Big Ten Power Rankings: Week 2
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1. Indiana (AP No. 4, Coaches No. 4)
2-0 | 0-0 B1G
Last Week’s Ranking: 2
Movement: +1
Indiana rises to No. 1 after some missteps by the Big Ten’s elite powerhouses in Oregon and Ohio State. The Hoosiers haven’t had one this season, shutting out Howard in a 55-0 win a week after beating North Texas 52-16. Indiana looked truly dominant against Howard, as quarterback Josh Hoover completed six of 11 passes for 145 yards and four touchdowns. Howard managed only 56 total yards to Indiana’s 505 and had fewer first downs (4) than Indiana had touchdowns (7). They’ll face Western Kentucky, a Conference USA foe, in Week 3 before facing Northwestern and Rutgers to open conference play.
2. Ohio State (AP No. 6, Coaches No. 6)
1-1 | 0-0 B1G
Last Week’s Ranking: 1
Movement: -1
Ohio State suffered a historic fourth-quarter collapse in the proclaimed “Game of the Year” against No. 5 Texas, dropping five spots after their 24-23 loss away from home. Despite this loss, the Buckeyes remain among the nation’s elite. Jeremiah Smith is still in Heisman form, having racked up eight receptions for 164 yards and a touchdown in Ohio State’s Week 2 loss.
The defeat is tough and, frankly, a bit worrying; surrendering a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter is inexcusable, even against a top-five team like Texas. However, Ohio State is still one of the top teams to beat in the Big Ten. They’ll look to regain ground with a Week 3 game against MAC team Kent State.
3. USC (AP No. 12, Coaches No. 11)
3-0 | 0-0 B1G
Last Week’s Ranking: 4
Movement: +1
Have the Trojans played a top-75 team (according to Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings) yet? No. Have the Trojans looked fallible against these teams at times? Yes. However, if you can look past the defensive inconsistency and avoidable penalties, the Trojans have one of the largest upsides in the country.
Jayden Maiava continues to shine, the Trojans are tapping into an exciting receiving corps and USC’s underclassmen have made impactful plays throughout its first three wins. Vibes are high in Los Angeles, especially after a Week 2 49-30 win over UL-Lafayette. The Trojans face a tough conference stretch going into October; after traveling to face Rutgers, they’ll play No. 21 Oregon, Washington (RV) and No. 14 Penn State to open up Big Ten play.
4. Penn State (AP No. 14, Coaches No. 15)
2-0 | 0-0 B1G
Last Week’s Ranking: 5
Movement: +1
Penn State gritted out a 27-9 win over American Conference opponent Temple. The Nittany Lions entered halftime up 10-3, but they squandered two red zone trips and incurred silly penalties against a team far inferior on paper. Penn State eventually triumphed thanks to Rocco Becht’s 268 passing yards and three touchdowns and a spirited defensive performance, but their offense still looks less than exemplary. Penn State should take care of Buffalo in Week 3 before they move on to conference action.
5. Oregon (AP No. 21, Coaches No. 18)
1-1 | 0-0 B1G
Last Week’s Ranking: 3
Movement: -2
Honestly, this No. 5 spot could easily have gone to Iowa or Michigan, but I don’t think Oregon’s Week 2 loss warrants the overreaction. The Ducks have taken on a pretty tough non-conference schedule; Boise State projects as the best Group of Six team, while Oklahoma State was widely tipped as a dark horse to make noise in the Big 12 after former North Texas coach Eric Morris took over. Oregon still has an insane amount of talent at its disposal, including Dante Moore, Jamari Johnson and defensive tackle A’Mauri Washington, and the Ducks have shown a dynamic offense. The issue is consistency. The Ducks face FCS Portland State before facing USC and UCLA to open Big Ten play.
