1. Penn State (1-0 Big Ten, 4-0)

Any team that can win on the road in the Big Ten should be respected, but to do it in Iowa in a national primetime game is different. The Nittany Lions squeezed out a victory on a last-second touchdown pass to maintain their perfect record. Michigan (1-0 Big Ten, 4-0)

After having some early trouble against what was once a lowly Purdue football team, Michigan pulled away in the second half to earn the win. The Wolverines join the Nittany Lions as the only undefeated teams with four wins in the Big Ten. 

2. Ohio State (1-0 Big Ten, 3-1)

The Buckeyes have responded nicely after dropping a home game to Oklahoma in Week 2. The team blew out Army and UNLV in consecutive weeks and will look to do the same against a last-place Rutgers squad. Fans should expect the Buckeyes to stay atop the Big Ten rankings for the rest of the season with J.T. Barrett in the backfield.

3. Wisconsin (0-0 Big Ten, 3-0)

The Badgers are coming off of their bye week with a 3-0 record heading into the Big Ten season. They have outscored their opponents 130-30 so far this season – the best differential of any Power-5 school – largely thanks to the NCAA’s fourth-best scoring defense. They will open their Big Ten season with a potential trap game hosting Northwestern.

4. Iowa (0-1 Big Ten, 3-1)

Hosting Penn State, the No.4 team in the country, is a tough way to start the conference season. After receiving their first loss of the season at the hands of Penn State, the Hawkeyes will need a win this week to keep from falling behind. Iowa will travel to East Lansing to take on a Michigan State team that was unable to get anything going against Notre Dame last week.

5. Minnesota (0-0 Big Ten, 3-0)

P.J. Fleck’s Golden Gophers have jumped out to a perfect 3-0 record against non-conference opponents, and their defense has yet to give up more than 14 points in a game. But while the Gophers numbers have been impressive, their competition so far has not, posting a combined 5-7 record so far this season. Minnesota will travel to TCF bank stadium to take on a Maryland team that has lost its two top QBs.

6. Purdue (0-1 Big Ten, 2-2)

The Boilermakers have looked surprisingly strong in every one of their games this season. They steamrolled Missouri and Ohio and gave both Michigan and Louisville — two of the top teams in the country — a run for their money in two hard-fought losses. Purdue gets a chance to recoup this week without a game before playing against Minnesota and Wisconsin, who are both currently undefeated.

7. Maryland (0-0 Big Ten, 2-1)

The Terrapins started 2-1 with a showcase win over Texas, but now are without their top two quarterbacks, both out for the season with ACL tears. Third-stringer Max Bortenschlager failed to inspire much confidence after coming in, throwing two picks in a loss to UCF. 

8. Indiana (0-1 Big Ten, 2-1)

Indiana looked promising in wins against Virginia and Georgia Southern, but with three teams currently in the national top 10 left on the conference schedule, that optimism may have reached its ceiling. Their upcoming trip to Happy Valley inspired one Indiana sportswriter to satirically make the case that Penn State running back Saquon Barkley deserves a week off. Unfortunately, that might be the only way Indiana has a chance this week.

9. Michigan State (0-0 Big Ten, 2-1)

The Spartans had an opportunity to make a statement Saturday night against a ranked Notre Dame team. However, Michigan State came out flat and was never really in the game. The Spartans will have a chance to improve on their middle-of-the-pack standing when they host Iowa on Saturday.

10. Northwestern (0-0 Big Ten, 2-1)

The Wildcats should be disappointed as they enter conference play with a 2-1 record. The team had a winnable game against Duke and was never really in it. Northwestern will have to pull off an upset at Camp Randall in Wisconsin to move up the rankings.

11. Nebraska (1-0 Big Ten, 2-2)

Nebraska may sit on top of the Big Ten West standings for now, but a win over lowly Rutgers isn’t fooling anyone. The Cornhuskers have been shaky at best so far this season, sporting a quarterback who has already thrown nine picks and losses to Oregon and Northern Illinois. But a trip to Champaign this week to face the Illini might keep the Huskers on top of the table, barring another capitulation.

12. Illinois (0-0 Big Ten, 2-1)

Head coach Lovie Smith was forced to bench starting quarterback Chayce Crouch after his performance against South Florida. The offense has not had much consistency, while the defense is coming off a performance that had 47 points scored against them. Many questions remain on one of the youngest teams in the country.

13. Rutgers (0-1 Big Ten, 1-3)

The Scarlet Knights enter Week 5 with a 1-3 record. The team can move up the rankings with a huge upset over the Buckeyes this weekend, but that seems unlikely. Losses to Eastern Michigan and Nebraska gives Rutgers the last-place ranking.