by Sean Szymczak
A lot of ugly football this weekend across the Big Ten, with Ohio State, Michigan, & Penn State once again obliterating their opponents and “the game of the week” in Madison ending up exactly as ugly as you might’ve guessed.
But we did see one of the biggest upsets of the Big Ten season with Illinois knocking off Maryland at home 27-24. Rutgers beat Michigan State by the identical score but by different means, rallying from 18 points down to start the 4th quarter.
There isn’t a ton of movement in this week’s edition, but the top of the conference all of a sudden looks very different thanks to two upsets.
The Floor Slap’s Week 8 Big Ten Power Rankings
1) Michigan (7-0, 4-0 B1G)
Last Week: 1
Week 7 Result: W 52-7 vs Indiana
Michigan’s dominance of overmatched opponents continues, and should continue into November. Based on what they’re doing on the field week in and week out, the Wolverines deserve to be the nation’s #1 team. But we won’t know if they’re truly ready to make the next step as national title contenders until their final three regular season games.
Up Next: Michigan (-24.5) vs Michigan State, Saturday at 7:30pm EST on NBC
2) Ohio State (6-0, 3-0 B1G)
Last Week: 2
Week 7 Result: W 41-7 at Purdue
In last week’s podcast, I outlined my three biggest concerns for Ohio State (production from edge rushers, how long it takes for Kyle McCord to find his rhythm, & run blocking). All three of those were addressed in a thrashing of Purdue. Granted, the Boilers’ run defense is weak and their offensive line is beat to bits. But this game was yet another sign that the Buckeyes are getting better and better as the season progresses.
Up Next: Penn State vs Ohio State (-4.5), Saturday at 12pm EST on FOX
3) Penn State (6-0, 3-0 B1G)
Last Week: 3
Week 7 Result: W 63-0 vs UMass
Could they have done anything against UMass to truly impress us? It was good to see Penn State dominate from start to finish in a game I’m sure was lacking energy. But the Nittany Lions still have yet to push the ball downfield with any success. And the best offense they’ve played this season is West Virginia. Still a lot to be seen about this squad. But they’re undefeated going into Columbus, just as they planned.
Up Next: Penn State (+4.5) at Ohio State, Saturday at 12pm EST on FOX
4) Iowa (6-1, 3-1 B1G)
Last Week: 6
Week 7 Result: W 15-6 at Wisconsin
How… just, how? The Hawkeyes are as beat up as any team in college football right now, with their top 2 TEs (which equates to their top 2 pass-catchers for Iowa), their top RB, their starting QB, and their two offensive tackles all out for at least the foreseeable future. But their swarming, ball-hawking defense and game-changing special teams got Iowa another huge win. An 82-yard TD scamper by Leshon Williams helped too. Despite all the offensive woes and (warranted) heat put on OC Brian Ferentz, Iowa controls its own destiny in the West. In fact, they still have a path to the CFP if they somehow win out and win the Big Ten. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. This is still a team that had as many 1st downs as three-and-outs as Wisconsin.
Up Next: Minnesota vs Iowa (-5), Saturday at 3:30pm EST on NBC
5) Wisconsin (4-2, 2-1 B1G)
Last Week: 4
Week 7 Result: L 6-15 vs Iowa
Badger fans can point to Tanner Mordecai’s injury as the reason they lost, but they were beat by the field position battle. They started inside their own 10-yard line four different times, including on three consecutive possessions in the second quarter. Penalties also cost them. They had only 48 penalty yards, but many of those were crucial 5-yard penalties that made 3rd downs much more difficult. That’s part of the reason they went 2-17 on 3rd down. TWO FOR SEVENTEEN. That’s about 12%. Wisconsin’s offensive line – which I thought had improved a lot over the past few weeks – was simply outmatched. Now Luke Fickell has to go back to the drawing board with Braedyn Locke as their starting QB.
Up Next: Wisconsin (-3.5) vs Illinois, Saturday at 3:30pm EST on FS1
6) Rutgers (5-2, 2-2 B1G)
Last Week: 7
Week 7 Result: W 27-24 vs Michigan State
The Scarlet Knights kept chopping, and are now a game away from bowl eligibility only midway through October. Rutgers trailed 24-6 entering the 4th quarter – their largest comeback since 2015. The first half was atrocious, littered with penalties, missed assignments, and sloppy football. A botched snap by MSU’s punter early in the 4th led to a special teams TD. It may have been too little too late, but the Spartans failed to get anything going offensively after that. A quick three and out gave Rutgers the ball back in a two-possession game with 12 minutes left in the game. Que Kyle Monangai, who rushed for 148 yards on the day and helped to make it a 3-point game. A perfectly executed pooch kick gave Rutgers the ball right back and they scored on the ensuing play. It was one of the most exciting and impactful quarters in recent memory for Rutgers. As ugly as some of their games are, the Scarlet Knights continue to silence every doubter.
