After Nebraska’s 35-21 win over Indiana in Week 5, the Huskers moved to 2-3 overall on the year and picked up their first FBS win of the 2022 season. As such, they saw their ranking in ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) rise a few spots.
Although the FPI model still has a bleak outlook for Nebraska’s chance at a bowl bid, the Big Ten West has not shown that they have a true powerhouse and there are a wide range of possibilities of how the rest of the Huskers’ season can go.
Illinois destroyed Wisconsin and head coach Paul Chryst’s job there, Purdue took down Minnesota, Northwestern kept it close in a 17-7 loss to No. 11 Penn State and Iowa is still 3-2, despite having one of the least effective offenses in the country. Nebraska has certainly thrown themselves into the mix, at least for the moment.
Overall, the Big Ten had six teams rise in the rankings, five teams drop, and three teams holding steady compared to last week’s ranking. Find out where they all stack up in the big picture of college football below: