Big Ten Power Rankings: The States Have It

Penn State, Ohio State, and Michigan State are clearly the best of the Big Ten this season, and barring a collapse by any one of them, the Big Ten Champion will be one (or all) of these schools.

1.  Penn State  (6)  66

Joe:  I wouldn't want to be Iowa right now, no way. PSU will be looking to make big statements in their final games this season. They're disrespected because of a misconception that the Big Ten makes them weak. PSU would beat the vast majority of college teams in this country right now, and maybe even the Detroit Lions.

Isaac:  WE ARE...PENN STATE!!!  Although we got robbed by the polls, we are still the best team in the Nation.  PSU is back!!!

Adam:  They will go undefeated, they will MAKE the National Championship Game, and JoePa will finally retire...maybe.

Nino:  Texas' loss opens it up for Penn State now. Win and you're in. I hope they don't trip up against any of these mediocre Big Ten teams. They deserve a shot at the National Title, and no one left on their schedule should beat them.

Kristofer:  The Nittany Lions look like they could be headed to Miami in January.  They are solid across the board, and JoePa would like nothing more than to go out on top.  First the Lions must get past a scrappy Iowa team that is looking to get to the best bowl game possible.

2.  Ohio State  59

Joe:  Their next game against Northwestern could turn into an upset. As a Spartan fan I hope it does, because that means the Spartans have a better shot at second place in the Big Ten. As a realist, I can't see it happening. Ohio State is simply the second-best team in the conference this year, period.

Isaac:  Although both they and PSU had a bye, no one can jump them.  They are clearly No. 2, and PSU is clearly No. 1.  There shouldn't be a change in the Top Two for the rest of the season.

Adam:  It's a new era in the Big Ten when the Buckeyes aren't one of the top two teams in the conference.

Nino:  Will Illinois be a tougher game than Michigan this year? Despite the rivalry, it's looking like it.

Kristofer:  The Buckeyes have had to wait two weeks to get the sour taste of loss out of their mouths and will be more than ready to take the field against Northwestern on Saturday.  Although the Wildcats are much improved this season, the Buckeyes have won the last three meetings by a combined score of 160-24, and this matchup should have a similar outcome.

3.  Michigan State  55

Joe:  They kept fighting despite an overly physical Wisconsin secondary (read: pass interference all over the place) and capitalized on the Badgers' mistakes. That's the mark of a good team. A win over Purdue at home on Senior Day means that the worst the Spartans can do is third place in the Big Ten and a New Year's Day bowl.  Like I've been saying all season, these are not the same old Spartans.

Isaac:  The only reason they are ahead of Northwestern at No. 3 is because they beat them head to head.

Bobby:  Dramatic win lifts Sparty back to number three in my poll. But there is still a big gap between the top two and Michigan State.

Adam:  Similar to Illinois last year: Surprise the Big Ten but get wiped out in their bowl game.

Nino:  Michigan State has made it positively clear that no one in the Big Ten is in Penn State or Ohio State's leagues. They are a good team, but there is no touching the top two, and Sparty will have a difficult time passing like they did against Michigan and Wisconsin against Penn State.

Kristofer:  The Spartans are without a doubt the third-best team in the Big Ten.  Not necessarily a bad spot for Sparty, considering the two teams in front of them.

4.  Northwestern  46

Joe:  Beat Minnesota with their backup quarterback and defense. It was an exciting finish, capping off a comprehensively solid performance by the Wildcats. They're in line to finish fourth in the conference and get a probable berth in the Alamo Bowl. Well done, indeed.

Isaac:  They finally proved that they are a good football team by knocking off Minnesota.

Bobby:  Got a huge INT return for a touchdown in the final minute against Minnesota. Their offense was stagnant against the Gopher defense, but Kafka proved he is a worthy backup to Bacher.

Adam:  The battle against Minnesota showed why they rank higher.

Nino:  Great win for Pat Fitzgerald, but once again, there's the top two, there's Michigan State, and then there is everyone else.

Kristofer:  Northwestern has its toughest game of the season this weekend.  A win over the Buckeyes, and the Wildcats are in position for a New Year's Day bowl.  But considering the past performances against the Buckeyes, Northwestern can only hope to keep it close.

5.  Minnesota  41

Joe:  Minnesota has now played two good/halfway decent teams and lost to them both. Paper tigers? I think so. They've benefited immensely from a very weak schedule.

Isaac:  A devastating homecoming loss, but they shouldn't suffer any more losses all season, in my opinion.

Bobby:  Tough way to lose at home in the final seconds. Young team is still learning how to win, but I liked the way they played defense all game against the Wildcats.

