The Way I See It: Big Ten Power Rankings (Feb. 22)

1. Purdue — 23-3 (11-3)

The Boilermakers are still the team to beat this week in the Big Ten. They got their first ever win in Value City Arena against The Buckeyes last week. The Michigan State game next Sunday will be huge for the conference standings. 

2. Michigan State — 21-7 (11-4)

Wow! I would’ve never though this Spartan squad would lose to an Ohio State team with Evan Turner being partially sidelined with the flu. This is still a very good team and will do well in the tournament, but Coach Izzo has to be disappointed in this week's performance. 

3. Ohio State — 21-7 (11-4)

This week has some good for the Buckeyes and some bad. The good was Evan Turner battles through the flu to help the Buckeyes get a huge road win over Michigan State. The bad was the lackluster effort in the loss to Purdue at home.

4. Wisconsin — 20-7 (10-5)

The Badgers hold their spot this week, despite the loss to Minnesota. This team, when healthy, has the talent to get into the Sweet 16. Performance like the one against the Gophers have me questioning it, however.

5. Illinois — 17-10 (9-5)

I can’t fault the Illini for the two losses this week. Both teams overpowered Illinois with superior talent. This team has played well this season and should get a favorable seed some tournament time.

6. Minnesota — 16-10 (7-7)

The Gophers are trying to play their way into the tournament. The win over No. 19 Wisconsin will help their cause. It’ll still take a few wins in the Big Ten tournament, maybe even winning it to seal the deal for Minnesota.

7. Northwestern — 17-10 (6-9)

The Wildcats' bubble has officially burst with the dismal performances this week against Penn State and Wisconsin. The loss to Penn State is inexcusable for a team trying to get an NCAA invite. There’s always next year, Northwestern.

8. Michigan — 13-13 (6-8)

The Wolverines are who we though they were….inconsistent. They play to the level of their opponents, and when that happens, teams lose more often then not. This week gave us a perfect example as Michigan struggled with Iowa and needed an overtime to get the win. The next game was against a horrendous Penn State team, and guess what, they lost at home, 55-51.

9. Iowa — 9-18 (3-11)

The Hawkeyes lost a heart breaker to Michigan this week, but they’ve shown there's still fight in this Iowa team. None of them have packed it in for the season and rolled over, and that’s something Iowa fans can be proud of in an otherwise bleak season.

10.  Penn State — 10-16 (2-12)

The Nittany Lions ended the 12-game losing streak with two wins over Michigan and Northwestern. They still have Ohio State, Michigan State, and Purdue on the schedule, so don’t expect any more.

11. Indiana — 9-17 (3-11)

Indiana is in the midst of an eight-game losing streak.  They take over the basement role this week, as Penn State has found out how to win.