by Sean Szymczak
The Big Ten had a massive weekend for it’s national perception and unfortunately they did not show up to play, going just 2-5 in games against Power 5 opponents.
Ohio State finally played like the best team in the country, vaulting them over Penn State. Nebraska showed a glimmer of hope with a new quarterback. But Purdue, Illinois, and Indiana continued their tumble after another rough non-conference game.
The biggest surprise of the week? It looks like Rutgers will have a legitimate chance to get over 6 wins and make it to a reputable bowl game.
Keep reading for a breakdown of every team:
The Floor Slap’s Week 4 Big Ten Power Rankings
1) Michigan (3-0, 0-0 B1G)
Last week: 1
Week 3 Result: W 31-6 vs Bowling Green
The Michigan defense has looked as good as any in college football through three games. The back-to-back defending champs haven’t done anything to warrant dropping them below one – yet. Michigan may have to face a reality that their offensive line – once again repaired by the transfer portal – is just average. They are just 91st nationally in yards per carry. And that’s against their woefully outmatched nonconference opponents. JJ McCarthy’s questionable decision making reared it’s ugly head for the first time this season. Michigan remains at number 1 for another week, but they haven’t necessarily impressed me yet.
Up Next: Rutgers at Michigan (-26), Saturday at noon EST on BTN
2) Ohio State (3-0, 1-0 B1G)
Last week: 3
Week 3 Result: W 63-10 vs Western Kentucky
The Buckeyes played like the best team in the country on Saturday against the Hilltoppers. Every level of this defense is playing at an entirely different level than last year. The Silver Bullets are top five in the country in points allowed, yards allowed, and average yards per play allowed. Offensively, Ryan Day finally opened up the playbook and Kyle McCord continued to show improvement. The missed assignments on the offensive line are starting to be eliminated and they are dominating the line of scrimmage. If Ohio State continues this improvement arc, it’ll be nearly impossible to beat them. This weekend will tell us if the Buckeyes are ready for the bright lights.
Up Next: Ohio State (-2.5) at Notre Dame, Saturday at 7:30pm EST on NBC
3) Penn State (3-0, 1-0 B1G)
Last week: 2
Week 3 Result: W 30-13 at Illinois
An Illinois defensive line (one that was supposed to be great coming into 2023 but had struggled against Toledo and Kansas) made Drew Allar uncomfortable and made the Penn State offense relatively average. Their defense looked great as usual, forcing 5 turnovers and limiting the Illini to 2.1 yards per carry. But to be fair, I’m not sure how many of those turnovers would have been committed by the better quarterbacks in the country. My point being Penn State is undoubtedly a talented team that will contend for the East. But I still think they are firmly behind Michigan and Ohio State.
Up Next: Iowa at Penn State (-13), Saturday at 7:30pm EST on CBS
4) Iowa (3-0, 0-0 B1G)
Last week: 4
Week 3 Result: W 41-10 vs Western Michigan
Iowa’s offensive line is getting better week by week. Leshon Williams was the running back of choice this time, racking up 145 yards on just 12 carries. Iowa was underwhelming for a large part of the afternoon, leading only 14-10 at halftime. But the Hawkeye defense shut down the Broncos in the second half and the offensive line took over the game. Cade McNamara continues to look unspectacular, averaging 53% of his passes for less than 6 yards per attempt so far this year. Although tstill a step up from what Iowa had last year, McNamara will have to connect on more downfield shots if they want a chance of knocking off Penn State.
Up Next: Iowa (+13) at Penn State, Saturday at 7:30pm EST on CBS
5) Maryland (3-0, 0-0 B1G)
Last week: 5
Week 3 Result: W 42-14 vs Virginia
Maryland was outplayed by a bad Virginia team to start the game Friday night. But the Terps outscored them 42-0 after falling in an early 14-0 for the second straight week. After the Cavaliers’ first two possessions, they had only 135 total yards and gave up the ball four times. Colby McDonald carried his momentum from last week into this game, leading the team with 75 yards and a TD on 10 carries. He is forming a formidable backfield duo alongside Roman Hemby, who never really got going against Charlotte. The offensive line will have to play a little better if Maryland wants to grab a win in East Lansing this weekend.
