{
  "id": 9210529,
  "title": "Big Ten Rankings and Projections After Week 3",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/big-ten-rankings-and-projections-after-week-3",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-22T22:19:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/big-ten-rankings-projections-week-221947768.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.\n\nAccording 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.\n\nThe 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.\n\nThe 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.",
  "summary": "Two Big Ten teams are now 1-0 in conference play",
  "key_points": [
    "Seven Big Ten teams ranked in AP and Coaches polls after Week 3",
    "Maryland's first non-conference loss since 2019",
    "Michigan State, Michigan, Oregon, and Washington scored at least 34 points"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}