In the first edition of the College Football Playoff Rankings, the Big Ten saw one team (No. 3 Ohio State) in the playoff with No. 7 Michigan State and No. 9 Iowa also in the mix. As it stands, it's pretty clear one of those teams will make the College Football Playoff. The Big Ten and SEC are tied with three teams each in the Top 10, but the SEC edges out the Big Ten in the total number of teams in the Top 25 with six compared to the Big Ten's five (No. 17 Michigan and No. 21 Northwestern). It's clear, especially in the case of Michigan and Northwestern (two of the six teams with two losses to be in the rankings) that the committee is valuing high-quality non-conference wins and opponents. Northwestern beat now-No. 11 Stanford and Duke and the Wolverines lost a close game at now-No. 12 Utah and beat Power Five teams in Oregon and BYU.
Here's how our staff values those Big Ten teams, and more, in our Week 10 Big Ten Power Rankings:
1
Ohio State Buckeyes
RECORD: 8-0 (4-0) || LAST WEEK: 1
The defending national champs are slotted at No. 3 in the initial College Football Playoff Rankings.
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Martin Oppegaard
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Sam Brief
Zach Wingrove
Tristan Jung
AVERAGE
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
Michigan State Spartans
RECORD: 8-0 (4-0) || LAST WEEK: 2 The Spartans can't get caught looking ahead to the looming matchup with Ohio State on Nov. 21.
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Martin Oppegaard
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Sam Brief
Zach Wingrove
Tristan Jung
AVERAGE
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
Michigan Wolverines
RECORD: 6-2 (3-1) || LAST WEEK: 3 A close call against Minnesota wasn't encouraging, but Jim Harbaugh's still throwing out crazy life lessons, which is good. For everyone.
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Martin Oppegaard
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Sam Brief
Zach Wingrove
Tristan Jung
AVERAGE
3
3
4
4
3
3
4
3
4
4
3.44
4
Iowa Hawkeyes
RECORD: 8-0 (4-0) || LAST WEEK: 4 Iowa controls its own destiny when it comes to making the College Football Playoff.
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Martin Oppegaard
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Sam Brief
Zach Wingrove
Tristan Jung
AVERAGE
4
4
3
3
4
4
3
4
3
3
3.56
5
Wisconsin Badgers
RECORD: 7-2 (4-1) || LAST WEEK: 5
Wisconsin showed some more offensive potency, eclipsing 24 points for the first time in Big Ten play. The Badgers hung 48 on Rutgers.
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Martin Oppegaard
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Sam Brief
Zach Wingrove
Tristan Jung
AVERAGE
5
5
5
5
5
5
6
5
5
5
5.11
T-6
Northwestern Wildcats
RECORD: 6-2 (2-2) || LAST WEEK: 6
The Wildcats had a bit of fun during the bye week.
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Martin Oppegaard
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Sam Brief
Zach Wingrove
Tristan Jung
AVERAGE
7
7
6
7
6
7
5
7
6
7
6.44
T-6
Penn State Nittany Lions
RECORD: 7-2 (4-1) || LAST WEEK: 7
Penn State's 39-0 destruction of Illinois was impressive.
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Martin Oppegaard
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Sam Brief
Zach Wingrove
Tristan Jung
AVERAGE
6
6
7
6
7
6
7
6
7
6
6.44
8
Illinois Fighting Illini
RECORD: 4-4 (1-3) || LAST WEEK: 9
Illinois hasn't won a game in a month.
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Martin Oppegaard
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Sam Brief
Zach Wingrove
Tristan Jung
AVERAGE
9
9
8
8
9
9
9
8
8
9
8.56
9
Minnesota Golden Gophers
RECORD: 4-4 (1-3) || LAST WEEK: 10
A good showing against Michigan ended with a gutsy call.
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Martin Oppegaard
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Sam Brief
Zach Wingrove
Tristan Jung
AVERAGE
11
8
9
10
8
10
8
10
10
10
9.33
10
Nebraska Cornhuskers
RECORD: 3-6 (1-4) || LAST WEEK: 8
It's been a rough year for Nebraska and a 55-45 loss to Purdue is just another chapter in a bad first season for Mike Riley.
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Martin Oppegaard
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Sam Brief
Zach Wingrove
Tristan Jung
AVERAGE
8
10
10
9
12
8
10
9
9
8
9.44
11
Indiana Hoosiers
RECORD: 4-4 (0-4) || LAST WEEK: 11
Indiana could pose some problems for undefeated Iowa this weekend.
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Martin Oppegaard
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Sam Brief
Zach Wingrove
Tristan Jung
AVERAGE
10
12
12
11
10
11
12
11
11
11
11.11
12
Purdue Boilermakers
RECORD: 2-6 (1-3) || LAST WEEK: 14
Purdue snapped a five-game losing streak with its win over Nebraska.
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Martin Oppegaard
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Sam Brief
Zach Wingrove
Tristan Jung
AVERAGE
12
13
11
13
11
12
11
12
12
12
11.89
13
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
RECORD: 3-5 (1-4) || LAST WEEK: 12
This pretty much sums it up from Rutgers blog On the Banks: "Rutgers has a bad defense. Rutgers has bad special teams. Rutgers has bad coaching."
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Martin Oppegaard
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Sam Brief
Zach Wingrove
Tristan Jung
AVERAGE
13
11
13
12
13
13
13
13
13
13
12.67
14
Maryland Terrapins
RECORD: 2-6 (0-4) || LAST WEEK: 13
Maryland's schedule hasn't done the team any favors this year. The last five games (all losses): at West Virginia, vs. Michigan, at Ohio State, vs. Penn State, @ Iowa. The next two: vs. Wisconsin, at Michigan State. Yikes.