Big Ten power rankings for Week 3: Ugly Saturday illuminates competitive concerns as SEC thrives and CFP expansion looms

---

Saturday began with yet another Big Ten flex when unranked and reeling Michigan toppled No. 11 Oklahoma to secure an important head-to-head victory over the SEC. It was the perfect start to a narrative-defining day of intersectional play.

Turns out, the conference peaked early.

Illinois lost at home to Duke.

Purdue lost at home to Wake Forest.

Minnesota was obliterated at home by Mississippi State.

Oregon was embarrassed by Oklahoma State one week after the Cowboys lost to Tulsa.

And, of course, Ohio State blew a 20-point fourth-quarter lead at Texas in the most anticipated non-conference game of the year.

All in all, it was a brutal day for the Big Ten — two brutal days, actually: Rutgers lost to Boston College on Friday night — that likely will linger throughout the regular season.

If you’re scoring at home, or in the College Football Playoff boardroom, the Big Ten is 3-7 against the ACC, Big 12 and SEC.

Meanwhile, the SEC is 8-2 against the ACC, Big 12 and Big Ten.

So much for all those Big Ten claims about quality depth.

The conference has won the past three national championships and, at the very top, is equal to or stronger than the SEC.

But there is no such equivalence on the middle and bottom tiers.

Not when you are 0-3 against the ACC in a 24-hour span.

Not when Minnesota is embarrassed by the team picked to finish 15th in the SEC (Mississippi State).

Not when Rutgers is setting new standards for ineptitude.

The evidence is clear: The Big Ten has more fat than meat up and down the standings.

The SEC? More meat, less fat.

And it matters, folks, because as early as next fall, the College Football Playoff could double in size to 24 teams. One bid will be reserved for the top-ranked team in the Group of Six. The other 23 will be assigned by the committee to at-large teams with no cap (none, zero, zip) on the number of participants from a given conference.

You see where this is heading? So, too, does Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti, the author of the 24-team playoff model.

The SEC’s depth — the strength of its midsection compared to that of the Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 — could confer a massive advantage in the selection process.

If the competitive imbalance holds, it’s easy to envision a scenario in which the SEC sends eight or nine teams to the engorged CFP while the Big Ten only sends five or six.

This dynamic isn’t new. The sprawling Big Ten possessed more fat than meat last year, too. Look no further than the number of blowouts, or the modest TV ratings for games that didn’t involve Ohio State.

The cause? That’s easy to identify: cultural imperative.

More schools in the SEC than the Big Ten are willing to devote the resources needed to thrive on the field.

It’s not a case of Ohio State’s resource commitment relative to Georgia’s.

It’s Tennessee’s commitment relative to Washington’s and Auburn’s commitment compared to Minnesota’s and Mississippi State’s commitment relative to Maryland’s.

And in our view, that state of affairs was partly responsible for Petitti’s plan for a private capital infusion last year.

The proposal included up-front payments of more than $100 million for every school — cash that could have been plowed into football operations and roster construction from Seattle to West Lafayette and Champaign to College Park.

The influx, which would have instantly bolstered the Big Ten’s middle and bottom tiers, fizzled when Michigan and USC (wisely) said no.

In theory, the access available to a 24-team playoff will incentivize the non-blue bloods to spend what’s required and enhance the Big Ten’s depth. But that process could take time.

For now, the scoreboard leaves zero doubt. The Big Ten remains top-heavy and middle-light.

If the CFP expands next season, that could be a major issue.

To the power rankings …

(All times Pacific)

1. Ohio State (1-1)

Result: lost at Texas 24-23
Next up: vs. Kent State (9 a.m. on Fox)
Comment: A one-point loss on the road to a top-five team is not reason enough to remove the Buckeyes from the top spot, especially when their top competition does everything possible to play creampuffs instead of heavyweights. (Last week: 1)

2. Indiana (2-0)

Result: beat Howard 55-0
Next up: vs. Western Kentucky (1 p.m. on Peacock)
Comment: Neither Little Sisters of the Poor nor Big Brothers of the Wretched had an opening on their schedules, it appears. (Last week: 2)

3. USC (3-0)

Result: beat Louisiana 49-30
Next up: at Rutgers (12:30 p.m. on CBS)
Comment: Oregon’s face plant at Oklahoma State ramped up the pressure on Lincoln Riley to (finally) beat the Ducks in two weeks. If not now, when? (Last week: 3)

