Big Ten Power Rankings: The Top Two May Have to Share

As Penn State was struggling with Iowa, Ohio State was flexing its muscle against Northwestern.  The two teams have shared the top two spots in the conference for much of the season, and this week's poll sees the two Universities separated by only two points.

The Big Ten championship race is down to three, and the title will most likely be a shared one this season.

Penn State and Ohio State control their own destinies.  If they both win out, they will share the title.  Penn State by virtue of the head to head victory would receive the Rose Bowl nod, but Ohio State would most likely receive a BCS bid as well.

If Michigan State can steal a victory in Happy Valley, then Ohio State and Michigan State would share the title, with Ohio State receiving the Rose Bowl nod.

Penn State must root for an Ohio State loss and beat Michigan State if they wish to retain the outright title, whereas Ohio State would need Penn State to lose both of their final games in order to win the outright title.

The only thing that is certain is that the final stretch will be an interesting one.

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

1.  Penn State (4)  64

Bobby:  Tough loss sets them up for a split title and dashes their hopes of a BCS bid.

Isaac:  Still no doubt of which team is the Big Ten's No. 1, but a loss hurts their NC hopes.  You can't overlook a team and beat yourself, especially on the road.

Nino:  A loss for all Big Ten supporters. Penn State could have changed everyone's opinions about the Big Ten against other conferences. They just tripped up.

Joe:  The tough loss to Iowa exposed some flaws, but they've still proved themselves worthy of a Rose Bowl berth. They should have an easy time with Indiana and a tough test in the final weekend against MSU.

Kristofer:  The loss to Iowa was a big heartbreaker for the Nittany Lions, but a Big Ten championship and a Rose Bowl appearance is not a shabby consolation prize.  One last test for the Lions, a home showdown with Mark Dantonio and the upset-minded Spartans.  White-out, anyone?

2.  Ohio State (2)  62

Bobby:  Buckeyes can continue streak of Big Ten Championships if they win out.

Isaac:  Crushed Northwestern.  At least one team knows how to come off a bye.  They are looking at a BCS bid if they and PSU win out.

Nino:  They are in the BCS with one more Penn State loss.

Joe:  Excellent performance against Northwestern. Pryor was very efficient and the defense was great. They need to rely on Michigan State to have a crack at the Rose Bowl though...

Kristofer:  The Buckeyes are back in the Big Ten title hunt, and with wins over Illinois and Michigan, the Buckeyes will clinch a share of their fourth consecutive Big Ten title.

3.  Michigan State  54

Bobby:  Sparty is looking for a solid January bowl if they continue to play well.

Isaac:  At least they won a game that they had to and should win.  Their big test is against an angry PSU team in two weeks.

Nino:  They are in an interesting position, but if they play like they did against Ohio State versus Penn State, they won't win.

Joe:  Dominated with defense against Purdue. Guaranteed a New Year's Day bowl or better. Even more surprising is that the Spartans still have a decent shot at the Big Ten title.

Kristofer:  The Spartans sure wish Penn State would have taken care of business against Iowa.  Now their Rose Bowl aspirations are slim, but a share of Big Ten title is still in reach.  A win over Penn State at the end of the season will clinch a share of the title with Ohio State.

4T.  Iowa  45

Bobby:  Followed up bad loss with huge win over No. 3 Penn State with late drive to set up game-winning field goal.

Isaac:  Well, they jump to No. 5 after beating Penn State.  Iowa played well and let PSU beat themselves, as PSU was overlooking an Iowa team who is better than they seem.

Nino:  In one way, I'm glad they won to show they are better than teams like Northwestern, but I really wanted to see Penn State go the distance.

Joe:  Great win over Penn State. It may have saved Kirk Ferentz' tail for another season.

Kristofer:  The win over Penn State was a sign that this team in headed in the right direction.  Iowa has lost four games this season by a total of 12 points.  The wind was blowing their direction Saturday night.

4T.  Northwestern  45

Bobby:  Loss to Ohio State was tough at home, but they were without their starting QB and HB.

Isaac:  They got crushed by Ohio State, but they beat Minnesota.  Minnesota lost to Michigan, so even after a crushing defeat this decent Northwestern team stays at No. 4 in the Big Ten.

Nino:  They can prove something if they avoid another loss to Michigan.

Joe:  The Wildcats may have been waxed by Ohio State, but their play the rest of this season has been fairly impressive.

