Now that every Big Ten football team has played at least one game, the season is really starting to take shape. That means it’s also time for the conference Power Rankings to take shape as well.
While there are plenty of teams that only have one game under their belt, the powers of the Big Ten are already starting to show up. Some of the rankings are going to be no-brainers while others might be up for a bit of debate. And as always, the power rankings are subject to change as the season goes on.
Top of the heap in the Big Ten
1. Ohio State (1-0, 0-0)
There’s very little doubt that the Buckeyes should be right at the top of the list thanks to their 21-10 win over 5th ranked Notre Dame. The matchup with the Fighting Irish means that Ohio State is the only Big Ten school to face off against a ranked opponent so far this year. While the CJ Stroud and the offense struggled at times, they did enough to win and already plant their flag as National Title Contenders this year.
2. Michigan (1-0, 0-0)
The Wolverines didn’t take on an opponent the likes of Notre Dame, but they also didn’t struggle even a little bit. There were some who wondered whether Jim Harbaugh could keep things going after last year. He had a nice start with the 51-7 win over Colorado State on Saturday.
Potential Big Ten challengers
3. Penn State (1-0, 1-0)
After Michigan and Ohio State, things start to get a bit murky. Thanks to a big comeback victory against Purdue, Penn State gets to be at the top of the heap regarding the “best of the rest.” Sean Clifford is going to have plenty of games like his 282 yards and 4 touchdowns in the 35-31 win over the Boilermakers if Penn State wants to hold this spot or go higher.
4. Minnesota (1-0, 0-0)
The Golden Gophers didn’t face off against a really tough opponent in their first game of the year, but they get points here for putting away New Mexico State early and keeping their boot on the Aggies’ neck all game. Minnesota finished with nearly 300 yards rushing and 485 yards of offense total. They allowed just 91 total yards. That’s why they get this spot this week.
5. Michigan State (1-0, 0-0)
The Spartans never looked like a juggernaut, but they did manage to build a strong lead against a decent Western Michigan squad and then held on when the Broncos staged a bit of a comeback. One big question for MSU is where is their offense going to come from this year. Jalen Berger staked his claim as the sophomore carried 16 times for 120 yards and a touchdown in the Spartans’ 35-13 victory.
6. Wisconsin (1-0, 0-0)
Wisconsin playing an FCS school is the biggest reason why they’re this low in the first Big Ten power rankings. The Badgers did notch a solid 38-0 win over Illinois State, but it didn’t have the dominance level of Minnesota. However, Wiscy did show off the fact that they might have another star back in Braelon Allen, who had 148 yards on 14 carries. Granted, most of that came on one 96-yard dash.
7. Rutgers (1-0, 0-0)
Yes, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights are really this high in the first Big Ten power rankings of the season, thanks to their 22-21, come-from-behind win against a Boston College team that went to a bowl a year ago. Rutgers trailed 14-6 at the half and 21-15 in the fourth quarter before a 21-yard Al-Shadee Salaam touchdown run won them the game. The Scarlet Knights did this without starting quarterback Noah Vedral as well.
8. Purdue (0-1, 0-1)
It feels difficult to rank a team that started the year 0-1 this high, but in all honesty, it seems like the Boilermakers will be much higher than this in no time at all. They almost managed to knock off Penn State in their season opener. Some very poor play at the end of the first half and the end of the game is why they’re this low. They’re going to need to show they can iron out those issues if they want to be higher in the next Big Ten football power rankings.
9. Indiana (1-0, 1-0)
The Indiana Hoosiers were able to pull off a last second comeback against an Illinois team that handled itself quite well against Wyoming in Week 0. The Hoosiers’ 23-20 victory gets them just ahead of the rest of the conference.
10. Iowa (1-0, 0-0)
The Iowa Hawkeyes started the season the way it feels like they start most seasons. They got the “W” but it was far from an impressive victory. In fact, the Hawkeyes needed two sacks of the South Dakota State quarterback in the end zone in order to win. That 7-3 score is misleading, considering Iowa never found the end zone.
Big Ten bottom feeders
11. Maryland (1-0, 0-0)
The Terapins might have had the most under the radar victory of Week 1 in the Big Ten. There just weren’t a whole lot of people paying attention to their 31-10 victory over Buffalo. That’s despite the fact that Taulia Tagovailoa had himself a heck of a game, passing for 297 yards. Roman Hemby showed something two as he ran for 114 yards and two touchdowns on just 7 carries.
12. Illinois (1-1, 0-1)
The Illini are just a hair’s breath away from being 2-0 and 1-0 in the Big Ten. However, after a rather impressive victory against Wyoming, they looked rather pedestrian against an Indiana team that went 2-10 last year.
13. Northwestern (1-0, 1-0)
The Wildcats aren’t expected to be a very good team this year. That’s why they’re this low despite being one of the undefeated teams in the Big Ten. The fact that their win is over the Nebraska Cornhuskers is another reason why they aren’t rated higher.
14. Nebraska (1-1, 0-1)
The Nebraska football team brings up the rear in the first Big Ten power rankings thanks to its loss to Northwestern and a win that was more than a little nerve wracking over FCS North Dakota. The Huskers will have a chance to move up the rankings quickly, if they can reel off several wins in a row over the next month.