Big Ten Power rankings after Week 11: Dan Lanning's Oregon leads the pack while Maryland gets kicked down
How confusing is the Big Ten? Confusing enough that 17 of the 18 teams could still reach bowls. But 10 of the league's teams are 4-5, 5-5 or 5-4. The Big Ten's top four teams are almost guaranteed playoff spots, but the rest of the league is remarkably even. We try to separate them out in our weekly power rankings.
Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 11
18. Purdue (1-8)
Probably the easiest call in any of our Power Rankings. Purdue is the most miserable team in P4 football and the margin is not small.
17. Northwestern (4-5)
Off this week, Northwestern still has only the slimmest of bowl hopes. There's a big gap between them and Purdue, and several other teams are very close to NU. But here they land.
16. Maryland (4-5)
The Terps weren't expected to beat Oregon, but they're definitely a team that belongs in the lower echelons of the Big Ten. They carry under a 1-in-4 chance of winning six games, per ESPN's FPI.
15. Michigan State (4-5)
The Spartans were off this week and given their schedule down the stretch, ESPN still finds it more likely than not that MSU will win six games and go to a bowl. Given the low expectations this year, that's not a small thing.
14. USC (4-5)
On the other hand, USC at 4-5 is basically disgraceful. They also were off this week. USC has a 71% chance of six wins per the FPI, but to say that the standards are a little higher for the Trojans is an understatement.
13. UCLA (4-5)
On the other hand, give the Bruins some credit. They looked destined for the bottom of the league, but off two straight wins, having a puncher's shot at a six-win season has to be considered a success.
12. Washington (5-5)
The Huskies were dominated by Penn State. It's hard to assess this season. Their roster was gutted when their coach left. Washington hasn't been awful, but obviously, most CFP teams won't go 5-5 the next season. Still, Washington is a reasonably solid team that gives the Huskies a future to hope on.
11. Michigan (5-5)
Everything said above about Washington could also be said about Michigan. Neither new coach is going to be judged on these seasons, but both schools will be hoping for (and expecting) bigger things in the seasons ahead.
10. Nebraska (5-4)
The Huskers were off this week, which might help them settle down and get back on track. ESPN still gives Nebraska about 2-to-1 odds to win six games. But there's a very real risk that a team that started hot and is fading by the minute could end up short again, which would be devastating.
9. Wisconsin (5-4)
The Badgers were off this week. It's been a disappointing season, as they're one of the teams that seem to have been hurt the most by the added teams in the Big Ten. Wisconsin had been in the bottom of the upper tier of the league, but they've not fallen into the middle.
8. Rutgers (5-4)
Rutgers, on the other hand, has been a mildly pleasant surprise. Their win over Minnesota basically pre-punched their bowl ticket. The Scarlet Knights have to be pleased to land in the top-half of the league.
7. Minnesota (6-4)
Yes, Minnesota just lost to Rutgers, but the two teams have probably moved about as far up or down as possible. Minnesota is at the back of the top tier of Big Ten teams, which again, is pretty good for a team that just got beat by Rutgers.
6. Iowa (6-4)
Iowa's loss to UCLA pretty much finalized that the four top teams in the Big Ten have playoff credentials, but nobody else does or can. Best of the second-best appears to be Iowa's ceiling in 2024.
5. Illinois (6-3)
Illinois was off this week and seems likely to battle with Iowa for the "best of the rest" honors outside of the Big Ten's big four teams. That could still land a lucrative bowl spot for the more successful team.
4. Penn State (8-1)
PSU is looking solid and easily took care of Washington. The bad news is that they've got almost no shot at the league (3.1% per FPI), but the good news is that they are a near-lock for the CFP (80.7% chance).
3. Ohio State (8-1)
Who thought Ohio State/Indiana would be a game with significant bilateral playoff implications? Well, here we are. FPI still sees the Buckeyes as the most likely team to win the league, but the top three teams all have 92.6% or better playoff odds.
2. Indiana (10-0)
This is surely IU's ceiling. Right? I mean, no chance this plucky band of underdogs can take down Ohio State. But they're going to the playoff. They've had a historically significant season, and anything against OSU is icing on the cake. So who knows?
1. Oregon (10-0)
Sitting on top of the league, the only question is who wins the title and gets the first-round playoff bye.
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