Big Ten power rankings entering Week 9 pose the question of whether Penn State can challenge Ohio State for Big Ten football supremacy.
With Wisconsin collapsing against Illinois and Penn State knocking down Michigan, the Nittany Lions have done everything they need to up to this point to place themselves at the No. 2 spot in the Big Ten. But is this the year that James Franklin and Penn State breakthrough their ceiling and play in the Big Ten Championship Game?
To do so, Penn State would need to beat Ohio State. So far, Franklin and his team appear to have what it takes to potentially challenge the Buckeyes, but it remains to be seen if the Nittany Lions can actually beat them.
Regardless, Penn State has to be proud of its season up to this point. Wisconsin and Michigan, meanwhile, have to be infuriated with how they’ve let potentially great years slip away due to dumb mistakes and bad losses.
Rutgers is still the worst team in the Big Ten. That much hasn’t changed, despite an actively chaotic week occurring in the conference. But, it looks like Rutgers might have its sights set on a certain SEC coach. We’ll see if the Scarlet Knights could actually pull Joe Moorhead away from Mississippi State. As of right now, Rutgers’ coaching search is far more interesting than its season.
Northwestern had a lot of fun in 2018. The Wildcats caused some chaos, made an improbable run to the Big Ten Championship and were enjoyable to watch from afar. 2019 hasn’t been as much fun for Northwestern. The Wildcats’ recent loss to Ohio State is a perfect example of everything that is possible going wrong for Northwestern this season.
Purdue isn’t any good this season. Jeff Brohm and the Boilermakers have had to overcome injuries that have depleted an already rather thin roster, making this year even more difficult and even more miserable for Purdue fans.
The Maryland Terrapins were fun at the beginning of the season. Since then, not much has gone right for the Terps. Losing to Indiana in a close game shows just how far Maryland actually has to go before it will be a legitimately good team. There’s potential here, especially on the offensive side of things, but Maryland has a long way to go before it actually has a good football team.
Illinois actually did it! The Fighting Illini found a way to upset the No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers. This is without a doubt the biggest victory of the Lovie Smith era at Illinois. It seems unlikely that the Fighting Illini can find a way to make it to a bowl this season, but this program is slowly taking steps in the right direction with Smith at the helm. It hasn’t been a quick build or a remarkable turnaround, but Illinois is steadily improving.
The Huskers had the week off. After being blown out by Minnesota the week before, Nebraska certainly needed to take a bit of a breather. With five games remaining and Nebraska being just two games away from reaching bowl eligibility, finishing out strong down the stretch is crucial for Scott Frost.
Michigan State does not look any good this season. The Spartans entered the year with plenty of potential and promise and have failed to live up to anywhere near that. There’s still a chance for Michigan State to overcome its struggles and avoid a “worst-case” scenario, but the Spartans have disappointed this season.
Indiana has very quietly reached 5-2 on the season. The Hoosiers just need one more win to make it to a bowl game. With five games left on the schedule, it would take a horrific collapse for Indiana to not be bowl eligible at the end of the season. Having quarterback Michael Penix Jr. go down with an injury could complicate things for Indiana, but the Hoosiers should be able to finish the season with a respectable record.
The Iowa Hawkeyes had a hard time putting an injury-depleted Purdue team away on Saturday. At one point this season, Iowa appeared capable of causing some chaos in the Big Ten. There are still a few opportunities up ahead for the Hawkeyes to actually do that. Upcoming matchups against Wisconsin and Minnesota are the perfect chances to introduce some chaos into the conference.
Wisconsin is probably better than it showed on Saturday. But, losing to Illinois will cost Wisconsin a chance at the College Football Playoffs. There’s still a realistic route to the Big Ten title game, but there’s no way that Wisconsin will be considered for a playoff spot at this point. The Badgers’ season isn’t over, but it sure has been spoiled.
The Michigan Wolverines now have no shot at making it into the conference championship game. Michigan, with a second loss, now just needs to finish the season strong. Upsetting Ohio State would do that, but there’s little to indicate right now that Michigan would actually be capable of doing that. The Wolverines fell short against Penn State and are clearly not the second-best team in the Big Ten right now.
Somehow, Minnesota has made its way to No. 3 in these Big Ten power rankings and is undefeated on the year. The Golden Gophers weren’t all that impressive to start the season, but they look remarkable right now. Minnesota will need to make it past Wisconsin to make it to the Big Ten title game, but that’s not impossible to do.
Penn State has already surpassed what I expected of it this season. The Nittany Lions are in a position to contend for the conference championship, but to do that, they must finish out the season strong. Upcoming games against upstarts like Minnesota and Indiana can’t be overlooked if Penn State wants to play in the playoffs. And of course, Penn State must knock off Ohio State. But, after handling Michigan, the Nittany Lions look solid. It’ll take an upset, but the Buckeyes might actually have a legitimate challenge in the Big Ten this year.
Ohio State is still on top of everybody in the Big Ten. That much hasn’t changed and may not change unless Penn State finds a way to beat the Buckeyes this season. Ohio State can’t overlook the Nittany Lions, but the Buckeyes are clearly the best in the conference this year. If Ryan Day can continue to steer Ohio State in the right direction, this team will continue to win and should make it into the College Football Playoffs.
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