Big Ten Football Power Rankings for Week 2 After Controversial Michigan Win

One weekend of college football settled very little in the power rankings at the top of the Big Ten. It reordered plenty in the middle. Ohio State and Indiana both won by more than 30 points. Oregon needed a fourth-quarter rally to hold off Boise State.

Michigan held everyone's attention, but not for the best reasons. Rutgers and Wisconsin were the only two Big Ten teams that lost in Week 1. Both losses landed in spots that already looked shaky.

Here is how all 18 Big Ten teams stack up entering Week 2.

18. Rutgers (Previous rank: 17)

Rutgers wide receiver KJ Duff (8) scores on a touchdown reception during the fourth quarter against the Massachusetts Minutemen. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week: L UMass, 21-37
Next: at Boston College, Friday, Sept. 11, 7:30 p.m. ET

A loss to UMass confirms Rutgers' spot at the back of these rankings. Dylan Lonergan's quarterback debut didn't produce enough offense to overcome a shaky defense. Wide receiver KJ Duff and running back Antwan Raymond remain proven players on offense. Boston College is off to a 0-1 start of its own under new coach Bill O'Brien after a 34-15 loss to Cincinnati, giving Schiano a shot at trading one bad result for another.

17. Purdue (Prev: 18)

Last week: W Indiana State, 44-19
Next: vs. Wake Forest, Saturday, Sept. 12, 12:00 p.m. ET

Purdue's offense looked the part in a season-opening win over Indiana State, with Ryan Browne directing a complete performance under center. The secondary remains the bigger question after last season's struggles, and defensive back additions Mister Clark, Jaden Mangham and Smiley Bradford need to show up quickly. Wake Forest enters 1-0 after routing Akron behind second-year coach Jake Dickert, a step up in competition for that secondary right away.

16. Maryland (Prev: 15)

Maryland Terrapins quarterback Malik Washington (7) passes in the first half against the Hampton Pirates. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week: W Hampton, 62-0
Next: at UConn, Saturday, Sept. 12, 3:30 p.m. ET

A 62-0 win over Hampton tells Maryland little beyond staying healthy. Sophomore quarterback Malik Washington, the program's freshman passing record holder, ran the offense without incident, and Wyoming transfer Chris Durr Jr. gives him a proven target at receiver. UConn opened with a 56-7 win of its own, powered by dual-threat quarterback Kalieb Osborne's five total touchdowns, giving Maryland a much stiffer test on the road.

15. Michigan State (Prev: 16)

Last week: W Toledo, 30-20
Next: vs. Eastern Michigan, Saturday, Sept. 12, 3:30 p.m. ET

Michigan State opened Pat Fitzgerald's tenure with a win over a Toledo team the coach himself called a hard matchup. Alessio Milivojevic gave the offense the continuity it needed at quarterback in a new system. Eastern Michigan enters off a 27-21 loss to San Jose State as a home favorite, a sign the Spartans should be favored again in Week 2.

14. Northwestern (Prev: 14)

Last week: W South Dakota State, 34-18
Next: Bye week

Northwestern's win over a South Dakota State team ranked second in the FCS was a solid start for Chip Kelly's first offense in Evanston. Aidan Chiles ran the show at quarterback after winning a competition that lasted into fall camp. The Wildcats used the week off to prepare for a Colorado team that opened with a 14-13 escape over Georgia Tech.

13. Nebraska (Prev: 10)

Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Jamal Rule (25) runs against the Ohio Bobcats. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week: W Ohio, 49-21
Next: vs. Bowling Green, Saturday, Sept. 12, 7:00 p.m. ET

Nebraska trailed Ohio 13-7 in the first half before Anthony Colandrea and a freshman running back took over. Jamal Rule scored three touchdowns in his debut, becoming the first Nebraska freshman running back to top 100 rushing yards in an opener since 2004. Bowling Green is walking in off an upset loss to FCS Tarleton State, a sign this should be a lopsided get-well game for Nebraska's offense.

12. Wisconsin (Prev: 11)

Last week: L Notre Dame, 41-13
Next: vs. Western Illinois, Saturday, Sept. 12, 7:15 p.m. ET

Wisconsin's loss to Notre Dame at Lambeau Field came against one of the best teams in the country, and Colton Joseph still finished his Badgers debut 19 of 30 for 217 yards. Linebacker Mason Posa set a career high with 15 tackles despite the result. Western Illinois, an FCS program that lost to Illinois and Northwestern by a combined 84 points a year ago, gives the Badgers a needed chance to find rhythm.

11. Minnesota (Prev: 13)

Last week: W Eastern Illinois, 59-7
Next: vs. Mississippi State, Saturday, Sept. 12, 3:30 p.m. ET

A 59-7 win doesn't answer every question about Minnesota's offense, which ranked near the bottom of the country in explosive plays a season ago. Drake Lindsey enters his second year as the starter with more experience around him. Mississippi State steamrolled Louisiana-Monroe 62-13 in its opener, a far different level of competition for a Gophers defense that's about to be tested.

10. UCLA (Prev: 12)

UCLA Bruins head coach Bob Chesney during the first quarter against the California Golden Bears. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week: W California, 45-24
Next: vs. San Diego State, Saturday, Sept. 12, 7:15 p.m. ET

UCLA's 45-24 win at California is the kind of result Bob Chesney needed in his first game as head coach. Nico Iamaleava ran an offense built around more than 40 transfers from Chesney's James Madison roster. San Diego State, now playing as a Pac-12 member, opened with a 53-20 win over Portland State under third-year coach Sean Lewis.

