Big Ten Power Rankings: Spartans continue to drop after third straight loss
Losing has become commonplace for the Spartans the last few weeks, and that reality doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon.
Michigan State dropped its third straight game on Saturday, losing a heart-breaker at Iowa. The Spartans outplayed the Hawkeyes for most of the game but costly turnovers and a late Iowa punt return for a touchdown led to the Michigan State loss.
Some will ask if the Spartans are the worst team in the Big Ten. For now, I don’t think that’s the case. But how low is Michigan State then?
Check out our updated Big Ten power rankings below:
Indiana
Record: 2-3 (0-2 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Loss at Maryland
Next Game: at Michigan on Oct. 14
Indiana remains in our last place spot for another week after getting its doors blown off at Maryland on Saturday. The game was never close, and Indiana looks more and more like a lock for last place in the Big Ten East Division week after week.
Nebraska
Record: 2-3 (0-2 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Loss vs. Michigan
Next Game: at Illinois on Oct. 6
Nebraska is a bad football team right now. It has no offensive mojo and defensively it was torched again this week against Michigan. The Cornhuskers are in for a rough year.
Northwestern
Record: 2-3 (1-2 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Loss vs. Penn State
Next Game: Howard on Oct. 7
The game may have been tied at halftime, but statistically Northwestern was never truly close to Penn State this week. There’s no shame in getting beaten by Penn State, and I’ll credit the Wildcats for keeping it close for a half — that’s why they are ahead of Indiana and Nebraska.
Illinois
Record: 2-3 (0-2 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Loss at Purdue
Next Game: Nebraska on Oct. 6
I knew entering the year that Illinois would take a step back from what it did last year. I didn’t expect it to be this bad. This week’s blowout loss against Purdue makes me think Illinois will struggle to even reach a bowl game this year.
Michigan State
Record: 2-3 (0-2 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Loss at Iowa
Next Game: at Rutgers on Oct. 14
Michigan State put on an inspired performance against Iowa this week, with the defense doing a great job. However, the offense again had crippling turnovers and special teams gave up a critical late punt return for a touchdown. This is sadly going to be a really tough year for the Spartans. I don’t see them getting much higher than this in future power rankings.
Purdue
Record: 2-3 (1-1 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Win vs. Illinois
Next Game: at Iowa on Oct. 7
I did not expect to see Purdue dominate Illinois as it did this past weekend. I figured this would be the final nail in the Boilermakers’ coffin. I was wrong and will give credit where it’s due with a nice jump in this week’s power rankings.
Minnesota
Record: 3-2 (1-1 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Win vs. Louisana
Next Game: Michigan on Oct. 7
I really don’t know what to make of Minnesota at this point in the year. It isn’t good but also not bad, which in the Big Ten West Division means it could contend for the division title. This week’s prime-time game against Michigan should be a good indication of whether or not the Golden Gophers can truly contend for the division crown.
Rutgers
Record: 4-1 (1-1 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Win vs. Wagner
Next Game: at Wisconsin on Oct. 7
Rutgers continues to take care of business in the games it is supposed to win. The Scarlet Knights are two wins away from reaching bowl eligibility, and they still have Michigan State (sigh) and Indiana on their schedule. I sadly feel better about their chances of reaching the postseason than our Spartans.
Iowa
Record: 4-1 (1-1 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Win vs. Michigan State
Next Game: Purdue on Oct. 7
Having Iowa this high doesn’t seem right, but it is finding ways to win in unconventional ways as we saw against Michigan State on Saturday. That method long term probably will not get it done to reach their preseason goals, but for now they are getting by and seem ahead of most of the league.
Wisconsin
Record: 3-1 (1-0 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Bye
Next Game: Rutgers on Oct. 7
Wisconsin was off this week and will return to action next week against Rutgers. The Badgers are the clear favorites in the Big Ten West Division and will need to take care of business against the Scarlet Knights next week to remain in the top five of the power rankings.
Maryland
Record: 5-0 (2-0 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Win vs. Indiana
Next Game: at Ohio State on Oct. 7
Maryland just keeps on taking care of business and making easy work of its opponents. That was again the case this week against Indiana, but now the schedule is about to get much tougher for the Terps. They have a road game at Ohio State next week. We’ll see how good this Maryland team truly is in that matchup.
Ohio State
Record: 4-0 (1-0 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Bye
Next Game: Maryland on Oct. 7
Ohio State has arguably the best win of any team in the Big Ten but hasn’t always looked impressive (by its standards) this year. The Buckeyes get a good test next week against Maryland following a bye. We will see if Ohio State mucks around with the Terps or flexes its muscles and proves it should move up the power rankings.
Michigan
Record: 5-0 (2-0 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Win at Nebraska
Next Game: at Minnesota on Oct. 7
Michigan finally hit the road for the first time this season but it didn’t matter. The Wolverines looked dominant in a blowout victory at Nebraska and looked more like the team we expected them to be entering the year. If they do that again next week at Minnesota, they’ll return to our top spot in the power rankings.
Penn State
Record: 5-0 (3-0 in Big Ten)
This week’s result: Win at Northwestern
Next Game: UMass on Oct. 14
The scoreboard would suggest Penn State struggled with Northwestern for a half on Saturday, but that game was never truly in doubt. The Nittany Lions continue to look like a true title contender in the Big Ten and remain slightly ahead of Ohio State and Michigan based on their overall general dominance in each game they’ve played.
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