Week 10 Big Ten Power Rankings

Week ten of the college football season is officially over. There were some exciting Big Ten matchups this weekend that do affect where each team stands in the rankings. For a look at last week’s Big Ten power rankings, read here. Here is a look at this week’s power rankings for the Big Ten conference.

Big Ten Power Rankings

1: Michigan Wolverines (9-0)

Next Opponent: Penn State Nittany Lions

In week ten, the Michigan Wolverines got another big win, this time against the Purdue Boilermakers. As things stand, the Wolverines are still on top in the Big Ten conference. They have limited their opponents’ points all season, and their offense is still just as explosive. Until someone takes them down, they continue to stay at the top of the conference.

2: Ohio State Buckeyes (9-0)

Next Opponent: Michigan State Spartans

The Ohio State Buckeyes were almost on upset alert against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights but ran away with the game in the second half. The pick-six for the Buckeyes was crucial and completely turned the game around. With their win over the weekend, and still being undefeated, the Buckeyes are second in the Big Ten.

3: Penn State Nittany Lions (8-1)

Next Opponent: Michigan Wolverines

In week ten, the Penn State Nittany Lions had a much-needed win. They were favored against Maryland, but they scored over 50 points, which was crucial after the past two weeks. Quarterback Drew Allar also had a much better game after throwing an interception the week before. Next week’s matchup will most likely be a season-defining game, as they have an important Big Ten matchup against the Michigan Wolverines.

4: Rutgers Scarlet Knights (6-3)

Next Opponent: Iowa Hawkeyes

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights may have lost their week ten matchup, but they definitely put up a fight. They had some very costly mistakes that they must work on moving forward, but they kept it close. Based on how the season has gone and their current record, they are being placed fourth in the Big Ten. They need to get back to winning games next week in order to stay this high.

5: Iowa Hawkeyes (7-2)

Next Opponent: Rutgers Scarlet Knights

On paper, the Iowa Hawkeyes should not be here. Record wise, yes but statistically and scoring, no. The reason they are is their dedication and their defense. The defense keeps them in every game. While their offense may not score a lot, the defense continues to make sure that their opponent scores less. This is an injured team, but they fight for these wins.

6: Wisconsin Badgers (5-4)

Next Opponent: Northwestern Wildcats

It was difficult to decide which team would be in sixth in the Big Ten as of week ten. This is not a week-by-week list, it looks at the overall season as well. While it can definitely change by the end of the season, for now, the Wisconsin Badgers are in sixth. Other teams that could be here also lost over the weekend which makes this positioning hard. Wisconsin will need a win this weekend to keep this spot.

7: Maryland Terrapins (5-4)

Next Opponent: Nebraska Cornhuskers

The Maryland Terrapins began this season 5-0. Now they are 5-4, and slowly falling in the Big Ten. This team lost all the momentum they had to start the season. Most recently, the Terps lost 51-15 in their own stadium. The season is not over, they can still become bowl-eligible, but they have to turn things around quickly and figure out what is going wrong with their team.

8: Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-4)

Next Opponent: Purdue Boilermakers

The Minnesota Golden Gophers are standing at eighth in the week ten Big Ten power rankings. This is not your top team, but they are getting wins that they were projected to lose. Given their final slate of games in the regular season, two of them are definitely winnable. It will interesting to see where this team goes in the remainder of the season.

9: Illinois Fighting Illini (4-5)

Next Opponent: Indiana Hoosiers

Yes, Illinois did defeat Minnesota over the weekend, but they are still below them in the overall Big Ten rankings. This has to do with their overall season so far. If Illinois blew them out, then maybe they would be higher, but for now, they are staying below. Illinois has been playing better this season, recently defeating Maryland, so they definitely have a chance to move up in these rankings as the season closes.

10: Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-4)

Next Opponent: Maryland Terrapins

The loss over the weekend does push the 5-4 Cornhuskers down to tenth place. They are still above Michigan State, the team they lost to because it is difficult to put. 5-4 team below a 3-6, but this was not a good game for Nebraska. Their final three games can go either way, so they will have to play their best in order for them to move up in these rankings.

11: Indiana Hoosiers (3-6)

Next Opponent: Illinois Fighting Illini

The 3-6 Indiana Hoosiers got the win that they have been pushing for. In week nine they almost beat the Penn State Nittany Lions, but as known they didn’t. They were able to use that momentum to get an important win against Wisconsin. If they continue to use this momentum, they could possibly win their final three games of the regular season. It just will not be easy, but the matchups are fairly even.

12: Michigan State Spartans (3-6)

Next Opponent: Ohio State Buckeyes

The Michigan State Spartans got a crucial win over the weekend. Truthfully if they lost they would have fallen to the bottom two. They got the win they needed, but their season is not getting any easier moving forward. This has not been an easy season for the Spartans and they will have to fight if they want to win another game.

13: Northwestern Wildcats (4-5)

Next Opponent: Wisconsin Badgers

The Northwestern Wildcats began this season impressive compared to what was expected of them. What makes them so low in the Big Ten power rankings is that they are on a bit of a downfall. With the way that this team has been playing, they should have been able to beat Iowa over the weekend. It was close, but they did not get the job done. Do they have a chance to move up in the rankings? Yes, but it wouldn’t be by much.

14: Purdue Boilermakers (2-7)

Next Opponent: Minnesota Golden Gophers

As the season winds down, it seems as though the Purdue Boilermakers are staying at the bottom of the Big Ten. Two wins this season just are not going to cut it. They have not scored more than 14 points since September. This is a rough position for the Boilermakers to be in during the month of November.