THIS IS A WEEKLY BIG TEN POWER RANKINGS, by Luke Maiers.
What did we learn this past weekend in the Big Ten? It really sucks being Joey Julius, Rutgers likes to give up points, Jabrill Peppers is the Big Ten’s Heisman hopeful and ESPN likes to predict the that guys with no history of success will be a first round draft pick into the NFL. Let’s get to this week’s rankings.
1. Ohio State: Barrett had a horrible game through the air, but he certainly made that up with his feet. 137 yards and a touchdown is a solid backup plan if the passing game isn’t working. The Buckeyes have the Badgers this weekend and this will be the game of the week in the Big Ten. I think that the Buckeyes will pound the Badgers and continue their dominance through the Big Ten. I will continue to say this, Ohio State is the best team in the nation.
2. Michigan: Holy hell, that had to have hurt if you’re Rutgers. I can’t even stop laughing at the thought of losing by 78 points. Michigan is legit. Jabrill Peppers is my Heisman favorite as of right now, and the whole defensive unit is unlike one I have ever seen in college football. The rest of the games on the Wolverine’s schedule should be laughers for them until the last week of the season when they face Ohio State. Sit back and enjoy the ride Michigan fans, you’re going places.
3. Nebraska: The Huskers saw no action this weekend, so their players probably sat around with each other and talking about their feelings because what else is there to do in Nebraska? The Huskers take on the Hoosiers this weekend so we should see the state next to Iowa move to 6-0 after this game.
4. Wisconsin: I think the only thing you can do if you are a Wisconsin fan is pray. Pray that Barrett is hungover from the night before and that your inexperience at quarterback doesn’t hurt you. This is basically a ‘must win game’ if you are the Badgers. A loss would give them two loses in the Big Ten West and either Iowa or Nebraska will not lose two Big Ten games this year. Wisconsin needs this win.
5. Iowa: Thank God for Busch Light because without it these last few games would have been borderline torture to watch. With that being said, Iowa controls their own destiny. If the Hawkeyes win out, they will be playing in the Big Ten Championship game come December. If the conservative play calling continues, though, the Iowa offense will continue to disappoint this season.
6. Indiana: This loss to Ohio State does not change my impression of the Hoosiers that much. They are still a solid team with a good running game. The unfortunate thing for Indiana is that they play in the Big Ten East, which means they can not win the Big Ten without facing Michigan and Ohio State. It will be a see of red this weekend as the Hoosiers take on the Cornhuskers.
7. Penn State: Nobody in the Big Ten must like Joey Julius because for the second weekend in a row, the Penn State kicker has been cheap shotted which resulted in a player being ejected. This poor son-of-bitch is just getting pounded on, but at least his team is stringing some wins together. Penn State is sitting at 4-2, and after their bye this week and then OSU the week after, they have very winnable games on their schedule. I would bet all of my beer money that Penn State makes a bowl game. If they don’t, I will be amazed.
8. Maryland: This game might have been a reality check for the Terrapins. After starting the year undefeated, they dropped their first real test against Penn State. Perry Hills is having a decent enough year under center, but this team isn’t as good as their quarterback. I think Maryland should be able to throw together a few more wins this season, but they might as well get the beer cold for when they face Michigan, Ohio State and Nebraska in three straight weeks.
9. Minnesota: I will continue to call out the ESPN ‘experts’ who predicted that Mitch Leidner would be a first round draft pick. There had been no signs as to why they thought this and Leidner is reenforcing that this season. This past Saturday he went 13-33 for 166 yards and three interceptions. The game itself with Iowa was close, but thanks to an Akrum Wadley 50 yard rushing touchdown with five minutes left, the Hawkeyes pulled it out. Minnesota is a mediocre team at best.
10. Michigan State: Mediocracy. No other word for it. Who would have ever thought that losing your quarterback from last season would make a team so bad. Their last debacle against BYU just set the tone for their season. The Spartans next game is against Northwestern, and this could easily be a Wildcat win. Michigan State is extremely close to becoming a team labeled as “little sister of the poor”.
11. Purdue: Hey guys, Purdue has already matched their Big Ten win total from last season! Party it up Boilermakers. This team has improved a lot from previous year, but they still won’t have more than three Big Ten wins. Purdue will never be dominant at football, I am not sure why this is, but history shows that this tendency will continue. Enjoy all the W’s you can get Purdue.
12. Northwestern: Northwestern is coming off of a bye, but the week before they dismantled Iowa in what was an impressive win for them. Northwestern has some good offensive players starting with a quarterback that can hurl the ball around. Michigan State has struggled on defense this year, and for that reason, I am picking the Wildcats to defeat the Spartans.
13. Illinois: Lovie was not happy after that game, and he shouldn’t be. Since I was high on them in week one, they have struggled more than if I were taking a math class. Illinois and Rutgers are in a dog fight for that bottom spot in my rankings, but for now, the Illini have a slight edge over Rutgers.
14. Rutgers: Gross. That’s all I have to say on that.