While Nebraska sat back, waited, and watched during their bye week, the Big Ten remained absolutely insane.
Normally, when you fill out a Power Rankings list, you can pencil in at least a few teams at the top every single week. That’s certainly been the case for the B1G the last few years. However, this year, it doesn’t seem like there’s any team that’s really poised to dominate.
Even Ohio State, which would normally own the conference, will have to play most, if not all, of the season without a starting quarterback. There’s a very good chance that could mean a big shakeup from this week to next if things keep going crazy. Nebraska could even add some fuel to that fire over the next few weeks.
The Big Ten Contenders
1. Ohio State (6-1, 4-0)
Like Nebraska, the Buckeyes had a bye and got to watch some insane outcomes shift the conference standings in a big way. For now, Ohio State stays in this spot until someone knocks them off. However, without Julian Sayin for the foreseeable future, they could get knocked off soon.
2. UCLA (7-0, 4-0)
The Bruins haven’t faced a murderer’s row of opponents, but they’ve taken care of business every single week. They improved to 7-0 with an 18-point win over Michigan State on Saturday. The Bruins are led by a strong running game and a Top 10 defense. However, just like Ohio State, the Bruins will have to keep winning with their backup quarterback, as Nico Iamaleava is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
3. Northwestern (6-1, 3-1)
The first big surprise of these rankings is the Northwestern Wildcats. However, this team keeps getting better week after week. Yes, they’re ranked above the only team that beat them, but if the two teams met again this week, it’s not clear the Hoosiers would win. This week, they routed a Rutgers squad, their second blowout win in their last three Big Ten games.
4. Indiana (6-1, 3-1)
Indiana ranks behind Northwestern because the Hoosiers have struggled the last two weeks. They needed to rally from 11 down against Nebraska, then went to overtime to beat a Michigan team 13-6 that doesn’t really have a quarterback right now.
Still in the Big Ten conversation
5. Wisconsin (5-2, 3-1)
It’s safe to say very few people expected Wisconsin to get this high in the Big Ten Power Rankings entering the 2026 season. However, the Badgers really only have one bad win, in the season opener against Notre Dame, and they’ve gone 5-1 since then, including an upset win over then-No. 16 USC this past weekend.
6. Minnesota (5-2, 3-1)
Minnesota went from pretender after losing 41-13 to Purdue two weeks ago to contender after upsetting No. 15 Iowa this past weekend. The Golden Gophers could still be a paper tiger; their Big Ten schedule has been light, and their other loss was a 38-13 blowout to Mississippi State. For now, they’re in the conversation and could make a statement against Indiana this Saturday.
Heading the wrong direction in the Big Ten Power Rankings
7. Iowa (5-2, 2-2)
The Hawkeyes were climbing up the ranks and looking like a possible playoff team until they lost to Minnesota, 10-3, this week. With quarterback uncertainty continuing, Iowa is moving in the wrong direction, but if they finish 10-2, they could still be in the CFP conversation.
8. Oregon (4-3, 2-2)
Oregon is this high only because they can’t be ranked behind Nebraska. After a gritty win over the Huskers two weeks ago, they looked absolutely awful against Illinois and would need to win out even to have a shot at the CFP.
9. Nebraska (5-2, 2-2)
The Huskers started the season 5-0, then built a 17-6 lead over Indiana before collapsing in the fourth quarter. They followed that up by collapsing in the fourth quarter against Oregon. Being six points away from 7-0 and up in the top tier is why they aren’t lower here. If they can beat Washington this weekend, things will get interesting again.
10. USC (6-2, 3-2)
If USC had opened 7-1, they’d almost certainly be in the playoff conversation. Instead, Wisconsin walloped them 24-7 last Saturday. To make matters worse, the Badgers had just 58 passing yards. Now Lincoln Riley is on the hot seat.
Big Ten bowls still in sight
11. Illinois (4-3, 2-2)
The Illini looked good, especially defensively against Oregon, but Illinois still seems like a bit of a mess. They’re another team without their starting QB right now, and their defense was so bad that they fired their DC early in the season. They can make some noise, but it seems like a bowl game is their ceiling.
12. Michigan (4-3, 2-2)
The Wolverines could be ranked a lot lower, but their defense is legit, even if their offense is putrid. Taking the defending national champ, whose only loss is still to Ohio State in overtime, puts Michigan higher than it probably deserves.
13. Washington (4-3, 2-2)
Few teams are as odd as the Washington Huskies. They started the year in everyone’s conversation for a CFP berth. They enter this week as 9.5-point underdogs to Nebraska in the Halloween game. They also had a bye week, so who knows which Huskies team shows up Saturday.
14. Purdue (3-4, 2-2)
Purdue’s résumé got stronger during the off week with Minnesota and Illinois both winning, but the Boilermakers still have a losing record that includes three home defeats. They have a case for a higher ranking thanks to their blowout win over the Gophers, but they remain below Washington after both teams had an off week following the Huskies’ win in West Lafayette.
Playing out the string in the Big Ten
15. Penn State (3-4, 0-4)
The Nittany Lions started the year with high hopes of a CFP return. They started the season 3-0 but haven’t won a single game in the Big Ten. They had a bye week this weekend, but before that, they lost to a Michigan team that benched its starter midgame and then watched a true freshman backup lead the Wolverines to victory.
16. Rutgers (2-5, 1-3)
Now that Mike Locksley has been fired, Brian Schiano is in the Big Ten coach's hot seat. His team’s only win is over Maryland, and Northwestern thumped the Scarlet Knights last weekend.
17. Maryland (2-5, 0-4)
The Terps don’t have to occupy dead last thanks to a bye and a fired Mike Locksley. The Terrapins could be better with their interim coach. It helps that their first game is against a very uneven Illinois squad this Saturday.
18. Michigan State (2-6, 0-4)
Michigan State started the season 2-0 and has now lost 6 straight. They only lost 38-37 to Illinois a few weeks ago, but they were hammered 28-10 by a UCLA team with its backup quarterback in his first-ever start. The Spartans might go into the final week of the Big Ten season
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