Big Ten Football Power Rankings (Week 9): Can Indiana Compete for a Big Ten Title?

Indiana is off to a 7-0 start and had an impressive win over Nebraska. Can the Hoosiers compete for a Big Ten title with Oregon, Ohio State and Penn State?

Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti looks up at the scoreboard / Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Is it time to start talking about Indiana as a potential Big Ten title contender? There are still five games remaining on the schedule, but the Hoosiers looked like a real threat to the conference after a 56-7 win over Nebraska on Saturday.

The schedule is favorable, with Ohio State being the only upper-echelon team left on the docket. So, yes, Curt Cignetti could have IU challenging for a College Football Playoff spot in Year 1.

Outside of Bloomington, both Wisconsin and Michigan State are on the rise. The Badgers have pummeled their last three opponents while the Spartans picked up a huge win over Iowa.

USC, on the other hand, is in complete free-fall mode after dropping to 1-4 on the season. But that's enough about what happened in Week 8, let's dive into the power rankings.

1. Oregon Ducks

• Record: 7-0 overall, 4-0 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 1 (no change)
• Last week: Oregon 35, Purdue 0
• This week: Illinois at Oregon
• Location: Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS
• The skinny: How would Oregon respond after getting a massive win over Ohio State? Turns out, the Ducks were just fine. Dan Lanning's defense pitched a shutout, recording 10 tackles for loss against Purdue on Friday night. Dillon Gabriel was nearly, perfect, throwing for 290 yards and two touchdowns while completing 21-of-25 passes. With some help, Oregon moved up to No. 1 in the AP poll and will have a chance to take down another ranked opponent, welcoming Illinois to Autzen Stadium this weekend.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

• Record: 5-1 overall, 2-1 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 2 (no change)
• Last week: OFF
• This week: Nebraska at Ohio State
• Location: Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio
• Time & TV: Noon ET on FOX
• The skinny: Ohio State had to sit in that loss to Oregon for two weeks. The Buckeyes have shown some flaws and will be looking to get back in the win column as they enter the second half of the season. Everyone is going to be interested to see how Ryan Day's squad performs coming out of a bye week.

3. Penn State Nittany Lions

• Record: 6-0 overall, 3-0 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 3 (no change)
• Last week: OFF
• This week: Penn State at Wisconsin
• Location: Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
• Time & TV: 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC
• The skinny: James Franklin will take his Penn State team back on the road this weekend, this time to Madison for a showdown with a Wisconsin team that seems to have found its groove. The Nittany Lions are going to need to play disciplined football on both sides to avoid an upset at Camp Randall Stadium this weekend.

4. Indiana Hoosiers

• Record: 7-0 overall, 4-0 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 4 (no change)
• Last week: Indiana 56, Nebraska 7
• This week: Washington at Indiana
• Location: Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind.
• Time & TV: Noon ET on Big Ten Network
• The skinny: Can anyone slow down this Indiana offense? The Hoosiers pummeled Nebraska on Homecoming weekend. Running back Justice Ellison rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns, receivers Miles Cross caught seven passes for 65 yards and Elijah Sarratt also added 65 yards and a touchdown receiving. Basically, the Hoosiers have weapons all over the field. IU's 7-0 start has landed ESPN's College GameDay, which is heading to Bloomington for this weekend's game against Washington. Bad news, though, as quarterback Kurtis Rourke will miss Saturday's contest. That means backup Tayven Jackson will get the start.

5. Illinois Fighting Illini

• Record: 6-1 overall, 3-1 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 5 (no change)
• Last week: Illinois 21, Michigan 7
• This week: Illinois at Oregon
• Location: Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS
• The skinny: The Illinois defense showed up in a big way on Saturday, holding Michigan to just 114 rushing yards and forcing three turnovers in a critical win to improve to 6-1. Three Illini defensive players ended the game with double-digit tackles, with linebacker Gabe Jacas leading the way with 13 tackles, including 2.5 for loss. Illinois' offense didn't play well, but it ran the ball effectively enough against a stout Wolverines defense. Bret Bielema has his team playing extremely well right now, and we'll see how they perform against a top-ranked Oregon team on Saturday.

6. Wisconsin Badgers

• Record: 5-2 overall, 3-1 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 11 (up 5 spots)
• Last week: Wisconsin 23, Northwestern 3
• This week: Penn State at Wisconsin
• Location: Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
• Time & TV: 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC
• The skinny: Yeah, it's safe to say that Wisconsin has found a groove. After a 2-2 start to the 2024 season, the Badgers have rattled off three straight wins, outscoring their opponents 117-16 (Purdue, Rutgers and Northwestern). Running back Tawee Walker has been a culprit of that success, hitting the 100-yard mark in each of the last two games. But Luke Fickell's team is about to face a much tougher task with Penn State coming to town. Will Walker continue to find success on the ground aganst a talented Nittany Lions defense?

7. Michigan State Spartans

• Record: 4-3 overall, 2-2 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 15 (up 8 spots)
• Last week: Michigan State 32, Iowa 20
• This week: Michigan State at Michigan
• Location: Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich.
• Time & TV: 7:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network
• The skinny: Michigan State catapults in this week's power rankings after a massive home win over Iowa. The Spartans seemed to figure out the Hawkeyes' defense, racking up 468 total yards and finding ways to put points on the board. Receivers Nick Marsh and Montorie Foster Jr. each had over 100 receiving yards, but it was Jonathan Kim who had the biggest night of all. The kicker drilled six of his seven field goal attempts, which included a 55-yarder. Is Michigan State really the seventh-best team in the conference? It's hard to tell. The only two Big Ten losses have come to Ohio State and Oregon. Maybe the Spartans are better than advertised.

