Big Ten Football Power Rankings After Week 11: UCLA Stays No. 1, Indiana Closes In

UCLA is 10–0 and still the only team without a Big Ten loss. Indiana made the strongest argument that the Bruins have company at the top. The Hoosiers beat USC 27–13 behind 305 passing yards from Grant Wilson in his first Big Ten start. Iowa and Oregon kept winning, and Ohio State bounced back against Northwestern. Those three sit at 5–2 in league play, one game behind Indiana.

These rankings weigh the season’s results, head-to-head meetings and how teams are playing now. Records below are overall, followed by Big Ten play.

18. Rutgers (2–8, 1–6)

A 31–0 home loss to Nebraska made it four straight defeats. Rutgers was already down two touchdowns at halftime and never scored. The Scarlet Knights are tied for last in league wins and have the fewest overall wins in the conference.

17. Purdue (3–7, 2–5)

The Boilermakers lost 28–7 at Iowa, their fourth straight defeat. They trailed 21–7 at halftime and never scored again. Two conference wins keep Purdue above Michigan State and Rutgers, but the offense gave the defense little chance to make this one competitive late.

16. Michigan State (3–7, 1–6)

The Spartans followed their rivalry win over Michigan with a 21–14 home loss to Washington. It was tied at halftime, but Michigan State went scoreless after the break. The rivalry win showed what the defense can do. Sustaining drives remains the larger problem.

15. Maryland (4–6, 2–5)

Maryland beat Wisconsin 24–21 for its second straight win. The Terrapins trailed after each of the first three quarters before winning the fourth 10–8. They have spent much of the year near the bottom of the standings, but this is the best result among the teams in that group this week.

14. Michigan (5–5, 2–5)

Michigan scored six against Michigan State and seven in a 31–7 loss at Oregon. The Ducks led 14–0 after one quarter and shut Michigan out in the second half. The Wolverines have five wins, but their offense has offered little reason to expect a strong finish.

13. Minnesota (5–5, 3–4)

Penn State led 28–0 at halftime and beat Minnesota 42–14. The Gophers have lost three straight, and this one got away before they could settle into the game. The team that pushed Indiana to overtime needs to rediscover that level of competition quickly.

12. Northwestern (6–4, 3–4)

Northwestern led early at Ohio State and kept the score respectable in a 28–19 loss. The Wildcats have six wins, but three straight losses put them behind several teams with the same record. They need more than a solid opening quarter to beat the league’s better opponents.

11. Washington (6–4, 3–4)

Washington left East Lansing with a 21–14 win, breaking a halftime tie with the only touchdown of the second half. The Huskies are 3–1 on the road overall. That matters with Indiana coming to Seattle next, a chance for Washington to beat a team much higher on this list.

10. Nebraska (6–4, 3–4)

Nebraska went to Rutgers and won 31–0, scoring in every quarter. The opponent limits how far the result can move the Huskers, but a road shutout is a convincing response after the loss to Illinois. Closing out a game that decisively was a step forward.

9. Wisconsin (6–4, 4–3)

The Badgers let a fourth-quarter lead slip in a 24–21 loss at Maryland. Their 24–7 win over USC still counts in their favor, as does a winning conference record. The problem is the gap between a 5–0 home record and a 1–3 road mark. That keeps Wisconsin from climbing higher.

8. Penn State (6–4, 3–4)

Penn State has won three straight, and its 42–14 victory over Minnesota was the strongest performance among the teams in the middle of the conference this week. The Nittany Lions led 28–0 at halftime and scored again in each of the final two quarters. The early losses still matter, but Penn State is playing better than its league record suggests.

7. Illinois (6–4, 4–3)

The Illini lost 22–14 at UCLA after falling behind 10–0 at halftime. They made it a game in the second half and came closer than most to handing the Bruins their first loss. The wins over Oregon and Nebraska give Illinois a strong case to lead the conference’s six-win teams.

6. USC (7–3, 4–3)

USC was tied 10–10 at halftime in Bloomington and tied it again at 13 in the third quarter. The Trojans never scored after that in a 27–13 loss. The win over Ohio State still gives USC a quality result, but Saturday showed how quickly this offense can stall when an opponent gets stops without giving up big plays.

5. Ohio State (7–3, 5–2)

Ohio State beat Northwestern 28–19 after going scoreless in the first quarter. The Buckeyes have a win over Indiana and remain in the group at 5–2 in conference play. Recent losses to USC and Oregon keep them at No. 5. Saturday was a needed response after giving up 41 to the Ducks.

4. Oregon (7–3, 5–2)

The Ducks followed their 41–28 win at Ohio State with a 31–7 victory over Michigan. Oregon led 14–0 after one quarter and allowed nothing after halftime. That puts the Ducks above Ohio State on both head-to-head and current form. Iowa’s better record and three-game winning streak give it the slight edge for third.

3. Iowa (8–2, 5–2)

Iowa beat Purdue 28–7 for its third straight win. The Hawkeyes have allowed 104 points in seven conference games, the lowest total in the league. With eight wins and a defense that limits opponents’ chances to recover once they fall behind, Iowa has a case to move higher if either of the top two slips.

2. Indiana (9–1, 6–1)

Grant Wilson threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns in the 27–13 win over USC, including a 42-yard score to Charlie Becker that put the game away. Freshman linebacker Jacob Savage led Indiana with 13 tackles. The Hoosiers outscored USC 17–3 after halftime. Indiana had needed overtime against both Michigan and Minnesota. Saturday showed what it can do when the passing game generates explosive plays to complement the defense. Now comes a trip to Washington, where Indiana has to bring that same offense on the road.

1. UCLA (10–0, 7–0)

UCLA held Illinois scoreless in the first half and finished with a 22–14 win. The offense had to work for its points, and the Bruins still scored 10 in the fourth quarter to close out the game. Indiana had the better win this weekend, but UCLA still owns the best record and the only unbeaten conference mark. The Bruins have earned the top spot for another week.