Big Ten Football: Power Ranking the Teams Heading Into Week 5
Conference play opens this weekend in what appears to be another year of competitive football in the Big Ten. The Big Ten is very deep this season and the start of conference play is going to prove that. These teams are going to beat up on each other, enabling the toughest team to stand alone as the Big Ten champion.
Week 4 did not present many Big Ten teams with a challenge, with the “top dogs” of the conference showing their explosiveness in demolishing their opponents. Beating on non conference opponents is the perfect tune up for the grinds of the Big Ten schedule.
The Big Ten currently has six teams ranked in the AP Top 25 and also features a Northwestern team that is 4-0. Indiana is also turning heads with its 3-0 start to the season. Here's how they stack up.
11 – Minnesota (1-3)
1 of 11
Week 4: L 23-24 against Northern Illinois
Week 5: Host Northwestern
Minnesota suffered its third loss of the season to Northern Illinois in Week 4 and continues its abysmal season. Tim Brewster is steadily ensuring that he will not be the Gophers head coach for much longer as each week passes by.
Quarterback Adam Weber was able to provide some spark for Minnesota’s offense, throwing for 376 yards and two touchdowns, but it was not enough to overcome the 297 rushing yards allowed to the Huskies.
The Gophers host the undefeated Northwestern Wildcats this weekend to start conference play and figure to lose. The best thing for Minnesota fans to think about is that their season cannot get much worse.
Week 5 Prediction: LOSS
10 – Purdue (2-2)
2 of 11
Week 4: L 20-31 against Toledo
Week 5: Bye
Purdue’s season is getting worse by the day as they see star player after star player fall victim to injury. The newest member of the Purdue injury club is quarterback Robert Marve.
Marve came to Purdue from Miami and expectations were high that he would be able to lead the Boilermakers to victory.
The Boilermakers have a bye in Week 5 and they need it. Purdue should use it to regroup after the serious injuries that the team has suffered and prepare to travel to Evanston to face the Northwestern Wildcats in Week 6.
Week 5 Prediction(Suggestion?): Get Healthy
9 – Illinois (2-1)
3 of 11
Week 4: Bye
Week 5: Host Ohio State
Illinois has been surprising four weeks into the season, having a record over .500 for the first time since the 2008 season. Their two victories are not over powerhouse teams, but a win is a win.
The Fighting Illini open their Big Ten schedule welcoming the Ohio State Buckeyes to Champaign. The Buckeyes are going to give the Illini all they can handle. Terrelle Pryor and company figure to be able to pick apart the Illini defense and beat the Illini without much of a struggle.
This Big Ten matchup will be for the Illibuck, which has been a good rivalry game the last nine years, with both teams being very competitive with each other.
Illinois’s offensive averages are towards the bottom of the Big Ten, while Ohio State’s are at the top of the stats list. Despite the promise that the Illini have shown thus far this season, the Buckeyes will be too explosive for Illinois.
Week 5 Prediction: LOSS
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
8 – Indiana (3-0)
4 of 11
Week 4: W 35-20 against Akron
Week 5: Host Michigan
Arguably the most surprising record in the Big Ten right now is that the Indiana Hoosiers have three wins and zero losses.
The Hoosiers put their undefeated record on the line when the Michigan Wolverines travel to Bloomington Saturday.
So far, the teams that Indiana has defeated are nothing to look at, but the Hoosiers are still undefeated. This game will be a battle of opposites. The Big Ten’s best rushing team, Michigan, will play the Big Ten’s worst rushing team, Indiana.
Indiana may challenge the Wolverines, but Michigan should prevail.
Week 5 Prediction: LOSS
7 – Penn State (3-1)
5 of 11
Week 4: W 22-13 against Temple
Week 5: @ Iowa
Penn State presents the first ranked Big Ten team on this list at No. 22 in the AP Poll.
They have played well so far this season, but have really only done that, play well. They have yet to play extremely well.
They open their Big Ten schedule by traveling to Iowa City to take on the Hawkeyes. This is one of two Big Ten games this week that will feature two ranked teams.
The Nittany Lions and the Hawkeyes both have a shot and the Big Ten title and need to start off their conference play on the right foot. Penn State loses a close one on the road.
