ESPN ranks Big Ten Football teams from first to last ahead of Week 3

Week 2 of the college football season has come and gone, giving us a better idea what the outlook looks like across college football. The Big Ten still has plenty of mystery to it, though, which ESPN has attempted to cut through with the Football Power Index.

According to ESPN, The FPI is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 20,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule.

With that in mind, let’s check out how the FPI has the Big Ten sorted through the first two weeks of the season. We dive in below.

1. Oregon Ducks (2-0) – 24.6 FPI Rank

Oregon has cruised through its first two games, taking down first Montana State and then a power conference foe in Oklahoma State. The steamrolling of the Cowboys should have opened some eyes; Dan Lanning has the Ducks rolling again.

Now the team will have to face its first road test o the season, going on the road to Northwestern. But the first real test might not come until Sept. 27, a road trip to Penn State.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0) – 22.3

Few teams have a win comparable to the one Ohio State secured over Texas in the season opener. That alone will keep the Buckeyes elevated quite a bit in rankings like the FPI.

Still, right now Ohio State is not ranked as the top Big Ten team in the FPI. That’s notable, though the gap is certainly not large. Ohio State has a pretty manageable stretch coming up, though Big Ten play will begin in two weeks.

3. USC Trojans (2-0) – 20.9

Does Lincoln Riley have things turned around in LA? It’s quite possible, because so far the Trojans look really good. Once again, Riley has a good quarterback running the show.

How USC manages a difficult schedule will be key. A road trip to Purdue this week could provide a nice barometer for how far along USC is; a close game and maybe there are still some kinks to work out ahead of the much tougher matchups coming.

4. Penn State Nittany Lions (2-0) – 19.6

Most of the human polls like Penn State a touch more than the predictive metrics like the FPI. The Nittany Lions have rolled over their first two opponents, dusting the likes of Nevada and FIU. They’re not likely to be tested this week against Villanova.

After that, though, the big test comes into play. Penn State will get a bye after Villanova to get ready for a monumental showdown with Oregon that will start to set the tone for the Big Ten race.

5. Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-0) – 14.3

After securing a hard-fought and close win over Cincinnati in the season opener, Nebraska blew the doors off Akron in Week 2. The FPI still likes the Cornhuskers quite a bit right now.

Nebraska won’t be tested by Houston Christian this week. That one will essentially be a tune-up for Matt Rhule‘s squad ahead of a very important home matchup with Michigan the following week.

6. Indiana Hoosiers (2-0) – 13.3

After struggling a bit with Old Dominion in the season opener, Indiana thoroughly trounced Kennesaw State in Week 2. Have the Hoosiers found some answers and started to gel at this point?

The answer to that question might just determine whether Indiana is a legitimate playoff contender again. Big Ten play starts with two top-10 teams in the first three games, with Illinois first up on the other side of this week’s Indiana State tilt.

7. Illinois Fighting Illini (2-0) – 11.7

Bret Bielema‘s squad has quietly emerged as a bona fide contender in the Big Ten this season. The unit is workmanlike in the trenches and knows how to play smashmouth football.

A demolition of Duke on the road was a very impressive showing. After taking on Western Michigan this week, Illinois will begin the conference gauntlet with a road trip to Indiana.

8. Michigan Wolverines (1-1) – 10.2

One of only four teams in the Big Ten with a loss currently, Michigan learned a lot about itself by falling to Oklahoma on Saturday. First off, the Wolverines know they can compete with just about anyone now. It’s just a matter of cleaning up a few things and continuing to mature as an offense and a program.

The schedule for Michigan is quite manageable by comparison to league peers. THe Wolverines don’t face a currently ranked team until the regular-season finale against the Buckeyes.

9. Washington Huskies (2-0) – 9.9

Jedd Fisch has done a nice job since arriving at Washington, but whether his program is ready to become a playoff contender remains to be seen. Not much about the first two weeks of action was all that revealing.

Washington will face some stiffer competition this week when it travels to Washington State to take on its long-time rival. Then a home date with Ohio State is up next. We’ll know plenty by the time the next two weeks are done.

10. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (2-0) – 7.0

Rutgers has quietly grinded through two non-conference games, picking up must-have games. Next up is Michael Vick‘s Norfolk State. That should be another win for the Scarlet Knights.

The back half of the schedule is absolutely brutal. Rutgers will face four teams currently in the top 10 of the AP Poll in the final six games of the season. So it’s critical to pile up as many wins in the front half of the schedule as possible.

Rest of the Big Ten

11. Wisconsin Badgers (2-0) – 6.9
12. Iowa Hawkeyes (1-1) – 6.7
13. Minnesota Golden Gophers (2-0) – 5.5
14. Maryland Terrapins (2-0) – 2.8
15. Michigan State Spartans (2-0) – 1.4
16. Northwestern Wildcats (1-1) – -2.6
17. UCLA Bruins (0-2) – -2.6
18. Purdue Boilermakers (2-0) – -3.3