Big Ten Power Rankings following Week 13
Believe it or not college football fans, we have done it. Another regular season of college football is in the books with Rivalry Weekend drawing to a close and giving way to Championship Weekend.
For fans of the B1G, there was no short of intrigue. Whether it was Ryan Day going off on Lou Holtz, Jim Harbaugh getting suspended — twice — for 3 games or James Franklin freaking out about reckless deep balls, there was a little bit of everything in store this fall.
However, fans of Michigan State and Indiana could not see the end of the season come quickly enough with particularly brutal play (and one horrific storyline for the Spartans) from those teams throughout the season. Meanwhile, the pleasant surprises of David Braun at Northwestern and a gutsy Iowa team provided some interesting storylines.
No matter who you root for, the B1G had it all in another wild season. With the regular season wrapped up, here are Tradition’s final Big Ten Power Rankings of 2023:
14. Indiana (3-9)
Last week: at Purdue, L 35-31
Indiana will have to have a discussion about Tom Allen this offseason to see if the Hoosiers are willing to bite the buyout bullet or give the head coach one more season to figure things out in Bloomington. After back-to-back winning seasons in 2019 and 2020, Indiana has gone 9-27 since the start of 2021. The Hoosiers finish 2023 with the worst overall and worst conference records of any B1G team at 3-9 (1-8 in B1G play).
13. Purdue (4-8)
Last week: vs. Indiana, W 35-31
Ryan Walters entered the fourth quarter with his Boilermakers trailing Indiana 28-18 in the battle for the Old Oaken Bucket. Hudson Card rallied Purdue late, including a game-winning touchdown with 2:39 remaining as the Boilermakers scored 17 fourth-quarter points. There is plenty of work to be done but a rivalry win is a big one for the first-year head coach.
12. Michigan State (4-8)
Last week: vs. Penn State, L 42-0 (in Detroit)
There is some good news, Spartans. Jonathan Smith is coming to East Lansing, though fans might need to have some patience in that turnaround. Somehow, Michigan State was limited to 53 total yards while giving up 586 in the loss to Penn State.
11. Minnesota (5-7)
Last week: vs. Wisconsin, L 28-14
Where does this season rank for PJ Fleck’s tenure at Minnesota? The Golden Gophers had not gone 5-7 since his first season with the program in 2017, and Minnesota went winless in November. Two of those losses came to Illinois and Purdue, teams that combined to go 9-15 overall this season.
10. Illinois (5-7)
Last week: vs. Northwestern, L 45-43
Illinois found itself in another one-score game against Northwestern and nearly pulled off the rally. Unfortunately, the Illini could not convert a 2-point conversion inside of a minute left in the game. Bret Bielema’s No. 1 goal in the offseason will be fixing a defense that gave up 40+ points 3 times.
9. Nebraska (5-7)
Last week: vs. Iowa, L 13-10
Nebraska had a shot at a bowl game throughout the month of November. That will leave a sour taste for the Huskers, and Matt Rhule must find someone to take care of the ball in Lincoln. Nebraska had 3 turnovers in the loss, including 2 credited to QB Chubba Purdy.
8. Rutgers (6-6)
Last week: vs. Maryland, L 42-24
Rutgers is back in the postseason but can’t feel great about a winless November and a 4-game losing streak to end the year. Now that Greg Schiano has the Scarlet Knights bowling, his next task is to keep that achievement as the floor of the program moving forward.
7. Wisconsin (7-5)
Last week: at Minnesota, W 28-14
Braelon Allen left his mark against Minnesota, finishing with a season-high 165 rushing yards as Wisconsin reclaimed possession of the Axe. Luke Fickell’s first season in Madison had some head-scratching moments, but 7 wins and a month of bowl practices can go a long way heading into 2024.
6. Northwestern (7-5)
Last week: at Illinois, W 45-43
Northwestern and Illinois combined for 37 fourth-quarter points with momentum flip-flopping back and forth down the stretch. In the end, Northwestern’s defense recorded 4 takeaways for a 7-win regular season under David Braun.
5. Maryland (7-5)
Last week: at Rutgers, W 42-24
Maryland fell off a strong start during the middle of the season but rallied in November for a 7-5 finish. Taulia Tagovailoa went off for 361 yards in the finale against Rutgers, becoming the B1G’s all-time leading passer in the process.
4. Iowa (10-2)
Last week: at Nebraska, W 13-10
Somehow, Iowa has 10 wins on the season. The Hawkeyes might be the most unlikely 10-win season… ever? But they’ll need to pull off a miracle in Indy if they want to win the B1G Championship vs. Michigan.
3. Penn State (10-2)
Last week: vs. Michigan State, W 42-0 (in Detroit)
Penn State is back to double-digit wins under James Franklin and blew out Michigan State in a Black Friday finale. Now, the Nittany Lions await a likely New Year’s Six Bowl, and the extra month of practices will be crucial for the program heading into 2024.
2. Ohio State (11-1)
Last week: at Michigan, L 30-24
Ryan Day should not get fired this offseason. “Should not” is the key because it’s a conversation and a topic that will gain some traction after a third straight loss to Michigan. The Buckeyes have been great for the majority of Day’s tenure… but this is The Game.
1. Michigan (12-0)
Last week: vs. Ohio State, W 30-24
Another year, another season with Michigan wrapped up the regular season as the top team in the B1G. Not even a season with Jim Harbaugh absent (suspended) for 6 games could stop Michigan from getting to 12-0.