Thomas BeinditTue, December 2, 2025 at 12:32 PM UTC·13 min readLast week was “Feast Week” across the country and Big Ten fans got treated to a litany of marquee matchups. While some teams like Michigan, Michigan State, and Iowa thrived, others like Oregon and Rutgers struggled. Of course, it all shook up these Rankings.
So, let’s jump into this week’s Power Rankings.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBig Ten Week Four Power Rankings#1 – Michigan Wolverines (+3)
The Wolverines had an absurdly good week of action, heading into Vegas for multiple marquee matchups and landing three blowout wins. Michigan beat San Diego State on Monday, Auburn on Tuesday, and Gonzaga on Wednesday. All three wins came by at least 30 points, including the matchup against the Bulldogs, where Michigan won by a final score of 101-61. The wins were dominant enough to launch Michigan up 14 spots on KenPom in just a few days. The Wolverines now sit atop the KenPom ratings.
While Wolverine fans are hoping the team’s performance in Vegas carries over to future matchups, it’s hard to believe Michigan can maintain that level of play over an extended period. It’s hard enough to blow out a single ranked opponent, let alone multiple in one week. As such, it’s fair to expect some regression in the weeks ahead.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, if Michigan is anywhere close to what it was in Vegas, it’s going to achieve some significant things this season. The Wolverines were an absolute buzzsaw on the trip and probably would have beaten anyone in the country had they played then. We’ll get to see what carries over from the trip this week, as the team opens Big Ten play on Saturday at home against Rutgers.
#2 – Purdue Boilermakers (-1)
The Boilermakers had a quiet week, beating Eastern Illinois in the team’s only game of the week at home on Black Friday. The win came by nearly 50 points. We’ll get to learn more about Purdue as it rolls into conference play this week. The team opens with Rutgers on the road on Tuesday and then travels to face Iowa State on Saturday in what projects as one of the more intriguing non-con games of the season. The Cyclones are rated fourth nationally on KenPom and have Final Four hopes themselves.
The Spartans had a fantastic week of action, beating East Carolina on Tuesday in Fort Myers and North Carolina on Thanksgiving. The latter performance was particularly impressive, as it looked to be an even matchup, but Michigan State ended up winning by 16 points. The team’s defense proved to be the difference, holding the Tar Heels to just 0.95 points per possession.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement#3 – Michigan State Spartans (-1)
But for the fast starts for Michigan and Purdue, the Spartans would likely be getting a lot more national attention. The team is a perfect 7-0 to date and already has wins over Arkansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina, with two of those coming away from home. The defense remains excellent and the role players are starting to come together. We’ll have to wait and see if the Spartans have enough to compete with Michigan and Purdue over the course of the season, but the start is certainly encouraging and things seem to be trending in the right direction.
Michigan State will have another massive week on the docket, with Iowa at home on Tuesday and Duke at home on Saturday. Both opponents are in the top 25 of KenPom, so even a split would be a solid performance for the Spartans. Of course, fans are hoping for a sweep.
#4 – Illinois Fighting Illini (-1)
The Illini split the team’s games last week, beating UT Rio Grande Valley at home on Monday and falling to UConn in New York on Friday. The latter was a tough one, as Illinois fans were hoping to get some revenge on the Huskies but ended up falling by double-digits. The team’s offense was largely a mess in the game, finishing with just 0.92 points per possession.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIllinois now sits at 6-2 following the mixed results. However, the more notable development is likely the team’s drop from third to 17th on KenPom over the last few weeks. Obviously, that’s not a trend that’s going to age well with plenty of challenging games ahead. If Illinois is going to compete with the top end of the league. it’s going to need to turn that around. We’ll see if that happens in the team’s only matchup of the week in Nashville against Tennessee on Saturday.
#5 – Indiana Hoosiers (—)
The Hoosiers had a solid performance last week, beating Kansas State at home on Tuesday and Bethune-Cookman on Saturday. The two wins pushed Indiana to 7-0 on the season. The group has outperformed expectations so far, up 21 spots on KenPom since the season tipped. However, Indiana remains relatively untested through a month of play, with just two games against top 100 opponents and none against teams rated better than 54th.
