Here are the latest Big Ten football rankings from Sam McKewon:
1. Ohio State (3-0)
Last game: Bye Week
Next game: at Washington, 2:30 p.m., CBS
Sam’s take: The Buckeyes need to shift into high gear heading out to Seattle, where the hometown Huskies have a fierce bite. UW hasn’t lost a conference game in Husky Stadium since 2021.
2. Oregon (4-0, 1-0)
Last game: Beat Oregon State 41-7
Next game: at Penn State, 6:30 p.m., NBC
Sam’s take: Aside from a handful of runs late in the win over Northwestern, Oregon’s defense has been all gas, no brakes nasty all year. And the Ducks won’t go to Happy Valley cold, either.
3. Penn State (3-0)
Last game: Bye Week
Next game: vs. Oregon, 6:30 p.m., NBC
Sam’s take: The Nittany Lions are bound for a test they haven’t seen since the last time they played Oregon — and gave up 45 points. They’ll have a “white out” crowd on their side this time.
4. Indiana (4-0, 1-0)
Last game: Beat Illinois 63-10
Next game: at Iowa, 2:30 p.m., Peacock
Sam’s take: IU coach Curt Cignetti took resplendent pleasure in hammering the Illini’s lines for four quarters. The Hoosiers have a firmer test this week, a real road test that they didn’t pass last season when they visited Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff.
5. USC (4-0, 2-0)
Last game: Beat Michigan State 42-31
Next game: at Illinois, 11 a.m., Fox
Sam’s take: The Trojans lead the nation in yards per play (9.19). That includes ranking third in yards per carry at 7.06.
6. Michigan (3-1, 1-1)
Last game: Beat Nebraska 30-27
Next game: Bye Week
Sam’s take: Michigan is what it is and does what it does. Nebraska dared the Wolverines to throw the ball with loaded boxes, and UM punched through the traffic anyway. That’s an identity.
7. Nebraska (3-1, 1-1)
Last game: Lost to Michigan 30-27
Next game: Bye Week
Sam’s take: The Huskers won’t be out of many games this year quarterback Dylan Raiola and this fleet of receivers, but they’re a different, lesser offense inside the opponent’s 20. That has to change.
8. Illinois (3-1, 0-1)
Last game: Lost to Indiana 63-10
Next game: vs. USC, 11 a.m., Fox
Sam’s take: The Illini lost one of their top defenders, Xavier Scott, for the season in the game. Whether Bret Bielema’s defense lost all of its pride will be answered Saturday when the Trojans roll into Champaign.
9. Washington (3-0)
Last game: Beat Washington State 59-24
Next game: vs. Ohio State, 2:30 p.m., CBS
Sam’s take: Quarterback Demond Williams (332.7 total yards per game) has spent most of his young career playing late night games. You’ll want to watch him Saturday afternoon against the Buckeyes’ stingy defense.
10. Maryland (4-0, 1-0)
Last game: Beat Wisconsin 27-10
Next game: Bye Week
Sam’s take: Look who has a pass rush! The Terrapins co-lead the Big Ten with 16 sacks this season, notching six in the win over the Badgers. The offense has its limitations but UM’s +7 turnover margin looks good, too.
11. Iowa (3-1. 1-0)
Last game: Beat Rutgers 38-28
Next game: vs. Indiana, 2:30 p.m., Peacock
Sam’s take: Look who has an offense! Quarterback Mark Gronowksi played his best game in part because the Hawkeyes used him right, running him 13 times for 55 yards. It opened up Iowa’s run and pass games.
12. Michigan State (3-1, 0-1)
Last game: Lost to USC 42-31
Next game: Bye Week
Sam’s take: Quarterback Aidan Chiles can really sling it. And the Spartans’ defense really can’t defense any other team who has a quarterback who can sling it — MSU has allowed 1054 passing yards already, or more than three times what NU has.
13. Minnesota (2-1)
Last game: Bye Week
Next game: vs. Rutgers, 11 a.m., BTN
Sam’s take: A sign of worry for the Gophers? Cal, the team that beat Minnesota two weeks ago, lost 34-0 to San Diego State last week.
14. Rutgers (3-1, 0-1)
Last game: Lost to Iowa 38-28
Next game: at Minnesota, 11 a.m., BTN
Sam’s take: After it took coach Greg Schiano four years — and a lot of recruiting — to build a strong defense in 2023, the structure fell apart last year. It’s not much better in 2025. You don’t give up 38 to Iowa without having issues.
15. Purdue (2-2, 0-1)
Last game: Lost to Notre Dame 56-30
Next game: Bye Week
Sam’s take: The Boilermakers appear to be back as a high-flying pass offense. They won’t win a ton, but they’ll provide some entertainment.
16. Northwestern (1-2, 0-1)
Last game: Bye Week
Next game: vs. UCLA, 2:30 p.m., BTN
Sam’s take: The Oct. 11 game at Penn State will be nasty, but three of the next are UCLA, Louisiana-Monroe and Purdue. Winnable!
17. Wisconsin (2-2, 0-1)
Last game: Lost to Maryland 27-10
Next game: Bye Week
Sam’s take: Luke Fickell has made his share of missteps in this job, but he has had terrible luck with starting quarterbacks getting hurt. It’s happened all three seasons, and it’s happened early, and it’s thrown the offense into chaos each time. This year, it’s Billy Edwards.
18. UCLA (0-3)
Last game: Bye Week
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Sam McKewon
Sports Editor
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