Big Ten Power Rankings: Wisconsin Badgers are for real

Week 4 signaled the start of conference play for many teams in the Big Ten. By the end of it, there was a major shift in balance in the two divisions.

Through the first three weeks of the season, the Big Ten demonstrated why it was the best conference in college football. It may be top-heavy, but as a whole, they went a combined 30-8 against non-conference teams, and they dominated the Power Five opponents they faced.

With the conference schedule starting, teams were guaranteed to lose, but the competition throughout the season will be fierce. There weren’t many marquee matchups outside of Wisconsin vs. Michigan State, but Wisconsin’s emphatic win combined with Michigan rolling over Penn State sets up a great game in Week 5. And while Wisconsin is the most talented team in the Big Ten West, Nebraska’s great start will ensure that they remain their closest competitor.

There were a lot of shake-ups after one week of conference play, and that doesn’t just apply to Wisconsin and Michigan State. Let’s delve right into this week’s power rankings:

After Duke took down Notre Dame, Northwestern’s lone win was starting to look like a quality one. But they failed to capitalize on that momentum when they turned in a stinker against Nebraska.

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A year after Northwestern ranked fourth in total defense in the Big Ten, Nebraska torched them for 556 total yards. Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw for 246 and had 132 on the ground. The final score of 24-13 is respectable, but it would’ve been worse if Nebraska was able to capitalize on more of their red-zone opportunities.

This team is a far cry from the one that went 10-3 last year. A quick glance at their schedule suggests that they’ll face a tall order to even be bowl-eligible this time around.

Illinois was off, but they face a daunting road ahead next week when they face undefeated Nebraska in Cornhusker country. Given how their opponent has looked so far, that extra time better have come in handy. At the very least, they should come out fighting rather than get treated like the doormat they’ve been the past two weeks.

Losing by one score to the Big Ten West champions should be a moral victory, but the Scarlet Knights let this one get away. After Iowa lost to North Dakota State, Rutgers had a real chance to spring a shock and compound the misery on the Hawkeyes. But when Andre Patton scored a big touchdown to tie the game in the fourth, he fumbled the ball shortly thereafter which set up the game-winning touchdown.

You could understand if Patton got caught up in the emotions of the game, though. In the wake of this loss, it was announced that two of Rutgers’ biggest difference-makers are now out for the season. Their injuries helped change the complexion of the game, too.

The first player they lost was Janarion Grant, who is like Rutgers’ Jabrill Peppers. He accounts for 35% of his team’s all-purpose yards, as well as six of their 13 touchdowns so far. He’s a big contributor on both special teams and offense, and is really exciting to watch. He happened to get hurt on a 76-yard gain, meaning what could’ve been a big play touchdown turned into a season-ending injury:

This loss not only sucks for Rutgers fans, but for college football fans everywhere.

The second injury was to Quanzell Lambert, who is a force at defensive line. His impact on the game was felt when, one play after he left, Iowa scored the touchdown that made it 14-7. Since he probably won’t be eligible for a sixth year, that injury could end up being the last play of his college career.

The future is already bleak for Rutgers, but as if things couldn’t get any worse, their next game comes on the road against Ohio State. You may as well start preparing the body bags for that one.