The Big Ten’s playoff race is starting to sort itself out, and the league’s latest power rankings tell the story loud and clear: Ohio State and Indiana are on a collision course in Bloomington, Iowa keeps stacking wins, and UCLA is suddenly lurking with a real path to Indianapolis.
At the same time, the bottom of the conference has turned into a holding pattern for anyone still stuck with a zero in the standings. Michigan and Penn State are both sitting there for now, and the list of teams trying to dig out keeps growing.
Ohio State stays at No. 1 after its 45-16 win over Maryland, and the Buckeyes’ next stop is Indiana on Oct. 17.
The matchup in Bloomington gives them a clear avenue against a Hoosiers defense that has struggled to limit passing gains of 10 yards or more. Jeremiah Smith has been the conference leader in that category, and the Buckeyes have plenty of ways to use him.
Indiana remains right behind at No. 2 after a 20-17 win at Nebraska. The Hoosiers get Ohio State next, and their case starts with pressure up front.
They’ve got the best pass rush in the Big Ten, while Ohio State has already given up 11 sacks through six games. That includes two against Texas and four against Iowa.
Iowa holds steady at No. 3 after winning 41-24 at Washington, and the Hawkeyes have a manageable stretch ahead. ESPN FPI has them at 9-3, but the ranking leans closer to 10-2 with Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Purdue, Illinois, and Nebraska still to come.
UCLA jumps to No. 4 after the biggest statement of the week, a 17-15 win at Oregon. The Bruins are 5-0 and 3-0, and while Nico Iamaleava’s injury changes the picture, a win over Wisconsin on Oct. 17 would open up a lot of November possibilities in Westwood, including a path to Indianapolis.
Northwestern comes in at No. 5 after a 45-14 win over Ball State. The Wildcats head to Michigan State this week, where they’ll run into former coach Pat Fitzgerald in East Lansing. If they handle that, a trip to Oregon on Halloween could end up mattering a whole lot more than it sounds right now.
Southern Cal sits at No. 6 after a 31-23 win at Penn State, and the Trojans are back on track after the loss to Oregon. With Indiana-Ohio State looming as the conference’s headline game, USC’s matchups with Ohio State on Oct. 31 and Indiana on Nov. 14 suddenly have plenty of weight too.
Nebraska drops to No. 7 after the 20-17 loss to Indiana, but the Huskers aren’t getting hammered for how they played. They were strong for most of the night and still have work to do on closing out games. Dana Holgorsen and Anthony Colandrea, meanwhile, are starting to click.
Oregon tumbles to No. 8 after the 17-15 loss to UCLA, and the mood in Eugene is rough. The coordinator changes haven’t produced much yet, the quarterback situation is unsettled, and the playoff lane looks awfully tight now.
Wisconsin checks in at No. 9 after its bye and looks like a team sitting on the edge of the cut line for squads that can still shape the playoff race. A win at UCLA would push the Badgers’ rise forward in a hurry.
Purdue is one of the biggest movers, climbing to No. 10 after a 41-13 thumping of Minnesota. That result was enough to push the Boilermakers into the top 10, and all three of their losses have come against teams currently ranked in the coaches’ poll.
They host Washington on Friday, Oct. 16.
Minnesota falls to No. 11 after that loss, and the bye week comes at a useful time. The Gophers have looked like two different teams: the one that beat Michigan and Washington, and the one that lost to Mississippi State and Purdue by a combined 53 points.
Illinois rises to No. 12 after its 38-37 overtime win at Michigan State, though the victory came with a cost. Quarterback Katin Houser’s broken hand could keep him out for most, if not all, of the rest of the season.
Washington drops to No. 13 after the loss to Iowa and enters winless protection. The 41-24 defeat was ugly from start to finish, and the season in Seattle is starting to feel lost.
The Huskies visit Purdue on Friday, Oct. 16.
Michigan is No. 14 after a bye, and the Wolverines are heading into a matchup with Penn State in Ann Arbor. Somebody in that game is going to get a Big Ten win, and Kyle Whittingham is sticking with Bryce Underwood behind center.
Penn State is No. 15 after the 31-23 loss to Southern Cal, and the offense has completely bogged down in league play. The Nittany Lions are averaging just under 19 points and fewer than 300 yards per Big Ten game.
Michigan State stays at No. 16 after its 38-37 overtime loss to Illinois, and the first season in East Lansing under Pat Fitzgerald is starting to look grim.
Maryland is No. 17 after falling 45-16 at Ohio State, and its matchup with Rutgers this week is another winless protection game. A loss there feels like the end for Mike Locksley.
Rutgers rounds out the rankings at No. 18 after a bye. Things are not much better in Piscataway, though the extra time may help get Antwan Raymond and the run game back in shape.
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Indianas 20-17 win over Nebraska came with the kind of late-game wrinkle that can define a season, and it did so behind a 44-yard touchdown from Josh Hoover to Nick Marsh. The scoring play gave the Hoosiers the edge in a tight finish, but it also revealed something about how Curt Cignetti thinks about offense: the best ideas do not have to be original to be effective, only timely.
After the game, Cignetti traced the winning concept back to Kansas and the creativity that made Andy Kotelnickis offense stand out there, pointing to a fourth-and-1 design that had already earned its reputation. It is another reminder that Indiana is willing to borrow from the sharpest minds in the sport, especially when the margin is thin and a single call can swing everything. [Read more 🡒]
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Martins comeback would arrive at an important time for a unit that had already forced Indiana to get creative, including moving freshman linebacker Henry Ohlinger into the running back room because of injuries. With the room now trending back toward full strength, Martins return could ease pressure on the offense and give the Hoosiers another piece they have been missing since the seasons first week. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Faces The Game That Could Change Everything Nationally
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The buildup has been about more than just records, with the preview digging into team histories, key player numbers, coaching backgrounds, betting lines and even the full gameday schedule. For Indiana, the stage is enormous, because a win over Ohio State would do more than protect an unbeaten start - it would instantly change how the rest of college football has to view the Hoosiers. [Read more 🡒]