Judging too much from just the first week of college football is dangerous. There is too wide a variety in strength of opponent and too much is unknown about each team.
But forget that, we are going to rank everyone in the Big Ten RIGHT NOW!
As a conference, the Big Ten went an impressive 11-3, with one of those losses coming against a conference opponent.
1. Penn State: 1-0, 52-0 win over Akron
Sure, Akron is pretty awful. But there was nothing Penn State didn’t do well. The Nittany Lions look primed to chase not only a conference title, but possibly earn a spot in the College Football Playoff.
2. Michigan: 1-0, 33-17 win over Florida
It wasn’t the most dominant win on paper, but considering the opponent and the location, it’s impossible not to be impressed by the Wolverines. Michigan’s defense is the real deal and it is going to be a nightmare in the Big Ten.
3. Wisconsin: 1-0, 59-10 win over Utah State
The start was pretty much the exact opposite of what Wisconsin was looking for in its season opener at home. But after an embarrassing first half, the Badgers woke up and put Utah State to sleep.
4. Ohio State: 1-0, 49-21 win over Indiana
For a while, it looked like the first big upset of the season was going coming to Bloomington. But once Ohio State got rolling, they looked like the dominant team everyone expects to compete for a national championship.
5. Maryland: 1-0, 51-41 win over Texas
Maybe I’m still a little touchdown drunk from the craziness in Austin, but Maryland looked more than impressive. The Terps shocked Texas in one of the most exciting games of the week. It might be time the Big Ten feared the turtle.
6. Michigan State: 1-0, 35-10 win over Bowling Green
No one is quite sure what Michigan State is just yet, but the Spartans did exactly what they needed to do in their opener. It wasn’t the prettiest game, but MSU won in all three aspects of the game.
7. Iowa: 1-0, 24-3 win over Wyoming
Things could have looked very different for Iowa had Wyoming’s punter not completely whiffed on a punt. But Iowa can’t be knocked for taking advantage of mistakes and the Hawkeyes took care of business at home.
8. Northwestern: 1-0, 31-20 win over Nevada
Northwestern believes they can be a team that surprises the conference. But the first week wasn’t exactly a confidence booster for the Wildcats. The final score was comfortable, but not much more.
9. Purdue: 0-1, 35-28 loss to Louisville
Purdue took on a tough opponent on a true neutral site and had an opportunity to win in the final minutes of the game. Purdue needs to find its quarterback, but there is some talent in West Lafayette this year.
10. Indiana: 0-1, 49-21 loss to Ohio State
Indiana used all the College GameDay excitement Thursday night to have about as good of a first half as it could ask for. But in the end, they just couldn’t keep up with much superior Ohio State team.
11. Nebraska: 1-0, 43-36 win over Arkansas State
Nebraska may deserve to be higher on this list, but the way the Cornhuskers slept through much of the game was embarrassing. They let Arkansas State stay in the game far longer than it should have and nearly lost.
12. Minnesota: 1-0, 17-7 win over Buffalo
What was that? Did Minnesota realize they were playing against Buffalo? Maybe it was the midweek game, or overlooking a weak opponent, but if Minnesota doesn’t show more skill than they did in the opener, it’s going to be a long season up north.
13. Illinois: 1-0, 24-21 win over Ball State
So Illinois played a game this week, how about that? Listen, a win is a win, and the Illini should enjoy every win they get, but that was a bad look. Illinois needed a late score to beat a MAC team not expected to do much this year.
14. Rutgers: 0-1, 30-14 loss to Washington
Washington did just about everything it could on the road to let Rutgers pull out the upset, but the Scarlet Knights would have none of it. Rutgers just isn’t very good, so lets not pile on now.