by Sean Szymczak
Tons of movement after a week 4 that saw Penn State flex it’s muscles on Iowa, a thrilling Buckeye victory in South Bend, a 4th-quarter rally for a shocking Northwestern upset over Minnesota, and much more.
The top 5 in the Big Ten seems pretty clear to me. You can arrange the top 3 really however you’d like, but I am finally docking Michigan for underwhelming performances against weak opponents. The bottom half of the Big Ten gets ugly really fast – it’s clear this conference as not as great as my preseason expectations.
Nonetheless, a hierarchy is starting to form. Wisconsin looks like the best team in the West, Ohio State, Michigan, & Penn State are separating themselves from the rest of the conference, and every team ranked 7-14 looks like they’ll be in a season-long dog fight to reach bowl eligibility.
The Floor Slap’s Week 5 Big Ten Power Rankings
1) Ohio State (4-0, 1-0 B1G)
Last Week: 2
Week 4 Result: W 17-14 at Notre Dame
Ohio State’s defense is for real – I think the best in the country. They bottled up the run for three quarters, the cornerbacks held their own, and they came up big on a couple 4th-down stops. Kyle McCord was great when he had to be, going 10-13 for 155 yards on 3rd down. He made four huge throws on their game-winning drive and the Buckeyes finally picked up a yard after failing to do so four times earlier in the game. It was far from perfect, but it was a hard-earned victory against one of the nation’s best teams. I think this win will only look better as the season goes on. Ohio State is trending in the right direction and could be a truly dangerous team by the end of the season if this trajectory continues. They’ll likely host a 5-0 and ranked Maryland squad after their bye.
Up Next: BYE
2) Penn State (4-0, 1-0 B1G)
Last Week: 3
Week 4 Result: W 31-0 vs Iowa
Penn State was utterly dominant, allowing only 76 yards to Penn State. The offense was well-balanced and Drew Allar was cool under pressure. He delivered a decisive 75-yard TD drive out of halftime to take a 17-0 lead and start the route. The Nittany Lions looked like a truly complete team Saturday night. Their showdown with Ohio State in the shoe can’t come soon enough.
Up Next: Penn State (-26) at Northwestern, Saturday at 12pm EST on BTN
3) Michigan (4-0, 1-0 B1G)
Last Week: 1
Week 4 Result: W 31-7 vs Rutgers
It took a pick-six midway through the 3rd quarter for Michigan to finally put Rutgers away. Granted, this is a better Rutgers team than we’re used to. Penn State and Ohio State have each notched a great win and the Wolverines haven’t been very dominant through their light schedule. For that reason, they tumble.
Up Next: Michigan (-18.5) at Nebraska, Saturday at 3:30pm EST on FOX
4) Maryland (4-0, 1-0 B1G)
Last Week: 5
Week 4 Result: W 31-9 at Michigan State
Maryland was actually outgained by Michigan State, but they held a 5-1 turnover advantage. Roman Hemby never got going but Colby McDonald helped spark the run game to compliment a good day from Taulia Tagovailoa. The Terps need to be sure to not get caught looking ahead to their big trip to Columbus when Indiana comes to town this weekend.
Up Next: Indiana at Maryland (-14), Saturday at 3:30pm EST on BTN
5) Wisconsin (3-1, 1-0 B1G)
Last Week: 8
Week 4 Result: W 38-17 at Purdue
Braelon Allen looked much more like himself in the Badgers’ dominant win, rushing for 116 yards and 2 TDs on over 7 ypc. Wisconsin went 12-18 on 3rd down and thoroughly dominated the Purdue front. Their secondary was much more consistent and helped to shut down Hudson Card. Purdue had three turnovers, went 0-2 on 4th down, and was held to 5 yards per pass attempt. They play Rutgers, Iowa, and Illinois out of their bye week. They could realistically be 6-1 when Ohio State comes to play under the lights.
