After polling SBNation writers I have counted the votes and determined the one, the only, the weekly Big Ten Coaches Power Rankings. Our voters have gotten a little pessimistic about the coaching outlook in the conference and have offered a few comments to start the rankings this week:
When we started these a couple weeks ago, the Top and Bottom coaches were obvious, but the middle was a mess. As we approach the end of the regular season, the middle is still a mess.
Juan Crespo (jcrespo21) from Hammer & Rails
The gap after the first two coaches remains massive. This league does not have good coaches.
Matt Brown from Land-Grant Holy Land
It can be that bad right? Right? Right.......?
1. Mark Dantonio (Avg. Score: 1.11 LW: #1, 1.11)
Team Record (Big Ten): 71-30 (43-19)
2014 Record (Big Ten): 7-1 (4-0)
Last week: Bye Week
This week: Home vs #14 Ohio State
Win and control your destiny to Indianapolis. Lose you'll need help to reach Indy and the playoff could fall out of reach. This weekend will add a lot of clarity to the Big Ten and could present the best chance for any coach to knock Mark Dantonio off his perch.
Right now, Dantonio is like 80's-90's era Hulk Hogan wearing the strap, cutting promos (check the post-Michigan press conference, bruh-ther!), and even selling some of the jobber matches ( taking Purdue/Koko B Ware into the 4th quarter). But here comes The Iron Sheik/Urban Meyer. (And can't we all picture Urban pulling a "HAWWWK-PTOOOEY" spit at the American flag if he thought it would serve his purposes??)
2. Urban Meyer (Avg. Score: 2.22 LW: #2, 2.23)
Team Record (Big Ten): 31-3 (20-1)
2014 Record (Big Ten): 7-1 (4-0)
Last week: Home vs Illinois (W 55-14)
This week: Away vs #8 Michigan State
See above. Both teams need a quality win like Dave Brandon needs a job but only one team can leave East Lansing alive.
3. Bo Pelini (Avg. Score: 3.44 LW #4, 2.78)
Team Record (Big Ten): 66-25 (21-9)
2014 Record (Big Ten): 8-1 (4-1)
Last week: Home vs Purdue (W 35-14)
This week: Bye Week
Nebraska took care of Purdue but at the cost of Abdullah. Fortunately the All Big Ten back will get a week off before putting the Huskers on his shoulders again in Madison, a game that could decide this division after all. Nebraska has been great all year, but a stretch against Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa will define their season.
Now some food for thought, which team from the Big Ten would have the best chance to lose 2 games and still make the playoff? I'd say it has to be Nebraska. Think about how it plays out, but imagine a two-loss Nebraska team upsetting Michigan State in Indianapolis. Now that first lost is essentially erased and Nebraska could get in over a two-loss SEC team that stayed home.
4. Gary Andersen (Avg. Score: 4.11 LW #6, 6.20)
Team Record (Big Ten): 15-6 (9-3)
2014 Record (Big Ten): 6-2 (3-1)
Last week: Away vs Rutgers (W 37-0)
This week: Away vs Purdue
From last week:
So don't look now but the Badgers are bowl-eligible, ranked and just welcomed Maryland and Rutgers to the league with a combined 89-7 performance. God help the boilermakers this weekend.
5. Jerry Kill (Avg. Score: 6.11 LW #6, 6.78)
Team Record (Big Ten): 23-23 (11-17)
2014 Record (Big Ten): 6-2 (3-1)
Last week: Bye Week
This week: Home vs Iowa
Well Kill jumped since Franklin tripped, but he has a key matchup this weekend in Minnesota. The Gophers get an Iowa team fresh off a 48-7 win over Northwestern before facing Ohio State, Nebraska and Wisconsin. When the season ends either Kill will have proven he earned a week at #3 or we'll be left wondering how he ever got up there in the first place.
6. Randy Edsall (Avg. Score: 6.33 LW #8, 8.11)
Team Record (Big Ten): 19-27 (3-2)
2014 Record (Big Ten): 6-3 (3-2)
Last week: Away vs Penn State (W 20-19)
This week: Bye Week
Well the Terrapins roller coaster season continues with a real Big Ten (read ugly/unwatchable) win in Happy Valley. Now the Terps get a week off before hosting Michigan State. Both Maryland and Rutgers have yet to make a dent in the Big Ten Elite (the closest being Rutgers beating Michigan) but a win against Michigan State to really help build Maryland as one of those Minnesota, Iowa, Northwestern teams that never seem to be good until you're team is playing them for something important.
Edsall showed his team isn't dead yet and can bounce back.
