College football is back, and it appears to be better than ever.
Week 1 was absolute cinema, particularly in the Big Ten Conference, where we got a controversial Hail Mary in the Michigan Wolverines game, a tense home victory for the Oregon Ducksover Boise State, an embarrassing blowout to a formerly winless team for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, and a late-night shootout from theUCLA Bruins.
As the conference looks to produce its fourth straight national champion, Saturday made it clear that the 2026 season is going to be highly entertaining in the nation's best conference, with a long list of Heisman Trophy contenders and championship-caliber teams duking it out.
Before the season started, we released our preseason Big Ten Power rankings based
on what we thought we'd see from everyone. Unsurprisingly, there have been changes after just a single week, including the Ducks dropping despite picking up a home win.
Here's an updated look at our Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 1:
18 - Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Previous Ranking: 17
Week 1 Result: 37-21 Loss vs. UMass
Record: 0-1
Analysis: This isn't really up for debate. Rutgers didn't look like it belonged on the same field as a program that went 0-12 a season ago. The coaching staff doesn't seem to have an idea what to do with some of their playmakers, and UMass rushed for 200 yards. They are the conference doormat for a reason. The Scarlet Knights should get comfy down here at the bottom of the rankings.
17 - Purdue Boilermakers
Previous Ranking: 18
Week 1 Result: 44-19 Win vs. Indiana State
Record: 1-0
Analysis: Ryan Browne came out slinging the rock again for Purdue, and he showed real year-to-year progress, albeit against a lesser opponent. The Boilermakers still look pretty rough defensively, and their schedule won't do them any favors with a trip to UCLA and a visit from Notre Dame coming up soon. Until they prove anything against an opponent with a pulse, the team's flaws are too much to overlook, keeping them in the conference basement.
16 - Michigan State Spartans
Previous Ranking: 15
Week 1 Result: 30-20 Win vs. Toledo
Record: 1-0
Analysis: It's a new staff in East Lansing, so it may take a game or two for things to get going. Still, the ceiling isn't very high for the Spartans this season. Michigan State trailed in the fourth quarter and looked to be headed for a disastrous start to Pat Fitzgerald's tenure before Alessio Milivojevic pulled them out of it. Not a whole lot to make from this game, but it's hard to see this offense staying afloat in Big Ten play.
15 - Northwestern Wildcats
Previous Ranking: 16
Week 1 Result: 34-18 Win vs. South Dakota State
Record: 1-0
Analysis: It's a new staff in East Lansing, so it may take a game or two for things to get going. Still, the ceiling isn't very high for the Spartans this season. Michigan State trailed in the fourth quarter and looked to be headed for a disastrous start to Pat Fitzgerald's tenure before Alessio Milivojevic pulled them out of it. Not a whole lot to make from this game, but it's hard to see this offense staying afloat in Big Ten play.
14 - Maryland Terrapins
Previous Ranking: 14
Week 1 Result: 62-0 Win vs. Hampton
Record: 1-0
Analysis: The Maryland Terrapins got a win in September? Shocker. In all seriousness, the Terrapins looked really good, particularly on the ground where DeJaun Williams rushed for 116 and tw touchdowns. Maryland may look good now, but we reserve all judgment until the calendar turns to October.
13 - Wisconsin Badgers
Previous Ranking: 13
Week 1 Result: vs. Notre Dame on Sunday
Record: 0-0
Analysis: Wisconsin has a tough matchup on Sunday afternoon against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and while they aren't expected to win, it will be impressive if they can keep it competitive.
12 - Michigan Wolverines
Previous Ranking: 5
Week 1 Result: 13-12 Win vs. Western Michigan
Record: 1-0
Analysis: Controversial would be putting it lightly. Michigan was gifted a second chance at a Hail Mary and converted. While Western Michigan is a solid team and should contend in the MAC again this season, there is no reason the Wolverines should've been trailing late. It's a win, but it sure doesn't feel like it. Even with a whole new coaching staff, the offense looks the same as ever.
11 - Nebraska Cornhuskers
Previous Ranking: 11
Week 1 Result: 42-21 Win vs. Ohio
Record: 1-0
Analysis: It took a little while to get going, but Nebraska eventually realized what it has in Anthony Colandrea. The UNLV transfer wasn't super efficient as a passer, but he still tossed three touchdowns and used his legs to extend plays in the second half. The offense has real big play potential, but it's hard to tell yet how consistent they will be.