We’ll get to learn a lot more about Indiana in the coming days. The team gets Minnesota on the road on Wednesday and Louisville in Indianapolis on Saturday. KenPom projects a split, so if Indiana can find a way to beat both opponents, it would go a long way toward getting back to the NCAA Tournament.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement#6 – Nebraska Cornhuskers (+1)
The Huskers won both of the team’s games last week, beating Winthrop at home on Tuesday and USC Upstate at home on Saturday. The wins pushed Nebraska to 8-0 on the season. The team has now won 12 straight, dating back to last season’s postseason run. We’ll see if Nebraska can keep it rolling against Creighton at home on Sunday. KenPom favors the Huskers, but you never know in a rivalry game.
#7 – USC Trojans (+1)
The Trojans had a wonderful week in Maui, notching three wins and winning the tournament outright. USC beat Boise State in a close one on Monday, Seton Hall on Tuesday, and Arizona State by double-digits on Wednesday. While none of the three opponents were elite, all entered with respectable profiles and USC beat all three. Doing it in successive days makes the run even more impressive. Ezra Ausar turned some heads in the run, particularly against Seton Hall, where he finished with 25 points and eight rebounds.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThrough seven games, Trojan fans have to be feeling pretty good about where things sit. USC is not only 7-0, but has four wins away from home and five against opponents rated 127th or better on KenPom. Every single one of those wins will have value on Selection Sunday. The offense is also shaping up well, falling narrowly outside the top 25 on KenPom, with plenty of potential for upside.
The only “concern” about the Trojans is that the team hasn’t proven it against top competition yet. Boise State is probably the toughest team USC has faced to date and the Broncos are just 60th nationally on KenPom. Given 12 other Big Ten teams currently sit above that, there’s little debating the road is going to get much tougher. That will begin with Oregon on the road on Tuesday and Washington at home on Saturday. KenPom favors the Trojans in both games. We’ll see if USC can get the job done.
#8 – Iowa Hawkeyes (+4)
The Hawkeyes remain one of the nation’s most underrated teams and it showed up again last week, as Iowa beat Ole Miss in Palm Springs on Tuesday and Grand Canyon in the same place on Wednesday. The Hawks had to work to get past Ole Miss, but the second win came by double-digits. The wins pushed Iowa to 7-0 overall.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAt this point, it’s fair to say Iowa is a good team. We have enough evidence to reach that conclusion. However, the question of how good remains and we’ll learn much more over the coming days, as Iowa heads to East Lansing to face Michigan State on Tuesday and Maryland at home on Saturday. KenPom projects a split. If Iowa can figure out a way to sweep the games, it would be huge for the team’s profile.
#9 – Ohio State Buckeyes (-3)
The Buckeyes had a disappointing week. While Ohio State opened with a win over Mount St. Mary’s at home on Tuesday, it was followed with a brutal loss to Pittsburgh at the buzzer on Friday. Ohio State outplayed Pitt for much of the game, but the Panthers did just enough to be in position to steal the win as time expired. The split left the team sitting at 6-1 overall.
Ohio State will now get a few days off before returning to action on Saturday on the road against Northwestern. On paper, it projects as the team’s toughest game of the season to date. KenPom projects it as a coin flip, so it would be a valuable one for the Buckeyes to grab.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement#10 – Wisconsin Badgers (-1)
The Badgers split the team’s games last week, beating Providence on Thanksgiving by 21 points, but falling to TCU the next day. The mixed results left Wisconsin sitting at 5-2 overall, though the group is just 1-2 against opponents rated in the top 200 on KenPom. The Badgers have also dropped seven spots on KenPom since the season began in November.
If Wisconsin is going to make some noise this season, it feels like the team will need to deliver this week, with Northwestern at home on Wednesday and Marquette at home on Saturday. The Badgers are solid favorites in both games, at least according to KenPom. As such, even a split would be a major disappointment.
#11 – UCLA Bruins (-1)
The Bruins had a rough week, falling to rival California in San Francisco in the team’s only game of the week on Tuesday. While the game was competitive, it was yet another blow to UCLA’s status. The Bruins have been trending down since the season began, falling 23 spots on KenPom just over the last few weeks.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTuesday’s loss leaves UCLA sitting at 5-2 overall. The season is far from over, but the team’s underwhelming results certainly make it feel like the Bruins need to figure some things out . . . and soon. That effort will begin this week with Washington on the road on Wednesday and Oregon at home on Saturday. KenPom projects a split, though the first game is viewed as a complete toss up. As such, finding a way to win both would be huge.
