Big Ten football power rankings after Week 13

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

In a week with few intriguing matchups, chaos still unfolded in Big Ten football. Penn State and Wisconsin both are finding their rhythm and could be due for big bounce-back seasons in 2026. The USC Trojans shot themselves in the foot and got in their own way against Oregon. The top three teams remain the same, but Week 13’s changes shift the standings across many levels.

Here are my Big Ten football rankings after Week 13:

1. Indiana Hoosiers (11-0)

A nice bye week for the Indiana Hoosiers, they have a game versus Purdue to close the season, which should be another game that goes their way by a wide margin. This team will be 12-0 on the year and are a complete football team. Getting closer and closer to the Ohio State vs Indiana Big Ten championship, which will feed college football fans starving for an elite Big Ten matchup. Until then, the Hoosiers will keep their spot at number 1.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-0)

The Buckeyes’ defense gives no breathing room to Rutgers, and their offense complemented the great defensive performance with a great performance on the ground. The Buckeyes are in peak form, and this is a team ready to take down their rival on Saturday.

3. Oregon Ducks (10-1)

Without their starting three receivers against a good USC football team, Oregon would still put up 40 points. The Ducks were the more physical team; their defense gave them an opportunity to win versus USC, one of the best offenses in the country. The Ducks, without playing a perfect game, passed the eye test. When the Ducks get fully healthy, this is a very dangerous team.

4. Michigan Wolverines (9-2)

It doesn’t matter which running back is in the game; just believe they will run for 100 yards. That is how dominant the Wolverines’ run game is. Bryce Underwood has held his own this season. The Wolverines have enough talent to take down the Buckeyes, but can their team’s health allow for that?

5. USC Trojans (8-3)

The Trojans’ slim College Football Playoff hopes were stripped from them yesterday, but this season still is a success as USC will more than likely end up 9-3 after the regular season. This team showed growth and was competitive in a tough Big Ten conference, a huge improvement over last year. Unfortunately, the same issues that have haunted Lincoln Riley-led teams haunted this year’s team all season. This team was good enough to make the playoffs, and the loss to Illinois truly will end up being the what-if of this season. Still, USC is one of the better teams in the Big Ten and the country.

6. Washington Huskies (8-3)

Not only did the Huskies win on the road, but they won with style. Now they are back at home against the Oregon Ducks, and if the Ducks aren’t healthy yet fully, and they make mistakes, as they did versus USC, the Huskies could give they an even tougher sweat than the Trojans did.

7. Iowa Hawkeyes (7-4)

When the Hawkeyes need him to, Mark Gronowski shows up for Iowa in the clutch. Another game that featured Gronkowski’s late-game heroics. This team should have blown out Michigan State and not have been down 17-7, but this is still a good football team. A good football team whose ceiling is always around 8-9 wins.

8. Illinois Fighting Illini (7-4)

After this last game, it is clear that Illinois was overrated. This is a very beatable team. One of the worst issues in the country had great success against Illinois’ defense on the ground. With how this season played out, this team should be right where Michigan is; instead, they are with the likes of Northwestern and Nebraska.

9. Penn State Nittany Lions (5-6)

Penn State has life officially. Terry Smith has brought this team back from the dead, and what was once a season that looked like a wash now looks like a season that will finish with a bowl game appearance. Penn State’s team is bought in, and if this program plays its cards right, this team could have great momentum heading into the 2026 season.

10. Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-4)

Without Dylan Raiola it is clear that there is not much talent on this team. Penn State and Nebraska are two teams that had totally different seasons this year, yet, the Cornhuskers looked like they did not belong on the field with the Nittany Lions. Matt Rhule got his extension, but he will have his work cut out for him this offseason, getting this team where it needs to be to make games like this more competitive.

11. Northwestern Wildcats (6-5)

The Wildcats have heart, and this is a team with a lot of fight in it. They battled against Minnesota and pulled off a victory to help propel them to a bowl game this season. Got to give a lot of credit to what David Braun has done with this Wildcats team this season.

12. Minnesota Gophers (6-5)

This team will consistently be a bowl bid team, but what more can you expect from them? They have gotten blown out in the majority of their losses, and they are 0-5 on the road this year. P.J. Fleck might be the guy for Minnesota, but how long until these results are no longer good enough?

13. Wisconsin Badgers (4-7)

Luke Fickell has had this team do a 360. Wisconsin has life, and it would not be a gamble to bet this football team goes to Minnesota and beats the Golden Gophers. This is the perfect ending to a season that had Wisconsin at the bottom of the Big Ten. This season might not amount to any real success, but the momentum this program will now head into 2026 with could create a successful season next year.

14. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (5-6)

It will be really unlikely for this team to beat Penn State this week, even at home, with how that team looks now. Rutgers does have some things to carry into next season. KJ Duff is a superstar at receiver, but there needs to be more effort to make this team talented enough to compete in the Big Ten. Rutgers might have a shot in other conferences, but right now, the talent gap is wide when the Scarlet Knights get to conference play.

15. Michigan State Spartans (3-8)

This team has put together some competitive showings, but the consistent theme for this season has been that the Spartans are never good enough to win games late. Consistently, the Spartans will make more mistakes than their opponent. Michigan State looked great and were up 17-7 in the third, but once it came time to win the game, they collapsed. Thankfully, so does Maryland, their next opponent. It will be a battle of which team will let the other team win.

16. UCLA Bruins (3-8)

This team looks just as bad as it was under DeShaun Foster in the last stretch of games. If Nico Iamaleava plays badly, this team goes down like a sinking ship. More often than not, Nico Iamaleava has played badly, and the 3-8 record is a direct result of that.

17. Maryland Terrapins (4-7)

What started off as a string of close losses has quickly turned into blowout losses. Maryland has thrown in the towel on this season, and this team is not thinking about anything but next year. It has been a very disappointing season, and there just is no case for keeping Mike Locksley.

18. Purdue Boilermakers (2-9)

No game this weekend, and nothing to dispute that the Boilermakers are still the worst team in the Big Ten for another year in a row. Indiana will be their final game to close the season out, and the Boilermakers look primed for a 2-10 season, improving their win total only by one game this season. A lot of work to do this upcoming offseason for Barry Odom.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Week 13 Big Ten football power rankings following USC’s familiar loss

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos