Ohio State is back in the top spot in this week’s Big Ten Power Rankings.
Entering Week 11, Indiana had been the most dominant team in college football this season, with a résumé that includes a pair of high-quality road wins over Oregon and Iowa. The Hoosiers came dangerously close to suffering their first loss of the season, however, as they squandered a 20-7 third-quarter lead to fall behind 24-20 at Penn State before surviving the scare with a game-winning touchdown on a spectacular catch by Omar Cooper Jr. with 36 seconds left to play.
Ohio State, on the other hand, rolled to its eighth straight win by at least three scores in a 34-10 victory at Purdue. The Buckeyes haven’t come close to losing a game this season, and they were far more dominant in a 38-14 win over Penn State just two weeks ago than Indiana was this past weekend. As a result, Ohio State reclaims the top spot in my Big Ten Power Rankings for the first time since Indiana’s win over Oregon.
Elsewhere in the Big Ten, Oregon solidified itself as the conference’s third-best team by beating Iowa on the road with a game-winning drive of its own. USC kept itself in the College Football Playoff conversation with a 38-17 win over Northwestern, while Washington’s playoff hopes vanished with its loss to Wisconsin. Nebraska bounced back from its Week 10 loss to USC by beating UCLA as a road underdog, while Maryland’s post-September collapse continued with a 35-20 loss at Rutgers.
All of those results led to upward and downward movement in this week’s Big Ten Power Rankings. The rankings compare the conference’s 18 teams based upon their performance throughout the season, factoring in their overall records, conference records, head-to-head results, strength of schedule and how convincingly they’ve won or lost each game.
Playoff Locks
1. Ohio State (9-0, 6-0)
Wins: Texas (14-7), Grambling State (70-0), Ohio (37-9), at Washington (24-6), Minnesota (42-3), at Illinois (34-16), at Wisconsin (34-0), Penn State (38-14), at Purdue (34-10)
Losses: None
Last Week: 2
CFP Rank: 1
While Ohio State still doesn’t have any individual win that’s as impressive as Indiana’s road win at Oregon, the Buckeyes have done what they’re supposed to do against inferior opponents week in and week out. Their season-opening win against Texas is looking more impressive by the week now that the Longhorns are back in the top 10 of the CFP rankings, and Ohio State has beaten everyone it’s played by at least 18 points since.
The defending national champion looks like college football’s team to beat once again, and unlike Indiana and Texas A&M – the only other two remaining unbeaten teams in the FBS this season – the Buckeyes have won decisively against every unranked opponent they’ve faced.
2. Indiana (10-0, 7-0)
Wins: Old Dominion (27-14), Kennesaw State (56-9), Indiana State (73-0), Illinois (63-10), at Iowa (20-15), at Oregon (30-20), Michigan State (38-13), UCLA (56-6), Maryland (55-10), at Penn State (27-24)
Losses: None
Last Week: 2
CFP Rank: 2
Even with its scare in State College, Indiana remains a top-two team in not only the Big Ten but all of college football. The Hoosiers showed the mettle of a championship contender by finding a way to win as they faced their greatest adversity of the season to date, and they still lead the nation in total wins (10), points per game (44.5) and average margin of victory (32.4). Barring what would be a stunning pair of losses to both Wisconsin and Purdue, Indiana is a lock to make the College Football Playoff for a second straight year.
In Playoff Position
3. Oregon (8-1, 5-1)
Wins: Montana State (59-13), Oklahoma State (69-3), at Northwestern (34-14), Oregon State (41-7), at Penn State (30-24), at Rutgers (56-10), Wisconsin (21-7), at Iowa (18-16)
Losses: Indiana (30-20)
Last Week: 3
CFP Rank: 8
It didn’t come easily, as Oregon had to drive for a field goal in the game’s final two minutes to avoid defeat, but the Ducks earned their best win of the season to date by outlasting Iowa in Kinnick Stadium. Wins in two of their final three games of the year against Minnesota, USC and Washington should get the Ducks into the College Football Playoff even though they still have just two wins over FBS teams with records above .500 (Northwestern and Iowa).
Still In Contention
4. USC (7-2, 5-1)
Wins: Missouri State (73-13), Georgia Southern (59-20), at Purdue (33-17), Michigan State (45-31), Michigan (31-13), at Nebraska (21-17), Northwestern (38-17)
Losses: at Illinois (34-32), at Notre Dame (34-24)
Last Week: 5
CFP Rank: 17
USC looked the part of a playoff contender in its 21-point win over Northwestern, in which the Trojans put up 482 yards of offense and pulled away in the second half. The Trojans face a daunting next two games against Iowa and Oregon, and a loss in either game likely knocks them out of the 12-team field. If the Trojans can win both games, however, they’ll enter their season-ending rivalry game against UCLA in prime position to lock up a playoff berth.