#12 – Northwestern Wildcats (+1)
The Wildcats fell in the team’s only game last week, losing to Oklahoma State in Chicago on Thanksgiving. The game was competitive and Nick Martinelli played well, but it wasn’t enough to get the win. The loss dropped Northwestern to 5-2 overall. The team will now prepare to open conference play against Wisconsin on the road on Wednesday. Northwestern will then return home to host Ohio State on Saturday.
#13 – Penn State Nittany Lions (+3)
The Nittany Lions scored two wins last week, beating Boston University at home on Tuesday and Sacred Heart at home on Saturday. The wins pushed Penn State to 7-1 overall. The group will now prepare for Campbell at home on Tuesday and Indiana on the road on Tuesday. The latter matchup is looking like quite a challenge. We’ll see if the Nittany Lions can surprise.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement#14 – Washington Huskies (-1)
The Huskies had a decent week, beating Nevada in Palm Springs on Thanksgiving, but falling to Colorado on Black Friday by double-digits. The split left Washington sitting at 5-2 overall. The group will now prepare for UCLA at home on Wednesday and USC on the road on Saturday. KenPom has the Huskies as underdogs in both games, though the matchup with the Bruins looks like a tossup. Fans are hoping for at least a win.
#15 – Oregon Ducks (-4)
The Ducks had a rough week, falling in all three of the team’s games. Oregon opened with a loss to Auburn on Monday and followed it with losses to San Diego State and Creighton over the following days. They left what was projected to be a pretty solid Duck squad sitting at just 4-3 overall.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAt this point, it’s time to hit the panic button on Oregon. We’re seven games into the season and the Ducks have little to show for the campaign so far. The team has not only lost every game of consequence, but nearly lost to Hawai’i and Rice to open the season as well. The advanced stats have reflected the struggles as well, dropping Oregon nearly 50 (!!!) spots on KenPom since the season began. The group is now projected to finish well below .500 overall and underwater in Big Ten play as well.
Oregon will open Big Ten play this week with USC at home on Tuesday and UCLA on the road on Saturday. KenPom has the Ducks as underdogs in both games. Two losses would be absolutely devastating in light of the team’s recent struggles. December is always too early to write a team off, but things certainly wouldn’t be looking good for the Ducks to get back to the Big Dance.
#16 – Maryland Terrapins (-2)
The Terrapins had frustrating results last week. While Maryland opened with a win over UNLV in Vegas on Monday, the team followed it with blowout losses to Gonzaga and Alabama over the next two days. The losses dropped Maryland to 5-3 overall and down to 94th on KenPom. All told, the team dropped 60 spots from where it began the season. The dwindling projection now has the Terps looked a potential finish below .500.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMaryland will hope to get back on track this week with Wagner at home on Tuesday and Iowa on the road on Saturday. KenPom projects a split. We’ll see if the Terps can surprise in Iowa City.
#17 – Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+1)
The Scarlet Knights followed up last week’s blunder with another rough performance. Rutgers opened the week with a blowout loss to Tennessee on Monday in Vegas. The Scarlet Knights fought better on Tuesday against Notre Dame, but still fell. Rutgers then wrapped up its trip out west with a win over UNLV on Thanksgiving. The results left Rutgers sitting at 5-3 overall.
Rutgers will now get one of the hardest two-game stretches this week that any team will experience this season. The Scarlet Knights will get Purdue at home on Tuesday and Michigan on Saturday. The opponents are ranked second and first nationally on KenPom. As such, if the team can even put up a solid fight, most will consider it a productive performance.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement#18 – Minnesota Golden Gophers (-1)
The Gophers had another rough week, falling to Stanford on Thanksgiving and Santa Clara on Black Friday. The losses dropped Minnesota to 4-4 overall and 114th on KenPom. At this point, it’s looking like Minnesota might be trending toward a rough year. Fans will hope Niko Medved and staff can figure some things out in the final weeks of the year. That effort will begin with Indiana at home on Wednesday and Purdue on the road on Wednesday.
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