Big Ten Power Rankings, Week 10: Ohio State back in the playoff mix

The CFP committee included five Big Ten teams in the top 12, but Ohio State and Michigan are playing like they both belong in the top four.

Last week marked the initial release the College Football Playoff Committee’s rankings. While many believed the SEC to be the big winner for having two teams in the top four, the Big Ten was well represented. In Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Penn State, there were five teams in the Top 12 alone.

Nebraska’s heavy loss means that won’t be repeated again, but unlike the SEC, the Big Ten actually does have two playoff-caliber teams. Of course, there’s no chance Ohio State makes it in if they lose again, but Michigan could conceivably sneak in even if they lose to the Buckeyes. They’ve only had one close game all year, and while they were a top team to begin with, they’ve looked better each week.

And even though the Big Ten West was a two-horse race for most of the season, the division now belongs to Wisconsin barring something unforeseen. That should make for a great championship game, especially since the Badgers have already played the Wolverines and Buckeyes close.

Even though the biggest news coming out of the Big Ten was the potential disaster of Friday night games, they proved why there’s no shortage of excitement on Saturdays. Here are the latest power rankings after another eventful week.

Another week means another Rutgers loss, but they at least deserve credit. They kept their cannon guy busy, and actually led up until the third quarter. But the fact that they let this one get away will make this sting a lot more. Their 1-for-16 conversion rate on third down killed them, while most of Gio Rescigno’s passing yards came in the first quarter. If they play with this same effort level, though, they’ll be more than capable of beating Michigan State next week.

At the start of the season, this would’ve been Lovie Smith’s marquee win. But now, people almost expected Illinois to win this game, since you could make a case for Michigan State being the Big Ten’s worst team. While Tyler O’Connor played a good game, the Spartans will rue their missed opportunities, particularly Josiah Price dropping two potential touchdowns.

Next week against Rutgers will be the Big Ten Sadness Bowl, and if they lose, the Spartans may as well cancel the rest of the season.

Nobody’s mistaking Illinois for a contender, but there was a lot to like about this win. Jeff George Jr. has been thrust into the starting job under unfavorable circumstances, and while he didn’t have great numbers, he showed some nice poise in leading his team to his first career win. Kendick Foster also had a great rushing day, accounting for two touchdowns on 17 carries. On the defensive side, Tre Watson played the game of his life by recording a career-high 16 tackles.

Even though Michigan State is not the same program that they used to be, a win like this has to mean something for this group.