Big Ten Coaches Power Rankings: Week 7

After over a dozen responses I have counted the votes and determined the one, the only, the weekly Big Ten Coaches Power Rankings. Here are the results.

1. Mark Dantonio (Avg. Score: 1.08 LW: #1, 1.07)

Team Record (Big Ten): 68-30 (40-19)

2014 Record (Big Ten): 4-1 (1-0)

Last week: Home vs #19 Nebraska (W 27-20)

This week: Away vs Purdue

Mark Dantonio took care of business in East Lansing this weekend, even if the 4th quarter did get a little dicey. Regardless, Dantonio and the Spartans will take back to back Indiana road trips to Purdue and IU before the showdown in East Lansing with rival Michigan and then a road trip to Columbus. Michigan State is on a razor's edge with Oregon taking a huge loss and will probably need to be a 1-loss team to get a shot at the playoff.

Andy Ketterson from Corn Nation had some less than appropriate, albeit understandable, comments about Nebraska's loss to Dantonio but I'll summarize. He still had Mark at #1 but was less than pleased with anybody clapping in East Lansing.

2. Urban Meyer (Avg. Score: 2.50 LW: #2, 3.43)

Team Record (Big Ten): 28-3 (17-1)

2014 Record (Big Ten): 4-1 (1-0)

Last week: Away vs Maryland (W 52-24)

This week: Bye Week

Well Urban took care of business in Maryland and now has a bye week before hosting Rutgers. Urban will continue to live in the shadow of Dantonio until a) Mark slips up or b) he wins in East Lansing in Week 11.

Andy Ketterson continued his distaste for Urban going so far as to say he has a "vial of baby's blood he wears around his neck. It's the source of his evil magic." As a Michigan fan, I can hardly argue with that.

3. Bo Pelini (Avg. Score: 3.92 LW #3, 3.71)

Team Record (Big Ten): 63-25 (18-9)

2014 Record (Big Ten): 5-1 (1-1)

Last week: Away vs #10 Michigan State (L 27-20)

This week: Bye Week

Well if you want to be the best you have to beat the best, not get blown out for three quarters before making an impressive comeback attempt. Nebraska can still make the playoffs and should be the favorite in the Big Ten West, but a road trip to Northwestern after the Bye Week could prove deadly.

Andy Ketterson stuck by his coach despite the loss:

I'm not dumping Bo too far, because, despite everything, his boys kept fighting. And I'm a total homer.

4. Jerry Kill (Avg. Score: 4.50 LW #4, 4.36)

Team Record (Big Ten): 21-22 (9-16)

2014 Record (Big Ten): 4-1 (1-0)

Last week: Bye Week

This week: Home vs Northwestern

Kill no doubt enjoyed drinking from the jug as he watched Northwestern down rival Wisconsin. His next step to stay in the top 4? Avoid the same fate.

5. Kyle Flood (Avg. Score: 5.83 LW #8, 7.71)

Team Record (Big Ten): 20-12 (1-1)

2014 Record (Big Ten): 5-1 (1-1)

Last week: Home vs Michigan (W 26-24)

This week: Bye Week

Well even with all the issues in Ann Arbor a 2-point win, at night where you QB throws for 400 yards and you block a late field goal for the win is an impressive achievement. Rutgers is 5-1 with a light schedule so far but should be bowl bound. We should get a real feel for this Rutgers team when they are introduced to the Shoe in Week 8.

Ketterson put Rutgers overachievement best:

Kyle Flood slides into #2 for Rutgers body of work thus far as they missed the memo about being a whipping boy. "They don't know it's a damn show! They think it's a damn fight!"

6. James Franklin (Avg. Score: 6.50 LW #7, 6.93)

Team Record (Big Ten): 4-1 (1-1)

2014 Record (Big Ten): 4-1 (1-1)

Last week: Bye Week

This week: Away vs Michigan

Franklin didn't do anything last week but jumped a spot thanks to Northwestern upsetting Wisconsin. Penn State will face a tough challenge this week in Ann Arbor that could derail their title and playoff hopes. Even against an underachieving team, a road game at night is a hard thing to win. For the first (and only) time this year the Big House will be full and ready for the Nittany Lions, at least until Hackenberg reaches the 400 yard mark in the 2nd Quarter.

7. Pat Fitzgerald (Avg. Score: 6.67 LW #10, 9.50)

Team Record (Big Ten): 58-48 (29-37)

2014 Record (Big Ten): 3-2 (2-0)

Last week: Home vs #17 Wisconsin (W 20-14)

This week: Away vs Minnesota

From last week:

If Northwestern is serious about turning the season around, then there is no better place to start than by knocking off Wisconsin.

Well I guess they're serious then aren't they? Two weeks, two big foes downed. Northwestern is back above .500 and will be looking for blood against Minnesota this weekend in a matchup that should tell us which of the two is a real contender.

