Here we go again. Another week down in the Big Ten and it’s still looking like Ohio State and Michigan are on a collision course after the Buckeyes used a dominant fourth quarter to beat Penn State and the Wolverines took care of the Spartans in a slow, methodical business-like game at home.
Outside of that, it sure is looking like Illinois has the inside track to win the West after disposing of Nebraska soundly while all of the others in the division are more inconsistent than a politician’s stance on an important issue.
After each week we reassess what happened in the heartland and try to make sense of what the pecking order is in the Big Ten and so it is after Week 9. We’re about to hit November when championship teams are forged.
14
Northwestern Wildcats (1-7, 1-4)
Last Week
Lost at Iowa, 33-13
| Previous week | Change |
| 14 | no change |
The Wildcats haven’t won a game on American soil in over a year. It was a win over Rutgers on Oct. 17, 2021. That’s all that needs to be said. This team is limping to the end of the regular season on one leg. David had better odds against Goliath in biblical sportsbooks and the outcome will not be repeated against visiting Ohio State next week.
Next Up
vs. Ohio State
13
Indiana Hoosiers (3-5, 1-4)
Last Week
Idle
| Previous week | Change |
| 13 | no change |
Indiana was idle this week but we’ve kind of seen the problems in Bloomington. The real question is: How did this team beat Illinois early in the year?
Next Up
vs. Penn State
12
Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-4, 1-4)
Last Week
Lost at Minnesota, 31-0
| Previous week | Change |
| 12 | no change |
The Scarlet Knights are clearly one of the worst three teams in the league and still need two games to become bowl-eligible. That’s probably not going to happen, and you have to wonder when some of the positive signs we’ve seen under Greg Schiano will pay off to a more competitive level in the Big Ten.
Next Up
vs. Michigan
11
Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-5, 2-3)
Last Week
Lost vs. Illinois, 26-9
| Previous week | Change |
| 11 | no change |
Things have looked better in Lincoln since the firing of Scott Frost, but this is still a wildly inconsistent team with a very low ceiling. It’ll most likely be another year of sitting at home for the postseason.
Next Up
vs. Minnesota
10
Iowa Hawkeyes (4-4, 2-3)
Last Week
Won vs. Northwestern, 33-13
| Previous week | Change |
| 10 | no change |
Iowa actually scored 33 points this week which feels like about 150 with the way the offense has been in 2022. It has to be nice to win a game easily, but we have to remember that it was against a Northwestern team that simply isn’t very good at the game of American football. Just two more wins and the Hawkeyes will be bowl eligible.
Next Up
at Purdue
9
Wisconsin Badgers (4-4, 2-3)
Last Week
Idle
| Previous week | Change |
| 9 | no change |
Wisconsin had a chance to rest this week and will get ready for the home stretch. The Badgers need a ton of help to get back in the West division race, but they can still go somewhere warm for the postseason. It’s simply not the Wisconsin team we’ve been accustomed to seeing over the last couple of decades or so.
Next Up
vs. Maryland
8
Michigan State Spartans (3-5, 1-4)
Last Week
Lost at Michigan, 29-7
| Previous week | Change |
| 8 | no change |
It would be easy to look at the Spartans’ record and say that we’re giving them too much credit. The reality is injuries have hurt significantly and the schedule has been brutal. It doesn’t get any easier with a road trip to Illinois on tap. Sparty will have to find a way to win three of the last four games to hit the road in the postseason.
Next Up
at Illinois
7
Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-3, 2-3)
Last Week
Win vs. Rutgers, 31-0
| Previous week | Change |
| 7 | no change |
OK, so it was a nice bounce-back win for Minnesota that still has an outside shot at finding its way into a group of teams among the best in the West. The Gophers need a lot of help, but should at least go bowling at the end of the year.
Next Up
vs. Nebraska
6
Purdue Boilermakers (5-3, 3-2)
Last Week
Idle
| Previous week | Change |
| 6 | no change |
Purdue probably would have liked to be on the field this week to get back in the win column, but maybe the week off will help find its top form for the finishing kick of the Big Ten season. If any team is going to catch Illinois, it might be the Boilermakers. First, they have to find a way to beat a good defensive Iowa team, then it’s off to a big one against the Illini.
Next Up
vs. Iowa
5
Maryland Terrapins (6-2, 3-2)
Last Week
Idle
| Previous week | Change |
| 5 | no change |
Maryland is already bowl-eligible and probably doesn’t have a shot at the East division title save for some very surprising results by either Ohio State or Michigan. It’s been a good year, and now the Terps might set their sites on trying to ruin OSU’s journey in a couple of weeks.
Next Up
at Wisconsin
4
Illinois Fighting Illini (7-1, 4-1)
Last Week
Won vs. Nebraska, 26-9
| Previous week | Change |
| 4 | no change |
Illinois might be the best story in college football this year. It just keeps on winning and proving people wrong. The schedule hasn’t been all that tough though, and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone that thinks Bret Bielema’s squad is better than the three ahead in these power rankings.
Next Up
vs. Michigan State
3
Penn State Nittany Lions (6-2, 3-2)
Last Week
Lost vs. Ohio State, 44-31
| Previous week | Change |
| 3 | no change |
The Nittany Lions have lost two games in a row, but they were against the two best teams in the league and two of the best teams in the country. Penn State gave Ohio State all it could handle into the fourth quarter but couldn’t finish the deal. This team is still a pretty good ball club and will head into a pretty good bowl game at the end of the 2022 rainbow.
Next Up
at Indiana
2
Michigan Wolverines (8-0, 5-0)
Last Week
Won vs. Michigan State, 29-7
| Previous week | Change |
| 2 | no change |
Michigan continues to roll and got the Michigan State monkey off its back Saturday night. The passing game may not be that explosive, but the running game and physical nature of this team sure seem to be on a collision course with the colors of scarlet and gray.
Next Up
at Rutgers
1
Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0, 5-0)
Last Week
Won vs. Penn State, 44-31
| Previous week | Change |
| 1 | no change |
Ohio State got a stiff test from Penn State this past weekend but found a way to shift into a higher gear in the fourth quarter and pull away. The combination of offense and defense might be the best in the country. The Buckeyes have a few more games before the massive clash with Michigan on November 26.
Next Up
at Northwestern
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