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Robert Bondy

Big Ten Power Rankings: Spartans continue to drop after third straight loss

Losing has became a commonality for the Spartans the last few weeks and it doesn’t appear it’ll be changing anytime soon.

Michigan State dropped their third straight game on Saturday, losing a heart-breaker at Iowa. The Spartans outplayed the Hawkeyes for most of the game but costly turnovers and a late Iowa punt return for a touchdown led to the Michigan State loss.

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Some will ask if the Spartans are the worst team in the Big Ten and for now, I don’t think that’s the case. But how low is Michigan State then?

Check out our updated Big Ten power rankings below:

14
Indiana

Credit: Tommy Gilligan/USA TODAY Sports

Record: 2-3 (0-2 in Big Ten)

This week’s result: Loss at Maryland

Next Game: at Michigan on Oct. 14

Indiana remains in our last place spot for another week after getting their doors blown off at Maryland on Saturday. The game was never close and Indiana looks more and more like a lock for last place in the Big Ten East Division week after week.

13
Nebraska

 Credit: Dylan Widger/USA TODAY Sports

Record: 2-3 (0-2 in Big Ten)

This week’s result: Loss vs. Michigan

Next Game: at Illinois on Oct. 6

Nebraska is simply a bad football team right now. They have no offensive mojo and defensively they were torched again this week against Michigan. The Cornhuskers are in for a rough year.

12
Northwestern

Credit: David Banks/USA TODAY Sports

Record: 2-3 (1-2 in Big Ten)

This week’s result: Loss vs. Penn State

Next Game: Howard on Oct. 7

The game may have been tied at halftime, but statistically Northwestern was never truly close to Penn State this week. There’s no shame in getting beaten by Penn State and I’ll credit them for keeping it close for a half — that’s why they are ahead of Indiana and Nebraska.

11
Illinois

Credit: Journal-Courier

Record: 2-3 (0-2 in Big Ten)

This week’s result: Loss at Purdue

Next Game: Nebraska on Oct. 6

I knew entering the year that Illinois would take a step back from what they did last year. But I didn’t expect it to be this bad. This week’s blowout loss against Purdue makes me think Illinois will struggle to even reach a bowl game this year.

10
Michigan State

Credit: Matthew Holst/Getty Images

Record: 2-3 (0-2 in Big Ten)

This week’s result: Loss at Iowa

Next Game: at Rutgers on Oct. 14

Michigan State put on an inspired performance against Iowa this week, with the defense doing a great job. However, the offense again had crippling turnovers and special teams gave up a critical late punt return for a touchdown. This is sadly going to be a really tough year for the Spartans as I don’t see them getting much higher than this in future power rankings.

9
Purdue

Credit: Journal-Courier

Record: 2-3 (1-1 in Big Ten)

This week’s result: Win vs. Illinois

Next Game: at Iowa on Oct. 7

I did not expect to see Purdue dominate Illinois as they did this past weekend. I figured this would be the final nail in the Boilermakers’ coffin but I was wrong and will give credit where it’s due with a nice jump in this week’s power rankings.

8
Minnesota

Credit: Matt Krohn/USA TODAY Sports

Record: 3-2 (1-1 in Big Ten)

This week’s result: Win vs. Louisana

Next Game: Michigan on Oct. 7

I really don’t know what to make of Minnesota at this point in the year. They aren’t good but also not bad — which in the Big Ten West Division means they could contend for the division title. This week’s primetime game against Michigan should be a good indication of whether or not the Golden Gophers can truly contend for the division crown.

7
Rutgers

Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 4-1 (1-1 in Big Ten)

This week’s result: Win vs. Wagner

Next Game: at Wisconsin on Oct. 7

Rutgers continues to take care of business in the games they are supposed to win. The Scarlet Knights are only two wins away from reaching bowl eligibility and they still have Michigan State (sigh) and Indiana on their schedule. I sadly feel better about their chances of reaching the postseason than our Spartans.

6
Iowa

Credit: Jeffrey Becker/USA TODAY Sports

Record: 4-1 (1-1 in Big Ten)

This week’s result: Win vs. Michigan State

Next Game: Purdue on Oct. 7

Having Iowa this high doesn’t seem right but they are finding ways to win in unconventional ways as we saw against Michigan State on Saturday. That method long term probably won’t get it done to reach their preseason goals but for now they are getting by and seem ahead of most of the league.

5
Wisconsin

Credit: Journal Sentinel

Record: 3-1 (1-0 in Big Ten)

This week’s result: Bye

Next Game: Rutgers on Oct. 7

Wisconsin was off this week and will return to action next week against Rutgers. The Badgers are the clear favorites in the Big Ten West Division and will need to take care of business against the Scarlet Knights next week to remain in the top five of the power rankings.

4
Maryland

Credit: Tommy Gilligan/USA TODAY Sports

Record: 5-0 (2-0 in Big Ten)

This week’s result: Win vs. Indiana

Next Game: at Ohio State on Oct. 7

Maryland just keeps on taking care of business and making easy work of their opponents. That was again the case this week against Indiana, but now things are about to get much tougher for the Terps in a road game at Ohio State next week. We’ll see how good this Maryland team truly is in that matchup.

3
Ohio State

Credit: Columbus Dispatch

Record: 4-0 (1-0 in Big Ten)

This week’s result: Bye

Next Game: Maryland on Oct. 7

Ohio State has arguably the best win of any team in the Big Ten but hasn’t always looked impressive (for their standards) this year. The Buckeyes get a good test next week against Maryland following a bye this past week. We will see if Ohio State mucks around with the Terps or flexes their muscles and proves they should move up the power rankings.

2
Michigan

Credit: Dylan Widger/USA TODAY Sports

Record: 5-0 (2-0 in Big Ten)

This week’s result: Win at Nebraska

Next Game: at Minnesota on Oct. 7

Michigan finally hit the road for the first time this season but it didn’t matter. The Wolverines looked dominant in a blowout victory at Nebraska and looked more like the team we expected them to be entering the year. If they do that again next week at Minnesota, they’ll return to our top spot in the power rankings.

1
Penn State

Credit: David Banks/USA TODAY Sports

Record: 5-0 (3-0 in Big Ten)

This week’s result: Win at Northwestern

Next Game: UMass on Oct. 14

The scoreboard would suggest Penn State struggled with Northwestern for a half on Saturday, but that game was never truly in doubt. The Nittany Lions continue to look like a true title contender in the Big Ten and remain slightly ahead of Ohio State and Michigan based on their overall general dominance in each game they’ve played.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on Twitter @RobertBondy5.

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