Aug 274 min read

Big Ten Conference Power Rankings: Week 1

Big Ten Power Rankings — © Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Disp/USA TODAY NETWORK

College football is back, and it didn’t take long to see the first upset as No.10 Florida State lost in Week 0. Now we head into Week 1 and the Big Ten Conference will kick off on Aug. 29 with Howard visiting Rutgers. It’s been an offseason filled with changes with the elimination of divisions, and Oregon, USC, Washington, UCLA all joining the B1G. There will also be a new 12-team College Football Playoff giving more B1G teams a chance to get in.

The Big Ten is that by name only now that it's a 18-team conference filled with some of the top programs in the country. Thanks to conference realignment fans of the B1G will be treated to blockbuster matchups throughout the year. The question is what teams each week will have the best chance to be the last team standing on Sat. Dec. 4 in Indianapolis?

Here are College Football Dawgs' Week 1 Big Ten Power Rankings.

1. No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes

The Buckeyes are coming out of the offseason loaded with talent. Many of their starters returned from a year ago. Ohio State didn’t just count on their returning talent. The Buckeyes went into the Transfer Portal and grabbed some key pieces like starting QB Will Howard. Howard was with Kansas State last season before heading to Ohio State and has the fourth-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy. With the starting QB named, all that’s left is for coach Ryan Day to prove he can get it done.

Upcoming game: Akron

2. No. 3 Oregon Ducks

The Oregon Ducks come to the B1G after leaving the Pac-12 Conference. Oregon will enter the year as the No. 3-ranked team in the country. Like Ohio State, coach Dan Lanning navigated thePortal beautifully bringing in one of the top QBs in Dillion Gabriel and WR Evan Stewart to add to an already talent-rich roster. The Ducks will be strong on both the defensive and offensive line, something you need if you're going to compete in the B1G.

Upcoming game: Idaho

3. No. 9 Michigan Wolverines

The Wolverines come in as the defending CFP National Champion but have seen the most change among the B1G's top teams. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh left a few weeks after the championship game, taking most of the defensive staff along. Michigan hired former offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore to take over as head coach.

Michigan occupies our No. 3 spot because of the belief they are returning a defense that is better than the one that won a national championship a year ago. Michigan's defense will need to prove it early when top-5-ranked Texas comes to Ann Arbor, Mich. Michigan might hold the No. 3 spot now but that could change fast in 2024.

Upcoming game: Fresno State

4. No. 8 Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State sits in the fourth spot for one reason. Head coach James Franklin needs to prove he can beat top teams. Franklin is just 3-16 when playing top-10 ranked teams in his tenure at Penn State. The Nittany Lions have talent all over the field and should be able to compete with anyone in the B1G. But if Franklin is finally going to beat the top-10 teams, he will need Drew Allar to be the quarterback many thought he would be going into the 2023 season.

Allar was good in all but three games last season but, unfortunately, those three games were the most important and Allar just didn’t show up. Andy Kotelnicki is now the offensive coordinator at Penn State. If Kotelnicki can turn Allar into the NFL first-round pick many believed he was going to be, Franklin could just get a few more top-10 wins this season.

Upcoming game: at West Virginia

5. No. 23 USC Trojans

USC heads into its first season in the B1G as almost an underdog. The persona around coach Lincoln Riley teams is they are great on offense and bad on defense. Defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn was brought in (from UCLA) to change that persona, even with the talent he has to work with it would shock many if he did it in Year 1.

Miller Moss takes over at QB—a position Riley has become a guru at developing. It will come as no surprise if Moss continues that tradition of great QB under Riley. USC kicks it off on Sept. 1 against No. 13 LSU and a big win in that game should push the Trojans up the rankings.

Upcoming Game: No. 13 LSU (Las Vegas)