Big Ten Rankings and Projections After Week 3

As of Week 3, seven Big Ten teams are currently ranked in the AP poll and eight in the Coaches poll. Most of the non-conference games have concluded, with only a few remaining. Many of the games were lopsided victories, as expected against lower-ranked teams. Maryland lost their first non-conference game since 2019, and Rutgers has lost all three of their games this season. Among the remaining teams, Michigan State, Michigan, Oregon, and Washington have all scored at least 34 points in their games.

According to the AP and Coaches polls, Indiana, Ohio State, USC, Penn State, Iowa, Michigan, Oregon, and Washington are in the top 8. Penn State has climbed one spot in both polls, while Iowa has moved up two spots in the AP poll and three in the Coaches poll.

The Massey Composite rankings, which reflect more of the current season's performance, show Northwestern and Wisconsin making significant improvements. Northwestern moved up by one spot after their win over Colorado, while Wisconsin rose nine places after beating Eastern Michigan.

The preseason rankings have seen the most improvement for UCLA (+26), Michigan State (+18), Northwestern (+15), Nebraska (+12), and Maryland (+10). Conversely, Illinois, Minnesota, Oregon, Rutgers, and Washington have all dropped at least 10 places since the preseason. Illinois specifically has fallen 15 places in the rankings.