Week Five 2025-’26 Big Ten Power Rankings – Indiana Falls

It was a great week of action across the league. Conference play got rolling for most of the league, and we got treated to plenty of other marquee matchups for teams like Michigan State and Purdue. Of course, all that action shook things up considerably.

So, let’s jump into this week’s Power Rankings.

#1 – Michigan Wolverines (—)

The Wolverines had another impressive performance, blasting Rutgers at home on Saturday and Villanova at home on Tuesday. While beating the Scarlet Knights normally wouldn’t turn heads, doing it by 41 points certainly deserves mention, especially given Michigan’s incredible trip to Vegas in late November. Villanova also entered Ann Arbor with a respectable enough resume and got blown out on Tuesday night. The wins by Michigan pushed the team to 9-0 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play. Nobody has stayed within 25 points of the Wolverines since TCU on November 14th.

Michigan will now prepare for its last intriguing game of the calendar year. The Wolverines will go on the road to face Maryland on Saturday at night. KenPom favors Michigan pretty substantially, though playing at Maryland on a Saturday night is never an easy task. It’ll be up to Dusty May and his staff to keep the group playing at this absurdly high level.

#2 – Purdue Boilermakers (—)

The Boilermakers disappointed this week. Purdue opened with a win over Rutgers on Tuesday, but fell flat in the followup on Saturday at home against Iowa State. Fans were hoping the game would be a “statement win” for the program. Instead, it was a nightmare, as the Cyclones crushed Purdue in blowout fashion. It was easily Purdue’s roughest home loss since at least January of 2021, when the team lost by 17 to Michigan and potentially back to December of 2014 when the program lost to North Florida at home.

Fans are hoping Saturday’s performance will go down as a bad day for a great team. However, there were some warning signs in the performance. To start, the offense was a mess. What was viewed as the nation’s best offense finished with just 0.89 points per possession and 58 total points. The team hit just four shots from three-point range and Braden Smith led all scorers with just 11 points in 36 minutes of play. None of those stats are going to cut it against quality competition, let alone Iowa State.

Purdue will hope to turn things around with two winnable games at home. The Boilers will get Minnesota on Wednesday and Marquette on Saturday. KenPom favors Purdue in both games, though the Gophers just upset Indiana last week, so the team will have to show up ready to play.

#3 – Michigan State Spartans (—)

The Spartans had a relatively positive week. Michigan State opened with a dominant win over Iowa on Tuesday, but fell in a tight one against Duke at home on Saturday. The game against the Blue Devils came down to the closing minutes, when Cameron Boozer made just enough plays to lift Duke to victory. The split left the team sitting at 8-1 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play.

While Spartans fans were disappointed with how things went on Saturday, it’s hard to complain about how the team has performed through nine games. The team already has four wins against top 30 opponents, including two away from home, and played well enough to beat Duke before just falling short late.

#4 – Illinois Fighting Illini (—)

The Illini had a great run, beating Tennessee on Saturday and Ohio State on the road on Tuesday. While the Vols haven’t been perfect this season, they’re still a good team and the game was played in Nashville, so effectively going on the road and winning a game like is certainly impressive. The Buckeyes had also been playing at a solid level, so winning in Columbus deserves praise. The wins pushed Illinois to 7-2 overall and 1-1 in Big Ten play.

It’s still unclear if Illinois is quite on the level of the three teams above, but what is obvious through nine games is that the team will be in position for a great seed in March and likely more. The wins over Texas Tech and Tennessee are notable and tearing apart a brevity of other opponents is certainly solid.

Illinois will now prepare for Nebraska at home on Saturday. KenPom favors Illinois in that one, but the Huskers are still undefeated, so it could be a challenge.

#5 – Nebraska Cornhuskers (+1)

The Huskers kept things rolling last week, blasting rival Creighton at home in the team’s only game of the week. It looked like it could be a challenging game heading into tip, but hardly played out that way, with Nebraska crushing the Bluejays. Rienk Mast impressed in the game, finishing with 20 points and five rebounds.

