So I'm hoping to do this every week. It'll keep me on my toes evaluating the other Big Ten teams and allow you a great opportunity to disagree with me.
Before I begin, I wanted to point out that IU currently sits atop the Big Ten standings, since the only team that lost (Illinois) is also the only conference team preceding IU in alphabetical order. Obviously, IU's really in a 10-way tie for first, but it's nice to see the name "Indiana" above Ohio St., Penn St., etc. How long that will last, well...
Power Rankings
1. Penn State (0-0, 1-0) - For the conference's elite teams, there should be one goal in Week 1: take care of business and do it early. Penn State looked like it belonged among the nation's elite, jumping out to a 31-0 lead by halftime against Akron. Joe Pa looked in good form Saturday as did QB Darryl Clark, who threw for 3 TDs and 254 yards in the first half. PSU had 17 more first downs, 330 more total yards and four fewer penalties than the Zips. That's taking care of business.
2. Michigan State (0-0, 1-0) - IU might want to take a lesson from MSU's playbook. Facing a FCS school (formerly 1-AA), the Spartans coasted to a 44-3 victory against Montana State. The game became a tryout (a la NFL preseason football) for Spartan QBs Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol, each competing for the starting position. Both looked good, as Cousins threw 3 TDs and Nichol tossed two.
3. Ohio State (0-0, 1-0) - Phew. A service academy is no FCS school, but this game wasn't the way Jim Tressel wanted to start the season. The Buckeyes converted only 3-of-12 third downs and committed four more penalties than the Midshipmen. "If Ohio State comes in totally focused on us, we had no chance," Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said. If that was the case, OSU definitely had little focus. Maybe USC coming to town had something to do with it...
4. Northwestern (0-0, 1-0) - If Northwestern wants to be in the upper echelon of Big Ten teams this year, cupcake opponents such as Towson need to be treated as such. Mission accomplished. In a 47-14 victory, the Wildcats scored TDs on their first four drives, building a 30-0 lead. If the team is for real, the Wildcats could be 6-0 before their first test of the season at Michigan State on October 17.
5. Michigan (0-0, 1-0) - Controversies aside, Michigan thumped IU's next opponent, Western Michigan. Freshman quarterback Tate Forcier looked good in the first half, throwing three TD's. According to Brian Smith's summer blog posts, a freshman quarterback can often be the demise of a team, but Forcier's solid outing sets a foundation for the Wolverines. Winning 31-7 against a bowl team from last season looks much better on the schedule than blowing out an FCS school.
6. Minnesota (0-0, 1-0) - Only two Big Ten school played teams from other BCS conferences in Week 1. And only the Gophers came out on top. Even if Syracuse is a struggling Big East school, a win in a tough environment at the Carrier Dome while the entire media contingency focuses on Orange QB Greg Paulus can not be overlooked. Another stat that can't be overlooked - Adam Weber connected on just 19 of 42 passes. A sub .500 completion percentage won't cut it, even in the Big Ten.
7. Iowa (0-0, 1-0) - Iowa leads the nation in most blocked field goals for the 2009 season. But needing two to save a victory against Northern Iowa can not please coach Kirk Ferentz. Iowa's schedule doesn't get any easier, as they face in-state rival Iowa State next week, followed by Arizona on ABC the following week. And then they open the Big Ten season in Happy Valley. If Iowa doesn't improve, it could be 1-3 and struggling to redeem its season.
8. Wisconsin (0-0, 1-0) - Many media outlets predict Wisconsin to have a down year, and the Badgers eked out a win against Northern Illinois in its season opener. After building a 28-6 lead, the Badgers gave up 14 unanswered points and lost an onside kick to allow the Salukis a final attempt to take the lead. Junior QB Scott Tolzien had mixed results in his starting debut, throwing for 257 yards and a TD, but also choked up two interceptions.
9. Illinois (0-0, 0-1) - With the conference's only loss, I considered automatically dropping the Illini to 11th. However, only Minnesota played another BCS school, so I decided they couldn't fall to the bottom, no matter how poorly they played because of their willingness to play a Big 12 school. Missouri is not the same Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin team on offense, so the team used its defense to shut down Illinois. A trendy dark horse pick in the Big Ten, the Illini have been hit with injuries at running back and wide receiver. Juice Williams isn't a one-man show.
10. Purdue (0-0, 1-0) - New coach Danny Hope just looks intimidating. On Saturday, so did the Boilers offense. Not so scary? The defense. In the conference's highest scoring game of the week, the Boilers defeated Toledo 52-31. RB Ralph Bolden posted the conference's most impressive performance of the week with 234 rushing yards and two TDs. The Boiler defense, on the other hand, allowed nearly 500 total yards, and the secondary gave up more than 400 yards in the air.
11. Indiana (0-0, 1-0) - IU has to earn its way out of the 11th spot, considering this is where most, if not all media outlets predict IU to finish. A 19-13 win decided only after a desperation Hail Mary pass from Eastern Kentucky fell short does not move the Hoosiers up the conference ladder. The running game for which the new Pistol offense was designed especially struggled, as the RBs posted only 73 yards on the ground. This week's game against Western Michigan will be a much better indicator of IU's path for the rest of the season - if there's noticeable improvement, than the season won't be a write-off. Otherwise...
What do you guys think? Is it fair to list IU at 11? Should Ohio State be lower? Feel free to disagree.
