Power rankings for the Big Ten teams heading into the middle part of the schedule.
The next couple weeks should clear up the order in the middle of the pack... or make it more confusing. At least there is a clear cut No. 1 for the next couple weeks.
1. Ohio State: The Buckeyes are the best team in the Big 10 until someone can beat them, and the last team who did (PSU) may be the next best bet to do so again. OSU looked awesome for the first quarter to take away the home field advantage at Purdue. The lone question is if the offense can be good for the entire game.
2. Michigan: Still undefeated in conference (yes, thats how bad the conference has been this year), but the fighting Lloyd Carrs' are starting to get back on track. The next two weeks (vs. Purdue, @ Illinois) will help determine if they are still up here.
3. Illinois: The Zookers' are looking pretty darn good in the Big 10 right now behind a great running attack led by Rashard Mendenhall and Juice Williams. The question is if they can win when they are expected to on the road. This week's game at Iowa is a big test before hosting Michigan.
4. Wisconsin: The Badgers are struggling, but you have to think they can right the ship. It will be hard for them to do it at Penn State this week. Their hopes for a Big 10 title may be dashed early. P.J. Hill needs to be a bigger part of their offense.
5. Indiana: What a nice surprise this team is. Everyone would like to see the Hoosiers make a bowl game and they are well on their way. Kellen Lewis is a stud and what appeared to be automatic losses on their schedule are now very winnable games.
6. Penn State: JoePa still has a great defense, but that offense is still pretty bad and those off the field problems are becoming too frequent. This week's game with Wisconsin will probably make or break its season.
7. Purdue: The Boilermakers looked terrible against OSU, and time will tell how good they are, actually this week will. They must compete with Michigan in this game or their season could go down in flames. I still think this team has potential for some reason.
8. Northwestern: Sure, the Wildcats lost to Duke, but the loss is looking better as Duke is improving, and the Wildcats have looked better the past couple weeks. With their schedule, a bowl game is not out of the question, either, especially if the offense can play the way they did at MSU.
9. Michigan State: It doesn't matter who the coach is, it is one tough loss followed by a lot of losses. Sparty needs to beat Indiana at home this week to keep them from another nose dive. This team has underachieved even back in Nick Saban's time. Those running backs are mighty good though.
10. Iowa: Boy Kirk Farentz needed to take a pro job when he had the chance. He might not even be a college coach much longer. The defense is still good, but the offense is horrible yet again. They did it with smoke and mirrors for a couple years, and now they are just going up in smoke.
11. Minnesota: At least Glenn Mason won the games before the Big 10. Now, the Gophers are trying to find a hole to dig into. Mason was a victim of his own success and the Badgers will return to a doormat without him. A decent offense still, but that D is brutal.