5. Michigan (7-2, 5-1)
Wins: New Mexico (34-17), Central Michigan (63-3), at Nebraska (30-27), Wisconsin (24-10), Washington (24-7), at Michigan State (31-20), Purdue (21-16)
Losses: at Oklahoma (24-13), at USC (31-13)
Last Week: 6
CFP Rank: 18
Michigan’s résumé is the weakest of the five Big Ten teams that remain in playoff contention, as they no longer have any wins against a ranked opponent following Washington’s loss to Wisconsin. While Ohio State has won every game but one by at least 18 points, Michigan’s only win by at least 18 points came against Central Michigan. But the Wolverines still have a clear path to the playoff if they win out – since that would mean finishing the season with a win over Ohio State – and that puts Michigan in the top five of the Big Ten rankings by default right now.
Chasing Nine Wins
6. Iowa (6-3, 4-2)
Wins: Albany (34-7), UMass (47-7), at Rutgers (38-28), at Wisconsin (37-0), Penn State (25-24), Minnesota (41-3)
Losses: at Iowa State (17-14), Indiana (20-15), Oregon (18-16)
Last Week: 4
CFP Rank: 21
As has often been the case for Kirk Ferentz’s Iowa teams, the 2025 Hawkeyes have been good enough to play everybody tough, but not quite good enough to beat the Big Ten’s best teams. While they have one more chance to earn a signature win when they play USC this week, their third loss of the season effectively eliminated them from CFP and Big Ten Championship Game contention, especially considering they have just one win over a team with a winning record (Minnesota).
7. Illinois (6-3, 3-3)
Wins: Western Illinois (52-3), at Duke (45-19), Western Michigan (38-0), USC (34-32), Purdue (43-27), Rutgers (35-13)
Losses: at Indiana (63-10), Ohio State (34-16), at Washington (42-25)
Last Week: 8
Even with its head-to-head loss to Washington, Illinois jumps the Huskies in this week’s rankings thanks to their loss to a Wisconsin team that was previously winless in Big Ten play. With a win over USC on its résumé, Illinois has a good shot to finish the season as a top-25 team if it wins out.
8. Nebraska (7-3, 4-3)
Wins: Cincinnati (20-17), Akron (68-0), Houston Christian (59-7), Michigan State (38-27), at Maryland (34-31), Northwestern (28-21), at UCLA (28-21)
Losses: Michigan (30-27), at Minnesota (24-6), USC (21-17)
Last Week: 9
The Cornhuskers could have collapsed after losing starting quarterback Dylan Raiola for the season in their home loss to USC, but an impressive first start by new quarterback TJ Lateef and a 232-yard, three-touchdown game by star running back Emmett Johnson led Nebraska to its best road performance of the season at UCLA. The Cornhuskers clinched their first winning regular season since 2016 in the process.
9. Minnesota (6-3, 4-2)
Wins: Buffalo (23-10), Northwestern State (66-0), Rutgers (31-28), Purdue (27-20), Nebraska (24-6), Michigan State (23-20)
Losses: at California (27-14), at Ohio State (42-3), at Iowa (41-3)
Last Week: 11
The Golden Gophers still haven’t won a game away from home this season – and they haven’t even come close – but their 6-0 record at home keeps them in the top half of the Big Ten as one of eight teams with a winning record in conference play. Their decisive win over Nebraska looks like an anomaly compared to their one-score win over three of the Big Ten’s bottom-feeders, but they’ve won the games they’ve been supposed to win in conference play.
The Bottom Half
10. Washington (6-3, 3-3)
Wins: Colorado State (38-21), UC Davis (70-10), at Washington State (59-24), at Maryland (24-20), Rutgers (38-19), Illinois (42-25)
Losses: Ohio State (24-6), at Michigan (24-7), at Wisconsin (13-10)
Last Week: 7
In perhaps the Big Ten’s most stunning loss since Penn State’s early-October loss to UCLA, Washington threw gasoline on its playoff hopes and lit them on fire by losing to Wisconsin, which had been ranked 18th in the Big Ten Power Rankings for three straight weeks. Much like in previous losses against Ohio State and Michigan, Washington’s offense sputtered in Madison, allowing the Badgers to win their first conference game of the season despite throwing for 48 yards – half of which came on a fake punt.
