2024 Big Ten power rankings: Ohio State on top, USC climbs after Week 2

Aside from resounding victories by Ohio State and USC, this was a disappointing week for the upper echelon of the Big Ten — especially as it relates to the SEC.

Defending national champion Michigan was embarrassed by No. 3 Texas, a new member of the aforementioned SEC, in a game that called into question the Wolverines’ chances of reaching the College Football Playoff. Oregon scraped out a narrow victory for the second consecutive week. Penn State trailed Bowling Green at halftime.

[Related: RJ Young’s 2024 college football rankings]

The SEC, meanwhile, had five teams ranked in the top 10 of last week’s AP Poll, and those schools won their respective matchups by an average of 44.3 points per game.

Here are our Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 2: 

1. Ohio State (2-0 overall, 0-0 Big Ten)

Result: 56-0 home win over Western Michigan

A week after Western Michigan hung tough against Wisconsin in a narrow 28-14 defeat, the Broncos were obliterated by Ohio State in a reminder of just how explosive the best team in this year’s Big Ten can be. Transfer quarterback Will Howard oversaw five touchdown drives on the Buckeyes’ first six possessions as a balanced offense led by new coordinator Chip Kelly chewed up 273 yards on the ground and 410 through the air. The one-two punch of tailbacks Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson combined for 174 yards and four scores while averaging a staggering 9.2 yards per carry. True freshman wideout Jeremiah Smith caught five passes for a team-high 119 yards and a touchdown, while veteran Emeka Egbuka made five receptions for 98 yards. Ohio State’s defense limited the Broncos to 99 yards of total offense courtesy of a 20% conversion rate on third down and an anemic rush average of 0.9 yards per carry on 31 attempts. This was a resounding victory.

2. USC (2-0, 0-0 Big Ten)

Result: 48-0 home win over Utah State

Sure, it was only Utah State, a team picked to finish seventh in the Mountain West, but the Trojans scored their first shutout since 2011 in a clear-cut sign that new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn was an incredibly shrewd hire by head coach Lincoln Riley. A week ago, Lynn’s defense limited LSU to just 20 points by holding the Tigers to a 38.5% conversion rate on third down. This week, Lynn’s group kept Utah State below 200 yards of total offense by only allowing two conversions on third down and stifling a downfield passing attack that averaged 3.8 yards per pass. The defense racked up three sacks, seven tackles for loss and one interception while climbing into a tie for 24th nationally in scoring at 10 points per game. The two-headed attack of Woody Marks (13 carries, 103 yards, 1 TD) and Quinten Joyner (10 carries, 84 yards, 2 TDs) spearheaded a ground game that churned out 253 yards and five scores overall. USC has a week off before traveling to Michigan on Sept. 21.

3. Penn State (2-0, 0-0 Big Ten)

Result: 34-27 home win over Bowling Green

This looked like a potential stunner for much of Saturday afternoon as Bowling Green jumped out to a 17-7 lead in the second quarter and carried a four-point advantage into halftime. Former Indiana quarterback Connor Bazelak (25 of 39 for 254 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs) kept the Falcons in contention while exposing some weaknesses in a Penn State defense run by his former head coach, Tom Allen, now the defensive coordinator for the Nittany Lions. Bowling Green enjoyed a 50% conversion rate on third down and outgained Penn State through the air, 254-204. But the Nittany Lions’ excellent tailback tandem of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen combined for 220 yards and a touchdown to pace the offense in a game when quarterback Drew Allar tossed just the third interception of his career. Penn State did not allow a point in the second half until Bowling Green kicked a field goal with :47 remaining.

4. Oregon (2-0 overall, 0-0 Big Ten)

Result: 37-34 home win over Boise State

There are several ways to interpret Oregon’s narrow victory against the Broncos, who were only beaten when the Ducks kicked a 25-yard field goal as time expired. On one hand, beating Boise State becomes a quality item on Oregon’s résumé given the Broncos’ long-term potential as legitimate contenders for the Group of 5 berth in the College Football Playoff. On the other hand, this was the second consecutive unconvincing performance from a team picked by many to contend for the national championship, let alone the Big Ten title. The Ducks have now won their first two games against Idaho and Boise State by just 13 combined points as head coach Dan Lanning continues to search for a better formula. Oregon’s offensive line surrendered four sacks and seven tackles for loss on a night when it was outgained 369 to 353 in total yards and lost the turnover battle 2-0. But there is still plenty of talent on the Ducks’ roster, and that’s why Oregon remains among the top four in these rankings.

