Week 1 didn’t exactly flatter the Big Ten, and the first set of power rankings reflects that mess.
There were wins, sure. But there were also ugly losses, shaky finishes and one result in Piscataway that turned into a full-blown embarrassment. By the time the dust settled, Indiana still sat on top, Michigan had tumbled, and UCLA had done enough to make people take notice in its conference debut.
At the very bottom, Rutgers takes the hit after paying UMass $1.55 million to come to Piscataway and getting blasted 37-21. The Scarlet Knights were a 29.5-point favorite and still wound up on the wrong end of a result that nobody saw coming. Purdue, Michigan State and Maryland all managed to get into the win column against lesser opposition, but none of them did enough to escape the basement tier.
Just above them, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Michigan and Nebraska fill out the middle-to-lower portion of the list, with Michigan drawing the biggest spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Western Michigan controlled the game in Ann Arbor and led 12-7 when the clock hit zero, only for an extra second to appear and give Michigan one more shot.
The Wolverines cashed in on that miracle chance, but the broader picture was still ugly. Bryce Underwood did not impress, the defense struggled to get off the field, and if Kyle Whittingham's team keeps playing like that, they are in serious danger of failing to reach a bowl game.
They now have to turn around quickly with Oklahoma coming to town this weekend.
UCLA lands at No. 10 after Bob Chesney’s first Big Ten win, a 45-24 road victory over Cal that sent a message that the Bruins could be much better in Year 1 of the Chesney era. Penn State checks in at No. 6 after Matt Campbell’s debut produced a 45-0 shutout of Marshall. That was the kind of no-nonsense performance the Nittany Lions needed, even if Marshall is the sort of tricky opponent that tends to make those games uncomfortable.
The top five stays tight, with Washington at No. 5, USC at No.
4, Oregon at No. 3, Ohio State at No. 2 and Indiana still holding the top spot.
USC is the only Big Ten team to have played twice already, beating both San Jose State and Fresno State convincingly. Washington had some trouble with Washington State, and Oregon was pushed by Boise State, but both got the job done.
Ohio State rolled Ball State, and Indiana stayed put at No. 1 after its 52-16 win over North Texas.
Curt Cignetti’s team still has details to clean up, but after Week 1, it’s hard to ignore how strong Indiana looked.
In Other News...
Trayce Jackson-Davis Revisited One Indiana Decision That Still Stings
Trayce Jackson-Davis is still one of the defining players of Indianas recent era, and his reflection on his college career showed how deliberate his path really was. After a strong senior season, he decided not to take advantage of the extra year of eligibility created by COVID-19, feeling he had already said all he needed to say in Bloomington. Even as he settled into his role, he kept expanding his game, adding more playmaking and ball-handling in his final season as Mike Woodson pushed him to grow beyond being just a scorer.
What lingers for Jackson-Davis now is less about leaving early than about one skill he never fully unlocked. He said he wishes he had developed his three-point shot more in college, a notable regret considering how little he used it across his Indiana career. It is the kind of hindsight that comes with time, especially for a player who did so much right for the Hoosiers, but it also leaves open the question of how much more versatile his game might have looked if he had stayed just a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
Curt Cignetti Is Chasing Another Massive Receiver Win For Indiana
Curt Cignetti is already working to keep Indianas recruiting momentum rolling into the 2028 cycle, and one of the biggest names on the board is five-star wide receiver Braylon Clark. Clark has trimmed his list to 12 finalists, with Indiana making the cut alongside national powers such as Ohio State and Oregon, a sign that the Hoosiers are at least in the conversation for one of the classs premier pass-catchers.
Indiana is trying to set up an official visit for Clark as it looks to turn that early interest into something more concrete. The Hoosiers currently have one commitment in the 2028 class, so landing a player of Clarks caliber would be another major statement after the programs strong 2027 recruiting push and a reminder that Cignetti is not slowing down on the trail. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Just Reached A Huge Recruiting Moment With Elite WR Prospect
Braylon Clarks recruitment is already moving like one of those national battles that never really cools off, and the elite 2028 wide receiver has now trimmed his list to 12 schools. Ranked No. 6 in his class by Rivals, Clark has spent plenty of time on the road taking visits, and the early shape of his process suggests he is weighing a mix of national contenders rather than locking in on one region or conference.
Ohio State sits near the front of the pack in Rivals insider predictions, but the race still appears wide open enough to keep several SEC and ACC programs firmly in the mix. For programs tracking the receiver board far beyond their own borders, the next stretch of Clarks recruitment figures to be all about separation, relationships, and which staff can stay in striking distance as the competition tightens. [Read more 🡒]