Big Ten power rankings after Week 6 | Buckeyes Wire

Six weeks are now in the rearview mirror for this year's college football season, and we are beginning to learn more and more about the Big Ten and which teams look like pretenders and those that have some work to do in order to even be considered pretenders. This past week saw several surprises that have reset the order and perception of things.

We still feel pretty good about Ohio State and Indiana, but we might want to start taking note of the UCLA Bruins. Purdue followed up with its second win in back-to-back weeks, the Iowa Hawkeyes bounced back in emphatic fashion after experiencing their first loss to the Buckeyes last time out, and Nebraska lost a close one for its first loss of the year. The rest, well, there's a lot still to iron out.

It's our weekly Big Ten football power rankings, and what we think we know now will likely change drastically as teams figure out their identities and improve, or give up on the season (yes, it does happen).

Here's a look at our Week 6 Big Ten football power rankings. We start from No. 18 and make our way down to No. 1.

No. 18 - Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-4, 0-2) | No. 18 last week⇔

LastGame Result: Off

Next Game: at Maryland

Why the ranking

Rutgers is the only team in the Big Ten that doesn't have a conference victory yet, and there's only one win on the season. It's an easy pick right now to put the Scarlet Knights at the bottom even if they seem to be playing a little better. With where Maryland is right now, there's a chance Greg Schiano's crew can get a win next week.

No. 17 - Maryland Terrapins (2-4, 0-3) | No. 15 last week⇩

LastGame Result: Lost 45-16 vs. at Ohio State

Next Game: vs. Rutgers

The Terps seem to be regressing after another blowout loss, and you have to wonder if head coach Mike Locksley has lost this team. Rutgers comes to town next Saturday, so maybe, just maybe, there's a win to be had. The hot seat watch is on.

No. 16 - Michigan State Spartans (2-4, 0-3) | No. 14 last week⇩

LastGame Result: Lost 38-37 vs. Illinois

Next Game: vs. Northwestern

What goes into the ranking

The Pat Fitzgerald effect is not working in East Lansing right now. It's not going to be a quick turnaround, and injuries haven't helped. The Spartans nearly pulled it off against the Illini, but Michigan State is still looking for its first Big Ten win.

No. 15 - Illinois Fighting Illini (3-3, 1-2) | No. 17 last week⇧

LastGame Result: Won 38-37 at Michigan State

Next Game: Off

What goes into the ranking

Bret Bielema's team is another one that has had the injury bug hit, but more than that, the defense hasn't been able to provide much resistance against Big Ten offenses. The Illini escaped an upset at Michigan State and there are a lot of holes to fix on this squad before we even think about it being a bowl team.

No. 14 - Purdue Boilermakers (3-3, 2-1) | No. 17 last week⇧

LastGame Result: Won 41-13 vs. Minnesota

Next Game: vs. Washington

What goes into the ranking

One week after winning its first Big Ten game in a couple of years on the road, the Boilermakers gave their home fans the same treat by dismantling a Minnesota team that has looked pretty good so far in 2026. Don't look now, but the Boilermakers are playing defense and could be a tough out the rest of the way.

No. 13 - Penn State Nittany Lions (3-3, 0-3) | No. 13 last week⇔

LastGame Result: lost 31-23 vs. USC

Next Game: at Michigan

What goes into the ranking

Not even whiteout conditions could lift a Penn State team that has now lost three in a row. The defense just isn't up to the standards we've been accustomed to seeing in Happy Valley, and the offense isn't good enough to carry the load. Matt Campbell is still a good coach, but he's going to need some time to adjust in the Big Ten, and it doesn't look like it's going to happen this year.

No. 12 - Washington Huskies (3-2, 0-3) | No. 11 last week⇩

LastGame Result: Lost 41-24 vs. Iowa

Next Game: at Purdue

What in the rain-drenched Cascade Mountains is going on in Seattle? The offense seems to have only quarterback Desmond Williams, and the defense is a hot mess at times. Washington has some close losses, but Iowa came into Seattle and took all the coffee back to the cornfields. No wins in the Big Ten says the game at Purdue on Saturday is a big one.

No. 11 - Michigan Wolverines (3-2, 0-2)* | No. 12 last week⇧

LastGame Result: Off

Next Game: vs. Penn State

What goes into the ranking

Last time we saw Michigan, P.J. Fleck was having one of the best days of his life after his Gophers upset the Wolverines. The Bryce Underwood experiment is not going well in Ann Arbor, but a lack of a running game and pass protection isn't helping. Michigan is kind of a mess, and there are questions all over the place in the first year of the Kyle Whittingham era.

