The rankings have been shaken up once again with last week’s results.
With another week of Big Ten football in the books, including some huge conference matchups in Ann Arbor and Lincoln, the power rankings continue to shift. Here’s how things stand heading into Week 5:
1. No. 3 Ohio State
Last Ranking: 1
Result: Defeated Marshall 49-14
Next Game: at Michigan State
Off their first bye week of the season, the Buckeyes took care of business in a dominating victory over Marshall. While this caliber of play was expected against a Conference USA opponent, Ohio State’s offense was particularly impressive. The Buckeyes netted 569 yards on only 24 minutes of possession, including over 170 yards on the ground from Quinshon Judkins and over 100 yards in the air from Emeka Egbuka. Big Ten play is right around the corner for Ryan Day’s squad, as the Buckeyes are set to travel to East Lansing for a primetime matchup at Spartan Stadium next week. Ohio State shouldn’t have too much trouble against another team donning green, with the big showdown against No. 8 Oregon looming around the corner.
2. No. 8 Oregon
Last Ranking: 3
Result: Bye Week
Next Game: at UCLA
It’s rare that a team can improve its standing when on a bye week, but the Ducks did just that with USC’s loss to Michigan. While some of their games have been a little too close for comfort, the Ducks enter their conference schedule in a comfortable position. Conference play will start with a bout at the Rose Bowl against UCLA, a game that is very winnable against a team that has mightily struggled in its first few games as a member of the Big Ten.
3. No. 9 Penn State
Last Ranking: 4
Result: Defeated Kent St 56-0
Next Game: vs. No. 19 Illinois
There were some concerns after the Nittany Lions conceded 27 points at home to Bowling Green two weeks ago, but those worries seem to have been tempered after they shut out Kent State. Penn State’s offense recorded over 700 yards from scrimmage while allowing an incredibly low 66 yards defensively. A big improvement came in this team’s third down conversion rate, which was another concern after the Bowling Green game. The Nittany Lions converted 8-of-10 third down attempts, a rate much higher than the 35% success rate they had coming into the game. A Saturday night showdown looms with No. 19 Illinois, a game that will certainly be Penn State’s biggest challenge yet.
4. No. 12 Michigan
Last Ranking: 6
Result: Defeated No. 13 USC 27-24
Next Game: vs. Minnesota
Early season struggles with Davis Warren under center gave Alex Orji his first opportunity as Michigan’s starting quarterback against the Trojans, a move that made the offense one dimensional. Orji, a quarterback known for his rushing abilities, recorded more carries than pass attempts, only throwing for 32 yards throughout the entire game. Despite that, the Wolverines torched USC’s defense on the ground, with Kalel Mullings powering Michigan to victory with 159 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. After a beatdown against Texas that Wolverine fans would prefer to forget about, picking up a ranked conference win is huge for future playoff hopes. Michigan gets the higher ranking than USC on principle by winning the head-to-head matchup, but it’s clear that the Trojans are a more well-rounded squad. Michigan may have escaped with a victory here but there should certainly be alarm bells going off in Ann Arbor over the lack of a dynamic quarterback that could come back to bite the Wolverines in the coming weeks.
5. No. 13 USC
Last Ranking: 4
Result: Lost to No. 12 Michigan 27-24
Next Game: vs. Wisconsin
USC lost in the final minute to Michigan in a game where the Trojans looked like the more complete team throughout. The offense played fairly well, but USC’s run defense struggled against a prolific Michigan trio of Mullings, Donovan Edwards and Orji that combined for nearly 300 yards on the ground. Lincoln Riley’s squad will look to rebound as they return to the LA Memorial Coliseum to face Wisconsin, a game that the Trojans will enter as significant favorites.
