Big Ten Power Rankings: Week 4

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1. Ohio State (AP No. 5, Coaches No. 6)

3-1 | 1-0 B1G

Last Week’s Ranking: 2

Movement: +1

While yes, Indiana is undefeated, Ohio State jumps back up to No. 1 in our rankings after its dominant 42-19 win over Illinois. Jeremiah Smith tied the Buckeyes’ single-game touchdown record with four on the day, which accounted for all of Julian Sayin’s passing scores. Besides playing Maryland two weeks from now, Ryan Day’s squad has a gauntlet of tests in its next five games. The Buckeyes’ stretch at Iowa, at USC, at Indiana and vs. Oregon should definitively prove whether they truly are the best in the Big Ten ahead of their home test against Northwestern in Week 11.

2. Indiana (AP No. 6, Coaches No. 5)

4-0 | 1-0 B1G

Last Week’s Ranking: 1

Movement: -1

If it were not for some costly mistakes by the ‘Cats, there is a world where an upset would have dropped Indiana further. The Hoosiers were lucky to eke out a 29-23 victory, and Curt Cignetti reiterated that “Northwestern is a good football team” postgame. While that certainly seems to be true, the three-touchdown favorites survived rather than dominated, and it shows that the Hoosiers are beatable. For now, Indiana stays in the top two. Did he step out? We may never know.

3. Iowa (AP No. 14, Coaches No. 14)

4-0 | 1-0 B1G

Last Week’s Ranking: 6

Movement: +3

Well, hello! Okay, Iowa, we see you. The Hawkeyes stunned formerly ranked Michigan with a 20-19 walk-off win at the Big House. Karma for the Wolverines, perhaps? From a Northwestern perspective, it makes the Oregon-to-Ohio State stretch that much harder, as Iowa is wedged between those two. The Hawkeyes are immediately challenged once again next week as they host OSU themselves, but it will be their chance to do what the Wildcats could not and upset the No. 1 team in the conference.

4. Oregon (AP No. 15, Coaches No. 15)

3-1 | 1-0 B1G

Last Week’s Ranking: 5

Movement: +1

After falling to Oklahoma State (which is now ranked, to be fair) two weeks ago, it became clear that the Ducks would have to be perfect the rest of the season to keep their CFP hopes alive. Oregon did something along the lines of that, taking down USC 41-27. It was 27-27 after the first drive of the fourth quarter; Dan Lanning’s team pulled away from there. Key defensive stops allowed that to happen. After a late hit took Dante Moore out of the game, it was former Nebraska signal-caller Dylan Raiola who led that charge, finishing the game 19-of-25 for 289 passing yards and two touchdowns.

5. USC (AP No. 18, Coaches No. 18)

4-1 | 1-1 B1G

Last Week’s Ranking: 3

Movement: -2

The aforementioned pullaway from Oregon happened in part because of miscues from the Trojans. After tying the game to start the final quarter, USC’s next two drives ended in a turnover on downs after three straight incompletions and an interception when the game was already all but over. At the end of the day, though, Jayden Maiava did his job even if not perfectly. This game was lost because Lincoln Riley’s defense did little to stop either Oregon quarterback all day. The dominant story from this game was Desman Stephens II’s late hit on Moore that got him ejected for targeting, and it likely played a big part in energizing Raiola and the Ducks’ offense. 

6. UCLA (AP No. 23, Coaches No. 23)

4-0 | 2-0 B1G

Last Week’s Ranking: 10

Movement: +4

UCLA is a big riser this week, although the Bruins may have been undervalued after beating Purdue. Bob Chesney’s team didn’t just beat Maryland, it annihilated the Terrapins 54-3 in College Park. That 51-point margin stands as its largest ever in a Big Ten game (albeit not a large sample size) and the program’s biggest conference road win since 1955. Two pick-sixes in the third quarter all but sealed it for the Bruins, who are now 4-0 for the first time since 2022. 

