POWER RANKINGS

Breaking down the Big Ten

1. Ohio State (2-0):

The Buckeyes took care of business Amazon-style, crippling the competition (Cincinnati) on both sides of the ball. So far, a playoff contender. 2. Iowa (2-0):

The Hawkeyes’ defense recorded one of four shutouts by conference teams (30-0 against Rutgers). Rival Iowa State, the first real test, awaits. 3. Michigan (2-0):

That sigh of relief from Ann Arbor was for escaping the embarrassment of losing to Army. But vultures are circling the Big House. 4. Penn State (2-0):

A sleepy little team are these Nittany Lions, which is to say they quietly are building toward something big. Pittsburgh is about to find out. 5. Wisconsin (2-0):

Bucky Badger and the boys put a 61-0 thumping on Central Michigan. Now they get a week off to prepare for hosting Michigan. 6. Maryland (2-0):

Meteors flash from nowhere and disappear just as quickly. The Terrapins prefer imitating a comet, which blazes for a good long while. 7. Michigan State (2-0):

Offense? What’s that? Don’t look now but MSU surprisingly seems to have found some firepower on that side of the ball. If it lasts, look out. 8. Nebraska (1-1):

The Cornhuskers went to Colorado and folded like a beach chair in a hurricane. This trendy preseason pick isn’t blowing anyone away yet. 9. Indiana (2-0):

Scoring 52 points last week against Eastern Illinois last week was impressive. Scoring half that many this week against Ohio State would be a miracle. 10. Minnesota (2-0):

Fool me once (slip past South Dakota State in week 1), shame on you. Fool me twice (beating Fresno State in OT), shame on the Gophers. 11. Illinois (2-0):

The Illini look better, but how much better is hard to say. Let’s see what they do with Eastern Michigan before making any definitive statements. 12. Purdue (1-1):

The Boilermakers under Jeff Brohm are hard to figure. One week they look great (recall Ohio State last season), the next they are a bit of a mess. 13. Northwestern (0-1):

Against a Mountain West team (UNLV), the Wildcats should take care of business, but do they have enough to compete in the Big Ten West? 14. Rutgers (1-1):

It’s that time of year when the Scarlet Knights are staring down from the top of the slide and bracing for a bumpy ride to the bottom.