Big Ten Power Rankings Week 6: Nebraska's Matt Rhule Gets First B1G Win
Penn State, Michigan State, and Indiana were idle in Week 6, while Nebraska’s Matt Rhule picked up his first Big Ten win. Staying in the B1G West, Wisconsin, and Iowa won to set up their matchup this Saturday, with the winner the prohibitive favorite to win the division.
Here’s how the B1G teams rank after six weeks of college football:
B1G Tier I: Natty Favorite (1) Michigan Wolverines 6-0 | 3-0 (1)Last Week: Won @ Minnesota 52-10 2| SP+: 1 | PFF: 2
P.J. Fleck called Michigan the best team he’s seen in 11 years as a head coach. The Wolverines have scored 30-plus in every game (42.7 PPG in B1G play) and have won each week by at least 24 points, and J.J. McCarthy has yet to take a fourth-quarter snap.
Up Next: vs. Indiana (-34.5)
B1G Tier II: CFP Contenders (2) Penn State Nittany Lions 5-0 | 3-0 (2)Last Week: Idle | SP+: 10 | PFF: 6
The question around Happy Valley is, where is the explosiveness on offense? Offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich said the team is working on it, adding that chemistry between the QB and receivers is “a big concern.” If it doesn’t click this week, then when?
Up Next: vs. UMass (-42.5)
(3) Ohio State Buckeyes 5-0 | 2-0 (3)Last Week: Won vs. Maryland 37-17 | SP+: 4 | PFF: 5
Going into the fourth quarter, this was a three-point game, but the Buckeyes onslaught had already begun, as OSU scored the final 27 points. It was their best performance through the air this season, as they averaged an impressive 11.83 yards per dropback.
Up Next: @ Purdue (-20.5)
B1G Tier III: Very Good, Not Top 10Nobody.
More B1G: OSU Overcomes Maryland | Michigan Dominates Minnesota |
B1G Tier IV: Bowl Bound (4) Maryland Terrapins 5-1 | 2-1 (4)Last Week: Lost @ Ohio State 37-17 | SP+: 31 | PFF: 26
The loss in Columbus was both encouraging and discouraging. They hung with the Buckeyes pretty evenly for three quarters and should have been leading. However, therein lies the problem. There were far too many self-inflicted mistakes and head-scratching decisions by the head coach and fifth-year quarterback.
Up Next: vs. Illinois (-14.5)
(5) Iowa Hawkeyes 5-1 | 2-1 (5)Last Week: Won vs. Purdue 20-14 | SP+: 41 | PFF: 24
It was a vintage Iowa win. They played elite defense and got a big game on the ground from Kaleb Johnson (134 yards) and Leshon Williams (74 yards), who combined for 208 yards (6.9 YPC), but they will not win next week unless they get more from the passing offense (6 of 21, 5.25 YPP).
Up Next: @ Wisconsin (+9.5)
(6) Wisconsin Badgers 4-1 | 2-0 (6)Last Week: Won vs. Rutgers 24-13 | SP+: 23 | PFF: 22
Both teams wanted to run the ball, and only one team could. Taking out a kneel down, the Badgers rushed for 216 yards (4.8 YPC), while the defense stifled RU’s backs, whose longest run on 12 carries was five yards. But 4.7 yards per pass is quite concerning.
Up Next: vs. Iowa (-9.5)
B1G Tier V: Somebody Else Has to Win 6 Games (7) Minnesota Golden Gophers 3-3 | 1-2 (7)Last Week: Won vs. Michigan 52-10| SP+: 64 | PFF: 41
Having dropped three of four and suffering the most significant loss under P.J. Fleck, the off week is perfect for the Gophers, who must regroup. They are in jeopardy of missing a bowl game if they don’t turn things around.
Up Next: @ Iowa (10.21)
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(8) Michigan State Spartans 2-3 | 0-2 (8)Last Week: Idle | SP+: 59 | PFF: 78
With three top-six teams remaining on the schedule, Saturday is a must-win if MSU wants any chance of keeping their bowl hopes alive. Cutting down on their 12 turnovers (nine in the past two games) would be a good start.
Up Next: @ Rutgers (+5.5)
(9) Rutgers Scarlet Knights 4-2 | 1-2 (9)Last Week: Lost @ Wisconsin 24-13 | SP+: 58 | PFF: 64
Had Gavin Wimsatt not thrown a pick-six (returned 95 yards) on second-and-goal to fall behind 17-0 right before the half, who knows how this game would have gone? I’m not sure how many games this roster is winning when forced to throw 38 times (to 22 rushes).
Up Next: vs. Michigan State (-5.5)
(10) Purdue Boilermakers 2-4 | 1-2 (10)Last Week: Lost @ Iowa 20-14 | SP+: 73 | PFF: 56
It was a bad matchup for Purdue’s passing attack, as the Boilermakers managed just 6.2 yards per pass, 9.9 yards per completion, and allowed six sacks in Iowa City. It doesn’t get any easier with Ohio State and Michigan among their next three opponents.
Up Next: vs. Ohio State (+20.5)
(11) Nebraska Cornhuskers 3-3 | 1-2 (12)Last Week: Won @ Illinois 20-7 | SP+: 63 | PFF: 66
Matt Rhule got his first Big Ten win as a head coach at Illinois (the second head coach to do so against the Illini in the past two weeks) but was outgained in yards per play by a healthy margin of 5.58 to 4.27, so I wouldn’t consider their problems fixed. Will another playmaker emerge alongside Heinrich Haarberg (154 passing yards, 82 rushing)?
Up Next: vs. Northwestern (Oct. 21)
(12) Illinois Fighting Illini 2-4 | 0-3 (11)Last Week: Lost vs. Nebraska 20-7 | SP+: 68 | PFF: 75
That Illini’s season continues to spiral. They’ve lost all four games against Power Five opponents by double digits. I can’t imagine Bret Bielema is thrilled about throwing 47 passes and rushing just 19 times. But when you can’t run (21 yards), what other choice do you have?
Up Next: @ Maryland (-14.5)
B1G Tier VI: Not The Somebody (13) Northwestern Wildcats 3-3 | 1-2 (13)Last Week: Won vs. Howard 23-20 | SP+: 103 | PFF: 93
Without QB Ben Bryant, the Wildcats barely survived Howard. Backup QB Brendan Sullivan accounted for three touchdowns (two passing), but the defense had some issues against an offense they should have been able to handle.
Up Next: @ Nebraska (Oct. 21)
(14) Indiana Hoosiers 2-3 | 0-2 (14)Last Week: Idle | SP+: 95 | PFF: 94
If the Hoosiers watched Michigan’s throttling of Minnesota, they may cancel their trip to Ann Arbor and take another Saturday off. If IU’s offense gets anything going, newly elevated OC Rod Carey and IU’s highest-paid assistant ($815,000) will earn his paycheck this Saturday.
Up Next: @ Michigan (+34.5)
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