Ohio State’s win over Indiana didn’t shake up the top of ESPN’s Football Power Index. The Buckeyes are still No. 1, the Hoosiers are still right behind them at No. 2, and neither team looks remotely close to slipping out of the College Football Playoff picture.
That much stayed the same after Week 7. What changed was the lower half of the Big Ten, where Maryland took the biggest hit in the conference. A seven-point loss to Rutgers sent the Terrapins tumbling eight spots nationally, and they now sit at the bottom of the league in the updated FPI.
ESPN’s system is built to project what teams will do the rest of the way. It measures team strength as points above or below average and uses 20,000 simulations of the remainder of the season, blending FPI, results so far and the rest of the schedule.
No Big Ten team moved more than five spots in the latest update, but the conference still has a clear front end and a crowded middle.
Here’s how every Big Ten team stacks up after Week 7, according to ESPN’s FPI:
Ohio State Buckeyes: 28.1 (FBS Rank: 1)
Indiana Hoosiers: 25.4 (FBS Rank: 5)
Oregon Ducks: 19.0 (FBS Rank: 10)
Nebraska Cornhuskers: 17.1 (FBS Rank: 15)
USC Trojans: 14.9 (FBS Rank: 17)
Northwestern Wildcats: 13.1 (FBS Rank: 24)
Iowa Hawkeyes: 13.1 (FBS Rank: 25)
Penn State Nittany Lions: 11.7 (FBS Rank: 28)
UCLA Bruins: 11.0 (FBS Rank: 31)
Michigan Wolverines: 10.9 (FBS Rank: 32)
Wisconsin Badgers: 9.0 (FBS Rank: 39)
Washington Huskies: 4.7 (FBS Rank: 52)
Illinois Fighting Illini: 4.4 (FBS Rank: 53)
Purdue Boilermakers: 1.9 (FBS Rank: 60)
Michigan State Spartans: 1.7 (FBS Rank: 61)
Minnesota Golden Gophers: -0.2 (FBS Rank: 72)
Rutgers Scarlet Knights: -3.1 (FBS Rank: 83)
Maryland Terrapins: -3.6 (FBS Rank: 85)
Ohio State and Indiana sit in a tier of their own at the top, while Oregon checks in third among Big Ten teams and 10th nationally. Nebraska, USC, Northwestern and Iowa all land in the next cluster, with Penn State, UCLA and Michigan bunched closely together just behind them.
At the other end, Minnesota, Rutgers and Maryland occupy the conference’s bottom three spots in the FPI. Maryland’s slide stands out the most after the loss to Rutgers pushed it into last place in the Big Ten rankings.
In Other News...
Wisconsin O-Line Frustration Just Turned Into A Bigger Badgers Problem
Wisconsins offensive line left the loss to UCLA with more than just the usual postgame disappointment. The frustration was visible, and Kevin Heywood did not hide it afterward, publicly taking aim at a teammates performance while making it clear that most of the unit had done its part. For a group that has long been expected to set the tone for the offense, the disappointment was as much about execution as it was about the way the room looked coming out of the defeat.
The attention now shifts to PJ Wilkins, whose place in the lineup has already been a moving target. He had been benched before returning to the starting five because of injury, and the bigger question for Wisconsin is how coaches handle the mix of accountability and motivation from here. When an offensive line starts airing its frustrations in public, it usually means the concern goes beyond one game, and the Badgers will need to find a way to keep the group aligned before the problem gets any larger. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Heads Home With One Big Concern Before USC
Wisconsin left its Week 7 loss to UCLA with more questions than answers on offense, and the biggest ones came in the same old places. Penalties stalled drives, pass protection broke down, and the offense never found much rhythm, turning what should have been a chance to settle in after the early stretch of the season into another frustrating outing on the road.
There were bright spots buried in the grading, including strong work against the run from Junior Posa and solid coverage from Marvin Burks, but the larger picture was tougher to ignore. Wisconsin absorbed too much pressure, missed too many tackles and heads into a matchup with USC needing cleaner play across the board if it wants to keep from seeing the same problems repeat themselves. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Just Sent A Message With The Standard Sheffield Wants
Winning on the road against Iowa gave Wisconsin more than another Big Ten result, it offered a glimpse of the identity Kelly Sheffield keeps pushing. The Badgers leaned on their defense to come away with the victory, and the effort from Jaela Auguste, Charlie Fuerbringer and Audrey Flanagan helped set the tone when the match started getting tight. For a team trying to stay sharp deep into conference play, that kind of production matters just as much as the final score.
Sheffield made it clear afterward that the defensive standard was the part worth building on, even as he pointed to areas the Badgers still need to clean up. That balance has become a familiar theme for Wisconsin, which can take confidence from winning in a tough environment while still knowing there is more to sharpen. The performance against Iowa looked like the sort of night the Badgers want to keep stacking, especially if the defense continues to travel with them. [Read more 🡒]