Big Ten Power Rankings, Week 3: The book is out on Ohio State

With Ohio State’s loss to Oklahoma, the Big Ten East picture looks drastically different as teams wrap up non-conference play.

Week 2 can feel like the most dreaded week in college football. Once fans have gotten over the excitement of Week 1, Power Five teams are stuck in a dead period where they face a significantly worse non-conference opponent, and are still two weeks away from starting their conference schedule. While some upsets occur, the outcomes are still fairly routine.

But that’s not the case for everyone. We still got treated to a marquee matchup in the Big Ten when Ohio State took on Oklahoma in primetime. Oklahoma came in riding an 11-game win streak, and were hellbent on getting revenge. Not only did they humiliate the Buckeyes, on and off the field, but Baker Mayfield placed himself as the frontrunner in the Heisman Trophy conversation. At the very least, he’ll be a finalist again.

But what does Ohio State’s loss mean for them and the rest of the Big Ten? And can they recover, despite the fact that Oklahoma exposed all their greatest weaknesses?

14

Rutgers Scarlet Knights (0-2)

Last week: 0-1 record
Last rank: 14th

After Rutgers had to open the season against powerhouse Washington, the schedule tossed them a softball in Eastern Michigan. But poor quarterback play and an inspired defensive performance from the Eagles saw the Scarlet Knights drop to 0-2 on the season. Bringing Janarion Grant back into the fold was supposed to help Rutgers win these types of close games, but he did everything but get in the endzone.

Ultimately, the final score was probably the last thing on Rutgers players’ minds, as their newly minted OC Jerry Kill had another epileptic episode on Sunday. Fortunately, the team is expecting him back soon, and will be released from the hospital in the coming days.

13

Illinois Fighting Illini (2-0)

Last week: 1-0 record
Last rank: 13th

While Illinois is 2-0 on the season, they’re fortunate to be in this position. After narrowly beating Ball State despite being outplayed, they put in a more convincing performance against Western Kentucky. But Chayce Crouch only threw for 107 yards and a pick. Illinois are lucky that was the only turnover they had, as they fumbled it four times but never lost it.

Mike Epstein continues to be the best thing about this team, but we’ll see how long they can count on him for. Things certainly won’t get easier for Illinois. Provided they have a contingency plan for Hurricane Irma, they’ll have to take on Charlie Strong’s Bulls next.