Honestly, if you told me a year ago that Indiana would be the undisputed king of the Big 10, I’d have asked to see your crystal ball. But here we are in mid-January 2026, and the Hoosiers aren’t just winning; they’re embarrassing people. We just watched Curt Cignetti’s squad take down Ohio State 13-10 in that gritty, defensive masterclass of a title game last month. Now, they're staring down Miami in the National Championship. It’s wild.
The hierarchy has shifted. The old guard—Michigan and Ohio State—still has the brand names, but the "power" in these Big 10 power rankings feels different now. It’s more spread out. With the expansion to 18 teams, the travel schedules are brutal, and we’re seeing that play out in the basketball standings too.
The Football Elite (Post-Season Reality)
Indiana is the gold standard. Period. Fernando Mendoza has turned into a legitimate Heisman-caliber threat, even after that scary injury in the Big Ten Championship. They’re 14-0 (after beating Oregon in the Peach Bowl) and look like they actually belong on the same field as the SEC giants.
Then you have Ohio State. They’re still the most talented roster, but losing "The Game" to Michigan in late November followed by the loss to IU in Indy has left a sour taste. They are the No. 2 seed in the CFP for a reason, though. Their defense hasn't allowed anyone to hit 17 points all season. That’s absurd.
- Indiana: The undisputed #1. Cignetti is a wizard.
- Ohio State: Still the bully, just one that got punched in the mouth recently.
- Oregon: Moving to the Big 10 didn't slow them down. Dante Moore is the real deal.
- Penn State: Always the bridesmaid? Maybe, but they made the semis.
- USC: Better than people think, but they can't win on the road to save their lives.
USC is the fascinating one here. They finished 9-3, but those road losses at Illinois and Oregon were ugly. Lincoln Riley still hasn't fixed the "soft" narrative, even if the offense puts up 40 a game.
💡 You might also like: Navy Notre Dame Football: Why This Rivalry Still Hits Different
The Basketball Melee: Nebraska is Real?
Switching gears to the hardwood, the Big 10 power rankings are basically a fever dream. Nebraska is 17-0. I’ll say it again. Seventeen and zero. Fred Hoiberg has finally cracked the code in Lincoln. They lead the conference in scoring defense, and Pryce Sandfort is shooting the lights out.
Michigan is right there, though. Dusty May didn't just bring a new system to Ann Arbor; he brought a blowtorch. They’re 15-1, and even though they stumbled against Wisconsin recently, they look like a Final Four team. Morez Johnson Jr. is a nightmare matchup in the paint.
Current Top Tier (Hoops)
- Nebraska (17-0, 6-0): They’ve never won an NCAA tournament game. This year, they might win the whole conference.
- Michigan (15-1, 5-1): High-octane offense. They just beat USC by 17.
- Purdue (15-1, 5-1): No Zach Edey, no problem? Braden Smith is averaging nearly 10 assists a game. He's the best floor general in the country.
- Michigan State: Tom Izzo is sitting on 699 wins. The Spartans are gritty, but they need Coen Carr to be more than just a human highlight reel.
Wisconsin is the "spoiler" right now. They just went into Ann Arbor and beat Michigan 91-88. John Blackwell hit a dagger that silenced Crisler Center. They started slow, but they’ve won three straight and are surging up the rankings.
Why the "Middle Class" is Dangerous
Don’t sleep on Iowa or Illinois. The Ben McCollum era at Iowa is off to a crazy start. They’re averaging over 92 points per game. Bennett Stirtz followed McCollum from Drake and basically never leaves the floor. He's playing 35+ minutes and making every right decision.
📖 Related: LeBron James Without Beard: Why the King Rarely Goes Clean Shaven Anymore
Illinois is... well, they're Illinois. Brad Underwood has them playing "chaos ball." When they’re hitting threes, they can beat anyone. When they aren't, they lose to teams they shouldn't. It’s a roller coaster.
The Transfer Portal Chaos
We can't talk about power rankings without the portal. It’s January, which means the football portal is wide open and it's a mess. Over 4,000 players are looking for new homes.
Ohio State just lost safety Faheem Delane to the portal. That’s a blow to their secondary depth for 2026. Wisconsin is losing Joe Brunner, which is going to hurt their O-line identity. On the flip side, everyone is watching where these quarterbacks land. Husan Longstreet leaving USC for LSU reshaped the national landscape, but it also leaves a void in the Big 10's future QB rankings.
What Most People Miss
The travel is the silent killer. We’re seeing teams like Washington and UCLA struggle because they’re flying across three time zones for Tuesday night basketball games. It's exhausting. You can see it in the second-half legs.
👉 See also: When is Georgia's next game: The 2026 Bulldog schedule and what to expect
Minnesota has been a "trap" team because of this. They aren't the most talented, but playing at Williams Arena after a long flight is a nightmare. Wisconsin just escaped there with a win, but barely.
Actionable Insights for the Rest of the Month
- Watch the Indiana/Miami National Championship: This will define the Big 10's "New Era" credibility. If IU wins, the conference finally steps out of the SEC's shadow.
- Keep an eye on Nebraska Basketball: They have a brutal stretch coming up. If they get through January undefeated, they are a lock for a 1 or 2 seed in March.
- Monitor the Portal: Follow specific position groups like the offensive line. The Big 10 is won in the trenches, and teams like Michigan and Oregon are currently aggressive in the market to replace departing seniors.
- Check the "Road vs. Home" Splits: When betting or predicting Big 10 basketball, the home-court advantage is currently worth about 4-5 points more than it was two years ago due to the new travel demands.
The Big 10 is no longer a two-team race in any sport. Whether it’s the rise of the Hoosiers in football or the Huskers in basketball, the power has shifted.
Keep an eye on the mid-week basketball slates. That’s where the real movement in the rankings happens while everyone is distracted by football's National Championship buzz.