Nov 134 min read

Week 12 Big Ten Power Rankings: Top 4 Still Alive for CFP

Updated: Dec 4

With the close of Week 11, college football is officially three-quarters over and the Big Ten Conference is down to four contenders. Oregon (10-0, 7-0) still holds the top spot, and all signs point to the Ducks playing for the B1G Championship in their first year in the conference

Ohio State (8-1, 5-1 ) has its sights set on the B1G Championship and a rematch with the Ducks. The Buckeyes shut out Purdue (1-8, 0-6) this past weekend but face a trap game in Week 12 with surprise Indiana (10-0, 7-0) waiting in Week 13. The season's story has been Indiana who are off to their best start in school history at 10-0. Indiana beat Michigan (5-5, 3-4 ) this past weekend 20-15 and it's only the fourth time since 1967 that the Hoosiers have beaten the the Wolverines.

The B1G has four top 5 spots in this week's College Football Playoffs rankings. Oregon holds the top spot for a second straight week. Ohio State comes in at No. 2 followed by Penn State at No. 4 and Indiana at No. 5. All eyes are now on Week 13 with Indiana heading to the Horseshoe for a top-5 matchup with Ohio State.

Here are the post-Week 11 power rankings as voted on by College Football Dawgs' Big Ten writers.

1. No. 1 Oregon (10-0, 7-0)

Last Week: 39-18 win over Maryland

Oregon took down Maryland (4-5, 1-5) 39-18 in Week 11 with no issue and remained perfect on the season. The Ducks have been dismantling teams after their one-point win over Ohio State. In the four games since, no team has come within 21 points. This past weekend quarterback Dillon Gabriel went 23-of-34 for 183 yards and 3 touchdowns. In the game, Gabriel set the NCAA record for career total touchdowns passing Case Keenum of Houston. In six seasons, Gabriel has 180 total touchdowns.

Upcoming game: at Wisconsin (5-4, 3-3)

2. No. 2 Ohio State (8-1, 5-1)

Last Week: 45-0 win over Purdue

The Buckeyes welcomed a struggling Purdue team to the 'Shoe and had the game in hand by halftime, leading 21-0. And when the clock hit triple zero to end the game Ohio State scored 45 points and shut out the Boilermakers 45-0. Ohio State had 433 total yards compared to Purdue’s 206. Quarterback Will Howard went 21-of-26 for 260 yards and 3 touchdowns. Freshman phenom wide receiver Jeremiah Smith led all receivers with 6 receptions for 87 yards and 1 TD. The Buckeye's defense held Purdue to just 2-of-12 on third downs in the game and turned the Boilermakers over twice.

Upcoming game: at Northwestern (4-5, 2-4)

3. No. 4 Penn State (8-1, 5-1 )

Las Week: 35-6 win over Washington

Penn State's 486 to Washington's (5-5, 3-4) 193 total yards sums up this past weekend's game. Penn State was up 28-0 by half and would win 35-6. Washington got treated to the official Whiteout game and the environment didn’t disappoint, but many believe Ohio State should have had that honor the week prior. Penn State's running game had 266 rushing yards, averaging 6.7 yards a carry and 4 touchdowns. Kaytron Allen led the way with 20 carries for 98 yards and 1 touchdown.

Upcoming game: at Purdue (1-8, 0-6 )

4. No. 5 Indiana (10-0, 7-0)

Last week: 20-15 win over Michigan

Indiana remains the story in B1G this season as they remain perfect after beating a disappointing Michigan team 20-15. The game's story was a Jekyll and Hyde performance by the Hoosiers from the first half to the second. In the first half, Indiana put up 288 total yards with 190 of them coming in the air and held a 17-3 lead and looked to be running away with it. The second half was completely different with Indiana only managing 18 total yards with 16 coming in the air. Michigan's ineptitude in play calling and time management helped Indiana hold on for the win.

Upcoming Game: Bye

See how our picks stack up compared to odds across all betting sites.