Big Ten Power Rankings – Page 3

Big Ten power rankings after Week 13: Michigan retakes no. 1

Michigan claims the final no. 1 spot in the Big Ten regular season power rankings. Where does everyone else rank?

After 13 weeks, we have one final change at the top of the Big Ten power rankings. After going back and forth for the top spot for the majority of the season, Michigan found a way to outlast Ohio State for the no. 1 spot in the Big Ten power rankings with a victory in Week 13. Michigan had their doubters and critics throughout the year and had to go through half the season without their head coach on the sidelines. But at the end of the season, they are the only team left without a loss in the Big Ten, making it easy to place them on the top.

But the final weekend of the college football regular season provided a good amount of shuffling in the final power rankings of the season thanks to some wild endings in rivalry weekend around the conference.

So, without any further delay, here is a look at the final power rankings for the Big Ten during this regular season.

Big Ten Power Rankings: Where do things stand with one week remaining?

After suffering a 6-game losing streak, the Spartans have been able to somewhat right the ship, going 2-1 so far in the month of November. The two wins have brought a sense of joy to the Spartan fanbase, ahead of the next chapter to come in the Spartan football program.

Coming off of a win against Indiana on the road, the Spartans now sit at 4-7 and will have one more crack at a positive finish to the 2023 campaign.

With MSU set to finish the 2023 season with rival Penn State at Ford Field, let’s take a look at where they fall in the latest Big Ten Power Rankings:

Big Ten power rankings after Week 12: Another change at the top

There was another change at the top of this week’s Big Ten power rankings, but this one is about to be settled on the field.

There were some slight changes to my power rankings this week, including at the top spot in the Big Ten. I went back and forth on a few of these changes but am happy to know that the top spot in the Big Ten power rankings is about to be settled on the field this weekend.

There is a clear separation at the top with the top two teams, and I would not argue if you wanted to flip-flop my top two picks. Penn State appears to be clearly in the second tier of the current Big Ten structure all by themselves, although the offensive concerns may have them closer to Iowa than Michigan and Ohio State after another sluggish performance from the offense.

This coming week will not only determine the top spot in the Big Ten power rankings, but also the bottom spot. On the opposite end of the Big Ten spectrum this week from Michigan and Ohio State’s big rivalry game will be the Indiana-Purdue game. The worst record in the Big Ten for the 2023 season is officially on the line.

Here is a look at my updated power rankings for the Big Ten as we enter the final week of the regular season.

Big Ten power rankings after Week 11: Top 2 is even clearer than ever before

The Big Ten has a clear no. 1 and no. 2. But how does the rest of the conference stack up after Week 11?

The Big Ten has a history of being dominated at the top of the conference by rivals Michigan and Ohio State. Now that both schools have scored wins over Penn State this season, this is unquestionably the case yet again for the 2023 season.

This weekend saw Michigan go on the road and pass its biggest test of the year. The Wolverines were without head coach Jim Harbaugh and were up against the toughest defense they could arguably face all season, and it all happened on the road. And they won. Michigan made a bit of a statement with its overpowering running game and strong defensive performance as Penn State continued to flounder on offense in a big-game situation under James Franklin.

For as rough as Penn State looked against Michigan, and with the memory of the abysmal showing at Ohio State still fresh enough in our memory banks, it is telling that Penn State is still without much question the third-best team in the Big Ten. It has been demonstrated once again there is a clear divide between the top two teams (Ohio State and Michigan) and Penn State, but there is still a bit of a space between Penn State and the rest of the conference.

Penn State”s dominating win over Iowa and Maryland help make that case valid, but how does the full conference look from top to bottom after Week 11 around the Big Ten?

Here are my updated Big Ten power rankings after Week 11’s results.

Big Ten power rankings after Week 10: Ready for a top-3 showdown?

Iowa somehow moves up in the updated Big Ten power rankings, and the top 3 continue to flex their muscles.

Another weekend of Big Ten football kept two trends perfectly in sync. In the East, the top three teams continued to flex their muscle to help set the stage for a massive game in Week 11 between Penn State and Michigan, and keeping the anticipation for a big rivalry game between Michigan and Ohio State at the end of the year fueled. And in the West, chaos is breaking out everywhere with Iowa finding a way to rise to the top.