10 - UCLA Bruins
Previous Ranking: 12
Week 1 Result: 45-24 Win at California
Record: 1-0
Analysis: It was an impressive debut for Bob Chesney and the UCLA Bruins, with Nico Iamaleava looking strong, and JMU transfer Wayne Knight looking dynamic in the backfield. All of the offseason talk and hype about UCLA appears to have some juice, as the Bruins poured it on over Tosh Lupoi and the Golden Bears in this one.
9 - Minnesota Golden Gophers
Previous Ranking: 10
Week 1 Result: 59-7 Win vs. Eastern Illinois
Record: 1-0
Analysis: Minnesota put together a very complete game against Eastern Illinois and didn't face much adversity. Drake Lindsey only fueled his quiet, hushed but escalating hype train, and the defense lived behind the line with nine tackles for loss. The road ahead is tough, but the Golden Gophers are worth keeping an eye on next week with what appears to be an explosive Mississippi State offense rolling into town.
8 - Iowa Hawkeyes
Previous Ranking: 8
Week 1 Result: 40-0 Win vs. Northern Illinois
Record: 1-0
Analysis: Pro: Iowa scored 40 points. That's almost unheard of in today's game. Con: They used three quarterbacks, and none of them were very effective. The Hawkeyes are still going to win with their play in the trenches and daunting rushing attack, but they also probably have the worst QB situation in the Big Ten. If they had stability under center, the ceiling for this team would be dramatically different.
7 - Illinois Fighting Illini
Previous Ranking: 9
Week 1 Result: 42-23 Win vs. UAB
Record: 1-0
Analysis: With a new QB under center, Illinois looked very solid in a win over UAB to start the season. I don't know that we saw anything to move them drastically up the rankings, but they appear to be a team that can remain in the mix in the Big Ten.
6 - Washington Huskies
Previous Ranking: 7
Week 1 Result: vs. Washington State on Sunday
Record: 0-0
Analysis: Washington's season kicks off on Sunday afternoon with an entertaining matchup against the Washington State Cougars in the Apple Cup. The Huskies should be able to come away with a comfortable victory if all goes according to plan.
5 - Penn State Nittany Lions
Previous Ranking: 6
Week 1 Result: 45-0 vs. Marshall
Record: 1-0
Analysis: The Matt Campbell era is off to a hot start in Happy Valley. Penn State looked every bit as good as people expected, and Rocco Becht was very solid in his Nittany Lions debut. Sure, it was against Marshall, but looking at the remainder of Penn State's schedule, there's no reason to believe they're going to be tripped up any time soon.
4 - USC Trojans
Previous Ranking: 4
Week 1 Result: 39-0 Win vs. Fresno State
Record: 2-0
Analysis: USC once again looked solid this weekend, though it's tough to truly assess how good they look against this level of competition. Still, Fresno State was considered among the many to be in the mix to compete for a Group of 6 CFP spot, and they skunked them. That's got to be worth something.
3 - Oregon Ducks
Previous Ranking: 2
Week 1 Result: 34-27 Win vs. Boise State
Record: 1-0
Analysis: Oregon looked far from perfect on Saturday, but they still put up impressive numbers and left Autzen Stadium with a victory over a pretty good Boise State team in Week 1. I'm not sure we feel quite as solid about their ceiling, but they are undoubtedly one of the top teams in the conference, with a lot of room to grow.
2 - Indiana Hoosiers
Previous Ranking: 3
Week 1 Result: 52-16 Win vs. North Texas
Record: 1-0
Analysis: Indiana looked as you would expect on offense, but it was the other side of the ball that raised some concern for us. North Texas was able to find some success, and the secondary did not look as stout as it did a year ago. However, we still have Indiana moving up, thanks to what we saw in Eugene with Oregon's game against Boise State.
1 - Ohio State Buckeyes
Previous Ranking: 1
Week 1 Result: 56-3 vs. Ball State
Record: 1-0
Analysis: Ohio State rolled over Ball State, as expected, and Jeremiah Smith reminded everyone why he's the best player in the country with a pair of impressive touchdown catches. I didn't see anything that would warrant the Buckeyes moving at all, especially given Oregon's shaky performance, albeit against a better opponent. Ohio State will get a chance to make a statement next week on the road at Texas.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Big Ten power rankings after Week 1: Oregon moves down after win
