Big Ten Power Rankings: How far does MSU drop after another blown opportunity on Saturday?
It was another frustrating week for the Spartans on the hardwood.
Michigan State looked poised for a big-time victory over Rutgers on Saturday but as we’ve seen a lot lately, they couldn’t finish the game strong enough to earn the win. It was yet another blown opportunity for the Spartans and they’ll again be in a must-win situation against Maryland on Tuesday.
With Saturday’s loss to Rutgers, how far do the Spartans drop in our weekly power rankings? See where the Michigan State and the rest of the Big Ten teams land in our latest batch of power rankings:
Minnesota
Record: 7-15 (1-11 in Big Ten)
Minnesota didn’t just lose this past week but was dominated in both of their matchups. The Golden Gophers lost to Rutgers and Maryland by 35 points in each game — that’s a real bad look for Minnesota.
Ohio State
Record: 11-12 (3-9 in Big Ten)
The Buckeyes had a pair of big-time games this week that they had to have and they lost them both. Ohio State first lost a home matchup against Wisconsin and then followed it up with a deflating loss at Michigan. The Buckeyes have been by far the biggest disappointment in the Big Ten this year.
Nebraska
Record: 11-13 (4-9 in Big Ten)
Nebraska continues to be pesky as they picked up a victory over Penn State on Sunday afternoon. This was another instance where the Cornhuskers proved that they are capable of beating anyone despite lacking the consistency to be an upper-tier team in the league.
Penn State
Record: 14-9 (5-7 in Big Ten)
Penn State took a pair of losses this past week that they couldn’t afford to take. Losing at Purdue isn’t going to harm you but losing at Nebraska on Sunday was a tough blow to the Nittany Lions’ NCAA Tournament chances. They’ll still have more opportunities to make up for that loss but it wasn’t a good week in Happy Valley.
Wisconsin
Record: 13-9 (5-7 in Big Ten)
It was a mixed bag for the bubble Badgers this past week. Wisconsin picked up a tough road win over Ohio State earlier in the week but let another opportunity slip away in a late-game loss to Northwestern on Sunday. That would have been a nice win for the Badgers who are firmly on the bubble right now.
Northwestern
Record: 16-7 (7-5 in Big Ten)
It wasn’t a great week for the Wildcats but it at least ended on a high-note. After losing to Iowa and Michigan during mid-week matchups, Northwestern stole a road game at Wisconsin on Sunday evening. The win certainly will boost their NCAA Tournament stock and keeps the Wildcats in great position to go dancing this March.
Michigan
Record: 13-10 (7-5 in Big Ten)
Could Michigan finally be turning the corner and looking like the team we expected them to be entering the season? The Wolverines picked up a pair of much-needed win this past week at Northwestern and home against Ohio State. Those aren’t necessarily marquee wins but it’s clear the Wolverines have started to play better as of late and could potentially be gearing up for a strong finish.
Michigan State
Record: 14-9 (6-6 in Big Ten)
Michigan State is in the midst of their annual mid-season slump and this one feels even worse than most years. The Spartans blew an opportunity to pick up a big-time victory over Rutgers on Saturday, letting an eight-point second half lead slip away. Michigan State has lost five of their last seven games and is desperately in need of a pair of wins next week.
Maryland
Record: 16-7 (7-5 in Big Ten)
Maryland is continuing to impress me with two more wins to extend their winning streak to four games. The Terps have won five of their last six games with the only loss being by three at Purdue. Maryland comes to the Breslin Center on Tuesday in a big-time matchup for both teams.
Iowa
Record: 15-8 (7-5 in Big Ten)
Iowa had a strong week with a pair of home victories over NCAA Tournament quality teams in Northwestern and Illinois. Those two wins help beef up the Hawkeyes’ tournament resume and they’ll get another big test next time out at Purdue on Thursday.
Rutgers
Record: 16-7 (8-4 in Big Ten)
Rutgers rallied in the second half to knock off the Spartans at MSG on Saturday. That win capped off a 2-0 week for the Scarlet Knights, who are back near the top of the league in our updated power rankings.
Illinois
Record: 16-7 (7-5 in Big Ten)
Illinois’ three-game winning streak was snapped on Saturday at Iowa. The loss hurts since Illinois held a sizeable lead in the second half but weren’t able to finish off the Hawkeyes. This loss, however, isn’t enough for me to drop the Fighting Illini too much in this week’s rankings.
Indiana
Record: 16-7 (7-5 in Big Ten)
Indiana had a rough outing against Maryland earlier in the week but came through on Saturday to knock off the top-ranked Boilermakers. The Hoosiers needed that massive win for their NCAA Tournament resume and can build off that as we move towards March.
Purdue
Record: 22-2 (11-2 in Big Ten)
Purdue lost for only the second time this year at Indiana on Saturday. That loss hurts as you never want to lose your rival but Purdue still has a commanding lead in the Big Ten title race and remains our clear top team in the power rankings.
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