Big Ten power rankings entering Week 1 of college football season

The Big Ten is one of the most powerful conferences in the land, and it will be no surprise if multiple teams make the CFP. However, the conference isn't necessarily stacked from top to bottom, although there could be a middle building thanks to Indiana and now Illinois. While the Hoosiers were great last year, time will tell if Curt Cignetti has built a powerhouse. Don't sleep on Michigan, either, which made great strides at the end of last season despite all sorts of quarterback woes. The best of the best? Here's a look at the Big Ten and how the teams stack up in conference power rankings.

18. Maryland Terrapins

Mike Locksley spoke about losing his team do the difference in NIL deals among players. Not a good look from a coach in these days. The Terrapins lost five in a row and seven of eight to complete a 4-8 season in 2025. Locksley is on the hot seat and it doesn't figure to cool in College Park. The coach is 33-41 in five seasons at Maryland after going 2-26 at New Mexico. The schedule starts soft but there is no guarantee this team will feast on less opponents.

17. Purdue Boilermakers

Barry Odom arrives after going 20-8 in two seasons with UNLV. Look for the Boilermakers to improve quickly. Just not sure it will happen immediately. After Ball State and Southern Illinois, there is USC, Notre Dame, and Purdue. That should clear up how much this revamped roster has improved. What a world when a college football team can boast about 54 incoming transfers.

16. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

The first two weeks feature games against Ohio and Miami of Ohio. That should be a subtle suggestion that Rutgers would be better off in the MAC than the Big Ten. Sorry, folks, the truth hurts. Greg Schiano has gone 23-28 over the last four seasons. Better to be mediocre or worse in the Big Ten?

15. UCLA Bruins

We've all heard it all about Nico Iamaleava, the coveted transfer QB from Tennessee. Iamaleava will be put to the test pronto as the Bruins open against Utah and then go to UNLV. Deshaun Foster was 5-7 in his first season as coaching the school he starred at as a running back. The move to the Big Ten won't get any easier for the Bruins. Don't bank on Iamaleava being the savior.

14. Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin lost its last five games in 2024. Now, the Badgers hand the offense to Maryland transfer Billy Edwards Jr. He threw for 2,881 yards in 11 games for a feeble Maryland team. This is Wisconsin, a school that usually thrives by pounding opponents. Will a quarterback with a passing mind help right the Badgers?

13. Northwestern Wildcats

While other schools decide to go a bakery in August and September and load up on cupcakes, Northwestern opens at Tulane, and after a game with Western Illinois, faces Oregon. The good news is that game is in Evanston, the second in a four-contest run at home. That ends when the Wildcats visit Penn State on Oct. 11. There are also road games versus Nebraska, USC and Illinois. The Michigan contest is slated for Chicago. Look for improvement on a 4-8 record in 2024.

12. Minnesota Golden Gophers

Being bowl eligible should not be a problem, especially with a schedule that has Buffalo, NW State, Cal, Rutgers, and Purdue in five of the first six games. The schedule gets real with a stretch of three of four on the road against Iowa, Oregon and Northwestern. Will the Gophers better their 8-5 mark in 2024? Probably.

11. USC Trojans

Lincoln Riley has not lived up to the hype that arrived from Norman, Oklahoma. He is 26-14, which would be good at a lot of schools. Not at USC, which expected CFP spots and chances for a national championship with Riley. Congratulations to the folks who built a 2025 schedule that starts with Missouri State, Georgia Southern and Purdue. Illinois, Notre Dame, Nebraska, and Oregon are all on the road.

10. Michigan State Spartans

Expect great improvement from the Spartans as Jonathan Smith enters his second season. A barometer should come on Sept. 6 how well the Spartans do against BC. Sept. 20 and Oct. 4 offer road games against USC and Nebraska. Talk about a tough stretch, there is at Indiana, home to Michigan, at Minnesota. home to Penn State and at Iowa starting Oct. 18. Pull those chinstraps tight.

9. Indiana Hoosiers

Don't bother paying attention to Indiana until Sept. 20. The Hoosiers open with Old Dominion, Kennesaw State and Indiana State, which doesn't have a football Larry Bird. Not quite sure whether playing that schedule gets a team ready for the Big Ten but, whatever. The toughest games will be against Iowa and Oregon, back-to-back with a bye week, and at Penn State in November.

8. Washington Huskies

Don't expect the Huskies to go 6-7 again. The schedule is somewhat favorable. The worst road game should be at Michigan. Ohio State and Oregon are at home.

7. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Going to give Matt Rhule some props and figure he will have the Cornhuskers rolling toward becoming a contender in the conference again. That said, why on earth are they playing Houston Christian on Sept. 13? The school isn't awful but Nebraska should be better.

6. Michigan Wolverines

Through all the scandal and suspensions, Michigan should not be ignored in the Big Ten picture. There should be a fun one to watch on Sept. 6 when the Wolverines visit Oklahoma. That could go a long way to showing which team is contender and which one is a pretender. The Ohio State game is in Ann Arbor. It likely won't determine whether the Wolverines make the Big Ten Championship Game but it is okay to dream.

5. Illinois Fighting Illini

Bret Bielema has this squad headed up in the standings. Luke Altmyer will benefit from having the same offensive line he tooks snaps behind last year. Will the season swing on the Sept. 20 Big Ten date at Indiana?

4. Iowa Hawkeyes

A start against Albany and game against UMass sandwiches the rivalry contest at Iowa State. Indiana, Penn State and Oregon all are home games. That could create some noise in the polls for the Hawkeyes.

3. Penn State Nittany Lions

Until James Franklin wins a big, big game, the Nittany Lions will take a back seat to Oregon and Ohio State. One huge plus is having Drew Allar back at QB.

2. Oregon Ducks

Dante Moore, who transferred from UCLA before last season, replaces Dillon Gabriel. There is a huge game at the end of September at Penn State. Win that one and the Ducks will be on their way.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes

This is a risky pick to say the least. The Buckeyes open with Texas and that game could knock them down in the national rankings. The schedule doesn't have Oregon but it does have road games at Washington, at Illinois, and at Michigan. Ryan Day has best win the latter.

This article originally appeared on The List Wire: Big Ten power rankings: How all 16 team stack up ahead of Week 1