Big Ten Football Power Rankings (Week 13): Oregon (Basically) Locks Up Title Game Spot

Oregon has (essentially) locked up a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game. A big game between Indiana and Ohio State awaits, Rutgers is bowl eligible and Nebraska's slide continues.

Dustin Schutte | Nov 17, 2024

Oregon Ducks defensive back Brandon Johnson (3) celebrates / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Oregon had no trouble making the adjustment to the Big Ten. Although the Ducks faced some adversity on Friday night against Wisconsin, they essentially locked up a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game with a 16-13 road win over the Badgers.

There's still some funky stuff that could happen tiebreaker wise, but for the sake of argument, it's probably safe to say Oregon is heading to Indianapolis in its first year in the league.

Now, who will join Oregon at Lucas Oil Stadium? Indiana and Ohio State have a big matchup this weekend and Penn State is still in the mix. Plus, several teams are still fighting for bowl eligibility with just two weeks left in the year.

Let's dive into this week's Big Ten power rankings, shall we?

1. Oregon Ducks

Record: 11-0 overall, 8-0 Big Ten
Previous rank: No. 1 (no change)
Last week: Oregon 16, Wisconsin 13
This week: OFF
The skinny: Oregon got a major scare on the road, but survived a trip to Camp Randall Stadium in mid-November. Credit kicker Atticus Sappington, who made three field goal attempts in a low-scoring game. Defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei made an impressive game-sealing interception on Wisconsin's final drive, too. Barring anything crazy, the Ducks are heading to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship Game.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

Record: 9-1 overall, 6-1 Big Ten
Previous rank: No. 2 (no change)
Last week: Ohio State 31, Northwestern 7
This week: Indiana at Ohio State
Location: Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio
Time & TV: Noon ET on FOX
The skinny: It started off ugly, but once Ohio State found its football, it rolled to a blowout victory over Northwestern. Both Quinshon Judkins and Tre'Veyon Henderson rushed for over 70 yards and the Buckeyes' defense held Northwestern to just 50 yards on the ground. Now, Ryan Day must get his team prepared for a top-five showdown against Indiana this weekend with major implications hanging in the balance.

3. Indiana Hoosiers

Record: 10-0 overall, 7-0 Big Ten
Previous rank: No. 3 (no change)
Last week: OFF
This week: Indiana at Ohio State
Location: Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio
Time & TV: Noon ET on FOX
The skinny: After a week off, the Hoosiers face their toughest test of the season, traveling to Columbus for a showdown against Ohio State. Indiana could essentially secure a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game and a spot in the College Football Playoff with a win.

4. Penn State Nittany Lions

Record: 9-1 overall, 6-1 Big Ten
Previous rank: No. 4 (no change)
Last week: Penn State 49, Purdue 10
This week: Penn State at Minnesota
Location: Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn.
Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS
The skinny: Penn State rolled in West Lafayette, with Drew Allar completing 17-of-19 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns. Tight end Tyler Warren had a great day, totaling 127 receiving yards, 63 rushing yards and accounting for two touchdowns. The Nittany Lions now have a tricky road trip to Minnesota. Can they avoid a potential trap game?

5. Illinois Fighting Illini

Record: 7-3 overall, 4-3 Big Ten
Previous rank: No. 5 (no change)
Last week: Illinois 38, Michigan State 16
This week: Illinois at Rutgers
Location: SHI Stadium in Piscataway, N.J.
Time & TV: Noon ET on Peacock
The skinny: The Illini came out of the bye week with their guns blazing, posting an impressive 38-16 win over Michigan State in front of a home crowd. It snapped a two-game losing skid for Bret Bielema's squad and gives Illinois a chance to hit the nine-win mark in the regular season. If it can win the next two games, it would be the best season in Champaign since 2007.

6. Iowa Hawkeyes

Record: 6-4 overall, 4-3 Big Ten
Previous rank: No. 6 (no change)
Last week: OFF
This week: Iowa at Maryland
Location: SECU Stadium in College Park, Md.
Time & TV: Noon ET on Big Ten Network
The skinny: This season has been a bit of a disappointment for the Hawkeyes, but they'll have a chance to finish on a high note. How will Iowa respond in a road game against Maryland after a bye week?

7. Michigan Wolverines

Record: 5-5 overall, 3-4 Big Ten
Previous rank: No. 7 (no change)
Last week: OFF
This week: Northwestern at Michigan
Location: Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1
The skinny: Michigan still needs one more win to reach bowl eligibility. The Wolverines get their best chance this weekend, hosting a struggling Northwestern team. Then, it's a showdown with Ohio State in the season finale. Needless to say, it's critical for Michigan to get a win this weekend for its postseason hopes.

8. Wisconsin Badgers

Record: 5-5 overall, 3-4 Big Ten
Previous rank: No. 8 (no change)
Last week: Oregon 16, Wisconsin 13
This week: Wisconsin at Nebraska
Location: Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb.
Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network
The skinny: Close, but no cigar. The Badgers gave Oregon a run for its money but failed to make enough plays late in the game. Wisconsin's defense did an excellent job keeping the Ducks out of the end zone, but the offense couldn't do enough to capitalize.

