Week 2 Big Ten Power Rankings 2024

Following the second week of Big Ten football it is time to look at the new Big Ten power rankings. It was an exciting week for college football fans. For a look at the week one power rankings click here. Here are the week two Big Ten rankings for 2024.

Big Ten Rankings

There was some big movement in this week’s Big Ten Power Rankings. It was an interesting week two, to say the least. Penn State almost lost to Bowling Green, Michigan is now 1-1, and Oregon is winning but keeping it close. Meanwhile, the top has stayed the same. Here is a look at the week two Big Ten power rankings.

1: Ohio State (2-0)

In first place is the Ohio State Buckeyes. They seem to be the leaders of the Big Ten this year. The Buckeyes defeated the Western Michigan Broncos 56-0. This is the dominant performance that they needed following their slow start against the Akron Zips in week one. The Buckeyes will have a break next weekend and then be back against the Marshall Thundering Herd.

2: USC (2-0)

The USC Trojans are still second in the Big Ten. There was much doubt surrounding this team ahead of the 2024 season. They are now 2-0 and had a dominant performance in week two. The Trojans defeated the Utah State Aggies, 42-10. If USC keeps this up, they will be a team to watch during the College Football playoffs.

3: Penn State (2-0)

The Penn State Nittany Lions had a rough week two. They pulled off the win though. The Nittany Lions defeated the Bowling Green Flacons, 34-27. Penn State was not playing well, Allar threw an interception, and the defense was not making the stops. It was not a great game. Luckily, they pulled through in the end. For now, they stay in third, but a lot will need to be fixed moving forward. Penn State gets a break this weekend then needs to pick up the pace in two weeks.

4: Washington (2-0)

The Washington Huskies are another team playing better than expected. The Huskies defeated the Eastern Michigan Eagles, 30-9. While Eastern Michigan is an inferior opponent, the expectation is for Washington to have a dominant performance, and they did. This puts them fourth in the Big Ten power rankings for week two. Washington will next face the 2-0 Washington State Cougars. This will be a tougher matchup for the Huskies.

5: Oregon (2-0)

The Oregon Ducks are 2-0, but they continue to cut it close in games. The Ducks defeated the Boise State Broncos 37-34. Oregon’s defense is struggling to make any stops, and fortunate their offense can put up the points. There is a lot for the team to fix this season if they want to be ranked higher and make a push in the playoffs. They will next face the Oregon State Beavers.

6: Michigan (1-1)

In just the second weekend of the 2024 college football season, the Michigan Wolverines lost a game. The Texas Longhorns won the game, 31-12. Michigan quarterback, Davis Warren threw two interceptions and the team did not score a rushing touchdown, according to ESPN. Texas is a tough opponent, but based on the high standards for Michigan, this is a tough loss. This drops them to sixth on the Big Ten power rankings for week two. Michigan will next face the Arkansas State Red Wolves.

7: Nebraska (2-0)

The Nebraska Cornhuskers defeated the Colorado Buffalos in a big game on Saturday night. It was a dominant performance by Nebraska on both sides of the ball. The final score was 28-10. Nebraska is looking like a strong team this year. The addition of quarterback Dylan Raiola has been a big help. They are turning into a fun team to watch, and it will be exciting to see what they can do when they start having more in-conference games. This weekend they will face the Northern Iowa Panthers.

8: Illinois (2-0)

The Illinois Fighting Illini are not looking too bad at all this season. Thet are definitely on the top half of the Big Ten teams this year, at least so far. They are sitting at eighth after their big 23-17 win against Kansas. Illinois is not going crazy on offense with 300 passing yards, but they are winning and not turning the ball over. Their defense on the other hand is forcing turnovers. They may not be a team to make playoffs this year, but they’re doing well. Next, Illinois will face the Central Michigan Chippewas.

9: Iowa (1-1)

Following the hype of week one, the Iowa Hawkeyes had a poor offensive performance leading to a loss against the Iowa State Cyclones. The final score of the game was 20-19. It was a close one, but they could not get it done. Iowa quarterback Cade MacNamara only completed 12 passes and threw one interception, according to ESPN. Iowa will need to look more like they did in week one if they want to win more games. The Hawkeyes will face the 0-2 Troy Trojans.

10: Purdue (1-0)

Purdue has only played one game so it is hard to judge them this week. They had an early bye and will sit in tenth this week. They will next face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

11: Indiana (2-0)

The Indiana Hoosiers are in 11th following a big performance against Western Illinois. The final score of the game was 77-3. It does not matter who the opponent is. Putting up 77 points and only allowing three points is impressive. The Hoosiers are not a team to underestimate. Even when they face tougher opponents they will likely keep games close. Next up the Hoosiers will face the UCLA Bruins.

12: Rutgers (2-0)

In 12th is the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Rutgers had a big game against the Akron Zips. The final score was 49-17. Akron scored more points than the Scarlet Nights defense would have liked, but they still got the win and put up the points. Running back Kyle Monangai stood out and led Rutgers to a win. Rutgers will now have a bye week where they can get a rest, then hopefully they come out firing against the Virginia Tech Hokies.

13: Wisconsin (2-0)

The Wisconsin Badgers are 2-0 following a win against the South Dakota Coyotes. Wisconsin is playing well, but they are not blowing out teams. They are sitting more at the bottom middle of the Big Ten. They will win games this season, but they will still lose a couple. Next week will be a tough matchup against the Alabama Crimson Tide. 

14: Michigan State (2-0)

The Michigan State Spartans had an important win over the weekend against Maryland. They defeated the Terrapins 27-24. This was an important win for a team that won but struggled the week prior. This does bump them up a bit, but a lot needs to be fixed. Throwing three interceptions and still winning is not something that will happen often. They will have to improve their offense moving forward. Next up they will face the Praire View A&M Panthers, a game the Spartans should win.

15: Maryland (1-1)

In 15th is the Maryland Terrapins. They lost against the Michigan State Spartans, 27-24. To let Michigan State come into your home Stadium and defeat you is rough. This does drop them a couple of spots. Credit does go to the Maryland defense though, as they caught three interceptions. Maryland will next face the Virginia Cavaliers.

16: UCLA (1-0)

The UCLA Bruins is another team that had a bye week in week two. This means they will not move places too much and sit at 16th in this week’s Big Ten power rankings. They will next face the 2-0 Indiana Hoosiers.

17: Northwestern (1-1)

Northwestern is now 1-1 following a loss against the Duke Blue Devils. The final score of the game was 26-20.This is a tough loss for the Wildcats, but their offense did keep scoring. It does not help when Duke quarterback, Maalik Murphy passes for three touchdowns. Northwestern has a lot to fix moving forward. They will next face the Eastern Illinois Panthers.

18: Minnesota (1-1)

The Minnesota Golden Gophers got their first win this weekend against Rhode Island. This is good news for Minnesota, as it’s tough going 0-2. It was also a game they were expected to win, which makes it even more crucial to actually win. The final score of the game was 48-0. Now every team in the Big Ten officially has a win, which is great news for the conference. This could be a momentum boost for Minnesota. They will next face the Nevada Wolf Pack.