6. No. 19 Illinois
Last Ranking: 7
Result: Defeated Nebraska 31-24
Next Game: at No. 9 Penn State
Illinois’ impressive run to start the season continued with a massive overtime victory in Lincoln. Luke Altmyer led with four touchdown passes for the Fighting Illini, while his completion percentage increased to 71.4% for the season, the highest in his collegiate career. The win increased Illinois’ ranking by five places up to No. 19, continuing its first run in the AP Top 25 since 2008. A matchup in Happy Valley against Penn State will be a challenge with the Nittany Lions opening as 18-point favorites, but Bret Bielema’s team certainly has what it takes to keep up and pull off a stunning upset in primetime.
7. Nebraska
Last Ranking: 5
Result: Lost to No. 19 Illinois 31-24
Next Game: at Purdue
After what was a very encouraging start to the season, Nebraska narrowly failed its first big test of the season against Illinois in an overtime defeat. This game was even throughout, with both teams having similar time of possession and total yards. Dylan Raiola had another strong performance with nearly 300 yards in the air, but the offense collapsed in overtime, being pushed so far back that it gave Raiola no chance to salvage the game. The Cornhuskers also need to be careful with drawing penalties, as they incurred 10 flags for nearly 90 yards in a game with little room for error. Nebraska will have a prime opportunity to get back in the win column against Purdue this week in West Lafayette.
8. Indiana
Last Ranking: 8
Result: Defeated Charlotte 52-14
Next Game: vs. Maryland
Talk about an explosive offense: Curt Cignetti’s offense has scored 31, 77 and 42 points in its first three games respectively, and put up 52 on Charlotte to close out its non-conference schedule. Kurtis Rourke continues to be one of the best quarterbacks in college football, throwing for 1,013 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions this season. This team will now have to prove its worth against the bigger fish of the conference, and a matchup with Maryland in Bloomington on Saturday will be a good litmus test to see how the Hoosiers play against other mid-level teams in the conference in what will be their first real test of the year.
9. Iowa
Last Ranking: 9
Result: Defeated Minnesota 31-14
Next Game: Bye Week
Iowa took home Floyd of Rosedale in its seasonal rivalry game against Minnesota this past weekend. This game was all Kaleb Johnson for the Hawkeyes, as the star running back finished with a whopping 206 yards and three touchdowns, averaging nearly 10 yards per carry. Johnson has been unbelievable for Iowa this season, and is already approaching 700 yards through just four games. However, Cade McNamara struggled, only completing 11 passes for 62 yards in the victory. McNamara hasn’t thrown a single touchdown pass since the season opening victory against Illinois State, and his performance needs to drastically improve as the Hawkeyes prepare for a battle with Ohio State in two weeks after their bye week.
10. Washington
Last Ranking: 12
Result: Defeated Northwestern 24-5
Next Game: at Rutgers
Washington rebounded from its loss in the Apple Cup to beat Northwestern in UW’s first ever Big Ten conference game. This was the first time these teams met in 40 years, and Washington started right where it left off when it won 26-0 all that time ago. Will Rogers and Denzel Boston connected early and often for the Huskies, with the latter finishing with 121 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Steve Belichick’s defense also impressed, holding Northwestern’s offense to 112 yards and just three points. Washington now has to make its first cross country trip to New Jersey for a Friday night showdown with Rutgers.
11. Rutgers
Last Ranking: 10
Result: Defeated Virginia Tech 26-23
Next Game: vs. Washington
In what was a close contest throughout, Rutgers pulled away from the Hokies with a late field goal to clinch the 26-23 road victory in Blacksburg. Kyle Monangai wasn’t as prolific as he was in the first two games of the season, but still made a substantial impact with 84 yards on the ground. The Scarlet Knights will return home to begin conference play against Washington on Friday in a game that should tell us a lot about Rutgers’ standing in the conference after the first third of the season.
12. Michigan State
Last Ranking: 11
Result: Lost to Boston College 23-19
Next Game: vs. No. 3 Ohio State
Jonathan Smith’s team suffered its first loss of the season against Boston College, losing on an Eagles score with 88 seconds left in the game. Aidan Chiles continued to struggle protecting the football, throwing three interceptions and bringing his total up to seven for the year. The offense in general struggled to capitalize on its drives, with Jonathan Kim kicking four field goals, primarily from short range. The road won’t get any easier for the Sprtans as they return home to face No. 3 Ohio State this weekend before heading to Eugene to play No. 9 Oregon on a short week.
