Big Ten football power rankings: Does Iowa rise after Nebraska win?

The regular season has officially come to an end in the Big Ten with a wild Week 14.

Teams picked up huge road wins, clinched conference championship positions, reached bowl eligibility, and won big rivalry games. Other teams saw their season end in a way more disappointing fashion and will face massive offseason questions. The Big Ten delivered once again with one final week of exciting football on the gridiron.

Which teams surged to the top half of the power rankings this week? And which ones bottomed out? Here’s the final regular-season edition of the Big Ten football power rankings.

1. Ohio State (12-0)

The Buckeyes wrapped up a wire-to-wire placement at the number one spot in the power rankings with a dominant 27-9 road victory over Michigan in “The Game”. In a tough road environment with suboptimal weather conditions, Ohio State rose to the occasion. They outgained Michigan 419-163 behind a fantastic running game, three touchdowns from Julian Sayin, and a dominant defense. It’s going to be one heck of a Big Ten championship game.

Next week: vs Indiana (Big Ten title game)

2. Indiana (12-0)

The Hoosiers put a bow on a perfect regular season with a 56-3 annihilation of rival Purdue. Indiana took the Boilermakers‘ will on the ground, rushing for an astounding 355 yards and five touchdowns on 9.6(!) yards per carry. Fernando Mendoza tossed two more touchdown passes to help make his case for the Heisman Trophy. Curt Cignetti’s squad can cap off the best season in school history this weekend in the Big Ten championship game.

Next week: vs Ohio State (Big Ten title game)

3. Oregon (11-1)

The Ducks played a gritty, tough game in a statement 26-14 road win over Washington. Winning at Husky Stadium is no small feat, and Dan Lanning’s team made some clutch plays to ensure they got the win. Dante Moore was great again, and the defense picked off Demond Williams twice. While Oregon missed out on an opportunity to play in the Big Ten title game, it should still be playoff-bound for the second year in a row.

4. USC (9-3)

The Trojans sleptwalked their way through a 29-10 win over rival UCLA on Saturday night. USC played like a team that knew it had nothing tangible to play for, and this game was way too close for way too long. Despite that, they found a way to win to end what was ultimately a disappointing season in Los Angeles. The big question now is whether or not Jayden Maiava returns for his senior season.

5. Iowa (8-4)

In a season filled with heartbreaking losses, the Hawkeyes found a way to end it on a high note. Iowa curbstomped Nebraska 40-16 in Lincoln behind a stifling second-half defense and a dominant run game. In his final regular-season game at Iowa, quarterback Mark Gronowski became Iowa’s single-season rushing yards and touchdowns leader for a quarterback. This will always be a season of what-ifs, but finishing with eight wins is nothing to scoff at.

6. Michigan (9-3)

The Wolverines saw their College Football Playoff hopes die at the hands of Ohio State in a disappointing 27-9 home loss in “The Game”. After jumping out to an early 6-0 lead, Michigan’s offense completely dried up, and they had no answer for the Buckeye ground attack. Quarterback Bryce Underwood was terrible, throwing for just 63 yards and a pick in the loss. If Michigan wants to get back to the playoff anytime soon, Underwood will need to take some massive steps this offseason.

7. Washington (8-4)

The Huskies battled, but couldn’t make enough plays late in a 26-14 loss to Oregon at Husky Stadium. It was a rough game for quarterback Demond Williams, who threw a pair of interceptions and completed just 50% of his passes. The defense couldn’t force a turnover in the biggest moments, and Washington fell short of an upset bid. This team had playoff upside, but that mind-boggling loss to Wisconsin and this game kept them out of it.

8. Illinois (8-4)

The Fighting Illini clawed their way past a scrappy Northwestern team 20-13 to end the season 8-4. The offense struggled mightily for most of the night, but two late interceptions from Miles Scott helped seal the deal. Illinois entered the season with playoff aspirations, but struggling to beat a .500 Northwestern team to reach eight wins shows how far this team has fallen. With Luke Altmyer, Hank Beatty, Gabe Jacas, and more departing the program this offseason, it’s become very clear that this team missed its opportunity for a magical season.

9. Northwestern (6-6)

The Wildcats battled to the end, but fell short in a 20-13 loss to in-state rival Illinois. A couple of late interceptions from Preston Stone cost Northwestern this game, but there’s still a bowl game to play. The Wildcats fought all season long and were a few plays away from winning eight games this year. David Braun has this team going in the right direction, and they’re not going to be an easy win on anyone’s schedule next season.

10. Penn State (6-6)

Somehow, the Nittany Lions are bowl eligible after a wild 40-36 win over Rutgers. Penn State won its final three games of the regular season to reach a bowl game and try to salvage what was a terrible season. Kaytron Allen ran for 226 yards and a touchdown against the Scarlet Knights, adding to his school record total. Given the preseason expectations and hype around this team, going 6-6 is massively disappointing. But you have to give them some credit for not quitting down the stretch and finding their way to bowl eligibility.

11. Minnesota (7-5)

The Golden Gophers’ defense saved the day in a 17-7 win over Wisconsin on Saturday. Former Hawk John Nestor had two interceptions and a fumble recovery in the winning effort. That defense bailed out a Minnesota offense that only gained 218 yards in the game. And Minnesota ends another season at 7-5. They’re not good enough to compete with any elite Big Ten program, but they’re not bad enough to make a coaching change. This is who Minnesota is and will forever be under PJ Fleck.

12. Nebraska (7-5)

The Cornhuskers crumbled in the second half against Iowa, losing 40-16 in the battle for the Heroes Trophy. It’s the tenth loss in their last 11 games vs the Hawkeyes, and it seems like no tangible progress was made in year three under Matt Rhule. Nebraska and Minnesota are very similar programs right now. They’re good for six, maybe seven wins in a good year. They’ll play in a bowl game somewhere nice and be content with that. Never good enough to compete for a conference title, but never bad enough to make real changes. Football mediocrity.

13. Wisconsin (4-8)

The Badgers‘ quarterback problems continued in a 17-7 loss to Minnesota. Hunter Simmons threw two interceptions, and Wisconsin’s running game was nonexistent. This was a horrible season under Luke Fickell, who’s somehow conned his way into returning for another season in Madison. Big Ten football programs everywhere can rejoice in hearing that news, as it means Wisconsin will continue to be non-competitive in the Big Ten for at least one more season.

14. Rutgers (5-7)

This season was a Greg Schiano special in Piscataway. After starting the season 3-0, Rutgers will miss a bowl game after a 40-36 loss to Penn State. Once again, the defense was horrendous, surrendering 509 yards of total offense to Penn State, with 300 of those coming on the ground. They ruined great games from Athan Kaliakmanis, Antwan Raymond, and KJ Duff, who were all fantastic. As long as Schiano is there, Rutgers will win 5-6 games a season and be happy with it. This program is stuck.

15. UCLA (3-9)

The Bruins squandered a 10-7 halftime lead, ultimately losing 29-10 to rival USC. The defense actually played pretty well against an explosive Trojan offense, but the offense was poor once again. Nico Iamaleava was a bust this season, and I’d be shocked if he puts on a UCLA jersey again. The Bruins have to nail this head coach hire, as the program is teetering on disaster at the moment. Hiring the wrong coach could be detrimental to UCLA. They have to get it right.

16. Michigan State (4-8)

It took until the final week of the regular season, but the Spartans finally got their first conference win of the season with a 38-28 victory over Maryland. Freshman quarterback Alessio Milivojevic was outstanding, throwing for four touchdowns in the win. Michigan State needs to keep him around, as he showed some truly great flashes near the end of the season. The big question now is whether or not head coach Jonathan Smith will keep his job or not.

17. Maryland (4-8)

This team is horrendous. The Terrapins finished up an epic collapse on Saturday with a 38-28 loss to Michigan State. They ended the season on an eight-game losing streak, missing out on bowl eligibility after a 4-0 start. The offense was great, as freshman quarterback Malik Washington threw for 459 yards in the loss. But the defense was terrible again, and this program is a mess. Mike Locksley is returning next season for some reason, but his seat will be very hot. And I’d bet money on Malik Washington departing this mess soon. What a disaster.

18. Purdue (2-10)

It’s now official. The Boilermakers have gone back-to-back seasons without a Big Ten conference win after an embarrassing 56-3 home loss to rival Indiana. Purdue never had a chance to win this game as they were completely outclassed and outmatched by a much better team. This rebuild is going to be long and difficult for head coach Barry Odom. Purdue is an absolute mess of a program at the moment.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Big Ten football power rankings: Does Iowa rise after Nebraska win?

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