Many teams wrapped up their non-conference slate in Week 3, and that resulted in most Big Ten squads starting conference play this past week. It's tough to rank all of these teams when they aren't playing each other, but we are now seeing big conference matchups every week. Week 4 was the start of it, and it did not disappoint. There were a few big games around the Big Ten, and they helped shape our Week 5 Big Ten Football Power Rankings. Let's take a look:
1. Oregon (-)
Oregon remains at the top, but that could change this week. The Ducks have to go on the road to take on Penn State under the lights in a White Out. It is going to be a fantastic game, and it could shake up our Big Ten Power Rankings.
2. Ohio State (-)
The Buckeyes also have a big test on the road this weekend as they will travel across the country to take on Washington. We could very well see Ohio State in the top spot next week.
3. Penn State (-)
Penn State also has a chance to take the top spot next week. If the Nittany Lions take down Oregon and the Buckeyes don't look that impressive against Washington, then Penn State will jump into that No. 1 ranking. It's going to be a fun weekend of football for these top three teams.
4. Indiana (+1)
The most surprising result of the weekend was Indiana's dominant win over Illinois. Not because people were doubting the Hoosiers, but because they beat a top 10 team by 53 points. That is ridiculous. This Indiana team is better than last year, and we will likely see Curt Cignetti's squad in the College Football Playoff once again.
5. Michigan (+2)
After losing to Oklahoma, Michigan picked up a lot of doubters, and rightfully so. The Wolverines didn't look good on the line of scrimmage, but that was not the case against Nebraska. Memorial Stadium isn't an easy place to play, and the recipe was perfect for Nebraska to end its horrid streak against ranked teams. Michigan dominated the line of scrimmage, running for nearly 300 yards and picking up seven sacks. The Wolverines won 30-27, but a late touchdown from Nebraska and a Hail Mary at the end of the first half made the game look closer than it was.
6. USC (-)
USC stayed undefeated with a 45-31 win against Michigan State. The Trojans seem to have a strong offense, but the defense is a bit of a concern. They have a big one this week on the road against Illinois, and they are also hosting Michigan in a couple of weeks.
7. Washington (+2)
A lot of people are sleeping on Washington, but this is a very good football team that can make some noise in the Big Ten. The Huskies are off to a dominant start, and they have Ohio State coming to town this week. No one is talking about Washington, but that might change this weekend.
8. Nebraska (-)
Heading into the weekend, a lot of people thought that Nebraska was going to pick up its first win over a ranked team since 2016. Unfortunately, the Cornhuskers simply couldn't handle Michigan's run game. Still, this is a solid squad with an outstanding quarterback in Dylan Raiola, and the schedule shapes up nicely. The Cornhuskers need to get better at the line of scrimmage, and if they do, they can still have a great year.
9. Illinois (-5)
Illinois was off to a strong start before playing Indiana, but the Hoosiers made the Fighting Illini look like an FCS team. Not a good look for Bret Bielema and his squad. This weekend against USC, we will find out if it was a fluke or if Illinois is really that bad.
10. Iowa (-)
Iowa's offense looked better than it has in a long time on Friday night against Rutgers. The Hawkeyes' defense, however, didn't look great. Still, they found a way to get a win on the road.
11. Michigan State (-)
The Spartans have shown some promising flashes offensively, but they have major issues defensively and on both lines. It all starts there. If Michigan State can clean up the line play, this can be a solid team.
12. Maryland (-)
Maryland was a big underdog going on the road to play Wisconsin, but the Terrapins ended up destroying the Badgers in Madison. We'll see how things go against some tougher Big Ten teams, but Maryland looks good.
13. Minnesota (-)
Minnesota remains at No. 13 in our Big Ten Power Rankings after a bye week. The Golden Gophers host Rutgers this weekend to begin conference play.
14. Rutgers (-)
Rutgers put up a good fight at home against Iowa, but the Scarlet Knights came up a little bit short. Still, we have seen some encouraging things out of this squad so far this season.
15. Purdue (+1)
Purdue put up 30 points against Notre Dame on the road, but the defense gave up a lot more. The Boilermakers are better than expected, but they aren't great.
16. Northwestern (+1)
Northwestern was on a bye last week, and the team will return to action on Saturday against UCLA. A great opportunity for the Wildcats to get a win in Big Ten play.
17. Wisconsin (-2)
The start of this season has been an absolute disaster for Luke Fickell and Wisconsin. The Badgers just got smoked at home by Maryland, and that was the easiest game remaining on the schedule. It would be shocking if Fickell is still coaching this team next season.
18. UCLA (-)
UCLA is at the bottom of our Week 5 Big Ten Power Rankings. The Bruins are winless on the season, and this week against Northwestern is one of their best chances to pick up a win.