13. Maryland
Last Ranking: 14
Result: Defeated Villanova 38-20
Next Game: at Indiana
Billy Edwards Jr. continues to shine for the Terrapins, throwing for over 300 yards with two touchdowns in a victory over FCS opponent Villanova. Edwards has completed over 75% of his passes in Maryland’s first four games while leading the fifth-best offense in the Big Ten averaging over 450 total yards per game. The Terrapins might need to find themselves in a shootout in order to complete with Indiana’s high-powered offense, and while Edwards Jr. can certainly compete, it’s gonna be an uphill climb to snatch the victory in Bloomington.
14. Wisconsin
Last Ranking: 13
Result: Bye Week
Next Game: at USC
The Badgers didn’t play this week after their blowout loss to No. 4 Alabama two weeks ago, a game that changed the trajectory of the team’s season with quarterback Tyler Van Dyke suffering a season-ending knee injury. Luke Fickell will now have to rely on sophomore Braedyn Locke under center, a signal caller that lacks the same talent and firepower Van Dyke displayed. Traveling to Southern California to play No. 13 USC will be yet another tough test, and is expected to be a game where the Badgers suffer their second loss of the season.
15. Minnesota
Last Ranking: 16
Result: Lost to Iowa 31-14
Next Game: at No. 12 Michigan
Even with the loss to Iowa at home, Minnesota moves up a spot this week due to Northwestern’s lackluster performance against Washington. The defense was strong in the first half against the Hawkeyes but fell flat in the second half amidst Kaleb Johnson’s monster performance. The schedule doesn’t get easier for the Golden Gophers with a visit to the Big House this weekend. Minnesota will need its defense to keep Michigan’s ferocious run attack in check to have any chance of pulling off an upset.
16. Northwestern
Last Ranking: 15
Result: Lost to Washington 24-5
Next Game: Bye Week
Northwestern’s offense found no rhythm against Washington, registering only 112 yards the entire game in the loss. Playing a big part of that was the absence of star running back Cam Porter, who averaged over five yards per carry in NU’s first three games of the season. However, there should be significant long-term concerns with Jack Lausch, who completed less than a third of his passes in the loss after a strong performance against Eastern Illinois. Lausch’s troubles throwing the football could crush Northwestern’s hopes of making a Bowl Game, and is something that needs to be fixed sooner rather than later. NU has a bye this week but will host Indiana on the lake next week, a game that looks much more challenging for the ‘Cats than it did just a matter of weeks ago.
17. UCLA
Last Ranking: 18
Result: Bye Week
Next Game: vs. No. 8 Oregon
It’s been a rough start to the season for DeShaun Foster’s team in their first Big Ten campaign, and it didn’t get any better with a loss to No. 14 LSU in Baton Rouge. UCLA surprisingly kept it close in the first three quarters, as quarterback Ethan Garbers showed flashes of improvement after a dismal performance against Indiana in Week 3. The Bruins rise one spot due to Purdue’s performance alone, not on their improvements as a football team. They will likely be handed another loss next week as No. 8 Oregon comes to town, a game that could get out of hand very quickly if the Bruins continue their current form.
18. Purdue
Last Ranking: 17
Result: Lost to Oregon State 38-21
Next Game: vs. Nebraska
The Boilermakers started strong, but reality has quickly set in. This week’s loss wasn’t as bad as Notre Dame’s thumping 66-7 win last week in West Lafayette, but it further exposed the countless issues plaguing Ryan Walters’ team. Purdue was once again unable to stop the run, allowing 341 yards on the ground and 25 first down conversions. Hudson Card also proved unable to provide a spark at quarterback, only throwing for 56 yards on 7 of 17 passing. At 1-2 it’s not time for the Boilermakers to throw in the towel on the season just yet, but that time might be fastly approaching if they continue playing the way we’ve seen these past two weeks.