Big Ten Power Rankings: Here Come the Buckeyes!

Ohio State has closed the gap on Penn State.

The Buckeyes dominated the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday and have seemed to have found their groove heading into Saturday's epic showdown with Penn State with the Big Ten title on the line.

Ohio State moved within two points of the Nittany Lions in this week's poll and received two of six first place votes. 

The Big Ten Power Poll is voted on by Big Ten Community members Bobby Cash, Isaac Luber, Adam Lindemer, Brett Lissenden, Nino Colla, and Kristofer Green.

1. Penn State (4)  64

Bobby: The gap is definitely closer than we all thought with what we saw out of Ohio State [last week]. The Lions definitely came out looking ahead in the first half, luckily for them they are talented enough to get past a bad Michigan team. Not the way you want to go into a big game at the Shoe.

Isaac:  Rebounded nicely in the second half with 39 unanswered. They are really beginning to look like a force, and could go to the National Championship.

Adam:  Even though they're No. 3, a win in "The Shoe" will be considered an upset.

Brett:  Penn State has won their conference games in more convincing fashion than Ohio State. They will get a chance to clinch conference supremacy this week.

Nino:  Still the best team and they have a chance to prove it this weekend.

Kristofer:  The Nittany Lions were bound to have a stutter along the way and perhaps the  first half of the Michigan game was that stutter.  JoePa and the Lions cannot afford to stutter against the Buckeyes in Columbus.

2. Ohio State (2)  62

Bobby: The most complete game the Buckeyes have played to date. They dominated every aspect of the game and dashed Javon Ringer's Heisman hopes while they were at it. Pryor looked a whole lot better than only a week ago and you know its a good day in Buckeye-land when Beanie Wells' line reads: 31 carries, 140 yards, 2 touchdowns.

Isaac:  After dominating Sparty, there is no question who is No. 2 in my mind. Big match up this week against PSU.

Adam:  Still the team to beat, a big showdown this week at home with Penn State.

Brett:  The Buckeyes looked a lot better last week, but they will have to beat PSU to regain the top spot in the Big Ten.

Nino:  They showed their offense isn't as bad as we thought it was. The true test is Penn State.

Kristofer:  The Buckeyes had their most complete showing against the Spartans last week.  Just the medicine they needed before heading into their biggest game of the year.  Tressel and the Buckeyes will be fired up for the “Red Out” on Saturday in what is a must win game for both OSU and Penn State.

3. Michigan State  47

Bobby: I know they have only lost one game in the Big Ten, but they were thoroughly manhandled all day at home. There might be the reason why Ringer's stats are inflated. What happens when he plays a top of the line defense? 16 carries for 67 yards and no touchdowns. This team will be interesting to watch next weekend when they host in state rival Michigan. Who will start at QB? Can they get Ringer back on track?

Isaac:  A bad loss to Ohio State, but they aren't bad. I expect them to bounce back.

Adam:  Still have one of the better offenses in the conference.

Brett:  The Spartans were expecting to have a really good chance to beat the Buckeyes last week. They then found themselves down 28-0 at halftime.

Nino:  Their offense might have been the product of some lesser opponents, but they are still far and away the third best team.

Kristofer:  A disappointing blow out loss to the Buckeyes could derail this team from their goals.  But it could also rally the team and make them stronger.  I think the second scenario is what will happen in East Lansing and the Michigan Wolverines had best be aware.

4T. Minnesota   45

Bobby: Another team overachieving in the Big Ten. This being their off week we will see how focused they can come out next weekend at Purdue. After that, their schedule is very favorable hosting Northwestern, Michigan, and Iowa.

Isaac:  They just have to keep that record and keep winning. They should beat Purdue this weekend.

Adam:  I still can't believe how good the Gophers are.

Brett:  Some impressive wins coupled with a poor performance from Michigan State at home puts the Golden Gophers near the top of the conference.

Nino:  The Gophers are really impressing. Still hanging up in the top half and could be here for awhile.

Kristofer:  Tim Brewster has done an outstanding job at Minnesota.  His Gophers are playing inspired football and will only get better as Brewster continues to bring in great recruiting classes.

4T. Northwestern  45

Bobby: Their offense is explosive and we saw it on display Saturday. I still have questions about their defense, but their Big Ten schedule is favorable and they have a legitimate shot at making a January bowl game.

Isaac:  Hey, they still only have one loss. They are bowl eligible now after beating up on Purdue.

Adam:  Still have the ability to move up in the rankings.

Brett:  After being beat soundly by Michigan State two weeks ago, the Spartans performance against Ohio State doesn't help their cause much either.

Nino:  They really had their way with Purdue and they are headed to a bowl, great for them!

Kristofer:  Northwestern is playing physical, tough, hard-nosed football and they are seeing results.  Pat Fitzgerald has his team playing they way he used to play, with fire and undying energy.

6T. Illinois  36

Bobby: Points galore against Indiana on Saturday in what was a "must-win" Big Ten game for the Illini. The final two weeks of the season will make or break this team, hosting Ohio State and then closing out the regular season at Northwestern.

Isaac:  They need to get it together. They were a good team, and now they are mediocre. Maybe they will be bowl eligible this year.

