Penn State Nittany Lions

Big Ten Conference Power Rankings After Week 9

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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No big upset this week, so the Big Ten power rankings remain the same at the top.

We have come to the end of October and it’s hard to believe there is only one month left in the regular season.  The Big Ten Conference divisional races are starting to heat up as the final stretch approaches.

Michigan remains in the top spot with their win over rival Michigan State.  Ohio State squeaked out a win over Northwestern, and Wisconsin beat Nebraska in what could have been a defacto Big Ten West championship game.

Let’s take a look at where the conference stands through nine weeks.

Michigan Wolverines

(8-0, 5-0)

Last week: (7-0, 4-0)Last rank: 1st

Michigan exorcised some Spartan demons with their 32-23 victory over Michigan State. It was only the second win in the series for the Wolverines in the last nine meetings. Michigan is far and away the best team in the conference. The Wolverines look to continue their march to the Big Ten championship by hosting Maryland next Saturday.2

Ohio State Buckeyes

(7-1, 4-1)

Last week: (6-1, 3-1)Last rank: 2nd

Coming off their upset loss to Penn State, the Buckeye offense again looked sluggish against Northwestern. However, they did just enough to get the 24-20 victory in Columbus. Ohio State has major questions about their passing game in particular. Can this team go toe to toe with Michigan in a few weeks? Hard to say at this point. Big game on the horizon as they host Nebraska next week.3

Wisconsin Badgers

(6-2, 3-2)

Last week: (5-2, 2-2)Last rank: 3rd

Unlike their game against Ohio State, this time Wisconsin found a way to win in overtime, 23-17. The Badgers missed an extra point that could have haunted them, but their defense stepped up and shutdown the Cornhuskers on their possession to seal the victory. This season is the first ever that the Badgers have beaten three top 10 teams. They will still need Nebraska to lose one more game to have a chance at the West division crown. They visit Northwestern next week.4

Nebraska Cornhuskers

(7-1, 4-1)

Last week: (7-0, 4-0)Last rank: 4th

Nebraska fell from the ranks of the unbeaten Saturday night, losing to Wisconsin 23-17. The Cornhuskers played pretty well, but in the end could not do a lot against Wisconsin’s stout defense. The Big Ten West is still theirs for the taking, but it doesn’t get any easier next week as they travel to Columbus.5

Penn State Nittany Lions

(6-2, 4-1)

Last week: (5-2, 3-1)Last rank: 5th

A slow start did not matter as the Nittany Lions pummeled Purdue in the second half, on their way to a 62-24 victory. Hard to believe the game was tied at 17 at the halftime break. Many will want the Lions to move ahead of Nebraska here in the rankings due to the Cornhusker loss, but not sure if that’s warranted quite yet. Penn State just needs to keep winning. Another night game in Happy Valley next week as Iowa comes to town.6

Iowa Hawkeyes

(5-3, 3-2)

Last week: (5-3, 3-2)Last rank: 6th

Iowa had a bye week after their 17-9 loss to Wisconsin a week ago. They travel to State College to take on Penn State next week.7

Minnesota Golden Gophers

(6-2, 3-2)

Last week: (5-2, 2-2)Last rank: 8th

The Gophers locked up bowl eligibility with their 40-17 blowout of Illinois. Minnesota capitalized on three Illinois turnovers early and and in the fourth quarter, turned the game into a comfortable win. Minnesota still has an outside shot at the Big Ten West. Purdue visits Minnesota next week.8

Northwestern Wildcats

(4-4, 3-2)

Last week: (4-3, 3-1)Last rank: 7th

The Wildcats came up just a bit short of pulling off a huge upset in Columbus. Ultimately they fell to the Buckeyes 24-20. It was questionable for Pat Fitzgerald to go for the field goal late in the fourth quarter since, despite them getting three points, the Wildcats still needed a touchdown. Northwestern never saw the ball again as Ohio State ate up the rest of the clock. Northwestern returns home to take on Wisconsin next week.9

Indiana Hoosiers

(4-4, 2-3)

Last week: (3-4, 1-3)Last rank: 10th

Indiana had been praised for its defense this season, but the defense took the night off against Maryland, but Indiana won the close shootout 42-36. The Hoosiers totaled 650 yards, including 414 on the ground. Indiana now is back in the bowl discussion with four games to go and they have a trip to Rutgers next week.10

Maryland Terrapins

(5-3, 2-3)

Last week: (5-2, 2-2)Last rank: 9th

The Terps led the Hoosiers 21-16 at the break, but couldn’t hold on and lost 42-36. It was a frustrating game for D.J. Durkin’s squad because this was a game they could have won. Bowl eligibility eludes the Terps at least another week. A tough test in Ann Arbor awaits.11

Michigan State Spartans

(2-6, 0-5)

Last week: (2-5, 0-4)Last rank: 11th

The Spartans kept their rivalry game against Michigan closer than most expected, but still came up short 32-23. That’s now six straight losses for the Spartans, their longest losing streak since 1982. Nobody could have seen this coming. Michigan State will continue to look for their first conference win at Illinois next week.12

Purdue Boilermakers

(3-5, 1-4)

Last week: (3-4, 1-3)Last rank: 12th

If games were only 30 minutes, Purdue would have a better record. Last week they had a lead at Nebraska and this week they were tied against Penn State. However in the second half, they were outscored 45-7 and lost 62-24. The Boilermakers had four turnovers and that just can’t happen against better teams. Purdue goes to Minnesota next week.13

Illinois Fighting Illini

(2-6, 1-4)

Last week: (2-5, 1-3)Last rank: 13th

Illinois’ lack of offense led to the 40-17 homecoming loss to Minnesota. The Illini could get little done offensively, yet still were only down 7 at the start of the fourth quarter. That’s when the wheels came off the bus. It was always going to be a tough first year for head coach Lovie Smith. They host Michigan State next Saturday.14

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

(2-6, 0-5)

Last week: (2-6, 0-5)Last rank: 14th

Rutgers got a much needed off week as they continue to hold no wins in conference play. They host Indiana this upcoming Saturday.

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