Michigan got its first real test of the season and failed in dramatic fashion. Here’s our fifth edition of Big Ten Power Rankings:
14. Rutgers 1-2 (Last Week: 14)
Rutgers lost by 14 at home to Boston College over the weekend and keeps the bottom spot locked up.
13. Illinois 2-2 (Last Week: 13)
Iillinois has ruined its nice start to the season with back to back losses. It blew a 14-point second-half lead against Nebraska on Saturday.
12. Purdue 1-2 (Last Week: 12)
Purdue was on a bye week, but the loss to TCU looks worse after the Horned Frogs lost to SMU.
11. Nebraska 3-1 (Last Week: 11)
The bottom four stays the same after Nebraska struggled with Illinois. A big game against Ohio State awaits.
10. Minnesota 3-0 (Last Week: 9)
Minnesota had a bye week and will take on Purdue this Saturday.
9. Maryland 2-1 (Last Week: 8)
Maryland was on a bye last week as well, but gets the bump down it should have last week now thanks to Indiana winning.
8. Indiana 2-1 (Last Week: 10)
UConn isn’t very good, but IU took care of business in convincing fashion even with backup quarterback Peyton Ramsey. It’s enough to bump this squad back up to No. 8.
7. Northwestern 1-2 (Last Week: 6)
I’ve been high on Northwestern all year, but it’s starting to appear that my faith was misplaced. The Wildcats laid an egg against Michigan State and probably should be ranked worse than this. They’ve officially dropped down to the lower tier of teams in the Big Ten.
6. Michigan State 2-1 (Last Week: 7)
MSU picked up a quality road win, defeating Northwestern handily. It’s been an odd year so far for the Spartans, who appear good enough to win every game they play but are so inconsistent that they could also lose any game. They move up to No. 6 for now, but another Michigan collapse would allow them to move up.
5. Michigan 2-1 (Last Week: 4)
It was an absolute disaster for Michigan last week in Madison. It’s hard to imagine any way the game could’ve gone worse. Jim Harbaugh is squarely on the hot seat and the Wolverines will need to win in a big way in the remaining nine games to make fans feel comfortable sticking with Harbaugh for another season. They looked unprepared and were outmatched in every way. I’d easily understand someone moving U-M down to No. 6 or 7, but one bad loss doesn’t mean this team is worse than Michigan State or Northwestern. We’ll learn just how much, if anything, has changed in two weeks when Michigan battles Iowa.
4. Penn State 3-0 (Last Week: 5)
Penn State was on a bye, but moves up thanks to the ineptitude from the Wolverines.
3. Iowa 3-0 (Last Week: 3)
Yet another team that was on a bye. They get Middle Tennessee State before they travel to Michigan.
2. Wisconsin 3-0 (Last Week: 2)
Wisconsin dominated Michigan, looking not only like the superior team but also like a true conference and playoff contender. Jonathan Taylor is the best running back in the country and Jack Coan might be better than Alex Hornibrook ever was for the Badgers. This is a team to keep an eye on.
1. Ohio State 4-0 (Last Week: 1)
Wisconsin is creeping towards the Ohio State tier, but aren’t there quite yet. OSU dropped a bomb on Miami Ohio, winning 76-5. The Buckeyes might do the same thing to Nebraska this week.