2024 B1G Power Rankings - Week 5

Week 5 has wrapped in the B1G.  The Vegas favorites went 8-0 straight up.  Rutgers remained unbeaten and held off Washington on Friday night, thanks to three missed field goals and being outplayed on the stat sheet.  Conference favorites Ohio State, Penn State, and Oregon all managed to win convincingly.  USC, Nebraska, and Michigan stayed within striking distance.  Indiana moved to 5-0 for the first time since 1967! 

The week 6 slate features eight conference matchups.  Illinois and Maryland are off this week.  Things get started Friday night, as 4-0 Oregon welcomes Michigan State for a cross-country B1G conference game.  The game of the weekend appears to be Rutgers at Nebraska on Saturday.  Can Rutgers start 5-0?

The week 5 B1G Power Rankings are below.  These are based strictly on on-field performance relative to the competition and is not a projection of things to come.  

1. Ohio State (4-0) - The Buckeyes pulled away from Sparty after a 7-7 1st quarter tie to win 38-7.  The defense created havoc for Aiden Chiles, creating three turnovers.  JJ Smith continued his dominant freshman season. They welcome Iowa to the 'Shoe this weekend.  

2. Penn State (4-0) - They held off a pesky Illinois team Saturday night in Happy Valley.  They welcome a hapless UCLA squad this weekend before a showdown against USC October 12th.

3. Oregon (4-0) - The Ducks beat UCLA handily and welcome Sparty to Eugene Friday night.    

4. Indiana (5-0) - The Hoosiers are 5-0 for the first time since 1967 after beating Maryland 42-28.  The 1967 won their first five by an average margin of 20-14.  This years team is wining 49-13! Windiana heads to Northwestern looking to get to 6-0 this week. 

5. Rutgers (4-0) - They moved to 4-0 after beating Washington on Friday night.  It wasn't pretty, but a win is a win.  They travel to Nebraska this weekend looking to keep the magic alive.

6. Michigan (4-1) - It's becoming a thing.  The Wolverines led 24-3 after three quarters, only to let Minnesota score three TD's in the 4th quarter.  After a questionable offside call on the onside kick, they were able to hold on 27-24.  Michigan finally leaves the Big House as they travel to Washington in a title* game rematch.

7. Iowa (3-1) - The Hawkeyes were off in week 5 and travel to Columbus this weekend.  

8. USC (3-1) - The Trojans beat Wisconsin to move to 3-1.  Miller Moss threw for 300+ yards and three TD's against the Badgers.  They welcome Minnesota to the Coliseum this weekend.

9. Illinois (4-1) - The Illini fell at Penn State Saturday night.  They only managed 34 yards rushing and couldn't get anything going in the 2nd half.  They are off this week and host Purdue in week 7.

10. Nebraska (4-1) - The Huskers got on the board late in the 3rd quarter, taking a 7-3 at Purdue.  They were able to pull away with three more TD's in the 4th quarter.  They host Rutgers this weekend in a battle of B1G upstarts.  

11. Washington (3-2) - Despite dominating the stat sheet, the Huskies fell at Rutgers, 21-18 on Friday night.  Kicker Grady Gross missed three field goals, including a 55-yard attempt as time expired.  The Huskies host Michigan this week in a national championship* rematch.

12. Michigan State (3-2) - The Spartans lost at home to Ohio State 38-7.  They ran for less than 50 yards against the Bucks and struggled to stop the vaunted Buckeye offense.  They travel to Oregon on Friday night this week.

13. Minnesota (2-3) - The Gophers lost at the Big House.  It looked like they were out of, down 24-3 going to the 4th quarter.  Three touchdowns cut the lead to 27-24.  After a questionable offsides penalty on the onside kick, Michigan was able to run out the clock and retain the Little Brown Jug.  The Gophers host USC this weekend.    

14. Maryland (3-2) - The Terrapins lost at Indiana 42-28.  Billy Edwards looked good again with three TD's, but the defense struggled to contain the Indiana offense.  They are off this week before hosting Northwestern next Friday.

