Big Ten Power Rankings: Wisconsin Badgers are for real

This ranking isn’t meant to suggest that Wisconsin is a better team than Michigan, or that they will beat them. But their win over Michigan State is far superior to Michigan’s win over Penn State. Plus, it was on the road, and they won in similarly blowout fashion. And a performance like this was just what Wisconsin needed after their sluggish win over Georgia State.

Against Michigan State, the Badgers went back to their roots of playing solid defense. Sojourn Shelton got an interception which led to a touchdown, D’Cota Dixon forced a fumble which led to Leo Musso’s 66-yard run-back. And T.J. Watt looked like his older brother by recording three solo tackles (six totals) and 2.5 sacks.

On offense, Corey Clement battled injuries before this game, and he ended up scoring two touchdowns. He’s arguably the best offensive weapon the Badgers have, and he’ll be a key to keeping the pressure off of redshirt freshman Alex Hornibrook going forward.

Speaking of Hornibrook, his stat line won’t draw praises, but his composure was excellent throughout. He was absolutely thrown to the wolves by making the first start of his career against Michigan State, but outside of his opening-drive fumble, he had no setbacks. He looked like a veteran in the way he led his team back for a touchdown on the ensuing drive. But the best part of his game so far is his efficiency on third downs:

And if Clement’s comments are anything to go by, it’s that he’s only going to get better from here on out:

"“You’ve got to have respect for a guy whose first start is against a Michigan State defense,” Wisconsin running back Corey Clement said. “He’s going to come out the next game and do even better. I think he’s just getting his feet wet.”"

Despite Wisconsin’s excellent start to the season, the AP has done well to temper peoples’ expectations. Their two wins over Michigan State and LSU look less valuable now that Notre Dame, the Spartans’ biggest win, dropped to 1-3 against Duke, while the Tigers dropped to 2-2 at Auburn and fired Les Miles.

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The Badgers look like Big Ten title contenders, but it’s easy to see seven other teams have played better than them. But while many people discounted Wisconsin’s chances simply because of their tough schedule, this win proved that, at the very least, they shouldn’t be counted out against any opponent. They will now get two monumental litmus tests in Michigan and Ohio State next.

Despite their inactivity, there’s no reason to take Ohio State out of the top spot until they prove that they can be stopped. This young core has all the makings of a national championship contender, and it’s the best version of Urban Meyer’s spread offense we’ve seen at Ohio State. They’re almost certainly going to show no mercy against a shorthanded Rutgers team in Week 5.