Big Ten football is down in 2026. Through Week 5, that's the reality. Maybe the situation will improve in the next two months, but right now, a lot of Big Ten teams are underachieving relative to preseason expectations. Let's look at the Big Ten football power rankings through Week 5:
18 - Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Rutgers got blasted by Indiana, confirmation of how important the Scarlet Knights are.
17 - Michigan State Spartans
Pat Fitzgerald's first year looks like a total washout. Maryland can at least score.
16 - Maryland Terrapins
Better than Michigan State and Rutgers, but not better than anyone else. Maryland doesn't have a lot to hang onto right now, and Mike Locksley is legitimately on the hot seat in College Park.
15 - Illinois Fighting Illini
You lose to Purdue at home, you pay the price.
14 - Penn State Nittany Lions
If USC can't beat these guys, it will be a searing indictment
of Lincoln Riley and his program.
13 - Washington Huskies
A commenter on Twitter said Washington and USC were the two worst-coached teams in the Big Ten. He's not wrong.
12 - Purdue Boilermakers
A win at Illinois lifts the Boilermakers out of the bottom third of the conference. Can they stay this high the rest of the season?
11 - Wisconsin Badgers
The 17-point comeback at Penn State over a week ago felt a lot like the Nittany Lions choking more than the Badgers being good.
10 - Nebraska Cornhuskers
NU is unbeaten but does not look convincing at all. Struggling with Maryland at home is an ominous sign.
9 - Michigan Wolverines
Bryce Underwood just doesn't seem to be the guy. Michigan and Kyle Whittingham need a true star quarterback in 2027.
8 - Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa's passing game is once again a mess, but the Hawkeyes did make Ohio State work hard for a victory on Saturday.
7 - Minnesota Golden Gophers
Wins at Washington and against Michigan should count for something, but this team did get rocked at home by Mississippi State.
6 - USC Trojans
USC plays a bad Penn State team next. If the Trojans can't win that one, Lincoln Riley should be done and dusted.
5 - Northwestern Wildcats
A close loss at Indiana followed by a wipeout of Penn State show that the Wildcats are a good, solid team. David Braun has turned out to be a quality head coach.
4 - UCLA Bruins
Bob Chesney goes to Oregon next. Speaking of the Ducks:
3 - Oregon Ducks
They aren't nearly as good as Ohio State, but they're in the top three because there just aren't many high-level Big Ten teams right now.
2 - Ohio State Buckeyes
The line play can be better, but the floor for Ohio State is higher than a lot of Big Ten teams' ceilings.
1 - Indiana Hoosiers
They aren't as good as last year, but Curt Cignetti is still the coach, and the blowout of Rutgers shows they can still take care of business on the road.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Big Ten football power rankings after Week 5 of 2026 season
