Big Ten Power Rankings: Week 8

Week 8 Power Rankings:

Ryan’s Rankings:

1: Michigan (-)

2: Penn State (-)

3: Ohio State (-)

4: Maryland (-)

5: Wisconsin (-)

6: Iowa (-)

7: Rutgers (+1)

8: Purdue (+4)

9: Minnesota (-)

10: Illinois (-3)

11: Nebraska (-1)

12: Northwestern (+1)

13: Michigan State (-2)

14: Indiana (-)

Jed’s Rankings:

1: Michigan Wolverines (-)
I’m half tempted to make a stealing signals joke in this ranking but I think it might get lost in translation (or stolen). Anyway, Michigan is still the cream of the crop (maize joke anyone?) until someone beats them. I’m not sure anyone in the B1G this season has the roster to do that outside of OSU.
2: Ohio State (+1)
OSU struggled a bit at home against PSU but maybe that was a great game. MHJ is the best player in college football and the fact he isn’t running away with Heisman consideration is beyond me. If OSU’s defense can continue playing that way, I’m not sure anyone can beat them outside of UM and UGA this season.
3: Penn State (-1)
What was certainly an entertaining game and PSU certainly made a game of it but they just didn’t have the overall ability to beat OSU on the road. If that game is played in Happy Valley, but PSU may end up being the third place in the NCAA’s strongest division this season.
4: Wisconsin Badgers (-)
Wisconsin is sort of the best of a bad bunch of football teams. There is clearly three programs who are deserving of winning the conference this year in PSU, UM, and OSU and everyone else is obviously not that great. Wisconsin appears to be the annual ‘we are just happy to be here in Indy’ winner for the final B1G West Division season.
5: Rutgers Scarlett Knights (+2)
CHOP CHOP CHOP! Rutgers Rutgers has gained bowl eligibility already and are playing their way up the pecking order the rest of the way. Can they maintain that focus since they are likely out of contention for the division? They get OSU, PSU, Iowa, and Maryland to finish so getting that 6th win already was a big key. They may slide the rest of the way but this program getting to 5th in the rankings is an accomplishment.
6: Maryland Terrapins (-1)
Maryland had the week off but slide down a spot with Rutgers’ win and getting to bowl legibility. After starting 5-0, Maryland has dropped their last two games and matchup with Northwestern before finishing with Penn State, Nebraska, Michigan, and Rutgers. Will we see the annual Terrapin slide job? This is a team that could end up 10-2 or 5-7 and I’m not sure anything in the middle is as rationale as those two options.
7: Iowa Hawkeyes (-1)
Well, that would have certainly been another ‘how does Iowa continue to win this way’ game but the correct call was made to call the punt return touchdown back. Iowa is still 6-2 with a chance at 10 wins with games against NW, Rutgers, Illinois, and Nebraska. This could very well end up being the worst Power 5 10 win team in college history. What a way to send out the B1G West.
8: Minnesota Golden Gophers (+3)
Minnesota is the weekly winner of improvement based solely on winning a B1G West game while most others just lost. Minnesota lost a great B1G West game 12-10 in what many consider questionable fashion but the correct call was made. Minnesota is 4-3 but could definitely still miss bowl season as they finish with MSU, Illinois, Purdue, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. Each of those teams still have things to play for.
9: Illinois Fighting Illini (+3)
Illinois looked like a pretty solid team last week against a pretty solid Badger football team (are they just the only really reasonable option in the West so they look decent?). Outside of the Penn State and Purdue games, the Illini have been relatively close in all of their games when they have lost. The offense just isn’t there this season but the Illini still have a shot at bowl eligibility at 3-5 with 4 games remaining.
10: Nebraska Cornhuskers (-1)
Nebraska got an ugly win against Northwestern but looked utterly disgusting doing so. Haarberg went 8/17 for 85 yards, 1 TD, and 2 INT’s but did grab 72 yards on the ground. The Huskers are two wins away from bowl eligibility with their best chances coming the next two weeks (Purdue & MSU) before finishing with Iowa, Maryland, and Wisconsin.
11: Purdue Boilermakers (-3)
Purdue luckily had an off week to hopefully get themselves as healthy as possible for the remaining portion of the season. Hopefully the offensive line issues were sorted out and defensive backs were given a chance to grow. Having Nebraska this week means a chance to keep bowl hopes alive. In Walters’ first year with this schedule, that’s all most fans would have hoped for.
12: Northwestern Wildcats (+1)
The Wildcats managed to score three times against Nebraska but those were three field goals. Northwestern has now alternated between wins and losses each week so far which means they should rationally beat Maryland this week. In all honesty, Northwestern very well may not win again this season with their upcoming schedule.
13: Indiana Hoosiers (+1)
The Hoosiers get a reprieve from the last spot this week because Michigan State’s athletic department is literally full of idiots. Getting dominated by Rutgers isn’t a bad look this season given the Scarlett Knights are 6-2 but the Hoosiers appeared to have benched Tayven Jackson for true freshman Brendan Sorsby.
14: Michigan State Spartans (-4)
When you get blanked 49-0 in a rivalry game and then put up an image of Hitler on your scoreboard, you deserve to be dead last in a power rankings system.

Fan’s Rankings:

1 Michigan (-)
2 Ohio State (-)
3 Penn State (-)
4 Wisconsin (+1_
5 Maryland (-1)
6 Rutgers (+1)
7 Iowa (-1)
8 Minnesota (+1)
9 Nebraska (+2)
10 Purdue (-2)
11 Illinois (-1)
12 Northwestern (+1)
13 Michigan State (-1)
14 Indiana (-)

We’ll get back to the fun rankings next week!