College Football Big Ten power rankings entering Week 6
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This week in the Big Ten, we say goodbye to three teams from our top 10 that were supposed to be College Football Playoff contenders: Michigan, Penn State, and Washington. We learned this week that you can’t just take Iowa State, put them in the Big Ten, and expect them to be good.
We learned Bryce Underwood hasn’t improved one bit under Kyle Whittingham and Jason Beck. We also learned that Demond Williams Jr. is just the Marcel Reed of the West Coast.
Three teams had massive expectations and hoped to flip the league’s power structure, and all three have flopped spectacularly. Now, let’s talk about the actual top-10 for this week:
MORE:College Football biggest risers & fallers after Week 5
Ranks 10-7
10. Nebraska
The Cornhuskers’ schedule so far hasn’t exactly been a gauntlet, but they just keep winning. In fact, Matt Rhule’s squad is only one win away from Bowl eligibility. But before they can be higher on these rankings, they need to beat someone of actual quality. They’ll have their chance this week as Indiana comes to Lincoln.
9. Iowa
Same old Iowa. Elite defense, elite special teams, terrible offense. That’s precisely what we saw against Ohio State this weekend. But, scarily, Jeremiah Smith made that elite defense look not so elite. This Hawkeyes team will be able to keep any game competitive, but can they play above their heads and beat someone better than them? This offense makes that much more difficult.
8. Minnesota
The Golden Gophers did just enough to come away with a 20-14 victory over Michigan in Week 5, and it was promptly followed by more PJ Fleck insane person behavior. If Darius Taylor is healthy and Drake Lindsey is playing well, this team is a tough out.
7. UCLA
The Bye in Week 5 could not have come at a better time for UCLA — they get an additional week to not only recover from their cross-country road trip to Maryland, but also prepare for their biggest game of the season at Oregon in Week 6.
Ranks 6-4
6. Northwestern
Football historians will appreciate what Chip Kelly did to Penn State in Week 5. Kelly broke out some old Wing-T formations that were invented literally a century ago, and his team ran for over 400 yards in a 34-13 demolition of Penn State that opened Northwestern’s new stadium in style!
5. Wisconsin
Colton Joseph was the epitome of the dual-threat quarterback against Michigan State, topping 140 yards in both rushing and passing and accounting for 4 total TDs. This team is legit. They’re good on the offensive and defensive lines, and Joseph gives them a dynamic weapon offensively that’s hard to stop.
4. USC
It wasn’t pretty, but the Trojans came away with a 25-21 victory over Washington in the Coliseum Saturday night. This team is deeply flawed, but they’re still the best of the rest in the Big Ten, largely thanks to their offense. It’s hard to envision this team upsetting one of the Big 3, however.
Top 3
3. Oregon
The Ducks had a Bye in Week 5. The loss to Oklahoma State is a stain on their resume, but they seem to have the ship righted, and it’s hard to envision them doing worse than 10-2 from this point.
2. Indiana
The Hoosiers finally covered the spread and opened it up in Week 5 against Rutgers. This week, the rushing attack was led by Turbo Richard, and the receiving duo of Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh is one of the most dominant in the country.
1. Ohio State
Jeremiah Smith is already the best wide receiver draft prospect of the last 20 years, and the only question now is if he is the best overall prospect of the last 20 years. He’s simply inevitable. He can’t be guarded man-to-man, and his frame and football IQ make him elite at finding windows in zone coverage. If the season ended today, he’d have to be the Heisman Trophy winner.
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