No. 10 - Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-2, 2-1) | No. 10 last week⇔

LastGame Result: Lost 41-13 at Purdue

Next Game: Off

What goes into the ranking

This part of the power rankings is awfully hard to figure out. Minnesota is another one of those teams that is wildly inconsistent, and it showed again against Purdue. The win against Michigan was clearly emotional, but there's no excuse for laying an egg in West Lafayette. Truth be known, we should probably have the Gophers below the Boilers and further down, but one week does not make a trend.

No. 9 - Wisconsin Badgers (3-1, 2-0) | No. 9 last week⇔

LastGame Result: Off

Next Game: at UCLA

What goes into the ranking

Wisconsin was off this past week but is clearly a better team than what we've seen the last couple of seasons. The Badgers get a shot at making a huge statement by traveling to L.A. and trying to knock off a UCLA team that is playing awfully well right now.

No. 8 - Northwestern Wildcats (4-1, 1-1) | No. 8 last week⇔

LastGame Result: Won 45-14 vs. Ball State

Next Game: at Michigan State

What goes into the ranking

We didn't really learn too much about the Wildcats in a blowout win over Ball State, and we might not find out too much next week when they head to East Lansing to play a reeling Michigan State team. This is a solidly coached team, but will it last for the rest of the season?

No. 7 - USC Trojans (6-1, 3-1) | No. 6 last week⇩

LastGame Result: Won 31-23 at Penn State

Next Game: Off

What goes into the ranking

USC got the win on the road at night at Penn State in the annual whiteout game, and that, plus traveling all the way across the country, should count for something. There are holes on this team, but with one loss, everything is still on the table for the Trojans. Games against Ohio State and Oregon loom large in the coming weeks.

No. 6 - Oregon Ducks (3-2, 1-1) | No. 5 last week⇩

LastGame Result: Lost 17-15 vs. UCLA

Next Game: vs. Nebraska

What goes into the ranking

This is a talented team, but it just can't seem to make the plays down the stretch to win the close ones, and that might spell doom for Nike U. At this point, the Ducks probably have to win out to make the College Football Playoff, and while the schedule lightens from here on out, the game in Columbus in early November might determine Oregon's postseason fate.

No. 5 - Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1, 2-1) | No. 3 last week⇩

LastGame Result: Lost 20-17 vs. Indiana

Next Game: at Oregon

It was a valiant effort against Indiana, but the 'Huskers came up a wee bit short. This looks like Matt Rhule's best team since he took the job, and there's still a ton to play for. Can Nebraska be in the conversation for the CFP? There are still games at Oregon and Iowa, and a game against Ohio State at home that will determine it all.

No. 4 - Iowa Hawkeyes (5-1, 2-1) | No. 5 last week⇧

LastGame Result: Won 4124 at Washington

Next Game: Off

Just when we thought Iowa came back down to Earth against Ohio State, the Hawkeyes put on a show in the Emerald City by physically manhandling Washington at its place. The schedule isn't as tough as some of the other contenders, so we could legitimately be talking about a lot of things on the table for Iowa at the end of the season.

No. 3 - UCLA Bruins (5-0, 3-0) | No. 7 last week⇧

LastGame Result: Won 17-15 at Oregon

Next Game: vs. Wisconsin

What goes into the ranking

It's time to take UCLA seriously. The running game travels anywhere, and the culture is the best it's been in a long time under new head coach Bob Chesney. There's still some work to do, but the Bruins do not appear to be doing it with smoke and mirrors after beating a talented Oregon team in Eugene.

No. 2 - Ohio State Buckeyes (5-1, 3-0) | No. 2 last week ⇔

LastGame Result: Won 45-16 vs. Maryland

Next Game: at Indiana

What went into the ranking

The Buckeyes didn't play a perfect game and still blew the doors off Maryland. The injury bug has started to hit a bit, but even with that, the running game seems to be coming along, the defense is finding itself again, and well --Jeremiah Smith is leaping tall buildings in a single bound with the help of his quarterback. Ohio State still has a tough schedule going out, so nothing is given.

No. 1 - Indiana Hoosiers (6-0, 3-0) | No. 1 last week ⇔

LastGame Result: Won 20-17 at Nebraska

Next Game: vs. Ohio State

What went into the ranking

The Hoosiers have looked beatable despite escaping with a couple of narrow wins this year. Will the fighting Curt Cignettis rise up and put it all together next week against Ohio State, or will we see that Indiana just isn't as good this year? It should be one whale of a game Saturday that will tell us a lot about the Hoosiers and the Buckeyes.

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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Big Ten power rankings after Week 6 | Buckeyes Wire