So, the Big Ten still has not proved much about itself through the traditional non-conference season (there are a few remaining non-conference games sprinkled throughout the rest of the year).
- Is Penn State the real deal? Will we ever really know until bowl season? With a weak non-conference schedule and only one road game against a currently-ranked school remaining on the schedule, it will be difficult for the Nittany Lions to shed the paper tiger label. Same goes for Ohio State, but after the loss against USC, we already knew that.
- With just one significant non-conference win (Michigan's win against Notre Dame), all Big Ten schools will struggle to build a name for themselves in conference play. If unranked teams beat the top three teams (PSU, OSU, Michigan), it will reflect more on the weakness of the top teams than the strength of the weaker ones. If Northwestern beats Penn State or Indiana beats Ohio State, for example, won't people be asking major questions about the Lions or Buckeyes and not pointing to the play of the underdog? If the conference teams had significant non-conference wins to back up their conference work, it might be a different story.
- Relatively speaking, IU and Iowa had the conference's most impressive wins of the week, beating solid competition (again, relatively speaking) from Akron and Arizona, respectively. Purdue and Northwestern, on the other hand, had disappointing losses that reinforce the conference's supposed weaknesses.
On to the power rankings. Just follow the jump.
Rankings (last week's rank in parenthesis)
1. (1) Penn State (3-0, 0-0) - Jeff Sagarin's computer rankings lists the Nittany Lions at 32nd in the nation and just 5th in the Big Ten. Only Northwestern has a weaker SOS in the conference, according to Sagarin. Penn State has had three methodical blowouts (if that's possible) against Akron, Syracuse and Temple. And not everything's been perfect in these games. Temple got to Darryl Clark on several plays, taking a "stinger" in his shoulder that bothered him for awhile. Will this level of play keep them undefeated in Big Ten play?
2. (2) Michigan (3-0, 0-0) - The Wolverines had the second spot last week and did nothing to lose it this week. After Northwestern struggled against Eastern Michigan last week, Michigan showed how a Big Ten school should play against one of the weaker MAC schools (at least in the second half). Even on a day when Tate Forcier struggled, the Wolverines amassed 448 yards in just 20 minutes time of possession. The Wolverines have already matched last season's win total.
3. (3) Ohio State (2-1, 0-0) - Last week, I figured Ohio State was a distant third. With a convincing win against an unconvincing opponent, has Ohio State moved closer to Michigan? Sure, talent-wise Ohio State might be better than Michigan, but the team's play has not shown it. Yet. The Toledo game was a laugher early, but the game (like all other games against weak non-conference opponents) proves little to nothing. It won't be until November that the Buckeyes play a Big Ten team from the upper-half of the conference standings. It's wait-and-see mode with the Buckeyes.
4. (4) Iowa (3-0, 0-0) - Not that Arizona is a great non-conference win, but with a strong performance, the Hawkeyes' game against Northern Iowa is fading into a distant memory. Iowa's defense held the Wildcats to eight first downs and just 253 yards of total offense. Speaking of the Sagarin ratings, Iowa is ranked the top team in the conference. The Hawkeyes are also one of two conference teams (Minnesota) to play two BCS conference teams in the non-conference schedule to date.
5. (7) Minnesota (2-1, 0-0) - Midway through the fourth quarter against No. 8 California, the Gophers were locked in a 21-21 tie. But Cal's Jahvid Best scored his fourth and fifth rushing touchdowns in the final eight minutes to push the score to 35-21. Minnesota QB Adam Webber had a roller-coaster game with 226 yards passing and two touchdowns but also three INTs, including a crucial INT in the fourth quarter. The Gophers now have three winnable games before a Penn State/Ohio State road swing.
6. (5) Michigan State (1-2, 0-0) - How does a 1-2 team stay in the middle of the pack? Following close losses to an experienced Central Michigan team and an improved Notre Dame squad, the Spartans might have more going for them than teams with a 3-0 record against a cupcake non-conference schedule. Will these close losses to good schools prepare them for Big Ten games? Without Ohio State on the schedule and with home games against Penn State and Michigan, the Spartans aren't in trouble. Yet.
7. (8) Illinois (1-1, 0-0) - As Big Ten teams continue to lose against sub-par competition, Illinois' bye week moved them up one spot in the rankings. Speaking of bye weeks, Illinois has a unique Big Ten schedule. With another bye week in November, the Illini will be playing Nov. 27 and Dec. 5 - a full two weeks later than all but one Big Ten school. With suggestions of the longer break between regular season and the bowl schedule for the Big Ten (without a conference championship) creating a disadvantage, the Illini might be in better position come bowl season (if they qualify).
8. (10) Wisconsin (3-0, 0-0) - It's hard to read Wisconsin. The Badgers barely beat Northern Illinois, but the Wolfpack proved they can compete with the Big Ten this week. Wisconsin escaped Fresno State in overtime, but many players were suffering flu-like symptoms that week, so it's tough to discredit that win. This week, the Badgers rolled against Wofford as expected. A home game against Michigan State to open Big Ten play will be tough considering the Spartans are reeling from a two-game losing streak and hungry for a win.
9. (11) Indiana (3-0, 0-0) - So, 3-0. Let's review. In 2008, a 2-1 record turned into 3-9. In 2007, 5-1 became 7-6. In 2005, 4-1 skydived into 4-7. As bowl projections start coming in and thoughts of being one win away from the Top 25 are considered, IU really hasn't played a good opponent at full strength. However, IU's defense has been playing well, especially last week against Akron allowing one legitimate touchdown (the other two were on special teams and during garbage time). It will be interesting to see how the Hoosiers respond to a 100,000-person crowd compared to a crowd last week that could've fit inside Assembly Hall.
10. (9) Northwestern (2-1, 0-0) - After barely escaping Eastern Michigan's upset bid, the Wildcats lost against a Syracuse team desperate to beat a Big Ten school. The Orange opened its season with three consecutive Big Ten opponents, so the Wildcats fell victim to Greg Paulus' first victory. Northwestern has seven turnovers on the season, including three last week.
11. (6) Purdue (1-2, 0-0) - So, the offensive numbers are off the charts. The Boilers rank in the top 30 in the nation in total yards per game, rushing yards per game and points per game. But the team is playing matador defense , ranking last in the conference in yards allowed per game (434.3) and points allowed per game (32.3). Even the offensive numbers are dampened by two stats. Purdue leads the Big Ten in turnovers (9) and only had the ball last week for 18 minutes, 20 seconds. The defense was on the field for over two-thirds of the game.
Does IU deserve to be higher? Should Purdue really fall to last place? Should Ohio State be ranked above Michigan? Feel free to disagree.
