Big Ten Power Rankings Week 7: Spoilermakers
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| Yes, this is a Purdue lineman chugging a beer as they dismantle the Hawkeyes |
Well, October sure disappeared quickly. I don't know if that's a product of the emotional roller coaster I have been on in the last month, or if writing these things has sucked me into some sort of college football vacuum where the only certainties are both Nebraska mishaps and David Bell owning Iowa. Let's take a look at where the Big Ten stands as we reach the halfway point of this season.
AP Ranking: #6
Last Week: Bye
Next: @Northwestern
Soak it in Wolverine fans. I don't know how long it will last but thus far in the season it is very much deserved. The running game continues to impress behind the 1-2 punch of Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins and the defense still looks stout. Very quietly however, Cade McNamara may be finding his grove in the passing game. If new found target Cornelius Johnson continues to be a threat at WR, Michigan may very well go undefeated.
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| Cornelious Johnson may be Michigan's X-Factor |
AP Ranking: #9
Last Week: @Indiana (W 20-15)
Next: Bye
Sparty is the only Big Ten team 7-0 and they have earned it. While their competition to date is not as strong as looked early on, they get credit for winning. The difference between Michigan. St and a team like Iowa is that they seem to have great balance on their team. There have been games this year where each part of the team has won them a ball game and that should mean they will have a chance in every game moving forward.
AP Ranking: #5
Last Week: Bye
Next: @Indiana
Im tempted to move Ohio State higher up the list but they will have the opportunity in the coming weeks to prove themselves against the big rest of the Big Ten East contenders. The offense though, albeit against sub par competition, is on pace to set Big Ten records in yards a game and yards per play. The defense looks better as well but as mentioned above, we will find out in a few weeks.
AP Ranking: #11
Last Week: Purdue (L 24-7)
Next: Bye
Iowa beat Penn. St in thrilling fashion 2 weeks ago and ascended to #2 in the polls. It was a great time to be a Hawkeye. Everybody was excited looking ahead at the schedule and dreaming of a possible college football playoff birth. We should have known better as Hawkeye fans. When anything good happens to this program, something gut wrenching is never far behind. In recent history, that something has been Purdue. We fooled ourselves though into thinking this season was different. This team was different. Well...
It was fun while it lasted.
25% of Jeff Brohm's wins in the... Sorry, David Bell just scored a touchdown... Big Ten during his time at Purdue have been against Iowa. If the Hawkeyes don't... Welp theres another touchdown for David Bell... figure out the offense during the... Jesus christ there he goes again...bye week, 3 more losses could be on the schedule.
Fun side note, since the first college football game in 1869 a theoretical losers belt and winners belt have circled college football. Yes, somebody has actually gone through and tracked the path of the belt since the first game. Whenever a team loses to the team holding the losers belt at that time, they then take possession of the belt. Heading into Saturdays game, the Boilermakers were in possession of the loser's belt by way of losing to Minnesota who lost to Bowling Green who had been in possession of the belt for quite sometime. After Purdue's win against the Hawkeyes Saturday, Iowa City is now home to the losers belt... Yay.
AP Ranking: #7
Last Week: Bye
Next: Illinois
Penn. St has a great defense but until we find out more about the timetable of Sean Clifford's injury, I really cant move them any higher.
AP Ranking: #25
Last Week: @ #2 Iowa (W 24-7)
Next: Wisconsin
David Bell is good. In one game at Kinnick Stadium this year he gained more receiving yards than any Iowa receiver has TOTAL this year. In his two appearances at Kinnick in his career, Bell has 24 receptions for 437 yards and 2 TD's. The 437 yards places him in second place in Kinnick stadium receiving yards by a WR since 2012... including Iowa players... Ouch. The most ironic part about all of this is that Bell was down to Iowa and Purdue during his recruitment and made a late switch to the Boilers. Very unfortunate.
AP Ranking: NR
Last Week: Army (W 20-14)
Next: @ #25 Purdue
The Badgers beat Army by 6 in a game that took 30 minutes. Mertz threw for a whopping 112 yards on 50% passing. This team with a win at Purdue Saturday could very well make it to the Big Ten Championship game. This should make everybody mad.
AP Ranking: NR
Last Week: Nebraska (W 30-23)
Next: Maryland
The Gophers beat Nebraska behind a solid running game and are 4-2!.... but they still lost to Bowling Green.
AP Ranking: NR
Last Week: Michigan. St (L 20-15)
Next: #5 Ohio. St
Indiana is now just the Nebraska of the East division. Enough talent to stay close but if you're honest with yourself while watching their games, you know they won't win.
AP Rank: NR
Last Week: Bye
Next: @Minnesota
Maryland had a bye week and nobody noticed.
AP Rank: Never again
Last Week: Bye
Next: Penn. St
Head coach Bret Beilema did me the favor of summing up Illini football at his press conference this week.
“I don't believe we have a player in the two-deep, um, that they recruited here over the last three years this is really significantly doing anything for us in the playing department, and that is a major concern."
Good luck with that one Sparky👍.
AP Rank: Below Illinois
Last Week: @Minnesota (L 23-30)
Next: Bye... and they'll find a way to lose that too.
Four trips inside the Gopher 20 int he second half resulted in 7 points. I'll let Jon Johnston of "Corn Nation" explain the state of Nebraska football.
AP Ranking: NR
Last Week: Rutgers (W 21-7)
Next: @ #6 Michigan
The Cats beat Rutgers in the pillow fight of the week! The only thing good going for Northwestern football right now is a couple weeks ago the University recieved a giant donation to face lift Ryan field. This means that they will finally have bathrooms at the stadium! Will they have them by November 6th when I will grace that stadium with my presence? Of course not!
AP Ranking: Same as the last 14 years.
Last Week: @Northwestern (L 7-21)
Next: Bye
It took longer than usual but Rutgers is back where they were always going to end up.
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