Is this going to be allowed to continue? For the sake of everyone watching and following along at home, let's hope not. Six weeks through the 2025 college football season, and we have been left with nothing but disappointment when it comes to the Wisconsin Badgers. This team is so poorly coached, but the finances in place should keep an undeniably incompetent Luke Fickell in his role.
He needs to go, Frankly, this whole team needs to go. Michigan did not even play well. The Badgers still somehow found a way to throw up all over themselves in the second half. The worst part was Mike Tressel's defense actually looked the part. It did not help that Fickell forced Hunter Simmons into action, despite giving backup Danny O'Neil all the first-team reps in practice the last week or so.
So if we need to power rank the Big Ten, let's start with easily the worst team this league has to offer...
18. Wisconsin Badgers: 2-3 (0-2)
As if the bar could not get any lower... Luke Fickell is doing everything in his power to drive everyone rooting for and covering this team absolutely crazy. It is as if he has submerged himself to the bottom of Marianas Trench and has decided to start digging even further into the earth's core. Fickell essentially forfeited in the final minutes at Michigan. He is merely collecting checks at this juncture.
17. UCLA Bruins: 1-4 (1-1)
Yes, the Wisconsin Badgers deserve to be ranked last, not only because of how poorly they played, but because the UCLA Bruins got into the win column for the first time. They were able to stun the Penn State Nittany Lions coming into Pasadena. It was a great day to be Nico Iamaleava and Jerry Neuheisel. It was a day to forget for Drew Allar and James Franklin. UCLA is no longer going winless!
16. Northwestern Wildcats: 3-2 (1-1)
Northwestern is riding something called a winning streak right now. The Wildcats have back-to-back wins over UCLA and Louisiana-Monroe. Although they might only get one or two more the rest of the way, this winning streak has taken some considerable pressure off head coach David Braun. They are not talented and are lacking a lot of juice. For now, the Wildcats are operating at their caved-in ceiling.
15. Purdue Boilermakers: 2-3 (0-2)
Wins may be hard to come by the rest of the way for the Purdue Boilermakers, but they will continue to grow as the season goes along under Barry Odom's guidance. This was the worst team in the Big Ten by a country mile only a season ago. The Boilermakers are still not a very good team, but they are proof that coaching matters. Odom is overqualified to lead this team, but Purdue will benefit from him.
14. Rutgers Scarlet Knights: 3-2 (0-2)
For the time being, Rutgers is going to operate in the four-to-eight-win range annually for as long as the Scarlet Knights football program will have head coach Greg Schiano. Defense will always be this team's calling card. The big ongoing concern for this program is if the Scarlet Knights will ever do enough offensively to move the needle under him. He raised the floor, but is this as good as it gets?
13. Michigan State Spartans: 3-2 (0-2)
Next year might be the year for the Michigan State Spartans. This is a program where we are all watching, waiting and commiserating on whether or not this team is going to pop under its current leadership. It took a few years for Jonathan Smith to get his alma mater of Oregon State going, so let's be patient. Michigan State is going to get someone, we just have no idea when it will be coming.
12. Minnesota Golden Gophers: 3-2 (1-1)
The Minnesota Golden Gophers might be a halfway decent team this year under P.J. Fleck, but Saturday was a bit of a referendum for the program. No matter how good of a head coach Fleck may be, the Gophers are always going to come up short vs. the biggest baddies the Big Ten can offer. They got their skull dragged by Ohio State. It makes you wonder if Fleck is looking to skip town soon.
11. Iowa Hawkeyes: 3-2 (1-1)
There is no joy in this, unless you are a sicko. The Iowa Hawkeyes continue to have no remote clue what to do offensively. Unfortunately, they will still find a way to win around eight or nine games like the imitation Steelers they are. Kirk Ferentz is an institution, but one with crumbling infrastructure. Iowa will be 4-2 after this weekend only because they face Wisconsin. Ferentz will let everyone know.
