N'western #2, Iowa #4

[OnceAhawk]

Big Ten Week 5 Power Rankings: Ohio State on top, Northwestern on the rise

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  Austin Ward, ESPN Staff Writer
• http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/124701/big-ten-bowl-projections-iowa-northwestern-surging

Buckle up.

After just one full weekend of Big Ten action, it already appears like the conference has a wild ride in store over the next two months that figures to provide plenty of drama and lots of unpredictability. New contenders have emerged, the expected favorites are winning but facing questions, the middle of the pack looks capable of springing an upset every week -- and then there's Maryland.

It only took one weekend of league games to shake up the Power Rankings, which, as usual, means they are highly subject to change in a week.

1. Ohio State (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten): Maybe the top-ranked team in the country hasn’t been the dominant outfit it was projected to be quite yet, but conference road wins are valuable commodities. There’s also nothing wrong with being undefeated nearing the midway point of the season. Ezekiel Elliott had been consistent throughout September, but the star running back finally delivered a breakout performance to open October and keep the Buckeyes on top of the league in a hard-fought victory at Indiana.

2. Northwestern (5-0, 1-0): The perfect record outside the league was no mirage for the Wildcats. Pat Fitzgerald’s club is the real deal, turning in the most complete performance of the weekend with a dominant defense, efficient offense and opportunistic kicking game in a blowout victory over Minnesota to open Big Ten play. A big test is looming against Michigan, but Northwestern won’t be intimidated.

3. Michigan State (5-0, 1-0): Michigan State's body of work was already starting to be scrutinized more closely after Oregon was exposed, and a narrow escape at home against Purdue didn’t do the Spartans any favors when the votes were tallied Saturday evening. Both Michigan State and Ohio State are being held to a high standard, and neither résumé is perfect. But beating the toothless Boilermakers by only a field goal isn’t going to impress anybody, and it opened Michigan State up to more questions heading into the meat of conference play.

4. Iowa (5-0, 1-0): The punchlines no longer apply to Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes, who beat Wisconsin on Saturday. The way things are going so far this season, it’s starting to seem crazy that there was so much hand-wringing over the potential buyout Ferentz had left on his contract in the first place. Like usual, there’s nothing all that flashy about Iowa, but it has a rugged, relentless squad that is more than capable of making a run at the West Division title.

5. Michigan (4-1, 1-0): There is still reason to wonder about the strength of the Michigan offense, but as long as a loaded defense is around to lend a hand, Jim Harbaugh’s squad is going to be a tough out for anybody in the Big Ten. The Wolverines posted their second shutout in as many weeks, cruising past Maryland and setting the table for two huge showdowns with Northwestern and Michigan State on deck.

6. Wisconsin (3-2, 0-1): The Badgers may be short-handed without star tailback Corey Clement, but that doesn’t make it any less shocking to see them fail to score a touchdown in their critical home opener in the Big Ten. Joel Stave tossed a pair of interceptions in the loss to Iowa, helping spoil an otherwise fantastic performance from the Wisconsin defense and putting the program in an early hole in the West Division.

7. Illinois (4-1, 1-0): Bill Cubit’s bid to take over the program on a full-time basis got a huge boost with 10 seconds left on Saturday afternoon, with Illinois claiming an invaluable victory over Nebraska that put another bowl appearance well within reach and provided more evidence the interim coach knows what he’s doing on the sideline. The Illini obviously have flaws, but the defense stepped up to the challenge against the Huskers and proved plenty capable of getting the job done in a low-scoring game when the offense needed some assistance.

8. Indiana (4-1, 0-1): No team was more impressive in a losing effort Saturday than the Hoosiers, who traded punches with the defending national champions and wouldn’t go away even after falling behind by two touchdowns in the fourth quarter while dealing with injuries to both their starting quarterback and running back. Indiana seemingly didn’t prove much by handling a weak nonconference schedule without a loss, but it turned heads by pushing the Buckeyes to the brink.

9. Minnesota (3-2, 0-1): The defense continues to be one of the best in the Big Ten, but it’s not going to matter as long as the offense remains in a state of disarray. Coach Jerry Kill has gone from managing expectations for a dark horse in the West Division to facing a potential controversy at quarterback with Mitch Leidnercontinuing to struggle. The Gophers could quickly find themselves out of the race entirely if the issues that produced a scoreless effort Saturday against Northwestern can’t be fixed in a hurry.

10. Penn State (4-1, 1-0): Even after a victory, coach James Franklin still found himself defending his program after a close call against Army. That just about sums up the state of the Nittany Lions at the moment: yet another team with a defense that ranks among the best in the nation but plays with a small margin for error thanks to an offense that appears to be completely lost at times despite the presence of a potential first-round NFL draft pick at quarterback.

11. Nebraska (2-3, 0-1): Maybe the Huskers are just one of the unluckiest teams in the nation, but the bottom line is they simply shouldn’t have been in position to drop another game close to the buzzer, this time against Illinois. The offense basically disappeared against a team that certainly isn’t known for making it difficult to put up points, and the questions about the Mike Riley coaching hire are only going to become more prevalent since he’s going to have to win out to match former coach Bo Pelini’s annual nine-win standard.

12. Rutgers (2-2, 0-1): An off date was exactly what the beleaguered Scarlet Knights needed. No, they weren’t able to completely avoid negative headlines this week, but at least they didn’t draw any additional attention to themselves on the football field Saturday. There’s one more week left without head coach Kyle Flood, but Rutgers already feels like an afterthought in the East Division.

13. Purdue (1-4, 0-1): The Boilermakers again put together a reputable performance against Michigan State, and it was perhaps the best outing of the season for Darrell Hazell’s program. But Purdue still just doesn’t seem to have the talent needed to get over the hump against the best in the Big Ten, and the climb to the postseason is now even steeper.

14. Maryland (2-3, 0-1): The Terrapins are a complete mess on offense, and there doesn’t appear to be any solution for coach Randy Edsall that would have an impact this season. Michigan can make life miserable for any opponent with its stout defense. Maryland was just as solid on that side of the ball Saturday, only to be undone by a completely inept offensive attack that has failed all season to provide any sort of consistent support. The outlook only looks bleaker with a trip to Ohio State up next.