Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 2: Iowa drops a game they had in the bag

With two weeks in the books, it is time to get some annual power rankings going each week.

The Big Ten is looking like the only conference that will be able to compete with the SEC come the end of the season, but only a few teams look like they are the strongest they can be at this moment.

Iowa looked strong in Week 1, but then they came out against Iowa State and looked like the Hawkeyes of old on offense and that is going to come back and haunt them later in the year.

So here are the Week 2 power rankings for the Big Ten.

18. UCLA Bruins

Preseason Big 12 ranking: 15
Record: 1-0

UCLA only has one game to go off of and that one game did do them a lot of favors. The Bruins played in Week 1 against Hawaii, a team that was coming off a win in Week 0. UCLA only beat the Rainbow Warriors by three points and the didn't play in Week 2 putting them in the bottom.

17. Northwestern Wildcats

Preseason Big 12 ranking: 14
Record: 1-1

Northwestern is not even playing in their home stadium, they are playing in a makeshift stadium next to their stadium that is currently being renovated. However, the Wildcats are still 1-1 and their one win was not all that impressive. Northwestern beat Miami OH 13-6 and then lost a double overtime matchup against Duke.

16. Maryland Terrapins

Preseason Big 12 ranking: 11
Record: 1-1

Maryland beat a UConn team that was in talks with the Big 12 about joining, but then those talks suddenly stalled. Most people know that UConn is more of a basketball school anyway, but basically the win Maryland had over the Huskies was good, but then they lost a close one against Michigan State, so they could move up, but with a loss, they still be at 16 for right now.

15. Purdue Boilermakers

Preseason Big 12 ranking: 18
Record: 1-0

Like UCLA, Purdue has played only one game this season with a bye in Week 2. The reason Purdue is ranked higher than UCLA is because they had a more dominant performance in their week one game when they shutout Indiana State. However, Now the Boilermakers have to face a Notre Dame squad coming off a big upset, so they will be out for blood.

14. Minnesota Golden Gophers

Preseason Big 12 ranking: 12
Record: 1-1

Minnesota started out the season on a loss to UNC by just two points, so the Golden Gophers put up a good fight. They did come back in Week 2 and put a beat down on Rhode Island by shutting them out 48-0. The Golden Gophers have another chance to get another beat down when they face Nevada in Week 3 before heading into Big Ten play.

13. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Preseason Big 12 ranking: 9
Record: 2-0

Rutgers is a team that is undefeated, but they did play Akron and Howard, two teams that aren't necessarily striking fear in the hearts of their opponents. The Scarlet Knights will get their first true test of the season as they face Virginia Tech this weekend.

12. Indiana Hoosiers

Preseason Big 12 ranking: 17
Record: 2-0

Indiana is a surprising team both last season and so far this season. They are undefeated so far this season, but this past week they put up 77 points on Western Illinois and it doesn't matter who a team is facing, when you put that many points on an opponent, it earns you some respect. The Hoosiers face UCLA this weekend and they could pick up their first Big Ten win.

11. Michigan State Spartans

Preseason Big 12 ranking: 16
Record: 2-0

Michigan State is currently the only team in the Big Ten right now that has a conference win against Maryland. The Spartans don't necessarily look amazing right now, but they are in a bit of a rebuild with Jonathon Smith as the head coach.

10. Wisconsin Badgers

Preseason Big 12 ranking: 7
Record: 2-0

Wisconsin is in year two with Luke Fickell as the head coach and while they have won both of their games this season, there have been some arguments that they should have won bigger than what they did. Fickell has now had a full season and two off-seasons to get used to this Badgers program and if he doesn't start showing some improvement soon, his seat could start to feel a little warm.

9. Iowa Hawkeyes

Preseason Big 12 ranking: 5
Record: 1-1

Iowa could have been ranked higher in these power rankings if they could have just held onto a lead in the Cy-Hawk showdown. The Hawkeyes were out-scored 20-6 in the second half at home in Kinnick Stadium. Iowa needs to find some answers with their offense which seems to be having a bit of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde situation going on.

8. Michigan Wolverines

Preseason Big 12 ranking: 4
Record: 1-1

Michigan took a big tumble this week as they got absolutely demolished at home in the Big House by the Texas Longhorns. The Wolverine offense was exposed quite a bit by the Longhorn defense and if anything this game showed Michigan's true identity.

7. Illinois Fighting Illini

Preseason Big 12 ranking: 13
Record: 2-0

Illinois is a team that is surprising everyone. The Fighting Illini has a huge wino over No. 19 Kansas this past week and after being up and down the last two seasons, this was a big win, their first win over a ranked opponent since 2018.

6. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Preseason Big 12 ranking: 8
Record: 2-0

This one might be a bit of an overreaction because while Nebraska beat Colorado, let's face it, the Buffaloes are not garnering as much hype as they got in the offseason now. Freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola has looked good in his first two games, but let's wait to see how he looks against Big Ten teams before we make our final assumptions.

5. Washington Huskies

Preseason Big 12 ranking: 10
Record: 2-0

Washington is a tough team to rank because they haven't impressed a lot in their two wins, but are still 2-0 and there have been some good things from Jedd Fisch's offense behind Husky quarterback Will Rogers.

4. Oregon Ducks

Preseason Big 12 ranking: 2
Record: 2-0

Oregon was a team projected to finish second in the Big Ten, but they have not looked like that team in the first two weeks. The Ducks struggled a lot against Boise State at home in Eugene and had to get the win with a field goal as time expired. Maybe quarterback Dillon Gabriel isn't the answer the Ducks were looking for.

3. USC Trojans

Preseason Big 12 ranking: 6
Record: 2-0

USC had a big win over No. 13 LSU in Week 1, but the question is whether that LSU win was all that big. They dominated Utah State this week as the game was over by the third quarter, but the Trojans still need to get through Big Ten play and that might prove tougher than they think.

2. Penn State Nittany Lions

Preseason Big 12 ranking: 3
Record: 2-0

Penn State looked like they unlocked something in Drew Allar in Week 1 against West Virginia, but then the defense seemed to struggle heavily against Bowling Green in Week 2. Which Penn State team is the real Nittany Lion? No one knows, but a lot will be made clear as the season goes on.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes

Preseason Big 12 ranking: 1
Record: 2-0

Ohio State has shown very few vulnerabilities in the first two weeks, but those were against teams they should have beat-handedly and did. The Buckeyes are still adjusting to Will Howard as the starter, but they are looking like the team to beat yet again in the Big Ten and everyone will be coming after them.