Week 2 Big Ten Power Rankings: Penn State jumps Oregon

Previous: 1. Last Week: W 52-6 vs. Akron.

Ohio State unsurprisingly took care of business against Akron in quarterback Will Howard’s first game with the team. The Buckeyes are loaded with talent on offense once again and are set for another lopsided matchup against Western Michigan.

Previous: 3. LW: W 34-12 vs. West Virginia.

The Penn State offense flashed its explosiveness as the Nittany Lions controlled a win over rivals West Virginia. This week’s opponent, Bowling Green, comes to Happy Valley as 35-point underdogs.

Previous: 2. LW: W 24-14 vs. Idaho.

Oregon’s one-spot drop comes with a dash of concern after the Ducks struggled offensively against an FCS foe. Boise State and its star running back, Ashton Jeanty, are coming to town next.

Previous: 4. LW: W 30-10 vs. Fresno State.

Michigan hardly played to the level of last year’s national title-winning team in its season opener, especially on the offensive side of the ball. A win is a win, though, especially ahead of a marquee top-10 matchup against Texas.

Previous: 5. LW: W 27-20 vs. LSU.

Quarterback Miller Moss picked up where Caleb Williams left off with a standout passing performance against LSU. The Trojans were resolute defensively and came away with a big ranked win in the first game as a Big Ten member.

Previous: 6. LW: W 40-0 vs. Illinois State.

A sluggish start for the Iowa offense soon gave way to a dominant outing, albeit against an FCS opponent. Quarterback Cade McNamara had a three-touchdown game for the first time since the 2021 season.

Previous: 8. LW: W 40-7 vs. UTEP.

Behind quarterback Dylan Raiola, Nebraska rolled to a blowout win over UTEP that showcased the Huskers’ offensive improvements. The NU defense must ready itself for this weekend’s test from a high-powered Colorado offense.

Previous: 7. LW: W 28-14 vs. Western Michigan.

While other teams rolled to easy wins, it took Wisconsin nearly the entire 60 minutes to pull away from Western Michigan. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke will hope for a better showing against South Dakota.

Previous: 9. LW: W 35-3 vs. Weber State.

A no-drama season opener went Washington’s way, and the Huskies are big favorites again for their contest against Eastern Michigan.

Previous: 10. LW: W 44-7 vs. Howard.

Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis had a three-touchdown day and Rutgers found plenty of success on the ground in its season-opening win. Akron is up next.

Previous: 11. LW: W 50-7 vs. UConn.

In its first game without quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, the Maryland offense looked just fine with Billy Edwards Jr. at the reins. The Terrapins are favored as they open conference play against Michigan State.

Previous: 13. LW: W 45-0 vs. Eastern Illinois.

The Illinois defense put together a shutout and forced four turnovers against an overmatched opponent. A top-25 foe in Kansas comes to town next.

Previous: 16. LW: W 31-7 vs. Florida International.

Indiana allowed less than 200 yards of offense in a game it won comfortably, a rarity in years prior.

Previous: 12. LW: L 19-17 vs. North Carolina.

Rather than playing an FCS foe to open the year, Minnesota invited a solid North Carolina team to town and may regret it after a last-second missed goal cost the Gophers a win.

Previous: 14. LW: W 13-6 vs. Miami (Ohio).

An ugly game went Northwestern’s way, but upcoming opponent Duke should offer more of a challenge.

Previous: 15. LW: W 16-13 vs. Hawaii.

DeShaun Foster’s head coaching debut nearly ended in disappointment, but UCLA eked out the one-score win. They can evaluate the film over a bye week.

Previous: 17. LW: 49-0 vs. Indiana State.

Quarterback Hudson Card was nearly perfect as Purdue opened its year with a much-needed win heading into an open weekend.

Previous: 18. LW: W 16-10 vs. Florida Atlantic.

Michigan State’s defense did enough to earn the win, even scoring via a safety as its offense sputtered and turned the ball over three times.