6. Iowa (AP No. 18, Coaches No. 20)
2-0 | 0-0 B1G
Last Week’s Ranking: 7
Movement: +1
Iowa eked out a tense 16-13 win over Iowa State to move to 2-0 and claim the annual Cy-Hawk trophy on Saturday. Even if Iowa State has seen better years, the Hawkeyes’ victory was genuinely impressive in a historically tense rivalry game. Iowa frustrated the Cyclones’ offense in the second half, allowing just four first downs and three points. Iowa’s offense wasn’t very convincing, especially its frustrated run game, but Iowa walks away with a pretty solid Week 2 win. They’ll round out non-conference action with a Saturday outing against Northern Iowa, a FCS team that has failed to beat the Hawkeyes in seven attempts.
7. Michigan (AP No. 19, Coaches No. 19)
1-1 | 0-0 B1G
Last Week’s Ranking: 8
Movement: +1
Michigan hasn’t silenced its doubters yet, but the Wolverines did stun them in a Week 2 upset of No. 11 Oklahoma. Bryce Underwood hasn’t played up to his hefty $12 million NIL price tag, but his winding 38-yard run through Oklahoma’s secondary set the tone for Michigan’s win. The offense wasn’t thrilling, but they did just enough to overcome a similarly struggling Sooner offense. Simply put, Michigan isn’t convincing, but the win was nice. Michigan’s win over Oklahoma was exactly the bounce-back win they needed to stay motivated going into conference play, but it isn’t enough to call them true contenders. After a home game against UTEP, their next real test will come with their Big Ten opener against Iowa.
8. Washington (AP NR, Coaches No. 24)
2-0 | 0-0 B1G
Last Week’s Ranking: 6
Movement: -2
The Huskies seriously struggled against the Pac-12’s Utah State in a 16-14 win. Despite Demond Williams Jr.’s 249 passing yards, the running game remained stalled, and Williams’ receivers dropped several catches. Washington’s offense was, at best, dreary and, at worst, cringe-inducing. They also face several injuries; their two top running backs and their No. 1 receiver will miss months with injuries. Williams is still an intriguing dual-threat talent, but behind a leaky offensive line and faced with a crippled depth chart, he hasn’t been able to put points on the board for the Huskies. The Huskies seriously need to get off the ground in time for their conference opener against Minnesota. They can use a Week 3 outing against Big Sky team Eastern Washington to do so.
9. Nebraska (AP NR, Coaches NR)
2-0 | 0-0 B1G
Last Week’s Ranking: 10
Movement: +1
The ‘Huskers throttled the Bowling Green Falcons in a 56-7 victory led by Anthony Colandrea’s four passing touchdowns and 222 passing yards. Nebraska has easily pushed both of its Group of Six opponents aside and handled its tune-up games convincingly. Colandrea and Nebraska’s receiving corps have been the highlights of Nebraska’s offense, although true freshman Jamal Rule has been prolific on the ground, rushing for 210 yards and four touchdowns in two games. Nebraska takes on FCS powerhouse North Dakota State next.
10. UCLA
2-0 | 0-0 B1G
Last Week’s Ranking: 12
Movement: +2
UCLA beat San Diego State 28-10 to move up to 2-0 ahead of their conference opener against Purdue. The Bruins have quietly picked up two solid wins: a rivalry season opener against Cal and now their victory over a top Pac-12 team. Their running game has been strong; James Madison transfer Wayne Knight has amassed 168 yards and six touchdowns on the ground in just two games. Nico Iamaleava has been far from his best in those two openers, but the former five-star recruit still has room to improve.
11. Northwestern
1-0 | 0-0 B1G
Last Week’s Ranking: 9
Movement: -2
Northwestern had an oddly placed bye week after their tight win over South Dakota State. They’ll face a Colorado squad coming off a 52-21 win over Weber State before taking on Penn State in the opening of the brand-new Ryan Field. If they win both of those games, then there are uncomfortable conversations to be had about Northwestern’s place in the upper echelon of the Big Ten. However, due to solid performances in the teams around them, they slip a bit.
12. Maryland
2-0 | 0-0 B1G
Last Week’s Ranking: 15
Movement: +3
The Terrapins had a very impressive win on Saturday, dominating UConn in a 38-14 win on the back of a monster game by Malik Washington. Washington completed 34 of 41 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns, while the Maryland defense sacked UConn quarterback Kalieb Osborne five times. Although the Huskies have largely downgraded from their nine-win 2025 season, their victory is still a statement as they look to work their way towards the upper tier of the Big Ten.
