Coach Griff’s Big Ten Power Rankings: Ohio State Holds No. 1, Indiana Right Behind
The Big Ten picture is beginning to separate at the top, but from the middle of the conference down, chaos is becoming the weekly norm. After the Oct. 2–3 games, Ohio State remains No. 1 in the Hoosier Tailgate Big Ten Power Rankings, with Indiana right behind at No. 2 after another convincing road victory.
These are power rankings—not standings. The evaluation weighs résumé, opponent quality, game control, roster strength, injuries and what the film says about how each team is actually playing.
Coach Griff’s Big Ten Power Rankings
1. Ohio State — W at Iowa, 31–14
2. Indiana — W at Rutgers, 47–15
3. Nebraska — W vs. Maryland, 48–23
4. Oregon — Idle
5. UCLA — Idle
6. USC — W vs. Washington, 25–21
7. Wisconsin — W vs. Michigan State, 31–3
8. Minnesota — W vs. Michigan, 20–14
9. Iowa — L vs. Ohio State, 14–31
10. Northwestern — W vs. Penn State, 34–13
11. Purdue — W at Illinois, 24–17
12. Washington — L at USC, 21–25
13. Michigan — L at Minnesota, 14–20
14. Maryland — L at Nebraska, 23–48
15. Michigan State — L at Wisconsin, 3–31
16. Illinois — L vs. Purdue, 17–24
17. Penn State — L at Northwestern, 13–34
18. Rutgers — L vs. Indiana, 15–47
Ohio State and Indiana Set the Pace
Ohio State stays on top after going into Iowa and winning 31–14. That road victory gives the Buckeyes the strongest result of the weekend among the teams at the top of our rankings.
Indiana answered with a 47–15 road rout of Rutgers. The Hoosiers are 5–0, have won 21 consecutive games and continue to look like one of the most complete teams in the conference. The gap between Ohio State and Indiana is small, and the Hoosiers will soon have opportunities to strengthen their résumé considerably.
Nebraska Earns No. 3
Nebraska handled Maryland 48–23 and remains our clear No. 3. Oregon and UCLA were idle, while USC survived Washington 25–21. That keeps Oregon fourth, UCLA fifth and USC sixth for now.
Movement in the Middle
Wisconsin’s 31–3 domination of Michigan State moves the Badgers to No. 7. Minnesota climbs to No. 8 after beating Michigan 20–14. Iowa falls to No. 9 after its 31–14 loss to Ohio State.
Northwestern may be the most interesting team in this portion of the rankings. After pushing Indiana in a 29–23 loss, the Wildcats followed it by hammering Penn State 34–13. Northwestern moves to No. 10, and that result also makes Indiana’s victory over the Wildcats look better in retrospect.
Purdue Makes the Biggest Jump
Purdue climbs all the way to No. 11 after going on the road and beating Illinois 24–17. It is an aggressive move, but this is exactly where a power ranking differs from simply sorting the standings. Purdue earned a conference road win while several teams around it are trending in the opposite direction.
Penn State tumbles to No. 17 after the 34–13 loss at Northwestern, while Rutgers drops to No. 18 after Indiana’s 47–15 victory in Piscataway.
What the Metrics Say About Indiana
Indiana’s résumé and efficiency numbers tell an interesting story. The Hoosiers are No. 7 in Résumé SP+ in the data we reviewed, while their schedule strength remains a limiting factor in that résumé evaluation. At the same time, the efficiency data has Indiana among the nation’s elite, with top-level performance on both offense and defense.
That sets up the next phase of Indiana’s season perfectly. The numbers say the Hoosiers are playing like an elite football team. The upcoming schedule will give them the opportunity to validate those numbers against stronger competition.
Fast. Physical. Relentless.
