Fansided

Big Ten power rankings, Week 11: Michigan humiliates Penn State

By Ethan Lee

ANN ARBOR, MI - NOVEMBER 03: Chase Winovich #15 of the Michigan Wolverines gets ready to lead the team onto the field prior to the start of the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Michigan Stadium on November 3, 2018 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan defeated Penn State 42-7. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MI - NOVEMBER 03: Chase Winovich #15 of the Michigan Wolverines gets ready to lead the team onto the field prior to the start of the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Michigan Stadium on November 3, 2018 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan defeated Penn State 42-7. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – NOVEMBER 03: Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Ricky Smalling (4) scores on a 62-yard touchdown pass as Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Dominic Stampley (6) during a Big Ten Conference football game on November 3, 2018, at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL – NOVEMBER 03: Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Ricky Smalling (4) scores on a 62-yard touchdown pass as Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Dominic Stampley (6) during a Big Ten Conference football game on November 3, 2018, at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

The Hoosiers didn’t play anyone, so they’re not budging from this spot. They didn’t do anything to move up or down, and not enough teams around them did anything that might have been convincing for the Hoosiers’ cause.

Against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Lovie Smith’s Fighting Illini scored a season-high 55 points and ended a three-game losing streak. Plus, Lovie Smith had never won more than 3 games prior to this season. He won exactly 3 games his first year at Illinois and then won 2 games a season ago. Now, Illinois has won 4 and is starting to slowly trend upward.

It’s unlikely that Illinois wins again this season. Smith and the Fighting Illini have to go on the road to Nebraska this coming weekend, return home to host Iowa after that, and then travel over to Northwestern to close the season out. It would take a miracle for this team to make it to a bowl game. Regardless of that, this group has shown some growth and got a much-needed win over Minnesota. Maybe some momentum can be built out of that?

The Maryland Terrapins were choked out by the Michigan State Spartans on their home turf. Maryland clearly wasn’t a match for Michigan State as the Spartans are a more talented group with a better defense, but this game was painful for any onlooker to watch. The Terps only gained 100 yards on the day and fumbled five times. This was far from the best this group has played this season. Hopefully, there will never be a repeat of this performance.

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