Big Ten football power rankings after Week 2 of college football
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Week 1 of the college football season had some surprises, but not nearly as much as Week 2 did. Two Big Ten favorites, Ohio State and Oregon, took it on the chin in different ways and experienced their first loss of the season.
We also saw Illinois lose to Duke, Purdue lose in overtime to Wake Forest, and Minnesota get throtted by Mississippi State, while most every other conference team held serve, more or less. Not all losses are created equal, and that's definitely the case with the Buckeyes losing to a top-five team on the road, but it still stung because of the improbable collapse.
It's our weekly Big Ten football power rankings, and there's some movement because of what we witnessed on the field. There are only two games to judge by, but it's becoming clear that Indiana is a contender once again. Ohio State will probably rebound, but my, oh my, there appear to be issues in Eugene with an Oregon team that was supposed to be a College Football Playoff national title contender. Everything else is up in the air, including teams like Penn State, Iowa, and Nebraska because of who they have played.
Here's a look at our Week 2 Big Ten football power rankings. We start from No. 18 and make our way down to No. 1.
No. 18 – Rutgers Scarlet Knights (0-2) | No. 16 last week ⇔
LastGame Result: Lost 28-21 at Boston College
Next Game: vs. USC
Why the ranking
I have to admit, I've been a bit surprised by Rutgers' start. A Greg Schiano-coached team doesn't usually beat itself but rather runs into teams that just have more talent. So far in 2026, there are countless mistakes and a lack of execution that, if it doesn't get better, could result in an issue getting any kind of win.
No. 17 – Purdue Boilermakers (1-1) | No. 17 last week ⇔
LastGame Result: Lost 38-36 vs. Wake Forest (OT)
Next Game: at UCLA
What goes into the ranking
Purdue gave it a good fight, but losing at home to an also-ran ACC team isn't going to encourage anyone in West Lafayette. We think this Boiler team is better than last year, but the clock is still ticking on the last Big Ten win more than a year ago. There's at least a shot of ending that streak next week.
No. 16 – Minnesota Golden Gophers (1-1) | No. 11 last week ⇩
LastGame Result: Lost 38-13 vs. Mississippi State
Next Game: vs. Akron
What goes into the ranking
Minnesota was expected to give the Bulldogs a game, but fell as flat as a three-day-old soft drink. Minnesota is a team that lives on the margins, but this time it looked like margarine against an SEC foe that was bigger, stronger, and faster. The Gophers will continue to play with teams in their own weight class and get bullied elsewhere, it seems.
No. 15 – Michigan State Spartans (2-0) | No. 16 last week ⇧
LastGame Result: Won 35-7 vs. Eastern Michigan
Next Game: at Notre Dame
What goes into the ranking
The Spartans looked pretty good against a MAC opponent, but that's not anything to write home about. It's better than the alternative of losing to that level of competition, but we'll definitely know more next week when MSU travels to South Bend to take on one whale of a Fighting Irish squad.
No. 14 – Northwestern Wildcats (1-0) | No. 15 last week ⇧
LastGame Result: Off last week
Next Game: vs. Colorado
What goes into the ranking
Northwestern was idle this past week and will have a decent challenge with Coach Prime and Colorado coming to town. It's the type of game that can go a long way towards bowl eligibility and one of those where Pat Fitzgerald will have to find a way to get his team to win in the fourth quarter, most likely. The Jury is still deliberating on what this team is with so little to go by.
No. 13 – Maryland Terrapins (2-0) | No. 14 last week ⇧
LastGame Result: Won 38-14 at UConn
Next Game: vs. Virginia Tech
What goes into the ranking
The Terps got a sneaky win on the road vs. Uconn but we're still going to wait to see how this team handles Big Ten play because conference games have felt very unattainable over the years. An intriguing matchup against the Hokies next week might tell us a little more.
No. 12 – Wisconsin Badgers (1-1) | No. 13 last week ⇧
LastGame Result: Won 36-9 vs. Western Illinois
Next Game: vs. Eastern Michigan
What goes into the ranking
That was more like it for Luke Fickell's crew after getting ambushed in the second half by Notre Dame last week. The directional school portion of the schedule continues with Eastern Michigan up next, and all we can say about those matchups is that they count towards bowl eligibility. Clearly, stiffer challenges remain, and we'll see how the first couple of Big Ten games go.
No. 11 – Illinois Fighting Illini (1-1) | No. 9 last week ⇩
LastGame Result: Lost 31-27 vs. Duke
Next Game: vs. Southern Illinois
What goes into the ranking
If the Illini had plans of taking that next step under Bret Bielema, beating Duke in Champaign needed to happen. Instead, Illinois lost the rushing battle and seemed to wear out as the game went on, allowing the Blue Devils to come from behind for a key intersectional victory. Losing in that manner is not a good sign with what's coming in Big Ten play.
