl eligibility. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

13. Michigan State Spartans

• Records: 4-8 overall, 2-7 Big Ten
  
• Last week: Lost to No. 11 Penn State 42-0 in Detroit, Mich.
• The skinny: Michigan State's season couldn't have ended any worse. After a rivalry win over Indiana the previous week, the Spartans had an embarrassing performance in the season finale against Penn State. Michigan State posted -35 rushing yards in the game to end the year. Thankfully, a new era is about to begin in East Lansing.

14. Indiana Hoosiers

• Records: 3-9 overall, 1-8 Big Ten
  
• Last week: Lost to Purdue 35-31 in West Lafayette, Ind.
• The skinny: Tom Allen's time in Bloomington has come to an end after closing the 2023 campaign with three consecutive losses. At 3-6, the Hoosiers had a chance to reach bowl eligibility with winnable games against Illinois, Michigan State and Purdue on the schedule. Indiana dropped all three games by one possession. 

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