Adam:  Those two losses are the only reason they're behind NW and Minn.

Brett:  They haven't exactly been a model for consistency this year. But the talent of Juice Williams and some other players still makes them a threat to any other team in the Big Ten.

Nino:  I still think they could beat Northwestern, so they get the higher nod. 

Kristofer:  This Jekyll and Hyde team is so hard to figure out.  At times they look unstoppable, other times they look miserable.  Juice and company haven’t replaced the magic from last season.

6T. Iowa  36

Bobby: Shonn Greene ran roughshod on Wisconsin Saturday. This team is a surprise and is playing very well for Kirk Ferentz. We will find out what this team is really made of in the next two weeks when they go to Illinois and then host Penn State. The book is still out on this Hawkeye team but they can prove a lot in the next two weeks.

Isaac:  Beginning to win, and they are on the rise. Potential upset over PSU in three weeks?

Adam:  Shonn Greene looks impressive.

Brett:  After a slow start, the Hawkeyes are starting to look like a much better team. They could get a chance to shock the country with a home date against PSU in two weeks.

Nino:  Trashed Wisconsin, but that doesn't seem as awesome as it did four games ago.

Kristofer:  Iowa can make some noise in the Big Ten this season if they continue to play like they did on Saturday.  The match-up with Penn State at Kinnick Stadium will be almost as good as the PSU-OSU match-up this weekend.

8. Michigan  22

Bobby: The Michigan defense plays hard all game. The problem is on the other side of the ball. Rich Rod just doesnt have the personnel he needs to run his offense. They came out under the lights at Beaver Stadium and played lights out. The problem is they cannot do it for a solid four quarters. And their only Big Ten win looks a lot worse after today's games.

Isaac:  They are bad, but improvement has been seen. I expect them to get a couple of wins, and they will continue to improve. At least they aren't last.

Adam:  I'm STILL trying to figure out that Toledo loss.

Brett:  The final score against PSU didn't look so good, but Michigan showed a lot of potential in the first half. Their defense is solid and their offense has the potential to be a very good running team.

Nino:  They finally played with some energy in the first half against Penn State and proved they could at least hang if they played hard. Then Penn State woke up.

Kristofer:  Rich Rodriguez has got exactly three quarters of good play out of his team in seven games.  The last quarter of the Wisconsin game and the first two against Penn State.  Things are getting interesting in Ann Arbor.  UM defensive end Brandon Graham guaranteed a victory over the Spartans on Saturday.  Anyone ever heard of Brandon Graham?

9. Purdue  16

Bobby: Not the way Joe Tiller would have scripted his final season coaching the Boilers. The problems start with Curtis Painter, who was supposed to be one of the top senior quarterbacks in this conference, but his inconsistency has him putting on the headphones mid way through games. The offense has no fluidity. The defense has a bend but don’t break mentality, unfortunately their offense cannot generate anything and that breaks Purdue's defense.

Isaac:  They didn't look good at all, they are a pretty bad team.

Brett:  The offense has struggled much more than anticipated, but their defense has kept them in a lot of ball games.

Nino:  Joe Tiller's final season is going to be a disappointing one, what a shame. They'll have to upset Michigan State or Minnesota to get to a bowl if they can beat the other three possible wins.

Kristofer:  The Boilermakers and their coach have seemingly packed it in.  Joe Tiller doesn’t have the passion or the will to get his team to execute.  West Lafayette is in for some dark days.

10. Wisconsin  13

Bobby: See what had ha-happened was....This team was picked to finish second or third in nearly everyone's Big Ten preseason poll. Shows what we know. Their lack of a QB has proven to be this team's achilles heel. The way their schedule sets up there is a possibility, a real possibility that this team may not win a conference game. That would be the story of the year in the Big Ten.

Isaac:  They don't have a conference win, and are pathetic. Goodbye!

Adam:  The circus has made its way to Madison.

Brett:  The Badgers better find the answer to their problems soon or they will be sitting at home watching Bowl Games this December. This is a pretty significant collapse for a team ranked in the top 10 before the Big Ten season began.

Nino:  Oh how the mighty have fallen. They'll win at least one Big Ten game, won't they?

Kristofer:  Wow!  What is going on in Madison?  The Big Ten has figured out how to beat the Badgers.  Bret Bielema went from being the chosen one to the hot seat in a span of four awful performances by his team and the schedule doesn’t get any easier. 

11. Indiana  10

Bobby: This team is so young and raw. Their defense gives up points like its the cool thing to do these days. Their offense showed glimpses of what it can do against MSU earlier in the year, but it is way to inconsistent to get anything going. About the only thing going for this team is that they miss Ohio State on the schedule this year.

Isaac:  No fire in this team...they are bad, and will probably not get better. No more inspirational seasons.

Adam:  Better than the Badgers.

Brett:  Maybe a win over lowly Wisconsin is what Kellen Lewis and the Hoosiers need to get back on track.

Nino:  They have consistently been the worst team in the Big Ten this year. 

Kristofer:  Things went from bad to worse when Kellen Lewis missed last week with an ankle injury.  Lewis will miss the next game as well and that is bad news for a Hoosier team that is desperate need of someone to make some plays.