Week 5 Prediction: LOSS
6 – Northwestern (4-0)
6 of 11
Week 4: W 30-25 against Central Michigan
Week 5: @ Minnesota
After playing solid through the first four weeks, the Wildcats will travel to Minnesota to take on the Big Ten bottom feeding Gophers.
Dan Persa and company should not have trouble coming away with a win in this contest. He is currently the best statistical passing quarterback in the Big Ten and should not have trouble adding to those stats in
Week 5.
The Wildcats should be able to take down the Gophers.
Week 5 Prediction: WIN
5 – Michigan (4-0)
7 of 11
Week 4: W 65-21 against Bowling Green
Week 5: @ Indiana
The Michigan Wolverines, led by Heisman candidate Denard Robinson, have been running on all cylinders this season… on offense.
If they want to be ranked higher, they are going to need to improve their defense, which currently allows the most yards to an opponent in the Big Ten.
Luckily for the Wolverines, they are playing the Indiana Hoosiers. Despite being undefeated, Michigan should not have too much trouble with Indiana and should start their Big Ten schedule with a win.
Week 5 Prediction: WIN
4 – Michigan State (4-0)
8 of 11
Week 4: W 45-7 against Northern Colorado
Week 5: Host Wisconsin
Michigan State hosting Wisconsin presents the other game in the Big Ten that will feature two ranked teams.
The Spartans have played very well through the first four weeks. Playing Wisconsin will be their first real challenge of the season, though.
Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio will be at the game, but in the box, not the sidelines. His presence should give the Spartans a boost in an important Big Ten game like this one.
In a tightly contested game between two of the better teams in the Big Ten, the Badgers should come out on top.
Week 5 Prediction: LOSS
3 – Iowa (3-1)
9 of 11
Week 4: W 45-0 against Ball State
Week 5: Host Penn State
The Iowa Hawkeyes look to start off their Big Ten schedule with a victory and prove to critics that their loss to Arizona was a fluke.
Opening up the Big Ten schedule with Penn State does not make the Hawkeyes’ task easy by any means. The Nittany Lions are ranked No. 22 in the AP Poll and are a typical, hardnosed Joe Paterno team.
Iowa has looked very convincing in their victories and played well, for the most part anyway, in the second half of the Arizona game.
Assuming that they continue to click and stay consistent on offense, the Hawkeyes should take down the Nittany Lions.
Week 5 Prediction: WIN
2 – Wisconsin (4-0)
10 of 11
Week 4: W 70-3 against Austin Peay
Week 5: @ Michigan State
The Wisconsin Badgers have lived up to their hype this season by maintaining their high ranking (No. 11) and winning their games in convincing fashion. They also have a solid non conference victory over Arizona State, winning that game on a blocked PAT.
The Badgers travel to East Lansing to take on the Michigan State Spartans in their Week 5 Big Ten opener.
The Spartans are no slouch as shown by their No. 24 ranking in the AP Poll. Playing the Spartans on the road makes this game that much tougher for the Badgers.
Wisconsin and Michigan State will definitely appease Big Ten fans by providing them with an exciting opening game, with the Badgers taking home the victory.
Week 5 Prediction: WIN
1 – Ohio State (4-0)
11 of 11
Week 4: W 73-20 against Eastern Michigan
Week 5: @ Illinois
The best team in the Big Ten and No. 2 ranked team in the nation, the Ohio State Buckeyes, open their Big Ten schedule in Champaign, Illinois to take on the Fighting Illini.
Illinois has been a surprise this year starting the year at 2-1, but Ohio State also has shown no mercy through the first four weeks of the season.
Not only have the Buckeyes beat a tough Miami team pretty easily earlier this season, but also they hung 73 points on Eastern Michigan last week and have been the highest scoring offense in the Big Ten, averaging 49.3 points a game through the first four weeks.
Terrelle Pryor and the Buckeyes offense should not have trouble scoring on an Illini defense that has been surprising this season. They have too many weapons, and the Illini defense will definitely have their hands full.
The rivalry between these teams (Battle for the Illibuck Trophy) has had some competitive games the last nine years for the most part, but this season the Buckeyes should defeat the Illini by a fair amount as they begin their quest for the Big Ten title with a victory.
Week 5 Prediction: WIN
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
