Howdy readers! Apologies for dropping the ball on posting last week. I went to the OSU vs Wisconsin game and took the “blackout” theme a little too seriously.
But what a weekend of Big Ten football we had. With the first full weekend of conference under wraps, we know a lot more about the Big Ten teams than we did through the first 3 weeks of non-conference play.
I’ve decided to trim down how much I write in these power rankings to make room for some more thoughtful pieces. Use this as a quick-to-read “cheat sheet” to see where each team stands in the conference and what happened the previous week.
1) Ohio State (4-0, 1-0 BIG)
Last Week: 1
Week 4 Result: W 52-21 vs Wisconsin
Offensive Player of the Game: RB Miyan Williams (11 carries, 101 yards, 2 TDs)
Defensive Player of the Game: LB Tommy Eichenberg (14 tackles, 7 solo, 2 TFLs)
Up Next: vs Rutgers
2) Michigan (4-0, 1-0 BIG)
Last Week: 2
Week 4 Result: W 34-27 vs Maryland
Offensive Player of the Game: RB Blake Corum (30 carries, 243 yards, 2 TDs)
Defensive Player of the Game: CB Mike Sainristil (8 tackles, 6 solo, sack, 2 TFLs, PBU)
Up Next: at Iowa
3) Minnesota (4-0, 1-0 BIG)
Last Week: 4
Week 4 Result: W 34-7 at Michigan State
Offensive Player of the Game: QB Tanner Morgan (23-26, 268 yards, 3 TDs)
Defensive Player of the Game: LB Mariano Sory-Marin (9 tackles, 2 solo)
Up Next: vs Purdue
4) Penn State (4-0, 1-0 BIG)
Last Week: 3
Week 4 Result: W 33-14 vs Central Michigan
Offensive Player of the Game: RB Kaytron Allen (13 carries, 111 yards, TD)
Defensive Player of the Game: CB Kalen King (4 tackles, 3 solo, 4 PBUs)
Up Next: vs Northwestern
5) Maryland (3-1, 0-1 BIG)
Last Week: 5
Week 4 Result: L 27-34 @ (4) Michigan
Offensive Player of the Game: QB Taulia Tagovailoa (20-30, 207 yards, TD, 2 INT)
Defensive Player of the Game: CB Isaiah Hazel (5 tackles, 5 solo, 2 TFLs)
Up Next: vs Michigan State
Disclaimer: This is where the Big Ten turns into a mess. The top 5 teams are as strong as any conference’s across the country – yes, even the SEC. And any blog or media site you read should have these 5 teams at the top of their Big Ten list.
But coming into this season, I thought the strength of the Big Ten would be found here, in the 6-10 range. I thought the Big Ten would field numerous competitive teams who would breeze through bowl eligibility. Instead, each of the teams outside of the top 5 have fatal, almost unforgivable weaknesses.
The Big Ten is top heavy – that’s no secret. With teams like Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State, that has come to be expected on a yearly basis. But the sheer ineptitude of the bottom two-thirds of the conference has made the Big Ten, top to bottom, one of the weakest Power-Five conferences.
I had to do a complete re-assessment of the teams ranked 6-14 in order to come up with rankings that didn’t want to make me puke. Forgive some of the strange jumps or falls you might see. But these new rankings are not just a 1-week adjustment. It’s a reevaluation of what every team has done through 4 games.