Big Ten Power Rankings: Indiana Holds the Top Spot as Penn State Makes Its Move
By Coach Griff | HoosierTailgate.com
Week 3 gave us a little more separation in the Big Ten. Indiana closed non-conference play with a second straight shutout, Ohio State responded emphatically after its loss at Texas, Penn State kept building, USC survived its first league road test, and several teams in the middle of the conference made statements of their own.
As always, these rankings are not simply a copy of the national polls. The HFT formula balances résumé and film: opponent quality, game control, roster strength, injuries and what a team actually looks like on the field.
Tier 1 — The Championship Standard
1. Indiana
Indiana stays No. 1 after beating Western Kentucky 38-0. The Hoosiers are 3-0, have posted back-to-back shutouts and have outscored their first three opponents 145-16. The AP moved Indiana from No. 4 to No. 5, while the Coaches Poll kept the Hoosiers at No. 4 with nine first-place votes. The film continues to show a complete, organized and physical football team.
2. Ohio State
The Buckeyes did what an elite roster should do after the disappointment at Texas, overwhelming Kent State 59-3. Ohio State remains one of the most talented teams in the league, but the Texas loss keeps the Buckeyes behind unbeaten Indiana in this résumé-plus-film ranking.
Tier 2 — Legitimate Big Ten Contenders
3. Penn State
Penn State moves ahead of USC after a 55-13 win over Buffalo. The Nittany Lions still need a major résumé win, but they are beginning to look more convincing on film and climbed to No. 13 in the AP Poll.
4. USC
USC is 4-0 after winning 42-35 at Rutgers. The Trojans can score with anybody, but allowing 35 points to Rutgers raises enough defensive questions to slide them behind Penn State this week.
5. Iowa
Iowa dominated Northern Iowa 55-0. When Iowa combines its usual defensive identity with this kind of offensive production, the Hawkeyes become a much more interesting factor in the Big Ten race.
6. Michigan
Michigan handled UTEP 52-17 and continues to stabilize after an uneven opening stretch. The Wolverines are back to No. 18 in both national polls and still have the roster ceiling to climb higher here.
7. Oregon
Oregon answered its Oklahoma State loss with an 84-0 demolition of Portland State. The talent remains obvious, but an FCS blowout cannot erase the earlier loss. Oregon now needs quality wins to rebuild the résumé.
Tier 3 — Good Teams We’re Still Defining
8. Washington
Washington took care of Eastern Washington 48-16. The Huskies are No. 23 in the Coaches Poll but outside the AP Top 25, which fits where they sit here: a good football team still waiting for a defining result.
9. Nebraska
Nebraska handled North Dakota 34-7 and continues to look more mature and controlled. The Cornhuskers are receiving votes in both polls, but the schedule has not yet forced them to prove they belong with the league’s upper group.
10. UCLA
UCLA beat Purdue 52-38 in Big Ten play. There are still defensive concerns, but the Bruins showed enough offensive firepower to move upward.
11. Northwestern
One of the weekend’s most impressive Big Ten performances belonged to Northwestern, which beat Colorado 41-7. The Wildcats are beginning to look considerably more dangerous than preseason expectations suggested.
12. Minnesota
Minnesota handled Akron 41-7. Solid, efficient and exactly what a Big Ten team should do against that level of opponent. The Gophers now need a quality win to move higher.
13. Illinois
Illinois rolled Southern Illinois 48-10. Nothing wrong with the performance, but conference play will tell us much more about where the Illini belong.
14. Wisconsin
Wisconsin blew out Eastern Michigan 54-10. That is a useful step after an uneven start, but the Badgers now need to prove it against Big Ten competition.
Tier 4 — Questions Are Growing
15. Michigan State
Michigan State fell 27-10 at No. 3 Notre Dame. Losing in South Bend is hardly disqualifying, but the Spartans could not generate enough offense to seriously threaten the Irish.
16. Maryland
Maryland suffered one of the conference’s more disappointing results, losing 35-26 at home to Virginia Tech. That pushes the Terrapins down this week.
17. Purdue
Purdue scored 38 at UCLA, which is encouraging, but surrendered 52. There are offensive pieces here, but the Boilermakers still need to prove they can consistently get stops.
18. Rutgers
Rutgers deserves credit for pushing No. 12 USC in a 42-35 loss. The Scarlet Knights showed fight, but close losses eventually have to become wins.
Big Ten in the AP Top 25
- No. 5 Indiana — 4 first-place votes
- No. 7 Ohio State
- No. 12 USC
- No. 13 Penn State
- No. 17 Iowa
- No. 18 Michigan
- No. 20 Oregon
The AP has seven Big Ten teams ranked. Indiana dropped one spot despite its 38-0 win because Ole Miss jumped to No. 4 after beating LSU 32-24. Texas remains No. 1 with 58 first-place votes; Indiana received four.
Big Ten in the US LBM Coaches Poll
- No. 4 Indiana — 9 first-place votes
- No. 7 Ohio State
- No. 12 USC
- No. 14 Penn State
- No. 16 Oregon
- No. 17 Iowa
- No. 18 Michigan
- No. 23 Washington
The Coaches Poll has eight Big Ten teams ranked. Indiana remains the conference’s highest-ranked team at No. 4 and received nine first-place votes. Texas is No. 1 with 46 first-place votes.
Coach Griff’s Final Word
Indiana remains the standard in this ranking because the Hoosiers continue to combine results with clean, physical football. Ohio State still owns elite talent. Penn State is gaining ground. USC remains dangerous. And beneath them, Iowa, Michigan and Oregon all have the roster strength to make this hierarchy move quickly once conference play takes over.
Now the evaluation gets harder. September résumés begin giving way to Big Ten football, and from here the rankings will increasingly be decided against one another.
