College Football Big Ten power rankings entering Week 3
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No conference did more to hurt its multi-bid CFP chances in Week 2 of college football than the Big Ten. When looking at the remaining schedules for the conference, it is going to be very difficult for the conference to get more than two teams into the playoff.
Penn State, Michigan, and USC are likely to cannibalize each other, and Oregon’s loss to Oklahoma State gives them a major blemish on the resume if they lose another game. We may be headed towards a 2-bid Big Ten in 2026.
MORE:College Football risers & fallers after Week 2
10. Wisconsin
The Badgers are a team that should have a positive outlook for the rest of the season. Especially considering a lot of the middle of the conference has not looked good to this point in the season, and that’s who’s on Wisconsin’s very easy Big Ten schedule. Colton Joseph is the best QB this team has had in a long time.
9. Washington
The Huskies have just looked off through two weeks of the season. If you’re supposed to be a top-tier Big Ten team, you should be beating Utah State by more than two points. Demond Williams doesn’t look like he’s made any improvement from last season. This team has a ton of potential, but also a ton to get fixed.
8. UCLA
The Bruins have rolled in both of their games so far, with Week 2 being a 28-10 thrashing of San Diego State. Wayne Knight has scored SIX touchdowns through two games and is showing no signs of stopping. The Bob Chesney era has gotten off to a great start.
7. Iowa
It wasn’t pretty, but the Hawkeyes managed to come out on top in the annual “CyHawk” game against Iowa State, 16-13. Tony Diaz continues to look like the best WR option Iowa has had in the last decade, but the QB play is still lackluster. Same old Iowa.
6. Penn State
The Nittany Lions did nothing to change their ranking in a ho-hum 27-9 victory at Temple in Week 2. We are not going to know how good this team actually is until they play some legitimate competition.
5. Oregon
The Ducks took a big fall on this list after losing to Oklahoma State 39-31. This is giving serious 2025 Penn State vibes. We were told in the preseason that a revamped defensive line was going to help them hold up against stronger, physical teams that have beaten them in the last two postseasons.
But they delivered a soft performance and got pushed around by an Oklahoma State team that lost to Tulsa in Week 1. There’s still time to recover, but there are some major red flags here.
4. Michigan
The Wolverines righted the ship after their near-disaster Week 1, beating Oklahoma 17-10 in Ann Arbor. This is the exact type of win that they needed. The most interesting development was the usage of Bryce Underwood as a runner. His legs could really unlock a stagnant offense and allow them to get their season back on track.
3. USC
The Trojans, while they haven’t played any quality competition yet, have looked outstanding through three games so far. Jayden Maiava has complete command of the Lincoln Riley offense, and the young receivers just keep making electric plays. The Trojans sit as a CFP dark horse that could easily go 11-1 or 10-2 as long as they avoid slip-ups (which always seem to happen on a terrible travel schedule).
2. Indiana
Curt Cignetti understands the assignment. He knows that if he plays absolutely nobody in non-conference play, it doesn’t matter. He knows that all he needs to do is beat the bottom of the Big Ten, and he should go 9-3. Beat a few mid-tier or upper-tier teams, and you’re a lock for the CFP. We haven’t learned anything about Indiana yet because they haven’t played anybody yet. For that reason, they can’t be placed number 1 on this list… yet.
1. Ohio State
The Buckeyes may have lost to Texas, but they did nothing that warranted losing their place on this list. They were the better team for three quarters; Jeremiah Smith looked unstoppable, and Julian Sayin was poised and accurate. This is a very good football team, and they should not tumble too far down any rankings list because they lost to another very good football team.
Anyone who watched the World Cup over the summer is now probably familiar with the soccer term, “park the bus.” It’s essentially what Ohio State did in the second half. Content to run the clock, play field position, and call uber-conservative plays, Ohio State did not score in the final quarter, and they only needed one more score to come away from Austin with a win.
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