Big Ten Power Rankings – Week 9

Hello there and welcome to the Big Ten Power Rankings! Each week we’ll rank how the teams across the conference are playing, in the hopes of seeing just who is a contender, and who is a pretender over the course of the season.

The rules are few, but resolute:

Teams are ranked by how they’re playing at that time. Not body of work, not rankings in the polls, but simply how each team is playing at that point in the season.

The approach to the rankings is not necessarily on the field results (though those do count, as an obvious, tangible data point), but more generally if the two teams played at a neutral site 100 times, which team would win 51 times (or more).

These rankings are subjective. As the author I get to follow the rules as closely or loosely as I want to, and if you don’t like the rankings, you’re wrong.

Week 9 is in the books, and I’m starting to wonder if the entire Big Ten conference is just kinda meh. No really good teams, no really bad teams. Just a mid-off across the board. Let’s get to it!

Tier 1: Playoff Locks

Teams that are all but guaranteed to make the playoffs, if they continue to play the way they have played thus far.

1. UCLA

The Bruins beat Nevada 27-0 in a late-season non-conference game, but were the only top team to look competent this week and therefore take over the top spot in these here rankings. A road game against feisty Minnesota will be a good test.

2. Indiana

The Hoosiers again needed overtime to get the win, this time escaping the aforementioned Minnesota 23-16. I’m starting to wonder how often they can get away with this, but a win is a win and Indiana heads to the bye in fine shape for the post season.

Tier 2: Playoff Hopefuls

Teams that could very well end up in the playoffs, but need to continue to improve their resume and move up the rankings before they can make it.

3. Ohio State

Fraud alert? OSU got dismantled by USC 30-18 in a game that was less competitive than the scoreline would indicate. To be fair, the Buckeyes are down to a backup freshman at quarterback, but literally everyone has injuries this time of year. Playoff teams find a way to win these games. A visit from suddenly resilient Oregon could be vewwwwwwy intewesting.

4. Iowa

A week after falling flat, the Hawkeyes bounced back in a big way, beating rival Wisconsin 30-0. In a down year for the conference, Iowa could make their way into the title game, and potentially the playoffs with play like that. They’ll head on the road to play Northwestern next.

5. USC

It’s still a long shot for the Trojans to make the playoffs, but 30-18 wins over top 5 teams is one way to do it. The defense looked more than competent, and the offense was still lights out. The bye week is up next before what should be a fun November.

Tier 3: High-Level Bowl Teams

Teams that likely won’t make the playoffs, but will represent the conference in quality bowls, including the Citrus Bowl and the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

6. Minnesota

The Gophers are still giving me some serious whiplash. Beat Washington and Michigan, lose to Purdue, beat Iowa, and then take Indiana to overtime? Sure, why not? A visit from #5 UCLA will be a fun one to watch.

7. Northwestern

Woof. What a rough outing for the Wildcats, who had looked like a top tier team for 2 months straight before falling to Oregon 34-26. This weekend’s game against Iowa looks to be a playoff elimination game, some must watch TV.

8. Wisconsin

The Badgers get some modicum of national hype and immediately barf all over themselves in a 30-0 loss to Iowa, and are all but eliminated from the playoffs at this point. They’ll welcome Rutgers this weekend to try to salvage a decent bowl game.

9. Oregon

The Ducks quacked all over Northwestern 34-26, and are rewarded for their efforts with a road trip to play on a wounded Ohio State team. Gotta love college football.

Tier 4: Low-Level Bowl Teams

Teams that will end up making it to a bowl game, but likely the bowls that aren’t quite as prestigious, including the Pinstripe Bowl and the Music City Bowl.

10. Illinois

The Illini had their hands full with Maryland, but got the win 20-17. A Friday night visit from Nebraska is up next.

11. Washington

When I say that this season is a mid-off, Washington is what I mean. Look terrible for several weeks in a row, take a brief rest on the bye, look awful for 58 minutes of gameplay against Nebraska, and then score two touchdowns in the last 90 seconds to win? Sure, why not. A visit from Penn State is up next.

12. Nebraska

Oh, Cornhuskers. When will you learn? Another late game debacle gives away what appeared to be a surefire win, this time to Washington on a last-second pick-six. A road game to Illinois doesn’t really make things any easier..

13. Michigan

The Wolverines had their hands full with Rutgers of all teams, holding on for a 28-21 win. A visit from Michigan State has the makings of a regular season toilet bowl.

14. Penn State

I know, I know. I can already hear you people talking. Penn State finally gets a win and this author drops them a spot in the rankings? How dare he! Here’s the thing: from like #8 down to here it’s a total crapshoot. A 31-17 win over Purdue, one of the only teams I can definitively say is in the bottom portion of this conference and won’t make a bowl game doesn’t really move the needle much. That’s not to say they can’t or won’t beat any of the teams power ranked above them, but yeah, when everyone above you is just varying levels of meh, it’s very hard to say you definitively belong any higher than this. That being said, a road win at Washington certainly wouldn’t hurt.

Tier 5: Bowl-Ineligible Teams

Teams that are on a trajectory to end the season below .500 and miss out on a post-season bowl game.

15. Purdue

At this point I think we can put the kibosh on the idea of Purdue making the postseason following a 31-17 loss to Penn State. If there were two areas Penn State could get got, it was their defense and run game, and somehow Purdue made the Lions look exceptional in both of those categories. A visit from Maryland will be quite the slap fight (which means it will be the most electric game of the weekend).

16. Michigan State

The Spartans were on their bye week, and will now head on the road to play struggling Michigan.

17. Rutgers

The Scarlet Knights were surprisingly competitive against Michigan, coming up just short 28-21. A visit to Wisconsin could be another fun one to watch.

Tier 6: The Basement™

The worst of the worst, teams whose fans wear paper bags over their heads and count down the days until they have a new head coach.

18. Maryland

The Terrapins came off their bye with an interim head coach, and almost took down Illinois 20-17. Close but no cigar, and now a road trip to Purdue is on deck.

Once again: we have a top, a bottom, and whole middle of meh.

UCLA is your new #1, as we all predicted back in August (they were #17 in these rankings FFS). Indiana barely treads water, while Ohio State drops. Iowa and USC are on the rise, with Minnesota holding stead. Northwestern and Wisconsin drop, while Oregon moves up. Illinois stands pat, with Washington climbing. Nebraska, Michigan, and Penn State all move down, with Purdue, Michigan, Rutgers, and Maryland holding steady at the bottom.

On to Week 10!