POWER RANKINGS
Breaking down the Big Ten
1. Ohio State: And in the seventh week the Buckeyes rested.
2. Wisconsin: The Best of the West recorded its third shutout of the season against Kent State. Next up: Sparty. Could it be goose egg quad?
3. Penn State: If the Nittany Lions keep turning heads, eventually they’ll get everyone to notice that they’re a mighty dangerous team.
4. Michigan: Jim Harbaugh assures everyone all that his offense has found its groove. Uh-huh. Looks more like a deep fissure from this angle.
5. Iowa: The Hawkeyes departed Ann Arbor bruised and no longer undefeated. A second loss looks possible as No. 10 Penn State comes to town.
6. Minnesota: Don’t look now, but the Golden Gophers are undefeated. Or look now, before it changes.
7. Michigan State: The good news? The Spartans are the best team Ohio State has played. The bad? MSU still lost by 24. Offense still an issue.
8. Indiana: A splendid situation coming off an off week is that Rutgers is next on the docket. The Hoosiers are licking their chops.
9. Maryland: What are the Terrapins made of? A trip to Purdue this week will prove whether it’s solid stuff or fluff.
10. Nebraska: The Huskers’ record masks the devil in the details. Two wins — against Illinois and Northwestern — by a total of seven points.
11. Northwestern: The Wildcats come ohso-close to winning before always suffering another oh-no ending. There will be no “L” in this off week, however.
12. Illinois: The Illini have a chance to shock the world when Michigan comes a-calling, which says more about the Wolverines than anything.
13. Purdue: The beat goes on. Umm, make that the beating goes on. Up-anddown Maryland is next for the banged-up Boilermakers.
14. Rutgers: We’re running out of ways to describe where the Scarlet Knights stand these days. Or where they sit? Recline? You get the picture. PA