Big Ten Power Rankings: Week 5

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We’re near the mid-point of the season, already. How?? Ohio State solidified their spot at #2. Nebraska and UCLA move up. Iowa moves down. The top half of the league is tough. The bottom of the league is a joke. Let’s rank everyone after Week 5.

1. #7 Indiana (5-0, 2-0)

Took care of business against a bad Rutgers team, accounting for nearly 600 yards of offense. They’re on a 21-game winning streak now. Indiana. On a 21-game winning streak. Big test this weekend, heading to Nebraska. That will be a fun game. We’re at the point now where teams have real schedules in front of them and IU is no different. They have the Nebraska trip, a visit from Ohio State, a trip to Michigan, then Minnesota and USC on deck in Bloomington.

Week 6 – at Nebraska

2. #5 Ohio State (4-1, 2-0)

Ok so they couldn’t be had on defense. Iowa has some dudes on their team this year. Truly. But Ohio State is just a different universe of dudes. They’re so good. It’s truly remarkable when they lose a game. They get a tune up with Maryland, then the big one at Indiana on October 17.

Week 6 – Maryland

3. #13 Oregon (3-1, 1-0)

A deserved week off for the Ducks. Now they’re back into the fire with a visit from their old Pac-12 foes in UCLA.

Week 6 – #23 UCLA

4. Nebraska (5-0, 2-0)

This was tight for awhile with Maryland, and then the Huskers hit the gas and blew the Terps out of the water in Lincoln. Now we get a legitimately big game in Lincoln with the defending champs coming to town. This could (should?) be the night game this week. Also it’s insane they aren’t ranked. Come on.

[Editor’s Note: Sir, this is an Iowa blog, please stop saying nice things about Nebraska.]

Week 6 – #7 Indiana

5. #23 UCLA (4-0, 2-0)

A deserved week off here too then a trip north to Eugene. They’ve been the surprise team in the league so far. There could be a step back this weekend, but that takes nothing from UCLA. These guys found their coach of the future.

Week 6 – at #13 Oregon

6. #20 Iowa (4-1, 1-1)

The word that kept flashing in front of me going into the Ohio State game was “perfect.” They cannot lose the turnover battle. They have to be able to sustain some drives. And hey – going into half down 10-6 would have been possible. 10-6, get a stop out of half, and then we make our move. Ohio State has been sufficiently pulled into the mud in that scenario. But that didn’t happen and, well, Ohio State has the likely Heisman winner in Jeremiah Smith. Flush it, move on, empty the tank in Seattle Friday night. 5-1 in the first half would be amazing and sets Iowa up for a run in the second half of the schedule, though several teams right behind Iowa are playing well and they are Iowa’s next three opponents starting in late October.

Week 6 – at Washington (Friday)

7. Wisconsin (4-1, 2-0)

I nearly bumped them over Iowa here. 6-9 in my rankings are virtually neck-and-neck. Wisconsin is playing good ball. So it’s the perfect time for a bye week! Michigan State’s not there yet under Pat Fitzgerald. Not even close. But 31-3 over a Fitz team? Yeah, that catches my attention.

Week 6 – Bye

8. Northwestern (3-1, 1-1)

Could move them up too. Listen – Penn State is struggling. They’re a mess. People are already screaming for Matthew Campbell’s departure, which is crazy. But Northwestern is good. They were in the game with Indiana until the very end then hammered Penn State. This will be a tough out for everyone in the league.

Week 6 – Ball State

9. Minnesota (4-1, 2-0)

Another team to move up, potentially. They’re suddenly clicking after that disaster against Mississippi State. Wins at Washington and then getting the Jug back at home for the first time since 1977 (!) will do that. The game in Minneapolis out of the bye looks really difficult for Iowa. Really difficult.

Week 6 – at Purdue

10. USC (5-1, 2-1)

They’re not dead just yet. After that disaster class against Oregon, the Trojans rallied to beat Washington in the Coliseum after trailing by 11 at one point. Now they’re off to the east coast for a White Out against a reeling Penn State.

Week 6 – at Penn State

11. Washington (3-2, 0-2)

They’re not dead either, even though they fell to USC. Really, they should have won. They still have talent on this team. They have to pour it all into the Iowa game as well. Their schedule includes games at Nebraska, home dates with Penn State and Indiana, and at Oregon to end the season.

Week 6 – #20 Iowa

12. Michigan (3-2, 0-2)

Then we enter this section of the league, which is also tough to rank. As noted, Michigan loses the Little Brown Jug in Minneapolis for the first time since the Carter Administration. Fans are already calling for a quarterback change, as well as a coaching change. Calm down. Also, Iowa’s win in Ann Arbor was really fun, but it’s far less impressive than it was a week ago.

Week 6 – Bye

13. Penn State (3-2, 0-2)

These guys got punked at Northwestern. Northwestern runs for over 400 yards? 400?!?! They still have the visit from USC this weekend, a trip to Michigan on October 17, they have to head to Washington, Minnesota comes to town in mid-November…that’s not easy. You don’t fire someone after a year but this could get really weird, really fast for Matthew Campbell. Penn State fans are only interested in a journey if that journey includes wins, right now. This isn’t Iowa State, Matthew. That sort of language doesn’t work in Happy Valley.

Week 6 – #18 USC

14. Purdue (2-3, 1-1)

I don’t believe Purdue is that good. However, they’re 1-1 in the league after winning on the road in Champaign. 1-1 is 1-1, while everyone else below this is at 0-2.

Week 6 – Minnesota

15. Illinois (2-3, 0-2)

Disaster class from Illinois as well. The expectations were high this year but this has been a mess. And now people are going for Bret Bielema’s head? Come on, now. For programs like this, you should probably expect big-time variance. If you miss on transfers, guys don’t mesh, you lose players to the portal as well, you’ll get these wild swings. They still have visits from Oregon, Nebraska, and Iowa, and have to travel to UCLA and Northwestern.

Week 6 – at Michigan State

16. Michigan State (2-3, 0-2)

These guys stink. Tough for Pat Fitzgerald. Wisconsin smoked them in Madison.

Week 6 – Illinois

17. Rutgers (1-4, 0-2)

No need analyzing this. They were always going to get punked by IU. Be gone.

Week 6 – Bye, mercifully

18. Maryland (2-3, 0-2)

Unfortunately they don’t have a bye. Did you know since joining the Big Ten in 2014, Maryland is 0-39 against ranked Big Ten teams? So this week they get…Ohio State. Away. They hung with Nebraska and led after the first quarter, 16-7. And this was a 5-point game going into the fourth quarter before the Huskers hit the jets. I can’t wait to see Jeremiah Smith’s yardage/TD total from this game.

Week 6 – at #5 Ohio State

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