Big Ten Power Rankings - Week 1

1. Ohio State (1-0)

Just like that we have a new number one. Ohio State was one of few teams to play well their first week, beating Oregon State 77-31. With the rest of the top teams in the B1G East struggling, the division suddenly seems like a one-horse race.

2. Wisconsin (1-0)

Like many teams this weekend, Wisconsin started slowly against Western Kentucky, leading just 7-0 after the first quarter. Then the Badgers got rolling and went on to win 34-3. Still, their early struggles drop them to number 2.

3. Penn State (1-0)

The Lions drop a spot after just barely squeaking by Appalachian State in overtime, 45-38. The offense managed to put up some points despite inconsistency, but the defense will need to improve if PSU expects to make some noise this season.

4. Michigan State (1-0)

Like Penn State, the Spartans struggled with their week one opponent, sneaking by Utah State 38-31. Expect to see these teams shuffle a bit in the top 25 after lackluster performances.

5. Iowa (1-0)

Northern Illinois isn’t quite the tough out it used to be, but Iowa still prevailed 33-7. Still, the Hawkeyes led just 3-0 at the half. Slow starts were common across the league this weekend.

6. Northwestern (1-0, 1-0)

A back-and-forth game against Purdue resulted in Northwestern winning 31-27. Purdue had some chances to come back, but just couldn’t do it, and the Wildcats made the most of their opportunities.

7. Michigan (0-1)

The Shea Patterson era kicked off with a bang, just not the kind Michigan hoped for. Notre Dame defeated the Wolverines 24-17, in a game where Patterson was repeatedly dinged up. The defense is solid, but without an offense, Michigan may struggle this year.

8. Maryland (1-0)

The biggest risers of the week, Maryland defeated Texas 34-29, beating the Longhorns for the second year in a row despite being double-digit underdogs both years. In a suddenly vulnerable-looking B1G East, the Terrapins may make some noise.

9. Indiana (1-0)

Team Chaos did not fail to disappoint, as they beat Florida International - by just 10 points. A win is a win though!

10. Nebraska (0-0)

Due to extreme weather, the game against Akron was canceled. It appears unlikely that it will be made up, so we’ll have to wait another week to see how the Cornhuskers actually look.

11. Purdue (0-1, 0-1)

The Boilermakers will make some noise this year, but a sloppy first game against Northwestern drops them down the list.

12. Minnesota (1-0)

The Golden Gophers showed out against New Mexico State, winning 48-10. Not much else to report on this one.

13. Rutgers (1-0)

A win is a win, and Rutgers got a solid one against Texas State, 35-7. This game won’t tell us much about the Scarlet Knights in the long run, however.

14. Illinois (1-0)

In a weekend fraught with poor games against lower competition, Illinois somehow managed the worst outing. On one hand, the Illini defeated Kent State 31-24. On the other hand, the Illini defeated Kent State 31-24. Perhaps the best thing to come from this game is this author’s discovery of Lovie Smith’s incredible beard.