Up Next: BYE
6) Iowa (3-1, 0-1 B1G)
Last Week: 4
Week 4 Result: L 0-31 at Penn State
Saturday was an absolute nightmare for the Hawkeyes. Their defense held them in there, trailing only 10-0 at halftime. But their offense has looked maybe worse than it ever has under Kirk Ferentz. Nothing worked. The offensive line was thrown around and Cade McNamara was hapless. This is one of the country’s best defenses, but they just didn’t have any answers. The massive gap between the East and West was only widened with this blowout. They have only two weeks until they have to travel to Madison in a game that might end up deciding the West. It seems like they have way too much to fix by then.
Up Next: Michigan State at Iowa (-11), Saturday at 7:30pm EST on NBC/Peacock
7) Rutgers (3-1, 0-1 B1G)
Last Week: 6
Week 4 Result: L 7-31 at Michigan
Rutgers fought valiantly against Michigan on Saturday. They trailed only 14-7 at half and held the Wolverine run game relatively in check. But a Wimsatt pick-six midway through the 3rd extended the lead to 24-7 and killed the Scarlet Knights’ upset bid. As much improvement as Gavin Wimsatt has showed so far in his first season to go, Saturday was a reminder of how much further he has to go if Rutgers ever wants to contend with the big boys. But in a season where the goal was a bowl game, Rutgers is still well on their way. They have this weekend against Wagner to sharpen up before a trip to Madison.
Up Next: Wagner at Rutgers, Saturday at 3:30pm EST on BTN
8) Nebraska (2-2, 0-1 B1G)
Last Week: 10
Week 4 Result: W 28-14 vs Louisiana Tech
The Huskers’ struggled a but in pass coverage, but they held Louisiana Tech to 3-12 on 3rd down and forced an interception late in the game to close it out. Heinrich Haarberg was unspectacular, but he took care of the ball and made a lot of big plays with his legs. Anthony Grant seems fully capable of stepping up at running back after losing two players to injury last week. Haarberg and Grant combined for 292 yards and 2 TDs on the ground and the team has only turned the ball over once since switching quarterbacks. Nebraska has the defense to hang with Michigan. If they can control the time of possession and not turn it over offensively, the Huskers just might be able to pull off the upset.
Up Next: Michigan at Nebraska (+18.5), Saturday at 3:30pm EST on FOX
9) Illinois (2-2, 0-1 B1G)
Last Week: 12
Week 4 Result: W 23-17 vs FAU
A sloppy start led to a quick 10-0 deficit but the Illini responded well. Illinois wasn’t great defensively but they didn’t break, forcing five punts, a missed FG, a turnover on downs, and an interception on the next eight possessions. Luke Altmyer had his best game to date, going 25-36 for 303 yards and 2 total TDs. They rushed for over 200 yards at 5 ypc as a team. After an ugly showing against Kansas in week 2, Illinois looks to finally be taking shape into the Big Ten West contender they were supposed to be. They travel to West lafayette to take on a Purdue team in desperate need of a victory this weekend. It’s still early in the season, but the loser of this game will likely have a very hard time clawing it’s way back into West contention.
Up Next: Illinois (+1.5) at Purdue, Saturday at 3:30pm EST on Peacock
10) Northwestern (2-2, 1-0 B1G)
Last Week: 14
Week 4 Result: W/OT 37-34 vs Minnesota
I can’t believe they are here any more than you can. Part of this has to do with how weak the bottom of the Big Ten has looked. But the resolve this Wildcat team has demonstrated can’t be ignored. Ben Bryant finally showed up with a big game for his new team, going 33-49 for 396 yards and 4 TDFs. They outgained the Gophers by 100 yards and held them to 3-13 on 3rd down. Even so, it looked like the game was out of reach when Darrius Taylor’s 43-yard TD run put Minnesota up 31-10 late in the 3rd. But Bryant was a surgeon in the final quarter, conducting drives of 75, 69 and 80 yards to force the game to OT. There are too many red flags to count from Minnesota’ end, but the fight from Northwestern has to be applauded. They have already won more games than many people (myself included) thought was possible. All of a sudden, games against Nebraska, Purdue, and Illinois seem winnable, making a bowl appearance still in play for the Cardiac Cats.
