POWER RANKINGS
1. Ohio State (5-0): The Buckeyes opened as 30.5-point favorites against Michigan, the biggest spread in modern history of the series. We’ll never know the outcome.
2. Indiana (6-1): Tom Allen deserves national coach of the year consideration for turning Hoosiers into a top-10 team. IU just needs to close it out vs. rival Purdue.
3. Iowa (5-2): The Hawkeyes have quietly worked their way into becoming the best in the West, ahead of Northwestern, which they lost to by one point in Week 2.
4. Northwestern (5-1): The biggest concern in Evanston this week should not be Illinois but not losing coach Pat Fitzgerald to the Chicago Bears.
5. Wisconsin (2-2): Even at .500 the Badgers are better than most of the Big Ten dreck. QB Graham Mertz has cooled but still gives the Dub reason for hope.
6. Maryland (2-2): The Terrapins have figured out the best way to hold their place in the rankings is by not playing. Half a season has turned into half of that.
7. Illinois (2-4): Coming off a loss to Iowa, the Illini can sweeten their season with an upset of Northwestern, which may be looking ahead to the Big Ten title game.
8. Nebraska (2-4): The Huskers can sorta salvage their season with a win vs. Minnesota. If that sounds like a low bar, well, that tells you how it’s been going in Lincoln.
9. Penn State (2-5): The Nittany Lions have gained some of their growl back. Sure, it still sounds like a purring kitten, but at this point Happy Valley will take it.
10. Michigan State (2-4): A QB controversy is brewing. Why has Rocky Lombardi been starting over Payton Thorne, who was more effective against Ohio State?
11. Rutgers (2-5): Maybe we got fooled into thinking the Scarlet Knights were … decent? They look the part at times, but in a weaker East looks can be deceiving.
12. Minnesota (2-3): Hard to tell how good or bad the Golden Gophers are, having not played the past two weeks. Best guess? Nebraska clocks them Saturday.
13. Purdue (2-4): This is what skydiving without a parachute looks like. The Boilermakers are coming off back-to-back losses and now face Indiana. Splat.
14. Michigan (2-4): The Wolverines and Jim Harbaugh are still recovering from COVID-19 and a sickeningly pitiful season. It may only get worse from here.