It was a bit of an eventful weekend of Big Ten football that has helped shape the division races expected to come down to the wire. We still have tremendous confidence in Michigan and Ohio State being the top two teams in the Big Ten, and Penn State showed once again there is a good bit of distance between the top 3 and the rest of the conference as well.

Here is a look at my updated Big Ten power rankings following the results of Week 10.

Big Ten power rankings after Week 9: Some reshuffling of the deck is in order

Following the Week 9 schedule, there are some new looks to this week’s Big Ten football power rankings.

As we close the book on the October portion of the college football and Big Ten football schedule, it may be time to start reevaluating a few things about this conference. Heading into November will put the wide-open Big Ten West race back in focus with four teams vying for the top spot in the division, and a fifth not technically out of the picture just yet. And the three-way race in the Big Ten East is still a major storyline, although Penn State gave more reasons to believe they will not be any serious player with its performance against Indiana.

Ohio State got the job done once again and a pair of teams in the West are inching closer to a bowl berth few may have seen coming. And yes, it’s time to throw another team to the cellar of the weekly Big Ten power rankings.

Here is a look at my updated Big Ten power rankings following the results of Week 9.

Big Ten power rankings after Week 8: A deeper separation at the top?

It was quite a week in the Big Ten with some solid defensive performances in the anticipated Penn State-Ohio State game and Wisconsin and Minnesota scoring some big wins in the Big Ten West on the road. Meanwhile, Michigan capped an interesting week …

There is still a pretty clear separation from the top three teams in the Big Ten and the rest of the conference, and this week may have demonstrated there is still a decent gap between the top two and the third. And perhaps from the first and second.

Here is a look at my updated Big Ten football power rankings following the conclusion of Week 8.

Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 7: Iowa wins the Big Ten West

Week 7 in the 2023 Big Ten football season saw a big upset. It was not Ohio State, Penn State or Michigan, as all three teams won their games by a combined margin of 156-14.

Unfortunately, it was Iowa as 9-point underdogs coming into Madison, Wisconsin and defeating the Badgers 15-6. Both team’s seasons were effectively on the line, and it was Iowa that played like a team with championship aspirations.

Week 8’s schedule is a massive one. Penn State visits Ohio State, Minnesota visits Iowa and Michigan visits Michigan State. It is now through mid-November when the two division races will be all-but-decided in the format’s final season.

Wisconsin fans may want to look away. But here are our Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 7:

Big Ten power rankings after Week 7: No change among top 3

No changes with the top 3 in the Big Ten football power rankings after Week 7

When the 2023 college football season, the expectation was that Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State would make for one of the best division races in the country. Now, midway through October, all three have done everything needed to live up to that outlook as we begin to see them go head-to-head.

All three of the top teams in the Big Ten blew away their competition this weekend. Michigan manhandled Indiana at home. Ohio State established itself early on the road against Purdue. And Penn State made short work of visiting UMass for a homecoming win.

The Big Ten East may be about to heat up, but the Big Ten West may have just had its top game of the year. And it was an absolute battle of defenses between Iowa and Wisconsin.

There are some changes in my power rankings this week, although my top three remans the same. Here is a look at my updated Big Ten power rankings following the results of Week 7.

Big Ten power rankings after Week 6: Michigan asserts itself on top

Michigan and Ohio State showed why they are among the top teams in the updated Big Ten football power rankings.

On a week when Penn State was sitting home and watching the rest of the Big Ten and national college football action, the Nittany Lions should have been keeping a close eye on its top two division hurdles. Ohio State and Micigan each turned in lopsided victories against their Big Ten opponents. Ohio State took a little longer to take care of things but Michigan was on fire right from the jump.

This was an interesting week in the Big Ten as things begin to really heat up in the division races. This weekend’s action saw Iowa and Wisconsin set the stage for a big showdown in the Big Ten West next week, while Ohio State and Michigan continue to set the pace in the East, with Penn State ready to jump back into things after their bye week.

Here is a look at my updated Big Ten power rankings following the results of Week 6.