Week 3 didn’t exactly rattle the Big Ten. Most of the league did what it was supposed to do, and that left the rankings looking pretty steady at the top with a few notable movers in the middle.
Indiana stays No. 1, UCLA keeps flashing real progress, and the biggest games this week are the ones that should tell us a lot more than last weekend did.
Indiana still sits alone at the top at 3-0, and Friday’s matchup with Northwestern is the one that could actually ask the Hoosiers a real question. Curt Cignetti’s own comments point in that direction, and the rankings are not alone in thinking this one may be more than a routine checkpoint. Northwestern, meanwhile, has quietly made things interesting enough to earn a trip to Bloomington that feels worth watching.
Ohio State holds No. 2 after a game where three Buckeyes caught touchdown passes and Jeremiah Smith wasn’t one of them. That’s the kind of detail that suggests the passing game may be spreading out a bit.
Iowa stays right behind the Buckeyes at No. 3, and the Hawkeyes’ three 100-yard rushers last week only added to the sense that this team has some real backbone. Now comes a trip to Michigan that will say plenty about both Iowa’s playoff hopes and whether the Wolverines are physically ready for that kind of fight.
USC is up to No. 4 at 4-0, but the defense gave up plenty to Rutgers - 460 yards, to be exact - and that makes Friday night’s home game with Oregon feel bigger than it already did. Penn State rounds out the top five after another routine win, and the Nittany Lions are also getting a boost from Rocco Becht, who is second only to Indiana’s Josh Hoover in passer rating among Big Ten quarterbacks.
Washington lands at No. 6, but the schedule is about to get a lot less forgiving. Minnesota comes first, and then it’s USC and Iowa, both ranked opponents.
That makes this weekend a must-win kind of spot for Jedd Fisch’s group. Oregon checks in at No. 7, and even after taking care of an FCS opponent, the Ducks badly need a result against USC with October and November looming.
Michigan is No. 8 after surviving a scare from UTEP before pulling away in the third quarter, and a win over Iowa would wipe away a lot of the early doubt around the Wolverines.
UCLA keeps climbing at No. 9 and has earned the distinction of being the only Big Ten team with multiple wins against Power Four opponents so far. Nebraska comes in at No. 10 after slipping because of what happened behind it rather than anything it did wrong. Freshman running back Jamal Rule is worth knowing: he’s second in the Big Ten in rushing yards.
Northwestern is up to No. 11, and Aidan Chiles is making noise in Chip Kelly’s offense with 534 total yards and seven combined touchdowns, with no interceptions, through two games. Illinois is No. 12, and the rankings are clearly paying attention to Collin Dixon, who has 25 catches, 367 yards and seven touchdowns.
Maryland sits at No. 13 after a loss that was less close than the final score suggested, since it was 35-14 at the start of the fourth quarter. Malik Washington has 359 yards and three touchdowns, but he can’t carry everything by himself.
Minnesota is No. 14 after a 41-7 win over Akron, though the 11 p.m. ET start at Washington isn’t exactly ideal.
Still, the Gophers could use a win in one of their next two, with Michigan waiting after that. Wisconsin is No. 15 after putting up 31 first-half points, including 28 in the second quarter, which at least looked more like the Badgers’ offense.
Michigan State stays at No. 16 despite the loss at Notre Dame, where the defense gave off encouraging signs in a Pat Fitzgerald-like effort. That sets up a chance for the Spartans to disrupt Nebraska’s momentum this weekend.
Purdue remains at No. 17 after the loss at UCLA, and the concern is obvious: if that defense shows up in Big Ten play, the Boilermakers are going to stay at the bottom of the league where they’ve been for the last two years. Rutgers is last again at No. 18, but there was something to build on in the 42-35 loss to USC. The only question now is whether the Scarlet Knights can actually turn that into something real.
In Other News...
Indiana's Rise Is Creating A Memorial Stadium Problem Fans Can See
Indianas 38-0 win over Western Kentucky kept the No. 9 Hoosiers rolling to 3-0 and pushed their winning streak to 19 games, a run that has turned every Saturday at Memorial Stadium into something closer to a destination event than a routine college football date. On the field, the product has been easy to admire. In the stands, though, the surge in interest is making some of the stadiums long-standing limitations harder to ignore.
There was plenty to like about the atmosphere and the overall fan experience, but the basics can still test patience when the crowd keeps growing. Concessions lines and bathroom access stood out as the most obvious pressure points, the kind of issues that become more noticeable as Indiana keeps drawing bigger crowds and bigger expectations. With more big games ahead and ongoing stadium improvements in the mix, Memorial Stadiums next challenge may be keeping pace with the programs rise. [Read more 🡒]
Curt Cignetti Sends A Clear Message Before Indiana's Big Ten Opener
Curt Cignetti used his weekly press conference to shift the conversation toward what comes next, with Indiana set to open Big Ten play against Northwestern after a successful non-conference stretch. The Hoosiers have built some momentum early, and Cignetti made it clear the focus inside the program is now on the conference schedule and the kind of week-to-week challenge that comes with it.
Cignetti also took aim at the noise around quarterback Josh Hoover, saying the scrutiny has been unfair given how well Hoover has played through the first three games. And in a more unusual appeal, the Indiana coach asked fans to stay in their seats for the full game, a reminder that the atmosphere around a league opener can matter just as much as what happens on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Just Showed How Serious It Is About Fixing The Pass Rush
Indiana is still early in its latest pass-rush search, but the latest scholarship offer makes the priority pretty clear. Fred Ntumba, an edge defender from Antioch High School in Tennessee, is the kind of prospect the Hoosiers have been targeting as they try to add more punch to a defensive front that needs more speed, length and disruption. His size, athleticism and natural rushing ability fit the profile Indiana wants as it keeps building out the line of scrimmage.
For a staff trying to deepen the defense and hold up better in the Big Ten, the appeal is straightforward: Ntumba brings the physical tools and effort level coaches covet, and they see him as someone who could grow into an important piece. Offers like this are part of the broader push to make the pass rush less of a weakness and more of a weapon, though the real test now is whether Indiana can turn that interest into momentum with a prospect it clearly values. [Read more 🡒]