Big Ten Power Poll: Week 13
It's time to update the BadgerBlitz.com Big Ten Power Poll, where Jon McNamara, Jon Gorman, Zack Miller and I will rank the Big Ten teams from 1 to 12 every week.
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I complied the list in a traditional power poll style- a first place vote was good for 12 points, a second place one for 11, and so on.
1. Ohio State (11-0, 7-0 Big Ten) - 48 points (4 1st place votes)
Weekly change: None
Last game: defeated Indiana 42-14
The Buckeyes can breathe a little easier, now that Baylor is out of the picture. The Buckeyes are in prime position to sneak in to the national title game if either Alabama or Florida State stumble over the last two weeks, but Ohio State will have to take care of business against Michigan and Michigan State first. That won't be an easy task, especially in the Big Ten Championship Game.
2. Wisconsin (9-2, 6-1) - 44 points
Weekly change: None
Last game: defeated Minnesota 20-7
It was more of a grind-it-out game than a style points game, but the Badgers bounced the Golden Gophers and held on to Paul Bunyan's Axe in the process. That game has put them in a solid position to be eligible for an at-large bid to a BCS bowl game as well. They'll need to hold off Penn State on senior day, but in this case sitting out of the Big Ten Championship Game might benefit them in the end.
3. Michigan State (10-1, 7-0) - 40 points
Weekly change: None
Last game: defeated Northwestern 30-6
The Michigan State Spartans won their second Legends Division title in three seasons with a solid rout of Northwestern, setting up an exciting matchup with Ohio State even if they lose to Minnesota this week. The Spartans still need to beat the Gophers to put themselves in a good position for an at-large BCS bid, but the Spartans' Rose Bowl hopes are still alive too.
4. Iowa (7-4, 4-3) - 34 points
Weekly change: +1
Last game: defeated Michigan 24-21
The Hawkeyes battled back in the second half to send Michigan home with a loss, and are suddenly in range of an 8-win season. Not many people expected the Hawkeyes to make it to a bowl game, let alone win eight games, so as of this writing I'd say that Kirk Ferentz's seat has gotten a little cooler this season. There's still room to grow, but Iowa has made a few strides.
5. Nebraska (8-3, 5-2) - 32 points
Weekly change: +1
Last game: defeated Penn State 23-20 (OT)
Nebraska got a tough road win over Penn State this week, where the Nittany Lions have been significantly better. It's still a disappointing season for the Cornhuskers, but they can finish off their regular season on a strong note if they can beat the Hawkeyes at home this week.
6. Minnesota (8-3, 4-3) - 30 points
Weekly change: -2
Last game: lost to Wisconsin 20-7
The Gophers battled hard against the Badgers and limited Wisconsin's running game, but in the end their offense just wasn't good enough to keep them competitive throughout. The Gophers are on the right track though- if they can start recruiting a little better and build some depth at the skill positions they'll be competitive for a while.
7. Penn State (6-5, 3-4) - 24 points
Weekly change: None
Last game: lost to Nebraska 23-20 (OT)
Penn State took a tough loss at home to a team they could have beaten, but now they'll have to head back out on the road for a game against Wisconsin. The Nittany Lions have struggled on the road this season, and their young offense has a tough hill to climb against an elite Wisconsin defense.
8. Michigan (7-4, 3-4) - 20 points
Weekly change: -1
Last game: lost to Iowa 24-20
Michigan is pretty bad for a seven-win team. You never know what can happen in a big rivalry game, but I'm not expecting this year's game against Ohio State to be particularly close. If the Buckeyes blow out the Wolverines you'll probably hear some of the Michigan faithful calling for a change at the top.
9. Indiana (4-7, 2-5) - 15 points
Weekly change: +1
Last game: lost to Ohio State 42-14
Wave goodbye to a bowl game, Hoosiers fans. Their last chance for a win this season comes this week against Purdue, but with a strong offensive attack it's ok for the Hoosiers to be a little disappointed. They need more than a few players to step up on the defensive side before anyone will really take their bowl hopes seriously.
10. Northwestern (4-7, 0-7) - 13 points
Weekly change: -1
Last game: lost to Michigan State 30-6
Next up in our lineup of Bowl-less wonders, the Northwestern Wildcats. They're on the verge of going winless in the Big Ten after starting the season in the AP Top 25, which would cap off a colossal collapse by Pat Fitzgerald's team. The confusing part is that the Wildcats seem to be playing more conservatively as the season goes on. Now they have just one game to show any kind of progress heading into next season.
11. Illinois (4-7, 1-6) - 9 points
Weekly change: None
Last game: defeated Purdue 20-16
That was an ugly game, but a Big Ten win is a Big Ten win. Tim Beckman's first conference win came against one of the worst Big Ten teams from the past few seasons, but it's something positive to build on for the Illini, who could end the year on a two-game winning streak if they beat Northwestern.
12. Purdue (1-10, 0-7) - 4 points
Weekly change: None
Last game: lost to Illinois 20-16
Purdue gave Illinois a game, but that was likely their best chance for a Big Ten win this season. They'll have a tough rivalry game this week against Indiana this week, but I'm skeptical that they'll be able to win the Old Oaken Bucket.
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