2023 Big Ten Power Rankings

And just like that, the 2023 Big Ten regular season is over. It is now time for the Big Ten Championship Game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Michigan Wolverines, as well as all of the bowl games. It is also time for the final 2023 Big Ten power rankings. For a look at last week’s rankings read here. Also, take a look here for the look back at the first rankings of the season. Here are the final 2023 Big Ten power rankings.

2023 Big Ten Power Rankings

1: Michigan Wolverines (12-0)

The Michigan Wolverines will officially be ending the 2023 regular season with a 12-0 record. The win over Ohio State is just what they needed to be ranked first in the Big Ten. It may have come down to the final few minutes, but the Wolverines’ defense had a strong showing against the Buckeyes, leading to the win.

2: Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1)

After a loss against the Michigan Wolverines, the Ohio State Buckeyes now fall to second in the 2023 Big Ten rankings. It is not just the fact that they lost, it is how Ohio State lost. The offense struggled, as quarterback Kyle McCord did not have a great game. Even the defense could not stop Michigan’s run game. This drops them below Michigan in the final rankings of the season.

3: Penn State Nittany Lions (10-2)

The Penn State Nittany Lions are once again ending the season with a 10-2 record. They have beaten the Iowa Hawkeyes this season, another 10-2 2023 Big Ten team, but their two losses are against Ohio State and Michigan. This keeps the Nittany Lions at third. The way they ended the season does bring hope for the future, as the offense was explosive, but it is too late for this season.

4: Iowa Hawkeyes (10-2)

The Iowa Hawkeyes officially did it. They are ending the season with a 10-2 record. There were high hopes for them in the season, but following injuries, there was doubt surrounding the offense. This tough defense put them in a position to compete for the Big Ten Championship. Although they will not be the favorites, it is still a big opportunity for them. This keeps them at fourth in the overall Big Ten, but they are definitely the best in the West.

5: Maryland Terrapins (7-5)

Although they hit a bit of a rough patch in the middle of the season, the Maryland Terrapins ended their season with a 7-5 record. The win over Rutgers to end the season solidified their position in the Big Ten rankings. They did not beat the top teams, but they still deserve the top five in the 2023 Big Ten rankings.

6: Rutgers Scarlet Knights (6-6)

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights did exceed expectations, but their last stretch of games was not pretty. Achieving three wins against conference opponents was still an achievement and a big reason that they are ranked sixth in the Big Ten. The loss against Maryland did stop them from being top five, but there is growth within the program.

7: Northwestern Wildcats (7-5)

After earning just one win in the 2022 season, the Northwestern Wildcats are ending their 2023 regular season with a 7-5 record. This team put up a fight and exceeded expectations following all that occurred in the offseason. Their continuous growth in the season is what brought them here. Assuming that there are no coaching changes this offseason, it will be interesting to see where they end up next year.

8: Wisconsin Badgers (7-5)

Although there were higher expectations for the Wisconsin Badgers, they ended up getting seven wins this season. Seven is not bad, but they should have been able to get more. Their receiving core was expected to keep this team up, but they are ending in eighth in the 2023 Big Ten rankings. There were some solid wins by the Badgers, but they should have been able to win more.

9: Illinois Fighting Illini (5-7)

The Illinois Fighting Illini only made it to five wins this season, which does put them in the bottom half of the Big Ten. They were not the best team, but in some of their losses, they did keep it close. Even against some of the bigger opponents, they were able to fight in the first half. There is still a lot to fix ahead of next season.

10: Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-7)

The Nebraska Cornhuskers is another team that struggled this season. They had their moments, but ultimately, the quarterback position hurt them. They now fall to tenth in the 2023 Big Ten rankings. They did try to rotate quarterbacks, but they are ending the season with just five wins. The Cornhuskers will have a lot to fix ahead of next season.

11: Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-7)

The Minnesota Golden Gophers is another team to end their season 5-7. There was just not much to them this year. There were games they competed in, but they lost too many, and now their season is done. It was the loss against Purdue this season that pushed them to the lower portion of the Big Ten.

12: Michigan State Spartans (4-8)

The bottom three in the final Big Ten rankings may come as no surprise. The Michigan State Spartans are sitting at 12 in these rankings, following a 4-8 season. Once their head coach was fired, the season collapsed for this team. Their most recent loss comes against Penn State, where the final score was 42-0. While this does not affect the rankings, Michigan State did just recently hire Jonathan Smith as their new head coach. It is time to see how he begins to fix the program.

13: Purdue Boilermakers (4-8)

With four wins this season, the Purdue Boilermakers jumped up to 13th in the 2023 Big Ten power rankings. Their win over Indiana pushed them up one position. These rankings do look at the overall season, and in the past few weeks, it is clear Purdue was pushing for a couple more wins. There is still a lot to be fixed within the program though.

14: Indiana Hoosiers (3-9)

The Indiana Hoosiers are officially at the bottom of the Big Ten. They were only able to get three wins this season. Though they kept some games close, the Boilermakers just could not do much this season against even opponents they should have defeated. As of Sunday morning, Indiana did fire their head coach. Next up is to find someone new to take over. They will pay former head coach, Tom Allen, $20.8 million so he no longer coaches there.