Indiana leads Big Ten in ESPN offensive-efficiency rankings through Week 7
Indiana tops ESPN’s Football Power Index offensive-efficiency ratings for the Big Ten, ahead of USC and Ohio State, despite a 19–15 loss to the Buckeyes on October 17.
Indiana leads the Big Ten in ESPN Football Power Index offensive-efficiency ratings through Week 7, according to ESPN figures reported by Badgers Wire on October 20. The Hoosiers are first on the 18-team list despite a 19–15 home loss to Ohio State on October 17, a result recorded by the Big Ten Conference. USC ranks second in the efficiency list, ahead of Ohio State.
Indiana’s 85.1 rating places it third nationally in the published list. USC is at 84.3, fifth nationally, and Ohio State is at 81.7, tenth nationally. Those are the only three Big Ten teams rated at least 80.0; nine conference teams rate 60.0 or lower.
Badgers Wire describes ESPN’s metric as an offense’s contribution to scoring margin per play, adjusted for the strength of opposing defenses, on a 0–100 scale. The numbers are FPI ratings, so the ordering reflects that adjusted measure rather than each team’s points scored in a single game.
Big Ten offensive-efficiency ratings through Week 7
Badgers Wire lists all 18 teams in this order. Each ESPN FPI rating is followed by its national rank:
- Indiana: 85.1; third nationally.
- USC: 84.3; fifth nationally.
- Ohio State: 81.7; tenth nationally.
- Northwestern: 77.3; 18th nationally.
- Illinois: 76.3; 19th nationally.
- Nebraska: 69.3; 29th nationally.
- UCLA: 65.3; 34th nationally.
- Purdue: 64.3; 36th nationally.
- Iowa: 63.7; 37th nationally.
- Penn State: 56.4; 53rd nationally.
- Wisconsin: 53.5; 59th nationally.
- Michigan: 53.4; 60th nationally.
- Rutgers: 53.3; 61st nationally.
- Oregon: 48.4; 72nd nationally.
- Washington: 45.8; 80th nationally.
- Michigan State: 44.2; 86th nationally.
- Maryland: 37.5; 96th nationally.
- Minnesota: 35.8; 99th nationally.
Indiana stays ahead after Ohio State game
The Big Ten’s schedule records Ohio State’s October 17 visit to Indiana as a 19–15 Buckeyes win. Indiana nonetheless sits 3.4 rating points ahead of Ohio State on Badgers Wire’s published efficiency list, with USC between them, 0.8 points behind the Hoosiers. A result between two teams and an adjusted season-to-date offensive rating measure different things.
Northwestern and Illinois are the next two Big Ten teams, both above 75.0. Iowa, ninth in the conference at 63.7, is the last team above 60.0. Penn State begins the group below that mark at 56.4, while Minnesota closes the list at 35.8. The gap between Indiana and Minnesota is 49.3 points on ESPN’s scale.
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Sources and context
- All 18 Big Ten teams ranked by offensive efficiency through Week 7Badgers Wire report by Jordon Lawrenz, syndicated by Yahoo Sports; the report attributes the ratings to ESPN
- 2026 Ohio State Football ScheduleBig Ten Conference
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.