The Big Ten once again had an up and down week of football, but there were some powerhouse programs that got back on track.
Big Ten darling Michigan had a big win over No. 11 Oklahoma. This was good for the conference. Indiana is looking stout once again.
The bad was the way Ohio State fell to Texas. That should have been a big win. There were a few other teams that should have secured a victory, but they got in their own way.
Here are your Big Ten power rankings after week three
The Buckeyes went up against arguably the best team in college football and should have won. Ohio State let that 20-point lead slip away, which is inexcusable. They are still the best team in the Big Ten and college football.
You can’t tell what Indiana is right now. They are pummeling teams, but the competition is weak. The Big Ten season is looming, which should better lay out what the Hoosiers are in 2026.
The Trojans’ defense gave up zero points two weeks ago, but this past weekend, they allowed 30 points to Louisiana. Keep an eye on the USC defense this season. That will, again, be their bugaboo.
This might have been the best win for the Big Ten last week. Iowa took down Iowa State by three points. I still don’t trust their offense, but the Hawkeyes are moving up three spots from last week’s power rankings.
I have Penn State staying the status quo right now. They aren’t impressing me, as they let Temple hang around for a minute. The Nittany Lions have a chance to rise up in these rankings, but they need to show me something more.
The Cornhuskers put up 56 points, which looks flashy, but it was against the MAC. I don’t trust Anthony Colandrea at all. He could struggle in Big Ten play. With the chaos around Nebraska, I have them moving up five spots in the power rankings, but it is a questionable place for them.
What a massive question mark right now. Oregon should be good. Their roster says they are good. But they continue to crap the bed. An eight-point loss to Oklahoma State is unacceptable for the Ducks, and that is why they plummeted four spots in the power rankings.
UCLA is up a notch from last week. They weren’t overly impressive against San Diego State, but they got the job done. An undefeated Bruins squad has played good football, and they will be a sneaky team in 2026.
The Wolverines had a nice bounce-back win over a ranked Oklahoma squad. This was needed, as confidence was so low for this program. I still have my skepticism about Michigan, but they did move up three spots to the middle of the Big Ten entering week four.
Washington had the rare win-and-drop scenario last week. The Huskies beat Utah State 16-14, but that isn’t good enough. They haven’t played good teams, and they are struggling to get past those programs. Washington is a team to keep an eye on, as they could drop in the coming weeks.
The biggest drop in the Big Ten power rankings is Illinois. While they did narrowly lose to the defending ACC champs Duke, there are so many questions right now. Illinois has an easy test in week three, but then Ohio State is next. The Illini have a ton to prove right now.
Wisconsin is down to spots this week. They played Western Illinois, which should have been a bigger blowout than the 36-9 score. The week prior, the Badgers got demolished by Notre Dame. I am not sure this is a good team.
I have the Golden Gophers remaining at No. 13 in the Big Ten power rankings. They aren’t a good team, but the bottom of the Big Ten is so bad. Minnesota lost to a middling Mississippi State team by 25 points. They have a ton to prove moving forward.
There is a chance that Maryland can move up this power ranking quickly. They tore apart UConn on Saturday by 24 points. I like their quarterback, but the Terrapins have just been so disappointing for so long. I need to see them play well against a decent opponent.
Michigan State beat up on MAC challenger Eastern Michigan this past weekend. I don’t trust the new Pat Fitzgerald regime just yet. They don’t have a lot of talent, and their quarterback situation is suspect, at best.
The Wildcats had a bye week last week. They are another team that has a ton of questions, and we will get a better view of what this program is over the next three weeks, with Colorado, No. 4 Indiana, and No. 14 Penn State on the docket.
The best game of the weekend was the Purdue vs. Wake Forest contest. Boilermakers were so close to their first power four win in years. Sadly, it ended in defeat. Purdue is still at the bottom of the Big Ten.
This could be the worst team in college football. I am not sure Rutgers would even make a bowl game if they played in the MAC. The Scarlet Knights led the week off against Boston College and once again fell short. They are a bad program.
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