7. Nebraska 

4-0 | 1-0 B1G

Last Week’s Ranking: 11

Movement: +4

Nebraska has done exactly what it is supposed to do this season. While there is an argument to be made about who is the more talented team between the Cornhuskers and the three teams under them, it is hard to say that Nebraska should be ranked below teams with losses on their record. Anthony Colandrea did enough as a field general to help the Cornhuskers cruise to a 31-13 victory over Michigan State, although it truly was won on the backs of their defense: 10 tackles for loss, two picks and a strip sack. Time will tell if Matt Rhule and company can hang with the best in the conference, but for now Nebraska lands modestly above the middle of the pack.

8. Wisconsin

3-1 | 1-0 B1G

Last Week’s Ranking: 15

Movement: +7

Wisconsin is the biggest riser of them all, off the back of an upset win in Happy Valley. Sound familiar? The Badgers rallied for a 24-20 victory over then-No. 13 Penn State, scoring twice in the last four minutes of the game before stopping the Nittany Lions on fourth down as the clock expired. It was clear how much this meant to Luke Fickell’s squad in its postgame celebration, and the hope is that Northwestern can follow suit on Friday.

9. Penn State (Coaches No. 22)

3-1 | 0-1 B1G

Last Week’s Ranking: 4

Movement: -5

I’ll have to disagree with the coaches on this one. While Matt Campbell’s team is not suddenly without talent, there is no ranking them above a team that just beat them at their own stadium. Rocco Becht looked particularly poor in the passing game, posting a 12-of-20, 114-yard stat line. He did rush for a touchdown, but his volatility as a signal-caller dating back to his Iowa State days likely limits Penn State’s ceiling for now.

10. Northwestern

2-1 | 0-1 B1G

Last Week’s Ranking: 9

Movement: -1

A face-mask on third-and-19, a pass-interference penalty with the Hoosiers on the ropes and a failure to recover a near-perfect onside kick were among the many factors that eventually doomed the Wildcats’ upset bid. It was not for naught, however, as this performance proved preseason doubters wrong and showed the college football world that NU can hang with anyone. Northwestern may not be in the upper echelon just yet, but the ‘Cats are never going down without a fight. Still, a loss is a loss. Especially considering the events from around the conference, the opener at the new Ryan Field is a must-win. There are no brownie points for almost beating Indiana if it is followed by a loss.

11. Minnesota 

3-1 | 1-0 B1G

Last Week’s Ranking: 14

Movement: +3

It just means more in the Big Ten, as a blood-bonded P.J. Fleck implied. A tough 27-24 win in Seattle was the prize, and proved that Minnesota’s conference success stretches beyond its home-field advantage at Huntington Bank Stadium. The Golden Gophers’ defensive front absolutely dismantled Washington’s offensive line, racking up seven sacks and nine tackles for loss while limiting the Huskies to just 40 rushing yards. Minnesota jumped out to a 14-0 lead and never trailed, controlling the clock for more than 34 minutes. Washington made a late push to make it a one-score game, so it wasn’t always pretty, but this was a statement win.

12. Michigan

3-1 | 0-1 B1G

Last Week’s Ranking: 7

Movement: -5

The first loss of the Kyle Whittingham era came in a game chock-full of missed opportunities and a heartbreaking finish. Michigan led 19-14 with 1:46 remaining after Bryce Underwood found JJ Buchanan for a 49-yard touchdown, but the Wolverines couldn’t close it out. A personal foul on Zeke Berry with 26 seconds left gave Iowa the field position it needed, and Hank Brown found Reece Vander Zee in the corner of the end zone as time expired. Underwood finished with 276 passing yards and two touchdowns, but Michigan’s eight penalties for 75 yards proved fatal. Beyond this game, so far this season the Wolverines have a controversial win against Western Michigan, a dominant win over then-ranked Oklahoma and a win against UTEP that was too close for comfort early. It has been a tale of many different Michigan teams, so it’ll be interesting to see how the Wolverines close the season out with Indiana, Oregon, UCLA and Ohio State still on their schedule.

