Five weeks of the college football season are now complete, and that means we’re starting to see some separation among some of the pretenders (Clemson) and the contenders (Ohio State and Oregon). What we thought we knew at the beginning of the season was fantasy, and now we are dealing with reality, not only across the country, but in the Big Ten as well.
Now that we’ve had a few weeks to assess what’s going on in the conference, we feel like we have a little better handle on what teams are playing well — maybe as we expected — and which ones might be in for a long, long season. We’re even starting to have some surprise teams emerge (hello, Indiana again).
And so, we share with you our weekly Big Ten football power rankings. Some of the teams had an off week before their conference competition begins, so more to come. It still looks like Ohio State and Oregon, and might be the class of the league after Penn State went down unexpectedly and unexcusably to UCLA, but there are still others like Iowa, Michigan, and USC that could throw a wrench into things.
Here’s a look at our Big Ten football power rankings following Week 6. We start from No. 18 and make our way down to No. 1 as usual.
No. 18 – Purdue Boilermakers (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten)
Last Week’s Result: Lost 43-27 vs. Illinois
Last Week Ranking: 15 ⇩ (down three spots)
Next Game: at Minnesota
What goes into the ranking
Purdue didn’t have a horrible showing against Illinois, but you can’t get beat like that at home. The defense can’t seem to stop running water in a faucet at this point, and that’s both a plumber and the team’s big problem. Combine that with UCLA doing some astonishing things to move up these power rankings and, well — here you are, Pur-don’t.
Last Week’s Result: Lost 24-10 at Michigan
Last Week Ranking: 16 ⇩ (down one spot)
Next Game: vs. Iowa
What goes into the ranking
This might be the worst Wisconsin team we’ve seen in a very long time. The defense kept the Badgers in it against Michigan in the Big House for a half, but the offense was and is abysmal. This looks like a team that will be sitting home for the holidays, and if things continue this way, the program might be putting a bow on a new head coach.
No. 16 – UCLA Bruins (1-4, 1-1 Big Ten)
Last Week’s Result: Won 42-37 vs. Penn State
Last Week Ranking: 18 ⇧ (up two spots)
Next Game: at Michigan State
What goes into the ranking
OK, we see you, UCLA. Is something BRUIN in Westwood? If quarterback Nico Iamaleava plays like he did against Penn State, there could be some problems for the remainder of the league. One week does not a turnaround make, but the Bruins did enough against a good team to move up the rankings for now. Was it lightning in a bottle, or is a storm coming?
Last Game Result: Won 42-7 vs. UL-Monroe
Last Week Ranking: 17 ⇧ (up two spots)
Next Game: at Penn State
What goes into the ranking
We really didn’t learn too much from the Wildcats’ win over an underwhelming opponent other than they put a real, live offense out on the field for once. Who knows? How in the world did the Northwestern defense hold UCLA to 14 points, and Penn State couldn’t keep it to under 40? Paging Jim Knowles.
Last Week’s Result: Lost 38-27 at Nebraska
Last Week Ranking: 13 ⇩ (down one spot)
Next Game: vs. UCLA
What goes into the ranking
There’s no doubt the Spartans are a more competitive bunch this season, but it’s one thing to be more competitive; it’s another to start notching wins instead of losses. There are no participation trophies handed out in the halls of the Big Ten offices, so we need to see Michigan State start to close games.
No. 14 – Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten)
Last Week’s Result: Off
Last Week Ranking: 14 ⇧ (up one spot)
Next Game: at Washington
What goes into the ranking
Hey, look, it’s Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights were on an off week, so we learned as much about them as we do when we see them play an actual American football game. Who really knows where this team slots right now? Yes, they are well coached, and we’ll get to see more when they traverse the entire North American continent to play Washington. Get those air miles …
No. 12 – Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten)
Last Week’s Result: Lost 42-3 at Ohio State
Last Week Ranking: 12 ⇔ (no change)
Next Game: vs. Purdue
What goes into the ranking
You kind of know what you are going to get with Minnesota under P.J. Fleck. The Gophers will play solidly and beat average teams more often than not, but get publicly flogged by the really good teams of the league. Ohio State got out the whooping stick, and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen the Minnesota head coach so dejected and lost for answers. We’ll root for the Gophers to sneak into a bowl game again, and that’s about the expectation these days.
No. 11 – Maryland Terrapins (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten)
Last Week’s Result: Lost 24-20 vs. Washington
Last Week Ranking: 11 ⇔ (no change)
Next Game: vs. Nebraska
What goes into the ranking
Maryland came achingly close to getting a big win against a very good Washington team, but then it remembered it was Maryland in a Big Ten game. The Terps generally buy the winning optional package when the Big Ten starts, and we’ll see if that’s the case as 2025 continues on. It was a promising game, but a defeat nonetheless.
