With a battle set for this week between Indiana and Ohio State, here’s where each team in the Big Ten stands ahead of the league’s biggest game of the year:
18. Michigan State
Michigan State’s second half against Illinois was the best half of football the Spartans have played all season. Quarterback Alessio Milivojevic was accurate throughout the game, while running back Jaziun Patterson was nothing short of dominant, generating 3 touchdowns on 17 carries. Still, the 17-point hole that Michigan State put itself into to open the game was too steep for the Spartans to overcome in regulation, and the Spartans fell short in overtime. Sparty is moving in the right direction, but they’re not off the league’s bottom rung yet.
17. Illinois
Another week, another second-half collapse for Illinois. The Fighting Illini finally managed to hold things together enough to escape with a win, but it marked yet another game where Illinois got steamrolled after halftime. Week after week, the Illini come out flat in the second half and struggle to convert in the third and fourth quarters. Credit to Illinois for executing in overtime, but it should never have gotten there.
16. Maryland
One of the Big Ten’s worst teams got crushed by the league’s best. The Terrapins averaged under 3 yards per play while the Buckeyes averaged over 6.5. The Terrapins had a +2 turnover margin while generating more sacks and tackles for loss than the Buckeyes, but Ohio State was simply the better team. If the Terrapins can produce those big plays against teams they match up better with down-to-down, they’ll be a competitive team against the middle and lower-tier teams of the Big Ten.
15. Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights were on bye this week.
14. Penn State
Rocco Becht played his best game of Big Ten play against the Trojans, but the Nittany Lions fell to 0-3 in conference play. The run game continued to struggle, though, and the defense had no answer for Jayden Maiava. If Becht plays the way he did on Saturday, the Nittany Lions should be able to reestablish themselves near the middle of the conference table, but they won’t return to contention until they find some semblance of balance.
13. Washington
After its best game of the season against USC, Washington’s defense played its worst game of the year on Friday at Iowa. Backup quarterback Elijah Brown played well, throwing 3 touchdown passes against the Hawkeyes., but However, the Huskies allowed nearly 7 yards per carry and over 10.5 yards per passing attempt. Washington needs to find a way to put everything together, combining Friday’s offensive performance with the team’s defensive performance against USC. Until they do so, Washington will be stuck near the bottom of the league.
12. Michigan
The Wolverines were on bye this week.
11. Minnesota
Minnesota needs to find a way to row the boat at a more consistent pace to compete in the Big Ten. Against Michigan and Washington, the Golden Gophers played well enough to keep themselves in the game, and they’ve proven an ability to compete in the biggest moments. Their two losses to Purdue and Mississippi State, though, were downright uncompetitive. The defense got physically overpowered at the point of attack, while the offense couldn’t find any momentum. The version of Minnesota that beat the Wolverines and Huskies can compete with anyone, but the version that has shown up in the team’s two losses is at risk of losing every single week.
10. Purdue
From 19 straight conference losses to a 2-game winning streak, things have officially turned around in West Lafayette. Fame Ijeboi looked like a wrecking ball against Minnesota, singlehandedly outscoringoutsourcing the Golden Gophers with 3 rushing touchdowns and 195 yards. Purdue won the turnover battle 2-0 and dominated in the trenches. It was a complete win against a solid football team, and for the first time since 2023, teams have something to fear when taking on the Boilermakers.
9. Oregon
After an incredible game against Nebraska, Dylan Raiola had the worst game of his career in his encore against UCLA. His struggles singlehandedly lost the Ducks the game against the undefeated Bruins. If and when Moore returns and looks healthy, Oregon should shoot right back to the top third of the league, but they need to find a way to win games until that point for Moore’s return to mean anything for the Ducks’ College Football Playoff hopes.
8. Wisconsin
The Badgers were on bye this week.
7. Northwestern
Northwestern is 4-0 at home and just two wins from bowl eligibility. This week’s win came against a lesser foe in Ball State, but with two of the league’s worst teams up next on their schedule, the Wildcats have put themselves in position to reach postseason play yet again.
6. USC
A 3-touchdown, 0 turnover week for Jayden Maiava was a positive sign for USC as the Trojans seek to return to the College Football Playoff picture, but their pass defense still leaves plenty to be desired. Between the team’s loss to Oregon and their win over Penn State, USC’s secondary has handed two different quarterbacks their best games of the season. That’s a recipe for disaster against the league’s best teams no matter how well Maiava plays.
5. Nebraska
Nebraska should have won that game. Critical mental and coaching mistakes held them back. That’s a familiar story to Husker fans, and it repeated itself on Saturday against Indiana. A failure to have a man back in coverage when the Hoosiers lined up in the pistol for a fourth down. Going for 4th and 9 despite having enough time to get the ball back. Not sending the house on a punt block attempt that was Nebraska’s only real chance to get back into the game. The Huskers were the better team on Saturday, yet they lost. Until they find a way to win big games, the Cornhuskers won’t rise any higher than this.
4. UCLA
The Bruin defense and run game have more than proven themselves at this point in the season, but UCLA needs more from Nico Iamaleava as their expectations continue to rise. The Bruin quarterback threw two interceptions that nearly cost UCLA the game in a 2-point win over former Pac 12 rival Oregon. The defense generated a whopping 7 turnovers. Wayne Knight continues to make his case for the Heisman trophy. The only missing piece separating UCLA from the CFP is a consistent passing game.
3. Iowa
Jeremy Hecklinski may have reignited Iowa’s quarterback battle Friday night with a 202-yard, 3 touchdown performance against Washington. Combine that with a 208-yard night on the ground from Kamari Moulton and the Hawkeye offense was downright unstoppable. Iowa’s secondary has had its struggles, largely due to injury, but the run defense continues to make its case for being the best in the nation. If the secondary gets healthy and the offense can produce like it did this week, the Hawkeyes can hang with anyone.
2. Indiana
The inverse of Nebraska, Indiana should have lost that game on Saturday. Curt Cignetti doesn’t lose winnable games, though, and he and his Hoosiers converted the opportunities Nebraska gave them to get back into the game. Very little separates the Hoosiers from the Bruins and Hawkeyes on the field, but Cignetti’s refusal to make mistakes and his ability to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat makes the difference, lifting them to second in the league.
1. Ohio State
Despite a 45-16 victory, Ohio State’s win provided plenty for the Buckeyes to learn from. Losing the turnover battle and getting overwhelmed along the offensive line at points throughout the game, the Buckeyes gave up several big plays to the Terrapins that could prove dangerous against a better opponent. Still, whenever they avoided those big plays, the Buckeyes had total control. We’ll see how they fare against Indiana, but as of now, Ohio State still appears to be far and away the class of the Big Ten.