8. Michigan Wolverines

• Record: 4-3 overall, 2-2 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 8 (no change)
• Last week: Illinois 21, Michigan 7
• This week: Michigan State at Michigan
• Location: Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich.
• Time & TV: 7:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network
• The skinny: Well, the good news is that Michigan was able to have some success throwing the football with Jack Tuttle under center. But very little was working for Sherrone Moore's team in Champaign on Saturday night. Now, the Wolverines play host to in-state rival Michigan State. It's not a "must-win" game, per se, but it feels like a massive matchup to keep Michigan's season from going completely off the rails.

9. Nebraska Cornhuskers

• Record: 5-2 overall, 2-2 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 6 (down 3 spots)
• Last week: Indiana 56, Nebraska 7
• This week: Nebraska at Ohio State
• Location: Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio
• Time & TV: Noon ET on FOX
• The skinny: There's really nothing positive to say about the trip to Bloomington. Coach Matt Rhule said he was shocked by his team's performance in a blowout loss. It was particularly disappointing after a bye week. It's critical for the Huskers to have a short memory and shake Saturday's game, as life won't get any easier this weekend with a trip to Columbus ahead.

10. Iowa Hawkeyes

• Record: 4-3 overall, 2-2 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 7 (down 3 spots)
• Last week: Michigan State 32, Iowa 20
• This week: Northwestern at Iowa
• Location: Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network
• The skinny: Iowa's defense really struggled to keep Michigan State in check. And, although the offense has improved significantly, it wasn't good enough to win a shootout. The Hawkeyes only possessed the ball for 20 minutes and ended the game with 283 total yards of offense. Unless the defense is playing flawless football, that's not good enough to beat some of the Big Ten's better teams.

11. Minnesota Golden Gophers

• Record: 4-3 overall, 2-2 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 9 (down 2 spots)
• Last week: OFF
• This week: Maryland at Minnesota
• Location: Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn.
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1
• The skinny: After back-to-back wins over USC and UCLA, Minnesota got a week to rest and recover. Can the Gophers win a third straight game to take some confidence into the toughest month on the schedule?

12. Washington Huskies

• Record: 4-3 overall, 2-2 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 13 (up 1 spot)
• Last week: OFF
• This week: Washington at Indiana
• Location: Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind.
• Time & TV: Noon ET on Big Ten Network
• The skinny: We're going to find out if Washington's defense is up to the task against one of the most explosive offenses in the Big Ten. The Huskies have played well on that side of the football for most of the year, but slowing down an Indiana team that has scored 40 points or more in each of the last six games is a pretty big task. At least they had an extra week to prepare.

13. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

• Record: 4-3 overall, 1-3 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 12 (down 1 spot)
• Last week: UCLA 35, Rutgers 32
• This week: Rutgers at USC (Friday, Oct. 25)
• Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Calif.
• Time & TV: 11 p.m. ET on FOX
• The skinny: Remember when we thought Rutgers might be a Big Ten dark horse? That thought has essentially sailed after three straight losses to Nebraska, Wisconsin and UCLA. Greg Schiano's team is banged up, but the Scarlet Knights also haven't lived up to the hype. Right now, Rutgers looks like a team that could be fighting for bowl eligibility at the end of the season.

14. Northwestern Wildcats

• Record: 3-4 overall, 1-3 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 14 (no change)
• Last week: Wisconsin 23, Northwestern 3
• This week: Northwestern at Iowa
• Location: Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network
• The skinny: Offense continues to be a major problem for David Braun's team. Quarterback Jack Lausch completed just nine-of-24 passes for 82 yards. The Wildcats ran for only 127 yards. They couldn't get anything going against Wisconsin.

15. Maryland Terrapins

• Record: 4-3 overall, 1-3 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 16 (up 1 spots)
• Last week: Maryland 29, USC 28
• This week: Maryland at Minnesota
• Location: Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn.
• Time & TV: 3:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1
• The skinny: Mike Locksley was finally able to end the Big Ten losing streak and get Maryland's first win in conference play. It was a big one, too, even if USC is struggling this season. Billy Edwards Jr. had a huge afternoon, throwing for 373 yards and two touchdowns while completing 39-of-50 passes. Receivers Kaden Prather, Octavian Smith Jr. and Tai Felton all had big days, too, all totaling 84 yards or more. Can this explosive Maryland offense carry this momentum into the rest of the season?

16. USC Trojans

• Record: 3-4 overall, 1-4 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 10 (down 5 spots)
• Last week: Maryland 29, USC 28
• This week: Rutgers at USC (Friday, Oct. 25)
• Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Calif.
• Time & TV: 11 p.m. ET on FOX
• The skinny: USC has fallen hard since that season opening win over LSU. The Trojans are 1-4 in the Big Ten, losing all four of those games by a single possession. Are the Trojans better than their current 16th ranking? Maybe. But where else can you put this group after such a terrible start in conference play?

17. UCLA Bruins

• Record: 2-5 overall, 1-4 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 17 (no change)
• Last week: UCLA 35, Rutgers 32
• This week: OFF
• The skinny: It took some time, but UCLA finally has its first conference win as a member of the Big Ten. Quarterback Ethan Garbers had a huge day, throwing for 383 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. Keegan Jones and Moliki Matavao each had over 100 receiving yards. It was an impressive passing performance for the Bruins. DeShaun Foster's team hasn't always played well, but UCLA has played hard. It was good to see the Bruins get into the win column.

18. Purdue Boilermakers

• Record: 1-6 overall, 0-4 Big Ten
• Previous rank: No. 18 (no change)
• Last week: Oregon 35, Purdue 0
• This week: OFF
• The skinny: Purdue laid another egg on Saturday, getting shut out at Ross-Ade Stadium for the first time since 2013. The Boilers have a bye week, but I wouldn't expect the product to look much better. This team could be staring 1-11 in the face.