Big Ten Football Power Rankings (Week 14): Huskers End Bowl Drought, Buckeyes Top Hoosiers

Nebraska ended its eight-year bowl drought with a win over Wisconsin. Ohio State handed Indiana its first loss. Penn State escaped a scare from Minnesota. How does all that impact the Big Ten power rankings?

Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Emmett Johnson (21) celebrates after a run against the Wisconsin Badgers / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Go ahead and celebrate, Nebraska. On Saturday, college football's longest bowl drought came to an end, as the Huskers defeated Wisconsin 44-25 and reached that elusive sixth win. It may not sound like much, but it's a major step in the right direction for a program that has fallen on some hard times.

In Columbus, Indiana was handed its first loss of the 2024 campaign, falling hard to Ohio State. That puts the Buckeyes in the driver's seat in their quest to a return to Indianapolis for a rematch with Oregon, this time in the Big Ten Championship Game.

USC also clinched bowl eligibility with a rivalry win over UCLA and Penn State avoided a major scare in Minneapolis. How did Week 13 results impact the Big Ten power rankings? Here's the latest.

1. Oregon Ducks

• Record: 11-0 overall, 8-0 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 1 (no change)
• Last week: OFF
• This week: Washington at Oregon
• Location: Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.
• Time & TV: 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC
• The skinny: Can Oregon secure the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff? That's essentially what the Ducks are playing for in the final two weeks, closing out the regular season against Washington before a likely rematch with Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

• Record: 10-1 overall, 7-1 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 2 (no change)
• Last week: Ohio State 38, Indiana 15
• This week: Michigan at Ohio State
• Location: Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio
• Time & TV: Noon ET on FOX
• The skinny: Ohio State added another top-10 victory to its resume, taking down Indiana in impressive fashion. The defense was the story of the day, racking up five sacks on Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke. Cody Simon, JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer were disruptive all afternoon long, holding IU to just 153 total yards of offense. This was a big win for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes, putting them one step closer to clinching a spot in the Big Ten title game, which would be their first appearance since 2020.

3. Penn State Nittany Lions

• Record: 10-1 overall, 7-1 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 4 (up 1 spot)
• Last week: Penn State 26, Minnesota 25
• This week: Maryland at Penn State
• Location: Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa.
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network
• The skinny: James Franklin the riverboat gambler? Penn State made some gutsy calls in Saturday's win over Minnesota, but none bigger than a fake punt on their own 34-yard line with 4:34 remaining in the game. Luke Reynolds ripped off the big play to secure a victory for the Nittany Lions. Even though the ground game didn't work much for Penn State, quarterback Drew Allar finished with 244 yards and a touchdown while completing 21-of-28 passes. With a win over Maryland on Saturday, Penn State would clinch its first-ever spot in the College Football Playoff.

4. Indiana Hoosiers

• Record: 10-1 overall, 7-1 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 3 (down 1 spot)
• Last week: Ohio State 38, Indiana 15
• This week: Purdue at Indiana
• Location: Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind.
• Time & TV: 7 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1
• The skinny: Well, Indiana received quite the wake-up call in Columbus on Saturday. The Hoosiers started the game off well, engineering an 11-play, 70-yard drive on their first possession to take an early 7-0 lead. After that, it was pretty much downhill. Indiana Totaled just 83 yards the rest of the game. Special teams also gave up 14 points to the Buckeyes, both proving to be momentum shifters in the game.

5. Illinois Fighting Illini

• Record: 8-3 overall, 5-3 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 5 (no change)
• Last week: Illinois 38, Rutgers 31
• This week: Illinois at Northwestern
• Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, Ill.
• Time & TV: Noon ET on Big Ten Network
• The skinny: Who kicks a field goal when you can score on a 40-yard touchdown pass? Luke Altmyer connected with Pat Bryant on Illinois' final offensive play for a touchdown to give the Fighting Illini a 38-31 advantage with just four seconds remaining. It was part of a 23-point quarter for Illinois, propelling Bret Bielema's team to its eighth win of the season. With a win next week, there's a real chance Illinois ends the year with 10 wins.

