Big Ten: Football Power Rankings After Week Three

Every week here at Writing Illini, we’ll provide some serious #hottakes on the state of Big Ten football through our power rankings.

What. A. Week! Unless your favorite school begins with the letter “I.” Ohio State, Michigan State and Nebraska all came away with marquee wins. FBS teams, in general, should probably just stop scheduling North Dakota State.

Unlike last week’s rankings, there’s definitely more movement top-to-bottom in this edition. There’s certainly a lot of positive momentum for many Big Ten squads… and then there’s Illinois. Oh well, read on!

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (Last Week: 1 | ⇔)

Sep 17, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes mascot Brutus Buckeye during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

Maybe Oklahoma was overrated (they were), and maybe I’m a delusional Illini fan (I am). It’s cool. Ohio State marched into Norman and sealed a convincing victory. Never an easy thing to do. This is the best team in the Big Ten until further notice.

2. Michigan Wolverines (LW: 2 | ⇔)

Sep 17, 2016; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines linebacker Jabrill Peppers (5) receives congratulations from offensive lineman Mason Cole (52) after he scores a touchdown in the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at Michigan Stadium. Michigan won 45-28. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

Jabrill Peppers is exciting, huh? After a very slow start against a possibly-getting-back-to-prominence Colorado program, this one wasn’t really in doubt after halftime.

3. Michigan State Spartans (LW: 5 | ⇑2)

Sep 17, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans defensive back Demetrious Cox (7) walks off the field after a game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports /

Similar to OSU’s victory, I’m not really concerned whether or not the opponent’s ranking might have been too high. That was a big win in a tough venue. After a lackluster week one performance and a bye week, the Spartans are back to looking like the real deal.

4. Wisconsin Badgers (LW: 3 | ⇓1)

Sep 17, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Dare Ogunbowale (23) rushes with the football during the fourth quarter against the Georgia State Panthers at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin won 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /

I don’t love penalizing teams for a win, but Wisco was THIS close to pulling an Iowa — and against an FCS team that definitely hasn’t won FIVE (!!) National Championships in a row. Yes, I had to double-check that, but NDSU is a powerhouse at the lower D1 level. We can, however, forgive the Badgers for possibly looking ahead to the start of their absolutely brutal early Big Ten schedule.

5. Nebraska Cornhuskers (LW: 6 | ⇑1)

Sep 17, 2016; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers safety Nate Gerry (25) celebrates after a tackle against the Oregon Ducks in the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports /

A newcomer in the Top 5, Nebraska has certainly earned it by beating the always-athletic Oregon Ducks in a classic. The poise by Armstrong at the end of the game was terrific.

6. Iowa Hawkeyes (LW: 4 | ⇓2)

Despite losing at home to an FCS opponent, I already mentioned that the Bison are the real deal. They were not intimidated. However, if you consider yourself a Big Ten contender, you absolutely cannot have that outcome, especially at home. I don’t care how close it was. Watch here for fun memories!

7. Minnesota Golden Gophers (LW: 7 | ⇔)

Coming off a bye, Minnesota has one more non-conference game this weekend vs. Colorado State.

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8. Penn State Nittany Lions (LW: 8 | ⇔)

I’d like to put Penn State ALL THE WAY at the bottom for those ridiculously tone-deaf Joe Paterno tributes during last week’s game vs. Temple. Alas, I will continue to judge for these rankings based on football merits, and PSU was just fine. Give me more Saquon Barkley, though!

9. Maryland Terrapins (LW: 9 | ⇔)

Back-to-back trips to the Sunshine State this early in the year can’t be easy, despite who the competition was, but the Terps pulled out a thriller. Tempted to drop, but a 3-0 record (2-0 away) says otherwise.

10. Indiana Hoosiers (LW: 10 | ⇔)

Coming off a bye, Indiana has one more non-conference game this weekend vs. Wake Forest.

11. Northwestern Wildcats (LW: 14 | ⇑3)

Alright, alright. I give the Cats a lot of grief. They took care of the Nerd Bowl in a (finally) drama-free game. They get Nebraska at home this weekend, so there’s a chance to save the season if they hold serve here.

12. Purdue Boilermakers (LW: 12 | ⇔)

Coming off a bye, Purdue has one more non-conference game this weekend vs. Nevada.

13. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (LW: 13 | ⇔)

I’m not quite sure what to make of Rutgers yet, but they better watch out for a ticked-off Hawkeyes team coming out east this weekend.

Next: Illinois Football: 4 Quarterback Options for the Illini in 2017

14. Illinois Fighting Illini (LW: 11 | ⇓3)

“And I’m free, free fallin’!” I have a lot of faith in Lovie Smith turning this program around. There was early season excitement, and rightfully so, but reality has now set in. Western Michigan might very well go 12-0 this season and be that BCS-busting Cinderella this year… but that was putrid.

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