15. Wisconsin (2-2) - The Badgers lost at USC 38-21.  The modern offense isn't working for the Badgers.  Time may be short for Phil Longo as OC.  The Badgers host Purdue this week in a get right opportunity.  

16. Northwestern (2-2) - The Wildcats host Indiana at the Lake Michigan facility this week.  Can they updend the 5-0 Hoosiers?

17. UCLA (1-3) - Oregon traveled to the Rose Bowl and soundly beat the Bruins.  Now they're in for a cross-country trip to Happy Valley.  Is there a B1G win on this schedule?

18. Purdue (1-3) - The Boilermakers were leading Nebraska 3-0 in to the 3rd quarter.  The Huskers pulled away to win 28-10.  Purdue travels to Wisconsin this weekend looking for a B1G win.  

2024 B1G Power Rankings - Week 4

 Week 4 has wrapped in the B1G.  It wasn't a great week, as the conference went 5-3 in nonconference games, losing all 3 of 4 road games.  Rutgers had a nice road win over Virginia Tech.  There are only conference gams until week 14.  

The week 5 slate features eight conference matchups.  Iowa and Northwestern are off this week.  Things get started Friday night, as 4-0 Rutgers welcomes Washington for a cross-country B1G conference game.  The game of the weekend appears to be Penn State hosting Illinois on Saturday night

The week 4 B1G Power Rankings are below.  These are based strictly on on-field performance relative to the competition and is not a projection of things to come.  

1. Ohio State (3-0) - The Buckeyes rolled Marshall.  The non-conference scheduled was pitiful, some Ohio State's fault, some not.  Now it's time for B1G play.  Are they a top team in the country?  Probably, but we'll find out starting this weekend in East Lansing.  The defense should be able to pressure Aiden Chiles enough to create turnovers and set up the offense.  

2. Penn State (3-0) - They throttled Kent State in week 4 and host undefeated Illinois this Saturday night, which should be a good test.  

3. Illinois (4-0) - The Illini had a great OT win in Lincoln Friday night, scoring late to force OT, then dominating in the overtime.  They travel to Happy Valley Saturday night.  The drive for six is fully on in Champaign!  They can/should get to 8 wins.  

4. Oregon (3-0) - The Ducks travel to UCLA in a "PAC12 After Dark" game Saturday night.  

5. Rutgers (3-0) - The Scarlet Knights traveled to Virginia Tech and came away with a win to improve to 3-0.  They host Washington this Friday night to open B1G play.  

6. Indiana (4-0) - The Hoosiers beat up on Charlotte and host Maryland this week.  The train should keep running.  Let's see how this week goes, but we could seriously be talking about a 9-0 Indiana hosting Michigan in November.  

7. Michigan (3-1) - Is Michigan back?  The run game came to play against USC as they ran for 300 yards.  Alex Orji wasn't the answer at QB, as he only mustered 32 yards in the air.  They host Minnesota this week and will look to pound the ball again.    

8. Iowa (3-1) - The Iowa of old beat Minnesota 31-14, behind Kaleb Johnson's 200+ effort on the ground.  They are off this week before traveling to Columbus next weekend.  

9. USC (2-1) - The Trojans hung tough in Ann Arbor for most of the game, but the old Trojan defense showed up at the worst possible time, allowing Michigan to score a winning touchdown on a 10 play, 89 yard drive, 79 of it on the ground.  They look to rebound, with Wisconsin coming to LA this weekend.  

10. Nebraska (3-1) - Nebraska lost to Illinois on Friday night in overtime.  After allowing the Illini to tie it up and force OT, Illinois immediately scored.  Nebraska then had the worst overtime possession, featuring multiple penalties and sacks.  They look to get back in the win column as they travel to Purdue this weekend.  

11. Michigan State (3-1) - The Spartans lost at Boston College, 23-19 on Saturday night.  Aiden Chiles continued to struggle, completing under 50% of his passes with 3 INT's.  They welcome the Buckeyes to East Lansing on Saturday night in a Cock Exclusive showdown.  

