Big Ten Football Power Rankings (Final): Penn State, Oregon Battle For Big Ten Title

Ryan Day still can't beat Michigan, which paved the way for Penn State to reach its first Big Ten Championship Game since the 2016 season.

Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Audavion Collins (29) celebrates after intercepting the ball / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The matchup is set. After 14 exciting, action-packed weeks of Big Ten football, Penn State and Oregon will travel to Indianapolis to compete for a conference championship. It should be an excellent final game to an outstanding college football season.

Oregon did its job by going undefeated, but Penn State needed some help from Michigan over the weekend. Fortunately for the Nittany Lions, Ryan Day still hasn't figured out a way to beat the Wolverines.

The Michigan-Ohio State game and Black Friday showdown between Nebraska and Iowa were really the only two games that kept us on the edge of our seats. The rest of Rivalry Week in the Big Ten was kind of dud, with most games decided by two scores or more.

How did it impact our final Big Ten power rankings? Here's the final rundown of the 2024 season:

1. Oregon Ducks

• Record: 12-0 overall, 9-0 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 1 (no change)
• Last week: Oregon 49, Washington 21
• This week: Oregon vs. Penn State (Big Ten Championship Game)
• Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Ind.
• Time & TV: 8 p.m. ET on CBS
• The skinny: Oregon made it through the 2024 regular season with an undefeated record, an impressive accomplishment for its first season in the Big Ten. Can the Ducks cap off a tremendous season with a Big Ten championship and a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff? Although it's a neutral-site game, this might be the toughest test Oregon has had away from Autzen Stadium this year.

2. Penn State Nittany Lions

• Record: 11-1 overall, 8-1 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 3 (up 1 spot)
• Last week: Penn State 44, Maryland 7
• This week: Oregon vs. Penn State (Big Ten Championship Game)
• Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Ind.
• Time & TV: 8 p.m. ET on CBS
• The skinny: It took nearly a decade, but James Franklin has finally gotten Penn State back in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Nittany Lions pummeled Maryland on Saturday and got some help from Michigan, which pulled off an upset over Ohio State. The last time Penn State was in Indianapolis, it left with a Big Ten Championship. We'll see if they can replicate that success again this weekend.

3. Ohio State Buckeyes

• Record: 10-2 overall, 7-2 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 2 (down 1 spot)
• Last week: Michigan 13, Ohio State 10
• The skinny: Ryan Day is going to have to figure this thing out. Yes, Ohio State had a great season and is likely still heading to the College Football Playoff. But losing to a mediocre Michigan team on your home turf? By Buckeye standards, that's unacceptable.

4. Indiana Hoosiers

• Record: 11-1 overall, 8-1 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 4 (no change)
• Last week: Indiana 66, Purdue 0
• The skinny: Indiana sent quite the message to its in-state rival on Saturday, posting the largest margin of victory in the Old Oaken Bucket game in program history. For the Hoosiers, it punctuated the best season the school has ever season and essentially solidified a spot in the College Football Playoff this year.

5. Illinois Fighting Illini

• Record: 9-3 overall, 6-3 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 5 (no change)
• Last week: Illinois 38, Northwestern 28
• The skinny: If not for Curt Cignetti at Indiana, Bret Bielema would probably be the Big Ten Coach of the Year. The Fighting Illini enjoyed their first nine-win season since 2007. Running back Aidan Laughery had an outstanding end to the season, rushing for 172 yards and three touchdowns to reclaim the Land of Lincoln Trophy.

6. Iowa Hawkeyes

• Record: 8-4 overall, 6-3 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 6 (no change)
• Last week: Iowa 13, Nebraska 10
• The skinny: Somehow, it always seems like Iowa beats Nebraska on a last-second field goal. That was the case again on Black Friday, with Drew Stevens hitting the game-winner as time expired. The Hawkeyes were awful offensively, but running back Kaleb Johnson ripped off one big run for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, which was the difference in the game.

7. Michigan Wolverines

• Record: 7-5 overall, 5-4 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 7 (no change)
• Last week: Michigan 13, Ohio State 10
• The skinny: A major tip of the cap to Sherrone Moore on the Wolverines, who completely shut down Ohio State's rushing attack and forced two turnovers to pull off the biggest upset of Rivalry Week. This wasn't a great season in Ann Arbor, but posting a win over the Buckeyes to keep them out of the Big Ten Championship Game? That should be considered a major success in Ann Arbor.

