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Topic: Big Ten 2026 Power Rankings Before Week 4

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ManHawk

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Big Ten 2026 Power Rankings Before Week 4
« on: Today at 07:59:40 AM »
Well, I am beginning to think most MAC teams, and most G6 teams, and most FCS teams, and Colorado are not very good.  Of course there are exceptions.  Western Michigan might be a pretty good MAC team.

Anyway,  my weekly power rankings are in a post below.  What does everybody else think?
« Last Edit: Today at 08:46:14 AM by ManHawk »
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Temp430

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Re: Big Ten 2026 Power Rankings Before Week 4
« Reply #1 on: Today at 08:14:45 AM »
1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Oregon
4. USC
5. Penn State
6. Iowa
7. Washington
8. Michigan
9. Nebraska
10. UCLA
11. Maryland
12. Wisconsin
13. Illinois
14. Northwestern
15. Michigan State
16. Minnesota
17. Purdue
18. Rutgers
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ManHawk

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Re: Big Ten 2026 Power Rankings Before Week 4
« Reply #2 on: Today at 08:44:57 AM »
1..  Indiana-  blew out WKU.  Next up Ind hosts a much improved NW team

2.  Ohio St - blew out Kent St.  Next up Ohio St hosts ILL

3.  Penn St - Blew out Buffalo.  Next up Penn St hosts Wisc.

4.  Northwestern - blew out Colorado in last home game at its temporary stadium.  Next up NW plays at Ind.

5.  Michigan - blew out UTEP.  Mich finally finds some offense .  Next Mich hosts Iowa

6.  Iowa - blew out UNI.  Next Iowa plays at Mich

7.  USC - barely wins at Rutgers-  USC just never plays very well coming to the east .  Next up USC hosts Oregon

8.  UCLA -  at home outscored Purdue.  Next up UCLA plays at MD

9.  Oregon - What, you beat Portland St 84-0 and that's supposed to make us forget you lost to Okie St?  Next up Oregon plays at USC

10.  Illinois - beat SIU. Next up ILL plays at Ohio St

11.  Nebraska -beat North Dakota.  Next up Neb plays at Mich St

12.  Washington - beat EWU.  Wash just has not looked very good so far.  Next up Wash hosts Minn.

13.  Maryland - lost at home to VT.  Next up MD hosts UCLA

14.  Mich St - looked decent in loss against Notre Dame.  Next up Mich St hosts Neb.

15.  Purdue-  got outscored in loss at UCLA. Purdue might have a good offense this year but the defense not so good.  Next up Purdue hosts Notre Dame

16.  Wisconsin - blew out EMU.  Next up Wisc plays at Penn St.

17. Minnesota - blew out Akron.  Nice bounce back after bad loss to Miss St.  Next up Minn plays at Wash.

18.  Rutgers -  close loss at home to USC but Rutgers still loss to UMass earlier.  Next hosts Howard in what may be Rutgers only win of the year
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medinabuckeye1

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Re: Big Ten 2026 Power Rankings Before Week 4
« Reply #3 on: Today at 11:15:14 AM »
Quote from: ManHawk on Today at 08:44:57 AM
7.  USC - barely wins at Rutgers-  USC just never plays very well coming to the east .  Next up USC hosts Oregon

18.  Rutgers -  close loss at home to USC but Rutgers still loss to UMass earlier.  Next hosts Howard in what may be Rutgers only win of the year
Even though Rutgers didn't pull off the upset, that is the result I'm having the most trouble reconciling. Prior to yesterday Rutgers looked like hot garbage and USC looked like a contender. As usual with early season surprises there are three main possibilities:
  • Rutgers is much better than I thought, or
  • USC is much worse than I thought, or
  • The game was simply an outlier. 
TBH, at this point I think it could be any combination of the three.
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MrNubbz

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Re: Big Ten 2026 Power Rankings Before Week 4
« Reply #4 on: Today at 11:37:26 AM »
Quote from: ManHawk on Today at 08:44:57 AM
9.  Oregon - What, you beat Portland St 84-0 and that's supposed to make us forget you lost to Okie St?  Next up Oregon plays at USC
That was the 1st thought that crossed my mind and evidently in more than a few comment sections. Blasting some outmatched squad in a desperate attempt to gain some street cred.


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847badgerfan

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Re: Big Ten 2026 Power Rankings Before Week 4
« Reply #5 on: Today at 11:41:48 AM »
Power rankings should be based on how a team is preforming TODAY rather than 3 weeks ago.

Yes, Rutgers (they get their "S" back for now) lost to UMass but if they played again tomorrow, Rutgers wins.
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MrNubbz

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Re: Big Ten 2026 Power Rankings Before Week 4
« Reply #6 on: Today at 12:53:32 PM »
Agree with a lot of MH's points and selections. Not so fast 847 the whole season counts - it ebbs/flows always has and will not just because a team got streaky for a week or 2 against different opponents.Rutgers should have showed up,they didn't. Or barring a rash of injuries/suspensions. The Ducks have slid and rightfully so.

1) Indiana- stays here until they lose or turtle closely at home

2) Ohio St - best loss,on the road and have won heftily

3) Penn St - 3-0 winng convincingly

4) Michigan - beating OU helped but needed league assitance vs Western.

