Hoosier Huddle Staff’s 2024 Big Ten Power Rankings (v2.0 - Post Spring)

Written by Evan Alvarez

We’re back with another iteration of the Official Hoosier Huddle Staff’s 2024 Big Ten Power Rankings. This time, we’re at version 2.0 and we take into account any major movements, transfers, or injuries that occurred during the spring period. This version will have shorter team summaries compared to v1.0. If you’re interested in seeing a detailed breakdown of all 18 Big Ten teams to get a feel for the landscape ahead of (in all likelihood) more transfer drama, click the link here to view our v1.0 rankings.

Without further ado, let’s dive into v2.0! Any changes compared to the first version will be marked in parentheses.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (No Change)

The unanimous #1 in our staff’s rankings, the Hoosier Huddle contributors regularly mentioned questions at the QB position for the Buckeyes, but said the roster is so loaded that it may not even matter - all they’d need is average QB play, and they could very easily get elite QB play. Nate Comp describes the situation well, “sometimes you just have to see how good a roster NIL can buy, and that’s what OSU is doing.”

2. Oregon Ducks (No Change)

The unanimous #2 in our staff’s rankings, it’s clear that Oregon is a force to be reckoned with. Staff writer Nick Gonzales “thinks Oregon does a great job in their Big Ten debut.” If they finish 2nd, I think Dan Lanning will be very happy with that result as the Ducks go into the playoff.

3. Michigan Wolverines (No Change)

Staff member TJ Inman applauds Michigan for their work in retaining players, saying, “[Michigan] could have lost depth pieces that weren’t happy with playing time but kept their rosters intact.” Look for Michigan to challenge for the playoff again this year.

4. Penn State Nittany Lions (No Change)

Contributor Nick Gonzales cites the Nittany Lions as having among the best spring periods in the big ten and also thinks, “Penn State makes another solid run this year and would beat Michigan if they played them, but have a chance at beating Ohio State too.”

5. USC Trojans (No Change)

Look for USC to continue building on their extremely strong foundation, challenging for a playoff spot come year end. Expectations are very high in their debut Big Ten season - will Riley & co. meet them?

6. Wisconsin Badgers (+2)

Wisconsin saw the first (but not the biggest) change in our staff’s rankings. This was largely due to the coaching staff, as Sammy Jacobs for example feels very strongly in what the Badgers are building, mentioning, “I’ll continue to trust whatever Fickell builds.” We saw what he can do first hand at Cincinnati - can he do the same in Madison?
7. Iowa Hawkeyes (-1)

Iowa lost their projected starting LT in Kadyn Proctor to Alabama, likely resulting in this drop in rankings. Can their offense survive the new Big Ten landscape?

8. Washington Huskies (-1)

Washington lost several key pieces to the draft and the transfer portal, looking very different now compared to their runner-up roster this past season. Staff writer Nick Gonzales had thoughts about Washington, analyzing, “I think Washington won't be able to hang as well in their first year in the Big Ten. Not too interested with their roster this year.”

9. Nebraska Cornhuskers (No Change)

The Hoosier Huddle staff likes Nebraska a lot as a breakout team. Nate Comp shared about the Cornhuskers, “pulling Raiola from Georgia has restored excitement for the Cornhuskers.” Can Raiola take Nebraska back to their former heights, bringing trophies back to Lincoln?

10) Indiana Hoosiers (No Change) 

The Hoosiers had a successful spring game with no injuries and are feverishly recruiting (and signing) needs from the transfer portal. Look for the Hoosiers to come out swinging with the strong potential to go Bowling by the end of the season.

11) Michigan State Spartans (+2)

Michigan State has a lot of question marks, and TJ Inman did note that, “Michigan State lost both starting defensive tackles” in answering the question of which teams had the worst spring period. Still, Michigan State has talent and their new coach could provide a spark.

12) Maryland Terrapins (-2)

Hoosier Huddle staff member Sammy Jacobs describes Maryland as one of the teams that will disappoint in 2024, citing, “[they] will take a step back this year. They lose a ton of offensive talent.” Included in that loss is Taulia Tagovailoa, their record holding QB who will be tough to replace.

13) Rutgers Scarlet Knights (-1)

Rutgers has a lot of great things going for them and also boasts an easier schedule than normal this season. While the on-paper talent may be less than the teams above them in these power rankings, Greg Schiano knows what he’s doing and is developing talent at a very high rate. Look for Rutgers to surprise people this year. Going Bowling again is a very real possibility, and is likely an expectation too.

14) UCLA Bruins (+1)

UCLA could see a boost from new head coach DeShaun Foster injecting some life and energy into the program, but a lack of NIL funds really puts a ceiling on this program currently. They might quickly learn this season that NIL is necessary to compete, spurring spending in the future, but present day the funds are limited.

15) Minnesota Golden Gophers (+1) 

Hoosier Huddle contributor Evan Alvarez (me) is higher than most on the Golden Gophers. I wrote about them in more detail for our v1.0 power rankings (linked here), but the recruiting class is strong and their QB situation reminds me a lot of the successful Western Kentucky teams of the past 5 years. There’s still some work to do in the Twin Cities, but the ceiling may be higher than people think.

16) Northwestern Wildcats (+1) 

Northwestern is building something strong with Big Ten Coach of the Year David Braun at the helm. Staff writer TJ Inman is concerned over their spring period, however, picking them as having among the worst springs in the Big Ten. He mentions, “[Northwestern’s] potential starting QB Brendan Sullivan hit the portal.” Can Braun follow up his amazing debut season with success again, or is trouble brewing for Chicago’s Big Ten Team?

17) Illinois Fighting Illini (-3)

Hoosier Huddle staff writer Nate Comp ranked the Illini in last place, saying, “their defense got a lot worse last year and lost its best players, and their offense isn’t good enough to make up for this.” Illinois had the largest drop in our rankings among all Big Ten teams. Can Bret Bielema turn this program around after a tough roster turnover?

18) Purdue Boilermakers (No Change)

For the second rankings in a row in what may become a theme, Purdue was ranked last by the Hoosier Huddle staff. Hoosier Huddle contributor Sammy Jacobs says, “they got decimated by the portal and have not filled in the voids.” Additionally, our own TJ Inman also mentioned the portal in his analysis, but also criticized head coach Ryan Walters, saying, “I do not think Ryan Walters was ready to lead a program and was a poor hire.”