Big Ten Power Rankings Week 11: Michigan to Face Penn State
Penn State impresses ahead of showdown with Michigan, Ohio State survives Rutgers, and three upsets atop the Big Ten West leave Iowa alone in first place.
Penn State thumped Maryland, which puts a little more juice into their top-ten matchup against Michigan, who will look to keep pace with Ohio State in the Big Ten East. With Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Nebraska all losing as favorites in Week 10, Iowa is back in sole possession of first place in the Big Ten West.
Here’s how the B1G teams rank after ten weeks of college football:
B1G Tier I: Natty Favorite (1) Michigan Wolverines 9-0 | 6-0 (1)Last Week: Won vs. Purdue 41-13 | SP+: 1 | PFF: 3
The Wolverines continue to roll, as they’ve won every Big Ten game by at least 24 points. The defense was dominant, even though they did allow more than ten points for the first time this season, thanks to a Purdue TD with 18 seconds left. They struggled to get the running game going, which surprisingly has emerged as a potential weakness.
Up Next: @ Penn State (-5.5)
B1G Tier II: CFP Contenders (2) Ohio State Buckeyes 9-0 | 6-0 (2)Last Week: Won @ Rutgers 35-16 | SP+: 3 | PFF: 2
OSU pulled away late, but it wasn’t a comfortable win in Piscataway. The star-studded WR room combined for 85 yards on 11 receptions (7.7 YPC). For the second straight week, RB TreVeyon Henderson (128 rushing yards, 80 receiving yards) was a difference maker.
Up Next: vs. Michigan State (-31.5)
B1G Tier III: Maybe Next Year (3) Penn State Nittany Lions 8-1 | 5-1 (3)Last Week: Won @ Maryland 55-15 | SP+: 5 | PFF: 8
That was arguably PSU’s best overall game of the season. While the explosives aren’t there, the Nittany Lions consistently got positive plays, Drew Allar looked comfortable in (and out of) the pocket, and Kaytron Allen (91 yards, 6.5 YPC) had one of his most productive games of the season. The defense held the Terps to 4.29 yards per play, including -0.86 YPC on seven rushes by running backs.
Up Next: vs. Michigan (+5.5)
B1G Tier IV: Not Top 25, But Bowl Bound (4) Iowa Hawkeyes 7-2 | 4-2 (4)Last Week: Won @ Northwestern 10-7 | SP+: 33 | PFF: 27
That was a vintage Iowa win circa 2022-23. The defense allowed 2.79 yards per play and 3.24 yards per dropback, while the Hawkeyes offense wasn’t much better. Cooper DeJean finally got an offensive touch! The CB rushed for eight yards. They are alone in first place in the Big Ten West with three games to go and Rutgers, their toughest opponent.
Up Next: vs. Rutgers (-2.5)
(5) Wisconsin Badgers 5-4 | 3-3 (5)Last Week: Lost @ Indiana 20-14 | SP+: 28 | PFF: 43
In a disappointing season, the loss in Bloomington is the worst. The evolution on offense has been slow, and their inability to make plays through the air may cost them a West division title. Life after Graham Mertz hasn’t been what it was cracked up to be.
Up Next: vs. Northwestern (-12.5)
(6) Rutgers Scarlet Knights 6-3 | 3-3 (8)Last Week: Lost vs. Ohio State 35-16 | SP+: 53 | PFF: 51
The Scarlet Knights represented themselves well against the No. 1 team in the country. They led at half-time, were down five early in the fourth quarter, and had more yards, first downs, and higher yards per play than the Buckeyes. With a better red zone offenseâsettled for three FGs of 22 yards or shorter and threw an INTâthey might have pulled off the upset.
Up Next: @ Iowa (+2.5)
B1G Tier V: Somebody Else Has to Win 6 Games (7) Minnesota Golden Gophers 5-4 | 3-3 (6)Last Week: Lost vs. Illinois 27-26 | SP+: 51 | PFF: 28
The Gophers snatched defeat from the jaws of victory as they gave up a 46-yard touchdown pass with 50 seconds remaining and leading 26-21. Inexcusable. Minnesota wasted a career-high three TD passes from Athan Kaliakmanis. Had they won, they would have controlled their destiny in the B1G West.
Up Next: @ Purdue (-1.5)
(8) Maryland Terrapins 5-4 | 2-4 (7)Last Week: Lost vs. Penn State 51-15 | SP+: 37 | PFF: 53
As they’ve been all too often against their most formidable opponents in Mike Locksley’s tenure, the Terps were not competitive against PSU. Taulia Tagovailoa opened the game by completing his first 17 passes (!), but it was not nearly enough, as the offensive line allowed ten TFLs.
Up Next: @ Nebraska (-1.5)
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B1G Tier VI: So, You’re Saying There’s a Chance (9) Nebraska Cornhuskers 5-4 | 3-3 (9)Last Week: Lost @ Michigan State 20-17 | SP+: 54 | PFF: 57
Nebraska’s three-game winning streak was snapped, and likely with it, their chance of winning the Big Ten West. The good news is the Huskers still have three games left to become bowl-eligible. The bad news is that they will have to beat a team with a winning record, of which they have zero wins among their five.
Up Next: vs. Maryland (+1.5)
(10) Illinois Fighting Illini 4-5 | 2-4 (12)Last Week: Won @ Minnesota 27-26 | SP+: 63 | PFF: 70
No Big Ten team helped their bowl odds in Week 11 more than the Illini, who went from having a 34 percent chance to a 61 percent chance. Three of their four wins have come dramatically, comebacks in the final minute. The improbable hero this time was QB2 John Paddock, who went 3-for-3 for 85 yards and GWTD in relief of an injured Luke Altmyer.
Up Next: vs. Indiana (-6.5)
(11) Northwestern Wildcats 4-5 | 2-4 (10)Last Week: Lost vs. Iowa 10-7 | SP+: 89 | PFF: 91
The Wildcats were a field goal in the final minute away from overtime and potentially creating a five-way tie atop the B1G West, which would have been glorious. With games against Wisconsin (just lost to Indiana), Purdue, and Illinois remaining, making a bowl isn’t out of the question. Getting QB Ben Bryant back would help.
Up Next: @ Wisconsin (+12.5)
(12) Purdue Boilermakers 2-7 | 1-5 (11)Last Week: Lost @ Michigan 41-13 | SP+: 88 | PFF: 75
The loss in Ann Arbor officially eliminated the Boilermakers from bowl contention, the first Big Ten team. The defense played hard, but the offense couldn’t sustain a drive until their final possession when the score was 41-6. They now have five losses by double digits.
Up Next: vs. Minnesota (+1.5)
(13) Michigan State Spartans 3-6 | 1-5 (13)Last Week: Won vs. Nebraska 20-17 | SP+: 72 | PFF: 78
The Spartans have finally snapped their losing streak (six straight) and picked up their first B1G win of the season with some help from the replay booth. They outplayed the Huskersâ5.36 yards per play to 3.84âand had one of their best passing games, helped by a 42-yard pass by WR Alante Brown.
Up Next: @ Ohio State (+31.5)
(14) Indiana Hoosiers 3-6 | 1-5 (14)Last Week: Won vs. Wisconsin 20-14 | SP+: 95 | PFF: 100
With Indiana’s win, no Big Ten team will go winless in conference play. It wasn’t pretty, as the Hoosiers averaged just 4.15 yards per play, but when you get your first B1G in November, you’re not expecting pretty. They didn’t turn it over and got the job done in the red zone.
Up Next: @ Illinois (+6.5)
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