18.) UCLA Bruins (1-0)
UCLA gets dinged a bit for having played just one game, but the Bruins didn't do themselves any favors in Week 1. Chase Garbers completed 50 percent of his pass attempts and threw two interceptions in a 16-13 win over Hawaii that UCLA trailed in for 59 minutes. They'll need to show better against the Hoosiers next week.
17.) Northwestern Wildcats (1-1)
Northwestern could very well slot in at 18 after an ugly Week 1 win over Miami (Ohio) and a 2OT loss to Duke in Week 2. However, the Wildcat defense and running game have performed well enough to keep NU from the bottom of the Big 10 ladder. Plus, their makeshift stadium is awesome.
16.) Maryland Terrapins (1-1)
The Terps fell apart late against Michigan State in Week 2, allowing a 77-yard game-tying touchdown pass and a 13-play drive that ended in a game-winning field goal in the span of four minutes. They forced three turnovers and gashed the Spartans through the air. However, it wasn't enough for the win, pushing Maryland toward the basement of the Big 10.
15.) Michigan State Spartans (2-0)
It's always great to see an underclassman QB lead a game-winning drive but it's hard to ignore the fact that Aidan Chiles has thrown five interceptions already. The win over Maryland is enough to keep the Spartans out of the bottom three, but a narrow win over a bad FAU team in Week 1 and Chiles' turnover issues make it tough to move MSU up any further.
14.) Purdue Boilermakers (1-0)
Hudson Card and the Boilermakers rolled over Indiana State in Week 1 and had Week 2 off. A limited sample size makes Purdue tough to place, but between Card, Devin Mockobee and a quality defense, 14 feels like a safe bet.
13.) Minnesota Golden Gophers (1-1)
Minnesota got back on track after a tough loss to North Carolina in the season opener by destroying Rhode Island. They're one of four teams in the Big 10 with a loss, but there are plenty of reasons for optimism. The Week 1 loss to UNC came with Darius Taylor on the sidelines and only happened because of a pair of missed Golden Gopher field goals. These would-be's mean nothing right now, but Minnesota doesn't belong in the bottom five.
12.) Indiana Hoosiers (2-0)
The Curt Cignetti era is up and running in Indiana, and the new head coach has the Hoosiers humming. They've outscored their opponents 108-10 through two games and set a school record with 77 points against Western Illinois in Week 2. Beating down on inferior opponents isn't a perfect indicator of a team's ability, but it's certainly hard to ignore. We'll learn more about this Hoosier team when they play UCLA next week.
11.) Rutgers Scarlet Knights (2-0)
Kyle Monangai is a monster. However, I don't have enough faith in Athan Kaliakmanis and the Scarlet Knight's pass game to keep up with power conference foes. Kaliakmanis has done enough to blow out Akron and Howard, but the Rutgers running attack won't continue to average 300 yards per game.
10.) Wisconsin Badgers (2-0)
The inverse of Indiana, Wisconsin has underwhelmed against sub-par competition and needed a fourth-quarter comeback to put Western Michigan away from Week 1. No matter how ugly it's looked -- and it's been exactly that -- the Badgers have won both of their games by 14 points and were in the drivers seat during their Week 2 win over South Dakota. The talent is there, but it hasn't translated well on the field.
9.) Washington Huskies (2-0)
Washington took care of business against Weber State and Eastern Michigan. Yet, it's tough to put the Huskies any further up simply because they haven't been tested. Eastern Michigan isn't necessarily a bottom feeder, but the amount of roster turnover in Seattle warrants a hint of doubt.
8.) Iowa Hawkeyes (1-1)
Was the Hawkeyes 40-point performance in Week 1 a fluke? Probably. But Iowa still went down to the wire against a strong Iowa State team in Week 2. Cade McNamara struggled greatly against the Cyclones, totaling 99 pass yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. With this version of McNamara, the Hawkeyes are still a fringe top-25 team. If the offense looks anything remotely close to Week 1? Watch out.
7.) Michigan Wolverines (1-1)
It's time to press the panic button in Ann Arbor. Fresno State stuck around far too long in Week 1 and Texas walked into the Big House and embarrassed the Wolverines. Davis Warren has been underwhelming to say the least, tallying 322 passing yards and a 2:3 TD:INT through two games. By no means am I saying that Michigan's season is over, but they have some serious work to do if they want a shot at repeating as National Champions.
6.) Illinois Fighting Illini (2-0)
Illinois is plus-seven in turnover margin and have been giving opposing quarterbacks nightmares. They've yet to allow a QB to throw for 150 yards and have intercepted five passes. On the other side of the ball, Luke Altmyer has been more than serviceable, which is all the Illini need out of him. Maybe I'm a little too high on Illinois, but they'll be tough to beat if they continue to win the turnover battle.
5.) Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-0)
In arguably the most hyped matchup of Week 2, Nebraska didn't give football fans the close game most expected. Instead, they beat the brakes off Deion Sanders and Colorado. The Cornhuskers dominated both sides of the ball and took a 28-0 lead into halftime. While Colorado would bring the final score to 28-10, Nebraska sent a message with the victory: the Cornhuskers are back.
4.) Penn State Nittany Lions (2-0)
Bowling Green gave the Nittany Lions a scare in Week 2, leading for the entire first half before a pair of Nicholas Singleton touchdowns closed out the win for Penn State. Still, PSU made plays when it matters, notching a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions to remain undefeated. A comfortable Week 1 win somewhat cancels out the tight Week 2 game, but it's not enough to push Penn State into the Top 3.
3.) Oregon Ducks (2-0)
The Ducks struggled to put Idaho away in the season opener, then needed a walk-off field goal to down Boise State - who is vastly underrated -- in Week 2. Poorly timed mistakes and a lack of offensive identity have hampered the team, but there's been more than enough positives to indicate future success.
2.) USC Trojans (2-0)
USC built on a Week 1 win over LSU with a shutout of Utah State, displaying what appears to be a drastically improved defense. In addition, the Trojan offense hasn't skipped a beat post-Caleb Williams, with Miller Moss completing 72.7 percent of his passes without an interception through two games. The LSU victory is arguably the best win of any Big 10 team so far, and USC could cement themselves as CFP likelies with a win at Michigan in Week 3.
1.) Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0)
I had some doubts about Will Howard heading into the season, but the Kansas State transfer has been excellent through two games. On a wider scale, the Buckeyes haven't shown any weakness, outscoring Akron and Western Michigan by a combined score of 108-6. Ohio State looks every part of a National Championship contender.