POWER RANKINGS
1. Ohio State (13-1 in 2019): The Buckeyes and Nebraska booed the loudest when the Big Ten initially postponed the fall season. They meet this week, with the Cornhuskers getting the boo-boo.
2. Penn State (11-2): Is James Franklin a long-term Nit fit? Speculation is that PSU’s coach eventually will end up at USC. Can he win a conference title on the way out?
3. Wisconsin (10-4): The Badgers without a proven star at running back are like chocolate-chip cookies without the chips, resulting in an offense that cannot satisfy.
4. Minnesota (11-2): Rowing the boat feels a lot easier when you have Maryland and Michigan as crossover games, which says as much about the Wolverines as the Gophers.
5. Iowa (10-3): The Hawkeyes must break in a green quarterback. No reason to fear, though, because this is not Kirk Ferentz’s first new-QB rodeo.
6. Michigan (9-4): One of these years, Jim Harbaugh will earn his lofty paycheck. This does not look to be that year.
7. Indiana (8-5): Tom Allen’s program continues to progress. The Hoosiers are looking at back-to-back bowl trips for only the second time in three decades.
8. Nebraska (5-7): Finally the Huskers have an offensive line capable of protecting injury-prone QB Adrian Martinez, whose body has resembled a punching bag.
9. Purdue (4-8): Jeff Brohm tested positive for COVID-19. The Boilermakers, meanwhile, are looking at coming up negative in too many of their on-field tests.
10. Illinois (6-7): The Illini return more experience than all but Northwestern. The question is whether the same faces means the same underwhelming won-loss record?
11. Michigan State (7-6): Can’t blame new coach Mel Tucker if he hoped a fall season would never happen, because the Spartans are rebuilding from the ground up.
12. Northwestern (3-9): The Wildcats need to figure out how to perk up an offense that last season ranked last nationally in passing efficiency.
13. Maryland (3-9): The Terrapins never seem to settle on a quarterback, which spells trouble without having cupcake nonconference opponents to feast upon.
14. Rutgers (2-10): Greg Schiano returns to the program he built into respectability the first time around. This second act might be even more of a challenge.