12. Washington (3-1) - The Huskies defeated Northwestern 24-5, a nice win in their first B1G conference game.  Things get a bit tougher this week as they travel cross-country to Rutgers for a Friday night battle.  It will be a challenge, as Rutgers will look to pound the ball. 

13. Wisconsin (2-1) - The Badgers were off and travel to USC this week.  Maybe they can catch the Trojans in a let down spot after losing to Michigan.  

14. Minnesota (2-2) - The Gophers were beaten by Iowa 31-14.  Iowa ran it down their throats for 272 yards.  They travel to this Big House this week, so expect more the same.  

15. Maryland (3-1) - The Terrapins beat FCS Villanova in week 4.  They travel to Indiana this week to open up B1G play.  

16. Northwestern (2-2) - The Wildcats managed to score 5 points in Seattle against Washington.  They are off this week before hosting Indiana at the Lake Michigan facility next week.

17. UCLA (1-2) - The Bruins are a still a very bad football team, though they hung with LSU for a half, before losing 34-17.  They host Oregon, and go to Penn State the next two week.  This could end up being an 1-11 inaugural B1G season.

18. Purdue (1-2) - The Boilermakers were soundly beaten by Oregon State.  They travel to Nebraska this week looking for their first B1G win.  It could be a long and last season for Ryan Walters.

2024 B1G Power Rankings - Week 3

Week 3 has wrapped up in the B1G.  The conference finished 10-4 on the week, with one conference game.  Indiana throttled UCLA in the Rose Bowl.  Notre Dame bounced back from last weeks loss to NIU with a 66-7 massacre of Purdue in West Lafayette.  Alabama dominated Wisconsin in Madison.  

The week 4 slate features four conference matchups.  3-0 Illinois travels to 3-0 Nebraska on Friday night.  Iowa goes to Minnesota, a shaky Michigan team hosts USC, and Northwestern heads to Seattle to face Washington.  Four teams are on the road, squaring off against major conference teams; Michigan State @ Boston College, Purdue @ Oregon State, Rutgers @ Virginia Tech, and UCLA @ LSU.  

The week 3 B1G Power Rankings are below.  These are based strictly on on-field performance relative to the competition and is not a projection of things to come.  

1. USC (2-0) - The Trojans welcome Michigan to LA this week.  A well rested USC looks to improve to 3-0 against the hapless Wolverines.

2. Ohio State (2-0) - The Buckeyes host Marshall before starting B1G play in week 5.

3. Indiana (3-0) - The Hoosies blew out UCLA in the Rose Bowl to move to 3-0.  They host Charlotte this week and look to improve to 4-0 

4. Oregon (3-0) - The Ducks finally looked like the Ducks in beating Oregon State.  The offense moved the ball with ease and the defense stepped up to limit a good Beaver offense.  They are off this week before traveling to UCLA in week 5.

5. Illinois (3-0) - The Illini handled Central Michigan.  They travel to Lincoln on Friday night in a battle of upstart teams.  Will they be able to score enough against a tough Husker defense?  

6. Nebraska (3-0) - Nebraska handled Northern Iowa, setting up a Friday night matchup with Illinois.  Win Friday and the table is set before potential battles with undefeated Rutgers, Indiana, and Ohio State.

7. Penn State (2-0) - They host a really bad Kent State team this week. Kent was down 65-0 at Tennessee in week 3.  

8. Rutgers (2-0) - Rutgers was off in week 3.  They travel to Blacksburg to face Virginia Tech this weekend.  The Hokies haven't been great, but will be a good test for the upstart Scarlet Knights.

9. Michigan State (3-0) - The Spartans shutout a really bad Prairie View team.  Things will step up a notch this week as they travel to Boston College.  The Eagles lost a tight game at Missouri this past weekend.

