The Way I See It: The Big Ten's Power Rankings (Jan. 20)

1. Michigan State (15-3)

The Spartans maintain their top spot this week, as they cruised to victories over Minnesota and Illinois. Currently, they are 5-0 in conference play and have built a game and a half lead over Wisconsin and Illinois.

2. Wisconsin (14-4)

The Badgers got beat by Ohio State last week, but that doesn’t erase the drubbing they gave the Buckeyes on New Year’s Eve. Losing Jon Leuer will eventually catch up with them, but for now this team remains a contender for the Big Ten Championship.

3. Ohio State (14-5)

The Buckeyes look better now than they did before Turner got hurt. This team is getting hot right in time to make a serious run at the Big Ten title. The improved play of William Buford, Jon Diebler, and David Lighty will take pressure off Turner and make this team even more dangerous.

4. Purdue (15-3)

The Boilermakers broke their three-game losing streak by beating a talented Illinois team 84-78 on the road. The had won 14 straight games before slumping for a week, but look to be back on track and shouldn’t be underestimated. Hummel and Moore will carry this team through a very manageable remaining Big Ten schedule.

5. Illinois (12-7)

The Fighting Illini are in the midst of a two-game losing streak. The bright side to that is that they lost to two of the top teams in the conference in Michigan State and Purdue and were competitive in both of those games. They stand at 4-2 in conference play, but the schedule gets rough in February.

6.  Minnesota (12-6)

The Gophers just got beat in overtime by Indiana, not a good loss in conference. Their other two losses are to Purdue and Michigan State and were both on the road. The Gophers get a rematch with the Spartans this weekend, and a win there goes a long way for tournament hopes.

7. Michigan (10-7)

The Wolverines are by far the most inconsistent team in the conference. They have wins against Ohio State and Connecticut, but losses to Indiana and Utah. This team has the talent to beat any other team in the conference, but which Michigan team will show up to the game?

8. Northwestern (13-5)

The Wildcats got poleaxed against Ohio State this week and needs a few more big wins to really be included with the bubble teams. They’ve never made a tournament appearance, and this team has the talent to break that streak. The remaining schedule, while difficult, includes some very winnable games.

9. Indiana (8-9)

The Hoosiers took out Minnesota in overtime this week, breaking a three-game skid. Indiana currently is 2-3 in conference and looks to play the spoiler role from here on out. Beating a top team in the conference gives them momentum going into next season.

10. Iowa (11-7)

The Hawkeyes get the nod over Penn State because of their recent win over the Nittany Lions 67-64. Iowa is 1-4 in conference and hasn’t been close in any of its conference losses. Similar to Indiana, they too would like to pay the spoiler role and knock a few other teams off before conference play ends. It’s all about pride right now.

11. Penn State (8-9)

The Nittany Lions are currently riding a five-game losing streak. They hit a low note when Iowa beat them this week, the same Iowa team that’s gotten throttled by every other Big Ten team its gone against this season. Taylor Battle is going to have to carry Penn State the rest of the way, considering he gets very little help from his supporting cast.