The Big Ten still hasn’t settled into any kind of clean order, and after another chaotic week, the conference picture looks just as scrambled as ever. Oregon’s upset of Ohio State shook things up again, and the league’s top tier is still full of teams with very different kinds of resumes.
At the top, UCLA keeps hanging onto the No. 1 spot. There’s still chatter about whether the Bruins are for real, mostly because their Big Ten path has been manageable, but the wins over Oregon and Wisconsin are aging well. Those two teams are tied for third in the conference, and UCLA remains undefeated while rolling along.
Indiana sits right behind the Bruins. The Hoosiers were idle this week, but they’re still alone in second place in the conference standings and in these rankings.
Iowa checks in at No. 3.
The Hawkeyes have that odd loss to Minnesota, but the rest of the résumé is mostly tidy. With only two losses and a stretch of schedule that looks far more forgiving, they’ve got a clear runway ahead.
Illinois may be the only real obstacle left.
Oregon jumps to fourth after its win over Ohio State. The Ducks have had a strange season, but the talent has always been there.
It took Dan Lanning some time to unlock it, but against the Buckeyes, Oregon finally put it together. That was a huge result and a much-needed reset.
Three losses may make the College Football Playoff path a long shot, but the season isn’t dead yet.
Ohio State drops to fifth after taking its second straight loss and third overall. The Buckeyes didn’t want this kind of turn, and the Oregon defeat only deepens the trouble. Still, wins over Iowa and Indiana keep them near the top of the pile, even if the current stretch is ugly.
Wisconsin lands at No. 6.
The Badgers have three losses, but all of them came against ranked opponents: Notre Dame, UCLA, and Iowa. They also own a ranked win over USC.
The loss to Iowa was rough, but compared with some of the other teams in the upper half of the league, Wisconsin at least hasn’t suffered a truly damaging defeat.
Illinois comes in at seventh after stringing together four straight wins. The Illini are getting hot at the right time, but the schedule is about to get serious. Their next three conference games are against UCLA, Iowa, and Northwestern.
USC sits eighth. The Trojans’ win over Ohio State doesn’t look quite as shiny now, but they still have a chance to make it matter. If they beat Indiana this weekend, that result will carry real weight.
Northwestern is ninth. The Wildcats had their moment earlier in the season, but the slide is here now.
Even so, their résumé still looks similar to Wisconsin’s, just with one more Big Ten loss. A win over Ohio State this weekend would change the conversation fast.
Minnesota is tenth, and the Gophers remain one of the strangest teams in the league. A loss to Purdue, a win over Iowa.
A loss to Mississippi State, a win over Washington. Nothing about this résumé makes much sense.
Penn State is next, and things fall off quickly after Minnesota. The Nittany Lions are sitting with four Big Ten losses, which tells you plenty about where the bottom half of the conference stands.
Washington is 12th. The Huskies have the look of a team that should be better on paper, with talent and a respected coaching staff, but the results haven’t followed. Four conference losses, including the latest against Penn State, have made for a frustrating season.
Nebraska is 13th after losing four straight. Matt Rhule is on the hot seat as frustration builds, and the finish line looks brutal: Rutgers, Ohio State, and Iowa. They may only win one more game.
Michigan State moves up to 14th thanks to its win over rival Michigan, even though the Spartans still have just one Big Ten victory. If they can follow that up with a win over Washington this week, it would mean a lot for next year’s outlook.
Michigan is 15th. The Wolverines are closing with Oregon, UCLA, and Ohio State, and the question hanging over them is simple: will they win another game?
Maryland is 16th after quietly beating Purdue and nearly taking down Illinois the week before. There’s some momentum there after Mike Locksley was fired.
Purdue is 17th. The Boilermakers have done more in the Big Ten this year than they have in a long time, but two conference wins is still two conference wins, and losing to Maryland is a bad look.
Rutgers rounds out the rankings at 18th. Greg Schiano may only have a job because Rutgers doesn’t carry high expectations, and the Scarlet Knights got a lift from their win over Maryland weeks ago. Still, they have three winnable games left: Nebraska, Penn State, and Michigan State.
In Other News...
Wisconsin Defenders Breakout Season Just Earned National Attention
Wisconsins win over Rutgers did more than lock in bowl eligibility. It also put a spotlight on the kind of defensive season Cooper Catalano has been putting together for the Badgers, with the linebacker turning in 14 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss in the victory while continuing to anchor a unit that has helped steady the teams push into the postseason picture.
Catalanos production has now earned national recognition, as Wisconsin announced he has been added to the Chuck Bednarik Award Watchlist, which honors the top defender in college football. He enters that conversation ranked seventh in the FBS with 89 tackles, a reminder that his breakout year has gone well beyond one strong afternoon and has become one of the defining developments of Wisconsins season. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Fickell Signals Wisconsin May Need A Backfield Change
Wisconsins offense has taken real steps forward this season in scoring and through the air, but the ground game still has not matched the rest of the unit. The Badgers have managed only a modest bump in rushing production from a year ago, and Luke Fickell has been open about the fact that the running back room has not found the kind of rhythm this offense needs.
Fickell pointed to a mix of injuries and a committee approach as part of the problem, and he made it clear he wants to tighten up how the carries are distributed. For a team trying to keep building on its offensive progress, the next question is whether Wisconsin sticks with the current rotation or leans harder toward a more defined lead back to help someone get rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Just Turned Ryan Hopkins Into A Real QB Debate
Ryan Hopkins first start for Wisconsin against Rutgers gave the Badgers something they have been searching for at quarterback: a real reason to keep watching the position closely. The coaching staff turned to Hopkins in part because of Colton Josephs injury, and the move also doubled as a chance to see what the young quarterback could handle. He showed enough promise to make the decision feel meaningful, even with the usual mistakes that come with a first extended look.
Luke Fickell came away encouraged, and so did teammates Mason Posa and Jacob Harris, who both spoke positively about Hopkins play and upside. For a Wisconsin offense still trying to settle the most important spot on the field, the performance did not answer every question, but it certainly changed the tone around the competition. The Badgers now have more to weigh, and Hopkins has made sure this is no longer a placeholder conversation. [Read more 🡒]