Big Ten Football Power Rankings: Michigan plummets

Week 5 was an interesting week in the Big Ten. Northwestern opened a new stadium with a bang, while Michigan faltered and Ohio State easily dispatched Iowa in a ranked matchup. These results didn’t drastically shake up the rankings, but they helped us get a clearer picture as to who is a real contender and who’s a pretender. Sadly, Michigan falls in the latter category.

Without further ado, here’s who we’ve got ranked in the top 10 heading into Week 6:

10. Northwestern Wildcats: 3-1, Def. Penn State 34-13, LW: 11

Is Northwestern legitimately good? The Wildcats now have Power 4 wins over Colorado and Penn State, along with a very respectable loss to Indiana. On top of that, the opening of the new Ryan Field looked incredible on TV. Northwestern has all the momentum in the world, which is weird to say.

9. Minnesota Golden Gophers: 4-1, Def. Michigan 20-14, LW: 10

After defeating Michigan in a thrilling (to some) game, P.J. Fleck announced Saturday was one of the best days of his life. While I find that hard to believe, the Gophers did break a Michigan winning streak in Minneapolis dating back to 1977. I have my doubts the Gophers can keep the winning streak up but so far, so good.

8. USC Trojans: 5-1, Def. Washington 25-21, LW: 9

USC’s defense held on for dear life in a thrilling late-night victory. The Trojans have a manageable schedule for the next few weeks, so expect them to slowly climb up the rankings barring the unforeseen.

7. Nebraska Cornhuskers: 5-0, Def. Maryland 48-23, LW: 5

Nebraska’s offense continues to look dominant which is a major surprise. However, the Cornhusker defense gave up 395 yards and 23 points to a bad Maryland team. For now, Nebraska is undefeated, but Indiana and Oregon await in the next two weeks.

6. UCLA Bruins: 4-0, On bye, Last Week: 6

UCLA didn’t play this week but still appears like a feel-good story of the 2026 season.

5. Iowa Hawkeyes: 4-1, Lost to Ohio State 14-31, LW: 2

One week ago, the Hawkeyes had pulled off a stunner in The Big House and were undefeated. Iowa fans were riding high. Now, the Hawkeyes look several tiers below the top contenders nationally and their victory over Michigan looks significantly less impressive. Kirk Ferentz’s squad is still solid, but they proved on Saturday they are not true conference contenders.

4. Wisconsin Badgers: 4-1, Def. Michigan State 31-3, LW: 7

Wisconsin was expected to beat Michigan State, but the Badgers did so in emphatic fashion. Luke Fickell’s squad has quietly put together a very nice resume, with their only loss being to a very quality Notre Dame team on a neutral site. The Badgers are unlikely to stay this high on the list all season, but they deserve to be here through five weeks.

3. Oregon Ducks: 3-1, On bye, LW: 4

The Ducks were idle this week but still move up a spot, as their win over USC looks better thanks to the Trojans’ victory over Washington. Oklahoma State may even turn out to be a decent loss by season’s end.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes: 4-1, Def. Iowa 31-14, LW: 3

It wasn’t overly surprising to see the Buckeyes dismantle the Hawkeyes in Kinnick. However, it’s Ohio State’s best win to date. Tougher tests are ahead, but Ohio State’s loss to Texas is solidly in the rearview at this point.

1. Indiana Hoosiers: 5-0, Def. Rutgers 47-15, LW: 1

Indiana’s hold on the No. 1 spot is as tenuous as it’s ever been. Yes, the Hoosiers are still undefeated. No, they still haven’t played anybody. Beating Rutgers doesn’t move the needle.

Everybody else:

• 11. Michigan Wolverines
• 12. Washington Huskies
• 13. Penn State Nittany Lions
• 14. Purdue Boilermakers
• 15. Illinois Fighting Illini
• 16. Michigan State Spartans
• 17. Maryland Terrapins
• 18. Rutgers Scarlet Knights