Ranking Big Ten teams through 3 weeks according to PFF grades

Week 4 of the college football season is upon us and while there are no winless teams in the Big Ten, there are a handful of undefeated teams, as well as one-loss and two-loss teams. But not all things are equal, of course.

Some teams have looked better than others. Some have played tougher competition. Some have excelled while others have struggled.

PFF goes to great lengths to grade every single player, every position group, and every team in college football every single week. Though some Big Ten schools have played four games (Nebraska and Illinois played in Week 0) and one has only played in two (Wisconsin) most member institutions have played three games thus far through three weeks.

According to what each team has put on tape thus far, here is where each Big Ten team ranks according to their performances as graded by PFF, with their national overall, offensive, and defensive rankings also noted. Again, this is not saying this is the order in which the teams are the best, but who has executed the best thus far through the first three weeks of the season.

List

Predicting every Big Ten college football game in Week 4

Illinois Fighting Illini

Photo: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Overall rank (grade): 93 (72.8) Offense rank (grade): 90 (67.0) Defense rank (grade): 94 (65.7)

Northwestern Wildcats

Photo: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports

Overall rank (grade): 86 (76.1) Offense rank (grade): 100 (65.0) Defense rank (grade): 61 (73.9)

Indiana Hoosiers

Photo: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Overall rank (grade): 81 (77.4) Offense rank (grade): 92 (66.3) Defense rank (grade): 80 (71.6)

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Oklahoma’s Perrion Winfrey (8) and Brian Asamoah (24) bring down Nebraska’s Adrian Martinez (2) during Saturday’s game in Norman.

Overall rank (grade): 73 (80.5) Offense rank (grade): 61 (72.4) Defense rank (grade): 51 (76.9)

Wisconsin Badgers

(AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Overall rank (grade): 72 (80.7) Offense rank (grade): 43 (76.2) Defense rank (grade): 86 (68.1)

Purdue Boilermakers

Photo: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Overall rank (grade): 60 (83.6) Offense rank (grade): 48 (75.2) Defense rank (grade): 78 (70.6)

Minnesota Golden Gophers

Photo: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Overall rank (grade): 57 (84.3) Offense rank (grade): 27 (79.4) Defense rank (grade): 79 (70.3)

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Delaware wide receiver Thyrick Pitts (1) can’t come up with a catch as he is defended by Rutgers defense back Max Melton in the third quarter of Delaware’s 45-13 loss at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, NJ, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021.

Overall rank (grade): 56 (85.0) Offense rank (grade): 63 (72.2) Defense rank (grade): 45 (77.9)

Penn State Nittany Lions