Nebraska Football: Big Ten Power Rankings shakeout after Week 3

The Penn State Nittany Lions are the only team in the top three that actually have a conference win so far this season. That came in a come-from-behind victory against Purdue that has sort of set PSU’s pace for the rest of the season.

Following that 35-31 victory, the Nittany Lions have manhandled their opponents, beating Ohio 46-10 and then dismantling Auburn 41-12. While the Tigers might not be as good as they have been in prior seasons, going into Auburn and winning by 29 is quite the accomplishment.

The Golden Gophers have been singing from the same hymnbook as Ohio State and Michigan this year. They’ve looked absolutely dominant but have also played some very inferior talent. Still, like the Wolverines, they’ve taken care of business, outscoring teams 149-17. There was a time when the Nebraska football team used to do that sort of thing.

That level of dominance allows the Gophers to be right at the top of the next tier of teams in the Big Ten Power Rankings. At the moment, they’re looking like a team that could indeed challenge the conference royalty when they play head-to-head.

As we move into the middle of the pack, things tighten up a bit when it comes to who is poised to make a push towards the top of the heap. While Michigan State lost this weekend, they did it against a Washington Huskies team that actually looks like it could make some real noise in the Pac-12.

The Spartans also had a period of time in the 4th quarter where it looked like they might rally to win. Being this high in the Big Ten Power Rankings after a loss shows the level of competition the Nebraska football team, Wisconsin, and others have played so far this year.

The Badgers are in the same kind of boat as Michigan State is that they’re getting a bit more love than teams below them that are still undefeated. While that loss to Washington State in Week 2 was ugly, they’ve looked like a powerhouse otherwise.

Until proven otherwise, the Badgers are expected to be one of the best teams in the conference. They started looking like it against this weekend.

What Rutgers has been able to do so far this year is quite impressive. It feels like it’s been a really long time since the Scarlet Knights were 3-0 and were doing that against teams that actually had a pulse.

Granted, Rutgers isn’t beating powerhouses. They have a one-point win over Boston College and a two-point win over Temple. Sandwiched between those is a blowout over FCS Wagner. Still, they’re off to a great start and deserve to be fairly high in the Big Ten Power Rankings.

Maryland is yet another team that has benefitted greatly from a relatively easy schedule. However, they get to leap frog a few teams this week thanks to their 34-27 victory over the SMU Mustangs.

SMU is hardly a power house, but they do have a very strong offense and the Terps were still able to top them. It’s unlikely Maryland is going to compete for a Big Ten East title. They’re just not as good as the top teams in the division. But they could be bowling this season for sure.

The Illini were the only Big Ten team to have a bye this week and they paid the price a bit in the Power Rankings. While they are 0-1 in the conference, that was a one-point loss and Illinois has looked strong in their other games this year.

With their last second win over Western Kentucky, Indiana logged its third victory of the season, already surpassing last year’s total. Even with a win over Illinois, the Hoosiers are ranked this low because while they’ve been winning, they haven’t been particularly impressive victories.

Including a close, come from behind win over Illinois, they haven’t won any game by more than three points. That includes against foes like Idaho and the Hilltoppers. Still, the season has already been an improvement, no matter how it goes from here.