Big Ten football power rankings: Where does Iowa fall after USC loss?

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Another week of Big Ten football is in the books, and with only two weeks in the regular season left, things are heating up in the conference.

Week 12 gave fans a couple of thrillers, but for the most part, teams who should've won did win. And with the regular season nearing its conclusion, the race for spots in the Big Ten championship game and the College Football Playoff is on. Which teams made a statement to the playoff committee in Week 12? And which teams are going to be kicking themselves for letting an opportunity slip away? Let's dive into a Week 12 edition of the Big Ten football power rankings.

1. Ohio State (10-0)

The best team in college football took care of business with a 48-10 annihilation of UCLA. The Buckeyes leaned on a dominant run game, led by freshman Bo Jackson (an appropriate name for a star running back). Jackson ran for 112 yards and a touchdown in the win as Ohio State crept closer to clinching a spot in the Big Ten title game.

Next week: vs Rutgers

2. Indiana (11-0)

The Hoosiers got off to a bit of a low start, but settled in for an easy 31-7 win over Wisconsin. Fernando Mendoza continued his Heisman Trophy push, completing 22-24 passes for 299 yards and four touchdowns against the Badgers. This Indiana team, with the recent emergence of sophomore wide receiver Charlie Becker (five catches for 108 yards and a touchdown on Saturday), is deep and one win away from the first undefeated season in school history.

Next week: BYE

3. Oregon (9-1)

The Ducks dismantled Minnesota 42-13 on Friday in front of a raucous home crowd. Dante Moore was excellent, going 27-30 for 306 yards and two touchdowns in the win, as the Oregon defense held the Golden Gophers to just 200 yards of total offense. Dan Lanning's team is playing some really good football right now, but a huge test awaits them this weekend.

Next week: vs USC

4. USC (8-2)

The Trojans got a lackadaisical start on Saturday, trailing 21-10 at halftime to Iowa before waking up in the second half. USC would outscore the Hawkeyes 16-0 in the second half en route to a 26-21 victory. Wide receiver Makai Lemon continued his amazing season, catching ten passes for 153 yards and a touchdown against Iowa, who had no answers for him all game long. A win next week could get the Trojans into the playoffs, but it won't be easy.

Next week: @ Oregon

5. Michigan (8-2)

The Wolverines did their best Chicago Cubs impression on Saturday at Wrigley Field, blowing a big lead before coming back to walk off Northwestern with a game-winning field goal as time expired. In their 24-22 win, Michigan played far from its best football, but found a way to win the game. The running game was incredible once again, but Bryce Underwood is lucky his two turnovers didn't cost them the game. Those mistakes can't happen against better teams going forward.

Next week: @ Maryland

6. Iowa (6-4)

Saturday's 26-21 loss to USC was another heartbreaking chapter in the story of the 2025 Iowa football team. After a dominant first half, the offense dried up in the second half, and the defense couldn't get the big turnover to sway the game. The Hawkeyes have lost four games this season to ranked opponents by a combined 15 points. Despite some fun moments, this season will be remembered by the what-ifs against those ranked teams. Close, but no cigar once again for Iowa.

Next week: vs Michigan State

7. Illinois (7-3)

The Fighting Illini beat a reeling Maryland team 24-6 on Saturday in a pretty ho-hum effort. The defense was a lot better than it's been at times this season for Illinois, and Luke Altmyer was fine in the win. I expected a more dominant performance against a bad Terrapins team, which is why Illinois stays put in this week's power rankings. This team will win out, but how good are they actually?

Next week: @ Wisconsin

8. Washington (7-3)

Similar to Illinois, the Huskies have been a box of chocolates this season. I never know which version of this team is going to show up on any given Saturday. The good version of Washington made an appearance in their 49-13 win over Purdue on Saturday. Quarterback Demond Williams was great and stepped up big time with Jonah Coleman and Denzel Boston missing the game with injuries. This team can beat almost anyone in the Big Ten, but they can lose to anyone, too.

Next week: @ UCLA

9. Nebraska (7-3)

The Cornhuskers were on a bye this past weekend, but moved up the power rankings thanks to some poor performances from teams in front of them. This team is fine, but the ceiling without Dylan Raiola is a lot lower. And with two tough games left on the schedule, it wouldn't shock me at all if Nebraska finishes 7-5 this year. It just seems like they're destined to be good, but not great under Matt Rhule.

