Big Ten Top Ten: Conference's football teams ranked ahead of Week 11 action
Week 11 of college football is on the horizon, and what an exciting past weekend it was for Big Ten football. There may have been some movement in the top five spots of the AP Poll, but not as much in my rankings.
No. 1 - Oregon (9-0, 6-0)
LW: @ Michigan W 38-17
NW: vs Maryland
With a dominant win over Michigan, Oregon looks to be smooth sailing into the postseason. There becomes less and less to say with each win, as quarterback Dillon Gabriel continues to perform and the Ducks look primed for a deep postseason run. No. 1 Oregon's final three opponents are Maryland, Wisconsin and Washington, so don't expect the Ducks to move from the top spot for the remainder of the season.
No. 2 - Ohio State (7-1, 4-1)
Last Week: @ Penn State W 20-13
Next Week: vs Purdue
Well, well, well, look who was right all along — the past few weeks, I've refused to put Penn State above Ohio State, and Saturday's outcome proved me right. In typical Big Ten fashion, the game was low-scoring, but quarterback Will Howard was able to throw for two touchdowns and earn the win. The Buckeyes defense stepped up, and Davison Igbinosun — brother of Rutgers senior defensive back Desmond Igbinosun — had the interception of the week. No. 3 Ohio State now has two light games against Purdue and Northwestern before it gets put to the test by Indiana.
No. 3 - Indiana (9-0, 6-0)
LW: @ Michigan State W 47-10
NW: vs Michigan
The Hoosiers had another dominant win and I'm starting to believe they are legit. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke led No. 8 Indiana to its first 9-0 start in program history, throwing for 263 yards and four touchdowns fresh off a thumb surgery he received two weeks ago. Yes, the Hoosiers' schedule has been light up to this point, but if they can crush Michigan next week, it'll make for an interesting matchup against the Buckeyes on November 23.
No. 4 - Penn State (7-1, 4-1)
LW: vs Ohio State L 20-13
NW: vs Washington
The Nittany Lions suffered their first loss of the season in a home game against a head coach in Ryan Day, who has famously not won many big games. Drew Allar has now gone from a first-round lock in the 2025 NFL Draft to a second-rounder after a poor season up to this point. Tyler Warren is pretty good, though. A bounce-back game — and the rest of the season, for that matter — is in order when No. 6 Penn State takes on the Huskies this weekend.
No. 5 - Illinois (6-3, 3-3)
LW: vs Minnesota L 25-17
NW: vs Michigan State
The loss to the Ducks in week nine was excusable, but suffering a loss at home to Minnesota this past weekend is not. Quarterback Luke Altmyer had two fumbles to the Golden Gophers in the loss, who have sneakily won their last four games. Illinois is lucky there's a drop-off after the top five Big Ten teams, or it would have to drop in my rankings after two straight losses. Matchups against Michigan State, Rutgers and Northwestern to close out the season make the Fighting Illini extra lucky, but the damage might already be done.
No. 6 - Michigan (5-4, 3-3)
LW: vs Oregon L 38-17
NW: @ Indiana
The reigning champs have had one of the most difficult schedules this season, and it won't be getting any easier. The Wolverines were handled by the best team in the country and are set to play Indiana and Ohio State in 2 of their final 3 games. Michigan's goal now is a bowl game, which is realistic with Northwestern still on the schedule.
No. 7 - Minnesota (6-3, 4-2)
LW: @ Illinois W 31-14
NW: @ Rutgers
As mentioned before, Minnesota has been cruising as of late. The most impressive win on the resume was the most recent, rallying late to beat Illinois in Champaign, Illinois. The Golden Gophers have a light week traveling to Rutgers, then back to Minneapolis, Minnesota and await Penn State at home.
No. 8 - Iowa (6-3, 4-2)
LW: vs Wisconsin W 42-10
NW: @ UCLA
Don't look now, but Iowa has scored more than 30 points in all but three games this season. The Hawkeyes have been crushing teams when they win, and junior running back Kaleb Johnson looks to be a premier back in this year's NFL draft. Iowa's final three opponents are UCLA, Maryland and Nebraska — the Hawkeyes could easily win out.
No. 9 - Washington (5-4, 3-3)
LW: vs USC W 26-21
NW: @ Penn State
Washington is as middle-of-the-pack as it gets since it can go either way against any of the teams lower than five on this list. The Huskies' defense picked off Miller Moss three times in the win, making a big difference. If Washington wants a bowl game, it must take down either Penn State, UCLA or Oregon. It's safe to say all eyes will be on the game against the Bruins in two weeks.
No. 10 - USC (4-5, 2-5)
LW: @ Washington L 26-21
NW: vs Nebraska
What is there to say about USC? Ever since the win over Wisconsin, the Trojans have lost four games, with their one win coming over Rutgers. USC needs two wins between Nebraska, UCLA and Notre Dame to make a bowl game, but it's difficult to see that happening.
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