Big Ten Power Rankings, Week 5: Saquon Barkley for President of the World
By David Rouben
Maryland Terrapins (2-1)
Last week: L vs. UCF, 38-10
Last rank: 6th
Even when Kasim Hill went down against UCF, it never felt like he was that valuable to the Terrapins. They’ve never been overly reliant on their quarterbacks, even in their win against Texas, as their key to success so far has been controlling the line of scrimmage with their run game.
But losing your starter in the first game of the year is difficult for many teams to navigate through. Losing your second string in the third game is even tougher, and the drop off between Hill and Max Bortenschlager was pronounced. He only completed 15 of his 26 pass attempts, while throwing a touchdown and two interceptions. Maryland’s big play machine Ty Johnson was effectively neutralized, while UCF picked apart their shaky secondary en route to a comprehensive win.
It’s hard to think of a more deflating way to head into the Big Ten schedule. If they made UCF look like world beaters after their first game in 23 days, it’s not like they can expect Minnesota to show signs of rust. With the Terrapins down two of their quarterbacks, making it back to a bowl game seems like an uphill battle this year.
Northwestern Wildcats (2-1)
Last week: BYE
Last rank: 10th
While Northwestern is using their bye week to prepare for Wisconsin, they should be game planning for Penn State and Iowa as well. Facing those three teams in their first four games of the conference slate is as tough a test as one can ask for, especially for a Northwestern team that hasn’t been playing up to their talent level. But a win in Week 5 could set the tone for the rest of their season.