It took until Sunday night, but the Big Ten's Week 1 is officially in the books. All 18 teams have now played at least one game (USC played two before most ever played one), and we're starting to get an idea of how good (or bad) teams might be. Though next week should tell us even more -- a lot more.
There was a big upset, with Rutgers going down to UMass on Thursday to kick things off, and a near upset with Michigan football surviving what was thought to be an overmatched Western Michigan team. Some teams, like Oregon, got off to a slow start, while others were exactly as expected, like Michigan State.
With that in mind, here are our Week 1 power rankings for the Big Ten.
18. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Preseason ranking: 17
Week 1 result: UMass 37, Rutgers 21
This should come
as no surprise given that it was the biggest upset of the season thus far. The Scarlet Knights were favored by 28.5 and ended up losing by 16. The defense had little answer for UMass QB 'Pop' Watson, and Boston College transfer Dylan Lonergan threw three picks in the season opener. This was the easiest game on the schedule, besides Howard in Week 4, so this could be a long season in Piscataway and New Brunswick.
17. Purdue Boilermakers
Preseason ranking: 18
Week 1 result: Purdue 44, Indiana State 19
It was a decent start to the season for Purdue, which did mostly what it was supposed to do to an FCS team. The passing offense rolled, with a combined 346 yards through the air, while the rushing offense amassed 177 yards on the ground. The defense had some miscues, but it was stout against the run, allowing just 66 yards.
16. Michigan State Spartans
Preseason ranking: 16
Week 1 result: Michigan State 30, Toledo 20
For a long while, it had appeared that MSU might have been in a heap of trouble, with a new-look Toledo team nursing a fourth-quarter lead. However, a seven-play, 70-yard drive right after the Rockets took the lead allowed the Spartans to reclaim the lead for good. Quarterback Alessio Milivojevic had 247 yards passing and a touchdown, while the commitment to the run was apparent -- though 49 carries for 150 yards leaves a lot to be desired. Even still, MSU started in the win column, but we'll know more about the Spartans in two weeks when they play at Notre Dame.
15. Northwestern Wildcats
Preseason ranking: 15
Week 1 result: Northwestern 34, South Dakota State 18
South Dakota State is one of the few FCS teams you never want to face, and Northwestern learned that the hard way. It emerged victorious, with a solid offensive showing under new OC Chip Kelly, amassing just shy of 500 yards. But the defense allowed over 400 yards. The Wildcats can regroup with a bye week, but then come back with 11 straight games, starting with Colorado and then a road game at Indiana.
14. Maryland Terrapins
Preseason ranking: 13
Week 1 result: Maryland 62, Hampton 0
It's difficult to ascertain much from playing Hampton, but Maryland looked like a juggernaut in a game it should have done so in. We'll know more in two weeks when the Terps host Virginia Tech.
13. Wisconsin Badgers
Preseason ranking: 14
Week 1 result: Notre Dame 41, Wisconsin 13
Wisconsin made it a game for a half, but that was all it could muster against the No. 4 team in the country. Ultimately, the Badgers were overmatched, and a couple of methodical drives by the Irish put the game away. While it was a heartening start for the Badgers, we'll see if they can rebound after a moribund past few seasons.
12. Michigan Wolverines
Preseason ranking: 5
Week 1 result: Michigan 13, Western Michigan 12
Rutgers could have been the most talked about Big Ten game this weekend, but the Wolverines became the talk of all of college football in Week 1. Not only did Michigan struggle mightily in all three phases, but there was also controversy at the end, with many believing that Western Michigan had upset the maize and blue. A second was put back on the clock, and Michigan won on a game-ending Hail Mary.
Regardless, it doesn't look like Michigan is capable of contending at the moment. However, we'll know more next week when Oklahoma comes to town.
11. Illinois Fighting Illini
Preseason ranking: 12
Week 1 result: Illinois 42, UAB 23
It was a surprisingly close first half for Illinois, which ended with a touchdown, allowing the Illini to push an eight-point lead into the half. Statistically, it wasn't an impressive game for either side of the ball, but the most important thing was that it finished as a lopsided score, nonetheless.
10. Minnesota Golden Gophers
Preseason ranking: 9
Week 1 result: Minnesota 59, Eastern Illinois 7
It's difficult to gauge just where Minnesota is given that it played an overmatched Eastern Illinois team, but it won convincingly, as it was supposed to. With 348 yards through the air, the Gophers may be tough to stop, but the run game was just OK. The defense, however, kept East Illinois to just 110 yards. We'll know more when Minnesota faces Mississippi State next week.
