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Big Ten Football Week 6 Power Rankings: Where Illinois Ranks

How the Illini, in the midst of their bye week, fit in among the 18 Big Ten teams
Steven Greenberg|
Illinois running back Kaden Feagin (3) runs near the sideline while carrying the ball in the first quarter of a Big Ten football game against Penn State, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in State College, Pa.
Illinois running back Kaden Feagin (3) runs near the sideline while carrying the ball in the first quarter of a Big Ten football game against Penn State, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in State College, Pa. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In this story:

Illinois Fighting IlliniPenn State Nittany LionsOhio State BuckeyesOregon DucksMichigan WolverinesUSC TrojansIndiana HoosiersRutgers Scarlet KnightsNebraska CornhuskersIowa HawkeyesWashington HuskiesMichigan State SpartansMaryland TerrapinsMinnesota Golden GophersWisconsin BadgersNorthwestern WildcatsUCLA BruinsPurdue Boilermakers

October is here, which means we know just enough about each of the Big Ten’s 18 teams – including Illinois, currently in its Week 6 bye – to be dangerous. On the other hand, enough of what we’ve seen to this point has been fluff that we’re still taking leaps of faith in creating a pecking order. Read it, dig it, get ticked off by it or whatever else you’ve got to do. (All game times Central.)

18. Purdue Boilermakers (1-3, 0-1)

Fear not, Zach Edey will be along in no time to save the … oh, wait, never mind.

Polls: N/A.

Next up: Saturday at Wisconsin (11 a.m., BTN).

17. UCLA Bruins (1-3, 0-2)

DeShaun Foster’s first team is even less of a show-stopper than his first Big Ten media days speech was.

Polls: N/A.

Next up: Saturday at Penn State (11 a.m., FOX).

16. Northwestern Wildcats (2-2, 0-1)

Just saying, scoring five points again probably isn’t the way to go.

Polls: N/A.

Next up: Saturday vs. Indiana (2:30 p.m., BTN).

15. Wisconsin Badgers (4-0, 1-0)

There’s a new F-word in Madtown – “Fickell.” Oh, look, there goes another incompletion.

Polls: N/A.

Next up: Saturday vs. Purdue (11 a.m., BTN).

14. Minnesota Golden Gophers (2-3, 0-2)

P.J. Fleck missed his chance to move up in the coaching world. Now, he’s just trying to hold on to whatever he can.

Polls: N/A.

Next up: Saturday vs. USC (6:30 p.m., BTN).

13. Maryland Terrapins (3-2, 0-2)

The Terps had a 2-0 league start in their plans for months. Narrator: They didn’t start 2-0.

Polls: N/A.

Next up: Oct. 11 vs. Northwestern.

12. Michigan State Spartans (3-2, 1-1)

Look, let’s just pretend that little Ohio State thing never happened.

Polls: N/A.

Next up: Friday at Oregon (8 p.m., FOX).

11. Washington Huskies (3-2, 1-1)

It’s almost like having a drastically turned-over roster and coaching staff makes things harder.

Polls: N/A.

Next up: Saturday vs. Michigan (6:30 p.m., NBC).

10. Iowa Hawkeyes (3-1, 1-0)

The ranking still suffers from the maddeningly conservative play-calling that backfired in Week 2 against Iowa State. Same old, same old.

Polls: No. 31 AP, No. 30 coaches.

Next up: Saturday at Ohio State (2:30 p.m., CBS).

9. Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-1, 1-1)

The pieces sure look like they’re there. Until the Huskers actually beat a Top 25 opponent, though, forget about it.

Polls: No. 29 AP, No. 36 coaches.

Next up: Saturday vs. Rutgers (3 p.m., FS1).

8. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-0, 1-0)

We can hear the scarlet-clad folks now, demanding an explanation. One word, people, and it rhymes with “Hutgers.”

Polls: No. 36 AP, No. 29 coaches.

Next up: Saturday at Nebraska (3 p.m., FS1).

7. Illinois Fighting Illini (4-1, 1-1)

The loss at Penn State was humbling. Or, if you’re quarterback Luke Altmyer, flattening.

Polls: No. 24 AP, No. 25 coaches.

Next up: Oct. 12 vs. Purdue.

6. Indiana Hoosiers (5-0, 2-0)

Curt Cignetti’s go-go Hoosiers can’t stop scoring touchdowns. What do they think this is, a football school?

Polls: No. 23 AP, No. 24 coaches.

Next up: Saturday at Northwestern (2:30 p.m., BTN).

5. USC Trojans (3-1, 1-1)

Dangerous game coming up. Don’t think so, Trojans fans? Buckle up and see for yourselves.

Polls: No. 11 AP, No. 15 coaches.

Next up: Saturday at Minnesota (6:30 p.m., BTN).

4. Michigan Wolverines (4-1, 2-0)

The Wolverines haven’t thrown the ball this ineptly since the ’90s. The 1890s, just to clarify.

Polls: No. 10 AP, No. 10 coaches.

Next up: Saturday at Washington (6:30 p.m., NBC).

3. Oregon Ducks (4-0, 1-0)

Maybe this is the week the Ducks offense takes flight for real. It has to happen eventually, doesn’t it?

Polls: No. 6 AP, No. 6 coaches.

Next up: Friday vs. Michigan State (8 p.m., FOX).

2. Penn State Nittany Lions (4-0, 1-0)

When you can run the ball and get after the passer like the Nittany Lions can, you get to claim the No. 2 spot.

Polls: No. 7 AP, No. 7 coaches.

Next up: Saturday vs. UCLA (11 a.m., FOX).

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0, 1-0)

Best offense in the conference. Best defense in the conference. Best players in the conference. Other than that, a total mess.

Polls: No. 2 AP, No. 3 coaches.

Next up: Saturday vs. Iowa (2:30 p.m., CBS).

Published
Steven Greenberg
STEVEN GREENBERG

Greenberg is a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, has written about college sports since the early 1990s. He covered University of Wisconsin football and basketball in the early 1990s before spending nearly 20 years as a magazine editor and writer. A former managing editor, features writer and college football columnist for The Sporting News, he has written for The New York Times, Rolling Stone and Bleacher Report and joined the Sun-Times in 2013.

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