Isaiah Hole
October 6, 2024 2:17 am ET
It wasn’t expected to be an exciting week of college football, yet, it may have been the most exciting yet.
There were upsets galore across the sport, and the Big Ten wasn’t immune from having some exciting games with unexpected outcomes. Top of the line was Minnesota’s upset over USC, but Washington’s victory over Michigan football in the national championship rematch, and Nebraska handing Rutgers its first loss were among the exciting games. Ohio State rolled Iowa after a sluggish first half, Penn State downed UCLA, Indiana keeps winning (albeit against a bad Northwestern team), Wisconsin blew out Purdue, and Oregon handled MSU on Friday night.
Illinois and Maryland were idle.
With all of that said, here are our latest Big Ten power rankings following Week 6.
18
Purdue BoilermakersPhoto: Isaiah Hole
Record:1-4
Hi/Lo:16/18
Change:–
Last game:Loss vs. Wisconsin, 6-52
Biggest win:vs. Indiana State, 49-0
This is a team consistently heading backward and it’s difficult to remember that the Boilermakers were the Big Ten West champions just a season and a half ago. This is easily the worst team in the conference and it stands to reason that it won’t win another game this year barring something jarring.
17
Northwestern WildcatsVincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Record:2-3
Hi/Lo:12/17
Change:–
Last game:Loss vs. Indiana, 24-41
Biggest win:vs. Miami (Ohio), 13-6
This was the feel-good story of the conference last year, but David Braun’s team is so far away from Curt Cignetti’s Indiana, it was apparent. Though QB Jack Lausch was decent the run game left a lot to be desired and the defense got shredded by the Hoosiers. There’s room for improvement this season as this doesn’t have to be a bottom of the barrel team, but right now it is.
16
UCLA BruinsPhoto: Isaiah Hole
Record:1-4
Hi/Lo:16/18
Change:–
Last game:Loss at Penn State, 11-27
Biggest win:at Hawaii, 16-13
Though this may have been closer than expected and UCLA put up a fight, when Penn State really needed to move the ball, it did. Considering where the Bruins were under Chip Kelly, DeShaun Foster doesn’t seem like he has a good handle on his team. The offense was abysmal but the defense played pretty well.
15
Maryland TerrapinsPhoto: Isaiah Hole
Record:3-2
Hi/Lo:9/14
Change:–
Last game:Loss vs. Indiana, 28-42
Biggest win:vs. UConn, 50-7
Maryland was on a much-needed bye week this week.
14
MSU SpartansPhoto: Isaiah Hole
Record:3-3
Hi/Lo:12/17
Change:-1
Last game:Loss vs. Oregon, 10-31
Biggest win:vs. Maryland, 27-24
Don’t let the score fool you, this one wasn’t even this close. Michigan State did do some nice things defensively, but offensively, Aidan Chiles is an absolute turnover machine. Though the loss to Ohio State last week showed some promise, this one was a step backward. Still, this is a team that looks like it could come out of nowhere and contend in any game so long as it doesn’t turn the ball over with impunity.
13
Iowa HawkeyesPhoto: Isaiah Hole
Record:3-2
Hi/Lo:4/13
Change:-5
Last game:Loss at Ohio State, 7-35
Biggest win:vs. Minnesota, 31-14
It’s hard to remember when Iowa was ranked at No. 4 and was one of our favorites in the conference, but after getting destroyed in the second half by Ohio State, here we are. The pass defense was OK considering the Buckeyes’ firepower but the new-look OSU run game ran all over the Hawkeyes. The pass game with Cade McNamara was as expected and Kaleb Johnson got what he could, but this wasn’t like last week’s win.
12
Wisconsin BadgersPhoto: Isaiah Hole
Record:3-2
Hi/Lo:10/12
Change:–
Last game:Win vs. Purdue, 52-6
Biggest win:vs. Purdue, 52-6
Despite getting a blowout win over Purdue, we didn’t move the Badgers up, because beating Purdue handily doesn’t really give much of a barometer on the team. Still, it’s a nice bounceback after losing to the Trojans last week.
11
Rutgers Scarlet KnightsPhoto: Isaiah Hole
Record:4-1
Hi/Lo:6/11
Change:-5
Last game:Loss at Nebraska, 7-14
Biggest win:vs. Washington, 21-18
Rutgers has come back down to earth a bit lately so we dropped them significantly, because there’s no room for error in this conference at the moment. Yes, it was the first loss, but the Scarlet Knights somewhat lucked into a win over Washington last week. The defense was still really good but the offense struggled mightily in Lincoln.
