Big Ten Power Rankings Post Week 3: Ohio State Clings to #1, How Faer Does Wisconsin Drop?

In this late-night edition of The Big Ten Huddle, JR delivers his Week 4 power rankings following Week 3's action, noting minimal shake-ups overall but significant dings for underperformers. Ohio State stays #1 after a dominant second-half rally vs. Ohio (despite early red-zone woes), edging Oregon (#2) for their road demolition of Northwestern (34-0 lead before backups faltered). Penn State (#3) cruised past Villanova 52-6 but started slow; Illinois held steady with a gritty Duke win (despite Altmyer's uneven play and O-line struggles), while Tulane's upset dims its shine. USC (#5) edged Purdue 33-17 in a lightning-delayed thriller, praising Trojan DL Jamal Jarrett's pick-six but noting Maiava's TD-less passing; Purdue fought hard with Ryan Browne's speed but red-zone INTs hurt. Indiana (#6) throttled Indiana State, flashing RB Justice Ellison amid BB Jefferson's injury; Michigan (#7) unleashed QB Bryce Underwood in a CMU rout, though deep-ball issues linger. Nebraska (#8) demolished Houston Christian, swapping spots with fallen Minnesota (#11) after Gophers' shocking Cal loss (muffed punt, missed FG sealed it). Michigan State (#9) squeaked by Youngstown State amid injuries to Nick Marsh and others, boosted by Amari Kelly's punt-return TD. Iowa (#10) impressed vs. UMass (Granowski's dual-threat shine), passing Woody Hayes for most Big Ten wins under Ferentz. Rutgers (#12) rolled Norfolk State 60-10, improving pass rush and eyeing an Iowa upset. Washington (#13, bye) holds; Maryland (#14) crushed Towson 44-17. Purdue (#15) and Northwestern (#16) slipped after losses; UCLA (#18) got blown out by New Mexico, raising transfer portal red flags. JR debates Miami/Oregon for #1, mocks Notre Dame's winless top-20 ranking, and hypes Rutgers' potential jump. Tune in Sunday for deeper takeaways with Zach. Like/subscribe for weekly Big Ten breakdowns! #BigTenFootball #CollegeFootballRankings #PowerRankings More from JR: Personal Twitter: https://x.com/jrs_rankings Big Ten Twitter: https://x.com/TheBigTenHuddle Read JR's Ohio State coverage: https://scarletandgame.com/author/jrhoades1 Read JR's Illinois coverage: https://writingillini.com/author/jrhoades1 SPONSORS Bleav - https://bleav.com/ Homefield - https://www.homefieldapparel.com/?rfsn=7872586.e3e1d25 | Coupon Code: TBTH Catch The Big Ten Huddle Football Episodes 3 times a week. Here is when to catch our live or premiere episodes that are about an hour long (eastern time): Sunday at 9 PM w/ Zack Tuesday at 9 PM w/ Zack Thursday at 9 PM w/ Jeff You can also expect videos by JR throughout the week covering news and interesting topics. *All times are Eastern time AUDIO ONLY PLATFORMS The Big Ten Huddle is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon. LISTEN: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/TheBigTenHuddle LEAVE a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-college-huddle-podcast/id1703305789 STREAM on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4tMaraKvafFzjUrXGq2c4w The Big Ten Huddle is a podcast dedicated to providing honest, humorous, and insightful analysis of Big Ten football and basketball. With a focus on challenging the national bias, especially against the SEC, hosts JR and Zack offer unfiltered discussions that engage fans of all Big Ten teams. Though critical at times, they always aim to defend the conference and give credit where it’s due, bringing humor and deep analysis together for a unique listening experience. Rooted in values of integrity, passion, and community, The Big Ten Huddle strives to become the go-to voice for Big Ten sports fans. There is no show out there like The Big Ten Huddle! 🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5102755454124032 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.