Week 1 barely had a chance to settle in before the Big Ten standings started wobbling all over the place. Rutgers delivered the conference’s ugliest result by getting bullied at home by UMASS, while Michigan, Oregon and Washington all flirted with disaster before escaping. Nobody looked fully polished, and that made for a rankings board with a few clear headliners and a lot of uneasy middle ground.
At the top, Ohio State stayed put as the standard-bearer after a 56-3 win over Ball State. The Buckeyes did exactly what a No. 1 team is supposed to do: control the game, overwhelm a MAC opponent, and leave no doubt they remain the conference’s best until somebody proves otherwise. Indiana followed after rolling past North Texas 52-16, though the Hoosiers’ 31-16 edge heading into the fourth quarter kept them behind Ohio State in the pecking order.
Oregon’s 34-27 comeback against Boise State landed somewhere between impressive and concerning, and the Ducks’ spot reflects that. They erased a 17-7 deficit, but they never looked dominant, even with Dante Moore putting up big numbers against an unranked G6 opponent.
USC, meanwhile, opened 2-0 and cracked the top four after blanking Fresno State 39-0. With Jayden Maiava back under center, Lincoln Riley’s team has the kind of upside that could matter if one of the conference’s top three slips.
Iowa and Penn State round out the next tier, and both leaned heavily on defense. Iowa’s 40-0 win over Northern Illinois came with only 120 offensive yards allowed, even if the quarterback situation remains a question. Penn State beat Marshall 45-0 in what the article calls the Matt Campbell era, and the defense carried the day while the offense still managed to clear 40 points.
Illinois checked in next after a 42-23 win over UAB. Katin Houser was efficient, finishing 13 of 17 for 182 yards and three touchdowns, but the Illini didn’t really put the game away until the fourth quarter. Washington’s 24-10 Apple Cup win over Washington State was even shakier than the final score suggests, though the quarterback did enough late, throwing for 268 yards and a touchdown while also leading the team with 61 rushing yards and another score.
UCLA’s debut under Bob Chesney was one of the more eye-catching results in the conference, a 45-24 win over Cal that might have been the most impressive Big Ten victory of the week. Nebraska also made its way into the middle of the board after shaking off a rough first half against Ohio and finishing with a 49-21 win. Anthony Colandrea drew praise for his leadership, and true freshman Jamal Rule stood out with his speed and toughness.
The lower half of the rankings is where Week 1 got messy. Minnesota’s 59-7 win over Eastern Illinois was a blowout on paper, but the Golden Gophers still didn’t exactly run roughshod over the opponent.
Michigan State beat Toledo 30-20, which was enough to keep it ahead of the truly struggling teams. Purdue’s 44-19 win over Indiana State and Northwestern’s 34-18 victory over South Dakota State were both underwhelming against FCS competition, but at least those teams finished with wins.
Then came Michigan, and the Wolverines were lucky to leave with one at all. They needed a Hail Mary to beat Western Michigan 13-12, missed the first try, then got another chance and converted after the Big Ten gave them another shot. That was enough to send them tumbling near the bottom.
Wisconsin’s 41-13 loss to Notre Dame looked so bad that even a halftime TV prediction about an 8-win season aged poorly by the end of the night. Maryland’s 62-0 rout of Hampton didn’t tell much of a story either, since Hampton is not even an FCS power.
That left Rutgers alone at the bottom after the 37-21 home loss to UMASS. The Scarlet Knights were outplayed all game, and there was no mystery about where they belonged in these rankings.
In Other News...
Nebraska Suddenly Has A Linebacker Concern It Can't Ignore
Owen Chambliss was already trying to work his way back into Nebraskas defensive picture after missing much of fall camp and the opener with a hamstring issue, and now the Cornhuskers may have to keep waiting a little longer. Matt Rhule said the linebacker might not be available for the upcoming game against Bowling Green, a reminder that the Huskers are still sorting out a position group they expected to lean on this early in the season.
Rhule called Chambliss a valuable player, but he did not offer much clarity on when the injury might finally let up. For a Nebraska defense trying to settle in, the uncertainty matters, especially with a player whose role was supposed to grow once he got back on the field. The next update on Chambliss could tell the Huskers a lot about how soon they can count on being whole at linebacker. [Read more 🡒]
Former Nebraska Receiver Is Raising An Uncomfortable Question For Huskers Fans
Malachi Colemans latest performance came in a spot Nebraska fans know well, even if theyd probably rather not revisit it. The former Huskers receiver, now at Wisconsin, put together a strong showing against Notre Dame with 4 catches for 76 yards and a touchdown, while playing 40 snaps and drawing top offensive grades from Pro Football Focus for the Badgers.
For Nebraska, the uncomfortable part is not just that Coleman is making plays elsewhere, but that he has now moved multiple times within the Big Ten and is still flashing the kind of upside the Huskers once hoped to harness. Coleman also spoke after the game about areas he still wants to clean up, which only adds to the sense that his story is still unfolding - and that Nebraska supporters may be left wondering what might have been. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Depth Chart Hints At A Feel Good Breakthrough On Defense
Nebraskas depth chart stayed mostly steady from the previous week, but one addition stood out for what it says about the programs persistence: defensive end Mac Markway is back in the mix after working his way through three torn ACLs. For a defense that has spent the offseason trying to build more dependable depth, simply getting a player like Markway onto the chart is a meaningful step, and it fits with the broader theme around Matt Rhules roster-building approach.
Rhule said Markways role is expected to grow week by week, along with the roles of wide receiver Demitrius Bell and true freshman cornerback Danny Odem, all of whom saw the field in the opener. For Nebraska, the next few games will be about whether those early snaps turn into something more durable, especially on a defense where every useful piece matters and every bit of progress feels worth tracking. [Read more 🡒]