7. Washington Huskies (1-0)
Last week's ranking: No. 8 (+1)
Last week's game: W, 38-21 vs Colorado State
It wasn't the prettiest win, but Washington looked better against Colorado State than Nebraska did against Cincinnati, which is why the Huskies earn the first jump in the Big Ten power rankings. Despite an easy upcoming game against UC Davis, Washington still needs to come out and dominate from start to finish if it wants to stay at No. 7 moving forwards, as they didn't clear Nebraska by too much.
8. Nebraska Cornhuskers (1-0)
Last week's ranking: No. 7 (-1)
Last week's game: W, 20-17 vs Cincinnati
Nebraska won their first game of the season against a Power Four opponent, albeit not a great one, but they still move down a spot on the Big Ten ladder due to how close they came to losing. A late-game interception saved the Cornhuskers from going to overtime, where anything could've happened. I wasn't impressed with offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen's playcalling on offense, as Dylan Raiola averaged only 5.8 yards per pass attempt.
9. Iowa Hawkeyes (1-0)
Last week's ranking: No. 10 (+1)
Last week's game: W, 34-7 vs UAlbany
I was close to putting Iowa over Indiana in the power rankings last week, so I'm giving the edge to Iowa this week after comparing each team's performances. Iowa played another one of those games against an FCS opponent where you have to ignore the score and focus more on the eye-test, and I was impressed with how the Hawkeyes executed on offense. They recorded 310 rushing yards and only had to pass the ball 16 times -- the classic "grind-it-out" style of play we've come to expect from Iowa. We'll see if that strategy will be able to finally work for a whole season, but for now, Iowa has shown to be a more-than-competent matchup for anyone strictly due to its style.
10. Indiana Hoosiers (1-0)
Last week's ranking: No. 9 (-1)
Last week's game: W, 27-14 vs Old Dominion
Indiana's pure merit as a playoff team last season gave them some grace to be higher in the preseason rankings, despite some roster turnover and a much tougher schedule. However, after struggling against an Old Dominion team that they should've blasted, the Hoosiers are now under the suspect test. The national media seems to agree, as Indiana dropped from No. 20 to No. 23 in the AP poll.
11. Michigan State Spartans (1-0)
Last week's ranking: No. 11
Last week's game: W, 23-6 vs Western Michigan
I was higher than many on Michigan State coming into the year, but their week one performance was somewhat underwhelming against an average G6 Western Michigan squad. Luckily for the Spartans, those below them have more pressing issues, so they don't fall in this week's rankings.
12. Minnesota Golden Gophers (1-0)
Last week's ranking: No. 13 (+1)
Last week's game: W, 23-10 vs Buffalo
Unlike Michigan State, I was lower on Minnesota coming into the season than most. This week, the Gophers take advantage of a UCLA fall to move up the Big Ten ladder, but they still didn't do anything more me to convince me that I'm wrong about them.