Nebraska improved to 9-0 with the win. The team now holds the nation’s longest win streak, with 13 consecutive wins dating back to last season. At this point, it’s fair to wonder how far the Huskers can take this. The team is playing well and seems to be getting better each week. Unfortunately, Nebraska’a 8-0 start has also been a bit empty, with no games against top 50 KenPom opponents so far. Obviously, the team’s going to face a lot tougher competition and that starts this week with Wisconsin at home on Wednesday and Illinois on the road on Saturday. If the team can add two more wins this week, that will turn some major heads nationally.

#6 – USC Trojans (+1)

The Trojans had a relatively disappointing week. USC opened with a solid win at Oregon on Tuesday, but blew the followup to Washington at home on Saturday. The effort against the Huskies was particularly frustrating, since the game was essentially over at halftime and required an all-time collapse for Washington to win. Fortunately, USC rebounded with a win over San Diego on Tuesday.

The mixed results left USC sitting at 9-1 overall and 1-1 in Big Ten play. The team will now prepare for old Pac 12 foe Washington State at home on Sunday.

#7 – Iowa Hawkeyes (+1)

The Hawkeyes had a decent performance this week. The team opened with a tough loss at Michigan State on Tuesday, but rebounded with a 19-point win over a pesky Maryland squad at home on Saturday. The mixed results left Iowa sitting at 8-1 overall and 1-1 in Big Ten play.

Iowa will get a massive opportunity this week, with rival Iowa State on the road on Thursday. Given how the Cyclones are playing, that projects as a massive challenge. However, weird things happen in college basketball and in rivalry games, so fans will hope for some magic. The team will then face Western Michigan at home on Sunday.

#8 – Indiana Hoosiers (-3)

The Hoosiers had a relatively rough stretch. Indiana opened with a loss on the road to a struggling Minnesota squad on Wednesday and followed it with a letdown against Louisville. While losing two games away from home in December is hardly reason for panic, the way in which Indiana played leaves a lot to be desired. To start, the Hoosiers thoroughly underwhelmed against what had been a struggling Gopher squad. Minnesota was 4-4, had lost to every competent opponent it faced, and needed overtime to beat a horrid Green Bay squad in mid-November. There’s no reason a top 25ish Indiana team should be losing to an opponent like that.

Moreover, the effort against Louisville left a lot to be desired. Indiana actually closed the game well, but opened things up in a 16-0 hole that proved insurmountable. There’s no reason the Hoosiers should be starting that poorly, especially in a game played in Indianapolis. It’s a major sign that the team isn’t there yet.

Indiana was able to rebound with a blowout win over Penn State on Tuesday, but it hardly made up for those missteps. All focus will now turn to the big one on Saturday, on the road against Kentucky. Buckle up.

#9 – Wisconsin Badgers (+1)

The Badgers finally had a great week from start to finish, taking down Northwestern at home on Wednesday and Marquette at home on Saturday. Both wins also came by double-digits, which was certainly an encouraging step after last month’s missteps against BYU and TCU. The wins left Wisconsin sitting at 7-2 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play.

Wisconsin will now prepare for a road trip to Nebraska on Wednesday. It presents as the team’s most challenging game of the calendar year. KenPom views it as a tossup.

#10 – UCLA Bruins (+1)

The Bruins won both of the team’s games last week, beating Washington on the road on Wednesday and Oregon at home on Saturday. While the first matchup was close, UCLA handled Oregon by double-digits over the weekend. The wins pushed the team to 7-2 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play.

UCLA will now get most of the week off before returning to action in Seattle on Saturday against Gonzaga. It figures to be a challenging test for the Bruins and KenPom only gives the team a 17 percent chance to win. Obviously, given those odds, an upset would be a colossal boost for the team’s hopes.

#11 – Ohio State Buckeyes (-2)

The Buckeyes had mixed results. Ohio State bounced back from its crushing loss to Pitt on Black Friday by beating Northwestern on Saturday. It was a competitive game, but it was apparent by the end that the Bucks deserved to win. Unfortunately, that success didn’t carry over to Tuesday, when Ohio State fell to Illinois at home. The split left the Bucks sitting at 7-2 overall and 1-1 in Big Ten play.

Ohio State will hope to get back on track against West Virginia in Cleveland on Saturday. KenPom favors the Buckeyes in that one. We’ll have to see if the team can deliver on those expectations.

