Big Ten power rankings after Week 2: Penn State stumbles, Oregon slips, and Michigan falls

Coming into the 2024 season, Ohio State was the clear favorite in the Big Ten and through two weeks the Buckeyes have only separated themselves from the pack. It’s come against back-to-back MAC opponents but with transfer quarterback Will Howard and true freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, Ryan Day’s new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has put up staggering performances. 

While Ohio State is pulling away, the rest of the conference struggles to pursue. USC has made the biggest jump with its Week 1 win over LSU, the most impressive performance of any Big Ten this year. Head coach Lincoln Riley’s Trojans appear to have an improved defensive unit under new DC D’Anton Lynn, and the dropoff from former Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams to his longtime backup Miller Moss hasn’t been particularly noticeable. 

USC is the clear No. 2 in the conference power rankings because, with a golden opportunity to assert itself with the Buckeyes, Penn State stumbled in Week 2 against Bowling Green. James Franklin has always had problems winning the big games, but with an ugly first half from new DC Tom Allen’s defense, winning this little one wasn’t so easy either. Still, escaping with a win after a convincing second half keeps the Nittany Lions in the three spots, where the rest of the conference picked them to finish at Big Ten media days. 

Oregon had been No. 2, firmly in the conversation with Ohio State, not just for the conference crown but for a national championship. However, the first two weeks of the Dillon Gabriel experience after the sixth-year quarterback transferred to Oregon from Oklahoma to replace first-round pick Bo Nix hasn’t been smooth sailing. The Ducks’ offensive line hasn’t held up against Idaho and Boise State, and while head coach Dan Lanning’s team is 2-0, the Ducks slid to No. 9 in the AP poll after a 37-34 victory over Boise State on a last-second field goal. 

The biggest story of Week 2, however, wasn’t Penn State’s stumble or Oregon’s slide, it was Michigan’s fall. The defending champs were nearly a touchdown underdog at home against Texas, but Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers made it much worse. Texas left the Big House with a 31-12 win and Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore has huge problems at quarterback after Davis Warren’s two-interception performance. 

Elsewhere in the Big Ten, Nebraska stole headlines with a convincing win over Coach Prime’s Colorado Buffaloes in Lincoln, but even more impressive was Illinois head coach Bret Bielema’s victory over No. 19 Kansas in Champaign.

Iowa dropped the Cy-Hawk rivalry after a furious Iowa State comeback and there are still concerns about the Hawkeyes on offense. Head coach Kirk Ferentz’s team dropped out of the top 25 and slid in the conference power rankings. 

On a positive note, keep an eye out for Indiana. First-year head coach Curt Cignetti brought much of his roster from James Madison last season and in Week 2, the Hoosiers stomped Western Illinois 77-3 and if Cignetti wanted, it could’ve been worse. In Week 3, Indiana heads to the Rose Bowl to play UCLA.