Adam:  Still having one heck of a season.

Nino:  I thought they were a better team than Northwestern. Now let's see if "old" Minnesota is no more and the Gophers can wrestle the Little Brown Jug away from a lowly Michigan team. Don't trip up.

Kristofer:  A tough loss for the Gophers, but their season has still got to be considered an unbridled success.  They are looking at a New Year's Day bowl a year after winning just one game.  Amazing.

6.  Illinois  35

Joe:  The Illini are quickly becoming the most inconsistent/disappointing team in the Big Ten. You never know which squad you're going to get on a given weekend. If they don't beat Western Michigan this weekend, last year's surprise Rose Bowl team could miss out on a bowl entirely.

Bobby:  Squeaked out a win against Iowa. There is a big logjam in the middle of the Big Ten where anyone could be number five, six, and seven. Illinois gets the nod this week, but it was an unimpressive win to say the least.

Nino:  If this team wasn't so inconsistent, they'd be right there with Michigan State. Good solid win over Iowa.

Kristofer:  The Illini are so frustrating.  Imagine where they could be if they played with any consistency.

7.  Iowa  34

Joe:  Shonn Greene is a great back. Iowa should win two of their last three games to finish at 7-5, thanks in no small part to Green's strong legs. He's the only reason that they'll make a bowl this season as Kirk Ferentz has disappointed in Iowa City again.

Isaac:  They lost to Illinois, but I don't think they're bad.  They're mediocre.

Bobby:  Tough loss at Illinois. They could have been overlooking the game because of their showdown with the Nittany Lions next weekend. They still pose a threat, but if they cannot run the ball against Penn State, they cannot win.

Nino:  If they had beaten Illinois, I would have put them fourth. They are improving week by week, but this is a bit of a setback.

Kristofer:  A devastating loss to the Illini could be attributed to a case of the look-aheads.  If that is the case, the Hawkeyes had better show up in a big way on Saturday when they take on the Nittany Lions.

8.  Wisconsin  22

Joe:  Bret Bielema was pretty much completely responsible for Wisconsin's loss to Michigan State on the weekend. Things like that don't happen to good teams.

Bobby:  Tough loss to take at Michigan State. Their running game finally got on track for the first time. Just not enough defense to hold the Spartans offense from getting into field goal position.

Adam:  A new era in Madison, and that's not a good thing.

Nino:  Better than all the one-loss Big Ten basement dwellers, despite their Michigan loss. Prove it by not only beating Indiana, but running them to death like you did Michigan State, only with a win.

Kristofer:  Bret Bielema's one-week respite from the hot seat is over.  He is now firmly back on it and must win out in order to even get his team to a bowl game.  Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

9.  Purdue  17

Joe:  Was anybody else excited that the Boilermakers channeled the spirit of Boise State to beat Michigan last weekend? What's that you say? It was completely meaningless in the big picture? Agreed.

Bobby:  Won the battle of the cellar dwellers. We finally saw the offense Tiller thought he would see all year long.

Adam:  Showed life last week. Granted, it was against Michigan, but they proved they can actually score points.

Nino:  Was Curtis Painter the problem? Looks like Joe Tiller won't be going out on a completely sour note. Just beat Indiana now.

Kristofer:  Where would this team be if Curtis Painter sat on the bench sooner?  They might have found themselves with a few more wins.

10.  Indiana  13

Joe:  Let's just say that the Hoosiers are glad that Michigan, Purdue, and Wisconsin are providing a nice big cushion at the bottom of the Big Ten standings. Otherwise, they might be embarrassed.

Isaac:  The worst team in the Big Ten, and they have a case to be as bad as teams like Washington, WSU, Syracuse, and others.

Bobby:  Tough loss to a non-conference MAC opponent after a big win. This team just cannot put it together on a week to week basis.

Nino:  It comes down to who has the better talent. I really have no clue, but Purdue beat Central Michigan, so they are ahead for now.

11.  Michigan  8 

Joe:  You gave up 48 points to a team averaging just over 15 for the season. Wait 'til basketball season? 

Bobby:  Their offense scored, but their defense was horrendous. Earned the right to be in the basement after giving up 48 to Purdue.

Adam:  They lost to TOLEDO. It still haunts them.

Nino:  I think they are a better team than Indiana, but they haven't shown anything other than a Wisconsin win to prove it. Put up a fight against Minnesota, and then we'll talk.

Kristofer:  The Wolverines are done for 2008.  Rich Rodriguez and his staff must now begin looking to the future.  How they respond to this season in the offseason will be important to the future of the program.