Week 1 of the college football season is officially in the books, and there were already some very interesting happenings in the Big Ten that shook up the power rankings. Rutgers had the loss of the year, getting beaten down by a UMASS team that barely ever beats an FBS team and didn’t win at all in 2025.
Oregon, Michigan, and Washington looked poised to offer up their own bad losses, but they finally managed to hold off their opponents. Of course, with the help the Big Ten gave to the Wolverines, maybe they didn’t hold them off at all.
Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 1
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0)
The Buckeyes took care of business by beating Ball State 56-3. Ohio State just needed to show they're still very, very good. They did that especially by holding the MAC squad to just 165 total yards. OSU is the best of the Big Ten until proven otherwise.
2. Indiana Hoosiers (1-0)
Indiana had some issues early against North Texas, but they ended up beating the Mean Green 52-16. Still, going into the fourth quarter, the Hoosiers held just a 31-16 advantage and that's a big reason why the defending champs are at No. 2 behind Ohio State.
3. Oregon Ducks (1-0)
The Ducks came back from being down 17-7 to Boise State to win 34-27. Oregon still didn't look great at any point in this game. Yes, Dante Moore put up big numbers, but he’s supposed to against an unranked G6 opponent.
4. USC Trojans (2-0)
USC could be a dangerous team this season with Jayden Maiava under center again. Lincoln Riley’s team has always had an issue with its defense. Against Fresno State, they won 39-0. If one of the Big Three falters, the Trojans could move up in the Big Ten Power Rankings.
5. Iowa (1-0)
Iowa’s quarterbacks could still be a big problem. However, Kamari Moulton and the Hawkeyes' defense could make them a real College Football Playoff contender. In their 40-0 win over Northern Illinois, they allowed a total of 120 offensive yards.
6. Penn State (1-0)
The Matt Campbell era at Penn State got off to a 45-0 win over Marshall. The defense did the job more than the offense, but it says something that Campbell’s offense didn’t look that impressive while still scoring more than 40 points.
7. Illinois (1-0)
New Illinois quarterback Katin Houser was efficient, if unspectacular, by completing 13 of 17 passes for 182 yards and 3 touchdowns. Still, the Illini struggled to put away UAB until the fourth quarter in their 42-23 Week 1 victory.
8. Washington (1-0)
Washington’s 24-10 win in the Apple Cup against Washington State was not remotely impressive. Still, the quarterback showed just enough toward the end of the game, throwing for 268 yards and a touchdown while leading the team in rushing with 61 yards and another score, for the Huskies in the top half of the Big Ten Power Rankings.
9. UCLA (1-0)
Bob Chesney got a nice debut at UCLA by beating Cal 45-24. It might have been the most impressive win of Week 1 in the Big Ten. Of course, we don’t yet know exactly how good the Golden Bears will be. Until we know that, the Bruins stay just in the middle of the Big Ten Power Rankings.
10. Nebraska (1-0)
Nebraska had plenty of people nervous when it struggled against Ohio in the first half. However, in the second half, they outclassed the Bobcats 35-8 to salt away a 49-21 victory. In the process, Anthony Colandrea impressed with his leadership, and true freshman running back Jamal Rule impressed with his combination of speed and toughness.
11. Minnesota (1-0)
Minnesota took down Eastern Illinois 59-7. It’s rather hard to gauge much of anything on a blowout win against an FCS squad. Still, one of the most distressing things for the Golden Gophers is that they couldn’t run roughshod over a weak opponent.
12. Michigan (1-0)
Michigan had to throw a Hail Mary to beat Western Michigan, 13-12. Worse, the Wolverines had to do it twice: the first attempt missed, and then the Big Ten gave them another chance. Fans rushing the field after that win are enough to shove head coach Kyle Whittingham’s team to the bottom of the rankings. It’s a good thing there are worse teams.
13. Wisconsin (0-1)
The Badgers played well enough in the first half that the halftime show on Sunday night claimed Wisconsin could be an 8-win team. Then they lost to Notre Dame 41-13, and they looked bad enough that you have to wonder how much better they’ll be with quarterback Colton Joseph.
14. Maryland (1-0)
The same gauge of Minnesota applies to Maryland. A 62-0 win over Hampton looks impressive, but Hampton’s not even an FCS power, so it’s pretty hard to tell if the Terps are better than they were expected to be entering 2026.
15. Michigan State (1-0)
We’ve officially reached the “who is worse than the other” portion of the Big Ten Power Rankings. Michigan State had serious problems beating Toledo, 30-20. But at least the Spartans beat an FBS team. That gives them the edge among the worst teams in the conference.
16. Purdue (1-0)
Purdue not only played a mediocre FCS team, but they also couldn’t really put Indiana State away, winning just 44-19. They didn’t look remotely good. They looked better than the final two teams in this Power Ranking.
17. Northwestern (1-0)
Northwestern had all kinds of problems beating South Dakota State. A 34-18 win over an FCS team was hardly the best way to kick off the season. The Wildcats really didn’t do anything well. But they won, something Rutgers can’t say.
18. Rutgers (0-1)
All you can really say is “yikes” to Rutgers’ 37-21 loss at home to UMASS. This wasn’t one of those “underdog finds a way” they dominated the Scarlet Knights all game. There’s simply no other contender for the worst team in the Big Ten Power Rankings, and it’s not remotely close.
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