9. Illinois (Prev: 9)

Last week: W UAB, 42-23
Next: vs. Duke, Saturday, Sept. 12, 3:30 p.m. ET

Illinois held serve against UAB behind Katin Houser, who took over an offense that lost three-year starter Luke Altmyer and most of its offensive line. The final score matched what a team replacing that much experience should look like this early. Duke, the defending ACC champion, opened with a 17-3 win over Tulane, making this Illinois' first real test of the season.

8. Michigan (Prev: 6)

Last week: W Western Michigan, 13-12
Next: vs. Oklahoma, Saturday, Sept. 12, 12:00 p.m. ET

Michigan needed a replayed final second and a walk-off touchdown catch by JJ Buchanan to escape Western Michigan by one point. Bryce Underwood struggled for most of the night before delivering the winning throw. Oklahoma arrives ranked in the top 10 under Brent Venables after an easy win over UTEP, a considerably tougher opponent than the one that nearly beat Michigan in Week 1.

7. Penn State (Prev: 5)

Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht looks to pass during a college football game against Marshall at Beaver Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Last week: W Marshall, 45-0
Next: at Temple, Saturday, Sept. 12, 12:00 p.m. ET

Matt Campbell's debut in Happy Valley produced a shutout, with Rocco Becht throwing a career-high four touchdown passes. Koby Howard caught six passes for 161 yards, already more than his total from all of last season. Temple already has a notable win of its own, beating a Rhode Island team ranked in the FCS top 10, giving Penn State a road trip that carries more danger than the name suggests.

6. Iowa (Prev: 7)

Last week: W Northern Illinois, 40-0
Next: vs. Iowa State, Saturday, Sept. 12, 7:30 p.m. ET

Iowa's defense held Northern Illinois to 113 total yards. At the same time, Jeremy Hecklinski made his first start at quarterback after winning the job in fall camp. Running back Kamari Moulton carried 183 yards and scored twice. The Cy-Hawk rivalry game against Iowa State asks a much bigger question of what this offense can do against a quality defense.

5. Washington (Prev: 8)

Last week: W Washington State, 24-10
Next: vs. Utah State, Saturday, Sept. 12, 3:30 p.m. ET

Washington's defense didn't allow a point until the fourth quarter of the Apple Cup win over Washington State. Demond Williams Jr. led two scoring drives in the final period to put the game away, an encouraging sign for a receiver room that was the biggest question mark entering the season. Utah State enters off a 29-17 loss to FCS Idaho State, its second season in the Pac-12 starting rough under coach Bronco Mendenhall.

4. USC (Prev: 4)

Southern California Trojans wide receiver Trent Mosley (4) scores a touchdown against the Fresno State Bulldogs. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week: W Fresno State, 39-0
Next: vs. Louisiana, Saturday, Sept. 12, 11:00 p.m. ET

USC is 2-0 after a 39-0 win over Fresno State, and the story wasn't Jayden Maiava's 349 passing yards. It was a defense under new coordinator Gary Patterson that held Fresno State to 116 total yards. Freshman receiver Trent Mosley caught two touchdown passes, giving Lincoln Riley another weapon in an offense that returns more starters than anyone in the country. Louisiana opened with a 38-7 win over a ranked FCS opponent in Lamar, a solid start before it heads to the Coliseum.

3. Oregon (Prev: 2)

Last week: W Boise State, 34-27
Next: at Oklahoma State, Saturday, Sept. 12, 12:00 p.m. ET

Oregon trailed Boise State by 10 points in the first half before Dante Moore threw the go-ahead touchdown late in the second quarter. Moore's 62-yard touchdown pass to Dakorien Moore in the fourth quarter put the game away. The margin was closer than expected for a team many picked to reach the Playoff. Oklahoma State, already 0-1 after a 24-10 loss to Tulsa under first-year coach Eric Morris, gives Oregon a chance to clean up the mistakes from the Boise State game.

2. Indiana (Prev: 3)

Last week: W North Texas, 52-16
Next: vs. Howard, Saturday, Sept. 12, 12:00 p.m. ET

Indiana's title defense opened with a 52-16 win despite getting outgained by North Texas. Josh Hoover threw four touchdown passes in his Indiana debut, connecting with transfer receiver Nick Marsh for the first score of the season. Curt Cignetti's team scored on seven of its eight possessions. Howard opened its season with a 31-24 win over Alabama A&M behind quarterback Ja'Shawn Scroggins' three touchdown passes, a solid start for a program making its first trip to Bloomington.

1. Ohio State (Prev: 1)

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Brandon Inniss, quarterback Julian Sayin — Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Brandon Inniss (0) celebrates a touchdown by Julian Sayin during the college football game against the Ball State Cardinals. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Last week: W Ball State, 56-3
Next: at Texas, Saturday, Sept. 12, 7:30 p.m. ET

Ohio State's 56-3 win over Ball State was as complete as a season opener gets. Julian Sayin threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns, and Jeremiah Smith caught eight passes for 151 yards and two scores. The Buckeyes outgained Ball State 671 yards to 165. Texas enters off a 59-7 win over Texas State in which Arch Manning threw four touchdown passes, setting up a rematch of last year's season opener that will do more to define where Ohio State really stands than a blowout over Ball State did.

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