There is a three-way battle atop the Big Ten Women's Basketball Power Rankings

#14 Indiana rebounds, while #12 Ohio State upsets #5 Iowa

Indiana Head Coach Teri Moren watches the Hoosiers during the first half of the Indiana versus Murray State.
Indiana Head Coach Teri Moren watches the Hoosiers during the first half of the Indiana versus Murray State. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY
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Big Ten Power Rankings
Jan 21, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Jacy Sheldon (4) shoots over Iowa. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA
  • NET Ranking: 28
  • Best Win/Worst Loss: Win @ Michigan State 80-74, Loss @ Penn State 82-73
  • Last Week: Loss to Penn State
  • This Week: @ Iowa on 1/27
  • In a Nutshell: Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes come calling on Saturday. The Hawkeyes are tough at home, but they aren't unbeatable. Nebraska has a manageable schedule over its next three. Head coach Amy Williams and the Cornhuskers have to focus on beating the teams they are better than and upsetting one of the teams above them to make the resume look good come March.
  • NET Ranking: 12
  • Best Win/Worst Loss: Win v. Tennessee 71-57, Loss @ Iowa 84-57
  • Last Week: Win @ Purdue 74-68
  • This Week: v. Northwestern on 1/28
  • In a Nutshell: The Hoosiers are doing what a team in its position should do. They have defeated every team on its schedule they should. IU has yet to be upset. They've lost handily twice. Those losses were to two of the best teams in the country, Stanford and Iowa. The Hoosiers have the opportunity to return the favor against the Hawkeyes in February.
  • NET Ranking: 13
  • Best Win/Worst Loss: Loss @ Michigan 69-60, Win v. Iowa 100-92
  • Last Week: Win @ Illinois
  • This Week: @ Purdue on 1/28
  • In a Nutshell: The Buckeyes have built quite the resume this season. They have two quality losses (USC and UCLA) a quality win against Iowa, and the only blot on resume is a loss to rival Michigan -- who is playing much better basketball of late. Iowa might have the best player in the Big Ten, but the Buckeyes might be the deepest.
  • NET Ranking: 6
  • Best Win/Worst Loss: Loss v. Kansas State 77-70, Win v. Indiana 84-57
  • Last Week: Loss @ Ohio State
  • This Week: v. Nebraska on 1/27
  • In a Nutshell: The Hawkeyes are "eyeing" a National Championship -- pun intended. They'll see the Buckeyes again, this time at Carver-Hawkeye to close the season. Iowa has the best player in college basketball, who runs Lisa Blunder's system to near perfection. They are going to be tough to dethrone if they continue playing at this level.

Schedule

Schedule