Eight weeks into the college football season and we’re starting to get an idea of the real pecking order in the Big Ten and around the country. Ohio State and Michigan look like the real deal in the conference, while other teams have had very up-and-down campaigns.
Minnesota has fallen off. Penn State looks great when it plays teams not named Michigan. Purdue may not be as good as we thought, and Illinois seems to be in the driver’s seat in a very unpredictable West division. Everything else, well — it’s up in the air.
We like to look at the results each week and see which teams are the class of the league and which are falling off. It changes every week and we’re often surprised by some of the results that reset our expectations and notions.
Here is how we see the Big Ten football power rankings after Week 8.
14
Northwestern Wildcats (1-6. 1-3)
Last Week
Lost at Maryland, 31-24
| Previous week | Change |
| 14 | no change |
Another week brings another loss for Northwestern. It’s clear that going to Ireland and back tamed the Wildcats, and you have to wonder if Pat Fitzgerald’s crew will be able to notch another win over the course of the season. The first team to 10 points might win next week when Northwestern faces off with Iowa.
Next Up
at Iowa
13
Indiana Hoosiers (3-5, 1-4)
Last Week
Lost at Rutgers, 24-17
| Previous week | Change |
| 13 | no change |
Indiana looked competitive last week but couldn’t muster a victory over a reeling Rutgers team in Piscataway this past week. That’s five straight losses for the Hoosiers after starting the season 3-0. That means all is back in balance with the college football universe.
Next Up
IDLE (vs. Penn State, Nov. 5)
12
Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-3, 1-3)
Last Week
Won vs. Indiana, 24-17
| Previous week | Change |
| 12 | no change |
Rutgers earned its first Big Ten win of the season after dropping three straight to start conference play. It wasn’t a thing of beauty, but the defense handled an Indiana team after falling behind to allow a rally. It’s all about getting wins now to get to that bowl eligible six wins, and we’re not sure the Scarlet Knights have what it takes.
Next Up
at Minnesota
11
Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-4, 2-2)
Last Week
IDLE
| Previous week | Change |
| 11 | no change |
The Cornhuskers were off this past weekend so there’s not much change here. However, it sure looks as if there have been positive developments with the effort and competition level since the coaching change. We’ll see how things end up through the rest of the campaign. There’s a big one on tap next weekend.
Next Up
vs. Illinois
10
Iowa Hawkeyes (3-4, 1-3)
Last Week
Lost at Ohio State, 54-10
| Previous week | Change |
| 9 | -1 |
Oh my, what do we say anymore? The Iowa offense is one of the worst and most comical things we’ve seen in a long, long time, and you have to wonder how long Hawkeye fans can put up with it. By the looks of all the trolling on Twitter, many are calling for something — anything — to change. Iowa didn’t score an offensive touchdown again, and there’s just no way we can’t make a move down the rankings no matter how good that defense looks at times. While I wrote this, I think Iowa just turned the ball over again.
Next Up
vs. Northwestern
9
Wisconsin Badgers (4-4, 2-3)
Last Week
Won vs. Purdue, 35-24
| Previous week | Change |
| 10 | +1 |
Your guess is as good as mine as to which Wisconsin team we’ll see week to week. After losing to a less-than-stellar Michigan State team, the Badgers turned around and beat a Purdue team that looked like it might be a contender in the West division. Are the Badgers still a factor in the West? Time will tell.
Next Up
IDLE (vs. Maryland, Nov. 5)
8
Michigan State Spartans (3-4, 1-3)
Last Week
IDLE
| Previous week | Change |
| 8 | no change |
Michigan State still needs a quality win to really show us there’s improvement with this club. After a week off, the Spartans get ready for the heated matchup with rival Michigan in the Big House. It’s a show-me Saturday, and I don’t know that we have much faith in what MSU can do against a much more talented squad.
Next Up
at Michigan
7
Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-3, 1-3)
Last Week
Lost at Penn State, 45-17
| Previous week | Change |
| 7 | no change |
After such a promising start to the season, there are now many questions in Minneapolis. It would be easy to drop the Golden Gophers after such a poor showing in Happy Valley, but the string of losses has been against teams above them. It doesn’t help that Minnesota has been hit with the injury bug lately.
Next Up
vs. Rutgers
6
Purdue Boilermakers (5-3, 3-2)
Last Week
Won vs. Nebraska, 43-37
| Previous week | Change |
| 4 | – 2 |
Purdue can be awfully talented on the offensive end, but there are some cracks in its ability to take care of the ball. That was never more apparent than during the Boilermakers’ loss at Wisconsin. Quarterback Aidan O’Connell threw three passes to the opposition. The inconsistency we’re seeing from Purdue is probably what we’ll continue to see coming down the road. The good news is the West is still there for the taking if the good moments can outshine times like Saturday.
Next Up
IDLE (vs. Iowa, Nov. 5)
5
Maryland Terrapins (6-2, 3-2)
Last Week
Lost to Purdue, 31-29
| Previous week | Change |
| 6 | +1 |
Maryland had to play come from behind against a bad Northwestern team, but you have to give the Terps credit for toughing it out without starting quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa. The East isn’t probably in the cards, but this team is now bowl-eligible and could be a tough out for some of the big boys down the road.
Next Up
IDLE (at Wisconsin, Nov. 5)
4
Illinois Fighting Illini (6-1, 3-1)
Last Week
IDLE
| Previous week | Change |
| 5 | +1 |
Illinois had the week off and now finds itself in sole possession of first place in a wacky and wild Big Ten West. It’s already been a great turnaround under Bret Bielema with a very good defense and sound running game. I wouldn’t consider the Illini a lock to win the division, but there’s no doubt there’s plenty to play for this season in Champaign. Can Illinois keep things going on the road against an improved Nebraska squad next week?
Next Up
at Nebraska
3
Penn State Nittany Lions (6-1, 3-1)
Last Week
Lost at Michigan, 41-17
| Previous week | Change |
| 3 | no change |
Penn State looked like a pretender at Michigan last week but had a great bounce-back during whiteout conditions against a well-coached Minnesota team in Happy Valley. This team might just be a lot better at home than on the road, and we’ll find out if good Sean Clifford or bad Sean Clifford shows up to host the No. 2 team in the country next weekend.
Next Up
vs. Ohio State
2
Michigan Wolverines (7-0, 4-0)
Last Week
IDLE
| Previous week | Change |
| 2 | no change |
Michigan sat at home this week and was no doubt glued to the Ohio State game against Iowa. This team sure looks to be on a collision course with the Buckeyes, but first things first, the Wolverines have to get past a Michigan State team that has had their number. We like Jim Harbaugh’s chances this time around to wear khakis, look awkward on the sideline, and bring home the win. There are probably bigger and better things to play for down the road.
Next Up
vs. Michigan State
1
Ohio State Buckeyes (7-0, 4-0)
Last Week
IDLE
| Previous week | Change |
| 1 | no change |
It wasn’t the smoothest of games for Ohio State on the offensive side of the ball in the first half, and the Buckeyes definitely need to show more effectiveness in the running game. But the defense played awfully well against Iowa before C.J. Stroud and the passing game began to heat up in the second half. Can OSU continue its dominance against a Penn State team that has played much better at home? It should be a fun and entertaining one in broad daylight this time.
Next Up
at Penn State
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