#12 – Northwestern Wildcats (—)

The Wildcats lost both of the team’s games last week, falling to Wisconsin on the road on Wednesday and Ohio State at home on Saturday. The latter game was particularly rough, as Northwestern was in position to win for significant segments of the afternoon, but fell short. The losses dropped the team to 5-4 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play. Northwestern has now lost three straight and four of the team’s last five games.

Northwestern only has one game this week, which will be against Jackson State at home on Saturday. It projects as one of the team’s easiest remaining games.

#13 – Washington Huskies (+1)

The Huskies figured to have a rough week with UCLA and USC on the docket, but surprised by splitting the games. While Washington fell to UCLA at home, the team rebounded with a win on the road against the Trojans. That matchup involved an incredible second half comeback led by freshman Hannes Steinbach. The win left Washington sitting at 6-3 overall and 1-1 in Big Ten play. Washington will try and keep things going this week at home against Southern Utah.

#14 – Oregon Ducks (+1)

The Ducks continued their slide last week, falling at home to USC on Tuesday and UCLA on the road on Saturday. Oregon stayed competitive with the Trojans, but lost to the Bruins by double-digits. The losses dropped the team to 4-5 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play.

Last week, we wrote that it was time for Duck fans to hit the “panic button” on this season. Well, after another week of play, that take has aged well. Simply put, it’s getting awfully late in Eugene already. The team is entering mid-December below .500 and 91st nationally on KenPom. Those numbers aren’t anywhere close to cutting it, especially with a brutal Big Ten slate forthcoming. The time for turning it around is now.

Oregon’s last stand will begin this week, with a relatively feisty UC Davis at home on Saturday. At this point, any losses to lesser opponents would be devastating, so the Ducks have to find a way to win.

#15 – Penn State Nittany Lions (-2)

The Nittany Lions split the team’s last two games, beating Campbell at home, but falling on the road to Indiana by 41 points. The loss dropped Penn State to 8-2 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play. It was easily the team’s roughest performance of the season to date and raises major concerns about Penn State’s long-term hopes. If that lackluster showing carries over into other games, it could be a long year.

The team will try and get back on track on Saturday at home against Michigan State. It’s hard to see the Nittany Lions pulling off that upset, but perhaps they can find some magic.

#16 – Maryland Terrapins (—)

The Terrapins disappointed last week. The team beat Wagner at home on Tuesday, but fell flat on the road against Iowa on Saturday. The latter game was decided by 19 points. The loss dropped Maryland to 6-4 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play. Maryland has yet to beat an opponent in the top 75 on KenPom.

Like a few teams on this list, Maryland enters this week in a precarious place. While the season is far from over, the Terps have thoroughly underwhelmed so far and the current trend lines aren’t positive. Maryland needs to show improvement, and soon. We’ll see if they can deliver on Saturday at home against Michigan.

#17 – Minnesota Golden Gophers (+1)

The Gophers entered last week in dire straights. The team was coming off three straight losses and hadn’t beaten a team rated above 271st on KenPom. By any reasonable measure, Minnesota was on the praecipe of disaster. Another loss or two and fans would have been in complete meltdown mode, abandoning the rest of the season.

Fortunately, Nike Medved and crew were able to alleviate many of those concerns, at least temporarily, with a massive upset win over a ranked Indiana squad on Wednesday. It took a superb defensive performance from the group, but the Gophers were able to get the job done and score a win. It was easily the team’s best win of the season and perhaps the group’s only complete performance since the year began.

While one win alone can’t save a season, the timing of this one is particularly important, as it will give the group momentum heading into the break and the heart of Big Ten play in January. The big question will be whether the Gophers can capitalize on it. We’ll see as the team gets Purdue on the road on Wednesday and Texas Southern at home on Sunday.

#18 – Rutgers Scarlet Knights (-1)

The Scarlet Knights had a rough week, falling at home to Purdue on Tuesday and on the road against Michigan on Saturday. Both losses were by double-digits. The losses left Rutgers sitting at 5-5 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play. The team will now prepare for rival Seton Hall on the road on Saturday night.

Source link