\n\tThere\u2019s plenty of movement elsewhere in this week\u2019s Big Ten Power Rankings, too, after a weekend where all 18 Big Ten teams played conference games. USC and UCLA are the week\u2019s biggest risers as the Trojans earned a 31-13 win over Michigan<\/a> while the Bruins blew out Michigan State on the road for their second straight win. The Wolverines and Spartans are two of four teams that dropped multiple spots in this week\u2019s rankings. There\u2019s no change at the bottom, however, as Penn State\u2019s collapse went from bad to worse with a loss to Northwestern<\/a> \u2013 though Wisconsin certainly put itself in the running for the Big Ten\u2019s worst team with its 37-0 home loss to Iowa.\n<\/p>\n \n\tWith the regular season already at its midpoint and at least three conference games now complete for every Big Ten team, the Big Ten Power Rankings are based on what we\u2019ve seen from all 18 teams since the start of the season. Overall records, conference records, head-to-head results, strength of schedule and the decisiveness of wins\/losses are all considered in determining where each team should be ranked, with some emphasis placed on more recent results when comparing teams with similar r\u00e9sum\u00e9s.\n<\/p>\n \t1. Indiana (6-0, 3-0)<\/p>\n \n\tWins: Old Dominion (27-14), Kennesaw State (56-9), Indiana State (73-0), Illinois (63-10), at Iowa (20-15), at Oregon (30-20) \n\tIndiana moves into the top spot on the strength of its win at Oregon and against Illinois, the best pair of wins that any Big Ten team has this season. The Hoosiers are the only team in college football that ranks in the top five in both scoring offense and scoring defense. And in the closest available comparison between Indiana and Ohio State, the Hoosiers beat Illinois by 53 \u2013\u00a0a 35-point bigger margin than the Buckeyes\u2019 win over the Illini.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\tWhile Ohio State would still likely be favored in a hypothetical Big Ten Championship Game between the Buckeyes and Hoosiers,\u00a0Indiana has the Big Ten\u2019s best r\u00e9sum\u00e9 at the halfway point of the season.\n<\/p>\n \t2. Ohio State (6-0, 3-0)<\/p>\n \n\tWins: Texas (14-7), Grambling State (70-0), Ohio (37-9), at Washington (24-6), Minnesota (42-3), at Illinois (34-16) \n\tOhio State\u2019s drop to No. 2 has everything to do with Indiana\u2019s statement win in Eugene and nothing to do with the Buckeyes, who controlled their game at Illinois from start to finish, even though it wasn\u2019t quite as dominant as the Hoosiers\u2019 game against the Illini.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe Buckeyes have several arguments of their own for being ranked No. 1; they started their season with a much tougher opponent (Texas) than anyone Indiana faced in non-conference play, their defense is the best unit in the sport and they\u2019ve won every game more comfortably than Indiana\u2019s five-point win over Iowa. But the Hoosiers have been more explosive on offense while also excelling on defense.\n<\/p>\n \t3. Oregon (5-1, 2-1)<\/p>\n \n\tWins: Montana State (59-13), Oklahoma State (69-3), at Northwestern (34-14), Oregon State (41-7), at Penn State (30-24) \n\tFollowing its home loss to Indiana, Oregon\u2019s r\u00e9sum\u00e9 suddenly looks a lot more suspect. Three of its five wins are against teams that have since fired their coaches, while one of its other two wins is against an FCS opponent. Its signature win against Penn State lost most of its mystique over the last two weeks as the Nittany Lions lost their subsequent two games against UCLA and Northwestern.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe Ducks still look like a College Football Playoff team and one of the better teams in college football, but they\u2019ve got a lot to prove now.\n<\/p>\n \t4. USC (5-1, 3-1)<\/p>\n \n\tWins: Missouri State (73-13), Georgia Southern (59-20), at Purdue (33-17), Michigan State (45-31), Michigan (31-13) \n\tComing off a loss to Illinois, USC had to prove it could beat quality Big Ten opponents. The Trojans did just that against Michigan, beating the Wolverines decisively in an 18-point win that could have been even more lopsided if USC didn\u2019t turn the ball over in the red zone twice.\n<\/p>\n \n\tUSC faces another big test this week at Notre Dame, but the Trojans will put themselves in the thick of the College Football Playoff conversation if they can beat the Fighting Irish in South Bend.\n<\/p>\n \t5. Washington (5-1, 2-1)<\/p>\n \n\tWins: Colorado State (38-21), UC Davis (70-10), at Washington State (59-24), at Maryland (24-20), Rutgers (38-19) \n\tWashington remains one of the Big Ten\u2019s toughest teams to evaluate. The Huskies haven\u2019t yet beaten any marquee opponents, and they had to come back from double-digit deficits in their wins over Maryland and Rutgers; nevertheless, they\u2019re 5-1 with their only loss coming against one of college football\u2019s elite teams. Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. is one of the sport\u2019s most dynamic players, ranking third in the FBS with 335 average yards of total offense per game.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThis week\u2019s road trip to Michigan will serve as the best barometer yet of whether the Huskies are a CFP contender or if they\u2019ve simply taken advantage of a light schedule thus far.\n<\/p>\n \t6. Illinois (5-2, 2-2)<\/p>\n \n\tWins: Western Illinois (52-3), at Duke (45-19), Western Michigan (38-0), USC (34-32), Purdue (43-27) \n\tIllinois suffered its second decisive loss this season against Ohio State, but the rest of its r\u00e9sum\u00e9 got a boost with USC\u2019s win over Michigan. The Fighting Illini at least showed competitiveness in their loss to Ohio State \u2013 losing to the Buckeyes by the same margin as Washington \u2013 and they still might have an outside shot at the CFP if they win out, though they have no margin for error now.\n<\/p>\n \n\tWith a win over one of the Big Ten\u2019s top four teams, Illinois stays put in this week\u2019s rankings despite its loss to the Buckeyes. Their next game against Washington, on Oct. 25 following a bye this week, could serve as a playoff eliminator for both teams.\n<\/p>\n \t7. Michigan (4-2, 2-1)<\/p>\n \n\tWins: New Mexico (34-17), Central Michigan (63-3), at Nebraska (30-27), Wisconsin (24-10) \n\tThe Wolverines have now lost their two biggest games of the season to date while scoring just 13 points in each of them. Their road win at Nebraska to open Big Ten play keeps them in the top seven of the conference rankings, but they\u2019re now one loss away from being eliminated from the playoff race.\n<\/p>\n \t \n\t\tUSC takes Michigan\u2019s spot in the top four while the Wolverines drop to No. 7 following the Trojans\u2019 31-13 win over Michigan. (Photo:\u00a0Jayne Kamin-Oncea \u2013 Imagn Images)\n\t<\/p>\n \t8. Nebraska (5-1, 2-1)<\/p>\n \n\tWins: Cincinnati (20-17), Akron (68-0), Houston Christian (59-7), Michigan State (38-27), at Maryland (34-31) \n\tNebraska earned a road win over Maryland while its season-opening victory over Cincinnati keeps looking stronger as the Bearcats are now ranked after five straight wins following their loss to the Cornhuskers. With just one loss on the season and a favorable second-half schedule, the Cornhuskers are another Big Ten team with legitimate CFP aspirations.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe only reason they drop in this week\u2019s rankings is because of Michigan\u2019s drop. With both teams having 2-1 records in conference play, the Cornhuskers stay behind the Wolverines as a result of losing to Michigan at home.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \t9. Iowa (4-2, 2-1)<\/p>\n \n\tWins: Albany (34-7), UMass (47-7), at Rutgers (38-28), at Wisconsin (37-0) \n\tBeating Wisconsin may not be an impressive feat by itself this season, but beating any opponent on their home field by a 37-0 score is impressive.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe Hawkeyes still haven\u2019t beaten an opponent that\u2019s won a Power 4 game this season \u2013 which may not change even if they beat Penn State this week \u2013 but they\u2019ve at least beaten the teams they\u2019re supposed to beat, putting them squarely in the middle of the Big Ten pack.\n<\/p>\n \t10. Northwestern (4-2, 2-1)<\/p>\n \n\tWins: Western Illinois (42-7), UCLA (17-14), UL Monroe (42-3), at Penn State (22-21) \n\tThanks to their stunning win at Penn State this past weekend, Northwestern now owns the Big Ten\u2019s third-longest winning streak with three straight wins. The Wildcats have a good chance to extend that streak to four as they host Purdue this weekend.\n<\/p>\n \n\tWhile there\u2019s still a clear gap between Northwestern and the top half of the conference, the Wildcats have positioned themselves well for a run at bowl eligibility, though they\u2019ll face a challenging second-half schedule with Nebraska, USC, Michigan and Illinois all on the docket.\n<\/p>\n \t11. Maryland (4-2, 1-2)<\/p>\n \n\tWins: FAU (39-7), Northern Illinois (20-9), Towson (44-17), at Wisconsin (27-10) \n\t\u201cThey are who we thought they were,\u201d as Dennis Green once famously said. As has been par for the course in recent years, Maryland started strong in September but has been unable to keep it going in October, losing each of its first two games since September ended \u2013 both at home.\n<\/p>\n \n\tBoth of those losses were close defeats against upper-half Big Ten teams, but they won\u2019t beat the allegations that they\u2019re the same ol\u2019 Terps until they find a way to beat a quality opponent, as they have yet to win a game against a team that\u2019s won a Power 4 game.