Big Ten Power Rankings - Week 3

This is gonna get ugly.

1. Ohio State

Rutgers gave OSU a game, though the 49-27 score wasn’t actually as close as the game play. Bear this in mind later in the rankings.

2. Wisconsin

Another game canceled, and Wisconsin suddenly is in jeopardy of not making the B1G championship game simply due to a lack of enough games played.

3. Indiana

These aren’t your daddy’s Hoosiers! IU dominated Michigan 38-21, and are firmly the #2 team in the East. Who’da thunk it?

4. Northwestern

With Wisconsin idling the last couple weeks, Northwestern has made the case as the best team in the West, having taken down Nebraska 21-13. 2020 is a weird season, y’all.

5. Purdue

The flip side to Wisconsin COVID-ifying itself is that teams like Purdue have to idle as well. The West could come down to Purdue-Northwestern, just as we all predicted.

6. Iowa

A resounding 49-7 win over Michigan State has the Hawkeyes climbing the ladder.

7. Minnesota

The Gophers righted the ship a bit, taking down Illinois 41-14. They probably won’t challenge for the West, but should be good enough to at least make it interesting.

8. Maryland

Truthfully, I thought Maryland was due for a game like this past weekend. They have talent, they’ve pushed teams in the past (remember last season, when they almost beat OSU?). I didn’t really expect it to be against PSU, and I didn’t expect it to be so thorough - the 35-19 score does not give justice to just how much the Terps dominated the Lions.

9. Nebraska

With their 21-13 loss to Northwestern, Nebraska may struggle to make a bowl this year.

10. Michigan

Inertia is a thing, and the Wolverines hanging out in the top four last week is solely due to that. The Wolverines are not as good as I believed, and will duke it out to avoid last place in the East this year . . . .

11. Penn State

. . . With none other than your Penn State Nittany Lions! That was one of the worst games I’ve had the misfortune of watching - terrible playcalling, abysmal execution, no leadership, nothing. It’s like the team has given up on the season, only they’re just ¹⁄₃ of the way into it. This could be a long fall in Happy Valley.

12. Rutgers

Rutgers pulled out the bag of tricks to try to hang with OSU, and actually made a go of it. They were never in any real danger of pulling the upset, but they were competitive. This game will not be a gimme for Penn State by any stretch of the imagination.

13. Michigan State

The Spartans, somehow, may be even worse than Michigan, Penn State, and Rutgers in the East. They look lost on all sides of the ball, as their 49-7 loss to Iowa indicates.

14. Illinois

Congratulations Illinois! You are the weakest link!

---

We finally have some sizable shakeups in our rankings:

OSU stays on top, while Wisconsin idles in second. Indiana and Northwestern rise, and Purdue hangs out for another week. Iowa, Minnesota, and Maryland push up the rankings, as they fill the void near the top. Nebraska comes down a bit, while Michigan and Penn State plummet. Rutgers jumps up a tick, while Michigan State narrowly avoids the basement.

Illinois.

On to Week 4!