Indiana continues meteoric rise, top tier goes undefeated in conference openers

Previous Rank: 16

Week 5 Result: L 28-10 vs. Nebraska

The midseason coordinator change at Purdue is a testament to just how poorly the first third of the season went for this program. Graham Harrell is out as offensive coordinator after the Boilermakers scored just 10 points in a loss to Nebraska — marking the third-straight game against FBS competition with no more than 21 points. Quarterback Hudson Card, running back Devin Mockobee and safety Dillon Thieneman remain nice individual pieces on this roster, but the Boilermakers have yet to put everything together outside of their win over an FCS squad.

Previous Rank: 17

Week 5 Result: L 34-13 vs. Oregon

Props to UCLA for keeping its loss to Oregon in the somewhat respectable range, but that was more a product of the Ducks taking their foot off the gas after taking a commanding first-half lead. The Bruins did not score an offensive touchdown and continued to look completely lost on that side of the ball with Eric Bieniemy unable to spark anything from quarterback Ethan Garbers and the rest of the unit. DeShaun Foster’s lone win as a head coach remains a narrow one over a putrid Hawai’i squad.

Previous Rank: 18

Week 5 Result: Idle

Northwestern moves up two spots this week because the other two teams at the bottom of the Big Ten added negative data points while the Wildcats were idle. Still, there is not much to be excited about with this squad, which has a clear inability to move the ball. Northwestern did not reach the end zone in its latest outing, and while its defense continues to give opponents trouble, it is hapless on the other side of the ball regardless of whether Jack Lausch or Mike Wright is at quarterback.

Previous Rank: 15

Week 5 Result: L 27-24 at Michigan

Minnesota was arguably robbed of a chance to pull off the upset of Michigan due to a phantom offsides call on a successful onside kick. That the Gophers were even in a position to perhaps tie or take the lead late in the fourth quarter was probably more of a testament to the Wolverines’ inability to separate offensively, but credit goes to quarterback Max Brosmer for keeping the visitors within striking distance. He passed for another 258 yards as the primary bright spot on a team with deficiencies across the rest of the board.

Previous Rank: 13

Week 5 Result: L 42-28 at Indiana

Maryland forced four turnovers but still surrendered 42 points in a two-score loss at Indiana. That is an indictment against a defense that could hold the Terps back from a strong first year in the post-Big Ten East era. Missing Ohio State and Michigan would be a boon to their record in most years, but losses to a pair of teams outside that elite tier already limit the Terps’ 2024 ceiling. Billy Edwards Jr. still looks like a surprise star atop the offense, though, and so long as his connection with Tai Felton remains fruitful, Maryland should have a path to bowl eligibility.

Previous Rank: 14

Week 5 Result: L 38-21 at USC

Unfortunately for Wisconsin, football is a 60-minute game. The Badgers took a 21-10 lead over USC into the halftime locker room but did not score again in what ultimately became a three-possession road loss. It truly was a clichéd tale of two halves for a squad that is still breaking in a new starting quarterback in Braedyn Locke, who was right in line with his career averages in a modest 13-for-26 showing. The running game and defense need to carry this team the rest of the way.

Previous Rank: 12

Week 5 Result: L 38-7 vs. Ohio State

There is not much to take away from a game in which Michigan State was always clearly outmatched by a loaded Ohio State squad. The Buckeyes took their foot off the gas in the fourth quarter of what could have been an even more lopsided game. Credit to the Spartans for keeping it competitive until late in the first half when it became clear that Aidan Chiles and the offense would be unable to move the ball with nearly enough consistency to keep up with the explosive Buckeyes.

Previous Rank: 11

Week 5 Result: L 21-18 at Rutgers

Washington thoroughly outplayed Rutgers with a massive discrepancy in net success rates and on the stat sheet, but a handful of key blunders kept the Scarlet Knights in control. Will Rogers passed for 306 yards and two touchdowns, Jonah Coleman ran for 148 yards and Denzel Boston racked up 125 yards as the recipient of both scoring strikes as the offensive skill positions remained the Huskies’ clearest strengths. It is hard to downgrade UW too much given that they largely played quite well outside of Grady Gross’ three missed field goals.

Previous Rank: 9

Week 5 Result: Idle

Iowa did nothing to deserve a one-spot slide in the power rankings given that it just spent the week off, but nevertheless, it is in the lower half of the Big Ten after movement from a couple of other teams. The Hawkeyes have a chance to regain ground this week should they make a statement against Ohio State, but it won’t be easy considering their defense is leakier than usual and the passing game remains a major issue. The onus will be on star ballcarrier Kaleb Johnson to run wild.