No. 10 – Iowa Hawkeyes (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten)
Last Week’s Result: Off
Last Week Ranking: 10 ⇔ (no change)
Next Game: at Wisconsin
What goes into the ranking
Iowa does what Iowa does, and we were beginning to wonder if the offense would score more points sitting on the couch this week than when it suits up for a game. As always, the defense seems to be great, but that will only carry the Hawkeyes so far. Next up is a chance to win the Heartland Trophy. It’s going to be a punter’s dream Saturday.
No. 9 – USC Trojans (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten)
Last Game Result: Off
Last Week Ranking: 4 ⇩ (down five spots)
Next Game: vs. Michigan
What goes into the ranking
USC was also off this past week, so hopefully it had a chance to examine the defense. The offense behind quarterback Jayden Maiva can keep the Trojans in almost any game; it’ll just boil down to whether or not the defense gets off the bus against the better teams.
Last Game Result: Lost 42-37 at UCLA
Last Week Ranking: 3 ⇩ (down five spots)
Next Game: vs. Northwestern
What goes into the ranking
What happened in the Rose Bowl on Saturday is one of the most shocking results I’ve seen in a long, long time, and now the margin for error is razor thin, and maybe gone for the Nittany Lions with the way Ohio State and Oregon are playing. You have to wonder if former Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is having buyer’s remorse and seeing the colors of Scarlet and Gray in his nightmares. The defense on Saturday made UCLA look like the second coming of Pete Carroll’s USC Trojan offenses.
No. 7 – Illinois Fighting Illini (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten)
Last Week’s Result: Won 43-27 at Purdue
Last Week Ranking: 8 ⇧ (up one spot)
Next Game: vs. Ohio State
What goes into the ranking
Illinois has looked so good in all of the games that it didn’t give up 63 points. Seriously, I’ve heard of outliers, but the Indiana game may have been dropped down to Earth by an alien spacecraft. As bad as that game was, the Illini now have a chance to show the world it just didn’t show up because No. 1 Ohio State comes to town this coming weekend.
Last Week’s Result: Won 38-27 vs. Michigan State
Last Week Ranking: 7 ⇧ (up one spot)
Next Game: at Maryland
What goes into the ranking
Nebraska might be better than this ranking, but we just don’t know. Dylan Raiola at quarterback seems to be settling down and putting this team in a position to be a player in the Big Ten race, but the loss to Michigan is going to sting, and the trip to Maryland will not be easy as long as the Terps think of it as a nonconference game. It would also help if it isn’t a close game because Nebraska has yet to solve that crossword puzzle.
Last Game Result: Won 24-20 at Maryland
Last Week Ranking: 6 ⇧ (up one spot)
Next Game: vs. Rutgers
What goes into the ranking
After watching Washington last week against Ohio State, I was convinced that the Huskies were one of the better teams in the Big Ten. The first half of the Maryland game had me re-thinking that, but then Washington came back and won a tough contest against a team that might be better than we think — and on the road. It was a good bounce back and showed resiliency for a team that still might have a lot ahead of it.
Last Week’s Result: Won 24-10 vs. Wisconsin
Last Week Ranking: 5 ⇧ (up one spot)
Next Game: at USC
What goes into the ranking
Michigan won again, but we still can’t get that very dysmal performance against Oklahoma out of our noggins. It seems like Bryce Underwood will be a better quarterback at the end of the year, and that could be a problem for — ahem, Ohio State. Right now, though, Michigan’s best win is a close one against Nebraska, and we’re still not sure what kind of team the ‘Huskers are just yet.
No. 3 – Indiana Hoosiers (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten)
Last Week’s Result: Off
Last Week Ranking: 4 ⇧ (up one spot)
Next Game: at Oregon
What goes into the ranking
With Penn State’s belly flop in the shallow end of the pool in Pasadena, it’s a no-brainer that Indiana moves up to the No. 3 spot, and deservedly so. The Hoosiers have looked fantastic aside from the trip to Iowa, and even then, they were able to pull out a close one at the end in a hostile environment. The question is — how big is the gap between the No. 3 team and the top two here?
No. 2 – Oregon Ducks (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten)
Last Week’s Result: Off
Last Week Ranking: 3 ⇧ (up one spot)
Next Game: vs. Indiana
What goes into the ranking
You could make a case for Oregon being the top team in these rankings, but after Penn State’s showing against UCLA, it does make you wonder just how impressive the win in Happy Valley will end up looking. Still, this is a good team with a good roster, a good coach, and a quarterback who can go out and win a matchup game when it matters.
Last Game Result: Won 242-3 vs. Minnesota
Last Week Ranking: 1 ⇔ (no change)
Next Game: at Illinois
What went into the ranking
The Buckeyes looked awfully impressive against Minnesota and seem to be getting better by each passing week. The offense hasn’t looked as explosive, but based on what we saw Saturday, it feels like it can turn the temperature up any time it wants. Oh, and the defense? Ridiculous. The silver bullets have only surrendered 25 points in five games. There’s no better team in college football right now — at least that’s how it looks at the moment. A tricky game in Champaign is up next.
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