Big Ten Power Rankings (Vol. 5): Parity Such a Factor That Losses Aren't Affecting Movement

After Purdue, our staple at the top, the next four Big Ten teams all lost last week. But they've all done enough all season to keep their spots. Welcome to Volume 5 or our Big Ten power rankings, which was a real challenge to put together and hard to blow up.

This was really a challenge to put the fifth set of our Big Ten power rankings together this week. Teams two through five all lost week, but was hard to get anyone to really jump them. That's how balanced this league is after No. 1 Purdue.

Purdue and Indiana were a combined 5-0 last week, but it was hard to let Indiana jump any further because of their own losses. Indiana needs to go 3-0 through the end of January, and then I can move them back up near the top.

Here are my rankings, with records, everyone's best wins and losses so far, this week's schedule with TV information and my take on all 14 teams so far. Let's go! Volume 6 will be released on Monday, Jan. 30.

1. Purdue Boilermakers

• Records: 19-1 overall, 8-1 in Big Ten.
  
• Last week's ranking: 1
• Highest/lowest ranking: 1/1
• Rankings: Currently No. 1 in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls on Jan. 23, receiving 39 of 62 first-place votes in AP, and 24 of 32 in the Coaches poll. Purdue spent four weeks at No. 1 earlier in the year, too. Ranked No. 5 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 6 Gonzaga, No. 8 Duke, No. 24 Ohio State, Michigan State; Lost to Rutgers at home.
• Last week: Won at Michigan State 64-63 on Monday; Won at Minnesota 61-39 on Thursday; Beat Maryland 58-55 on Sunday.  
• This week: At Michigan on Thursday, 9 p.m. ET (TV: FOX Sports 1); Michigan State on Sunday, 12:15 p.m, ET (TV: CBS).
• The skinny: Purdue got a bit of a scare from Maryland on Sunday, but two road wins prior to that made it a great week for the Boilers. They've got a two-game lead now and are a clear No. 1, both here in the national AP poll. One issue? They really need to start shooting better from three.

2. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

• Records: 13-6 overall, 5-3 in Big Ten.
  
• Last week's ranking: 2
• Highest/lowest ranking: 2/9
• Rankings: Dropped out of the Associated Press poll after a one week stay, but is still receiving votes. They would be ranked No 29 in the AP poll and No. 28 in the Coaches poll. Ranked No. 21 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 1 Purdue, No. 10 Indiana, Ohio State; Lost to Temple, Miami, Seton Hall, Iowa.
• Last week: Lost at Michigan State 70-57 on Thursday. 
• This week: Penn State on Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network); At Iowa on Sunday, 2 p.m. ET (TV Big Ten Network)
• The skinny: Rutgers only had the one game last week, and didn't play particularly well in the 13-point loss to Michigan State. This is a big week for them. They lost at home to Iowa a few weeks ago, and would love to avenge that defeat on the road.

3. Michigan State Spartans

• Records: 13-7 overall, 5-4 in Big Ten
  
• Last week's ranking: 3
• Highest/lowest ranking: 2/8
• Rankings: Receiving votes in both polls and would be No. 32 in the Associated Press poll and No. 31 in the Coaches Poll on Jan. 16. Ranked No. 38 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 4 Kentucky, No. 23 Rutgers, Michigan.  Lost to Notre Dame, Northwestern.
• Last week: Lost to No. 3 Purdue 64-63 on Monday; Beat No. 23 Rutgers 70-57 on Thursday; Lost at Indiana 82-69 on Sunday. 
• This week: Iowa on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET (TV: FOX Sports 1): At No. 1 Purdue on Sunday, 12:15 p.m. ET (TV: CBS)
• The skinny: Michigan State had Purdue on the ropes at home and let that one slip away. They look great against Rutgers but really got pushed around late by Indiana. Tough losses, for sure, and I wanted to drop them a bit, but no one below them did anything worthwhile. The Spartans get another shot at Purdue on Sunday, and that's must-watch TV.

4. Illinois Fighting Illini

• Records: 13-6 overall, 4-4 in Big Ten.
  
