Big Ten football was back in full swing with a full course of games to soak in throughout Week 1 from Thursday night through Sunday evening. We got some good drama with some close games, some impressive debuts and openers, and a dose of officiating controversy for good measure. And now that we have seen these teams all in action, it is time to start power ranking them.
There will be some familiar names at the top of these rankings this week after wins by Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana, but it is important to remember that a win does not necessarily guarantee a high ranking here. And little credit is typically given for beating cupcakes. And even less credit is given for narrowly escaping a home game thanks to a controversial ending.
Here are
my Big Ten power rankings following the results of Week 1.
18. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (0-1)
- Week 1 result: Lost to UMass, 37-21
No team had a tougher first week of the season than Rutgers. Rutgers was dominated at home by a UMass team that was a massive underdog on the road in New Jersey. This was a brutal performance by Greg Schiano's team in what may be the worst loss of his college coaching career.
- Up next: at Boston College (Friday, Sept. 11)
17. Michigan Wolverines (1-0)
- Week 1 result: Won vs. Western Michigan, 13-12
Say what you will about how Michiganwon this game, but the Wolverines are deserving of a very low power ranking this week after its performance against Western Michigan. As a result, it is only fair that we place Michigan down this low and make them earn their way back up the rankings moving forward. They will get a chance for some redemption this week at home against Oklahoma.
- Up next: vs. Oklahoma
16. Purdue Boilermakers (1-0)
- Week 1 result: Won vs. Indiana State, 44-19
The expectations for Purdue are still low this season, and there may be far more losses coming up for the Boilermakers. But they deserve an opportunity to enjoy a victory to open the season and brag about being ranked ahead of Michigan while they can.
- Up next: vs. Wake Forest
15. Wisconsin Badgers (0-1)
- Week 1 result: Lost to Notre Dame, 24-10
Give Wisconsin some good credit for coming out and battling against one of the top-ranked teams in the nation on Sunday night in Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Badgers hung with Notre Dame in the first half and trailed 13-10 at halftime, but the second half was another story as Wisconsin was outscored 28-3 the rest of the way.
- Up next: vs. Western Illinois
14. Michigan State Spartans (1-0)
- Week 1 result: Won vs. Toledo, 30-20
The head coaching debut at Michigan State for Pat Fitzgerald resulted in a win, which is always a nice way to start things off. A 2-0 start should be in the works for the Spartans with a home game against a directional Michigan school this week, and a last-second timing review may not be necessary.
- Up next: vs. Eastern Michigan
13. Minnesota Golden Gophers (1-0)
- Week 1 result: Won vs. Eastern Illinois, 59-7
As expected, Minnesota put up some big numbers at home against an FCS opponent to open the season, so we won't get too carried away with the result. But the Gophers have a chance to pick up a win against an SEC school this weekend, and that would be a nice win for the program.
- Up next: vs. Mississippi State
12. Northwestern Wildcats (1-0)
- Week 1 result: Won vs. South Dakota State, 34-18
The season started off with a win against a talented South Dakota State program from the FCS, and now the Wildcats get an early week off before returning to action. Northwestern has a home game against Colorado on deck in a couple fo weeks, followed by games at Indiana and at home against Penn State for the grand opening of its renovated stadium.
- Up next: vs. Colorado (Week 3)
11. Maryland (1-0)
- Week 1 result: Won vs. Hampton, 62-0
September Maryland is back with a dominating result on the scoreboard in Week 1. But nobody will get too carried away with a shellacking of FCS Hampton. Let's see what the Terrapins do on the road in Week 2 against UConn.
- Up next: at UConn
10. Illinois Fighting Illini (1-0)
- Week 1 result: Won vs. UAB, 42-23
I expect Illinois to be a bit of a problem for some teams this season. The Week 1 victory over UAB did nothing to deter me from thinking that, but next week's matchup at home against defending ACC champion Duke (yes, that did actually happen in the same year Indiana won a national championship) will be an interesting one.
- Up next: vs. Duke
9. Nebraska Cornhuskers (1-0)
- Week 1 result: Won vs. Ohio, 49-21
It took a little longer than I would have preferred to see before Nebraska took firm control of its opening game against Ohio, but they did manage to find some big plays down the stretch to pull away from the Bobcats in the Frank Solich Bowl.
- Up next: vs. Bowling Green
8. UCLA Bruins (1-0)
- Week 1 result: Won at California, 45-24
UCLA had one of the tougher opponents to face in the season opener around the Big Ten, but they managed to win a back-and-forth game by taking control of the fourth quarter. It looks like quarterback Nico Iamaleava will be OK after a brief calf injury scare in the fourth quarter.
- Up next: vs. San Diego State
7. Washington Huskies (1-0)
- Week 1 result: Won vs. Washington State, 24-10
Washington got its seaosn started with a win in the Apple Cup against in-state rival Washington State. This year's game was far less explosive than last year's outing against the Cougars, but Washington's defense had things locked down for the majority of the game by not allowing a point scored until the fourth quarter.
- Up next: vs. Utah State
6. Iowa Hawkeyes (1-0)
- Week 1 result: Won vs. Northern Illinois, 40-0
Everything went according to plan for Iowa in the season opener against Northern Illinois. The Hawkeyes dominated on the ground and on defense. Can they continue to flex this way against in-state rival Iowa State next weekend?
- Up next: vs. Iowa State
5. Penn State Nittany Lions (1-0)
- Week 1 result: Won vs. Marshall, 45-0
Penn State entered the 2026 season as a bit of a mystery, but its Week 1 dominance against Marshall was a bit more impressive than most anticipated. Penn State distributed the ball well on offense and the defense was flying around to control Marshall's dual-threat QB.
- Up next: at Temple
4. USC Trojans (2-0)
- Week 1 result: Won vs. Fresno State, 39-0
USC has the luxury of already having two wins under its belt, as the Trojans picked up wins against a pair of in-state opponents at home to start the season. That should improve to a 3-0 record this week with an offense far more talented than its next opponent.
- Up next: vs. Louisiana
3. Oregon Ducks (1-0)
- Week 1 result: Won vs. Boise State, 34-27
Oregon was placed on upset alert at home by Boise State at home in Week 1, but the Ducks found a way to a victory against one of the top programs from the Group of Six. Though it may have been a bit of a struggle, it is still a high-quality win for the Ducks.
- Up next: at Oklahoma State
2. Indiana Hoosiers (1-0)
- Week 1 result: Won vs. North Texas, 52-16
It was a day to celebrate for the defending national champions, and the Hoosiers seemed to pick up right where they left off from last season. Another dominating performance all around got the season started for the Hoosiers, which was to be expected against North Texas. Expect another lopsided result next week in favor of Indiana.
- Up next: vs. Howard
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0)
- Week 1 result: Won vs. Ball State, 56-3
Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith paced the Ohio State offense to a blowout win at home to start off a seaosn of great expectations. But the real focus now shifts to Ohio State's road trip next week down to Texas to face a legitimate SEC powerhouse. Will the nation's top-ranked team survive the road test in Week 2?
- Up next: at Texas
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Big Ten football power rankings after Week 1
