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

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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ST. LOUIS - SEPTEMBER 4: A.J. Jenkins #8 of the University of Illinois Fighting Illini scores a touchdown against the University of Missouri Tigers during the State Farm Arch Rivalry game on September 4, 2010 at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Missour

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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SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 04: Robert Marve #9 of the Purdue Boilermakers rolls out to look for a receiver against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium on September 4, 2010 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defated Purdue 23-12. (Photo by

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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TEMPE, AZ - DECEMBER 31: Runningback Duane Bennett #22 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers rushes the football against the Iowa State Cyclones during the Insight Bowl at Arizona Stadium on December 31, 2009 in Tempe, Arizona. The Cyclones defeated the Golden

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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BLOOMINGTON, IN - NOVEMBER 01: Quarterback Ben Chappell #4 of the Indiana Hooisers moves to hand off the ball during the game against the Central Michigan Chippewas at Memorial Stadium on November 1, 2008 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Ge

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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EVANSTON, IL - OCTOBER 31: Dan Persa #7 of the Northwestern Wildcats throws a pass against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ryan Field on October 31, 2009 in Evanston, Illinois. Penn State defeated Northwestern 34-13. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

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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ANN ARBOR, MI - SEPTEMBER 19: Quarterback Denard Robinson #16 of the Michigan Wolverines carries the ball on a 36 yard touchdown rin in the fourth quarter against the Eastern Michigan Eagles at Michigan Stadium on September 19, 2009 in Ann Arbor, Michiga

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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MADISON, WI - SEPTEMBER 26: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Michigan State Spartans looks to pass the ball against the Wisconsin Badgers on September 26, 2009 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

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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ORLANDO, FL - JANUARY 1: Evan Royster #22 of the Penn State Nittany Lions runs with the football during the 2010 Capital One Bowl against the LSU Tigers at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium on January 1, 2010 in Orlando, Florida. Penn State won 19-17. (Phot

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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LAS VEGAS - SEPTEMBER 04: John Clay #32 of the Wisconsin Badgers runs for a touchdown agains the UNLV Rebels during the third quarter of their game at Sam Boyd Stadium September 4, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Wisconsin won 41-21. (Photo by Ethan Miller/G

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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MIAMI GARDENS, FL - JANUARY 05: Adam Robinson #32 of the Iowa Hawkeyes runs the ball against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the FedEx Orange Bowl at Land Shark Stadium on January 5, 2010 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Iowa won 24-14. (Photo by Doug

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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COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 2: Terrelle Pryor #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes drops back in the pocket against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Ohio Stadium on September 2, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

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