College Football 2011: Big Ten Conference Power Rankings After Week 7

Ranking (Last Week)

No. 1 (1) Wisconsin Badgers (6-0, 2-0 Big Ten)

Week 7 Result: Win, 59-7 over Indiana 

The Badgers failed to roll up 83 points on the Indiana Hoosiers this year, but they have continued to prove they are in their own class compared to the rest of the teams in the Big Ten Conference. 

Running backs Montee Ball and James White combined for 229 rushing yards and five total touchdowns. Quarterback Russell Wilson will get a chance to bolster his Heisman Trophy candidacy this weekend against No. 15 Michigan State.

No. 2 (4) Michigan State Spartans (5-1, 2-0)

Week 7 Result: Win, 28-14 over No. 11 Michigan

Michigan State put to rest any doubts about the legitimacy of its defense by stifling Michigan's potent running game and shutting down Denard Robinson last Saturday. Despite having the Wolverines in their territory much of the afternoon, the Spartans held Michigan to 3-of-15 on third down attempts. The Spartans have now beaten their in-state rival four consecutive seasons for the first time since 1959-62.

No. 3 (5) Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1, 2-1)

Week 7 Result: Idle 

Nebraska will be without Jared Crick for the rest of the season after the senior defensive tackle tore a pectoral muscle last week, but the Cornhuskers should be fine without him this weekend against Minnesota. The bye week came at the right time for Nebraska as well after an emotional and physical battle with Ohio State in Week 6.

No. 4 (2) Michigan Wolverines (6-1, 2-1)

Week 7 Result: Loss, 28-14 to No. 23 Michigan State 

Michigan fans were dealt a dose of reality this weekend against their arch rival Michigan State, as the Wolverines were stifled by the Spartan defense and gashed by Edwin Baker for 167 rushing yards. The defense has improved significantly, but the Wolverines still have problems against the run, and their offense has been ineffective against the better defenses in the Big Ten the past three seasons. 

Michigan now gets a week of rest, which will be crucial considering the fact that Denard Robinson was forced to leave the game due to injury late in the fourth quarter against Michigan State. The Wolverines are playing his injury close to the chest, but Robinson said after the game it is not a concussion.

No. 5 (6) Penn State Nittany Lions (6-1, 3-0)

Week 7 Result: Win, 23-18 over Purdue 

Say what you want about Penn State's sluggish offense and lack of a playmaker at quarterback, but defense wins championships, and the Nittany Lions have one of the best in the Big Ten. Penn State only surrendered 182 yards through the air and forced three turnovers in its victory Purdue last Saturday. 

Running back Silas Redd had yet another huge game for Penn State by collecting 131 rushing yards and a touchdown on 28 carries.

No. 6 (3) Illinois Fighting Illini (6-1, 2-1)

Week 7 Result: Loss, 17-7 to Ohio State 

Illinois' inconsistency and turnover issues were finally too much for it to overcome against Ohio State last weekend. Quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase threw two interceptions, and wide receiver A.J. Jenkins lost a fumble, which led to the Fighting Illini's first loss of the season. The Illinois run defense was also burned for 211 yards on 51 carries by the Buckeyes.

No. 7 (8) Ohio State Buckeyes (4-3, 1-2)

Week 7 Result: Win, 17-7 over No. 16 Illinois 

Braxton Miller only attempted four passes and completed just one for a 17-yard touchdown pass, but an outstanding performance from the Buckeye defense and a 114-yard game from Dan "Boom" Herron in his first game back from suspension was enough to guide Ohio State to an upset victory.

While the win was big for the Buckeyes, they are not going to be able to beat some of the better teams in the Big Ten by only throwing the ball four times. Opposing defenses will load up the box to stop the run and force Miller into passes he is not capable of making at this stage in his infant career.

No. 8 (7) Iowa Hawkeyes (4-2, 1-1)

Week 7 Result: Win, 41-31 over Northwestern 

The Hawkeyes offense came back to life against a sluggish Northwestern defense by tallying 24 points in the fourth quarter. James Vandenberg bounced back from a rough game two weeks ago with a 224-yard and two-touchdown effort against Northwestern. The defense for Iowa is still a big concern, though, after it gave up 495 yards of total offense to the Wildcats.

No. 9 (9) Northwestern Wildcats (2-4, 0-3)

Week 7 Result: Loss, 41-31 to Iowa 

Northwestern converted 16 of 22 third down attempts and racked up nearly 500 yards of total offense but lost its fourth consecutive game and is now in the cellar of the Big Ten Legends division with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. 

Dan Persa completed 31 of 41 passes for 246 yards and one touchdown, but the Wildcat defense could not stop Iowa in the fourth quarter and gave up 41 points despite Iowa's offense only holding the ball for 21 minutes and 37 seconds. 

No. 10 (10) Purdue Boilermakers (3-3, 1-1)

Week 7 Result: Loss, 23-18 to Penn State 

Chalk up another moral victory for Purdue, as it was able to hang tough against a Penn State defense that dominated Iowa two weeks ago. The Boilermakers gained 344 yards of total offense and scored enough to stay in the game until the final seconds.

Unfortunately, moral victories do not mean anything when it comes to the win-loss totals at the end of the season, which will be an issue for Purdue the rest of the season.

No. 11 (11) Indiana Hoosiers (1-6, 0-3)

Week 7 Result: Loss, 59-7 to No. 4 Wisconsin 

Indiana generated some positive momentum in the running game with a 135-yard performance from sophomore running back Stephen Houston. However, it was not enough to keep up with Wisconsin's offense in a blowout loss last weekend. 

Quarterbacks Edward Wright-Baker and Tre Roberson combined to go 8-of-20 for 64 yards and two interceptions through the air.

No. 12 (12) Minnesota Golden Gophers (1-5, 0-2)

Week 7 Result: Idle 

Dual-threat quarterback MarQueis Gray's toe should be 100 percent heading into this weekend's game against No. 13 Nebraska, which gives Minnesota a slightly better chance at pulling off a huge upset at home. Do not expect the Golden Gophers to actually be in the game any longer than the second quarter, though.

Zach Dirlam is a Big Ten Columnist for the website Sports at Work. Check out his blog, Dirlam’s Dirty Dugout Sports Blog, which features this story along with other articles and video reports on the major sports. You can also follow his blog on Twitter, which will provide you with the latest updates about what will be posted on the blog!