10. Washington (2-1) - The Huskies fell to Wazzou in the Apple Cup.  They had the ball at the goal line at the end of the game with a chance to win, but poor redzone offense gave the win to the Cougars.  They open B1G play this weekend, with Northwestern coming to Seattle.  

11. Minnesota (2-1) - The Gophers had their 2nd straight shutout, blanking Nevada.  They host Iowa in week 4

12. Northwestern (2-1) - The Wildcats made a QB change in week 3, benching Mike Wright.  They got back in the win column against Eastern Illinois and travel to Washington in week 4. 

13. Wisconsin (2-1) - The Badgers were blown out by Alabama in Madison.  Tyler Van Dyke went down with a knee injury during their 2nd drive of the game and things unraveled from their.  The Tide scored at the end of the half and on their first drive of the 3rd quarter to ice the game.  Things won't get any easier for the Badgers, as they travel to LA to face USC after an off week.

14. Iowa (2-1) - They Hawkeyes struggled with Troy for much of the game, before pulling away to win 38-21.  They travel to Minnesota this week, vying for the Floyd of Rosedale, to start B1G play.

15. Michigan (2-1) - The Wolverines are still a really bad football team.  They struggled with Arkansas State for much of the afternoon before jumping out to a 28-3 lead, only to let the Red Wolves score twice late in 4th quarter, holding on 28-18.  Davis Warren was once again horrible at QB.  A change is coming in this weeks matchup with USC, as Alex Orji will get the start.  

16. Maryland (2-1) - The Terrapins traveled to Virginia and upended the Cavaliers.  They host FCS Villanova this week, before continuing B1G play at Indiana next week.

17. Purdue (1-1) - The Boilermakers were blasted by a so-so Notre Dame team 66-7.  Nothing went right as they were embarrassed in front of the home crowd.  They have to travel to Oregon State this weekend.  Unfortunately they don't play UCLA this season, as it's going to a long one in West Lafayette.

18. UCLA (1-1) - The Bruins are a very bad football team.  I'm not sure where their next win will come from.  It won't be in the next three weeks as they travel to Baton Rouge, host Oregon, and go to Penn State.  This could end up being an 1-11 inaugural B1G season.

2024 B1G Power Rankings - Week 2

 Week 2 has wrapped up in the B1G.  The conference finished 12-4 on the week, with one conference game.  Maryland fell to Michigan State on a last second field goal.  Northwestern lost in OT to Duke Friday night, Texas stomped Michigan, Iowa blew a lead to Iowa State, and Oregon struggled at home before hanging on against Boise State.  The highlight of the weekend was Illinois holding off Kansas in Champaign and Nebraska manhandling Colorado.  

The week 3 slate features a few good matchups, as UCLA hosts Indiana in B1G play.  Oregon battles Oregon State in the Civil War, Washington and Washington State square off in the Apple Cup, Purdue welcomes a disappointing Notre Dame squad and Wisconsin hosts Alabama in Madison.

The week 2B1G Power Rankings are below.  These are based strictly on on-field performance relative to the competition and is not a projection of things to come.  

1. USC (2-0) - The Trojans followed up their week 1 win vs LSU with a thumping of Utah State.  The Trojans defense appears to be in a good spot after two weeks of play.  They are off in week 3 before traveling to Ann Arbor.  

2. Ohio State (2-0) - The Buckeyes shut out out Western Michigan, who gave Wisconsin fits in week 1.  First week kinks seem to be worked out.  The rushing attack was much more effective and defense pitched their first shutout since 2019.  The Bucks are off next week and then face Marshall before getting in to B1G play.  Time will tell for the Bucks, but the path looks pretty manageable with their three toughest tests all losing/struggling in week 2.

3. Illinois (2-0) - The Illini had a great win in week 2, defeating Kansas in Champaign.  They welcome Central Michigan in week 3 before back-to-back road trips to Lincoln and State College.  The drive to six is on, but may feature some roadblocks soon.

4. Nebraska (2-0) - The Huskers throttled a probably not very good Colorado team on Saturday night.  The red balloons were released early and there's a lot to be excited about for the first time in a while.  A Friday night matchup against Illinois looms in a couple of weeks.