Next week: @ Penn State

10. Northwestern (5-5)

Thw Wildcats fought to the finish at Wrigley Field, and nearly pulled the upset over a good Michigan team, losing 24-22 on a last-second field goal. Despite getting outgained 496-245, Northwestern made some timely plays to give itself a shot at the upset, but couldn't get one last stop at the end of the game. I really like the direction of this program under David Braun, and a bowl game is still in play this season.

Next week: vs Minnesota

11. Penn State (4-6)

The Nittany Lions finally won a conference game, beating a dreadful Michigan State team 28-10 in East Lansing. Kaytron Allen had a monster game, rushing for 181 yards and a pair of scores in the win, while the Penn State defense held the Spartans to 229 total yards. In what's been a nightmare season for Penn State, this was a nice moment for the players and the fanbase. And somehow, a bowl game is still possible if they can beat Nebraska and Rutgers, which is very doable.

Next week: vs Nebraska

12. Minnesota (6-4)

I've been calling the Gophers' bluff all season long, and Friday night's embarrassing 42-13 loss to Oregon was just another example of where this program is at under PJ Fleck. They beat up on the bottom feeders in the conference, but have no chance against top-tier Big Ten teams. In their three losses to Ohio State, Iowa, and Oregon, Minnesota was outscored 126-19. This program under PJ Fleck is stuck in football purgatory: good enough not to fire Fleck, but never good enough to actually compete with great teams in the conference.

Next week: @ Northwestern

13. Rutgers (5-5)

The Scarlet Knights had a bye week to celebrate a nice win over Maryland last weekend. But this season has been anything but a win for Greg Schiano's team. An electric passing game has been undone by an awful defense and lousy coaching. Similar to Minnesota, Rutgers is capable of handling business against some bad Big Ten teams, but never competes with the best teams in the conference. Another team stuck in football purgatory.

Next week: @ Ohio State

14. UCLA (3-7)

The Bruins have no chance of winning this game from the opening kick, as they got destroyed 48-10 by Ohio State. The defense was pathetic once again, and the offense, without Nico Iamaleava, was terrible. UCLA's little three-game winning streak was nothing more than a flash in the pan. This team and program are in an awful spot right now, and they need to get the next head coach hire correct.

Next week: vs Washington

15. Maryland (4-6)

The wheels continue to fall off for Mike Locksley's team, who fell to 1-6 in conference play with a pitiful 24-6 loss to Illinois. It's now six losses in a row for Maryland after a promising 4-0 start to 2025. The run game was nonexistent once again on Saturday, and the turnovers are starting to pile up for freshman quarterback Malik Washington. Locksley is coaching for his job these next two games. A pair of losses could spell the end for his time in College Park.

Next week: vs Michigan

16. Wisconsin (3-7)

In most other years, the Badgers would be at the bottom of the power rankings, but this year is especially bad at the bottom of the Big Ten. Wisconsin showed some early life, but ultimately crumbled in a 31-7 road loss to Indiana. The Badgers only managed 168 yards of total offense in the loss, as Luke Fickell is scrambling for answers at the quarterback position. Until that position gets fixed, nothing else matters for this program.

Next week: vs Illinois

17. Michigan State (3-7)

The Spartans were largely lifeless once again in a 28-10 home loss to Penn State. The defense was awful against the run, and the offense struggled to do anything in the loss. Things are bottoming out under Jonathan Smith, who could also find himself coaching for his job these last two weeks. Combine a recruiting violation leading to the vacating of numerous wins, and this has been a disaster of a season for a once-proud football program.

Next week: @ Iowa

18. Purdue (2-9)

You have to go all the way back to November 25, 2023, to find the last Big Ten conference win for the Boilermakers, who are on the cusp of a second straight winless conference campaign after a 49-13 loss to Washington. This program is a complete mess at the moment, and Barry Odom has his work cut out for him to turn Purdue around. As Indiana has shown, it's possible, but it doesn't seem likely that Purdue will turn things around that quickly. This will be a long and tenuous rebuild in West Lafayette.