Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 5: Wisconsin remains in the top five
Week 5 of the Big Ten football season is in the books with not much change at the top. We expected the season to be defined by the October and November matchups between the top trio in the East — Michigan, Penn State and Ohio State. That thought remains the case with each program taking care of business thus far this season.
Other battles to watch include the race to be the worst team in the conference, if Maryland can stay strong against an impossible schedule and which sub-par team sits atop the Big Ten West.
The season is ongoing but has yet to reach its crescendo. The coming weeks will tell us a lot about what the final picture will look like.
As we reach that point, here are our Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 5:
Northwestern (2-3, 1-2 Big Ten)
Week 5 Result: 41-13 loss to Penn State
Previous Rank: 13 (down 1 spot)
Northwestern returns to the bottom of our power rankings after its blowout loss to Penn State. Yes, this game was tied at halftime as the 11 a.m. Ryan Field kickoff was working its usual magic. But Penn State took care of business in the second half, something Minnesota was somehow unable to do just one week ago.
Indiana (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten)
Week 5 Result: 44-17 loss to Maryland
Previous Rank: 12 (down 1)
Indiana and Northwestern would face off for the No. 14 spot in these rankings, but the two don’t play each other this year. But the Hoosiers are clearly one of the two worst teams in the conference, and showed it again in an uncompetitive loss to Maryland.
Michigan State (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten)
Week 5 Result: 26-16 loss to Iowa
Previous Rank: 11 (down 1)
Michigan State held it close against Iowa until a late Cooper DeJean punt return sealed the contest. This was one of the Spartans’ more winnable games left on the schedule, with upcoming contests still remaining against Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan.
Nebraska (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten)
Week 5 Result: 45-7 loss to Michigan
Previous Rank: 9 (down 2)
Nebraska got obliterated by Michigan yesterday, which is a sentence I think we’ll say quite often about Michigan opponents this season. The Cornhuskers are still struggling to find their identity under new head coach Matt Rhule, as the offense still can’t find a rhythm even with a new quarterback while the defense isn’t yet good enough to carry the team to wins.
Illinois (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten)
Week 5 Result: 44-19 loss to Purdue
Previous Rank: 7 (down 3)
Illinois had a big opportunity against a struggling Purdue team to give itself life in the Big Ten West. That opportunity went to waste, as the Boilermakers dominated on their way to a 44-19 win. Bret Bielema’s team is nowhere close to last year’s caliber.
Purdue (2-3, 1-1 Big Ten)
Week 5 Result: 44-19 over Illinois
Previous Rank: 10 (up 1)
Purdue got its first signature moment under new head coach Ryan Walters on Saturday. The win reverses course after a 1-3 start to the season, and makes a repeat Big Ten West title a remote possibility.
Minnesota (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten)
Week 5 Result: 35-24 win over Louisiana
Previous Rank: 14 (up 6)
Minnesota returns to its normal ranking after bouncing back from its unfathomable loss to Northwestern. It wasn’t a convincing effort, however. The Golden Gophers still have a lot to clean up before Big Ten play continues.
Rutgers (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten)
Week 5 Result: 52-3 win over Wagner
Previous Rank: 8 (up 1)
Rutgers will not challenge Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan or Maryland atop the Big Ten East. But the Scarlet Knights are now just two wins from bowl eligibility and have been one of the conference’s more impressive teams thus far. Next up is an interesting trip to Madison.
Iowa (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten)
Week 5 Result: 26-16 win over Michigan State
Previous Rank: 6 (no change)
Iowa starting quarterback Cade McNamara suffered what looked like a serious leg injury in the team’s win over Michigan State. So it looks to be Deacon Hill under center in Iowa City for the foreseeable future. But it’s not as if the offense does much anyway…and that was exactly the case Saturday as the defense and special teams carried the team to a 10-point victory.
Wisconsin (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten)
Week 5 Result: BYE
Previous Rank: 5 (no change)
Wisconsin exits its bye week with a tough stretch of Rutgers, Iowa, Illinois and Ohio State ahead. The Badgers look to be atop a terrible West division, and have still yet to round fully into form under new head coach Luke Fickell.
Maryland (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten)
Week 5 Result: 44-17 win over Indiana
Previous Rank: 4 (no change)
Maryland is really good. That is a sentence that will be pasted into this part of the column every week until it proves to be untrue.
Ohio State (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten)
Week 5 Result: BYE
Previous Rank: 3 (no change)
Ohio State’s Big Ten and National Championship hopes are very much alive and well exiting the bye week. Look ahead to October 21 vs Penn State and November 25 at Michigan for the Buckeyes’ season to be defined.
Penn State (5-0, 3-0 Big Ten)
Week 5 Result: 41-13 win over Northwestern
Previous Rank: 2 (no change)
Penn State didn’t wake up until halftime at Northwestern on Saturday, but that shouldn’t mean much for the Nittany Lions’ long-term outlook. This remains arguably the best team James Franklin has had since 2016. It will have a golden shot at the program’s first College Football Playoff birth.
Michigan (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten)
Week 5 Result: 45-7 win over Nebraska
Previous Rank: 1 (no change)
Michigan dominated Nebraska on Saturday, but it will still be a few more weeks until the team is truly tested. But until it shows any sign of weakness, it’s the clear No. 1 team in the conference.
