Big Ten football is back, and we’ve now seen three weeks of action (well, for most). What we thought we knew going into the very delayed season thanks to the coronavirus pandemic has changed substantially from the start of the 2020 conference campaign.
The third week of play continued to give us surprises with Maryland making it look like Penn State forgot what American football was, Indiana remaining undefeated, and Wisconsin still sitting on the sidelines with COVID-19 protocols.
It’s all been a crazy year and a zany football season. It makes you wonder what next week will hold.
Regardless, it’s not holding us back here at Buckeyes Wire. Each week we take a look at the pecking order in the conference, and here’s how we see it after another week. It’s our week three Big Ten football Power Rankings.
Next … 14 thru 11
Teams trying to stay out of the cellar
#Gophers get the win in Illinois! pic.twitter.com/PW8rpoUjby
— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) November 7, 2020
14. Illinois (0-3) – last week (14)
It’s now clear that Illinois is not back, was not back, and may never be back after a blowout loss at home against Minnesota. You could say the Fighting Illini got “boat raced.”
13. Penn State (0-3) – last week (6)
It feels foolhardy to put the Nittany Lions here, but at this point, they are what their record says. Getting whooped at home by Iowa cemented the deal. “We Are” … winless.
12. Minnesota (1-2) – last week (13)
Well, there you are Minnesota. After some significant challenges, the first couple of weeks, the Gophers finally put the oars in the water and ran right over Illinois. We need to see more though.
11. Nebraska (0-2) – last week (12)
This Iowa program is about as inconsistent as the weather in the Midwest this time of year. It’s looking like one of those unexpected years in Iowa City, and not in a pleasant-surprise-Kirk-Ferentz-contract-extension kind of way.
Next … 10 thru 6
Teams looking for respect
Dominant Dub | #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/VSx06fu4oL
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) November 9, 2020
10. Michigan (1-2) – last week (9)
Look at the bright side Michigan fans. At least the expectation bubble was burst sooner this year. Now you can get on with your collective lives after another loss, this time to Indiana.
9. Michigan State (1-2) – last week (8)
I still don’t know what this team is, other than not good. Way to get up for the Michigan game. Way to get down for Iowa.
8. Rutgers (1-1) – last week (7)
Look, I know this might sound high for the Scarlet Knights, but they beat Michigan State and showed some punch in the second half against Ohio State. It’ll probably last as long as winter sunshine in the Midwest.
7. Iowa (1-2) – last week (11)
Iowa has been a bit snakebitten but finally got a big and impressive win under its belt Saturday. Never fear though because that means there will be a big loss soon for a program that has been as consistent as election laws.
6. Maryland (2-1) – last week (10)
The Terrapins look like a bowl team this year, and that’s no joke. Those helmets though, laugh away.
Next … 5 thru 1
The contenders … for now
Dub column.#GoBuckeyes #Fight pic.twitter.com/UP3aNyvjIR
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) November 8, 2020
5. Purdue (2-0) – last week (5)
The Boilermakers couldn’t play last week, so we’ll keep them here for now. Next is a big one against Northwestern. The winner takes the lead for the surprise team of the year.
4. Northwestern (3-0) – last week (4)
Who saw this coming for Northwestern? Who saw Northwestern having such a down year last year? Who sees Northwestern losing to Illinois when it’s all said and done. Would you put it past the program that loves to surprise?
3. Indiana (3-0) – last week (3)
Indiana is in the waiting room for the surprise team of the year and it looks legit. Michael Penix, Jr, is a hoot to watch, and so is a good football team in Bloomington.
2. Wisconsin (1-0) – last week (2)
I thought about moving Indiana up over Wisconsin, but the Badgers still left an impression from the last time they played in week one. We’ll know more after this week’s game against Michigan in the not as Big as it used to be House.
1. Ohio State (3-0) – last week (1)
The Buckeyes showed some warts in the second half, but that was after Rutgers went into the bag of tricks more than a cruise line magician. This is still one of the best teams in the country, and we’ll see it as the season wears on.
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