by Sean Szymczak
Blowouts by Michigan and Penn State in week 5 reaffirmed the staggering edge the Big Ten East has over the West. Even in a week where they didn’t play, Wisconsin seemed to tighten its grip on that division thanks to woeful performances elsewhere.
The gap between Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State somehow seems even tighter than it was in the preseason. Maryland is criminally underrated on the national level and will certainly be a test for Ohio State this weekend.
Thanks in part to a scoring flurry in the 3rd quarter, Purdue salvaged its season and postseason hopes with a big win against an Illinois team whose season is suddenly spiraling.
At the bottom of the rankings, the season is already teetering on the brink of absolute disaster for Michigan State and Purdue.
The Floor Slap’s Week 6 Big Ten Football Power Rankings
1) Ohio State (4-0, 1-0 B1G)
Last Week: 1
Week 5 Result: BYE
Ohio State’s bye came at a great time, as Maryland would have been the perfect trap game for a Buckeye squad coming off an emotional win. The margin between the top 3 teams is as tight as it’s ever been. Ohio State will need an impressive win on Saturday to hold onto their top spot.
Up Next: Maryland at Ohio State (-19.5), Saturday at 12pm EST on FOX
2) Michigan (5-0, 2-0 B1G)
Last Week: 3
Week 5 Result: W 45-7 at Nebraska
Michigan had their most complete game to date against Nebraska – a game I thought the Huskers could keep tight. Their offensive line was dominant and finally looked like the unit that has won back-to-back Joe Moore Awards, racking up 249 rush yards on 4.9 ypc. They also possessed the ball for over 38 minutes. I still have my concerns about what JJ McCarthy can do against a truly elite defense that can take away their run game. But Michigan won’t have to worry about that until November.
Up Next: Michigan (-19.5) at Minnesota, Saturday at 7:30pm EST on NBC/Peacock
3) Penn State (5-0, 2-0 B1G)
Last Week: 2
Week 5 Result: W 41-13 at Northwestern
Penn State played with their food a bit on Saturday, going into halftime tied at 10 with Northwestern. The run game continues to underwhelm compared to the ridiculous highs they saw last year, mustering less than 3.5 ypc. But to be fair, this is a much tougher Northwestern team than we had been given them credit for. And Penn State ended up pouring it on in the 2nd half, more than doubling the Wildcats’ offensive yardage. But the margin is so small between Ohio State, Michigan, & Penn State that iffy 1st half bumps them down a spot. Penn State gets a bye and a visit from UMass before they travel to Columbus.
Up Next: BYE
4) Maryland (5-0, 2-0 B1G)
Last Week: 4
Week 5 Result: W 44-17 vs Indiana
Maryland did what they were supposed to against an overmatched opponent, jumping out to a 21-3 lead at the end of the 1st quarter and racking up nearly 500 yards of offense. They kept Indiana out of the end zone for the first 3 quarters and limited to them to 5-17 on 3rd down. Taulia had his best game of the young season, going 24-34 for 352 yards and 6 total TDs. The Terps are playing the best football they have since they’ve joined the Big Ten and have a legitimate chance at knocking off an Ohio State team that has struggled after bye weeks under Ryan Day.
Up Next: Maryland (+17.5) at Ohio State, Saturday at 12pm EST on FOX
5) Wisconsin (3-1, 1-0 B1G)
Last Week: 5
Week 5 Result: BYE
Wisconsin had off week 5 to prep for an underrated matchup against the Scarlet Knights. Their tight road loss to Washington State looks more forgivable by the week. They can’t overlook Rutgers, but Wisconsin should be favored in their next three games leading up to a home showdown against the Buckeyes under the lights. They should 6-1 and ranked by then. A win could very well vault them into the CFP conversation.
Up Next: Rutgers at Wisconsin (-14), Saturday at 12pm EST on Peacock
6) Rutgers (4-1, 1-1 B1G)
Last Week: 7
Week 5 Result: W 52-3 vs Wagner
Listen, Wagner is an FCS school that hasn’t won more than 1 game since 2018. There’s nothing that Rutgers could have done to impress me in this game. That being said, Rutgers is top-15 nationally in scoring defense, pass defense, and total defense. Gavin Wimsatt has turned the ball over only once and has been sacked just twice in 5 games. Slowing down the Badger offense will be a tall task, but they should be favored in subsequent games against Michigan State and Indiana. That means Rutgers could already be bowl-eligible entering November. But the 14-point spread between the 5th and 6th-ranked teams in the Big Ten perfectly illustrate the massive gap between the top five teams and the rest of the conference.
Up Next: Rutgers (+14) at Wisconsin, Saturday at 12pm EST on Peacock
7) Iowa (4-1, 1-1 B1G)
Last Week: 6
Week 5 Result: W 26-16 at Michigan State
I had Iowa standing pact at 6 until news broke that Cade McNamara was going to miss the season. Listen, McNamara hasn’t played close to the level I was expecting coming into this season. But Deacon Hill hasn’t impressed in his limited opportunities, so I can’t imagine Iowa getting any better from this injury. Iowa was outgained by nearly 150 yards against Michigan State and possessed the ball for 7:36 fewer than the Spartans did. This was a game Iowa had no business winning, but Cooper DeJean came through with a miraculous punt return TD to put them up late in the 4th. What Iowa is doing on offense continues to be coaching malpractice. But they have just enough playmakers to stay in the thick of the Big Ten West race. It’ll likely all come down to their trip to Madison in a couple weeks.