5) Iowa - impressive but 3-0 with the Cyclones the only one with a pulse. Beat M* and they'll be no. 4 or 3

6) USC - but no more mulligans, earn it,lose to the Ducks and it will open a bag of snakes

7) Washington -might be teetering even though 3-0

8) UCLA - rattled by the Boilers beat the Terps going cross country will bump you up

9) Nebraska - a meh 3-0 but haven't lost,playing a seemingly resurgent MSU program under Fitz

10) Northwestern - well 2-0 couldn't move them higher

11) Oregon - Dog walking Portland St 84-0 leads me to hope Lincoln has his team riled up

12) Illinois - sort of a tangled mess from here on down

13) Minnesota

14) Maryland - they've got the Bruins/'Skers/Buckeyes next

15) Mich St - Fitz has them pointed in the right direction IMHO

16)Wisconsin

17) Purdue - not likely to up end ND next saturday

18) Rutgers - They'll need more games like they just turned in and a lot more to crawl out of the bottom 10







« Last Edit: Today at 01:01:12 PM by MrNubbz »
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Mdot21

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Re: Big Ten 2026 Power Rankings Before Week 4
« Reply #7 on: Today at 01:14:00 PM »
just put Ohio State at #1, everything else is a complete guess at this point man. only thing I know....Ohio State #1.

Michigan is impossible team to read. One thing I will say about them....this is the most talented and deepest that I have seen their EDGE room look. Yes I know it's early, but the amount of DUDES they have is insane. And aside from the absolute STUD transfer John Henry Daley- most of them are rs Soph, true soph, rs fresh or true freshman. It's early but Nate Marshall, Benny Patterson, Tariq Boney, and Carter Meadows all flash. Can definitely see why Nate Marshall and Carter Meadows were 5*'s....absolute specimens. And Tariq Boney and Benny Patterson look freakishly strong/explosive with the bull rush. Oh yeah not to mention Cam Brandt is like a 5th year guy- very good solid college EDGE, JHD is an absolute unit, and RS Soph. Dom Nichols might be the best out of all of them. They have 7 legit EDGE rushers that can get after the QB. Their depth is insane. Not to mention they have great CB's. The defense will keep them in every game. Offense remains a cluster fuck....OL needs to get a fucking grip and get it together. Jordan Marshall looks like he's playing through something. Savion Hiter though....OH BOY when it all finally clicks for him watch the fuck out....he's gonna be a problem.
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Cincydawg

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Re: Big Ten 2026 Power Rankings Before Week 4
« Reply #8 on: Today at 01:49:59 PM »
Looks to me like Indy and OSU up front, then a bunch of teams that might be pretty solid, then some teams that probably are not very good, and then a couple of losers.
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MaximumSam

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Re: Big Ten 2026 Power Rankings Before Week 4
« Reply #9 on: Today at 02:03:18 PM »
SP+

1. OSU
4. Indiana
5. Oregon
8. USC
12. PSU
18. Iowa
21. Michigan
23. Nebraska
27. Washington
33. Illinois
40. UCLA
43. Maryland
44. Northwestern
51. Minnesota
56. Wisconsin
65. MSU
75. Purdue
77. Rutgers
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FearlessF

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Re: Big Ten 2026 Power Rankings Before Week 4
« Reply #10 on: Today at 02:21:21 PM »
I like that one
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medinabuckeye1

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Re: Big Ten 2026 Power Rankings Before Week 4
« Reply #11 on: Today at 05:17:41 PM »
Quote from: Mdot21 on Today at 01:14:00 PM
just put Ohio State at #1, everything else is a complete guess at this point man. only thing I know....Ohio State #1.

Michigan is impossible team to read. One thing I will say about them....this is the most talented and deepest that I have seen their EDGE room look. Yes I know it's early, but the amount of DUDES they have is insane. And aside from the absolute STUD transfer John Henry Daley- most of them are rs Soph, true soph, rs fresh or true freshman. It's early but Nate Marshall, Benny Patterson, Tariq Boney, and Carter Meadows all flash. Can definitely see why Nate Marshall and Carter Meadows were 5*'s....absolute specimens. And Tariq Boney and Benny Patterson look freakishly strong/explosive with the bull rush. Oh yeah not to mention Cam Brandt is like a 5th year guy- very good solid college EDGE, JHD is an absolute unit, and RS Soph. Dom Nichols might be the best out of all of them. They have 7 legit EDGE rushers that can get after the QB. Their depth is insane. Not to mention they have great CB's. The defense will keep them in every game. Offense remains a cluster fuck....OL needs to get a fucking grip and get it together. Jordan Marshall looks like he's playing through something. Savion Hiter though....OH BOY when it all finally clicks for him watch the fuck out....he's gonna be a problem.
From what I've seen, I think this year's Michigan team is going to be a very high-ceiling/low-floor team.

My thinking is that their defense is so good that I'm not sure that even the best teams in the league will be able to put them away.

Cconversely, their offense is so bad that I'm not sure that they can put away even the worst teams.

That is likely to add up to a slew of close games, close enough that a bounce here or there can decide them.

If the Wolverines get a few good bounces they might beat one of the better teams but if they get a few bad bounces they might lose to one of the worst teams.
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