6. Iowa Hawkeyes

• Record: 7-4 overall, 5-3 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 6 (no change)
• Last week: Iowa 29, Maryland 13
• This week: Nebraska at Iowa (Friday, Nov. 29)
• Location: Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa
• Time & TV: 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC
• The skinny: Although Maryland gave Iowa a scare early in the fourth quarter, the Hawkeyes prevailed and were able to get a two-score victory on the road. Once again, the rushing attack was prominent, with running backs Kaleb Johnson and Kamari Moulton accounting for 164 and 114 yards, respectively. If Iowa is able to beat Nebraska next week, it will reach the eight-win mark for an eighth consecutive year (not counting the shortened COVID-19 season in 2020).

7. Michigan Wolverines

• Record: 6-5 overall, 4-4 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 7 (no change)
• Last week: Michigan 50, Northwestern 6
• This week: Michigan at Ohio State
• Location: Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio
• Time & TV: Noon ET on FOX
• The skinny: Michigan might've had its most complete performance of the season on Saturday, crushing Northwestern 50-6, thanks to a 33-point second half. The Wolveriens dominated on the ground, piling up over 200 yards and averaging 5.7 yards per carry. No, this isn't the same Michigan team we saw the previous three seasons, but it should have at least some confidence heading into Columbus.

8. Minnesota Golden Gophers

• Record: 6-5 overall, 4-4 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 9 (up 1 spot)
• Last week: Penn State 26, Minnesota 25
• This week: Minnesota at Wisconsin (Friday, Nov. 29)
• Location: Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
• Time & TV: Noon ET on CBS
• The skinny: Two turnovers proved to be the difference in Saturday's loss to Penn State. Otherwise, Minnesota had the perfect recipe for an upset. The Gophers held the Nittany Lions to just 117 rushing yards and they converted just one-of-11 attempts on third down. Minnesota got off to a hot start, building a 10-0 lead early. But an interception midway through the second quarter and a fumble late in the third quarter resulted in six points for Penn State. That's not a lot, but enough to win the football game.

9. Washington Huskies

• Record: 6-5 overall, 4-4 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 10 (up 1 spot)
• Last week: OFF
• This week: Washington at Oregon
• Location: Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.
• Time & TV: 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC
• The skinny: After a week off, Washington heads into the final game of the season looking to pull off a massive upset. The Huskies haven't won a road game all year, so it's a pretty big challenge to get their first against the No. 1 team in the country.

10. USC Trojans

• Record: 6-5 overall, 4-5 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 11 (up 1 spot)
• Last week: USC 19, UCLA 13
• This week: Notre Dame at USC
• Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Calif.
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS
• The skinny: For a second straight week, USC was on the right side of a one-score game. Saturday night's win over UCLA clinched a bowl berth for the Trojans, which was in jeopardy earlier in the year. It's not exactly what Lincoln Riley and his staff had in mind, but at least USC will get that extra month of practice that comes with a postseason bid. The Trojans get a chance to pull off a major upset, hosting Notre Dame on Saturday.

11. Nebraska Cornhuskers

• Record: 6-5 overall, 3-5 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 14 (up 3 spots)
• Last week: Nebraska 44, Wisconsin 25
• This week: Nebraska at Iowa (Friday, Nov. 29)
• Location: Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa
• Time & TV: 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC
• The skinny: The Huskers are heading to a bowl game. An eight-year drought without a postseason appearance is finally ending after an impressive win over Wisconsin on Saturday. Running back Emmett Johnson had a big day, rushing for 113 yards. Running back Dante Dowdell accounted for three touchdowns on the ground. Quarterback Dylan Raiola threw for 293 yards and a score. It was a pretty impressive offensive showing from Nebraska, and a huge win for coach Matt Rhule.

