Big Ten Football Power Rankings After Week 10: UCLA Stays Perfect, Oregon Rises

UCLA went to Minnesota and came home as the Big Ten’s only unbeaten team. Indiana held at No. 2 during its bye, and Oregon delivered the weekend’s biggest shake- by scoring 41 points at Ohio State. The Ducks’ win left six teams tied at 4–2 in conference play, and head-to-head results help explain why Oregon sits at the front of that group here.

These rankings weigh the season’s body of work, head-to-head results and how teams are playing entering the final three weeks. Records are listed overall and in Big Ten play.

18. Rutgers (2–7, 1–5 Big Ten)

A 31–10 loss at Wisconsin made it three straight defeats. Rutgers has one conference win and still has to visit Penn State before hosting Michigan State. That home finale offers a chance to climb out of the bottom spot, especially if the Scarlet Knights can give their defense more help than it got in Madison.

17. Purdue (3–6, 2–4 Big Ten)

Purdue scored 29 points at home and still lost to Maryland. The Boilermakers let the Terrapins score three times in the third quarter, a costly stretch for a team that has now lost three in a row. Trips to Iowa and Indiana, with Wisconsin in between, leave Purdue with a difficult path to six wins.

16. Maryland (3–6, 1–5 Big Ten)

Malik Washington threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more in Maryland’s 34–29 road win at Purdue. It was the first win for interim head coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim and a reminder of what the Terrapins can do when Washington threatens a defense both ways. Maryland gets the edge over Purdue on the strength of that head-to-head result.

15. Michigan (5–4, 2–4 Big Ten)

Michigan scored six points at home against a team that arrived without a Big Ten win. Now comes a trip to Oregon, followed by UCLA at home and Ohio State on the road. The Wolverines have three opportunities to change the direction of their season, but the offense needs to sustain drives for any of those games to swing their way.

14. Michigan State (3–6, 1–5 Big Ten)

Michigan State’s first conference win came in Ann Arbor, where the Spartans held Michigan scoreless through three quarters in a 15–6 victory. One good Saturday carries only so much weight after six straight losses, but a road win against a five-win rival gives Michigan State the edge over Maryland this week.

13. Nebraska (5–4, 2–4 Big Ten)

The Cornhuskers opened 5–0 and have lost four straight after Friday’s 24–13 defeat at Illinois. Nebraska still has Ohio State and Iowa on the schedule, which makes the trip to Rutgers especially important. Thirteen points in Champaign is a worrying return for an offense that needs to help stop the slide.

12. Washington (5–4, 2–4 Big Ten)

A 28–25 home loss to Penn State ended Washington’s two-game winning streak and dropped the Huskies to 0–3 in Big Ten home games. They travel to Michigan State next before closing against Indiana and Oregon. Washington can still affect the race near the top of the league, but the first job is getting to six wins.

11. Penn State (5–4, 2–4 Big Ten)

Two straight wins have made November more interesting in Happy Valley. The latest came 28–25 at Washington, giving the Nittany Lions a road result worth rewarding and a chance to follow it up at home against Minnesota. Penn State sits just ahead of the Gophers here on current form. They can settle that ordering on the field next Saturday.

10. Minnesota (5–4, 3–3 Big Ten)

Minnesota took Indiana to overtime in Bloomington and was tied with UCLA in the fourth quarter a week later. The Gophers lost both games, and Saturday’s 34–20 defeat showed how quickly a close game can get away when the defense gives up explosive plays. The next trip, to Penn State, is a good chance to turn a competitive performance into a win.

9. Northwestern (6–3, 3–3 Big Ten)

Iowa ended Northwestern’s five-game home winning streak with a 24–10 victory. The Wildcats are still bowl eligible, but with Ohio State next, the offense needs to find more than the 10 points it managed in Nicco Marchiol’s first Northwestern start. Six wins earn the Wildcats a place in the top half, with a chance to move higher if they beat the Buckeyes.

8. Illinois (6–3, 4–2 Big Ten)

The Illini have won four straight, including Friday’s 24–13 victory over Nebraska. That makes Illinois one of the most interesting teams in the conference heading into its trip to UCLA. Holding Nebraska to 13 was a good start. Now Illinois has to do it against a Bruins offense that can score from anywhere when Ty Dieffenbach gets time to throw.

7. Ohio State (6–3, 4–2 Big Ten)

Ohio State led Oregon 14–0 and then watched the Ducks score 38 unanswered points. Luke Fahey threw for 360 yards, but the Buckeyes rushed for just 53 and went 0-for-4 on fourth down. The head-to-head win over Iowa still matters, but consecutive losses to USC and Oregon drop Ohio State behind both. Giving up 41 at home is as much a concern as anything happening at quarterback.

6. Wisconsin (6–3, 4–2 Big Ten)

Wisconsin’s 31–10 win over Rutgers secured bowl eligibility and improved the Badgers to 5–0 at home. Their next two games are at Maryland and Purdue, and Wisconsin has won only once on the road this season. The Badgers have a chance to improve that record before hosting Minnesota for Paul Bunyan’s Axe.

5. Iowa (7–2, 4–2 Big Ten)

Iowa handed Northwestern its first home loss, 24–10, and moved to 7–2. Ohio State owns the head-to-head win, which makes this the closest call in the top six. Iowa gets the slight edge this week on its overall record and a strong road performance while the Buckeyes have lost two straight. The Hawkeyes close with Purdue, Illinois and Nebraska, giving them three chances to make the case stronger.

4. USC (7–2, 4–2 Big Ten)

USC had the week off after beating Ohio State 30–18. Oregon’s September win at the Coliseum keeps the Trojans one spot behind the Ducks despite USC’s better overall record. The Trojans still have Indiana and UCLA on their schedule, so there’s a direct route to a much stronger résumé. It starts in Bloomington on Saturday.

3. Oregon (6–3, 4–2 Big Ten)

The Ducks have now scored 41 points in wins at USC and Ohio State. In Columbus, they erased a 14–0 deficit, held the Buckeyes to 53 rushing yards and stopped all four Ohio State fourth-down attempts. Three losses still count, but those two road wins give Oregon the strongest case among the teams tied at 4–2. Michigan comes to Eugene next, and Oregon has a chance to back up its best performance of the season.

2. Indiana (8–1, 5–1 Big Ten)

The defending national champions come out of their bye with one conference loss and USC coming to Bloomington. Indiana outgained Minnesota 419–215 in its last game, yet needed overtime to win 23–16 after going 2-for-13 on third down. That gap between moving the ball and finishing possessions is the issue to watch against the Trojans. USC scored 30 against Ohio State, so Indiana has good reason to turn more of those yards into touchdowns. The Hoosiers remain the closest challenger to UCLA.

1. UCLA (9–0, 6–0 Big Ten)

Minnesota tied UCLA at 17 in the fourth quarter. The Bruins answered on the very next snap with a 75-yard touchdown from Ty Dieffenbach to Aidan Mizell. After a Minnesota field goal, the pair connected for another 75-yard score, and UCLA went on to win 34–20. That finishing burst is the difference between simply surviving a road game and showing why UCLA leads the league.

The Bruins are 4–0 away from home and have sole possession of first place. Illinois brings a four-game winning streak to the Rose Bowl on Friday, with a trip to Michigan and a home finale against USC still ahead. Through Week 10, UCLA has earned the top spot with nine wins and the ability to take over a tight game on the road.