Big Ten Power Rankings: Penn State Remains on Top and Sparty Makes Its Move

It's still early...anything can happen...you have to play the games...

All true statements.  But, at this point it may be safe to say that the Big Ten title race has been narrowed to three teams.

Penn State, Ohio State, and Michigan State have separated themselves from the pack with each school picking up quality conference wins in the last few weeks.

Penn State has been impressive.  Knocking off a talented, but inconsistent Illinois team and handing Wisconsin their most embarrassing home loss in years.

Ohio State and Michigan State are closing in on the Lions though.  The two schools are very similar.  They feature outstanding running backs and physical defenses.  The coaches are friends (Dantonio was Tressel's offensive coordinator for a few years, including the 2002 national championship season) and both are very conservative offensively.

The Ohio State-Michigan State match-up this week will be a physical, grind-it-out game that will undoubtedly be the best game of the week in the Big Ten.

The Big Ten Power Rankings are voted on by Big Ten Community members Joe Guarr, Nino Colla, Adam Lindemer,  Isaac Luber, Molly Gray, and Kristofer Green.

1.  Penn State Nittany Lions (6)  66

Joe:  Will anybody come between them and a title this season? Not until they face OSU and MSU.

Nino:  Not just the best team in the conference right now, but they could very well be the number one team in the nation, more so after this week if things fall their way.

Adam:  The Nittany Lions are absolutely blowing out everyone they face.

Isaac:  They are back! They may be better than the '94 team. Huge blowout win over Wisconsin makes Ohio State's win look bad.

Kristofer:  The Lions are playing with consistency and explosiveness.  They haven't shown any signs of weakness, to this point.  The teeth of their schedule is still in front of them though and dates with Ohio State and Michigan State will prove to be difficult tests.

2T.  Michigan State Spartans  57

Joe:  Power running and a disciplined defense have buried the ghosts of John L. Smith for good. Oh yeah, Brett Swenson is pretty good, too.

Nino:  They can really make a statement in this [Ohio State] game and it could set up a real interesting possibility at the end of the year.

Adam:  More impressive wins than Ohio State; Javon Ringer could win the Heisman.

Isaac:  A big win over undefeated Northwestern and showing a balanced offense. A good game against OSU should determine 2nd place in the Big 10.

Kristofer:  Michigan State has found their groove.  They are physical and tough, and have been getting more and more consistent over the last few weeks.  We have seen good starts from Sparty in the past, though and MSU still has Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin on the schedule.

2T.  Ohio State Buckeyes  57

Joe:  Terrelle Pryor is an exciting player but the Buckeyes are struggling to put points on the board these days. Big test this weekend when they roll into East Lansing.

Nino:  Still the second best team after the win over Wisconsin, but here comes the big test in Michigan State.

Adam:  Offense still hasn't taken off with Beanie Wells' return.

Isaac:  They would move up to No. 2, but struggling AT HOME against Purdue keeps them at No. 3.  Beat MSU and then you're up to No. 2.

Kristofer:  Ohio State has been nothing short of frustrating this season.  They have the playmakers on offense to be a very explosive football team, but the conservative nature of Jim Tressel is starting to hurt the team.  Tress needs to open up the offense and let his team play like they can.  Malcom Jenkins is perhaps the best defensive player on the team (even better than Laurinaitis) and the best cover corner in the country.

4.  Minnesota Golden Gophers  48

Joe:  What a great surprise the Gophers have been. They could be looking at a pretty decent bowl by the end of the season.

Nino:  I'd like to put them lower, but they beat a good Illinois team and there is no one else playing any better, they are going to make things interesting this year.

Adam:  Nobody in the Big Ten thought the Gophers might be a threat.

Isaac:  Did I miss something? Are they actually 2-1 in conference play and 6-1 overall?

Kristofer:  Tim Brewster has done an amazing job at Minnesota.  He has taken a 1-11 team and turned them into a 6-1 team at the midway point of the season.  And along the way all he did was bring in a top 20 recruiting class.  Brewster should be a hands down choice for coach of the year in the Big Ten and should be in the consideration for the national coach of the year.

5.  Northwestern Wildcats  39

Joe:  Loss to Michigan State doesn't hurt them too much. The Wildcats still have an excellent shot at a bowl this season.

Nino:  Great and they could realistically win the next two games, even provide an interesting game against Minnesota. Not enough defense to hold down the Spartans though. 

Isaac:  A tough loss to a good Sparty team. I think they're [Northwestern] a bit inconsistent.

