Week 8 Big Ten Power Rankings

There were some key Big Ten matchups in week eight of the college football season. The weekend results greatly affect this week’s Big Ten power rankings. For a look at where each team stood halfway through the season, read here. Here is a look at this week’s power rankings.

Big Ten Power Rankings

1: Michigan Wolverines (8-0)

Next Opponent: BYE WEEK

Once again, the Michigan Wolverines are in first in the power rankings. At 8-0 this is difficult to argue against this team being number one in the Big Ten. With a 49-0 win over Michigan State, and heading into a bye, the Wolverines will stay at one unless a big loss occurs.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes (7-0)

Next Opponent: Wisconsin Badgers

After defeating Penn State 20-10, the Ohio State Buckeyes remain in second for the Big Ten power rankings. Last weekend was a must-win, and their defense completely dominated the Penn State offense. This Buckeyes defense has been dominating this entire season, and keeping them in second in the Big Ten.

3: Penn State Nittany Lions (6-1)

Next Opponent: Indiana Hoosiers

After a tough loss against the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Penn State Nittany Lions are staying put in third. Their defense and special teams played well, and credit should go to them, but quarterback Drew Allar looked lost on the field. The next big test for Penn State will be November 11th, when the Nittany Lions face Michigan.

4: Maryland Terrapins (5-2)

Next Opponent: Northwestern Wildcats

The Maryland Terrapins are coming off of their bye week. There is not much to discuss for now, but they will need to bounce back next weekend to remain in this spot. Their previous game was against Illinois, a game that Maryland lost, but should have won.

5: Wisconsin Badgers (5-2)

Next Opponent: Ohio State Buckeyes

Wisconsin is coming off of a win against Illinois, keeping them in fifth in the Big Ten. Two weeks ago, the Badgers lost to Iowa, which was not a good look. Last weekend it was crucial for them to get the win and they did. They have a tough road ahead facing Ohio State next weekend.

6: Rutgers Scarlet Knights (6-2)

Next Opponent: BYE WEEK

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are coming off of a big win. They defeated. the Indiana Hoosiers 31-14, giving Rutgers six wins this season. The Scarlet Knights will now be heading into their bye-week bowl-eligible. They will need to use this weekend to recover from any injuries and get ready to face Ohio State in two weeks.

7: Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-3)

Next Opponent: Michigan State Spartans

As low-scoring as it was, the Minnesota Golden Gophers moved to a winning record after defeating Iowa. This may be a little high, but after defeating the Iowa defense, for now, at least, it is deserving. They will move on to face the Michigan State Spartans, who have been having a disappointing season. It will be a test to see if this is an accurate position for Minnesota.

8: Iowa Hawkeyes (6-2)

Next Opponent: BYE WEEK

Although this Iowa Hawkeyes team has been playing well, they faced their second loss of the season. While they are 6-2, the doubt surrounding this team is strong, and unfortunately, they are dropping pretty low. The Hawkeyes defense has been playing really strong, and even in this week’s loss, they held their opponent to 12 points. The offense is riddled with injuries and cannot get that many points on the board. They will head into their bye week, but it will be interesting to see where Iowa ends up compared to the rest of the Big Ten.

9: Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-3)

Next Opponent: Purdue Boilermakers

After much doubt heading into the season, the Nebraska Cornhuskers are slowly rising. They have now won two in a row, pushing them up to ninth in the Big Ten power rankings. Looking at their remaining schedule, there is a chance that they could reach six wins, and become bowl eligible.

10: Northwestern Wildcats (3-4)

Next Opponent: Maryland Terrapins

After a loss against Nebraska, Northwestern is falling down in the power ranking. They may be able to fight moving forward, but their loss does hurt them. They need to put up more points than just nine if they want to continue to put up a fight in the Big Ten. They will next face Maryland, who at their full strength has a solid offense. Northwestern will need to play their best and keep fighting if they want to win.

11: Michigan State Spartans (2-5)

Next Opponent: Minnesota Golden Gophers

Michigan State was completely blown out over the weekend against Michigan. This came just a week after they lost against Rutgers, blowing a fourth-quarter lead. Next week they face Minnesota, a game they must win, as they have yet to beat a Big Ten opponent this season. They are pretty low in the conference now and will need to figure out what is going wrong quickly.

12: Illinois Fighting Illini (3-5)

Next Opponent: BYE WEEK

Illinois did lose to Wisconsin last weekend, but they kept it to a four-point game. The week before Illinois did defeat Maryland and credit does need to be given. The Illini are slowly progressing, which keeps them from being at the very bottom of the rankings, but they are still struggling this season. They will head into their bye week, and then have an interesting game against Minnesota. There is definitely a chance that they can move up in the rankings before the season ends.

13: Indiana Hoosiers (2-5)

Next Opponent: Penn State Nittany Lions

The Indiana Hoosiers have now lost three games in a row. After not being able to score in the second half against Rutgers, the Hoosiers fall to a 2-5 record, and their schedule does not get easier next week. This has been a rough season for the Hoosiers, and they continue to fall down in the power rankings. The bright side for this team is that the quarterback, Brendan Sorsby, whom they have used the past two weeks, is a threat when using his legs in the red zone.

14: Purdue Boilermakers (2-5)

Next Opponent: Nebraska Cornhuskers

Purdue is coming off of their bye week, so there is nothing new to discuss, but they are still at the bottom of the conference. Purdue has games they could compete in moving forward, but the way this season has gone it is not looking great for them. Next week they face Nebraska, a team that is slowly getting better as the season progresses.