Week 3 in the Big Ten mostly went chalk, with one result standing out from the pack: Northwestern’s rout of Deion Sanders and Colorado. Outside of that, the conference didn’t produce much chaos, which leaves the power rankings looking fairly steady as league play arrives.
At the top, Indiana stays put at No. 1 after another dominant defensive showing. The Hoosiers blanked Western Kentucky 38-0 to move to 3-0, and while the schedule has been soft, there wasn’t enough elsewhere in the conference to knock them off the perch. A shutout is a shutout, and for now that keeps Indiana in front.
Michigan holds at No. 2 after handling UTEP 52-17. The Wolverines also sit atop the Big Ten in ESPN’s SOR metric, and that lines up with their resume so far: wins over a MAC powerhouse and an above average SEC team. They may not stay this high all season, but the ranking makes sense right now.
Penn State is right behind at No. 3 after beating Buffalo 55-13. The Nittany Lions have faced a very soft opening stretch, but they’ve taken care of business without any real stress. That’s enough to keep them near the top.
USC drops one spot to No. 4 after a 42-35 win over Rutgers. The Trojans were never truly in danger, but they also never pulled away, and letting the Scarlet Knights hang around is the kind of thing that can turn messy fast.
Ohio State remains No. 5 after a 59-3 win over Kent State. The Buckeyes probably belong higher than this in pure team quality, but there’s no reason to leap them past the teams ahead of them based on a blowout of lowly Kent State. Their chances to move up are coming.
Iowa checks in at No. 6 after a 55-0 shutout of Northern Iowa. The headline there was the ground game, with three different running backs topping 100 rushing yards. That’s an eye-catching feat no matter who’s on the other sideline, and Iowa’s meeting with Michigan this weekend should tell us plenty.
Nebraska stays at No. 7 after beating North Dakota 34-7. The Cornhuskers have been one of the Big Ten’s pleasant surprises on offense, though the competition has to be taken into account. Their conference opening stretch is manageable, with a trip to Michigan State, a home date with Maryland, and then Indiana.
Oregon sits at No. 8 after a 84-0 demolition of Portland State. The Ducks looked every bit like one of the conference’s better teams, but they didn’t do enough to jump the teams above them since the opponent was a winless Portland State squad.
Northwestern makes the biggest move, climbing to No. 9 from No. 13 after its 41-7 beatdown of Colorado. David Braun’s team didn’t just upset the Buffaloes; it looked like the better team from start to finish. Whether the Wildcats are truly for real will take more time to sort out, but the early signs are strong.
UCLA rounds out the top 10 after beating Purdue 52-38 at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins picked up their first Big Ten win of the season behind a big day from Nico Iamaleava, who threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns, while Wayne Knight added 177 rushing yards and two more scores. The offense was lively, though giving up 488 yards and 38 points to Purdue is hard to ignore.
The rest of the Big Ten picture shakes out this way: Washington at 11, Michigan State at 12, Illinois at 13, Wisconsin at 14, Minnesota at 15, Maryland at 16, Purdue at 17, and Rutgers at 18.
In Other News...
Michigan Heads Into Iowa With One Injury Concern Fans Cant Ignore
Michigans offensive line had to absorb a jolt last week when right tackle Andrew Sprague was unavailable against UTEP, forcing a reshuffle up front at a time when the unit is trying to find some continuity. Kyle Whittingham said Spragues return window is still unclear, with the staff waiting on a more precise diagnosis and treatment plan before it can settle on a firmer timeline.
Jordan Marshall offers a steadier note heading into Iowa. The starting running back has been working back through nagging injuries, but he is expected to be available unless something changes, which at least gives Michigan a chance to keep some balance in the offense while the line situation sorts itself out. The real question now is how long the Wolverines may have to manage without Sprague, because the answer could shape more than just one game plan. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan's Young QB Just Made A Bigger Roster Debate More Urgent
Tommy Carr got his first real taste of game action against UTEP, and the freshman quarterback made the most of a small sample. He completed both of his passes for 23 yards, threw a touchdown, and added 18 yards on the ground, a tidy debut that gave Michigan a quick look at what it might have in a young arm behind center.
Kyle Whittingham praised Carr afterward, but the larger conversation around the program is already growing beyond one outing. With the transfer portal making retention harder and the NCAAs new 5-for-5 rule giving coaches more freedom to play younger guys without burning a redshirt, Michigan has even more reason to weigh development against depth management. Carrs outing only sharpened that debate. [Read more 🡒]
Whittingham Sees One Michigan Issue That Early Wins Havent Fixed
Michigan has taken a step forward since its close opening game, but Kyle Whittingham made clear there is still a larger test ahead. Speaking to reporters, the coach pointed to the need for greater consistency and resilience when games get difficult, noting that progress is real but not yet complete. For a team trying to build on early wins, the message was less about celebrating what has already been cleaned up and more about sustaining it.
Whittingham said the Wolverines have to keep the same enthusiasm, passion and energy for the full length of games, especially once the pressure rises and the margin tightens. The improvement is encouraging, but the issue he flagged is one that tends to show up only after the easy moments are gone, and Michigan will keep facing that challenge until it proves it can hold its level when things turn messy. [Read more 🡒]