Kristofer:  Ohio State has now won four straight vs. Northwestern by a combined score of 205-34.  Northwestern will regroup and finish strong.  A New Year's Day bowl isn't out of the question for the Wildcats.

6.  Minnesota  33

Bobby:  Two bad losses at home in a row drop this team from the leaders in the Big Ten to .500.

Isaac:  They lost to Michigan.  This was their best chance to beat Michigan.  Actually, they got crushed by Michigan.  This loss shows that this program is flawed and is a fraud.

Nino:  Didn't prove anything good after they lost to Michigan.

Joe:  Can't beat the bowl-bound, and now they can't even beat a 2-7 Michigan team at home. Reports of their massive improvement have been greatly exaggerated, it seems.

Kristofer:  The Gophers are improved, but how much is no longer a question.  It is now clear that an easy schedule helped the Gophers achieve bowl eligibility.

7T.  Illinois  27

Bobby:  Western Michigan? Really?

Isaac:  They lost to Western Michigan.  Pathetic, absolutely pathetic.  This was a must-win game, and now they have a much harder time becoming bowl eligible.

Nino:  Let's see if you can do it again Zooker.

Joe:  Michigan State's hopes for a Big Ten title rest on the inconsistent shoulders of Ron Zook's team. At their best, they're capable of hanging with the top three. At their worst...ugly.

Kristofer:  The Illini have been hot and cold all season long, but the loss to Western Michigan was especially ugly.  They will be ready for the Buckeyes on Saturday, but it may not matter.

7T.  Wisconsin  27

Bobby:  Thrashed Indiana. Now that their ground game is taking off, this team is starting to find Ws.

Isaac:  Killed Indiana.  They aren't good, but at least they aren't being crushed by teams anymore.  They are actually winning.  Maybe they have a shot at a bowl after all.  They are really rebuilding towards the end of the season.

Nino:  I fully expect them to beat Minnesota, and they should beat Cal Poly. Seven wins is probably not what they were thinking, but after the start to their Big Ten season, I'm sure it's welcomed.

Joe:  They'll make a bowl since they've got Cal Poly in their last game. Why is a Big Ten team allowed to play Cal Poly in November?

Kristofer:  Wisconsin will reach bowl eligibility with a win against Cal Poly, but the Badgers may not deserve it.  Why in the world is a Big Ten team closing the season with an FCS school?  How embarrassing.

9.  Michigan  20

Bobby:  Solid win on the road for the Little Brown Jug. Their defense dominated all day against the Gophers.

Isaac:  They crushed Minnesota and moved up to No. 9.  Michigan may be getting better.  Maybe they can go 5-7, and avoid their first eight-loss season, but it is very unlikely.  4-8 looks much more likely.  Hopefully Michigan won't go 3-9—well, hopefully for UM fans, that is.  However, Northwestern and Ohio State are hard wins, and both seem unlikely.

Nino:  I told people this team isn't as bad as you think. They didn't just beat Minnesota, they beat them big. Maybe their offense is starting to come together.

Joe:  They were underdogs against a decent Minnesota team and pulled the upset. I'm still not sold on them though. The fact that they were underdogs in the first place tells you all you need to know about Michigan's season.

Kristofer:  The Wolverines played the most complete game of the season against Minnesota.  But the Big Blue will still be home for the holidays and will no doubt reflect upon what could have been.

10.  Purdue  11

Bobby:  Only two weeks left before Tiller can end this nightmare.

Isaac:  They kept it close against MSU, as they did against PSU, OSU, and other teams.  They beat Michigan but are one spot under them because they just really can't win, most of the time.  They can keep it close all day, but they rarely win.  That won't get them anywhere.

Nino:  And Joe Tiller's last season is officially a letdown.

Joe:  The Joe Tiller era will not have a fairy tale ending. The Boilers are missing out on a bowl.

Kristofer:  Joe Tiller may get some ice fishing done because his retirement will start a few months early.

11.  Indiana  8

Bobby:  How did they ever beat Northwestern?

Isaac:  They lost to Central Michigan, and CMU had their backup quarterback starting.  They get crushed by every team and are no doubt the worst team in the Big Ten.  They are just awful.

Nino:  Penn State is going to be angry. I'm sorry Indiana for your luck.

Joe:  *shakes head* Last year's Insight Bowl loss is unfortunately the highlight of the 21st century for Indiana football so far.

Kristofer:  The Hoosiers would usually be looking forward to the start of the basketball season at this point.  But even that is depressing this season.