College football season is here, meaning we finally get to see some results instead of judging teams based on how good or bad they are on paper. Big Ten teams featured a good mix of powerful matchups and cupcake games on the schedule in the first week of games, with most teams taking care of business. The conference as a whole went 16-2 this week.
As such, there isn't too much movement since our power rankings last week, but some teams underperformed against inferior opponents, so it's not completely static. Let's take a look at how each Big Ten sares after week one.
1. Penn State Nittany Lions (1-0)
Last week's ranking: No. 1
Last week's game: W, 46-11 vs Nevada
Penn State remains at No.1 in the power rankings despite a big win from Ohio State against Texas. The Nittany Lions took care of business with a blowout victory against Nevada, despite a bit of a slow start from the offense. Drew Allar and the defense looked great, and for my money, aside from a loss or a massive underperfomance, Penn State will have the No. 1 spot locked up until their matchup with the Buckeyes November 1.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0)
Last week's ranking: No. 2
Last week's game: W, 14-7 vs #1 Texas
The Buckeyes had the premier win in college football to start the year, taking down the preseason No. 1 team in the country, albeit in a low-scoring contest. The Ohio State defense gave Heisman favorite Arch Manning fits all day long, and the offense got the job done against a Texas defense that is one of the best in the country. AP rewarded Ohio State with the new No. 1 rank in the nation, but the Buckeyes stay behind Penn State on this list due to a lack of a blunder from the Nittany Lions.
3. Oregon Ducks (1-0)
Last week's ranking: No. 3
Last week's game: W, 59-13 vs Montana State
The Ducks didn't give themselves a chance to move up or down the Big Ten ladder, as they expectedly slaughtered an FCS team. Dante Moore looked good in his first showing as QB1 in Eugene, but we're going to have to see results against more competitive opponents before moving Oregon off of the three spot.
4. Illinois Fighting Illini (1-0)
Last week's ranking: No. 4
Last week's game: W, 52-3 vs Western Illinois
Similar boat to Oregon: It's impossible to move Illinois up or down the rankings when you can only judge them off a 49-point win against a Western Illinois team that showed up to Urbana with no expectation of staying in the game. The Illini will have a better test in week two against Duke.
5. Michigan Wolverines (1-0)
Last week's ranking: No. 5
Last week's game: W, 34-17 vs New Mexico
Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood already proved to be a dynamic playmaker in his first career game, although Michigan should've won by a lot more against a New Mexico team it outclassed in every single way. Still, the Wolverines did enough to maintain its spot at No. 5 going into their next matchup against ranked Oklahoma.
6. USC Trojans (1-0)
Last week's ranking: No. 6
Last week's game: W, 73-13 vs Missouri State
Yes, I know it was against Missouri State, but scoring 73 points against any FBS team is impressive and has me optimistic that USC's offense will be for real this season. Jayden Maiava and the receiving core looked great, and the defense looked as good as it possibly could be against a team like Missouri State. The Trojans have an easy schedule until their matchup against Illinois in Week 5, which will have huge power ranking implications.