Previous Rank: 10

Week 5 Result: W 21-18 vs. Washington

For the first time since 2012, Rutgers has a 4-0 football team. Despite being outgained 521-299, the Scarlet Knights held off a Washington comeback effort to win their Big Ten opener and stay perfect in what looks to be a breakthrough campaign. The schedule ahead remains extremely manageable, and two of the tougher games of the year are already in the win column as Rutgers pulled out an impressive road victory at Virginia Tech and held strong against Washington in consecutive weeks.

Previous Rank: 7

Week 5 Result: W 28-10 at Purdue

A scoreless first half against the worst team in the Big Ten raised a few eyebrows. Nebraska eventually turned things on and took care of business with a three-score win at Purdue, but that was not quite the bounce back that it needed to quell the concerns that arose in the overtime loss to Illinois. Dylan Raiola showed room for improvement in his first college road game as the rushing attack and defense handled most of the scoring in the trip to West Lafayette.

Previous Rank: 6

Week 5 Result: L 21-7 at Penn State

A vintage Big Ten football game saw Illinois out-physicaled in the trenches on both sides of the ball as Penn State pulled away late for a 21-7 win over the surging Illini. The game was never by any means out of reach for Bret Bielema’s squad, though, so it remains clear that Illinois deserves consideration among some of the conference’s better squads. But surrendering 239 yards on the ground with just 34 rushing yards in response will not get the job done.

Previous Rank: 8

Week 5 Result: W 42-28 vs. Maryland

The best start to an Indiana football season since 1967 made the Hoosiers the first Big Ten team to reach five wins this year. Who saw that coming? The Curt Cignetti hire looks like more of a home-run move by the week, and it is increasingly clear that the rising star knew exactly what he was doing in the transfer portal. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke threw for 359 more yards and three touchdowns in his stellar first year at the Power Four level, while former JMU star Elijah Sarratt continues to serve as a go-to weapon for college football’s third-best scoring offense. The Hoosiers have at least 42 points in four-straight games.

Previous Rank: 5

Week 5 Result: W 38-21 vs. Wisconsin

In a perfect world, USC would not have had to fight back from a double-digit hole in the second half. Applause is in order for the Trojans, though, after they rattled off four unanswered touchdowns and shut out Wisconsin over the third and fourth quarters of what ultimately became a convincing first Big Ten win. Fans at the Coliseum booed Lincoln Riley’s squad off the field at halftime, and that seemed like the wake-up call they needed as Miller Moss torched the Badgers from that point on.

Previous Rank: 4

Week 5 Result: W 27-24 vs. Minnesota

The head-to-head win over USC keeps Michigan in the No. 4 spot this week, but the Wolverines have to clean things up or else they could again slip in the Big Ten pecking order. Needing a questionable offsides call to fend off a late comeback effort from lowly Minnesota is the latest point of concern in a season full of questions for this team, which remains without any semblance of a passing game. Eight or nine wins should still be in reach for a unit with an elite defense and running game, but the limitations of Alex Orji’s arm cap its ceiling.

Previous Rank: 3

Week 5 Result: W 34-13 at UCLA

Just when it looked like Oregon was fully removed from the struggles that nearly proved costly against Idaho and Boise State, a couple of head-scratching troubles reared their heads again. Dillon Gabriel threw a 96-yard pick-six when the Ducks were knocking on the door of breaking things wide open against UCLA, and it took two full quarters between touchdowns before the visitors finally put the game on ice. Kicker Atticus Sappington also missed his second extra point of the season on that late scoring pass from Gabriel to Tez Johnson. Still, this one was never in doubt, nor should it have been.

Previous Rank: 2

Week 5 Result: W 21-7 vs. Illinois

Penn State now holds one of the Big Ten’s best wins through five weeks after it pulled away from Illinois in a top-25 clash. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen were terrific on the ground as they combined for just shy of 200 yards and two touchdowns, and the Nittany Lions were more than content to go run-heavy as they flexed their muscles all over the Illini. The win only proved that Penn State’s defense remains one of college football’s best and that the offense has ample weapons. James Franklin’s team is squarely in the conference title hunt.

Previous Rank: 1

Week 5 Result: W 38-7 at Michigan State

Jeremiah Smith dazzled with a pair of one-handed catches, a touchdown grab and a rushing score as he and the Ohio State offense moved with ease against Michigan State. The 38-7 contest was only close for about a quarter, and it could have been more lopsided if not for the Buckeyes turning to their second-teamers in the final period. Ohio State went on the road, took care of business, and got out of East Lansing with a Big Ten victory to start its quest for a conference championship at 1-0.