Big Ten Rankings: Illinois and Nebraska Inching Up, Michigan Cementing No. 1

The Big Ten returned to league play Friday – and it arrived with a bang. In Lincoln, Nebraska, there was a top-15 showdown that pitted an undefeated Cornhuskers club against the mighty Tom Izzo and Michigan State. Meanwhile, another top-25 battle took place in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where the No. 2 Wolverines battled No. 24 USC.

Both results were a bit of a shock – albeit for different reasons. With such a chaotic night of conference action, it felt as though we were due for an update in the Big Ten power rankings. So without further ado:

Big Ten Power Rankings: The top five

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo reacts to a play against Oakland during the second half at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

No. 5: Michigan State (12-2, 2-1 Big Ten)

This may seem a steep drop for the Spartans after a two-point road loss to an undefeated Nebraska team – but it’s not an overreaction. Michigan State's past six outings have been as thoroughly discouraging as a 4-2 stretch can be. The two losses, to be honest, may have been MSU's best showings in those contests, as it struggled mightily against a lowly Penn State club (eventually winning 76-72) before duking it out with Oakland (79-70 victory) and yielding 97 points to Cornell.

Jeremy Fears Jr. is a gifted floor general, but the Spartans don’t have enough overall firepower or scoring options to reach the pinnacle of the conference. Then again, that was the general consensus last year, and Izzo and Co. proved us wrong. Still, it’s hard to imagine that this Spartans team fighting for a Big Ten title with its current pieces alone.

No. 4: Illinois (10-3, 1-1 Big Ten)

As the season wears on, the Illini continue to steadily improve. Although that’s theoretically the usual process in sports, it hasn’t always held true for Illinois. But after the setback against Nebraska, the Illini flipped the page, thrashing Missouri 91-48 before turning around and obliterating Southern 90-55.

We have known for some time that Illinois can score. But recently the Illini have also proved they can defend. If Brad Underwood's club can achieve consistency on both ends of the floor – which, admittedly, remains to be seen – it can challenge Michigan and Purdue for the Big Ten throne.

No. 3: Nebraska (14-0, 3-0 Big Ten)

Fun fact: Nebraska has never won an NCAA Tournament game. So here's our not-so-hot take: Nebraska will win an NCAA Tournament game in 2026. This Cornhuskers team is loaded with long-range snipers and chock full of gritty, defensive-minded stoppers.

Although there isn’t a game-altering presence among them (Rienk Mast and Pryce Sandfort both at least make compelling cases as scorers), the connectedness of the overall unit is second to none. Fred Hoiberg, who just led his team to a 58-56 win over Michigan State, is in the midst of a masterclass coaching performance, and as passionate hoops appreciators, all we can do is sit back and enjoy.

No. 2: Purdue (12-1, 2-0 Big Ten)

Wipe away Purdue’s loss to Iowa State, and the Boilermakers have lived up to their sky-high preseason hype in every facet imaginable. Unfortunately, that’s not how things work. Purdue did in fact lose by 23 points at home – albeit against an excellent Cyclones team – and that can’t simply be overlooked.

Still, the Boilermakers have knocked off multiple top-25 foes by 28 or more points (Texas Tech and Auburn) and have been superb in early Big Ten play. A test at Wisconsin awaits Purdue on Saturday night, but the Boilermakers appear ready to meet the moment behind star lead guard Braden Smith and a dominant frontcourt combo of Trey Kaufman-Renn and Oscar Cluff.

No. 1: Michigan (13-0, 3-0 Big Ten)

Here's why Michigan may actually be invincible: The Wolverines shot a measly 6-for-30 (20.0 percent) from long range against a top-25 opponent – a usually insurmountable poor shooting performance – and won the game by 30 points against the 24th-ranked Trojans. (No, your eyes are not deceiving you.)

This Michigan club, which very likely boasts more talent than any other group in the country, isn’t just built on the shoulders of gifted players – it is held up by high-IQ, well-coached and extremely disciplined players. There isn’t a better combination of talent and chemistry on both ends than what these Wolverines have – and it’s not close.

Purdue and Illinois, each of which has the highest respective ceilings in the conference (aside from Michigan), may fall short of even competing with the Wolverines. It hasn't happened since the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers won it all, but the possibility of an undefeated season can't be ruled out for Big Blue.