The Big Ten landscape just got a major shake-up after Week 6, with UCLA absolutely stunning Oregon, triggering a seismic shift that saw some unexpected teams rise to the top and, unfortunately, Washington drop like a rock. After most Big Ten teams have played at least two conference games, we are seeing some real surprises: UCLA and Wisconsin are crushing it at the top, while teams like Washington and Penn State are surprisingly struggling at the bottom. Purdue snagged its second conference win in a row, but Nebraska, despite leading for most of the game, got handed its first loss of the season by Indiana.
Polls Are All Over the Place After That Ranked Showdown
That UCLA win over Oregon was the only ranked-vs-ranked matchup last weekend, and boy, did it deliver. The fallout is clear in both the Coaches and AP Polls. We’ve got six Big Ten teams ranked in each, but they are not identical lists, which tells you how much movement there was. Ohio State climbed one spot in both polls, landing at 4th in AP and 5th in Coaches. Indiana made a strong move, up two spots in AP to 5th and one in Coaches to 4th. But the real story is UCLA, who rocketed up nine spots in the AP to 12th and an incredible ten spots in the Coaches Poll, also landing at 12th. Iowa is looking good, up three to 17th in AP and two to 16th in Coaches. USC held steady in the AP at 19th and moved up two in Coaches to 15th. Northwestern barely snuck into the AP at 25th but is unranked in the Coaches. Poor Oregon, after that loss, dropped out of the AP poll completely and tumbled 12 spots in the Coaches Poll to 25th. Clearly, the UCLA rise and Oregon’s fall make perfect sense after that game, and most other changes just reflect what everyone else was doing. Beyond the top 25, another four Big Ten teams are getting votes, bringing the total to nine Big Ten teams with some national recognition. Wisconsin is practically knocking on the door at #26 in the AP and #30 in Coaches. Oregon is #27 in the AP, Nebraska #29 in AP and #28 in Coaches, and Northwestern is #26 in the Coaches poll.
Massey Composite Paints an Even Wilder Picture for the Big Ten
If you thought the polls were wild, wait till you see the Massey Composite, which throws 79 different rankings into the mix. This thing shows some *major* shifts since the preseason, proving once again that preseason rankings are basically a coin flip. For Washington, it’s brutal: they’re down a staggering 48 places since the preseason. Penn State is down 30, Illinois dropped 34, and Rutgers took the biggest hit, plummeting 52 spots. It’s a tough look for those programs, showing just how much can change six games into the season. On the flip side, UCLA has been absolutely phenomenal, climbing a ridiculous 51 places since preseason. Coach Chesney has that program going in the right direction, no doubt. Purdue is up 37 spots, Nebraska jumped 20, Northwestern is up 26, and Wisconsin climbed 22. These teams are clearly finding their stride and proving a lot of doubters wrong.
With most teams having played six games and at least two conference matchups, the Big Ten is far from settled. The early season trends are clear: some programs are absolutely surging while others are fighting to recover from a tough start. It’s going to be a fascinating watch to see if these early surprises hold up.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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