5. Nebraska (2-0 overall, 0-0 Big Ten)

Result: 28-10 home win over Colorado

In what was billed as a high-profile quarterback matchup between likely first-round pick Shedeur Sanders of Colorado and five-star phenom Dylan Raiola of Nebraska, it was the Cornhuskers’ defense that wound up stealing the show on Saturday night. Sanders threw for 445 yards and four touchdowns in Week 1, but Nebraska harassed him from the opening kickoff while feasting on an offensive line that remains a massive liability. Sanders only completed 23 of 38 passes for 244 yards, one touchdown and one interception that resulted in a pick-six for the Cornhuskers. He was also sacked five times and pressured 24 times on 45 total dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus. Raiola, however, was steady for the second week running and threw for 185 yards and a touchdown without giving the ball away. He’s completed 73.7% of his passes through Nebraska’s first two games.

6. Michigan (1-1 overall, 0-0 Big Ten)

Result: 31-12 home loss to No. 3 Texas

It’s difficult to penalize the Wolverines too much for dropping a non-conference game to what looks like one of the best teams in the country. But the nature of Michigan’s performance on both sides of the ball — particularly in the trenches — must be particularly concerning for first-year head coach Sherrone Moore. A revamped offensive line proved incapable of displacing Texas’ defensive front as the Wolverines only managed 82 rushing yards on 22 attempts. And the passing attack led by inexperienced quarterback Davis Warren, who needed until the fourth quarter to top 100 yards, is almost entirely reliant on tight end Colston Loveland (eight catches, 70 yards) to make plays downfield. A defensive line that is supposed to be the strength of Michigan’s team was repeatedly displaced against both the run and the pass, with Texas outgaining the Wolverines by more than 100 total yards. There is plenty for Michigan to fix before it hosts USC in two weeks.

7. Illinois (2-0 overall, 0-0 Big Ten)

Result: 23-17 home win over No. 19 Kansas

With 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, Illinois secured its first victory over a ranked non-conference opponent since 2011. A 1-yard touchdown run from tailback Kaden Feagin pushed the Illini in front early in the fourth quarter, and a 43-yard field goal from kicker David Olano helped put the game out of reach in the final minute. But the story of the game was Illinois’ defense, which intercepted star quarterback Jalon Daniels three times and also recovered one of his fumbles to finish plus-three in the turnover battle. Defensive back Xavier Scott recorded two interceptions and returned one of them 30 yards for a touchdown late in the second quarter to give his team the lead. The takeaways kept Illinois afloat on a night when its offense only produced 271 total yards and finished 6-for-15 on third down.

8. Wisconsin (2-0, 0-0 Big Ten)

Result: 27-13 home win over South Dakota

It’s been two weeks and two wins for Wisconsin to begin Year 2 under head coach Luke Fickell, but neither of the Badgers’ victories were particularly impressive. A grinding 28-14 win over Western Michigan in the opener gave way to another two-score win over South Dakota, a program that has only made the FCS playoffs three times in history. Offensive coordinator Phil Longo leaned on the team’s rushing attack by dialing up 41 runs to just 27 passes. The Badgers averaged 4.2 yards per carry en route to 171 yards and two scores, both of which were scored by tailback Chez Mellusi. Transfer quarterback Tyler Van Dyke showed marginal improvements from Game 1 by tossing his first touchdown pass at Wisconsin and upping his completion percentage from 58.3% to 63% against the Coyotes. 

9. Iowa (1-1 overall, 0-0 Big Ten)

Result: 20-19 home loss to Iowa State

Any loss to an in-state rival stings, but this one was particularly painful for Iowa, which welcomed head coach Kirk Ferentz back to the sideline following his one-game suspension. The Hawkeyes led 13-0 at halftime and 19-7 with 4:47 remaining in the third quarter before allowing 13 unanswered points to fall short, a 54-yard field goal from Iowa State kicker Kyle Konrardy proving to be the difference with :06 on the clock. Iowa’s passing game regressed to 2023 levels just a week after hanging 40 points on Illinois State. Quarterback Cade McNamara finished 13-for-29 (44.8%) for 99 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions as the Hawkeyes became entirely one-dimensional. They relied on tailback Kaleb Johnson (25 carries, 187 yards, 2 TDs) for nearly 62% of the team’s total yards.

