T-11 Northwestern
3-1 in Big Ten play, T-4th in the Big Ten
Up 8 spots (#19 to T-11) after a home win over #91 Rutgers (42-14) in a blowout. As expected: Northwestern entered with 79.0 TDR points to Rutgers's 42.1. Now 6-1, fourth straight win. AP: #24 to #20. TDR score +1.4: win/loss record +1.3.
Trophy case
1 award in 2026 · Every award winner- Moving Out ×1
| Award | Week | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Moving Out | Week 4 | Biggest rank fall of the week |
2026 season recap (through week 8)
Northwestern (Big Ten) is ranked T-11, tied with Liberty and SMU in The Davis Rankings after week 8 of 2026, with a record of 6-1 and a score of 80.4 out of 100. That is up 8 from week 7. That puts it in the Winning tier (ranks 1-25). Its strongest factor is recent results (100.0 out of 100). Its weakest is opponent record today (62.5 out of 100).
The highest-ranked opponent beaten so far came in week 6, 45-14 over #85 Ball State at home. The loss that stings most in the formula is the week 4 loss, 29-23 to #7 Indiana on the road.
Northwestern has won its last 4 games in a row. On the road it is 1-1. The average margin is +18.1 points per game, with a biggest win of 34 points. 2 of 7 games were decided by a touchdown or less.
Northwestern is 20th in the AP poll (9 spots lower than the Davis Rankings); 18th in the Coaches poll (7 spots lower than the Davis Rankings).
Next up is #86 Oregon in week 9, on the road. The toughest game left on the schedule by current rank is week 11 against #4 Ohio State. 1 of the 5 games left are against teams currently in the top 25.
Schedule
| Week | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota State (home) | W 34-18 |
| 3 | Colorado (home) | W 41-7 |
| 4 | Indiana (away, conference game) | L 23-29 |
| 5 | Penn State (home, conference game) | W 34-13 |
| 6 | Ball State (home) | W 45-14 |
| 7 | Michigan State (away, conference game) | W 24-21 |
| 8 | Rutgers (home, conference game) | W 42-14 |
Upcoming games
| Week | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Oregon (away, conference game) | (Peacock) |
| 10 | Iowa (home, conference game) | Sat Nov 7, time TBD |
| 11 | Ohio State (away, conference game) | Sat Nov 14, time TBD |
| 12 | Minnesota (away, conference game) | Sat Nov 21, time TBD |
| 13 | Illinois (home, conference game) | Sat Nov 28, time TBD |
Ranking history 2026
Now #11, Winning (week 8). Best #11 (week 8). Lowest #83 (week 4). Higher on the chart is a better rank. The shaded bands are rank tiers, with each tier's sticker at its left. A poll is a top 25, so its line breaks in the weeks the team is not in it. The poll lines are drawn a little apart so equal ranks do not hide each other: point at a week for the exact ranks.
Week 8 TDR #11 (80.4, 6-1) Winning AP #20 Coaches #18
Week 1 TDR #45 (89.5, 1-0) AP NR Coaches NR
Week 2 TDR #44 (89.5, 1-0) AP NR Coaches NR
Week 3 TDR #17 (92.3, 2-0) Winning AP NR Coaches NR
Week 4 TDR #83 (52.3, 2-1) Do We Need to Talk? AP NR Coaches NR
Week 5 TDR #41 (73.6, 3-1) Feeling Good AP NR Coaches NR
Week 6 TDR #26 (76.5, 4-1) Feeling Good AP #25 Coaches NR
Week 7 TDR #19 (79.0, 5-1) Winning AP #24 Coaches #23
Week 8 TDR #11 (80.4, 6-1) Winning AP #20 Coaches #18
Week by week
| Week | TDR | Score | Record | Tier | AP | Coaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #45 | 89.5 | 1-0 | - | NR | NR |
| 2 | #44 | 89.5 | 1-0 | - | NR | NR |
| 3 | #17 | 92.3 | 2-0 | Winning | NR | NR |
| 4 | #83 | 52.3 | 2-1 | Do We Need to Talk? | NR | NR |
| 5 | #41 | 73.6 | 3-1 | Feeling Good | NR | NR |
| 6 | #26 | 76.5 | 4-1 | Feeling Good | #25 | NR |
| 7 | #19 | 79.0 | 5-1 | Winning | #24 | #23 |
| 8 | #11 | 80.4 | 6-1 | Winning | #20 | #18 |
Score breakdown
Each factor is scored 0–100, then weighted into the composite score. Full methodology & weights
| Factor | Score (0-100) |
|---|---|
| win/loss record | 85.7 |
| recent results | 100.0 |
| road-win bonus | 77.8 |
| opponent record at game time | 65.2 |
| opponent record today | 62.5 |
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