Big Ten Football Power Rankings 10/15/24

18. Purdue Boilermakers

Purdue made a mad dash at the end of the game and almost pulled off the upset, but they lost 50-49.

17. UCLA Bruins

UCLA was close to picking up their inaugural Big Ten win but fell short due to turnovers and penalties, dropping DeShaun Foster’s squad to 1-5 overall.

16. Maryland Terrapins

The Terrapins program shows signs of regression after a couple of good years. The offense, which looked promising at the start of the year, was held to ten points in a loss to Northwestern last week.

15. Michigan State Spartans

Given Michigan State’s history with turnovers this season, Jonathan Smith and his staff should work on ball control over the bye week. To secure victory against Iowa this week, they must protect the football. Otherwise, things could quickly unravel.

14. Northwestern Wildcats

The Northwestern offense has finally shown up over the last two weeks, scoring 37 points against Maryland in Friday night’s showdown, and they scored 24 the week before in a home loss to Indiana. But David Braun’s squad may have had more impressive results, keeping Maryland to just 10 points for their worst outing of the year – linebacker Mac Uihlein made 13 tackles (11 solo stops!) to seal the victory. At the same time, defensive back Damon Walters recorded both an interception and fumble recovery! It was impressive all around!

13. Washington Huskies

Washington’s inability to capitalize offensively remains an issue, with 28 red zone visits this season leading to 14 touchdowns, seven field goals, and seven nothing at all resulting from their 28 visits into their red zone – that isn’t good! Their defense kept the Huskies within striking distance of victory until Iowa started playing its usual wildcard brand of football in the fourth quarter. But on a bright note, they finally get a bye week after seven weeks!

12. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Rutgers was widely touted as a potential sleeper team in the Big Ten before it suffered consecutive losses against Nebraska and Wisconsin, including Saturday’s dismal performance against Wisconsin. The Rutgers offense is struggling.

11. Wisconsin Badgers

Has Wisconsin found something? After an inconsistent 2-2 start to their season, the Badgers have outscored both Purdue and Rutgers by an astounding 94-13 margin since mid-October – without Tyler Van Dyke and Chez Mellusi starting. Tawee Walker had an outstanding game against Rutgers, totalling 198 yards and three touchdowns against them! Perhaps this momentum shift is coming at just the right time, with Northwestern, Penn State, Iowa, and Oregon all waiting in the wings!

10. USC Trojans

USC was in position to win three key games this season but ultimately fell short in all three, most recently against Penn State by a field goal in a game they had a big lead in. Lincoln Riley must now adjust as his team no longer fits in the College Football Playoff picture and see how this team reacts for the remainder of its campaign.

9. Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa’s offense has long been considered a source of ineptness, yet that has changed considerably this season. While they might not compete with Ohio State and Oregon on offense, Kaleb Johnson continues to break through defenses with ease, and run blocking has improved significantly from last season. Iowa now leads the Big Ten Conference with 222.8 yards per game on average on the ground—an improvement over their past two campaigns.

8. Minnesota Golden Gophers

The Gophers seem to have found some momentum after two wins against USC and UCLA — even if head coach PJ Fleck doesn’t believe so. UCLA shut down Minnesota’s run game, forcing Max Brosmer to win it with 26 of 37 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns through the air. On defense, Koi Perich also performed well by recording two interceptions and two tackles in this win.

7. Michigan Wolverines

Michigan will need to figure out something with its passing attack going forward. Sherrone Moore has built an effective run game and defensive unit, but to compete at the highest levels in Big Ten play, it must also have an effective passing attack. Did any changes take place during its bye week to strengthen that aspect of its game?

6. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Can Nebraska string together two complete halves this weekend against Indiana? Matt Rhule’s squad has struggled in doing this during previous games; against an Indiana opponent that offers plenty of offensive firepower, they must stay focused for all 60 minutes of gameplay.

5. Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois was determined to secure its win against Purdue on Saturday. It needed overtime after blowing a 27-3 third-quarter lead and blowing it during regulation time. Illinois played nearly flawless football in the first half but was undone by errors late. Still, Bret Bielema will take five wins no matter how it looks, and the team still needs plenty of work done on its defense before facing Michigan on Saturday.

4. Indiana Hoosiers

Indiana completed the first half of their 2024 campaign unbeaten. Now comes a tougher six-game stretch that begins this weekend against Nebraska – we will learn just how talented Curt Cignetti’s squad really is over the next six weeks.

3. Penn State Nittany Lions

Traveling to Los Angeles has proven difficult for Big Ten teams this season. James Franklin must feel satisfied after seeing Penn State edge out USC with a three-point win by overcoming quarterback Drew Allar’s three interceptions to secure victory, and Tyler Warren, who led all receivers with 224 receiving yards and one touchdown reception on 17 receptions.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

Saturday’s result may have been disappointing, but Ohio State still has ample chances to turn things around following last week’s loss to Oregon. Ohio State’s offense played well while its defense struggled to contain Oregon receivers – something that could become an issue if Ohio State makes it to the College Football Playoff. After taking some time to regroup before their home game against Nebraska on October 15.

1. Oregon Ducks

Oregon passed its toughest test yet this season by toppling Ohio State and earning the No. 1 power ranking. A combined effort by quarterback Dillon Gabriel, running back Jordan James, and wide receiver Evan Stewart produced an exciting victory at Eugene under the lights. While their season is far from over yet, Oregon now has an easier path towards Indianapolis for its Big Ten Championship Game appearance after clearing this major obstacle.