Big Ten Football: Week two power rankings for 2018
Big Ten football has some good teams, bad teams and some teams that could surprise a few people this season.
Here are your week two Big Ten football power rankings.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes take the No. 1 spot because of their talent on the field. This team has gone through some self-inflicted issues but has still dominated on the field. They are averaging 64.5 points per game right now.
2. Wisconsin Badgers
I have Wisconsin picked as one of the teams who could make the playoffs this year. They are really good on defense, and their offensive line is stout as well. They also have a nice leader in quarterback Alex Hornibrook. They come in as the No. 2 team right now.
3. Michigan Wolverines
The first game of the season was rough for Michigan. They fell to a tough Notre Dame team in what needed to be a win to strengthen their playoff hopes. But, this team has a new quarterback and was just trying to gel. I see them playing well and running the table until they get to No. 6 Wisconsin here on October 13. That is going to be a huge game for the Big Ten.
4. Penn State Nittany Lions
I didn’t have Penn State rated very high entering the season. But, they have done a great job so far with two big wins. This past weekend, Penn State dominated Pittsburgh on the road by 45 points. This is a team that is finding their next great running back with Miles Sanders. They might be better than I thought this season.
5. Michigan State Spartans
The only reason I have Michigan State this high is that they have some talent and the rest of the teams below them don’t blow me away. I haven’t been impressed with the Spartans start to the season. They play to their competition’s level. That is a bad trait in a team.
6. Maryland Terrapins
I was really impressed how the Maryland players overcame what has happened with the team lately. They knocked off a ranked Texas team week one and moved to 2-0 after week two. This team is a lot better than I thought. I had them last in the Big Ten this season.
7. Iowa Hawkeyes
You can never really tell how good the Iowa Hawkeyes are each year. They lose some really dumb games yet win some that they aren’t expected to win. It has to be frustrating as a fan sometimes. I have them in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten right now with room to advance. They have some big games coming up like No. 6 Wisconsin here in a few weeks.
8. Indiana Hoosiers
I have to give credit where credit is due. Indiana has done some good things this season. They went down to FIU and beat them by 10 points. They then took down an ACC team in Virginia last week. This team has some nice momentum building and their quarterback, Peyton Ramsey, is extremely underrated.
9. Northwestern Wildcats
I haven’t been impressed with Northwestern this season. Their first win over Purdue was solid, but the Boilermakers are looking to be worse than last season. The Wildcats need to be better on offense as well. This team needs some semblance of solid quarterback play.
10. Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Nebraska Cornhuskers have only played one game this season and it was a loss to Colorado last week. It is hard to tell where Nebraska is as a program right now and if Adrian Martinez’s injury is long-term, then this team is likely to tumble down this ranking.
11. Minnesota Golden Gophers
Minnesota hasn’t played anyone of substance this season. Their biggest win out of the two so far is Fresno State and they barely squeaked one out by seven points last week. Quarterback play is inconsistent right now, and that seems to be hurting this team. If that gets on track, though, look for the Golden Gophers to start moving up.
12. Purdue Boilermakers
After a 6-6 campaign in 2017, many people thought Purdue was set for another solid season. That hasn’t been the case so far. They are 0-2 with a bad loss to Eastern Michigan last week. Their quarterback play has been inconsistent and this team turns the ball over way too much. They need to be more disciplined.
13. Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois is 2-0 on the season so far, but their two games aren’t impressive right now. Their quarterback situation continues to be a question mark at times. They don’t run the ball enough. Their secondary is suspect at best due to some suspensions and injuries. This team needs to get stability at quarterback so they can continue winning and moving up this list.
14. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
The bottom feeder of the Big Ten in these rankings is Rutgers. They have managed to get to 1-1 on the season but their only win is against Texas State. They are coming off a loss to Ohio State by 49 points. Rutgers doesn’t have a quarterback behind center and their running game is bad too. This is just not a good team.