8. Minnesota Golden Gophers

• Record: 7-5 overall, 5-4 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 8 (no change)
• Last week: Minnesota 24, Wisconsin 7
• The skinny: Prior to PJ Fleck's arrival in Minneapolis, the Gophers had lost 13 consecutive games to Wisconsin. Minnesota now owns a 4-4 record in his eight years with the program. It was a huge day for the Gopher defense, which held Wisconsin to just 167 yards of total offense. Quarterback Max Brosmer also threw for 191 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his final game.

9. Washington Huskies

• Record: 6-6 overall, 4-5 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 9 (no change)
• Last week: Oregon 49, Washington 21
• The skinny: Well, it's not exactly how Washington wanted to end the season, but the Huskies are still going bowling. After losing 21-of-22 starters from last year's team and introducing an entirely new coaching staff, finishing the year with a .500 record is a solid achievement.

10. USC Trojans

• Record: 6-6 overall, 4-5 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 10 (no change)
• Last week: Notre Dame 49, USC 35
• The skinny: USC would have liked to end the year with an upset win over Notre Dame but the defense couldn't shut down the Fighting Irish offense. At the beginning of the year, the Trojans had College Football Playoff aspirations. Settling for a mediocre bowl berth is huge letdown for Lincoln Riley and his staff.

11. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

• Record: 7-5 overall, 4-5 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 13 (up 2 spots)
• Last week: Rutgers 41, Michigan State 14
• The skinny: Rutgers went out on a high note, punctuating the season with a dominant win over Michigan state on the road. The Scarlet Knights got 129 yards and a touchdown from running back Kyle Monangai and and additional 71 yards and two scores from running back Antwan Raymond. Rutgers will have a chance to reach the eight-win mark with a victory in the postseason.

12. Nebraska Cornhuskers

• Record: 6-6 overall, 3-6 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 11 (down 1 spot)
• Last week: Iowa 13, Nebraska 10
• The skinny: Once again, Nebraska comes up a field goal short of taking down rival Iowa. It's fair to say the Huskers dominated the Hawkeyes for a majority of the game, but mistakes late proved costly. The good news? Nebraska still has one game left on the schedule. Matt Rhule's team can still finish on the right side of .500 and, more importantly, it gets an additional month of practice.

13. UCLA Bruins

• Record: 5-7 overall, 3-6 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 15 (up 2 spots)
• Last week: UCLA 20, Fresno State 13
• The skinny: DeShaun Foster deserves a lot of credit for this season. Going 5-7 isn't ideal, but he was thrown into a tough situation during the offseason. UCLA closed the season on the right note by beating Fresno State, and doing it with defense. Linebackers Carson Schwesinger and Kain Medrano were incredible on Saturday. Schwesinger ended the game with 15 tackles, a sack and a pass break-up. Medrano totaled eight tackles, including three for loss.

14. Wisconsin Badgers

• Record: 5-7 overall, 3-6 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 12 (down 2 spots)
• Last week: Minnesota 24, Wisconsin 7
• The skinny: There's going to be a lot of self-reflection in Madison this year. As a program, Wisconsin has taken a step back under Luke Fickell and his staff. This was a team that was 5-2 before dropping its final five games of the season, losing four of those by two scores or more.

15. Michigan State Spartans

• Record: 5-7 overall, 3-6 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 14 (down 1 spot)
• Last week: Rutgers 41, Michigan State 14
• The skinny: A lot of ugly performances from Michigan State this season, and Saturday's game against Rutgers was no exception. There's a lot to fix in East Lansing for Jonathan Smith.

16. Northwestern Wildcats

• Record: 4-8 overall, 2-7 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 16 (no change)
• Last week: Illinois 38, Northwestern 28
• The skinny: Northwestern put up a decent fight in the season finale, pulling within a score of Illinois late in the third quarter, but it just wasn't enough. David Braun needs to figure something out offensively, especially when it comes to finding a quarterback who can be much more efficient.

17. Maryland Terrapins

• Record: 4-8 overall, 1-8 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 17 (no change)
• Last week: Penn State 44, Maryland 7
• The skinny: This was always going to be a rebuilding year for Maryland. Although the Terps started the year off strong, their struggles defensively were too much to overcome. We'll see what Mike Locksley does in the offseason to get this program back to bowl eligibility.

18. Purdue Boilermakers

• Record: 1-11 overall, 0-9 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 18 (no change)
• Last week: Indiana 66, Purdue 0
• The skinny: Purdue decided to move on from Ryan Walters after a disastrous season, which ended with an embarrassing loss to Indiana. There's not really much else to say.