11. Northwestern (5-4, 3-3)
Wins: Western Illinois (42-7), UCLA (17-14), UL Monroe (42-3), at Penn State (22-21), Purdue (19-0)
Losses: at Tulane (23-3), Oregon (34-14), at Nebraska (28-21), at USC (38-17)
Last Week: 10
While Northwestern still has a winning record for the season even after back-to-back losses to Nebraska and USC, all of its wins have come against teams with losing records. The Wildcats will have to change that to make a bowl game as they face Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois in their final three games of the year.
12. Rutgers (5-5, 2-5)
Wins: Ohio (34-31), Miami-Ohio (45-17), Norfolk State (60-10), at Purdue (27-24), Maryland (35-20)
Losses: Iowa (38-28), at Minnesota (31-28), at Washington (38-19), Oregon (56-10), at Illinois (35-13)
Last Week: 14
The Scarlet Knights are back to .500 on the season after winning two of their last three games. They still haven’t beaten a Power 4 team with a winning record this season, and that’s unlikely to change in their next game against Ohio State. But they’ve got a shot at making a bowl game for the third straight year if they can win their season finale against Penn State.
13. UCLA (3-6, 3-3)
Wins: Penn State (42-37), at Michigan State (38-13), Maryland (20-17)
Losses: Utah (43-10), at UNLV (30-23), New Mexico (35-10), at Northwestern (17-14), at Indiana (56-6), Nebraska (28-21)
Last Week: 12
After its three-game winning streak against three of the Big Ten’s worst teams, UCLA has crashed back down to reality with back-to-back losses against Indiana and Nebraska. The path doesn’t get any easier the rest of the way as the Bruins travel to Ohio State this week before ending their season with games against Washington and USC.
14. Maryland (4-5, 1-5)
Wins: FAU (39-7), Northern Illinois (20-9), Towson (44-17), at Wisconsin (27-10)
Losses: Washington (24-20), Nebraska (34-31), at UCLA (20-17), Indiana (55-10), at Rutgers (35-20)
Last Week: 13
If these rankings were based only on what’s happened since the start of October, Maryland would be dead last. The September Terps have been terrible since the first month of the season, reaching a new low with a 15-point loss to Rutgers last weekend for their fifth straight defeat, but their road win at Wisconsin keeps them out of the Big Ten’s bottom four for now.
15. Wisconsin (3-6, 1-5)
Wins: Miami-Ohio (17-0), Middle Tennessee State (42-10), Washington (13-10)
Losses: at Alabama (38-14), Maryland (27-10), at Michigan (24-10), Iowa (37-0), Ohio State (34-0), at Oregon (21-7)
Last Week: 18
Two days after Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh announced that Luke Fickell would return for the 2026 season, the Badgers finally earned their first Big Ten win of the season. Their offense remains the worst in the entire Power 4, but a stout defensive performance enabled them to upset a ranked team and climb from the bottom of the Big Ten standings.
16. Penn State (3-6, 0-6)
Wins: Nevada (46-11), Florida International (34-0), Villanova (52-6)
Losses: Oregon (30-24), at UCLA (42-37), Northwestern (22-21), at Iowa (25-24), at Ohio State (38-14), Indiana (27-24)
Last Week: 15
Penn State looked like a team better than its record as it pushed Indiana to the brink this past weekend, but the fact remains that the Nittany Lions still haven’t beaten a Power 4 opponent this season. Their inability to finish out close games has cost them time and time again, and the preseason Big Ten favorites now find themselves needing to win out just to make a bowl game.
17. Michigan State (3-6, 0-6)
Wins: Western Michigan (23-6), Boston College (42-40), Youngstown State (41-24)
Losses: at USC (45-31), at Nebraska (38-27), UCLA (38-13), at Indiana (38-13), Michigan (31-20), at Minnesota (23-20)
Last Week: 16
Like Penn State, Michigan State has suffered six straight losses since starting the season 3-0. One of those teams will finally earn a win this week as the Spartans, who had Week 11 off, host Penn State on Saturday.
18. Purdue (2-8, 0-8)
Wins: Ball State (31-0), Southern Illinois (34-17)
Losses: at USC (33-17), at Notre Dame (56-30), Illinois (43-27), at Minnesota (27-20), at Northwestern (19-0), Rutgers (27-24), at Michigan (21-16), at Ohio State (34-10)
Last Week: 17
One week after giving Michigan a real battle in Ann Arbor, Purdue played Ohio State closer than Minnesota and Wisconsin did. But that doesn’t change the fact that the Boilermakers have the worst record in the Big Ten with eight straight losses and just one win this season over an FBS opponent.
