Ohio State and Indiana are on pace to have a No. 1 versus No. 2 battle in Indianapolis. With the Big Ten title on the line and likely, the top seeds in the postseason come Dec. 6. Both remain undefeated heading into Week 13, while USC is another suddenly sparking College Football Playoff chatter as we roll out this week's power rankings.
1. Ohio State (-)
Ryan Day keeps his team afloat even amid notable injuries — with Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate limited. Yet OSU discovered a new special teams weapon in cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr., who took this touchdown back 100 yards versus UCLA.
2. Indiana (-)
Fernando Mendoza stretched his Heisman Trophy chatter another week. Curt Cignetti is proving he discovered a massive portal win with Mendoza revealing how he got to Indiana.
3. Oregon (-)
Can the Ducks make their way back to Indy? One thing is certain, Saturday in Eugene carries hefty CFP implications.
4. USC (-)
Makai Lemon caught 10 passes and surpassed 100 yards in the rain. He even won over Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz. Meanwhile, head coach Lincoln Riley is re-winning over Trojans fans.
5. Michigan (-)
Michigan and Sherrone Moore have avoided two potential disasters the last two weeks. The Wolverines avoided upsets from Purdue and on Saturday, Northwestern.
6. Washington (+2)
The Huskies rebounded from the letdown against Wisconsin by trouncing Purdue. Washington, though, still awaits what will become of head coach Jedd Fisch amid UCLA and Florida chatter.
7. Illinois (+2)
Illinois has won two in a row and moves up two spots in the process. Head coach Bret Bielema faces his old school Wisconsin on Saturday in his return to Camp Randall.
8. Iowa (-2)
The Hawkeyes played in weather they're accustomed to out west, but still fell to USC in the rain. Ferentz still has his team heading to a fifth straight bowl game.
9. Minnesota (-2)
P.J. Fleck watched his team muster only 200 total yards versus Oregon. The Golden Gophers close with Northwestern then Wisconsin before heading to a bowl game.
10. Nebraska (-)
The Cornhuskers haven't won nine games since 2016. Matt Rhule has a chance to get Nebraska to 9-3 by beating Penn State and Iowa.
11. Northwestern (-)
Northwestern was so close to stunning the Wolverines. Now the Wildcats are carrying three-game losing streak to the Minnesota contest.
12. Rutgers (+1)
The Scarlet Knights need only one more win to seal a December game. But top-ranked Ohio State is next.
13. UCLA (-1)
Bob Chesney of James Madison is growing as the next head coach in Westwood. Interim head coach Tim Skipper, meanwhile, has QB Nico Iamaleava listed as “day-to-day.”
14. Penn State (+2)
PSU stayed in contention for a 13th game by beating Michigan State. Nittany Lions can attempt to sneak in an extra game by beating Nebraska and Rutgers…all before James Franklin's replacement arrives.
15. Maryland (-1)
Six straight losses for the Terrapins. And it's not even the longest skid among Big Ten teams.
16. Wisconsin (-1)
Wisconsin hasn't had a nine-loss regular season since 1990 — Barry Alvarez's first season. Head coach Luke Fickell and company are staring exactly at that mark.
17. Michigan State (-)
The Spartans own the second biggest losing streak among conference teams. MSU is on pace for its first 3-9 season since 2016.
18. Purdue (-)
It'll take some time for Barry Odom to get things going at Purdue. They'll be massive underdogs against rival Indiana on Black Friday.
