Big Ten power rankings: Ohio State, Indiana on top as showdown looms for a conference in search of drama

The Big Ten power rankings will be published weekly throughout the regular season using a mix of data-driven insight and unapologetic subjectivity With teams nine conference games and wild variations in the quality of non-conference schedules comparative analysis is an inherently flawed approach Which is fine because the Hotline hasn t been wrong about anything in at least minutes Last week s rankings are here The Big Ten championship is one of the greatest misdirection plays in college football history a matchup of undefeated No vs undefeated No that is effectively meaningless for College Football Playoff positioning Ohio State and Indiana are locks for the -team field In fact they are guaranteed top-four seeds and opening-round byes regardless of the outcome of their duel in Indianapolis on Saturday evening Could you blame Buckeyes coach Ryan Day for playing his starters in the first half to stay sharp then sitting them for the third and fourth quarters He won t but it would be the smart move Granted this is no fault of the Big Ten itself Conference championship games are rapidly becoming irrelevant in the era of the expanded playoff and will have even less significance if the field grows to teams in - The matchup also reflects the Big Ten season writ large with less there than meets the eye The top-heavy conference was devoid of high-level drama from the first Saturday to the last Ohio State Indiana and Oregon dominated a race that had a modest middle and huge bottom tier The three heavyweights played conference games and only four were decided by fewer than points Indiana beat Iowa by five and Penn State by three Oregon beat Penn State by six and Iowa by two Ohio State won every meeting by at least points How does that drama-meter compare to the Big Ten s chief rival Poorly The SEC was loaded with pulsating finishes with the four teams on its top tier Georgia Alabama Mississippi and Texas A M playing conference games that were decided by fewer than points The disparity is rooted in the disparate structures of the two conferences The SEC has more meat than fat within its -school membership The Big Ten has far more fat than meat in its -school alignment It completely has too several lopsided matchups and boring Saturdays Occurrence in point Indiana s four November opponents Maryland Penn State Wisconsin and Purdue finished with a combined conference record of - The dearth of drama in the Big Ten only deepens the desire for a riveting championship match that has little material significance Maybe the Buckeyes and Hoosiers will produce a thriller nonetheless The conference is long overdue To the power rankings Ohio State - - Effect won at Michigan - Next up vs Indiana p m on Fox Comment Don t discount the possibility that Ohio State could be better off losing on Saturday and slipping to the No seed given the likely quarterfinal opponents for No Alabama and Notre Dame Previous Indiana - - Impact won at Purdue - Next up vs Ohio State p m on Fox Comment If there s a motivational edge in Indianapolis it can be identified on Indiana s sideline The Hoosiers have never won a Big Ten championship battle Previous Oregon - - Product won at Washington - Next up College Football Playoff Comment The Ducks are oh-so-close to the perfect CFP path As the No seed with a home meeting in the opening round against the best gang the Group of Five has to offer Previous USC - - Upshot beat UCLA - Next up bowl contest Comment Upper-middle class is alas still middle class Previous Michigan - - End lost to Ohio State - Next up bowl contest Comment After two seasons without a playoff berth and a lopsided loss to Ohio State Wolverines coach Sherrone Moore enters on a seat much hotter than it might appear Previous Iowa - - End won at Nebraska - Next up bowl championship Comment The Hawkeyes scored points or more on five occasions We re old enough to remember when they would go entire seasons without clearing that bar Previous Washington - - Effect lost to Oregon - Next up bowl challenge Comment Three games against ranked opponents three double-digit losses and just points scored Blame coach Jedd Fisch s play-calling if you d like But as we see the situation the problems start up front UW s offensive line only isn t good enough Previous Nebraska - - End lost to Iowa - Next up bowl contest Comment About time for the Cornhuskers to give Matt Rhule another contract extension After all a slew of American schools have vacancies Previous Illinois - - End beat Northwestern - Next up bowl match Comment We expected more from the Illini this season considering how they finished and who they brought back That whiff is on us not them Previous Northwestern - - Outcome lost at Illinois - Next up bowl meeting Comment Four losses in the final five games makes - feel like - Previous Minnesota - - Conclusion beat Wisconsin - Next up bowl championship Comment The Gophers lost to Cal Their counterparts in the SEC Missouri and Tennessee that s based on record and position in the standings spent much of the season ranked Previous Penn State - - Product won at Rutgers - Next up bowl contest Comment Three consecutive wins to end the season makes - feel like - Previous UCLA - - Upshot lost at USC - Next up season complete Comment By the time you read this the Bruins might have a coach in place Bob Chesney James Madison feels a tad too obvious We suspect a mystery candidate Previous Related Articles Big power rankings Texas Tech BYU and the nightmare CFP scenario Pac- power rankings SDSU on top as Boise State s CFP path opens barely Washington State beats Oregon St bowl-eligible for th time in years College football ACC s nightmare CFP forecast Heisman prediction Arizona beats ASU What s next for T-Cup rivals as offseason approaches Wisconsin - - Upshot lost at Minnesota - Next up season complete Comment Considering the Badgers were - against teams not named Ohio State Indiana Alabama Michigan and Oregon their overall record looks vastly worse than it is Also the Big Ten did them no favors with the schedule Previous Rutgers - - Consequence lost to Penn State - Next up season complete Comment The bottom tier of the Big Ten is larger than it should be and expanding Feels like reversing that trend should be the priority at HQ Previous Maryland - - Upshot lost at Michigan State - Next up season complete Comment If eight consecutive losses to close the season isn t bad enough the final five defeats were all by double digits Yikes Previous Michigan State - - Consequence beat Maryland - Next up season complete Comment The Hotline from Nov We envision Jonathan Smith getting swallowed up by the Big Ten and lost in the machinery of the massive league unable to carve an identity that works for the Spartans the way his methods worked for OSU Previous Purdue - - Upshot lost to Indiana - Next up season complete Comment The Boilermakers will climb out of the Big Ten cellar eventually Just give them four years maybe five Previous Send suggestions comments and tips confidentiality guaranteed to wilnerhotline bayareanewsgroup com or call - - Follow me on the social media platform X WilnerHotline