Andy Ketterson
7. Kirk Ferentz (Avg. Score: 6.56 LW #7, 7.44)
Team Record (Big Ten): 113-81 (67-57)
2014 Record (Big Ten): 6-2 (3-1)
Last week: Home vs Northwestern (W 48-7)
This week: Away vs Minnesota
Iowa looked good last saturday. Like really good. Like sleeper in the west good. Iowa travels to Minnesota and Illinois before hosing Nebraska and Wisconsin to close out the season. Given how hard it is to win in Iowa, the Hawkeyes could make a lot of noise down the stretch if they can avoid some upsets on the road.
8. James Franklin (Avg. Score: 8.22 LW #5, 6.33)
Team Record (Big Ten): 4-4 (1-4)
2014 Record (Big Ten): 4-4 (1-4)
Last week: Home vs Maryland (L 20-19)
This week: Away vs Indian
From last week:
On the bright side though, Penn State seems to have found an end to a funk that lasted about 10 quarters and should have a lot of momentum going into a home date with Maryland next week. Franklin does need to be careful though, bowl eligibility looked like a sure thing at 4-0 but now not so much.
Remember when Penn State was the hope for the Big Ten and Hackenberg was the best QB prospect since Andrew Luck? Yeah me neither. Turns out there a two types of momentum that come after a close loss to a great opponent. #1. We are actually good and will go out and win again! #2. We will never play better than that and we still lost... Penn State had #2 on saturday and the result is a 1-4 conference record and a real chance at missing a bowl after being 4-1 and three losses decided by a total of 14 points. The good news? They play Indiana next.
9. Darrell Hazell (Avg. Score: 9.44 LW #11, 10.00)
Team Record (Big Ten): 4-16 (1-11)
2014 Record (Big Ten): 3-5 (1-3)
Last week: Away vs #15 Nebraska (L 35-14)
This week: Home vs #25 Wisconsin
Well I didn't get the upset I wanted but this week WILL BE DIFFERENT!!! BOILER UP!
On a serious note, Hazell is gaining some ground in these rankings as fans and analysts alike cite improved play and toughness behind the first year coach. Hazell and the Boilers have a long way to go but signs of life are definitely there.
Andy continues his praise for the Boilermaker Coach:
Hazell gets a week at #2 for the job he's doing in West Lafayette. Man, they play hard.
10. Pat Fitzgerald (Avg. Score: 10.00 LW #9, 8.22)
Team Record (Big Ten): 58-51 (29-40)
2014 Record (Big Ten): 3-5 (2-3)
Last week: Away vs Iowa (L 48-7)
This week: Home vs Michigan
From last week:
Well Fitz laid an egg in Iowa didn't he? Oh boy that game was ugly. Next up a game against Michigan with a lot of talk about potential links between Fitz, the AD and Michigan. Sounds like a great time.
11. Kyle Flood (Avg. Score: 10.56 LW #10, 9.78)
Team Record (Big Ten): 20-15 (1-4)
2014 Record (Big Ten): 5-4 (1-4)
Last week: Home vs Wisconsin (L 37-0)
This week: Bye Week
Well Rutgers hellacious stretch of Ohio State, Nebraska and Wisconsin comes to a close and the results are less than inspiring. Three losses, 135 points allowed, 41 points scored, 0 respect earned. The good news is they get a bye week and a home date with Indiana. The bad news is they finish on the road against Sparty and Maryland.
12. Kevin Wilson (Avg. Score: 11.56 LW #12, 11.67)
Team Record (Big Ten): 13-31 (5-23)
2014 Record (Big Ten): 3-5 (0-4)
Last week: Away vs Michigan (L 34-10)
This week: Home vs Penn State
Zander Diamont through 8 times for 24 yards against Michigan. 24 yards. There are days when Oregon averages 25 yards a play. There's no way to get past the injuries Indiana has suffered, all they can do is limp through the rest of the season and hope to be healthy and ready to go for next season. It's hard to blame Wilson for the product on the field when the players are volunteers from the closest dining hall.
13. Brady Hoke (Avg. Score: 12.89 LW #14, 14.00)
Team Record (Big Ten): 30-18 (17-12)
2014 Record (Big Ten): 4-5 (2-3)
Last week: Home vs Indiana (W 34-10)
This week: Away vs Northwestern
With Brandon gone, Hoke's job is all but interim. The win on saturday was solid but the competition was less so. Now all Michigan fans can do is sit and pray for a savior from San Francisco, Baltimore or Death Valley while fearing what might happen if Hoke were to win out.
While Andy Ketterson has figured out how Hoke has managed to go so long without inserting his foot into his own mouth:
Hoke managed to actually go a week without committing another major faux pas, but rumor has it that he was padlocked in his office from the outside with assorted Taco Bell $1 value menu items being shoved through the mail slot with a plastic spear.
14. Tim Beckman (Avg. Score: 13.38 LW #13, 12.33)
Team Record (Big Ten): 10-23 (2-19)
2014 Record (Big Ten): 4-5 (1-4)
Last week: Away vs #16 Ohio State (L 55-14)
This week: Bye Week