Big Ten Power Rankings: Spartans remain near top, Wolverines near bottom of league
It was another quiet week for many across the Big Ten, but not everyone was fortunate enough to pick up victories.
The Spartans were like most of the league, taking care of business against a lower-tier team, but Iowa couldn’t say the same thing. The Hawkeyes were upset by Eastern Illinois as more than 30-point favorites. Michigan also dropped another close game against a quality team. This time it was North Carolina.
So how does this week’s results shake up the Big Ten power rankings? See where the Michigan State and the rest of the Big Ten teams land in our latest batch of power rankings:
Minnesota
Record: 6-6 (0-2 in Big Ten)
Minnesota picked up a victory in its lone game this week against Chicago State to get back to .500 on the year. The win wasn’t particularly impressive though, with the Golden Gophers coming from behind in the final minutes to avoid the upset.
Nebraska
Record: 7-6 (0-2 in Big Ten)
Nebraska is back over .500 after picking up a win over Queens University in their lone action this week. The Cornhuskers return to the floor next week against Iowa — a game that seems more and more winnable.
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Iowa
Record: 8-4 (0-1 in Big Ten)
The Hawkeyes were missing two of their top players but that’s still not an excuse to lose as a 30-plus point favorite. That’s what happened against Eastern Illinois this week. That’s a rough one for the Hawkeyes.
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Michigan
Record: 7-4 (1-0 in Big Ten)
Michigan lost another close marquee nonconference game this past week, falling late against North Carolina. The Wolverines went 0-4 against their high-quality nonconference foes and will need to pick up some notable wins in conference play to make it back to the NCAA Tournament.
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Rutgers
Record: 8-4 (1-1 in Big Ten)
Rutgers handled business in its lone game this week, picking up a 35-point win over Bucknell. The Scarlet Knights continue to prove they’ll be in contention for another NCAA Tournament bid this year.
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Maryland
Record: 9-3 (1-1 in Big Ten)
Maryland made easy work of its lone foe this week in a 30-point victory over Saint Peter’s. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Terps.
Northwestern
Record: 9-2 (1-0 in Big Ten)
I’ve been putting off buying into the Wildcats as they always seem to trick me with a fast start. But this year’s Northwestern team seems different, so I’m going to finally give some more respect to the Wildcats. We’ll keep an eye on them as conference play picks up after the holidays and if they can hang with the best in the Big Ten.
Illinois
Record: 8-4 (0-2 in Big Ten)
Maybe Illinois just isn’t very good? I keep waiting for the Fighting Illini to put things together since they have plenty of talent. But something just isn’t adding up for them right now. Illinois was blown out by rival Missouri this week and will finish the month of December without consecutive wins.
Penn State
Record: 9-3 (1-1 in Big Ten)
Penn State picked up another nonconference win in its lone matchup this week — beating Quinnipiac. The Nittany Lions have one more tuneup game next week before a tough five game stretch that’ll tell us a lot about how good (or bad) Penn State truly is.
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Indiana
Record: 10-3 (1-1 in Big Ten)
Indiana picked up a pair of wins over lower-tier competition this week but even more noteworthy was the news on Xavier Johnson’s injury. He had foot surgery this week and Indiana is “hopeful” he’ll return this year. That isn’t what the Hoosiers needed and definitely hurts their chances of reaching their preseason expectations.
Michigan State
Record: 8-4 (1-1 in Big Ten)
Michigan State looked rusty in its win over Oakland this week, but when the Spartans turned it on for a short stretch in the second half they looked unstoppable. We haven’t seen that kind of performance from them consistently, but that potential is exciting to see. It’ll also be big for the Spartans to get Malik Hall back from injury in their next game.
Ohio State
Record: 8-3 (1-0 in Big Ten)
Ohio State bounced back from its tough overtime loss to North Carolina with a dominant victory over Maine this week. The Buckeyes remain near the top of the league as we near the thick of conference play in January.
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Wisconsin
Record: 9-2 (2-0 in Big Ten)
Wisconsin had this past week off after its lone game against Grambling State was cancelled due to weather. The Badgers are the clear No. 2 team in the Big Ten right now, and I’m excited to see if this strong play continues once the full conference slate hits in January.
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Purdue
Record: 12-0 (2-0 in Big Ten)
Purdue made easy work of New Orleans in its lone game this week. The Boilermakers will remain the No. 1 team in the country next week and remain the top team in our power rankings as well.
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