8. Gary Andersen (Avg. Score: 7.67 LW #5, 4.77)

Team Record (Big Ten): 12-6 (6-3)

2014 Record (Big Ten): 3-2 (0-1)

Last week: Away vs Northwestern (L 20-14)

This week: Home vs Illinois

From last week:

Andersen will get a fair test next weekend as they try to avoid the suffering the same fate against Northwestern as Penn State did last week. With Minnesota and Nebraska both looking better than expected this year, Wisconsin's path to the division title may not be as easy as it seemed when the season started.

Well so much for avoiding the same fate. The loss at Northwestern has Gary Andersen looking for answers at QB but should get time to move past the loss thanks to a home date with Big Ten Cupcake Illinois before a much needed bye week.

Ketterson dropped Andersen as well:

Anderson drops for underachieving (although I'm probably being too hard on a guy who has to play Joel Stave at QB)

9. Randy Edsall (Avg. Score: 8.92 LW #6, 6.21)

Team Record (Big Ten): 17-26 (1-1)

2014 Record (Big Ten): 4-2 (1-1)

Last week: Home vs #20 Ohio State (L 52-24)

This week: Bye Week

Well welcome to the Big Ten Maryland, its not Indiana schools. Fortunately for the Terrapins they get a break before hosting another big name of the Big Ten, Iowa.

10. Kirk Ferentz (Avg. Score: 9.08 LW #9, 8.86)

Team Record (Big Ten): 111-80 (65-56)

2014 Record (Big Ten): 4-1 (1-0)

Last week: Bye Week

This week: Home vs Indiana

Ferentz and Iowa will begin a fairly easy schedule over the next few weeks before ending with some big names traveling to Kinnick Stadium. Iowa has potential to have a good season in a topsy-turvy year for the conference but to do so they'll have to find the consistency that has been lost in Ferentz's last few years;

Ketterson had some amusing comments about the long tenured Iowa coach:

I don't care what Iowa's record is. Ferentz has an unfair advantage coaching for a school that has no expectations or performance standards. A man should not be allowed to work under such slight pressure.

11. Kevin Wilson (Avg. Score: 9.67 LW #11, 9.71)

Team Record (Big Ten): 13-28 (5-20)

2014 Record (Big Ten): 3-2 (0-1)

Last week: Home vs North Texas (W 49-24)

This week: Away vs Iowa

What is a win over North Texas at home worth? 0.04 in average score. This is an Indiana team that beat Missouri (who is ranked again) but they have yet to show that was the rule rather the exception. A win in Iowa would give IU a lot of momentum going into their home date with MSU, but a loss could turn a 3-2 bowl bound team into a floundering 3-4 team real quickly.

12. Darrell Hazell (Avg. Score: 11.67 LW #12, 11.67)

Team Record (Big Ten): 4-14 (1-9)

2014 Record (Big Ten): 3-3 (1-1)

Last week: Away vs Illinois (W 38-27)

This week: Home vs #8 Michigan State

Hazell still has not HAS won a Big Ten game. Wait against Illinois? Does that count? Checking. Yep it counts!

I repeat Hazell WON a Big Ten game!!!! What is that worth? Well in the rankings nothing. Absolutely nothing. Still a win is a win is a win.

13. Tim Beckman (Avg. Score: 13.42 LW #13, 12.64)

Team Record (Big Ten): 9-21 (1-17)

2014 Record (Big Ten): 3-3 (0-2)

Last week: Home vs Purdue (L 38-27)

This week: Away vs Wisconsin

Beckman's few remaining supporters have turned on him. He needs to go and he needs to go soon.

14. Brady Hoke (Avg. Score: 13.58 LW #14, 13.57)

Team Record (Big Ten): 28-17 (15-11)

2014 Record (Big Ten): 2-4 (0-2)

Last week: Away vs Rutgers (L 26-24)

This week: Home vs Penn State

From last week:

The first shutout since 1984.

The first lost against Minnesota since 2005 and only second since 1987.

The first time having three losses before October ever.

Let's just go ahead and add these:

• First Big Ten win for Rutgers
• First 2-4 start since 2008
• First 0-2 Big Ten start since 1967

Brady Hoke and Tim Beckman will have a steel cage match at halftime of the B1G championship game to determine who is fired and who gets to stay in 2015. Tim Brewster will officiate.

If it was possible, I would have Beckman and Hoke tied for last place. I think Beckman barely takes the last place spot given that the loss to Purdue makes him 1-17 in conference play.

Beckman is #2 in the B1G Dead Man Walking rankings. #1 of course is Brady "Taco" Hoke. Told at separate times Saturday night by a now vigilant Wolverine team doc that young athletes with concussions, broken tibias & ruptured testicles cannot play, Coach Hoke blamed a short bench for the loss to Rutgers and said they were still all in it together. If he'd just clap 3 times, he'd earn a free licensed Mack Brown 2013 T-shirt.

Brady Hoke still comes in at #14. Tim Beckman would be there, but he doesn't play concussed players so...