Up Next: Maryland (-6.5) vs Michigan State, Saturday at 3:30pm EST on NBC
6) Rutgers (3-0, 1-0 B1G)
Last week: 9
Week 3 Result: W 35-16 vs Virginia Tech
It’s hard to fathom Rutgers being this high in the football power rankings. While it does have a little to do with an underwhelming start by teams like Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Purdue, Rutgers’ play can’t be discredited. Rutgers is top-20 nationally in points allowed, yards allowed, yards per play allowed, yards per rush allowed, and opponent completion percentage. They won’t blow you off the line of scrimmage, but they swarm the ball and make big plays, forcing 10 turnovers in just three games. Offensively, Gavin Wimsatt is far from a complete quarterback. But he avoids mistakes, can extend plays, and seems to be good for a few explosive plays every game. Kyle Monangai is quietly one of the Big Ten’s best running backs, running for over 300 yards and 4 TDs over the past two weeks. This team isn’t perfect, but they are scrappy and own their identity. They’ll be outmatched this Saturday, but their defensive front might be able to keep them in the game.
Up Next: Rutgers (+26) at Michigan, Saturday at noon EST on BTN
7) Minnesota (2-1, 1-0 B1G)
Last week: 7
Week 3 Result: L 13-31 at North Carolina
The Gophers bottled up UNC’s rush attack and did their best to make Drake Maye’s life uncomfortable. But Maye showed exactly why he’s a projected top-10 pick in next year’s draft. He and receiver Nate McCollum just made big-time plays that the Minnesota offense couldn’t keep up with. Darius Taylor looks to be Minnesota’s true RB1with another impressive outing, this time for 138 yards and a TD. Minnesota did a pretty good job of controlling the line of scrimmage on offense. But at the end of the day, Athan Kaliakmanis needed to make some plays with his arm and he simply couldn’t. He’s got a heck of an arm, but he’s just not accurate. That’s gonna make it hard for Minnesota to win a lot of games.
Up Next: Minnesota (-13) at Northwestern, Saturday at 7:30pm EST on BTN
8) Wisconsin (2-1, 0-0 B1G)
Last week: 8
Week 3 Result: W 35-14 vs Georgia Southern
The Badgers seem to be making a bad habit out of getting off to slow starts this season, being outscored 45-26 in the 1st half so far. They were tied with Georgia Southern 7-7 at half this time, but Braelon Allen sparked the offense and Wisconsin was up 35-14 in the blink of an eye. As it’s always been, the run game is the clear catalyst for the Badger offense. It seems like the coaching staff is a little hesitant to grind out tough yards on the ground early in games. Defensively, Hunter Wohler led a front that had 6 sacks, 7 TFLs, and allowed 2.6 yards per carry. The secondary was a different story, giving up nearly 400 yards through the air. But they seemed to make as many big plays as they gave up, forcing five interceptions on the day. Wisconsin will have to limit the big plays by Hudson Card and lean on their offensive line against Purdue.
Up Next: Wisconsin (-7) at Purdue, Friday at 7pm EST on FS1
9) Michigan State (2-1, 0-0 B1G)
Last week: 6
Week 3 Result: L 7-41 vs Washington
I feel silly for thinking the Spartans could keep up with this Washington team. Especially considering everything going on with the program. With that in mind, Michigan State is probably the hardest team to evaluate right now. Was this weekend a sign of things to come? Is Washington just that good? Can Michigan State get back to looking like the team before the Mel Tucker news broke? This weekend will go a long way in determining how far Sparty can go this season. Maryland is vulnerable and Michigan State is capable of getting after Taulia Tagovailoa and forcing mistakes. But the Terps are also capable of taking the top off of Michigan State’s defense like Washington just did. Nathan Carter will have to get going early and Noah Kim will need to take care of the ball.