• Last week's ranking: 4
• Highest/lowest ranking: 3/7
• Rankings: They dropped out of the Coaches Poll on Jan. 23 after being ranked a week ago. They are receiving votes in both polls and would be ranked No. 33 in AP and No.  29 in the Coaches poll. Ranked No. 29 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 2 Texas, No. 8 UCLA, No 14 Wisconsin, Michigan State. Lost at home to Penn State, lost at Northwestern, lost at Maryland, lost by 22 to Missouri.
• Last week: Won at Minnesota 78-60 on Monday; Lost to Indiana 80-65 on Thursday. 
• This week: Ohio State on Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET (TV: ESPN); At Wisconsin on Saturday, 3 p.m. ET (TV: FOX)
• The skinny: Illinois chose to not double Trayce Jackson-Davis and the Indiana star burned them for 35 in a tough home loss. They should be dropped, but no one else is ready to jump them. 

5. Wisconsin Badgers

• Records: 12-5 overall, 4-3 in Big Ten.
  
• Last week's ranking: 6
• Highest/lowest ranking: 2/6
• Rankings: Receiving votes in the Associated Press poll on Jan. 23 and would be No. 37 in AP and No. 30 in the Coaches. Ranked No. 65 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 13 Maryland, Iowa, Marquette. Lost to Wake Forest, Illinois.
• Last week: Beat Penn State 63-60 on Tuesday; At Northwestern on Saturday, ppd. (COVID).
• This week: At Northwestern on Monday, 6:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network); At Maryland on Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network); Illinois on Saturday, 3 p.m. ET (TV: FOX).
• The skinny: Wisconsin has Tyler Wahl back and Connor Essegian is in the starting lineup now. Three games in six days is going to test them. 

6. Michigan Wolverines

• Records: 11-8 overall, 5-3 in Big Ten.
  
• Last week's ranking: 7
• Highest/lowest ranking: 7/11
• Rankings: Currently not ranked in either poll. Ranked No. 59 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat Pittsburgh, Lost to Arizona State, North Carolina.
• Last week: Lost at Maryland 64-58 on Thursday; Beat Minnesota 60-56 on Sunday.
• This week: No. 1 Purdue on Thursday, 9 p.m. ET (TV: FOX Sports 1); Sunday at Penn State, Noon ET (TV: Big Ten Network). 
• The skinny: Michigan moving up has more to do with others than themselves, really. They are 5-3 in the league, but their schedule is really back-loaded. It's going to be interesting to see if they can hang with Purdue on Thursday.

7. Iowa Hawkeyes

• Records: 12-7 overall, 4-4 in Big Ten.
  
• Last week's ranking: 5
• Highest/lowest ranking: 5/12
• Rankings: Not ranked or receiving votes in either poll. Ranked No. 35 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 20 Iowa State, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Michigan. Lost to Eastern Illinois as 31.5-point favorites, TCU.
• Last week: Northwestern on Wednesday, ppd. (COVID); Lost at Ohio State 93-77 on Saturday.
• This week: At Michigan State on Thursday, 7 p.m. ET (TV: FOX Sports 1); Rutgers on Sunday, 2 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
• The skinny: Iowa had won four straight before losing at Ohio State, and it was another day of defensive letdowns, which hurts this team too much. They need to clean some of that up considering how tough this week could be.

8. Penn State Nittany Lions

• Records: 13-6 overall, 4-4 in Big Ten.
  
• Last week's ranking: 10
• Highest/lowest ranking: 10/12
• Rankings: Currently not ranked in either poll. Ranked No. 37 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 17 Illinois, Iowa, Butler. Lost to Virginia Tech, Clemson, Michigan.
• Last week: Lost at Wisconsin 63-60 on Tuesday; Beat Nebraska 76-65 on Saturday.
• This week: At Rutgers on Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network); Michigan on Sunday, Noon ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
• The skinny: Penn State played pretty well at Wisconsin, and had some chances to get a good road win there, but couldn't close it out. I like this team, but I'm curious to see if they can string wins together.

Tamar Bates scored 17 points off the bench for Indiana on Sunday against Michigan State. (USA TODAY Sports)

© Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

9. Indiana Hoosiers

• Records: 13-6 overall, 4-4 in Big Ten.
  
