What a weekend of football. Michigan stopped a late Hawkeye rally to win in Kinnick for the first time since 2005. Purdue pulled off their magic as the underdog once again, upsetting an Ibhrahim-less Minnesota team on the road. Illinois beat Wisconsin nearly as badly as Ohio State did – in Camp Randle. And Nebraska resembled a competent football team, beating Indiana at home to pick up up their first Big Ten win since October 2nd of last year.
Although the Big Ten West race is as muddied as I expected, the quality of football sure seems to be lacking. Shit, anyone in that division would be happy to go 6-6 in the SEC. And probably the Pac-12 and Big 12. God, maybe even the ACC.
Nonetheless, the shape of the Big Ten continues to take shape. While we don’t have a lot of movement at the top this week, the Week 6 Big Ten Power rankings had a lot of re-shuffling between 5 and 14.
1) Ohio State (5-0, 2-0 BIG)
Last Week: 1
Week 4 Result: W49-10 vs Rutgers
Offensive Player of the Game: RB Miyan Williams (21 carries, 189 yards, 5 TDs)
Defensive Player of the Game: LB Steel Chambers (11 tackles, 8 solo, 2 TFLs, QB hurry, INT)
Up Next: at Michigan State
2) Michigan (5-0, 2-0 BIG)
Last Week: 2
Week 4 Result: W28-14 at Iowa
Offensive Player of the Game: RB Blake Corum (29 carries, 133 yards, TD)
Defensive Player of the Game: LB Mike Morris (3 tackles, 3 solo, 2 sacks, 2 TFLs)
Up Next: at Indiana
3) Penn State (5-0, 2-0 BIG)
Last Week: 3
Week 4 Result: W17-7 vs Northwestern
Offensive Player of the Game: WR Parker Washington (4 rec, 73 yards)
Defensive Player of the Game: CB Ji’Ayir Brown (6 tackles, 5 solo, TFL, QB hurry, INT)
Up Next: BYE
4) Maryland (4-1, 1-1 BIG)
Last Week: 6
Week 4 Result: W27-13 vs Michigan State
Offensive Player of the Game: QB Taulia Tagovailoa (23-41, 314 yards, TD)
Defensive Player of the Game: CB Tarheeb Still (9 tackles, 6 solo, TFL)
Up Next: vs Purdue
5) Illinois (4-1, 1-1 BIG)
Last Week: 6
Week 4 Result: W34-10 at Wisconsin
Offensive Player of the Game: RB Chase Brown (25 carries, 129 yards, TD)
Defensive Player of the Game: CB Jartavius Martin (7 tackles, 7 solo, sack, TFL, PBU)
Up Next: vs Iowa
6) Minnesota (4-1, 1-1 BIG)
Last Week: 3
Week 4 Result: L 10-20 vs Purdue
Offensive Player of the Game: WR Daniel Jackson (6 rec, 110 yards)
Defensive Player of the Game: S Jordan Howden (4 tackles, 3 solo, PBU, INT)
Up Next: BYE
7) Purdue (3-2, 1-1 BIG)
Last Week: 8
Week 4 Result: W 20-10 at Minnesota
Offensive Player of the Game: RB Devin Mockobee (11 carries, 112 yards, TD)
Defensive Player of the Game: S Cam Allen (4 tackles, 1 solo, PBU, 2 INT)
Up Next: at Maryland
8) Iowa (3-2, 1-1 BIG)
Last Week: 7
Week 4 Result: L 14-27 vs Michigan
Offensive Player of the Game: QB Spencer Petras (21-31, 246 yards, TD)
Defensive Player of the Game: LB Seth Benson (14 tackles, 6 solo, TFL)
Up Next: at Illinois
9) Rutgers (3-2, 0-2 BIG)
Last Week: 10
Week 4 Result: L 10-49 at Ohio State
Offensive Player of the Game: RB Samuel Brown V(15 carries, 79 yards)
Defensive Player of the Game: CB Avery Young (6 tackles, 6 solo, INT)
Up Next: vs Nebraska
10) Wisconsin (2-3, 0-2 BIG)
Last Week: 10
Week 4 Result: L 10-34 vs Illinois
Offensive Player of the Game: RB Samuel Brown V(15 carries, 79 yards)
Defensive Player of the Game: CB Avery Young (6 tackles, 6 solo, INT)
Up Next: at Northwestern
11) Nebraska (2-3, 1-1 BIG)
Last Week: 14
Week 4 Result: W 35-21 vs Indiana
Offensive Player of the Game: QB Casey Thompson (18-27, 270 yards, 2 TDs, INT, rush TD)
Defensive Player of the Game: LB Luke Reimer (5 tackles, 2 solo, 2 PBUs, INT)
Up Next: at Rutgers
12) Indiana (3-2, 1-1 BIG)
Last Week: 12
Week 4 Result: L 21-35 at Nebraska
Offensive Player of the Game: WR Emery Simmons (6 rec, 57 yards, TD)
Defensive Player of the Game: S Bryant Fitzgerald (8 tackles, 7 solo, INT)
Up Next: vs Michigan
13) Michigan State (2-3, 0-2 BIG)
Last Week: 11
Week 4 Result: L 13-27 at Maryland
Offensive Player of the Game: WR Jayden Reed (7 rec, 61 yards, TD)
Defensive Player of the Game: DT Simeon Barrow (4 tackles, 1 solo, sack, 1.5 TFLs)
Up Next: vs Ohio State
14) Northwestern (1-4, 1-1 BIG)
Last Week: 13
Week 4 Result: L 7-17 at Penn State
Offensive Player of the Game: RB Evan Hull (11 carries, 45 yards, 3 rec, 32 yards)
Defensive Player of the Game: LB Xander Mueller (14 tackles, 8 solo, .5 TFL, PBU)