Up Next: Rutgers (-5) vs Indiana, Saturday at 12pm EST on BTN
7) Maryland (5-2, 2-2 B1G)
Last Week: 5
Week 7 Result: L 24-27 vs Illinois
Talk about a letdown, huh? A week after giving Ohio State everything they could handle in the first two and a half quarters and earning a lot of national respect in the process, the Terps drop a home game against one of the Big Ten’s bottom-feeders. It felt like Maryland finally got control of the game, up 14-7 and nearing the red-zone late in the 2nd quarter. But a fumble by Kaden Prather allowed Illinois to tie it up before halftime, and they never got momentum back. Maryland struggled to run the ball consistently – an issue that has plagued them throughout the season. Although they seemed to abandon run game too early, leaning on Tagovailoa to carry them to a win. Illinois was simply the better team on Saturday – one of the biggest surprises out of the whole week 7 slate.
Up Next: bye
8) Nebraska (3-3, 1-2 B1G)
Last Week: 8
Week 7 Result: bye
Nebraska’s pursuit of a bowl appearance really begins this weekend. All of their remaining games seem winnable (that’s the Big Ten West for ya). But this still doesn’t seem like a game the Huskers can afford to drop if they want to reach 6 wins.
Up Next: Northwestern vs Nebraska (-13.5), Saturday at 3:30pm EST on BTN
9) Minnesota (3-3, 1-2 B1G)
Last Week: 10
Week 7 Result: bye
The bye week might have been the best weekend yet for the Gophers, as the Big Ten West proved it is as wide open as ever. Minnesota can jump right back into the race with an upset at Iowa. All they need to do is score, like 17 points. That’s doable, right? Right?
Up Next: Minnesota (+5) vs Iowa, Saturday at 3:30pm EST on NBC
10) Illinois (3-4, 1-3 B1G)
Last Week: 12
Week 7 Result: W 27-24 at Maryland
That was the Illinois team I was expecting to see in 2023. Although they weren’t terribly efficient on the ground, the Illini made a conscious effort to run a more balanced attack. And it worked. The offensive line still had its struggles, but Illinois was finally able to find a rhythm and move the ball with some consistency. They had five scoring drives of over 50 yards and two touchdown drives of over 70 yards. But the defense won this game. They forced back-to-back three-and-outs to start the 4th quarter and forced a long field goal attempt on Maryland’s final possession after the drive started with a couple explosive plays. LB Seth Coleman – someone I had high expectations for coming into the season – had a his first big game, tallying 3 sacks and 3 TFLs. Somehow, someway, Illinois is back in the Big Ten West race. God help this division.
Up Next: Wisconsin at Illinois (+3.5), Saturday at 3:30pm EST on FS1
11) Purdue (2-5, 1-3 B1G)
Last Week: 9
Week 7 Result: L 7-41 vs Ohio State
This game was about as poorly timed as it could have been for Purdue. They desperately needed a bye week to reset after a tough, hard-fought loss to Iowa. Instead, they got matched up against one of the country’s best teams. Purdue was able to get some pressure on Kyle McCord but was otherwise dominated along both lines of scrimmage. Purdue (once again) couldn’t run the ball and Hudson Card seemed to run for this life on every drop back. When he did have time, he was about as inaccurate as he’s been this year. Nothing went right for Purdue but that’s okay. They’ll have a huge game on the road in Lincoln out of the bye to try to get the season back on track.
Up Next: bye
12) Northwestern (3-3, 1-2 B1G)
Last Week: 11
Week 7 Result: bye
We’ll find out quickly if the Wildcats’ comeback against Minnesota was just a nice story or if this team is really capable of contending for the most dysfunctional division in college football.
Up Next: Northwestern (+13.5) vs Nebraska, Saturday at 3:30pm EST on BTN
13) Michigan State (2-4, 0-3 B1G)
Last Week: 13
Week 7 Result: L 24-27 at Rutgers
That 4th quarter against Rutgers is a new low point for a program that has seen unprecedented amounts of success over the past 15 years. The Spartans ran 8 plays in that quarter and gained a grand total of -2 yards. The collapse ruined a coming out party for QB Katin Houser, whose performance confirmed my thought that he should have taken over for Kim after the Maryland game. This is the type of game that could do irreparable damage to a program that is already holding on for dear life. How can this team feasibly get up to play arguably the nation’s best team? The Wolverines are Rutgers on steroids – they will smother that offensive line even more and run the ball down down the Spartans’ throats. Should be a fun watch. Why exactly is this game in primetime while PSU vs OSU is at noon?
Up Next: Michigan State (+24.5) vs Michigan, Saturday at 7:30pm EST on NBC
14) Indiana (2-4, 0-3 B1G)
Last Week: 14
Week 7 Result: bye
Tom Allen needs to coach for his life on Saturday against Rutgers. If Indiana plays defense like they did in the first three games of the season and takes care of the ball offensively, I truly believe they can keep this game close. Perhaps a few trick plays and some more creative ways to get Jaylin Lucas the ball can get Indiana over the hump. A win could propel this team back into bowl contention, with closing games against Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan State, and Purdue. But if they come out flat like they have in each of their past four games, the Hoosiers could find themselves in an insurmountable hole. Where would a blowout loss to Rutgers at home leave this program? Probably looking for a new coaching staff.
Up Next: Rutgers vs Indiana (+5), Saturday at 12pm EST on BTN