Big Ten Football Power Rankings After Week 2: Iowa Wins Cy-Hawk
With no conference matchups, 14 Big Ten games were played in Week 2. The conference went 11-3. Here’s how the teams rank after two weeks of college football:
1. Michigan Wolverines 2-0 (0-0)Last Week: Won vs. UNLV 35-7 | SP+: 3 | PFF: 2
The running game is still not where the Wolverines expect it to be, but J.J. McCarthy is playing as well as any QB in the country, albeit against lesser competition.
Up Next: vs. Bowling Green (-40.5)
2. Penn State Nittany Lions 2-0 (0-0)Last Week: Won vs. Delaware 43-7 | SP+: 4 | PFF: 9
Through two weeks, you can make the case for the Nittany Lions as the most impressive Big Ten team. They open B1G in this Saturday’s Big Noon game.
Up Next: @ Illinois (-14.5)
3. Ohio State Buckeyes 2-0 (1-0)Last Week: Won vs. Youngstown State 35-7 | SP+: 2 | PFF: 3
Questions at quarterback and along the lines of scrimmage won’t be answered until the Buckeyes step up in competition.
Up Next: vs. Western Kentucky (-28)
4. Iowa Hawkeyes 2-0 (0-0)Last Week: Won @ Iowa State 20-13 | SP+: 32 | PFF: 19
While the Drive to 325 continues to go in the wrong direction, the Hawkeyes dominated to beat their rival on the road. Freshman running back Jaziun Patterson had a breakout game with 86 yards and a touchdown on ten carries against a good ISU D.
Up Next: vs. Western Michigan (-28)
5. Wisconsin Badgers 1-1 (0-0)Last Week: Lost @ Washington State 20-13 | SP+: 29 | PFF: 46
It was a disappointing result, but the Badgers showed signs of life in the second half. Ultimately, three lost fumbles (-7.5 in turnover luck points) were too much to overcome on the road.
Up Next: vs. Georgia Southern (-19)
6. Maryland Terrapins 2-0 (0-0)Last Week: Won vs. Charlotte 38-20 | SP+: 34 | PFF: 40
The Terps came out sleepwalking against Charlotte, leading to a 14-0 deficit four minutes into the game. They responded with 38 straight points and were more dominant than the final score indicates.
Up Next: vs. Virginia (-14.5)
7. Minnesota Golden Gophers 2-0 (1-0)Last Week: Won vs. Eastern Michigan 25-6 | SP+: 42 | PFF: 19
It appears the Gophers have found their bell-cow runner in true freshman Darius Taylor (33 carries, 193 yards, TD), but the passing game and lack of explosiveness leave something to the desired.
Up Next: @ North Carolina (-7.5)
8. Michigan State Spartans 2-0 (0-0)Last Week: Won vs. Richmond 45-14 | SP+: 37 | PFF: 44
We’re focusing on what we’ve seen on the field where Sparty has handled inferior opponents through two weeks, which will change this Saturday as the Washington Huskies come to East Lansing.
Up Next: vs. Washington (+16.5)
9. Illinois Fighting Illini 1-1 (0-0)Last Week: Lost @ Kansas 34-23 | SP+: 52 | PFF: 41
The Illini are lucky not to be 0-2. They had no answers for Kansas dual-threat Jalon Daniels or KU’s running game and now have to deal with Penn State rolling into Champaign in what could be a blowout.
Up Next: vs. Penn State (+14.5)
10. Purdue Boilermakers 1-1 (0-0)Last Week: Won at Virginia Tech 24-17 | SP+: 61 | PFF: 30
A week after they blew a 28-17 third-quarter lead in their Week 1 loss, the Boilermakers saw an early 17-0 margin disappear going into halftime, but this time, the defense pitched a second-half shutout as Ryan Walters picked up his first win.
Up Next: vs. Syracuse (+2.5)
11. Rutgers Scarlet Knights 2-0 (0-0)Last Week: Won vs. Temple 36-7 | SP+: 59 | PFF: 58
Could I be underrating RU? Possibly. They’ve crushed both opponents and easily covered the spread each week, but I still don’t fully trust the offense.
Up Next: vs. Virginia Tech (-6.5)
12. Nebraska Cornhuskers 0-2 (0-1)Last Week: Lost @ Colorado 36-14 | SP+: 72 | PFF: 85
Nebraska is the only winless team in the Big Ten. We warned you about slow starts under Matt Rhule. It was a valiant first half by the defense, but they could not hold onto the football, and the damn broke as Colorado threw for 384 yards.
Up Next: vs. Northern Illinois (-11)
13. Indiana Hoosiers 1-1 (0-1)Last Week: Won vs. Indiana State 41-7 | SP+: 79 | PFF: 92
The Hoosiers did what they were supposed to do against their in-state FCS foe. IU had excellent games from freshman WR Omar Cooper Jr. (7 receptions, 101 yards) and former QB Donaven McCulley (4 receptions, 58 yards).
Up Next: vs. Louisville (+10)
14. Northwestern Wildcats 1-1 (0-1)Last Week: Won vs. UTEP 38-7 | SP+: 81 | PFF: 91
The ‘Cats didn’t just get a much-needed win. They thrashed the Miners, who came to Evanston as the favorite. The disrespect. Northwestern ran the ball well and creatively, while the run defense responded with a strong performance. Will there be carryover?
Up Next: @ Duke (+18.5)
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