Up Next: Penn State at Northwestern (+26), Saturday at 12pm EST on BTN
11) Minnesota (2-2, 1-1 B1G)
Last Week: 7
Week 4 Result: L/OT 34-37 at Northwestern
What a disaster for the Golden Gophers. Their defense made Ben Bryant look like Tom Brady in the 4th quarter. Even so, it was Minnesota’s own mental errors that set Northwestern up on their final drive. A perfect punt should have pinned Northwestern at the 1 with less than 2:00 left in the game, but a mental error by their gunner allowed the ball to bounce into the endzone. A few plays later, a facemask set Northwestern up past midfield. Their soft zone was carved up when it mattered most – mainly thanks to a nonexistent pass rush. Even with everything that went wrong, Minnesota had 3rd & goal from the 2 on the first possession in OT. But Kaliakmanis missed an open Spann-Ford for a touchdown and they had to settle for a field goal. On the Wildcats’ first play, Minnesota left Charlie Mangieri wide open for a TD and the win. Athan Kaliakmanis is a real problem for this team, but I’m more concerned about how the defense seemingly threw in the towel to end the game.
Up Next: Louisiana at Minnesota (-10), Saturday at 12pm EST on BTN
12) Michigan State (2-2, 0-1 B1G)
Last Week: 9
Week 4 Result: L 9-31 vs Maryland
Things are unraveling quickly in East Lansing. The offense committed five turnovers and averaged barely over 3 ypc on the ground. Noah Kim was taken out after posting a 32 QBR. Somehow, the Spartans were still in it late in the 4th quarter. But down 24-9 with under 5:00 to go in the game from the 10-yard line, Katin Houser threw a bad interception on a screen pass. I put a lot of blame on the horrible timing for the Mel Tucker fallout. The Spartans really needed a get-right game after that news in order to get a handle on the season. But playing Washington and Maryland right after the news might have been the worst case scenario. Looking at their schedule, there is a legitimate possibility Michigan State doesn’t win another game. But Nathan Carter is still one of the Big Ten’s most underrated backs and their defensive front is still capable of being disruptive. They need better play from their QB, whether it’s Kim or Houser moving forward.
Up Next: Michigan State (+11) at Iowa, Saturday at 7:30pm EST on NBC/Peacock
13) Purdue (1-3, 0-1 B1G)
Last Week: 11
Week 4 Result: L 17-38 vs Wisconsin
The game got off to as bad of a start as you could’ve scripted, with the Boilers having two quick 3-and-outs and Wisconsin moving the ball like a hot knife through butter to take an early 14-0 lead. Hudson Card led a couple impressive long TD drives to start the 2nd half to make it 27-17, but Card’s second interception put the game away. This team is still beating themselves. The game script didn’t quite allow for it, but I think Purdue needs to make a better effort to run the ball early in games. Card is talented but inexperienced and surrounded by a mediocre offensive line and wide receivers. A bowl game is slipping away from Ryan Walters quickly. This weekend is an absolute must win.
Up Next: Illinois at Purdue (-1.5), Saturday at 3:30pm EST on Peacock
14) Indiana (2-2, 0-1 B1G)
Last Week: 13
Week 4 Result: W/4OT 29-27 vs Akron
Indiana found themselves in a dog fight with one-win Akron. The Hoosiers were outgained by nearly 200 yards and possessed the ball for 10 minutes less than the Zips did. Akron missed a 32-yard field goal that would have won the game in regulation. Indiana had no business winning this game. This was supposed to be an easy win for Indiana. But there are very few positives you can draw from this win. Taevyn Jackson wasn’t good, they averaged less than 3 ypc on the ground, allowed Akron to have two 100-yard rushers on the day, and was benefited by 10 penalties called against Akron. With back-to-back road trips against Maryland and Michigan coming up, the Hoosiers have a lot to fix as they head into their bye.
Up Next: BYE