• Last week's ranking: 11
• Highest/lowest ranking: 2/11
• Rankings: Receiving votes in both the Associated Press and Coaches Polls and would be ranked No. 27 in AP and No. 26 in Coaches. Ranked No. 20 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 25 North Carolina, won at No. 22 Xavier, beat No. 18 Wisconsin, won at Illinois; lost at Iowa and Penn State, lost at home Northwestern. 
• Last week: Won at Illinois 80-65 on Thursday; Beat Michigan State 82-69  on Sunday.
• This week: At Minnesota on Wednesday, 9 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network); Ohio State on Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (TV: FOX Sports 1). 
• The skinny: Indiana looked like the best team in the Big Ten this week, with three straight double-digit wins now. Trayce Jackson-Davis was player of the week, and they should probably be higher, but Penn State and Iowa have wins over the Hoosiers. Definitely a factor for me. Should get two more wins this week.    

10. Northwestern Wildcats

• Records: 12-5 overall, 3-3 in Big Ten.
  
• Last week's ranking: 8
• Highest/lowest ranking: 5/12
• Rankings: Currently not ranked in either poll. Ranked No. 51 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 15 Indiana, No. 20 Michigan State, Illinois, Lost to Pittsburgh.
• Last week: At Iowa on Wednesday, ppd. (COVID); Wisconsin on Sunday, ppd. (COVID).
• This week: Wisconsin on Monday, 6:30 p.m. ET; At Nebraska on Wednesday, (TV: FOX Sports 2); Minnesota on Saturday, Noon ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
• The skinny: Northwestern missed both games with COVID issues and are ready to get back to work on Monday. The old rest vs. rust argument is something to watch with three games in six days.

11. Maryland Terrapins

• Records: 12-7 overall, 3-5 in Big Ten.
  
• Last week's ranking: 12
• Highest/lowest ranking: 4/12
• Rankings: Not ranked in either poll Ranked No. 39 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat Miami, No. 16 Illinois, Michigan. Lost to Wisconsin, Michigan, Rutgers.
• Last week: Beat Michigan 64-58 on Thursday; Lost at No. 3 Purdue 58-55 on Sunday.
• This week: Wisconsin on Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network): Nebraska on Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
• The skinny: Maryland got a nice win over Michigan and really had a good chance to steal a huge win at Purdue. I have a good feeling about what they might do this week.

Ohio State's Brice Sensabaugh (white jersey) just might be the best freshman in the Big Ten. (USA TODAY Sports)

12. Ohio State Buckeyes

• Records: 11-8 overall, 3-5 in Big Ten.
  
• Last week's ranking: 9
• Highest/lowest ranking: 4/12
• Rankings: Currently not ranked in either poll. Ranked No. 19 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 21 Texas Tech, Cincinnati. Lost at Maryland, Minnesota.
• Last week: Lost at Nebraska 63-60 on Wednesday; Beat Iowa 93-77 on Saturday.
  
• This week: At Illinois on Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET (TV: ESPN): At Indiana on Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (TV: FOX).
• The skinny: Ohio State lost five straight before finally looking good in that weekend blowout win over Iowa. Brice Sensabaugh won another freshman of the week award, and he's been a pleasure to watch. Still hard to swallow their five-game losing streak though,

13. Nebraska Cornhuskers

• Records: 10-10 overall, 3-6 in Big Ten.
  
• Last week's ranking: 13
• Highest/lowest ranking: 13/13
• Rankings: Currently not ranked in either poll. Ranked No. 93 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat No. 7 Creighton, Boston College, Ohio State. Lost to St. John's, Oklahoma, Memphis.
• Last week: Beat Ohio State 63-60 on Wednesday; Lost at Penn State 76-65 on Saturday.
• This week: Northwestern on Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET (TV: FOX Sports 2); At Maryland on Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
• The skinny: The Cornhuskers really played well in beating Ohio State and they have shown some nice flashes lately. This is a good week to see what they can do,

14. Minnesota Golden Gophers

• Records: 7-11 overall, 1-7 in Big Ten.
  
• Last week's ranking: 14
• Highest/lowest ranking: 14/14
• Rankings: Currently not ranked in either poll. Ranked No. 190 in Kenpom.com.
• Best wins/worst losses: Beat Western Michigan, Central Michigan. Lost to DePaul, Virginia Tech, Nebraska.
• Last week: Lost to Illinois 78-60 on Monday; Lost to No. 3 Purdue 61-39 on Thursday; Lost at Michigan 60-56 on Sunday. 
• This week: Indiana on Wednesday, 9 p.m. ET; Saturday at Northwestern, Noon ET (TV: Big Ten Network).
• The skinny: Minnesota lost three games last week and got rocked at Purdue.