Week 1 of action is in the books, and every Big Ten football team was in action for the first time this season. We got to see some elite matchups, like Ohio State vs. Texas, but most importantly, the second season under Jonathan Smith at Michigan State officially got underway.
The Spartans cruised to a 23-6 win over Western Michigan in a game that should have been far more lopsided, but I digress.
Where does that place the Spartans in the first Big Ten power rankings of 2025?
18. Northwestern (0-1)
Last week: L 23-3 at Tulane
Last rank: N/A
This was an easy choice. Northwestern barely had a pulse against Tulane, and it looks like it may be a long season for that offense.
17. UCLA (0-1)
Last week: L 43-10 vs. Utah
Last rank: N/A
Honestly, flip a coin to see who deserves to be last in the first power rankings between Northwestern and UCLA. I went with the Wildcats being last because they scored just three points against Tulane, but this showing by UCLA was horrendous. It may be a long year for Nico Iamaleava and Co.
16. Rutgers (1-0)
Last week: W 34-31 vs. Ohio
Last rank: N/A
Greg Schiano and the Scarlet Knights had a chance to get off to a strong start in 2025 after making a bowl game a season ago, and they nearly fell flat on their faces. A field goal with 11 minutes to go in the fourth quarter was the difference here, and that's just not good enough.
15. Purdue (1-0)
Last week: W 31-0 vs. Ball State
Last rank: N/A
I was pleasantly surprised with Purdue, which is why I moved it up from No. 18 (I expected it to be the worst team in the conference) to No. 15 after one week. Purdue dominated Ball State 31-0, but we won't really know much about how improved the Boilermakers are until Week 3 against USC.
14. Minnesota (1-0)
Last week: W 23-10 vs. Buffalo
Last rank: N/A
Minnesota moved the ball with relative ease, but the final score didn't reflect that. Minnesota had over 400 yards of total offense, but it scored just two touchdowns. The Gophers need to learn how to finish drives, or they might be in trouble when it comes time to make a bowl game.
13. Wisconsin (1-0)
Last week: W 17-0 vs. Miami (OH)
Last rank: N/A
There's a legit concern in Madison that Luke Fickell is not the guy, especially after limping to a 17-0 win over Miami (OH) to start the season. It was just a lackluster showing. The quarterback situation may be a mess, but at least the defense is good, right? Little victories.
12. Maryland (1-0)
Last week: W 39-7 vs. FAU
Last rank: N/A
Maryland picked FAU off six times, but the offense was relatively held in check against the Owls. Malik Washington looked really solid at quarterback, and the secondary was effective, but FAU looked really, really bad.
11. Washington (1-0)
Last week: W 38-21 vs. Colorado State
Last rank: N/A
Washington's offense went off for over 500 total yards, but it found itself in a more intense battle with Colorado State in the second half. It was too close for comfort, but Washington pulled away in the fourth quarter, and Demond Williams Jr. looks like the real deal.
10. Michigan State (1-0)
Last week: W 23-6 vs. Western Michigan
Last rank: N/A
Michigan State played really well for a half, but the second half kept the Spartans from being a spot or two higher in the first power rankings. Aidan Chiles was OK, but not great, and I think that was partially Brian Lindgren's fault. The defense looks like it might have something, though. We'll learn a lot more about the Spartans in Week 2 against Boston College.
9. Iowa (1-0)
Last week: W 34-7 vs. Albany
Last rank: N/A
Iowa fans lost their collective minds over a preseason highlight of South Dakota State transfer Mark Gronowski completing a pass at practice. All that to throw for 44 yards and a touchdown on 15 attempts. It may be another year without the forward pass in Iowa City, but it's a good thing they have a run game.
8. Indiana (1-0)
Last week: W 27-14 vs. Old Dominion
Last rank: N/A
The Fernando Mendoza era got off to a rocky start as the Cal quarterback transfer was just 18-for-31 with 193 yards and no touchdowns in a sleepy win over Old Dominion. A 27-14 win over a mediocre Group of Five opponent wasn't exactly the opener that Curt Cignetti was expecting after a playoff berth.
7. Michigan (1-0)
Last week: W 34-17 vs. New Mexico
Last rank: N/A
I will probably get some hate for this ranking because Michigan is one of a handful of ranked Big Ten teams, so are the Wolverines really No. 7 in the Big Ten? After a week of play, I think this is more than fair. Bryce Underwood looked like a future star, but the Wolverines' defense struggled a bit, and they were in a dogfight with New Mexico in the second half.
6. USC (1-0)
Last week: W 73-13 vs. Missouri State
Last rank: N/A
USC scored at least 14 points in every quarter against the newest team in the FBS, scoring 73 points against Missouri State in a 60-point win. This USC offense could cause some problems as it accounted for 597 total yards on Saturday.
5. Nebraska (1-0)
Last week: W 20-17 vs. Cincinnati
Last rank: N/A
Dylan Raiola passed for nearly 250 yards and two touchdowns in a winning effort over a Cincinnati team that surprised me a bit with a late comeback. The game was closer than it felt, but I think Nebraska still has some kinks to work out.
4. Illinois (1-0)
Last week: W 52-3 vs. Western Illinois
Last rank: N/A
Luke Altmyer picked up right where he left off a season ago, and now he looks like he's going to have plenty of weapons to rely on. Western Illinois didn't stand much of a chance.
3. Oregon (1-0)
Last week: W 59-13 vs. Montana State
Last rank: N/A
The Dante Moore era got off to a spectacular start as the former Michigan-based five-star quarterback had 213 yards and three touchdowns on 18-of-23 completions in a dominant win over FCS foe Montana State. This offense barely skipped a beat with Dillon Gabriel gone.
2. Penn State (1-0)
Last week: W 46-11 vs. Nevada
Last rank: N/A
Penn State got off to a bit of a sluggish start in the first half, but cruised to a 46-11 win over a bad Nevada team. Drew Allar looked solid, and the defense was dominant, like always.
1. Ohio State (1-0)
Last week: W 14-7 vs. No. 1 Texas
Last rank: N/A
All the talk after Ohio State's 14-7 win over No. 1 Texas was about how bad Arch Manning looked in his first big-time start, but it should've been how good the Buckeyes' defense looks. As a Lions fan, I never thought I'd praise a Matt Patricia-led defense again, but here we are. This is the best team in the Big Ten, and if the offense catches up, watch out.