\n<\/p>\n \t12. UCLA (2-4, 2-1)<\/p>\n \n\tWins: Penn State (42-37), at Michigan State (38-13) \n\tThe Bruins proved their win over Penn State wasn\u2019t a fluke by following it up with a blowout road victory over Michigan State. Playing far better than it was in the first month of the season, especially on offense, UCLA now looks like the best team Ohio State will play between now and the Michigan game \u2013 a sentence that would have been unfathomable just two weeks ago.\n<\/p>\n \t \n\t\tUCLA has climbed six spots in the Big Ten Power Rankings into two weeks thanks to two straight wins. (Photo:\u00a0Brendan Mullin \u2013 Imagn Images)\n\t<\/p>\n \t13. Minnesota (4-2, 2-1)<\/p>\n \n\tWins: Buffalo (23-10), Northwestern State (66-0), Rutgers (31-28), Purdue (27-20) \n\tThe Golden Gophers had to battle in the fourth quarter to beat Purdue, just as they did against Rutgers, with both of their first two Big Ten wins coming against teams that are winless in conference play. Having played two of the Big Ten\u2019s worst teams and one of its best to start conference play, Minnesota has proven it can grind out wins against bottom-feeders but not much else, with its loss to Cal still standing out as a black mark on its ledger.\n<\/p>\n \t14. Rutgers (3-3, 0-3)<\/p>\n \n\tWins: Ohio (34-31), Miami-Ohio (45-17), Norfolk State (60-10) \n\tThe Scarlet Knights took a 10-0 lead on the road at Washington but squandered their shot at an upset win from there, allowing Demond Williams Jr. to throw and run for 538 total yards and four touchdowns as Rutgers allowed more than 30 points for a third straight game to start Big Ten play. They\u2019ve got three winnable games left on their schedule against Purdue, Maryland and Penn State, but they\u2019ll need to win them all \u2013 barring a stunning upset against Oregon, Illinois or Ohio State \u2013 to become bowl-eligible.\n<\/p>\n \t15. Michigan State (3-3, 0-3)<\/p>\n \n\tWins: Western Michigan (23-6), Boston College (42-40), Youngstown State (41-24) \n\tTwo-score road losses to USC and Nebraska were forgivable, but a 25-point home loss to UCLA is downright ugly, even with quarterback Aidan Chiles leaving the game early due to injury. Needing double overtime to beat Boston College hasn\u2019t aged well either as the Eagles have lost five straight games. Things won\u2019t get any easier this week as the Spartans go on the road to face Indiana.\n<\/p>\n \t16. Purdue (2-4, 0-3)<\/p>\n \n\tWins: Ball State (31-0), Southern Illinois (34-17) \n\tPurdue hasn\u2019t been blown out yet in Big Ten play, but that\u2019s about as positively as we can spin things for the Boilermakers. They\u2019re not as bad as they were last year, when they were the clear-cut worst team in the conference, but they have to win a game against a Power 4 team. Their next two games against Northwestern and Rutgers will likely determine whether they go two years in a row without a conference win.\n<\/p>\n \t17. Wisconsin (2-4, 0-3)<\/p>\n \n\tWins: Miami-Ohio (17-0), Middle Tennessee State (42-10) \n\tThe only thing keeping Wisconsin out of the 18th spot is the fact that another Big Ten team is down so bad that it fired its coach on Sunday. Luke Fickell looks likely to be the next Big Ten coach to get his walking papers after a dismal performance in which Wisconsin suffered its most lopsided loss to Iowa \u2013 a rival it plays every year \u2013 since 1968.\n<\/p>\n \n\tFollowing four straight losses by at least 14 points, including two at home, it\u2019s becoming harder to envision the Badgers winning any Big Ten games this season. It\u2019s certainly hard to imagine them hanging with Ohio State on Saturday.\n<\/p>\n
Losses: None
Last Week: 3\n<\/p>\n
Losses: None
Last Week: 1\n<\/p>\n
Losses: Indiana (20-30)
Last Week: 2\n<\/p>\n
Losses: at Illinois (32-34)
Last Week: 9\n<\/p>\n
Losses: Ohio State (6-24)
Last Week: 5\n<\/p>\n
Losses: at Indiana (10-63), Ohio State (16-34)
Last Week: 6\n<\/p>\n
Losses: at Oklahoma (13-24), at USC (13-31)
Last Week: 4\n<\/p>\n![\"USC\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27308863.jpg\" "\\"USC\u2019s")
<\/p>\n
Losses: Michigan (27-30)
Last Week: 7\n<\/p>\n
Losses: at Iowa State (14-17), Indiana (15-20)
Last Week: 10\n<\/p>\n
Losses: at Tulane (3-23), Oregon (14-34)
Last Week: 12\n<\/p>\n
Losses: Washington (20-24), Nebraska (31-34)
Last Week: 8\n<\/p>\n
Losses: Utah (10-43), at UNLV (23-30), New Mexico (10-35), at Northwestern (14-17)
Last Week: 16\n<\/p>\n![\"Rico](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27299085.jpg\" "\\"Rico")
<\/p>\n
Losses: at California (14-27), at Ohio State (3-42)
Last Week: 13\n<\/p>\n
Losses: Iowa (28-38), at Minnesota (28-31), at Washington (19-38)
Last Week: 14\n<\/p>\n
Losses: at USC (31-45), at Nebraska (27-38), UCLA (13-38)
Last Week: 11\n<\/p>\n
Losses: at USC (17-33), at Notre Dame (30-56), Illinois (27-43), at Minnesota (20-27)
Last Week: 17\n<\/p>\n
Losses: at Alabama (14-38), Maryland (10-27), at Michigan (10-24), Iowa (0-37)
Last Week: 15\n<\/p>\n