clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Big Ten Power Rankings: Week 3

The Big Ten has five undefeated teams. Where do they fall in our rankings after three weeks?

Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

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.
Henry Bushnell Josh Rosenblat Zach Pereles Josh Burton Lyndsey Armacost Ian McCafferty Dan Waldman Zach Wingrove AVERAGE
13 14 14 14 14 11 14 14 13.5