13. Washington

3-1 | 0-1 B1G

Last Week’s Ranking: 8

Movement: -5

Many tabbed the Huskies to potentially be surprise contenders, especially with Demond Williams Jr. staying in Seattle after all. Yet, its Big Ten opener exposed serious flaws. Minnesota sacked Williams seven times and held Washington to 40 rushing yards, forcing the Huskies into obvious passing situations all night. The offensive line, which had aspirations of competing for the Joe Moore Award, was manhandled. While Washington will still have a chance to prove itself with USC and Iowa next on the docket, the Huskies need to fix their protection issues immediately or this season could spiral quickly.

14. Michigan State

2-2 | 0-1 B1G

Last Week’s Ranking: 16

Movement: +2

Maybe I’m biased as a Northwestern-focused writer, but it feels like Pat Fitzgerald has immediately integrated the same gritty style of play that made him so successful in Evanston. That didn’t exactly produce results against Nebraska, but it does show that there is a tangible impact being made by the new coaching staff. The Spartans are still firmly in the bottom five, but their wins against teams currently in the upper half of MACtion put them slightly above Illinois and Maryland, who both have worse resumes, in my view.

15. Illinois

2-2 | 0-1 B1G

Last Week’s Ranking: 12

Movement: -3

The Fighting Illini may have forgotten to play defense. It doesn’t help when the main man you have to guard is Jeremiah Smith, but Illinois is a team yet to find its identity and the numbers from Columbus are damning. Sayin torched the Illini for 367 yards and five total touchdowns, with Smith accounting for 217 yards and four scores on 12 catches. Illinois actually moved the ball well offensively, netting 462 total yards, the most Ohio State has allowed since 2024. That doesn’t matter when the defense can’t get a single stop, let alone when it counts. Defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck’s departure after just four games is a flashing red warning sign.

16. Maryland

2-2 | 0-0 B1G

Last Week’s Ranking: 13

Movement: -3

Two losses in a row for the Terps. After falling in a close one to James Franklin’s Virginia Tech two weeks ago, boy was this one ugly. UCLA shellacked, destroyed and dismantled Maryland. Sub literally any synonym and it would likely be appropriate to describe the Bruins’ performance, and the lack thereof from the Terrapins. Malik Washington threw four interceptions on the afternoon in a disastrous day for the offense. It would not be surprising to see changes at the top soon, as regardless of its expectations going into the year, it is hard to excuse getting beaten that badly at home.

17. Rutgers

1-3 | 0-1 B1G

Last Week’s Ranking: 18

Movement: +1

The Scarlet Knights followed up a surprisingly close fight against USC with their first win of the season, a 58-7 victory over Howard. That doesn’t excuse their unfortunate start to the season, but it definitely felt like a team that was blowing off a lot of steam. The reality is that Rutgers’ season was effectively over before it began. Embarrassing losses to UMass and Boston College in the first two weeks doomed any bowl aspirations barring a massive turnaround. The Howard win was cathartic, but it doesn’t change the fact that Greg Schiano’s team would need to win five Big Ten games to reach .500, a mark it has never hit in conference play since joining the Big Ten.

18. Purdue

1-3 | 0-1 B1G

Last Week’s Ranking: 17

Movement: -1

While it might be unfair to move the Boilermakers down after having to face No. 3 Notre Dame, they are 0-3 in their last three games and thus they end up at the bottom of this list. 49-10 was the final score in West Lafayette, which was expected, but it looks like we’ll be in for a race to the bottom between the low end of the conference. The Boilermakers actually forced a CJ Carr interception in the third quarter, their second takeaway of the season, but by then Notre Dame led 35-0. With a road trip to Illinois next and then a visit from Wisconsin, the Boilermakers have a real chance to climb out of this spot, but they could just as easily cement themselves at the bottom.

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