5. Penn State (2-0) - A week after dominating West Virginia, they struggled against Bowling Green, trailing at the half before finally taking the lead in the third quarter and holding on down the stretch.  The Lions had no trouble moving the ball, with Singleton and Allen both eclipsing 100 yards on the ground.  The defense struggled in the first half before settling down.   

6. Rutgers (2-0) - Rutgers is a wagon.  Kyle Monangai rushed for 208 yards, proving he's one of the best RB's in college football.  They have the week off before traveling to Blacksburg to face Virginia Tech in week 4.  

7. Indiana (2-0) - The Hoosiers blew out Western Illinois to start off the Curt Cignetti era on a good foot.  They travel to UCLA this week to start B1G play and have a great opportunity to start the season 3-0.  

8. Washington (2-0) - The Huskies are off to a 2-0 start in the Jedd Fisch era defeating Eastern Michigan.  Will Rogers looked good, passing for four touchdowns.  They face Washington State in the Apple Cup this week before starting B1G play.  

9. Wisconsin (2-0) - Wisconsin held off South Dakota, pulling away in the 4th quarter.  That's two  mediocre wins against inferior opponents.  Alabama comes to Madison in week 3 it may not end well for the Badgers.

10. Michigan State (2-0) - The Spartans traveled to Maryland and notched the conferences first B1G win of the season.  Aiden Chiles improved from his week 1 performance to lead Sparty.  

11. Oregon (2-0) - The Ducks struggled for the 2nd straight week, overcoming a late deficit to hold off Boise State 37-34 after a controversial kick return touchdown that tied it up in the 4th quarter before winning on a last second field goal.  The offensive line looked weak again.  That doesn't bode well for the B1G defensive lines.  They travel to Oregon State in a rivalry game in week 3 before starting B1G play.

12. Purdue (1-0) - The Boilermakers were off in week 2.  Notre Dame comes to West Lafayette in week 3 and it looks to be a competitive game as the Irish are coming off a loss to Northern Illinois.

13. Minnesota (1-1) - The Gophers found their way in to the win column with a shutout of Rhode Island.  They host Nevada in week 3 before starting B1G play against Iowa in week 4.

14. Northwestern (1-1) - The Wildcats fell to Duke Friday night at the lakefront stadium in Evanston.  They held the lead for the bulk of the game before falling in double overtime to a good Duke team.  They've now lost six in a row to the Blue Devils.  They have a get right game against Eastern Illinois in week 3 before traveling to Seattle to face Washington.

15. Iowa (1-1) - The Hawkeyes lost to rival Iowa State at home.  Kirk Ferentz came back from a one game suspension and committed coaching malpractice.  They never should have lost this game.  Same 'ol Iowa is back as Cade McNamara failed to eclipse 100 yards through the air.  

16. Michigan (1-1) - The Wolverines were outclassed, outplayed, overmatched and outright demolished by Texas in Ann Arbor.  Things could have been much worse than 31-12.  The defense was ok, and will keep them in games going forward, but the honeymoon is over.  

17. UCLA (1-0) - The Bruins were off in week 2.  They host Indiana to open their B1G season this week.  A trip to Baton Rouge is ahead in week 4.  

18. Maryland (1-1) - The Terrapins lost at home as touchdown favorites to Michigan State.  They travel to Virginia in week 3.  I'm afraid that this is the first of many losses ahead.  

2024 B1G Power Rankings - Week 1

Week 1 has concluded in the B1G.  The conference finished 17-1 on the week, with Minnesota the lone loss to UNC.  There were blowout and nailbiters.  Week 2 appears to be a stiffer test, with Michigan hosting Texas, Northwestern hosting Duke, the Cy-Hawk game, Kansas traveling to Illinois, Nebraska hosting Colorado, and Boise St heading to Oregon.  

The week 1 B1G Power Rankings are below.  These are based strictly on on-field performance relative to the competition and is not a projection of things to come.  

