Ben Bolch’s Big Ten Power Rankings

Game of the week: Michigan State (2-0) at Notre Dame (2-0), 4:30 p.m. PDT Saturday on NBC. After notching two victories in his redemption tour following his firing from Northwestern, new Spartans coach Pat Fitzgerald will quickly find out if he can work some early magic against one of the nation’s best teams.

1. Indiana (2-0) Has everyone learned they should never doubt Curt Cignetti? (Last week: 2)

2. Ohio State (1-1) Buckeyes crapped out after a Texas blackjack in fourth quarter. (1)

3. Oregon (1-1) Was Oklahoma State an early-season blip or sign of things to come? (3)

4. USC (3-0) Trojans don’t deserve Big Three status until they beat a Power Four team. (4)

5. UCLA (2-0) Imagine how good this team might be if it can generate some first-half offense. (5)

6. Penn State (2-0) Matt Campbell era off to a good start against crummy opponents. (6)

7. Michigan (2-0) Word of warning: Kyle Whittingham teams always get better during season. (11)

8. Washington (2-0) Winning ugly might be the Huskies’ motto in 2026. (8)

9. Iowa (2-0) Hawkeyes can crow about comeback victory over in-state rival Cyclones. (10)

10. Michigan State (2-0) Pat Fitzgerald faces a big early test against Notre Dame on Saturday. (12)

11. Nebraska (2-0) Quarterback Anthony Colandrea might be the real deal. (13)

12. Maryland (2-0) Mike Locksley believes tales of his demise are greatly exaggerated. (15)

13. Illinois (1-1) This week’s sign of the Illini apocalypse: losing to Duke at home. (7)

14. Minnesota (1-1) Golden Gophers just rowed boat over waterfall named Mississippi State. (9)

15. Wisconsin (1-1) Beating Western Illinois is a start on road to mediocrity. (14)

16. Northwestern (1-0) A bye week this early in the season? Come on. (16)

17. Purdue (1-1) Double-overtime loss to Wake Forest leads to exponential agony. (17)

18. Rutgers (0-2) Piscataway is now known as the resting place of college football. (18)