Big Ten Power Rankings: Minnesota, Wisconsin drop following tough losses
It was a great weekend for some teams, but also a miserable weekend for some too. That includes Minnesota and Wisconsin.
The two rivals that battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe both had troubling losses this weekend and both dropped in this week’s power rankings. Most of the league stayed in the same spot otherwise.
Check out where I rank each of the Big Ten teams following this past weekend’s action:
No. 14: Illinois
Nikos Frazier / Journal & Courier
Previous power ranking: No. 14 (same)
Record: 1-4 (1-2 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Loss at Purdue, 13-9
Illinois drops their fourth straight game and thus remains in the basement of these power rankings. The Fighting Illini were in the game against Purdue but once again came up short late.
No. 13: Minnesota
Harrison Barden/USA TODAY Sports
Previous power ranking: No. 8 (down five spots)
Record: 2-2 (0-1 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Loss vs. Bowling Green, 14-10
Minnesota went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in the past two weeks. The Golden Gophers were favored by more than 30 points against the lowly Falcons of Bowling Green, but somehow came up short in this non-conference matchup. Minnesota takes a major dip in these power rankings.
No. 12: Northwestern
David Banks/USA TODAY Sports
Previous power ranking: No. 12 (up one spot)
Record: 2-2 (0-1 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Win vs. Ohio, 35-6
Northwestern took care of business against a bad MAC team in Ohio. That win isn’t necessarily impressive but gets the Wildcats back to .500 on the year and up one spot in these power rankings.
No. 11: Purdue
Nikos Frazier / Journal & Courier
Previous power ranking: No. 12 (up one spot)
Record: 3-1 (1-0 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Win vs. Illinois, 13-9
Purdue was able to survive an upset bid from Illinois in a low-scoring battle in West Lafayette, Ind. The Boilermakers are halfway to bowl eligibility, and appear to be on the right track to finishing in the upper half of the Big Ten West Division.
No. 10: Indiana
Mike Carter/USA TODAY Sports
Previous power ranking: No. 10 (same)
Record: 2-2 (0-1 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Win at Western Kentucky, 33-31
I’m still not sure what to make of Indiana because of how tough their schedule has been so far. But Saturday’s road win over a solid Western Kentucky squad was a step in the right direction. It was a close game and that will keep me from moving the Hoosiers up in these rankings.
No. 9: Nebraska
Nick King/Lansing State Journal
Previous power ranking: No. 11 (up two spots)
Record: 2-3 (0-2 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Loss at Michigan State, 23-20
Nebraska has proven in back-to-back weeks that they aren’t the same team that many wrote off after their Week 0 loss to Illinois. The Cornhuskers probably should have won against Michigan State on Saturday, and would be much higher in these rankings had they found ways to win their previous two games.
No. 8: Rutgers
Rick Osentoski/USA TODAY Sports
Previous power ranking: No. 7 (down one spot)
Record: 3-1 (0-1 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Loss at Michigan, 20-13
Rutgers had their first real test of the season on Saturday, and they passed in my eyes. I didn’t expect them to win in Ann Arbor but wanted to see if they could at least keep it close — which they did. This is going to be a tough Rutgers squad throughout the entire season it appears.
No. 7: Wisconsin
MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
Previous power ranking: No. 6 (down one spot)
Record: 1-2 (0-1 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Loss vs. Notre Dame, 41-13
The score isn’t an accurate representation of how this game played out. It was a close game up until the fourth quarter before Notre Dame pulled away due to a pair of pick-six touchdowns. Regardless, Wisconsin is not a great team this year and will need a win over Michigan this upcoming week to get their season back on track.
No. 6: Maryland
Tommy Gilligan/USA TODAY Sports
Previous power ranking: No. 9 (up three spots)
Record: 4-0 (1-0 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Win vs. Kent State, 37-16
Maryland saw a nice boost in this week’s power rankings after taking care of business against Kent State. The Terps’ rise in the rankings is somewhat related to numerous teams ahead of them losing, but regardless you need to respect a team that is 4-0 to start the season. Maryland will get their next big test this week against Iowa in a Friday night matchup.
No. 5: Michigan
Junfu Han/Imagn Content Services, LLC
Previous power ranking: No. 5 (same)
Record: 4-0 (1-0 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Win vs. Rutgers, 20-13
Michigan made enough plays to get past a pesky Rutgers team in their Big Ten opener. The Wolverines had to utilize the passing game more than ever before this season, and look like a team more than capable of winning at Wisconsin this upcoming weekend.
No. 4: Michigan State
Nick King/Lansing State Journal
Previous power ranking: No. 4 (same)
Record: 4-0 (2-0 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Win vs. Nebraska, 23-20
Good teams find ways to win games when they aren’t at their best and that’s exactly what Michigan State did on Saturday. The Spartans’ offense was stifled for the first time this year and had to rely on their defense and special teams to survive Nebraska’s upset bid. Michigan State remains here at No. 4 in the power rankings but will drop if they have a similar performance next week against Western Kentucky.
No. 3: Iowa
Bryon Houlgrave/The Register
Previous power ranking: No. 3 (same)
Record: 4-0 (1-0 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Win vs. Colorado State, 24-14
Iowa struggled with a not-very-good Colorado State squad this weekend, which was really the first time we’ve seen the Hawkeyes vulnerable this year. However, a win is a win, and I didn’t see enough from Michigan or Michigan State to move them ahead of Hawkeyes just yet.
No. 2: Ohio State
Nicolas Galindo/The Columbus Dispatch
Previous power ranking: No. 2 (same)
Record: 3-1 (1-0 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Win vs. Akron, 59-7
There’s not much you can take away from the Buckeyes’ huge win over Akron since the Zips are one of the worst teams in the MAC. Ohio State has an interesting road matchup against Rutgers this weekend. Should the Buckeyes dominate the Scarlet Knights, then they could find themselves back at the top of this list.
No. 1: Penn State
Matthew OHaren/USA TODAY Sports
Previous power ranking: No. 1 (same)
Record: 4-0 (1-0 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Win vs. Villanova, 38-17
Penn State keeps things rolling with another solid victory — this time against FCS foe Villanova. Quarterback Sean Clifford threw for a career-high 401 passing yards and is continuing to show he’s much improved from last year. Penn State hosts Indiana this weekend in another tough matchup for the Nittany Lions.
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