1. Penn St - The Nittany Lions went to Morgantown and thumped a WVU team that many thought had a good chance to win.  Drew Allar actually looked like a quarterback and the defense was great.

2. USC - Maybe LSU isn't a good team, time will tell, but Lincoln Riley found a defense for a night, and with Miller Moss and the skill positions, the offense isn't going to have any trouble scoring this season.

3. Ohio St - Three is probably too high for the Buckeyes, who were just not good in the first half against a bad Akron team.  Ohio State had two starters out, in Donovan Jackson at guard and Cody Simon at linebacker, and it showed.  Freshman receiver JJ Smith showed why he was the number one recruit in the country, with two touchdown catches.  We won't have a good idea how good the Buckeyes are until they get in to B1G play at the end of the month.

4. Michigan - I don't know.  They "won" the national title last season.  Offense wasn't great against Fresno, but it wasn't last year either.  We'll know this week.  They'll either be #1 after week 2 or in the teens.

5. Nebraska - Is Dylan Raola the real deal?  He looked good in his first game for the Huskers.  Nebraska hosts Colorado on Saturday night in Lincoln, looking to avenge last seasons loss.  They shouldn't have any issues scoring against a terrible Buffaloes defense.  A win Saturday and the fans will be thinking of 7-0 going to the Horseshoe at the end of October.

6. Iowa - Iowa scored 40 points, though only had six at half against FCS Illinois St.  If they can show anything offensively, a shot at the playoffs is definitely within reach.

7. Rutgers - They beat FCS Howard and did it convincingly.  Kyle Monangai continued to be dominant on the group and new QB Athan Kaliakmanis looked good.  There's a good chance it will be a battle of 4-0 teams when they head to Lincoln in early October.

8. Purdue - Purdue will probably end up being at the bottom of the conference, but they looked really good in a 49-0 win over FCS Indiana State.  Hudson Card was 24/25 and four TD's.  Notre Dame comes to West Lafayette on Saturday afternoon.  We'll have a good idea then.

9. Washington - After a title game appearance last season, Washington lost their coach and pretty much all the starters.  Jedd Fisch looks to start from scratch and a ho-hum 35-3 win over Weber St is a good place to start. 

10. Indiana - The Curt Cignetti era is off to a good start in Bloomington after a 31-7 win over FIU.  Watch out, because they have a good chance to start 5-0, 

11. Maryland - The presumed bottom feeders of the B1G started off with a good 50-7 win over UConn.  They start B1G play this weekend when Michigan State comes to down.  

12. Illinois - The drive to six is on, as the Illini opened with a 45-0 victory over FCS Eastern Illinois.  This coming week will be a test as a good Kansas team comes to Champaign

13. Oregon - Oregon opened the season as the #3 team in the polls and slogged their way to a 24-14 win over FCS Idaho, in a game that wasn't put away until late in the 4th quarter.  If they play anywhere similar to that the next two weeks against Boise and Oregon St, the L's will start to pile up for the Ducks.

14. Wisconsin - Wisconsin was down to Western Michigan in to the 4th quarter before pulling away with two late touchdowns.  They should be able to hand South Dakota this weekend, but Alabama makes their way to Madison in two weeks and it may not be pretty for Luke Fickell and company.

15. Michigan St - Sparty led 16-0 late in the 2nd quarter before letting FAU tick away at the lead.  They hung on through the 4th quarter in Jonathan Smith's debut in East Lansing.  QB Aiden Chiles did not look good for the Spartans.  They'll open B1G play this weekend at Maryland, in a likely pillow fight.

16. Northwestern - After a 3-3 score at halftime, the Wildcats scored in the 3rd to secure the lead for good.  Miami should be a good MAC team so the win may not look to bad at the end of the season.

17. UCLA - The Bruins survived on a late field goal to win at Hawaii.  This is going to be a very bad team this season.

18. Minnesota - The Gophers lost on Thursday night to UNC.  Being the only B1G loss in week 1, this is the only spot for them to be.