College Football Big Ten power rankings entering Week 7

College Football Big Ten power rankings entering Week 7

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College Football Big Ten power rankings entering Week 7

It is time to sound the alarm. Code red. State of emergency for the Big Ten. This conference is in danger of only qualifying two teams for the College Football Playoff.

With Oregon picking up their second loss, they will likely need to win out to qualify, and they still have a game left against Ohio State. In fact, most of the “‘middle tier” of the conference (teams ranked #3 – #8 in the coming rankings) must win out in order to make the CFP, and many of them have to play each other and either Ohio State/Indiana.

The most likely outcome is a league filled with parity that fails to get a 3rd team to 10 wins.

MORE:College Football biggest risers after Week 6

Ranks 10-6

NCAA Football: Minnesota at Purdue

Oct 10, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; The Purdue Boilermakers celebrate a running back Fame Ijeboi (2) touchdown during the second quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

10. Purdue

It’s time to put some respect on the Boilermakers’ name after their blowout win over Minnesota. Purdue now sits at 3-3, and their 3 losses are to Wake Forest, UCLA, and Notre Dame. Those are not too shabby. Bowl eligibility is a strong possibility. Credit to Barry Odom for this turnaround. 

9. Nebraska

They were right there. After Anthony Colandrea’s touchdown run, the Cornhuskers had Indiana on the ropes with a deficit of 17-7 with 12 minutes left in the game. But after a Husker blown coverage on 4th down, Indiana was able to complete the comeback. It’s the epitome of the agony of being a Nebraska fan over the last decade. So close to pulling off the win, but just unable to get it done.  

8. Northwestern

Can we talk about Northwestern’s schedule? They had their Bye in Week 2. That left them with 11 straight weeks of games after that point. So being able to schedule Ball State in Week 6 was a sneaky smart scheduling job by the AD. This allowed the Wildcats to load-manage a little bit to keep fresh for the second half of the Big Ten schedule. 

7. Wisconsin 

The Badgers had their Bye in Week 6, but fell a few spots in these rankings. It’s not their fault; there were just some teams below them who had some true breakthrough results. The Badgers face a tough test in Week 7 as they have to travel to the West Coast to take on UCLA. 

6. Iowa

It was a dominant win in all phases of the game as Iowa traveled to Washington and won 41-24. Kamari Moulton ran the ball well, setting a career-high 208 rushing yards. Jeremy Hecklinski was solid filling in at QB for an injured Hank Brown, and you have to wonder if he did enough to keep the job moving forward. 

MORE:College Football biggest fallers after Week 6

Top 5

Oct 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) passes the ball against the Washington Huskies during the third quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Griffin Hooper-Imagn Images

5. USC

The Trojans have had their issues when traveling in the Big Ten. Does it have anything to do with the fact that the climate in the Midwest is different from sunny Los Angeles? Maybe. Either way, the Trojans slayed their own personal demon by traveling to Penn State for their “whiteout” game and coming through with a 31-23 victory. A CFP berth is still possible for the Trojans. 

4. Oregon

The Ducks sit here at #4 for right now. But if they can’t get Dante Moore back soon, they will tumble. Dylan Raiola was an absolute disaster against UCLA, and QB3 Brock Thomas was only a little better. All in all, the Ducks turned the ball over 7 times. They have got to get Dante Moore back 

3. UCLA

Not even an injury to Nico Iamaleava could spoil the Bruins’ big win over Oregon. It was a massive win for Bob Chesney in this rebuild of UCLA. They’re still unbeaten, and a trip to the CFP could be on the horizon if they can stay the course. Step number one: get Nico back healthy. 

2. Indiana

It was a close, close call for Indiana against Nebraska. But at the end of the day, it was Nick Marsh who came to the rescue with two huge 4th-quarter touchdowns. Was it a trap game? Potentially, as the Hoosiers have Ohio State on the docket in Week 7 — their biggest game of the season. 

1. Ohio State

Like Bachman-Turner Overdrive, the Buckeyes take care of business. If the Heisman Trophy were awarded today, it would almost assuredly be given to Jeremiah Smith, and it may be close to unanimous. He’ll get a chance to add a potential Heisman Moment this coming week against Indiana. 

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