No. 10 – UCLA Bruins (2-0) | No. 11 last week
LastGame Result: Won 28-10 vs. San Diego State
Next Game: vs. Purdue
What goes into the ranking
UCLA looks to be a better squad under new head coach Bob Chesney, and if that's the case, the Bruins should take care of business with Purdue coming to town next week. The team looks balanced and more skilled than what we saw last season, but like a lot of teams in this area, we still need to see more.
No. 9 – Michigan Wolverines (1-1) | No. 10 last week ⇧
LastGame Result: Won 17-10 vs. Oklahoma
Next Game: vs. UTEP
What goes into the ranking
Wait a second (pardon the pun). What was that in Ann Arbor? It seems pretty clear that Michigan's defense is ahead of the offense right now, and the team will go as far as quarterback Bryce Underwood can take it. Beating SEC foe Oklahoma is a good feather in the cap and might give the team a confidence boost after the Western Michigan controversy. The Wolverines SHOULD have no problem with UTEP coming to town, but there are issues on offense for this team.
No. 8 – Washington Huskies (2-0) | No. 7 last week ⇩
LastGame Result: Won 16-14 vs. Utah State
Next Game: vs. Eastern Washington
What goes into the ranking
Where would the Huskies be without quarterback Demond Williams? He accounted for 305 of the 356 total yards for Washington. The offense needs more playmakers to go with a defense that has played well, or things won't go rosy in the Big Ten. The coaching staff nearly gave the game away with some curious play calling at the end, and hopefully, it'll be a lessoned learned.
No. 7 – Oregon Ducks (1-1) | No. 3 last week ⇩
LastGame Result: Lost 39-31 at Oklahoma State
Next Game: at Portland State
What goes into the ranking
What's going on in Eugene? The roster is loaded but the team just isn't playing up to its potential. It's two-straight weeks where the defense gave up too many yards and points and it's against competition that isn't anything near what the Ducks will see in the Big Ten. Can Dan Lanning get this team to improve and be what we thought it would be. Playing Portland State might just be what the doctor ordered.
No. 6 – Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-0) | No. 8 last week ⇧
LastGame Result: Won 49-7 vs. Bowling Green
Next Game: vs. North Dakota
What goes into the ranking
It was total domination by Nebraska on Saturday vs. BGSU head coach Eddie George's squad. Whether the Falcons are any good in the MAC this year or not, Matt Rhule's team played physical, disciplined, and seems to have more depth than years past. Will it continue once Big Ten play ramps up in earnest?
No. 5 – Iowa Hawkeyes (2-0) | No. 6 last week ⇧
LastGame Result: Won 16-13 vs. Iowa State
Next Game: vs. Northern Iowa
What goes into the ranking
Just when you thought a game couldn't get any more Iowa than what we've seen before, the Cy Hawk rivalry delivers. Neither team could get much going consistently on offense, but when the Hawkeyes needed it most, they got into field goal range and drilled it to win the game by a very Iowan score. The only way it could have brought the Hawkeye juice more is if Iowa won on a walk-off safety.
No. 4 – Penn State Nittany Lions (2-0) | No. 6 last week ⇧
LastGame Result: Won 27-9 at Temple
Next Game: vs. Buffalo
What goes into the ranking
Should we be taking the Nittany Lions more seriously? It wasn't a great performance on the road vs. Temple, but they still controlled the game with little doubt. The defense looks solid, and the offense will continue to get better. Combine that with a relatively easy schedule (no Ohio State, Indiana, or Oregon), and this could be a dark horse contender for the Big Ten and College Football Playoff. I mean, who made this schedule anyhow?
No. 3 – USC Trojans (3-0) | No. 4 last week ⇧
LastGame Result: Won 49-30 vs. Louisiana
Next Game: at Rutgers
What goes into the ranking
While you were sleeping, USC scored a lot of points again and remained undefeated. The offense looks like a big play waiting to happen, but there is a little concern with the secondary, with so many passing yards being allowed. USC looks to be able to score with anyone, but might lose a shootout or two against teams that can sling it around.
No. 2 – Ohio State Buckeyes (1-1) | No. 1 last week ⇩
LastGame Result: Lost 24-23 at Texas
Next Game: vs. Kent State
What went into the ranking
There's no shame in losing on the road to a top-five team, but all of Buckeye Nation will tell you the coaching staff didn't put the team in the best position to win the game. Ohio State should be undefeated but now has less room for error. Still, it's a talented squad, and if it can keep its foot on the gas for 60 minutes, everything is still on the table.
No. 1 – Indiana Hoosiers (2-0) | No. 2 last week ⇧
LastGame Result: Won 55-0 vs. Howard
Next Game: vs. Western Kentucky
What went into the ranking
Indiana lands here because we trust in the process with head coach Curt Cignetti. I mean, yeah, it's two straight blowouts to begin the year, but the teams Indiana has rolling in at the beginning of the schedule are cupcakes, to say the least. We'll wait until October to see if this thing is still cooking, but you have to think the Hoosiers will be right there again.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Big Ten football power rankings after Week 2 of college football
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