BadgerBlitz.com's power poll is back for another season, where Jon McNamara, Jessi Schoville and I will rank the Big Ten teams after each week of action.
Our ranks following the latest round of conference play are included below.
No. 1 - Ohio State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) ... 3 first place votes (Veldhuis, McNamara, Schoville)
No arguments at the top this week. The Buckeyes didn't play their best game against Wisconsin last weekend, but still found a way to pull out the win in overtime. That was probably the Big Ten's game of the year to this point, and OSU's matchup with Michigan should be epic.
No. 2 - Michigan (6-0, 3-0)
The Wolverines had a bye this week, and are counting down the weeks until they get their shot at the No. 2 Buckeyes. The game is in Columbus this year, and should be one for the ages with the winner going on to the Big Ten championship game with playoff hopes on the line.
No. 3 - Wisconsin (4-2, 1-2)
The Badgers had a win over the Buckeyes in their grasp, but a dreadful offensive third quarter allowed Ohio State to grab the lead and then beat Wisconsin in overtime. Still, I feel more confident that the Badgers are a Top-10 team after their losses to OSU and Michigan than I did after their wins over LSU and Michigan State.
No. 4 - Nebraska (6-0, 3-0)
Nebraska had a tough time with Indiana on the road this week, but still managed to pull out the win to stay undefeated. Not many people are talking about the Cornhuskers as if they're a favorite for the Big Ten West, but they're sitting alone at the top of the division for now. Their game against Wisconsin in two weeks will be a big-time showdown.
No. 5 - Penn State (4-2, 2-1)
Penn State was also inactive on a bye this weekend, but we'll get a sense for just how good the Nittany Lions are this week when they host Ohio State in a prime-time game. If they can keep it close- or even pull out a win- then there's a good chance they'll be in the top part of our poll for a while moving forward.
No. 6 - Iowa (5-2, 3-1)
There was some good and some bad for the Hawkeyes in their 49-35 win over Purdue on the road this week: the game wasn't that close, and they dominated the Boilermakers on the ground all day. But they also gave up 21 points in the fourth quarter- with all three of the touchdowns coming through the air. They'll need to be at their best this weekend when they take on Wisconsin if they want to stay alive in the Big Ten West race.
No. 7 - Minnesota (4-2, 1-2)
The Golden Gophers beat Maryland 31-10 in a battle of backup quarterbacks, with Mitch Leidner sidelined in the concussion protocol. It was a good bounce-back for the Gophers, who get to play Rutgers at home in what could be a laugher.
No. 8 - Northwestern (3-3, 2-1)
Give Pat Fitzgerlad and the Wildcats credit- they have bounced back from a terrible start to their season in non-conference play with back-to-back road wins over Iowa and Michigan State. I'm not sure if that say more about the Wildcats or about the Hawkeyes and Spartans, but Northwestern bounced back when other teams wouldn't have.
No. 9 - Indiana (3-3, 1-2)
Oh, Indiana. Every year the Hoosiers seem to be on the brink of a breakthrough, but they just haven't had the horses to pull one off. They went toe-to-toe with Nebraska at home this weekend, but their next two games against Maryland and Rutgers should give us an idea if Indiana can make another bowl game this year.
No. 10 - Maryland (4-2, 1-2)
The Terps started out 4-0 and looked like a rejuvenated team under new head coach D.J. Durkin, but they've been pretty uncompetitive in back-to-back losses to Penn State and now Minnesota. They probably have a chance to bounce back and beat Michigan State this weekend, though, which is a sentence I didn't think I'd be writing this year.
No. 11 - Michigan State (2-4, 0-3)
These Spartans don't look anything like the ones we've come to know over the last few years. For one thing, it probably would have taken them several games to allow 54 points last year or the year before, let alone allowing 54 in one game- especially at home. Maybe it's just some natural regression for the Spartans, but it's still strange to see.
No. 12 - Illinois (2-4, 1-2)
The Illini "won" on Saturday 24-7 over Rutgers in a mistake-filled game that probably should have been labeled NSFW for television. But hey, a win is a win for Illinois.
No. 13 - Purdue (3-3, 1-2)
The inevitable happened on Sunday when Purdue fired head coach Darrell Hazell after the Boilermakers lost to Iowa 49-35 at home. Whoever the athletic department hires to replace him, it should be an imperative for them to try and bring some excitement to West Lafayette for the first time in a while.
No. 14 - Rutgers (2-5, 0-4)
Even with Purdue firing their head coach, Rutgers seems to have clearly established itself as the worst team in the Big Ten. Losing to Illinois by three scores just underscores what we already knew.
