Big Ten Power Rankings: Wisconsin Badgers are for real

While Maryland went unbeaten in non-conference play, their results were fairly uneven. After two blowout wins over Howard and FIU, they needed double overtime to take down UCF. Luckily for the Terps, their conference schedule starts with three winnable games in Purdue, Penn State, and Minnesota.

Minnesota  finished off their non-conference slate with an unbeaten record. The key to their victory was the run game, as the Rams had no answer for their balanced attack. Shannon Brooks, last year’s leading rusher, had 85 yards and a touchdown, but he wasn’t even the most productive running back. That title belonged to Rodney Smith, who netted 99 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Mitch Leidner also got 50 yards and a score on the ground.

Their linemen were also a big factor in this game. Obviously, the offensive line did a terrific job in letting the backs have their way. But on the defensive side, Tai’yon Devers wreaked havoc by delivering a vicious hit on Collin Hill, and forcing a fumble. Some have even compared it to that Jadeveon Clowney hit – you know the one I’m talking about.

This win, coupled with Penn State’s abysmal performance, should give the Gophers a lot of confidence heading into their first road game of the season.

Michigan State handed Notre Dame its first home loss since 2014, which should’ve given them a big boost ahead of conference play. So for them to turn in a performance like this, at home no less, was inexcusable.

While we should never assume that a team would take their opposition lightly, Michigan State looked extremely complacent. They should’ve had their way with a redshirt freshman starting at quarterback, but aside from an opening fumble, their defense couldn’t do anything. They had no response for the Badgers offense, who went on a 30-3 run after the Spartans opened the scoring.

And after Tyler O’Connor played great against Notre Dame, he was awful against Wisconsin. He finished with 224 yards on 18-of-38 passing, no touchdowns, and three picks. But it wasn’t just on him. The Spartans accounted for four turnovers in total, and a botched snap to their punter led to Wisconsin’s fourth touchdown to put this game out of reach.

Considering how well Michigan and Ohio State have played, it’s possible that Michigan State’s Big Ten defense is already over. But they have a manageable four-game stretch to get back on track before they play host to Michigan. Mark Dantonio showed faith in O’Connor by keeping him in, and good performances against Indiana, BYU, Northwestern, and Maryland should allow him to repay his coach’s trust.