10. Maryland Terrapins: 4-1 (1-1)
They may have lost in the end to Washington for their first defeat of the season, but the Maryland Terrapins are more good than bad as a football team. This might be around the time of the year where Mike Locksley's program exists to only turtle up. There were always bound to be some growing pains starting a true freshman in Malik Washington at quarterback, but he has made it a fun team to watch.
9. Penn State Nittany Lions: 3-2 (0-2)
What a bunch of sad boys! Putting the Penn State Nittany Lions here at No. 9 seems a bit harsh, right up until you realize they suffered the worst loss any team has had in 40 years. There may have been cross-country travel, but College Football Playoff teams do not lose to a winless UCLA Bruins team. James Franklin is no longer The Driver. He and Drew Allar are excuse makers who need to leave town.
8. Washington Huskies: 4-1 (1-1)
The Washington Huskies bounced back after a tough home loss to Ohio State last week with a thrilling come-from-behind road victory at a previously undefeated Maryland team. Jedd Fisch is a fantastic head coach, as U-Dub is lucky to have him. Demond Williams continues to grow as a passer. In an underrated move of the offseason, hiring Ryan Walters as defensive coordinator is working out.
7. USC Trojans: 4-1 (2-1)
While it remains to be seen how the USC Trojans will traverse their Big Ten schedule and their upcoming Notre Dame date, it kind of feels like Lincoln Riley has fallen ass-backwards into coaching a quality football team. The Trojans are the type of team that will be in and around the top 25 all year long. They have a nine-win ceiling but likely only a seven-win floor. This team is fine and nothing more.
6. Nebraska Cornhuskers: 4-1 (1-1)
This may be too high to have Nebraska, but the Cornhuskers always had a realistic opportunity to go 9-3. It still could potentially be the Matt Rhule pop year. They are 4-1 on the season with their only loss being to Michigan. The narrow neutral-site victory over Cincinnati in Week 1 looks better by the week, based on how well the Bearcats have played under Scott Satterfield. Keep an eye on Nebraska.
5. Illinois Fighting Illini: 5-1 (2-1)
Illinois is the epitome of a team that definitely, maybe might be good. The Illini's chances of making the College Football Playoff took a massive hit when Indiana wiped the floor with them. While they did claw back to beat at quality USC team at home, only barely, this team is 5-1 and among the best the Big Ten has to offer. They will likely be ranked all season long, but the Illini are not playoff-caliber yet.
4. Michigan Wolverines: 4-1 (2-0)
Michigan is arguably the worst team in the Big Ten that could conceivably make the playoff. The road loss to Oklahoma does not look over punitive right now, but that could change very quickly when based on what the Sooners have to navigate in SEC play. Bryce Underwood seems to have hit a wall. It remains to be seen if Sherrone Moore is a good head coach. Regardless, this team still wins games.
3. Indiana Hoosiers: 5-0 (2-0)
There are only three teams in the Big Ten deserving to make the College Football Playoff right now, and the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers are undeniable one of them. Frankly, it does not matter what the final score is in Eugene this weekend. Curt Cignetti has completely transformed the IU program. They play tough, aggressive football, but never a soul in the non-conference. This team will win 10 games.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes: 5-0 (2-0)
The Ohio State Buckeyes are undefeated, but still have some questions to answer the rest of the way. Their best win is probably on the road at Washington two weeks ago. Beating Texas at home is only looking worse by the week. While crushing Minnesota may serve as a jumping-off point, it remains to be seen how good the offense will look vs. great teams with Julian Sayin and Brian Hartline leading it.
1. Oregon Ducks: 5-0 (2-0)
The Oregon Ducks are the best team in the Big Ten and right up there with the Miami Hurricanes as the best team in the country. Although they will have their hands full when Indiana comes to town for College GameDay, this is a team playing with a crashing sense of urgency and a ton of conviction all over the football field. Nobody wants to play this team. Oregon finally has an edge to it we respect.
Oregon is playing like what some of the greatest Wisconsin teams gave off only a few seasons ago.