Big Ten football is back, and we’ve seen two weeks of action already (okay, scratch the term already). What we thought we knew going into the very delayed season thanks to the coronavirus pandemic has changed substantially from to start off the season.
Then, it changed again when week two rolled around and some of what we thought we knew from where we originally ranked teams after week one came crashing down in Ann Arbor (sorry, I had to).
It makes you wonder what next week will hold.
Regardless, we are soldiering on here at Buckeyes Wire and continuing to do our best to make sense of it all with our weekly power rankings of how the Big Ten conference looks.
Here we go after week two …
14. Illinois (0-2) – last week (13)
We sure thought the Fighting Illini were on an upward trajectory coming into 2020, but two-losses to start the season and we are reminded that you cannot let those in Champaign keep an eye on nice things. They will break them.
13. Minnesota (0-2) – last week (9)
It felt like P.J. Fleck had a culture and program changing season last year, but so far this year, the wholesale changes on defense have been hard to replace.
12. Nebraska (0-1) – last week (10)
Nebraska put up a fight against Ohio State in the first half of week one, but had no fight to bring because of the canceled game against Wisconsin. We’ll reserve judgment for now.
11. Iowa (0-2) – last week (8)
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
10. Maryland (1-1) – last week (14)
If Schizophrenia were a football team, it would have a Maryland flag plastered on its helmet. I feel pretty solid that the ‘Terps are not good at American football, but they did win a game, so we’ll move them up for now.
9. Michigan (1-2) – last week (3)
I have no words. The Wolverine fans have to be insufferable after a big inflating week one, only to have a new pair of khakis ripped out in the seat pants again.
8. Michigan State (1-1) – last week (12)
So that’s what it looks like to not turn the ball over seven times eh? Add that to a big-play offense and maybe this team goes somewhere this year.
7. Rutgers (1-1) – last week (11)
The Scarlet Knights have that big win over Michigan State, but things didn’t go so well against Indiana last week. Still, chaos has ensued in the league and this team does look better, so we’ve moved the wood-choppers up.
6. Penn State (0-2) – last week (5)
Queue up the “this might be the best 0-2 team in America” comments. Goodbye expectations, hello reality after a humble beating by Ohio State.
Next … 5 thru 1
5. Purdue (2-0) – last week (7)
I’m not sure anyone is watching, but Purdue has actually looked like a real, live college football team so far in 2020. And get this; if the Wisconsin game can’t happen this weekend, the Boilers have a very, very navigatable schedule. There’s almost a lock for a bowl bid.
4. Northwestern (2-0) – last week (6)
Take what we said about Iowa and turn it around into an unexpected year in Evanston. One of those pleasant-surprise-Pat-Fitzgerald-contract-extension kind of seasons.
3. Indiana (2-0) – last week (4)
Ride the high while you can Hoosiers. Next up is Michigan, followed by road games at Michigan State and Ohio State. There’s also a contest at Camp Randall against Wisconsin down the road.
2. Wisconsin (1-0) – last week (2)
The Badgers looked fantastic in week one, now we just have to see how post-pandemic shutdown Wisconsin looks when play resumes. We are supposed to get an update on the game against Purdue on Tuesday.
1. Ohio State (2-0) – last week (1)
Ohio State is very good. Justin Fields is fantastic. The water boy can sling Gatorade in the mouths of fast-twitch type players in Columbus. That is all.
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