7. Iowa Hawkeyes (6-2)
Last week's ranking: No. 8 (+1)
Last week's game: W, 41-3 vs Minnesota
Iowa is beginning to break out of the mold of the stereotypes of its past teams, as the Hawkeyes absolutely exploded against a good Minnesota team. Iowa's offense, defense, and special teams are in sync with each other, which must continue against challenging opponents ahead -- Oregon at home and USC on the road are up next.
8. Illinois Fighting Illini (5-3)
Last week's ranking: No. 5 (-3)
Last week's game: L, 42-25 vs Washington
A defeat to Washington gives the Illini a devastating third loss at this point in the season, making their CFP hopes a longshot -- it's feeling like a 10-2 record is the bare minimum to get in the dance as an at-large bid. The loss also completes a "cycle of parity" between Illinois, Washington, Michigan, and USC, putting checks and balances on each team's 2025 resume. The bright side for the Illini is that they have one of the easiest remaining schedules in all of college football: Rutgers, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Northwestern.
9. Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-2)
Last week's ranking: No. 10 (+1)
Last week's game: W, 28-21 vs Northwestern
Nebraska hasn't exactly looked pretty in its past few games, but the Huskers still have only two losses on their record, which is what you want to be at. An upcoming home game against No. 23 USC can change everything. A win will be a massive resume boost and give them great odds to finish 10-2, a loss gives them a dreaded third one and likely kills all playoff hopes. It's going to be the game of the week in the conference.
10. Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-3)
Last week's ranking: No. 9 (-1)
Last week's game: L, 41-3 vs Iowa
Coming off a big win against Nebraska, Minnesota was in a position to take another leap in the conference if it could beat a good Iowa team on the road. Instead, the Gophers completely crumbled, only scoring three points and nearly losing by 40. However, three of Minnesota's final four games are favorable, meaning a decent bowl game should be in store. It can also play spoiler to Oregon in Week 12.
11. Northwestern Wildcats (5-3)
Last week's ranking: No. 11
Last week's game: L, 28-21 vs Nebraska
Northwestern lost a close one to Nebraska, putting its Cinderella run in the Big Ten at bay. Although the Wildcats have already overachieved on their expectations, getting one more win to become bowl-eligible will still be a major challenge with one of the hardest remaining schedules.
12. Penn State Nittany Lions (3-4)
Last week's ranking: No. 13 (+1)
Last week's game: BYE
Penn State fans have probably already come to terms that this is a lost season, but with new job openings at LSU, Florida, and potentially Auburn, the Penn State job is no longer the top opportunity on the market. This probably adds some anxiety to the James Franklin firing, as the future of the program has suddenly become even deeper in question. For now, the Nittany Lions need to focus on getting something out of this season by pulling a massive upset over No. 1 Ohio State.