9. Iowa Hawkeyes
Preseason ranking: 10
Week 1 result: Iowa 40, Northern Illinois 0
Iowa hasn't settled on a quarterback, and while the pass game continues to be a work in progress, Hank Brown had a better day than Jeremy Hecklinski. The combined 218 yards through the air combined with 289 yards on the ground for a shockingly explosive offense. Meanwhile, the defense allowed just seven yards rushing to Northern Illinois, continuing to be dominant on that side of the ball.
8. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Preseason ranking: 7
Week 1 result: Nebraska 49, Ohio 21
The final score was a romp, but the first half was anything but. The Cornhuskers were in a fight with Ohio, nursing just a one-point halftime lead, but eventually Nebraska flexed and took down the Bobcats in the way that was expected. After just 14 points in the first half, Matt Rhule's team managed 35 points in the second. Anthony Colandrea had a solid day through the air with 275 yards and three touchdowns. The defense was solid, but not quite as good in defending the pass as it has been in the recent past.
7. Washington Huskies
Preseason ranking: 6
Week 1 result: Washington 24, Washington State 10
The Apple Cup now takes place early in the season, and the Huskies were expected to roll their in-state rival from Pullman, but it was instead a simple, comfortable win in Seattle. The Cougars made it interesting with four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but just over two minutes later, the Huskies put the game away for good. Demond Williams continued to be electric, picking up right where he left off, and the defense was solid. The schedule is more backloaded, so we may see U-Dub make some noise in the early going.
6. Penn State Nittany Lions
Preseason ranking: 8
Week 1 result: Penn State 45, Marshall 0
The Matt Campbell era started with everything going right. The defense didn't just hold Marshall scoreless, but it allowed fewer than 150 yards. Meanwhile, Rocco Becht and Alex Manske combined for 328 yards passing, while the run game got 163 yards on 45 carries. While the ground game could have been more prolific, it's a solid start for Penn State.
5. UCLA Bruins
Preseason ranking: 11
Week 1 result: UCLA 45, California 24
The Bob Chesney era started with a bang, with perhaps the most unexpected blowout among the Big Ten teams in action. Tied at 24 on the road in Berkeley, the Bruins surged for 21 points in the final nine minutes to take down a team it was a pick 'em against.
Despite Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele throwing for 271 yards, UCLA took it to the Bears, with 277 yards on the ground, and a solid showing by Nico Iamaleava.
One thing is for sure: this doesn't appear to be a team to take lightly.
4. USC Trojans
Preseason ranking: 10
Week 0 result: USC 42, San Jose State 26
Week 1 result: USC 39, Fresno State 0
USC has had two games now, with the first one coming in Week 0 and it being a bit disjointed, despite what the score says. However, USC played a much better game against a generally tough Fresno State team. The passers combined for 412 yards and missed just two throws all game. The run game was solid, but most importantly, the defense looked much improved.
Two more weeks should equal two more wins, but the schedule gets tougher at the end of September when the Trojans host Oregon.
3. Oregon Ducks
Preseason ranking: 1
Week 1 result: Oregon 34, Boise State 27
It wasn't just a slow start for an Oregon team thought to be among the College Football Playoff favorites; it was a little bit of a scary one. Boise State took the first lead, reclaimed it after the Ducks tied it, and even pushed it to 10 points. However, a late first-half touchdown allowed the Ducks to get back into it, though the Broncos didn't take that sitting down. With eight minutes left in the game, BSU tied the game at 27, but the go-ahead TD came less than a minute later.
QB Dante Moore had nearly 400 yards passing and three touchdowns, but the run game was meager with 119 yards.
2. Indiana Hoosiers
Preseason ranking: 3
Week 1 result: Indiana 52, North Texas 16
IU was off to the races initially to open up its national title defense, but North Texas made the game interesting -- for a moment. A third-quarter touchdown made it an 11-point game, but the Hoosiers started to flex by the time the fourth quarter hit. The defense didn't have the best day against former Indiana QB Tayven Jackson, and the run defense allowed 152 yards. But a methodical game by Josh Hoover gave IU four touchdowns through the air, while the run game got three touchdowns, but only 134 yards.
If nothing else, the Hoosiers will be a tough out yet again.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
Preseason ranking: 2
Week 1 result: Ohio State 56, Ball State 3
As expected, it was as emphatic a win as seen all weekend, even if it was against a weaker opponent. Ball State had some early success on both sides of the ball, but eventually, the Buckeyes flexed as they often do. OSU managed 434 yards through the air, with superstar Jeremiah Smith snagging two touchdowns on 151 yards receiving. The run game didn't get going until the third quarter, first with a Bo Jackson 65-yard run, then followed by a Ja'Kobi Jackson 49-yard run minutes later.
This game tells us little other than the Buckeyes are still capable of dominating lesser opponents. We'll know a heck of a lot more next week when they play Texas in Austin at night.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Big Ten football power rankings after Week 1: Who rises, who falls?
