Big Ten power rankings, Week 11: Save us, Wisconsin, you’re the Big Ten’s only hope

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Michigan State Spartans (7-2, 5-1)

Last week: W vs. Penn State, 27-24
Last rank: 6th

After spending a year in the gutters, who would’ve ever guessed Michigan State would be in this position? Even the most die-hard fans had to have been skeptical, but Mark Dantonio is the gift that keeps on giving, as he’s the reason why they’ve won every big game so far this season. The elements also played a factor in this win, since Penn State was moving the ball extremely well before the extended weather delay. Once they came back, they outscored them 20-10.

Michigan State, statistically, had a better running game than Penn State heading into their game. But when their rushing attack stalled out, Brian Lewerke was called upon to save the day. With two consecutive 400-yard games, he might be the hottest quarterback in the Big Ten, which is something we never thought we’d say back in October.

The Spartans fully deserve to be in this spot, and after a 3-9 year, they have a chance to complete a remarkable turnaround by playing in the Championship Game. They’re every bit as good as Ohio State, which is why seeing the Buckeyes as a 14.5-point favorite was one of the most appalling lines of the week. It’ll shrink once the money on Michigan State starts rolling in, but don’t be surprised if they march into the Horseshoe and do what they did two years ago, especially given the circumstances of both teams.

1

Wisconsin Badgers (9-0, 6-0)

Last week: W vs. Indiana, 45-17
Last rank: 2nd

Is Jonathan Taylor the actual best running back in the Big Ten? It might be time to start calling him that, because even if he isn’t better than Barkley, he’s done an excellent job of escaping his shadow. And once he departs for the NFL, Taylor’s the one that will terrorize the other teams in this conference:

Given that Taylor wasn’t cleared to play against Indiana until minutes before kickoff, there was reason to believe he’d see limited touches and not be all that effective. We saw how much Wisconsin’s offense suffered without him against Illinois, so to see him destroy the Hoosiers with his regular workload was a big reason why they got a blowout win this week.

Even without Taylor, Wisconsin probably would’ve shown no mercy to Indiana. Like Miami, they couldn’t have been happy with where they were ranked by the Playoff Committee, and decided that this was the week they were going to show out. It’s clear that the Committee values style and strength of schedule over the eye test and substance. Because anyone who has seen the Badgers play know they belong in the conversation as one of the best teams in the country.

Their defense, ranked eighth in defensive yards per play, is good enough to neutralize just about any opponent in college football. Their offense is dynamic with an elite running back and a QB that’s improving each week. As for their schedule, all they can do is play the teams in front of them. It’s not their fault that BYU suddenly became terrible from the time they scheduled them to now. And they have some quality wins on their resume in FAU and Northwestern, as well as Iowa and Michigan if they do overcome them.

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That’s why they shouldn’t be worried about potentially missing the Playoffs if they go 13-0. It may seem like the Committee is disrespecting them now, as well as the rest of the conference after what just happened, but they will respect an undefeated Big Ten champion. If they miss out, then the conference will deservedly riot.