Up Next: Purdue at Iowa (-2.5), Saturday at 3:30pm EST on Peacock
8) Purdue (2-3, 1-1 B1G)
Last Week: 13
Week 5 Result: W 44-19 vs Illinois
Purdue is one of the harder teams to get a read on in the entire country, but that’s just the growing pains of getting through the coaching & player turnover they had this offseason. Their demolition of Illinois might be the stone they needed to turn in order to get to a bowl game and maybe even compete in the West. Purdue’s offense has looked a lot better over the past 6 quarters. Hudson Card has been pushing the ball downfield, the offensive line has been getting a better push, and they seemed to have finally figured out the rotation at running back. Their defense certainly bent, but they came up with the big plays that were lacking earlier in the season. Illinois was held to 2-13 on 3rd down and Purdue forced a strip sack for the game’s first TD. The resolve they’ve shown after back-to-back beatdowns is a testament to the work Ryan Walters is putting in.
Up Next: Purdue (+2.5) at Iowa, Saturday at 3:30pm EST on Peacock
9) Minnesota (3-2, 1-1 B1G)
Last Week: 11
Week 5 Result: W 35-24 vs Louisiana
Minnesota did exactly what they should have done after the Nebraska game: take the game out of Athan Kaliakmanis’ hands. He attempted only 14 passes to 51 team carries. They averaged only 3.9 ypc, but dominated time of possessions. The Gophers had the ball for 11:10 longer than Louisiana. With Darius Taylor out, fellow freshman RB Zach Evans stepped up, rushing for 85 yards and a TD. Minnesota has the backfield to effectively run the ball 40+ times and the receivers to make a few plays off play action every game. But the Gopher defense – which gave up 177 rush yards on 6.6 ypc – needs to keep forcing some turnovers if they want to get back in the Big Ten West race.
Up Next: Michigan at Minnesota (+19.5), Saturday at 7:30pm EST on NBC/Peacock
10) Nebraska (2-3, 0-2 B1G)
Last Week: 8
Week 5 Result: L 7-45 vs Michigan
I blame myself for thinking Nebraska was ready to compete with Michigan. Saturday was a loud reminder of how much Nebraska still has to improve from top to bottom. But Heinrich Haarberg certainly looks like the right choice for their starting QB. Nebraska’s next four games are all winnable: at Illinois, vs Northwestern, vs Purdue, and at Michigan State. I think the Huskers need to win three of those in order to have a real shot at getting back to a bowl game for the first time since 2016.
Up Next: Nebraska (+3.5) at Illinois, Friday at 8pm EST on FS1
11) Northwestern (2-3, 1-2 B1G)
Last Week: 10
Week 5 Result: L 13-41 vs Penn State
The Northwestern defense kept them in the game into the 3rd quarter. The Wildcats just don’t have the offensive firepower to keep up with the best teams on their schedule. Nonetheless, David Braun continues to prove that he deserves the interim tag to be removed from his title.
Up Next: Howard at Northwestern, Saturday at 3:30pm EST on BTN
12) Illinois (2-3, 0-2 B1G)
Last Week: 9
Week 5 Result: L 19-44 at Purdue
If there’s one team I was really wrong about coming into 2023, it was Illinois. Luke Altmyer continues to display impressive arm talent but questionable decision-making. Isaiah Williams is as good as advertised but the rest of the receiver room hasn’t clicked with Altmyer yet. The offensive line is mediocre. And a defense that was supposed to be propped up by one of the nation’s best fronts continues to show little to no signs of life. They are 113th nationally in total defense, 103rd in scoring defense, 104th in opponent yards per carry, and 112th in turnovers forced. They get Nebraska at home on a short week – a game they desparately need to win if they want to get to a bowl game.
Up Next: Nebraska at Illinois (+3.5), Friday at 8pm EST on FS1
13) Michigan State (2-3, 0-2 B1G)
Last Week: 12
Week 5 Result: L 16-26 at Iowa
This season is going up in flames FAST. The Spartan defense had maybe its best game of the season, but the offense barely even has a pulse. Noah Kim seems to have lost any ounce of confidence he had after the first two games. Spartan fans should probably save themselves while they can and emotionally separate themselves from this team until the season ends. They need to nail this hire or Michigan State could become the Vanderbilt of the new-look Big Ten.
Up Next: BYE
14) Indiana (2-3, 0-2 B1G)
Last Week: 14
Week 5 Result: L 17-44 at Maryland
The defense isn’t playing with the same spark and aggression that we saw in the first three games. They’ve given up 6 ypc over the past two games (one of which was to Akron) and was torched from the get-go by Taulia Tagovailoa. Their offense once again looked disjointed, resulting in a perhaps overdue firing of OC Walt Bell. Tom Allen might not be too far behind. Although I still have faith in the talent of Tayven Jackson, Cam Camper, and Jaylin Lucas, this offensive line has fundamental problems that don’t look like they can be fixed this season.
Up Next: BYE