10
Nebraska CornhuskersDylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
Record:5-1
Hi/Lo:3/9
Change:–
Last game:Win vs. Rutgers, 14-7
Biggest win:vs. Colorado, 28-10
It’s hard to believe that Nebraska is one win away from bowl eligibility after all of its struggles, but here we are! It didn’t have the best game against Rutgers, but that was a difficult Scarlet Knights team.
9
Illinois Fighting IlliniRon Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Record:4-1
Hi/Lo:8/13
Change:–
Last game:Loss at Penn State, 7-21
Biggest win:vs. Kansas, 23-17
Illinois was on a bye this week.
8
USC TrojansPhoto: Isaiah Hole
Record:3-2
Hi/Lo:2/8
Change:-3
Last game:Loss at Minnesota, 17-24
Biggest win:vs.LSU, 27-20
After looking like it had fully bounced back against Wisconsin last week, the Trojans lost one of the games that seemed highly unlikely they’d lose when the schedule came out. Miller Moss had his worst game to date, tossing two interceptions and throwing for just 200 yards. Meanwhile, a week after the Gophers couldn’t run the ball, USC couldn’t stop them. This was a big step back.
7
Minnesota Golden GophersMichigan football
Record:3-3
Hi/Lo:7/15
Change:+7
Last game:Win vs. USC, 24-17
Biggest win:vs. Rhode Island, 48-0
Who would have thought this one up in the preseason? Minnesota got its mojo back — defensively and through its run game. It made the usually stellar-looking Miller Moss look pedestrian and it eked out a win against the No. 11 team in the country. This is a building block especially as Max Brosmer scored three TDs on the ground but didn’t throw as well as he did against Michigan.
6
Michigan WolverinesPhoto: Isaiah Hole
Record:4-2
Hi/Lo:3/7
Change:-2
Last game:Loss at Washington, 17-27
Biggest win:vs. USC, 27-24
This was a big step back for the Wolverines. Another quarterback change, a defense absolutely shredded, and a lack of identity, execution, and precision. This team is a complete shell of what it was at this time last year, and yes, with a new head coach and substantial personnel changes, this was possible. But there’s a lot missing with this team and the bye couldn’t come in a better week.
5
Washington HuskiesPhoto: Isaiah Hole
Record:4-2
Hi/Lo:5/11
Change:+6
Last game:Win vs. Michigan, 27-17
Biggest win:vs. Michigan, 27-17
This was a sorely-needed win for a team that inexplicably lost two games it probably shouldn’t have. Will Rogers was phenomenal, the playcalling kept the Michigan defense on its heels, and even when adversity struck, the Huskies found a way to bounce back forcing two Michigan turnovers which yielded the 10 points that ended up being the difference.
4
Indiana HoosiersRobert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports
Record:5-0
Hi/Lo:4/16
Change:+3
Last game:Win vs. Northwestern, 41-24
Biggest win:vs. Maryland, 42-28
We’re putting some respect on Curt Cignetti’s name. No, Northwestern isn’t a worthy opponent, but usually for Indiana, it is. And Cignetti has the Hoosiers bowl eligible in year one, a truly incredible feat. Kurtis Rourke continues to be the most electric quarterback in the conference and there’s no ceiling to this fun, and scary, team.
3
Oregon DucksCraig Strobeck-USA TODAY Sports
Record:5-0
Hi/Lo:1/6
Change:-1
Last game:Win vs. MSU, 31-10
Biggest win:vs. Oregon State, 49-14
Let’s face it, this Oregon team isn’t quite as expected. Dillon Gabriel is getting the job done but he’s not the Heisman contender he was previously thought to be. With two red-zone interceptions, he’s gotta take care of the football more. This Ducks team could be like most years’ Penn State teams — good against most, but unlikely to beat the best. We’ll find out next week when OSU comes to town.
2
Penn State Nittany LionsPhoto: Isaiah Hole
Record:5-0
Hi/Lo:2/4
Change:+1
Last game:Win vs. UCLA, 27-11
Biggest win:vs. Illinois, 21-7
This wasn’t the most impressive showing against one of our worst teams, but Penn State found a way to get the job done. Though it doesn’t necessarily look like it can contend with our No. 1.
1
Ohio State BuckeyesJoseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Record:4-0
Hi/Lo:1/2
Change:–
Last game:Win vs. Iowa, 35-7
Biggest win:vs. Iowa, 35-7
The Buckeyes found another way to win after a sluggish start, and it was on the ground. It wasn’t the most explosive game they’ve played but considering how tough Iowa’s defense tends to be, this was a huge showing. The second half went Ohio State’s way in a hurry, and if it can get past Oregon next week, there’s no telling what this team’s ceiling may be.