9. Minnesota Golden Gophers

Record: 6-4 overall, 4-3 Big Ten
Previous rank: No. 9 (no change)
Last week: OFF
This week: Penn State at Minnesota
Location: Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn.
Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS
The skinny: Having two weeks to prepare for Penn State, can Minnesota play spoiler to the Nittany Lions' College Football Playoff hopes? The Gophers have already secured wins over two top-25 teams: USC and Illinois (although neither are still ranked). A win over Penn State would easily be the biggest victory of the year for P.J. Fleck's team.

10. Washington Huskies

Record: 6-5 overall, 4-4 Big Ten
Previous rank: No. 11 (up 1 spot)
Last week: Washington 31, UCLA 19
This week: OFF
The skinny: The beauty of home-field advantage. Washington finishes the season 6-0 in home games this year and secured a spot in the postseason with a win over UCLA. Huskies defensive lineman Russell Davis II had a huge day, racking up three sacks. Plus, running back Jonah Coleman had 95 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground. Washington gets an extra week to celebrate and prepare for top-ranked Oregon.

11. USC Trojans

Record: 5-5 overall, 3-5 Big Ten
Previous rank: No. 14 (up 3 spots)
Last week: USC 28, Nebraska 20
This week: USC at UCLA
Location: The Rose Bowl in Los Angeles, Calif.
Time & TV: 10:30 p.m. ET on NBC
The skinny: USC was finally on the right side of a one-score game. Jayden Maiava made the most of his first start at quarterback, throwing for 259 yards and three touchdowns with just one interception. Running back Woody marks rushed for 146 yards. Plus, the Trojans defense made enough plays in the red zone to get a big win at home.

12. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Record: 6-4 overall, 3-4 Big Ten
Previous rank: No. 15 (up 3 spots)
Last week: Rutgers 31, Maryland 17
This week: Illinois at Rutgers
Location: SHI Stadium in Piscataway, N.J.
Time & TV: Noon ET on Peacock
The skinny: Perhaps the bye week helped Rutgers get back in the right frame of mind. The Scarlet Knights have won their last two games and are now bowl eligible. Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis threw for 238 yards and two touchdowns and running back Kyle Monangai piled up 97 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

13. UCLA Bruins

Record: 4-6 overall, 3-5 Big Ten
Previous rank: No. 10 (down 3 spots)
Last week: Washington 31, UCLA 19
This week: USC at UCLA
Location: The Rose Bowl in Los Angeles, Calif.
Time & TV: 10:30 p.m. ET on NBC
The skinny: The UCLA winning streak came to an end Friday night, dropping a tough game to Washington. The Bruins were in the mix to get a fourth straight win, but were outscored 14-6 in the fourth quarter, with the lone touchdown coming in the last nine seconds of the game.

14. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Record: 5-5 overall, 2-5 Big Ten
Previous rank: No. 13 (down 1 spot)
Last week: USC 28, Nebraska 20
This week: Wisconsin at Nebraska
Location: Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb.
Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network
The skinny: Nebraska continues to struggle when it's trying to secure a postseason berth. The Huskers have now lost four straight games and have Wisconsin and Iowa remaining on the schedule. After a 5-1 start, the last month of Husker football has produced incredibly disappointing results.

15. Michigan State Spartans

Record: 4-6 overall, 2-5 Big Ten
Previous rank: No. 12 (down 3 spots)
Last week: Illinois 38, Michigan State 16
This week: Purdue at Michigan State (Friday, Nov. 22)
Location: Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich.
Time & TV: 8 p.m. ET on FOX
The skinny: Michigan State is now on a three-game losing streak with ugly losses to Indiana and Illinois. The Spartans are struggling to move the ball on the ground and can't make enough plays defensively. The good news? MSU gets a much more manageable opponent this weekend, hosting a Purdue team that remains winless in the Big Ten.

16. Northwestern Wildcats

Record: 4-6 overall, 2-5 Big Ten
Previous rank: No. 16 (no change)
Last week: Ohio State 31, Northwestern 7
This week: Northwestern at Michigan
Location: Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1
The skinny: For about the first 25 minutes, Northwestern put up a tough fight against Ohio State. But late in the second quarter and into the second half, the talent gap between the two programs became obvious.

17. Maryland Terrapins

Record: 4-6 overall, 1-6 Big Ten
Previous rank: No. 17 (no change)
Last week: Rutgers 31, Maryland 17
This week: Iowa at Maryland
Location: SECU Stadium in College Park, Md.
Time & TV: Noon ET on Big Ten Network
The skinny: After taking a 17-14 lead in the third quarter, Maryland was outscored 17-0 in the final 20 minutes, dropping their third straight games. The Terrapins continue to struggle on the defensive end and their offense isn't providing as much assistance as it has in previous seasons.

18. Purdue Boilermakers

Record: 1-9 overall, 0-7 Big Ten
Previous rank: No. 18 (no change)
Last week: Penn State 49, Purdue 10
This week: Purdue at Michigan State (Friday, Nov. 22)
Location: Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich.
Time & TV: 8 p.m. ET on FOX
The skinny: The Boilermakers were blown out again on Saturday, this time by Penn State. Only two games remain on Purdue's schedule until this dreadful season is over.