Big Ten Power Rankings updated after Week 7 of college football

The latest Big Ten Power Rankings from On3, utilizing the On3 Massey Ratings, are in after Week 7 of the college football regular season.

The On3 Massey Ratings – which were officially used during the BCS era and have generated high school sports team rankings since 1995 – rank sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule, and margin of victory.

With a myriad of upsets and a ton of interesting results, the college football world as a whole was shaken up, including the Big Ten’s group of teams. Here’s where they all stand after Week 7, and ahead of what should be an awesome Week 8.

1. Oregon (6-0)

Oregon established themselves as the team to beat in the Big Ten in Week 7. The Ducks welcomed Ohio State to Eugene for the first time as conference rivals, and they sent the Buckeyes packing with a one-point loss.

At 6-0, Dan Lanning’s team seemed primed to fight for a national title this season, after narrowly missing the College Football Playoff the last couple of seasons. They’ll look to keep the good times rolling against Purdue in Week 8.

2. Penn State (6-0)

Penn State took their show to Los Angeles, and they defeated USC to remain undefeated on the 2024 campaign. It may have taken overtime, but the Nittany Lions took care of business against the Trojans in Week 7.

They’ll enjoy this one for a while, as Penn State has a bye week in Week 8. James Franklin and the Nittany Lions will return to action in Week 9, when they’ll go on the road to face the Wisconsin Badgers in another conference battle.

3. Ohio State (5-1)

Ohio State couldn’t overcome Oregon inside Autzen Stadium in Week 7. There was a ton of pomp and circumstance surrounding the game, including ESPN bringing College GameDay to town, and the Buckeyes came up just short, falling by a singular point in the end.

Regardless of the sting of losing, all of Ohio State’s goals are ahead of them. If they win out, they’ll get another shot at the Ducks, and whoever else separates themselves from the pack. The path to redemption begins in Week 9 with Nebraska, following a bye week.

4. Michigan (4-2)

Michigan enjoyed a bye week in Week 7. It came at a tremendous time for the Wolverines, as they suffered their second loss of the season in Week 6, when they traveled to Seattle to face the Washington Huskies.

Moving forward, Michigan could look different, as it seems like they’ll be rocking with quarterback Jack Tuttle for the time being. The Wolverines have a huge opportunity in Week 8, as they’ll travel to Champaign to face Illinois.

5. Indiana (6-0)

Indiana continues to be one of the best stories in all of college football. They’re undefeated, and after enjoying a bye week in Week 7, it feels like the Hoosiers are ready for the stretch run inside the Big Ten.

They’ll return to action in Week 8 in Bloomington, as Nebraska will come to town. The game has more conference implications than anyone could’ve imagined before the season, as a ton of eyes will be glued to the screen when these two squads face off.

6. Iowa (4-2)

Washington was coming off of a gigantic win over Michigan, and the Huskies looked to keep it going against Iowa in Week 7. It wasn’t meant to be for one of the Big Ten newcomers, as the Hawkeyes took care of business to the tune of a 40-16 drubbing.

Once again, running back Kaleb Johnson was phenomenal. He had two rushing touchdowns for Iowa against Washington, moving his total to 12 for the season thus far.

7. USC (3-3)

USC has had an uneven start to their Big Ten tenure, that’s for sure. Sure, they have three wins, but their three losses, falling to Michigan, Minnesota and Penn State, have their fan base feeling uneasy about their season.

After running the gauntlet to begin the season, the schedule will lighten up a bit for Lincoln Riley’s team. Their outlook could be much different a couple weeks from now, and their first opportunity to change their fate comes in Week 8 against Maryland in College Park.

8. Wisconsin (4-2)

Wisconsin had a choice to make at 2-2, either lay down and accept mediocrity, or get back on the horse and change their fate. The latter is how they’ve operated over the past two weeks, as the Badgers won their second straight game in Piscataway in Week 7, dismantling Rutgers.

Can they keep it rolling? That’s the question many are asking in Madison. They’ll travel to face Northwestern in Week 8, before a gigantic clash with Penn State inside Camp Randall Stadium on Oct. 26.

9. Illinois (5-1)

It wasn’t pretty, but Illinois advanced to 5-1 in Week 7. The Fighting Illini needed overtime to defeat lowly Purdue in Champaign, sending the Boilermakers home with a 50-49 loss when the dust settled.

They’ll have to perform better in Week 8 if they’re to get their sixth win of the season. Michigan is coming to town off a bye week, and the Wolverines will be hungry to put a stop to Illinois’ winning ways.

10. Washington (4-3)

Washington seemed to be back on track after their win against Michigan in Week 6. However, they received a huge reality check in Week 7, as the Iowa Hawkeyes beat them down inside Kinnick Stadium this past weekend.

While the Huskies offense was more than solid, turnovers and boneheaded mistakes led to their third loss of the season. Perhaps a bye week is coming at the perfect time for Washington, as they won’t play again until Oct. 26 against Indiana.

Big Ten Power Rankings: 11-16

11. Nebraska (5-1)
12. Minnesota (4-3)
13. Rutgers (4-2)
14. Michigan State (3-3)
15. Maryland (3-3)
16. Northwestern (3-3)
17. UCLA (1-5)
18. Purdue (1-5)

Elsewhere inside the Big Ten, Minnesota followed up their victory over USC with a trip to Pasadena, where the Golden Gophers ended up with a win over UCLA, while Northwestern evened up their record at 3-3 with a win over Maryland by 27 points. There’s some major showdowns on the docket for Week 8, and it’ll be fascinating to see which teams continue to separate themselves as the season progresses.