Let's take a minute to praise the spectacle that is Indiana football.
What art thou, Crimson-clad people from Indiana? Your record boasts three victorious conquests to nay failed expeditions. But can it be true? Might the same squadron of comrades who defeated the Egyptian dogs from the neighboring state's South by the slimmest of margins and the Hilltoppers of Kentucky's West by a mere three points be of a certain quality known only to the best and brightest teams in the land?
Look closer at them, strip away the mask under which the true identity lies. Beneath you will find one word: "Hoosier" and you will chuckle. Ne'er shall this team climb up thy rankings of the Big Ten. Near the bottom they shall be forever banished, no matter its record.
With that, here are our Week 3 power rankings:
1
Ohio State Buckeyes
RECORD: 3-0 || LAST WEEK: 1
Back-to-back less-than-stellar performances for the Buckeyes. Could trouble be brewing in Columbus?
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Dan Waldman
Zach Wingrove
AVERAGE
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
Michigan State Spartans
RECORD: 3-0 || LAST WEEK: 2 Michigan State continues to look strong and is closing the gap on Ohio State.
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Dan Waldman
Zach Wingrove
AVERAGE
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
Wisconsin Badgers
RECORD: 2-1 || LAST WEEK: 3 Quarterback Joel Stave is quietly turning into a weapon for the Badgers.
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Dan Waldman
Zach Wingrove
AVERAGE
3
4
3
3
4
4
3
3
3.38
4
Northwestern Wildcats
RECORD: 3-0 || LAST WEEK: 4 Northwestern has one of the best defenses in the country, but is it enough to salvage an offense that has been one of the worst?
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Dan Waldman
Zach Wingrove
AVERAGE
6
3
4
4
3
3
4
4
3.88
5
Michigan Wolverines
RECORD: 2-1 || LAST WEEK: 7
Michigan has seemed to right the ship following a season-opening loss at Utah.
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Dan Waldman
Zach Wingrove
AVERAGE
4
5
7
5
6
6
5
5
5.38
6
Iowa Hawkeyes
RECORD: 3-0 || LAST WEEK: 8
Iowa's undefeated, but are the Hawkeyes closer to fellow unbeatens Ohio State and Michigan State? Or does Iowa fall closer to also undefeated Indiana?
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Dan Waldman
Zach Wingrove
AVERAGE
7
8
5
6
5
8
6
7
6.5
7
Nebraska Cornhuskers
RECORD: 1-2 || LAST WEEK: T-5
Two tough losses to BYU and Miami drop Nebraska to below .500, but the Huskers showed some good signs to tie the 'Canes after storming back from 24 points down in the third quarter.
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Dan Waldman
Zach Wingrove
AVERAGE
5
6
6
8
8
7
8
6
6.75
8
Minnesota Golden Gophers
RECORD: 2-1 || LAST WEEK: T-5
Jerry Kill said he should be fired after Minnesota's 10-7 win over Kent State. Illinois beat Kent State 52-3 this season.
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Dan Waldman
Zach Wingrove
AVERAGE
8
7
8
7
7
5
7
8
7.125
9
Penn State Nittany Lions
RECORD: 2-1(1-0) || LAST WEEK: 9
Penn State is the first Big Ten team with a conference win.
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Dan Waldman
Zach Wingrove
AVERAGE
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
T-10
Illinois Fighting Illini
RECORD: 2-1 || LAST WEEK: 10
Just a few miles down the road from where Northwestern took out Duke, Illinois flopped in a 48-14 loss at North Carolina.
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Dan Waldman
Zach Wingrove
AVERAGE
10
10
12
11
11
12
10
10
10.75
T-10
Maryland Terrapins
RECORD: 2-1 || LAST WEEK: 12
Maryland seemed to regain some competence in a win over South Florida.
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Dan Waldman
Zach Wingrove
AVERAGE
12
11
10
10
10
10
11
12
10.75
12
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
RECORD: 1-2(0-1) || LAST WEEK: 11
There's really nothing left to say about Rutgers. Everything's right here, in a timeline labeled: "A Team's Disgrace."
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Dan Waldman
Zach Wingrove
AVERAGE
11
12
11
13
13
13
12
13
12.25
13
Indiana Hoosiers
RECORD: 3-0 || LAST WEEK: 14
Indiana's undefeated. Yep. This team hasn't lost a football game yet.
Henry Bushnell
Josh Rosenblat
Zach Pereles
Josh Burton
Lyndsey Armacost
Ian McCafferty
Dan Waldman
Zach Wingrove
AVERAGE
14
13
13
12
12
14
13
11
12.75
14
Purdue Boilermakers
RECORD: 1-2 || LAST WEEK: 13
Purdue really needs a big win this weekend against Bowling Green, a team that has already beaten Maryland. The Boilermakers, as of now, are a one-point home favorite.