Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
Week 3 Big Ten Power Rankings:
1. Ohio State Buckeyes- The Buckeyes conquered San Diego State last week 42-7 but lost star quarterback Braxton Miller in the process. Will that hurt the Buckeyes? Time will tell, possibly as early this weekend when they take on the California Golden Bears in Berkeley this weekend.
Next Game: Saturday September 14 @ California 7:00 PM ET (FOX)
2. Michigan Wolverines- The Wolverines had the best win for the conference over Notre Dame this past weekend 41-30. The Wolverines don’t figure to be tested until they hit conference play as they host Akron this week and then close out non-conference play against Connecticut on the road.
Next Game: Saturday September 14 vs. Akron Noon ET (BTN)
3. Northwestern Wildcats- The Wildcats come off of a win for second straight week against a BCS conference opponent. This past week they defeated Syracuse 48-27. The Wildcats won’t face a true test until they host Ohio State and travel to Wisconsin to begin conference play.
Next Game: Saturday September 14 vs. Western Michigan 9:00 PM ET (BTN)
4. Wisconsin Badgers- The Badgers have opened the season with two shutouts for the first time since 1958, which is very impressive. With that being said, they haven’t played anyone of note yet. This week we will learn a lot more about the Badgers as they travel to Tempe, AZ to face the Arizona State Sun Devils.
Next Game: Saturday September 14 @ Arizona State 10:30 PM ET (ESPN)
5. Nebraska Cornhuskers- The Huskers improved last week on defense against an inferior opponent in Southern Miss. This week brings a different animal in the UCLA Bruins. The Bruins beat the Huskers last year. This will show us just what kind of team the Huskers will be in 2013.
Next Game: Saturday September 14 vs. UCLA Noon ET (ABC)
6. Penn State Nittany Lions- The Nittany Lions continued their winning ways this week with a dominating performance over Eastern Michigan. This week they have a dangerous matchup with Central Florida, a bowl winning team from a year ago. If the Nittany Lions can survive this and one of the aforementioned teams’ falls they can move up.
Next Game: Saturday September 14 vs. Central Florida 6:00 PM ET (BTN)
7. Illinois Fighting Illini- The Fighting Illini were thought by many to be the worst in The Big Ten Conference before the season started. Fast forward to now and they have gone through two games. One being a close game against an inferior FCS team and then they dominated Cincinnati, a team that no one thought the Illini could beat. Their Cincinnati victory was by far the most surprising result in week two. This week competition again gets tough as they host Washington at Soldier Field.
Next Game: Saturday September 14 vs. Washington 6:00 PM ET (Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois) (BTN)
8. Minnesota Golden Gophers- The Gophers dominated another team they were supposed to in New Mexico State on the road. The Gophers have it easy this week before they take on San Jose State in a couple of weeks.
Next Game: Saturday September 14 vs. Western Illinois Noon ET (BTN)
9. Michigan State Spartans- The Spartans are still unbeaten but how much longer is question. They have a cupcake this week against Youngstown State before we find out what they’re really made of when they take on Notre Dame in South Bend. The offense still looked awful, but the defense remains one of the best in the country.
Next Game: Saturday September 14 vs. Youngstown State 2:00 PM ET (BTN)
10. Indiana Hoosiers- The Hoosiers lost a heart breaker at home to Navy. The schedule isn’t getting any easier as they host Missouri this week and face Bowling Green the next. They’re the polar opposite of Michigan State as they need improvement on defense.
Next Game: Saturday September 14 vs. Missouri 8:00 PM ET (BTN)
11. Iowa Hawkeyes- The good news is the Hawkeyes won a game this past week against Missouri State. The bad news is they weren’t very convincing in the win.
Next Game: Saturday September 14 @ Iowa State 6:00 PM ET (FS1)
12. Purdue Boilermakers- The Boilermakers escaped with a 20-14 win over Indiana State. To make matters worse the Boilermakers have to play a mad Notre Dame team who is coming off a loss to Michigan. Purdue has to improve everywhere and fast. If they don’t this could be a dreadful year.
Next Game: Saturday September 14 vs. Notre Dame 8:00 PM ET (ABC)