4. Michigan (2-0)

Result: beat Oklahoma 17-10
Next up: vs. UTEP (12:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network)
Comment: An important victory for the Wolverines in their pursuit of a College Football Playoff berth. Notably, they accomplished the task in 60 minutes … and not one second more. (Last week: 8)

5. Oregon (1-1)

Result: lost at Oklahoma State 39-31
Next up: vs. Portland State (Friday at 7:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network)
Comment: An important season for Dan Lanning’s future in Eugene has gotten off to a start so bad the script might as well have been written in Seattle. (Last week: 4)

6. Iowa (2-0)

Result: beat Iowa State 16-13
Next up: vs. Northern Iowa (1 p.m. on FS1)
Comment: Good chance the Hawkeyes are 3-3 at the midseason turn — starting next week, they play Michigan, Ohio State and Washington in succession — which means the back half will define their success. Or failure. (Last week: 5)

7. UCLA (2-0)

Result: beat San Diego State 28-10
Next up: vs. Purdue (8 p.m. on Big Ten Network)
Comment: For the record, the Hotline doesn’t have a problem with polos and khakis. At times, that’s perfectly acceptable attire. (Last week: 6)

8. Washington (2-0)

Result: beat Utah State 16-14
Next up: vs. Eastern Washington (4:15 p.m. on Big Ten Network)
Comment: Jedd Fisch better get the offense fixed before the trip to USC in a few weeks, or it could get ugly in the Coliseum. Also, we have no idea if UW’s defense is any good. Washington State and Utah State can’t score against anyone. (Last week: 7)

9. Penn State (2-0)

Result: beat Temple 27-9
Next up: vs. Buffalo (9 a.m. on Big Ten Network)
Comment: Can we take a minute to note just how horrific the Big Ten’s collective schedule is this week? Seriously, the schools should be embarrassed, except most of them have no shame in the scheduling department. (Last week: 9)

10. Wisconsin (1-1)

Result: beat Western Illinois 36-9
Next up: vs. Eastern Michigan (9:30 a.m. on Peacock)
Comment: Too bad the Badgers opened the season against Notre Dame and not Northern Iowa, or they could have played a directional school triple-header for the ages. (Last week: 11)

11. Nebraska (2-0)

Result: beat Bowling Green 56-7
Next up: vs. North Dakota (4:15 p.m. on Big Ten Network)
Comment: Did we mention the schools should be embarrassed by the Week 3 schedule? Thought so. (Last week: 12)

12. Minnesota (1-1)

Result: lost to Mississippi State 38-13
Next up: vs. Akron (9 a.m. on Big Ten Network)
Comment: We have reached the point in the power rankings of interchangeable mediocrity — and that’s putting it kindly. Not a good sign when there are six teams remaining. (Last week: 10)

13. Illinois (1-1)

Result: lost to Duke 31-27
Next up: vs. Southern Illinois (11 a.m. on Peacock)
Comment: It has become increasingly clear that the Illini peaked in the spring of 2025, when everyone thought they could be the next Indiana. (Last week: 13)

14. Maryland (2-0)

Result: won at Connecticut 38-14
Next up: vs. Virginia Tech (4:30 p.m. on FS1)
Comment: If the Terps win this week, we might consider the possibility that this season will be different (i.e., successful). And if they also win next week (UCLA), then rev up the bandwagon. (Last week: 14)

15. Michigan State (2-0)

Result: beat Eastern Michigan 35-7
Next up: at Notre Dame (4:30 p.m. on NBC)
Comment: On the 60th anniversary of their 10-10 tie — it’s one of the most famous games in college football history — the Irish and Spartans are not equals in any way, shape or form. (Last week: 17)

16. Northwestern (1-0)

Result: did not play
Next up: vs. Colorado (4:30 p.m. on Fox)
Comment: It’s never too early to discuss bowl math. If the Wildcats lose Saturday, division becomes trigonometry. (Last week: 15)

17. Purdue (1-1)

Result: lost to Wake Forest 38-36 (OT)
Next up: at UCLA (8 p.m. on Big Ten Network)
Comment: Better does not mean good. It doesn’t mean mediocre. It just means not awful. (Last week: 16)

18. Rutgers (0-2)

Result: lost at Boston College 28-21
Next up: vs. USC (12:30 p.m. on CBS)
Comment: The Hotline is reconsidering our long-held position that the Big Ten would never expel any members. (Last week: 18)

---

*** Send suggestions, comments and tips (confidentiality guaranteed) to wilnerhotline@bayareanewsgroup.com or call 408-920-5716

*** Follow me on the social media platform X: @WilnerHotline