13. Illinois
1-1 | 0-0 B1G
Last Week’s Ranking: 11
Movement: -2
Duke running back Nate Sheppard ran all over the Illini yesterday, totaling 188 yards and three scores in Duke’s 31-27 win over Illinois.
Illinois failed to force a turnover or pose a significant threat when Duke marched to the red zone; the Blue Devils were a perfect four-for-four in their red zone appearances. Although Katin Houser turned in a solid stat line, passing for 271 yards and three scores, his lone interception came in the fourth quarter and halted any momentum Illinois had as they attempted to mount a comeback.
14. Minnesota
1-1 | 0-0 B1G
Last Week’s Ranking: 13
Movement: -1
Kamario Taylor had a career day against the Gophers on Saturday. “Super Kamario” picked apart a leaky Gophers secondary, posting 16 completed passes on 22 attempts for 227 passing yards and three scores in Mississippi State’s win over Minnesota. Drake Lindsey had a respectable outing, but the Gophers racked up an insane number of penalties and couldn’t convert third-down opportunities on offense, while a normally active Minnesota defense was silenced by the Bulldogs’ beefy offensive line and the pinpoint play of Taylor. Minnesota doesn’t drop further here because Mississippi State received votes in the most recent AP Poll and projects as a dark horse in the SEC. Minnesota faces the Akron Zips on Saturday before facing Washington in a battle of the rotational ambigrams.
15. Wisconsin
1-1 | 0-0 B1G
Last Week’s Ranking: 14
Movement: -1
Wisconsin took care of business and rolled over Western Illinois in a solid 36-9 win. They’ll get another tune-up game — a Week 3 outing against Eastern Michigan — before they enter conference play with a road trip to No. 14 Penn State. The Badgers did what was expected of them, and they bounced back from their Week 1 blowout loss against No. 4 Notre Dame. Keep your eyes peeled on the Badgers’ linebackers — Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano project as one of the best linebacker pairings in the conference.
16. Michigan State
2-0 | 0-0 B1G
Last Week’s Ranking: 16
Movement: 0
Michigan State rolled Eastern Michigan 35-7, powered by lead back Cam Edwards’ 157 total yards and two touchdowns.
Although they had a better performance than in their tight Week 1 victory over Toledo, we still haven’t seen the Spartans play against a solid Power Four team. Can Michigan State take joy in the fact that their run game looks pretty solid? Yes. Is it enough to conclusively bump them over Wisconsin or Minnesota? Not yet. New coach Pat Fitzgerald faces his first big test when they play No. 3 Notre Dame in South Bend next Saturday.
17. Purdue
1-1 | 0-0 B1G
Last Week’s Ranking: 17
Movement: 0
The good news: Purdue and Wake Forest played in one of the most entertaining games of the week, combining for 74 total points in a double-overtime shootout. The bad news: Gio Lopez’s two-point conversion handed Purdue its first loss of the season against arguably the weakest opponent they’ll play for the rest of the season. For the Boilermakers’ apparent quality in quarterback Ryan Browne and running back Fame Ijeboi, Purdue has struggled with its red zone efficiency, and the defense has struggled with coverage breakdowns. Purdue could find wins hard to come by in conference play as they take on UCLA, Notre Dame, and Illinois in three weeks.
18. Rutgers
0-2 | 0-0 B1G
Last Week’s Ranking: 18
Movement: 0
On top of suffering one of their worst losses ever as a football program in Week 0, Rutgers played from behind for the entirety of their 28-21 loss to Boston College, conceded a game-sealing 78-yard wide-open touchdown throw, and tossed an interception on the final drive to kill any chance of mounting a comeback. This was all in spite of another great KJ Duff game; he caught eight passes for 137 yards and two scores. Antwan Raymond also racked up 152 yards from scrimmage and a score on 22 carries. However, AJ Surace, filling in for the injured Dylan Lonergan, threw four interceptions, making any type of offensive progress nearly impossible. Rutgers hosts No. 12 USC in Piscataway to open conference play before playing Howard.
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