Big Ten Power Rankings: Oregon Ducks on Top, Indiana Jumps Ohio State and Penn State?

The Oregon Ducks remain atop the Big Ten Power rankings. Where do Ohio State, Indiana, and Penn State fall behind the Ducks?

Oct 18, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning holds his hand up and smiles while talking to a referee during the first quarter at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks beat down the Purdue Boilermakers over the weekend, winning 35-0 and improving their record to 7-0. The Ducks remain at No. 1 in the Big Ten Power rankings, but there was lots of movement below them.

1. Oregon Ducks: 7-0 (Last Week: 1)

The Ducks continued their undefeated season with a 35-0 win over the Purdue Boilermakers. Oregon is now 7-0 and ranked No. 1 in the country. No question who the best in the Big Ten is.

Next Game: 10/26 vs. No. 20 Illinois

2. Indiana Hoosiers: 7-0 (Last Week: 4)

Oct 19, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Myles Price (4) celebrates scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter of a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images / Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Indiana jumps Penn State and Ohio State after their dominant 56-7 win over Nebraska. The Buckeyes and Nittany Lions both had bye weeks so let’s reward the Hoosiers for a big win to keep the undefeated season alive. Who knows how long this magical season will go for the Hoosiers, but they are 7-0 on the season. They host ESPN’s College Gameday for the first time on Saturday vs. Washington.

Next Game: 10/26 vs. Washington

3. Ohio State Buckeyes: 5-1 (Last Week: 2)

Ohio State is coming off a bye week. They can remind everyone how good they are this week against Nebraska.

Next Game: 10/26 vs. Nebraska

4. Penn State Nittany Lions: 6-0 (Last Week: 3)

Penn State is coming off a bye week as well. They drop in part due to Indiana’s performance but also because that USC win does not look impressive at all.

Next Game: 10/26 at Wisconsin

5. Illinois Fighting Illini: 6-1(Last Week: 5)

Illinois remains at No. 5 after their 21-7 win over Michigan. The game was not even that close. The Illini controlled the game and suffocated the Wolverines offense. They have a massive test next week in Eugene.

Next Game: 10/26 at Oregon

6. Wisconsin Badgers: 5-2 (Last Week: 7)

Oct 19, 2024; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell is shown during the second quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats Saturday October 19, 2024 at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images / Mark Hoffman/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Wisconsin has flipped a switch after its Week 5 loss at USC. The Badgers have beaten up Purdue, Rutgers, and Northwestern the last three weeks. On their three-game winning streak, Wisconsin has outscored its opponents 117-16. Wow. They have a “prove it” game at home vs. Penn State next up.

Next Game: 10/26 vs. No. 3 Penn State

7. Nebraska Cornhuskers: 5-2 (Last Week: 6)

Nebraska had their most pathetic performance of the year in a loss to the Indiana Hoosiers. The good news for the Huskers is they are still 5-2, and there are a lot of mediocre Big Ten teams. The bad news, they play at Ohio State in their next contest. Plus, the Buckeyes are coming off a bye week following their loss at Oregon. Recipe for disaster for Nebraska.

Next Game: 10/26 at No. 4 Ohio State

8. Michigan Wolverines: 4-3 (Last Week: 8)

Michigan deserves to be way farther down in the Big Ten power rankings after that abysmal offensive showing at Illinois. Luckily for them, nobody else in the Big Ten below them wants to be a good football team. Somehow, Michigan is still the eighth best team in the Big Ten.

Next Game: 10/26 vs. Michigan State

9. Michigan State Spartans: 4-3 (Last Week: NR)

Michigan State's Kay'ron Lynch-Adams celebrates after a run against Iowa during the fourth quarter on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan State gets back in the top ten after their 32-20 win over Iowa. Michigan State can overtake their in-state rivals, Michigan next week when they face off in the Big House.

Next Game: 10/26 at Michigan

10. Minnesota: 4-3 (Last Week: NR)

The seesaw battle for the No. 10 spot between Iowa and Minnesota continues. These teams love alternating wins and losses. The Gophers didn’t play last week but their back-to-back wins give them the edge over everyone else.

Next Game: 10/26 vs. Maryland

Dropped from Rankings: USC, Iowa

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