College Football: Team-by-Team Big Ten Power Rankings Post Week One

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College football addicts across the country let out a simultaneous sigh of relief as the 2010 season kicked off over the weekend.

Fans of the Big Ten conference weren't disappointed with the outcome of the season's first weekend of action. Big Ten teams posted a record of 9-2 in college football's opening weekend of play.  

Most teams played weaker competition, but the league's best looked spectacular. As a result, week one power rankings haven't changed much since the preseason. 

A few teams were able to help their own cause and work the way up the ranks, but nothing too dramatic transpired to change the landscape of the conference power rankings.

Not yet, anyway.

T-11. Illinois Fighting Illini

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Head coach Ron Zook continues to struggle with things in Illinois. While the Fight Illini almost pulled off an upset against Missouri in their opening game, it's clear Zook as more than a few things to figure out.

Redshirt freshman Nathan Scheelhase looked overwhelmed against Missouri's defense, which could mean trouble once conference play begins.

Previous Rank: 11

T-11: Purdue Boilermakers

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Purdue still hasn't learned how to play defense, and at one point in their opening game allowed four consecutive scoring drives. 

Quarterback Robert Marve looked good in his debut for the Boilermakers, but made too many mistakes to pull off a victory over the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. 

Head coach Danny Hope will have to figure things out quick if his team wants to compete in the conference.

Previous Rank: 10

9. Minnesota Golden Gophers

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Senior quarterback Adam Weber was his typical shade of blah in Minnesota's opening game of the season. 

Weber completed 10 of 17 passes for 150 yards and no touchdowns. Running back Duane Bennett racked up 187 yards on 30 carries, and fullback Jon Hoese scored three touchdowns for the Gophers.

One positive for Minnesota was their amazing 45:34 minutes of possession time. It's hard to lose a game when you always have the ball.

Previous Rank: 8

8. Indiana Hoosiers

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The Hoosiers looked great on offense in their home opener against Towsin.  

Without leading receiver Tandon Doss, quarterback Ben Chappell still had a great showing. Darius Willis rushed for over 100 yards and two touchdowns, hinting that Indiana might have a rushing attack to work with.

Their defense, however, is paltry. The Hoosiers allowed 392 yards...to Towson.

Previous Rank: 9

7. Northwestern Wildcats

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Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald has the Wildcats' season off to a good start after defeating Vanderbilt in the season opener.

Fitzgerald still needs to find a running game and fix a few problems on special teams, but the Wildcats look ready for conference action already. 

Quarterback Dan Persa carried the offense, completing 19 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns. 

Previous Rank: 7

6. Michigan Wolverines

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Denard "Shoelace" Robinson clearly proved why head coach Rich Rodriguez gave him the starting job. 

Robinson earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the week, compiling 383 total yards of offense and two touchdowns. His blazing speed helped him break the school rushing record for quarterbacks with 197 yards.

Michigan's defense still needs work, but the Wolverines could be better than some people previously thought.

Previous Rank: 6

5. Michigan State Spartans

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Mark Dantonio's Michigan State Spartans re-established their run game in a big way during the opening weekend of play. 

The Spartans received huge performances from freshman Le'Von Bell, who ran for 141 yards and two touchdowns, and sophomore Edwin Baker, who rushed for 117 yards and two more scores. 

Linebacker Greg Jones dominated on defense, forcing a fumble and almost snagging his first career interception. 

Previous Rank: 5

4. Penn State Nittany Lions

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Penn State struggled in the first quarter against Youngstown State, but it was to be expected.

Freshman quarterback Rob Bolden was taking snaps in the opener, and it understandably took awhile for him to settle down.  

What wasn't to be expected was the play of senior tailback Evan Royster, who was held to 40 yards on 11 carries.

The Nittany Lions faces a huge test this weekend on the road against Alabama. Bolden and Royster will both need to play their best if PSU has any chance of winning. 

Previous Rank: 4

3. Wisconsin Badgers

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For the most part, the Wisconsin Badgers made things look easy against UNLV. Wisconsin traveled west to take on UNLV for a night game, defeating the Rebels 41-21.

While they made a few early mistakes, they pulled away in the second half behind the monsterous play of running back John Clay, Montee Ball and James White. Defensive end J.J. Watt forced fumble early in the third quarter to help the cause.

Wisconsin still has a few things to work out, but they are clearly in the mix for a conference title this year. 

Previous Rank: 3

2. Iowa Hawkeyes

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The Hawkeyes dominated Eastern Illinois to open the season, 37-7. Iowa didn't take any chances, scoring 21 points in the first quarter en route to blowing out the Panthers.

Aside from a scare when quarterback Ricky Stanzi went down with a leg injury, Iowa fans had a relatively pain-free home opener. The scare for Hawkeye fans was brief, as Stanzi took the field on the very next series.  

Stanzi and backup quarterback James Vandenberg connected with ten different receivers in the game.

Sophomore tailback Adam Robinson rushed for 109 yards and three touchdowns. Senior Paki O'Meara earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after a blocked punt for a touchdown.

Previous Rank: 2

1. Ohio State Buckeyes

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After an explosive offensive outing, the Ohio State football team remains at the top the Power Rankings. The Buckeyes won the non-conference home game by dominating Marshall, 45-7.  

Quarterback Terrelle Pryor is starting to look more comfortable and in control, which is a dangerous thing for the other teams in the conference. Pryor threw 17-of-25 for 247 yards and three touchdowns in the first game of the year. The Buckeyes on the whole compiled 529 total yards of offense. 

ESPN Big Ten Blogger Adam Rittenberg labels Ohio State "Big Ten's most complete team." 

Aside from a few miscues on special-teams, Ohio State put together a near-perfect outing. They have a huge non-conference game against the Miami Hurricanes this weekend, which should help to prove even more things for the team. 

Previous Rank: 1