The season is now hitting the home stretch in the Big Ten and in college football in general. We’re now eleven weeks into the college football season, and we have a fairly good feel about who’s in this thing, and who’s not. Michigan continues to be a bit resurgent, Ohio State has clearly separated itself, and everyone else is looking to position themselves for the postseason.
We’re here to make sense of it all, and teams like Penn State and Wisconsin are still right there for a trip to Indy.
As we do each week, here’s your Big Ten football power rankings after the latest round of games. As always, give me a break on these, after being in vacation in Mexico, I had to catch up on This is Us, A Million Little Things, and The Purge. The struggle is real.
14. Rutgers – (Last week 14)
Things aren’t good when a 35-point loss is a moral victory, but that’s what we had when the Scarlet Knights were able to put up 21 points against the Ohio State defense Saturday.
13. Maryland – (Last week 13)
Nothing to see here really. The Terps were on a bye week and it’s still the same Maryland team that’s quite on the season.
12. Northwestern – (Last week 12)
The Wildcats stepped out of conference and finally got another win. It’s still an awful season for Pat Fitzerald and crew.
11. Nebraska – (Last week 11)
Another week, another loss for everybody’s preseason dark horse in the West Division. The ‘Huskers now have to win their last two games just to get to a bowl. That’s sounds like a proverbial corn maze with a gain against Iowa to end things. It’s doable, but you have to make all the right turns.
Next … 10 thru 6
10. Michigan State (Last week 9)
This is where we’re at now with the Spartans. Instead of being competitive every year, there now seems to be a really lean year followed by ramping up for a run at things. This is not the latter. Despite the five game losing streak, a win against Rutgers and Maryland will get the Spartans bowling still.
9. Purdue (Last week 10)
Yeah the Boilers are hanging on in the West with slim hopes of getting bowl eligible, but that likely comes to an end Saturday with a trip to Madison. Jump up, jump up and fall down …
8. Illinois (Last week 9)
We now live in a world where the Fighting Illini are going bowling. Maybe the Democrats and Republicans can get a long after all …
7. Indiana (Last week 6)
The Hooisers almost got it done against Penn State. As good as this team is this year, the program still needs that door busting win against one of the big boys. But look, whenever it’s November and fans aren’t completely turning their gaze to hoops, that’s a good thing in Bloomington.
6. Iowa (Last week 7)
Huge, huge win for the Hawkeyes this past weekend, taking down undefeated Minnesota. The West Division is not in the cards, but there’s still a shot at positioning well for a decent bowl. I wonder how much of a bonus that will be for the crazy contract of Kirk Ferentz.
Next … 5 thru 1
5. Michigan (Last week 5)
As good as Michigan has looked over the last three weeks, it hasn’t been done against the top teams in the league. That changes when Ohio State comes a callin’ in two weeks, but first the sneaky hard one against Indiana on the road. Khakis never looked so ironed and pressed.
4. Wisconsin (Last week 4)
The Badgers defense got exposed a wee bit against Illinois and Ohio State and since then it hasn’t been nearly as dominant. For now, the Badgers are what they are, but this team might just find it’s way still to the Rose Bowl. I mean the West is now in Wisconsin’s control.
3. Penn State (Last week 3)
Penn State is still hanging, hanging around. The defense has been suspect the last couple of weeks, and now it has to figure it all out as it prepares to make the Lord of the Rings journey to Columbus. James Franklin would like to know if the program will finally be elite?
2. Minnesota (Last week 2)
Yeah the row boat finally took on some water Saturday, but this team still controls almost everything it wants. Win the last two and there’s still a very outside shot at some really big things. We can’t put Penn State ahead at this point because of the head-to-head win.
1. Ohio State (Last week 1)
Ohio State is still the class of the league at now 10-0. Heck, it might be the class of the country. Things get real with Penn State coming to town, but we have a haunch the Nittany Lions are a bit overrated. Come to think of it WE ARE sure they are. Let’s get it on for Saturday.
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