Up Next: Maryland at Michigan State (+6.5) , Saturday at 3:30pm EST on NBC
10) Nebraska (1-2, 0-1 B1G)
Last week: 13
Week 3 Result: W 35-11 vs Northern Illinois
With a new quarterback and finally getting away from the road, I’m evaluating this Nebraska team in a new light. The Husker defense was dominant, giving up 149 total yards on under 2.5 yards per play. They held Northern Illinois to 4-15 on 3rd down while going 8-14 themselves. Most importantly, Heinrich Haarberg took care of the football and led the offense on sustained drives. He had 256 total yards, 3 total TDs, no turnovers, and was sacked only once. With another tune-up game against Louisiana Tech this weekend, Nebraska could give Michigan some trouble when they travel to Lincoln at the end of the month.
Up Next: Louisiana Tech vs Nebraska (-19.5), Saturday at 3:30pm EST on TBD
11) Purdue (1-2, 0-1 B1G)
Last week: 10
Week 3 Result: L 20-35 vs Syracuse
Purdue couldn’t get out of their own way on Saturday against the Orange. Every time it seemed like Purdue was on the verge of getting back in the game, it seemed like they gave up a big play or committed a penalty. Syracuse was 7-12 on 3rd down and Purdue committed 11 penalties for 127 yards. They were only outgained by 50 yards, but four turnovers really did them in. The electricity before the game was palpable, making this dud of a performance even more disappointing. Purdue had an opportunity to seize some momentum heading into conference play. Instead, there are still questions surrounding just about every aspect of this team. If they want to pull off the home upset against Wisconsin this weekend, the defense will have to get off the field on 3rd down and the offensive line will have to control the line of scrimmage better.
Up Next: Wisconsin vs Purdue (+7), Friday at 7pm EST on FS1
12) Illinois (1-2, 0-1 B1G)
Last week: 11
Week 3 Result: L 13-30 vs Penn State
Illinois’ defensive line led by Jer’Zhan Newton finally arrived on Saturday against Penn State, containing the Nittany Lion rush attack and getting in the face of Drew Allar. Allar was held to under 50% completion and just 6 yards per attempt. It was an impressive defensive showing considering how much this unit struggled in the first couple weeks. But offensively, Luke Altmyer simply tried to do too much. I had liked what I saw out of the Ole Miss transfer so far, but his day started off rocky and only got worse. If this defense can come together as the season progresses just like they did last year, Illinois still has a chance at the Big Ten West crown. But Luke Altmyer will need to be a lot better.
Up Next: Florida Atlantic vs Illinois (-12), Saturday at 3:30pm EST on BTN
13) Indiana (1-2, 0-1 B1G)
Last week: 12
Week 3 Result: L 14-21 vs Louisville
Indiana found themselves in a 21-0 halftime hole against Louisville. An impressive second-half comeback ensued in which the Hoosiers were less than a yard away from tying it up. But the defense wasn’t able to get the offense the ball back and Louisville squeezed out a win. Tayven Jackson put a strangle-hold on the starting QB position, going 24-34 for 299 yards, a TD, and an INT. But the run game mustered only 2.1 yards per carry. Jaylin Lucas was once again the heartbeat of the offense, but someone else will need to step up if Indiana wants to turn this season around. Defensively, Aaron Casey had another exquisite game, totaling 10 tackles, 2 sacks, and 3 TFLs. The gap between 10-13 in these power rankings is so small, Indiana has every opportunity to move back up. But the offensive line and wide receivers will need to be better.
Up Next: Akron vs Indiana (-17.5), Saturday at 7:30pm EST on BTN
14) Northwestern (1-2, 0-1 B1G)
Last week: 14
Week 3 Result: L 14-38 at Duke
Northwestern is 128th nationally, averaging 4.5 yards per play through three games. Ben Bryant is completing only 55% of his passes and Cam Porter is the leading rusher with only 147 yards. Defensively, the Wildcats gave up over 11 yards per attempt through the air and nearly 7 yards per carry to the Blue Devils. Duke is no slouch this year, but Northwestern doesn’t appear to have any relative strengths they can lean on. It’ll be tough for them to pick up another victory.
Up Next: Minnesota at Northwestern (+13), Saturday at 7:30pm EST on BTN