10. Rutgers (2-0 overall, 0-0 Big Ten)

Result: 49-17 home win over Akron

Were it not for Boise State tailback Ashton Jeanty starting the season in meteoric fashion — he’s rushed for 459 yards and nine touchdowns in two games to lead the country in both categories — more people would be talking about Rutgers running back Kyle Monangai. The reigning Big Ten rushing champion carried 27 times for a career-high 208 yards and three scores against Akron and now ranks second nationally in yards behind Jeanty. It was the 10th 100-yard game of Monangai’s career. In total, the Scarlet Knights’ offense gained 515 yards and converted 66% of the time on third down.

11. Michigan State (2-0 overall, 1-0 Big Ten)

Result: 27-24 road win over Maryland

First-year head coach Jonathan Smith improved to 2-0 at Michigan State courtesy of a 37-yard field goal by Jonathan Kim with :01 remaining. Though the Spartans turned the ball over three times — all of which were interceptions by sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles — this was an impressive offensive display. Michigan State amassed 493 yards of total offense and outgained the Terrapins by 154 yards thanks largely to Chiles’ downfield passing after admitting to reporters that he “was scared” during the opener last week, his first career start. Chiles completed 24 of 39 passes for 363 yards and tossed three touchdown passes to three different receivers. The breakout star was freshman wide receiver Nick Marsh, a four-star prospect from River Rouge, Michigan, who caught eight passes for 194 yards and a score.

12. Washington (2-0 overall, 0-0 Big Ten)

Result: 30-9 home win over Eastern Michigan

The Huskies trailed by a field goal at the end of the first quarter before the offense roared to life with 21 points in a little more than nine minutes, seizing control of what finished as a comfortable victory. Quarterback Will Rogers completed 21 of 26 passes for 261 yards and four scores in the best performance of his brief Washington career. And tailback Jonah Coleman, who followed head coach Jedd Fisch from Arizona to Seattle, topped 100 yards for the second consecutive week with 11 carries for 104 yards overall. The Huskies outgained Eastern Michigan 501-204 in total offense.

13. Indiana (2-0 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) 

Result: 77-3 home win over Western Illinois

Indiana became the second team to batter FCS program Western Illinois in as many weeks after the Leathernecks were smashed 54-15 by Northern Illinois to begin the season. Under first-year head coach Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers set a new school record for points in a game after exploding for 703 yards of total offense and scoring at least 14 points in every quarter. Indiana rushed the ball 46 times for 325 yards (7.1 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns to finish with a nine-minute advantage in time of possession. A trip to UCLA next week should provide some stiffer competition.

14. Purdue (1-0 overall, 0-0 Big Ten)

Result: Idle

After smashing Indiana State to begin the season, Purdue is halfway through its two-week prep time for a marquee game against Notre Dame on Sept. 14. 

15. Maryland (1-1 overall, 0-1 Big Ten)

Result: 27-24 home loss to Michigan State

Maryland’s secondary gave up numerous big plays to Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles, who threw for 363 yards and three touchdowns to offset his three interceptions. The Terrapins were flagged for nine penalties totaling 80 yards in a relatively undisciplined performance that irked head coach Mike Locksley. A rushing attack that only generated 86 yards on 31 carries (2.8 yards per attempt) saddled quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. (253 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) with far too much responsibility.

16. Northwestern (1-1 overall, 0-0 Big Ten)

Result: 26-20 home loss to Duke in double overtime

Northwestern led 13-10 for most of the fourth quarter before surrendering a game-tying field goal with :14 remaining and then falling short in double overtime. Transfer quarterback Mike Wright, formerly of Vanderbilt and Mississippi State, endured noteworthy dips in completion percentage (from 60% to 55.6%) and rushing yardage (from 65 yards and 1 TD to 17 yards and 0 TDs) compared to his relatively impressive debut against Miami (Ohio) last week. The Wildcats converted just three of 16 times on third down.

17. Minnesota (1-1 overall, 0-0 Big Ten)

Result: 48-0 home win over Rhode Island

Star running back Darius Taylor made his season debut by carrying 14 times for 64 yards and a touchdown, but it was transfer quarterback Max Brosmer who paced the Gophers against Rhode Island, an FCS opponent. Brosmer completed 24 of 30 passes (80%) for 271 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in a performance far more reminiscent of the numbers he posted at New Hampshire the last two seasons. Minnesota finished with more than 40 minutes of possession time after limiting Rhode Island to just 135 yards of total offense.   

18. UCLA (1-0 overall, 0-0 Big Ten)

Result: Idle

The Bruins had the weekend off after traveling to Hawaii for their season opener. UCLA returns to action with a home game against Indiana on Sept. 14. 

Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13.

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