Big Ten Football Power Rankings 09/16/24

18. Purdue Boilermakers

I expect the Boilermakers to be the worst team in the Big Ten, and so far, they have not disappointed me.

17. UCLA Bruins

The Bruins got run over in a home loss to Indiana, and they hired the wrong man to be their head coach.

16. Northwestern Wildcats

Northwestern got exactly what they needed after an uneven first two weeks – an unassuming victory against an FCS opponent. Jack Lausch excelled as a quarterback, often connecting with former Michigan wideout A.J. Henning for 117 yards of passing offence. Both runs and defense were outstanding performances.

15. Maryland Terrapins

Virginia is no pushover, but Maryland envisions a future when they can defeat middling ACC teams without difficulty. I do not expect Maryland to climb much higher than this.

14. Minnesota Golden Gophers

Nevada may not have been great, but Minnesota was still impressive. Both the running game and defense shined, reflecting what has become typical under PJ Fleck. Though no ceiling could be set here, Minnesota is an intriguing team that could find success in Big Ten play.

13. Wisconsin Badgers

The Badgers struggled to beat two bad teams, then Alabama came to town and ran the Badgers over in dominating fashion. The Badgers have issues on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

12. Michigan State Spartans

MSU showed its talents against an FCS opponent that is struggling,but they did look good. Though MSU was impressive across all phases of play, sizing up this team can be challenging, with just three games against Maryland (a team on its way down) under its belts so far. MSU did exactly as expected, and we will find out more when they take on Boston College next week.

11. Michigan Wolverines

Arkansas State proved resilient against Michigan in this matchup, thanks to three interceptions by Davis Warren that ultimately gave Arkansas State the edge they needed to stay in the game. Michigan never seemed in danger, and 15 points were scored on its third- and fourth-string defense, yet some of the same issues from recent weeks continued to arise; not knowing exactly what type of team Michigan will become until it hosts USC next week will only further illustrate that fact; starting Alex Orji could give a clear signal as to their capabilities and future results.

10. Iowa Hawkeyes

The good news is that Iowa’s offense is functional. The bad news is that both defense and special teams displayed some uncharacteristic slip-ups, which allowed, Troy keep the game entertaining longer than expected. A road trip will follow next, this time to Minnesota.

9. Washington Huskies

Heartbreak. Jedd Fisch had his team on the edge before calling an injudicious fourth-down play that could have given the Huskies the lead and most likely won them the game. We knew it would be a rebuilding year – now we know for certain.

8. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Rutgers looks to have a strong identity as a team and could pull off an upset or two this season to advance to a bowl game.

7. Indiana Hoosiers

The Hoosiers are off to a 3-0 start. On Saturday night in Los Angeles, they destroyed the Bruins behind brilliant Quarterback play and a dominating defense. The Hoosiers look prepared to have a huge season, led by head coach Curt Cignetti.

6. Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois was impressive yet again, highlighted by Luke Altmeyer’s handling of the football. The run game and run defense need some improvement compared to last season; nonetheless, Illinois is moving in the direction of Bret Bielema’s 2022 team rather than last season’s disappointments.

5. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Nebraska dominated Northern Iowa, as was to be expected. Questions still surround this team, and a win over Colorado is a big deal in that heated rivalry; it doesn’t show us if Nebraska is truly back among the big boys in College Football.

4. Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State had a bye this week after an impressive win at West Virginia. The Nittany Lions struggled big time to beat Bowling Green. Was the Bowling Green game a mirage? We will soon find out.

3. USC Trojans

USC had a bye this week, but a colossal conference showdown looms in Ann Arbor against Michigan on Saturday. The Trojans should be favored in that game and will be looking for a convincing win.

2. Oregon Ducks

Oregon delivered exactly what we expected! Their offense excelled at running and passing, while their defense played well against Oregon State. All the preseason expectations may yet come true if Oregon can continue playing like they did against Oregon State.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes

The Buckeyes continue their rampage through the MAC conference and I really thought about dropping them out of the number one spot just because they have played nobody, but we will leave them at the top of these rankings for now.