Big Ten Football: Week 8 Power Rankings

It is week eight of the college football season and that can only mean that the conference race is going to heat up in the Big Ten. In each division, two teams sit in a tie for the top spot through six games. Penn State shook things up in the West after their road win against Iowa while Minnesota is proving they are here to stay after their six straight win of the season. Wisconsin showed their dominance with a shut out against the Spartans and are looking to make a push for the College Football Playoff race. Teams in the middle of the conference are fighting to establish themselves in the conference as both Indiana and Purdue pulled off big wins to move up as the Big Ten season rolls on.

Big Ten Football Week 8 Power Rankings

No. 14 Rutgers (1-5, 0-4 B1G)

Previous: No. 14; Last Week: Loss at Indiana 0-35

The Rutgers tragic story continues. They were shutout for a third team this season by a decent, but not spectacular, Indiana defense. In the Big Ten, they have been outscored for a total of 165-7. Between a staff transition and injury issues on a depth-challenged roster, the Scarlet Knights have Liberty and Illinois games to salvage some of their season.

No. 13 Illinois (2-4, 0-3 B1G)

Previous: No. 11; Last Week: Loss against #16 Michigan 25-42

The Illini saw themselves down four touchdowns to the Wolverines before their 25-point rally cut the deficit to just three points. It was not enough as Michigan put two more touchdowns on the board for a 42-25 loss. Lovie Smith’s squad has now lost four straight games after starting the season with back-to-back wins. Illinois has to put this one behind them quickly as they are hosting west division leader Wisconsin next week in Champaign. The Illini will be looking for their first victory against Wisconsin since 2007 when they defeated the Badgers by five.

No. 11 N’western (1-4, 0-3 B1G)

Previous: No. 12; Last Week: Bye Week

The Wildcats had their second off week of the season, and fans will hope offensive coordinator Mike McCall helped retool an offense that ranks 125th out of 130 in the S&P+ ratings. Northwestern has two tough back-to-back home games coming up, against OSU and Iowa.

No. 11 Maryland (3-3, 1-2 B1G)

Previous: No. 10; Last Week: Loss at Purdue 14-40

Maryland is a long way from where they were the first two weeks of the season. They have lost three out of their last four games with the most recent being a 40-14 loss to the Purdue Boilermakers. In the three losses, the Terrapins are averaging just over 10 points per game compared to a 63-point average in their wins. Maryland returns home next week for a matchup against an Indiana team that is finding its rhythm as the second half of the season kicks off.

No. 9 Purdue (2-4, 1-2 B1G)

Jack Plummer threw for 420 yards and three touchdowns in an important win for the Boilermakers against Maryland, who are having quarterback depth issues of their own. Between WR David Bell and TE Brycen Hopkins, Purdue got 19 receptions and 278 yards worth of production. Besides two incredibly tough road games at Iowa and at Wisconsin, Purdue still has potential to get six wins on the season.

No. 9 Nebraska (4-3, 2-2 B1G)

Things keep getting worse for the Cornhuskers. Their wins are hard to watch, while their recent losses, like Saturday’s at Minnesota, end in lopsided fashion. The bye week comes at the right time, and Nebraska will hope to have Adrian Martinez back at QB for the game against Indiana on Oct. 26.

No. 8 Indiana (4-2, 1-2 B1G)

Indiana took advantage of a struggling Rutgers for a 35-0 win on homecoming. The Hoosiers’ defense held Rutgers to just 75 yards on the day, the lowest amount they have given up since 1966. Tom Allen’s team went up 21-0 in the first quarter and never looked back as the defense kept the shut out and the offense put up four total touchdowns on the day. The Hoosiers move to four wins on the season with just two more needed for bowl eligibility. They will get the chance to make it five next week when they take a trip to College Park to face Maryland.

No. 7 Michigan St. (4-3, 2-2 B1G)

Another rough week hit the Spartans as they got shut out 38-0 against No. 8 Wisconsin. The only bright spot on the day was that MSU held Wisconsin RB Jonathan Taylor to 80 yards on the day, the first time this season he had less than 100 yards. Michigan State had little going for them offensively as they only had 149 yards total. Michigan State will look to regroup next week as they have a bye week before hosting likely their third consecutive top ten team, Penn State.