Kristofer:  Northwestern was exposed in last week's game against the Spartans.  They are an improved team, no doubt, but they have a way to go before they can play with the big boys in the conference.  Remember Pat Fitzgerald, who is doing a great job in Evanston, is one of the youngest head coaches in the country and is still learning.  This team will have a bright future.

6.  Illinois Fighting Illini  33

Joe:  Last season's surprise team from the Big Ten has looked woefully inconsistent this season. Juice Williams is always dangerous but he can't play every position for the Illini.

Nino:  Lost to Minnesota but still a very dangerous offense.

Adam:  Explosive offense that could possess some 'upset ability'.

Isaac:  Another conference loss hurts, but Minnesota has proven to be good. Losing at home is unacceptable, especially on homecoming.

Kristofer:  The Illini as a team are inconsistent, but that doesn't take away from the outstanding play they have been getting from Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn.  The two Illini playmakers are carrying the offense at this point and opponents know it.

7.  Iowa Hawkeyes  31

Joe:  Kirk Ferentz has left me scratching my head more often than a monkey with a lice problem. Too many bad losses this season, not enough good wins.

Nino:  They are an okay team. Good enough to thrash Indiana but not good enough to beat Northwestern? Inconsistent at best.

Isaac:  Lost to MSU, but rebounded nicely against Indiana.

Kristofer:  Was last week's win a stepping stone for the Hawkeyes?  Their blowout win over Indiana didn't turn many heads, but it may have given the inconsistent offense some much needed confidence.

8.  Wisconsin Badgers  21.5

Joe:  They've translated a preseason Top 10 ranking into a winless conference season so far.

Nino:  They need to win this game against Iowa or else their season is a complete failure. Granted coming out of the last two games they had was not going to be easy, but the Michigan loss really stings them in terms of perception. They are WAY better than this though.

Adam:  They truly are much better than their 0-3 record shows.

Isaac:  Two home losses in a row, both at night. Just pathetic. Getting blown out by PSU...well PSU's good. They should've beaten Michigan and would've beaten Ohio State if they finished, then things could've been different.

Kristofer:  How low have the Badgers sunk?  They went from being a top ten team no unranked in the course of three short weeks, have lost three in a row, and have serious confidence issues heading down the stretch.  The good news is that they have already faced the toughest tests on their schedule.

9.  Purdue Boilermakers  16

Joe:  A win over a good Central Michigan team coupled with a front-loaded schedule is the only reason that Purdue is up here. Back-to-back tough games against Northwestern and Minnesota will say a lot about this team.

Nino:  They've faced the Big Ten's toughest teams in their first two games. Things only get easier from here but Joe Tiller needs some offense.

Adam:  The Boilermakers have only scored nine points in two conference games.

Isaac:  Kept it close at home against PSU and on the road against OSU, but they do have to win games. Keeping it close and losing won't help their record.

Kristofer:  Purdue has the makings of a good team.  A veteran quarterback, an explosive running back, capable wide receivers, and a serviceable defense.  Why can they not win?  Joe Tiller, is a good coach and is well respected in the conference, but he seems to have lost his passion for the game.  Could that be rubbing off on his team?

10.  Indiana Hoosiers  14

Joe:  Has the "Believe" train been officially derailed for this season? 45-9 loss to Iowa would say so.

Nino:  They might not win a Big Ten game this year, which is a big setback. Purdue and Northwestern are probably their only shots.

Adam:  Offense can score points, but the defense also allows too many to opponents. 

Isaac:  Getting blown out by almost every team they play. They are just bad.

Kristofer:  Indiana has lost the passion they played with last season and they seem to be playing flat in every game.  Kellen Lewis is this teams playmaker and he needs to spark the fire that this team played with last season.  They lack purpose and desperately need one.

11.  Michigan Wolverines  13.5

Joe:  24-0 against the MAC became 24-1 against the MAC...thanks to one of the conference's weaker teams. I couldn't be happier.

Nino:  They played down to their opponent in Toledo but they can still compete in the Big Ten if they play with fire. Better than most of the teams in the Big Ten based on talent and effort, they need to play that way though.

Adam:  Some weeks they look good, and other weeks they look awful; which side of the Wolverines will show up in the coming weeks.

Isaac:  Um...Toledo? They had a worse record than Michigan, and they're in the MAC, who Michigan was 24-0 against until yesterday. It was at home, too.  Maybe Rich isn't the right guy.

Kristofer:  Rich Rodriguez's announcement that his team is "soft" was meant to fire his team up, I assume.  Instead his team played their worst game of the year.  This team is struggling to find any offense with the personnel they have.  The defense, which should be playing better than they have, is starting to wear out.  Is Rich Rodriguez on the hot seat?