Big Ten Mid-Season Rankings 2023

The 2023 college football season has hit the halfway mark, but where does each Big Ten team stand? There have been some surprises this season. There are also a couple of games that still need to be played to determine where the teams stand. Here is a look at the overall Big Ten mid-season rankings.

2023 Big Ten Mid-Season Rankings

1: Michigan Wolverines (7-0)

As of now, there is no slowing down the Michigan Wolverines. They have only had one truly rough game this season, against Bowling Green, but turned that around in the second half. J.J. McCarthy has not thrown an interception since that game, and since then he has been a strong player. Where things stand, it looks as though Michigan will remain at the top of the Big Ten.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0)

Ohio State has had their moments where they looked rough, but they always find a way to clean it up by the second half. Quarterback, Kyle McCord has only thrown one interception this season. The Buckeyes also have wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who has had 604 receptions this season and five touchdowns, according to ESPN. This is a solid team, but next week will be a big test for them against the Penn State Nittany Lions in a Big Ten showdown.

3: Penn State Nittany Lions (6-0)

The Penn State Nittany Lions have been a strong team this season. They have won each of their games by a big difference, but have struggled in the first half against teams they should have dominated. This does knock them down to third in the Big Ten. As known, this ranking can change by next week as they face the Ohio State Buckeyes. Young quarterback, Drew Allar has done well protecting the ball, and this Nittany Lions defense is powerful.

4: Maryland Terrapins (5-2)

The Marland Terrapins have been a solid team this season. They did lose against Illinois, which was an upset, but it is too hard to knock them from fourth place after one upset loss. Their other loss of the season came against the Ohio State Buckeyes, where the team did put up a big fight. As long as they bounce back this weekend, they should be able to stay in the top five in the Big Ten.

5: Wisconsin Badgers (4-2)

It is understandable to judge this placement. The Wisconsin Badgers have lost two games this season, one of which is also in the Big Ten. Usually, if a team beats another they’d be on top, but the Iowa Hawkeyes lost another player to injury. It is going to be a battle for Iowa’s offense to find success, which is why Wisconsin is still ahead of them. Wisconsin has had some key wins this year, such as against Rutgers, They will need to win this weekend to keep this spot most likely.

6: Rutgers Scarlet Knights (5-2)

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights have had solid games this year. They are a complete unit and are finding more success on offense this year. Their strong defense is keeping them at sixth in the Big Ten. They also have a solid run game and strong receivers. The play calling could be better at times, but the Scarlet Knights are a complete team, who do not give up in games even when they are losing.

7: Iowa Hawkeyes (6-1)

It seems wrong to put the Iowa Hawkeyes in seventh despite only losing to Penn State this season. The team recently lost tight end, Erick All for the season. All is the leading receiver with 299 yards this season according to ESPN. The second most receiving yards goes to Luke Lachey, who is also out for the season. That is not to forget quarterback Cade McNamara is also out for the season. The defense deserves their respect, but the offensive injuries are a rough one to continue to play with.

8: Michigan State Spartans (2-4)

After a loss against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Michigan State Spartans are 2-4. They had a big lead against Rutgers last weekend but ended up losing anyway. The team needs to figure out the quarterback situation still. In week seven the team played Katin Houser, who looked like a solid player for them. The program has gone through changes this season, but this all does place them at eighth in the Big Ten.

9: Northwestern Wildcats (3-3)

The Northwestern Wildcats have been a surprising team in the Big Ten this year. They are still pretty average, and their record represents that, but going from one win in 2022 to as of now three, that is an accomplishment. There is definitely an issue on offense, as the team has given up 22 sacks already this season, according to ESPN. Northwestern is a team that could be in any game and should not be counted out despite their record.

10: Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-3)

The Minnesota Golden Gophers are another team that does rank in the bottom half of the Big Ten but is a team that can still get wins in the conference. Their defense has forced eight interceptions this season, according to ESPN, keeping them in each game. They are ranked below Northwestern due to their loss against the Wildcats in overtime. They definitely have a chance to get more wins this season.

11: Indiana Hoosiers (2-4)

The way week one went against the Ohio State Buckeyes, it partially looked like Indiana would be a solid team. Of the three Big Ten teams they lost to so far this season, two of them were Ohio State and Michigan. These losses are not too surprising. Even their loss against Maryland is understandable. Next week they will face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at home, which will truly show where they sit in the Big Ten.

12: Purdue Boilermakers (2-5)

The Purdue Boilermakers have only won two games this season, and it was against Virginia Tech and Illinois. Their quarterback, Hudson Card, has passed for 1,617 yards, according to ESPN, which is solid, but this team just cannot get wins. They have even had 22 pass deflections, 21 sacks, and six interceptions. This team should be winning more than they are, which is an issue. They have the second half of the season to figure out their issues and fix them.

13: Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-3)

The Nebraska Cornhuskers are another 3-3 team that has struggled this season. Their quarterback position is holding them back this year, totaling six interceptions between two quarterbacks, compared to five passing touchdowns, according to ESPN. Their offense has had its struggles, but their defense has had 16 sacks, 24 passes deflected, and four interceptions. All of this keeps them from being at the very bottom of the Big Ten.

14: Illinois Fighting Illini (3-4)

The Illinois Fighting Illini take the bottom of the Big Ten at this point of the season. Nebraska did defeat Illinois, which was a deciding factor in this positioning. Illinois is a team that can put up a fight, and they do not give up, but they are at the bottom for now. This could definitely change as the season progresses. According to ESPN, quarterback Luke Altmyer has had 1,571 passing yards, but has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns.

There have already been some big surprises this season in the Big Ten. A lot can change in the second half of the season. Numerous teams will face more challenging opponents, and as the Big Ten teams continue to face each other, there will most likely be a number of changes by the end of the season.