12. Wisconsin Badgers

• Record: 5-6 overall, 3-5 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 8 (down 4 spots)
• Last week: Nebraska 44, Wisconsin 25
• This week: Minnesota at Wisconsin
• Location: Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
• Time & TV: Noon ET on CBS
• The skinny: Firing Phil Longo didn't seem to help Wisconsin's offense much. Although the Badgers piled up 409 yards, they still had two turnovers and converted on just three-of-10 third down tries. The defense didn't provide much support, surrendering 478 yards to the Huskers. Luke Fickell's team gets one more crack at bowl eligibility, hosting Minnesota on Friday.

13. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

• Record: 6-5 overall, 3-5 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 12 (down 1 spot)
• Last week: Illinois 38, Rutgers 31
• This week: Rutgers at Michigan State
• Location: Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich.
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1
• The skinny: Greg Schiano would love to have that last timeout back, wouldn't he? If he didn't use it, maybe Illinois misses the field goal attempt and Rutgers improves to 7-4. Instead, the Scarlet Knights come up short. Many projected Rutgers as a dark horse in the Big Ten in the preseason. So, to be sitting at 6-5 at the end of the season is a bit of a disappointment.

14. Michigan State Spartans

• Record: 5-6 overall, 3-5 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 15 (up 1 spot)
• Last week: Michigan State 24, Purdue 17
• This week: Rutgers at Michigan State
• Location: Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich.
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1
• The skinny: It's been a bit of a roller coaster year for coach Jonathan Smith and Michigan State, but the Spartans enter the final week of the year with a chance to earn a postseason bid. MSU came out on fire against Purdue on Friday night, taking a 24-3 lead into halftime. It nearly slipped away, but the Spartans made just enough plays, and got just enough luck, to get the win. A 6-6 season would be a promising start to Smith's tenure in East Lansing.

15. UCLA Bruins

• Record: 4-7 overall, 3-6 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 13 (down 2 spots)
• Last week: USC 19, UCLA 13
• This week: Fresno State at UCLA
• Location: The Rose Bowl in Los Angeles, Calif.
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network
• The skinny: It was a defensive battle at the Rose Bowl ion Saturday night, but UCLA couldn't make enough plays in the fourth quarter to take down its in-city rival. The defense showed up for the Bruins, but the offense just couldn't find the end zone. The big difference in the game was third- and fourth-down conversions, picking up just three-of-14 for the game.

16. Northwestern Wildcats

• Record: 4-7 overall, 2-6 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 16 (no change)
• Last week: Michigan 50, Northwestern 6
• This week: Illinois at Northwestern
• Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, Ill.
• Time & TV: Noon ET on Big Ten Network
• The skinny: There's really no good way to spin it, Northwestern was blown out of the water by Michigan in Ann Arbor on Saturday. The Wildcats will try to regroup and end the season on a positive note by beating in-state rival Illinois at Wrigley Field.

17. Maryland Terrapins

• Record: 4-7 overall, 1-7 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 17 (no change)
• Last week: Iowa 29, Maryland 13
• This week: Maryland at Penn State
• Location: Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa.
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network
• The skinny: It was ugly early, but Maryland managed to make things interesting in the fourth quarter, pulling within a score. But the Terrapins dug too big of a hole and couldn't slow down Iowa's rushing attack, resulting in a fourth-straight loss.

18. Purdue Boilermakers

• Record: 1-10 overall, 0-8 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 18 (no change)
• Last week: Michigan State 24, Purdue 17
• This week: Purdue at Indiana
• Location: Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind.
• Time & TV: 7 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1
• The skinny: Purdue showed a lot of fight in the second half against Michigan State, but it wasn't enough to get its first Big Ten win of the season. The Boilermakers currently own the longest losing streak among Power Four teams, having dropped 10 straight games.