Big Ten Roundup (Sept. 4): Week 1 Big Ten Football Power Rankings
Rutgers defeated Northwestern 24-7 on Sunday afternoon, which officially wrapped up the Week 1 slate in the Big Ten.
Some teams like Michigan and Wisconsin cruised to remarkably easy wins over inferior competition. Some teams like Purdue and Illinois were caught in dog fights with top tier Group of 5 squads. And some teams like Northwestern are just really bad.
Following each week of Big Ten football, I'll publish a new set of power rankings, letting you know who should hold top status in the conference, and who is rounding out the bottom.
Here's everything you need to know in today's Big Ten Roundup:
1. Michigan (1-0)
Week 1 Result: W, 30-3 Vs East Carolina
Week 2 Matchup: Vs UNLV
The shirts and pre-snap tribute to coach Jim Harbaugh, who lest we forget is currently serving a self-imposed three-game suspension from Michigan, were really, really stupid. But there's also no denying that Michigan currently has an incredible football team. J.J. McCarthy looked great, as did the defense, so nowhere for the Wolverines to be but No. 1 after the first week of football.
2. Ohio State (1-0, 1-0 B1G)
Week 1 Result: W, 23-3 @ Indiana
Week 2 Matchup: Vs Youngstown State
Many would argue Penn State deserves this spot, and that's certainly valid. The Buckeyes' offense was stuck in the mud in Bloomington, and Kyle McCord and Co. only converted two of 12 third down attempts in the game. But the Ohio State defense looked unbreakable on the road against a Big Ten opponent, and given Ryan Day's track record, the team will probably figure out its slow starting offense eventually.
3. Penn State (1-0)
Week 1 Result: W, 38-15 Vs West Virginia
Week 2 Matchup: Vs Delaware
A 23-point win over a Big 12 team looks mighty impressive until you remember a) Penn State was up just 14-7 at half, and b) that West Virginia team is bad. In my estimation, the real argument for the Nittany Lions surpassing the Buckeyes might be Drew Allar. The new quarterback looked stellar in his first start, throwing for 325 yards and three touchdowns.
4. Wisconsin (1-0)
Week 1 Result: W, 38-17 Vs Buffalo
Week 2 Matchup: @ Washington State
Air raid Wisconsin might take some time to get the wheels churning, as quarterback Tanner Mordecai threw for just 189 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in his Badger debut. However, that's a solid Buffalo team that coach Luke Fickell's squad played, so some shaky reps are understandable, and not enough to bump Wisconsin off its perch as the West's best team.
5. Iowa (1-0)
Week 1 Result: W, 24-14 Vs Utah State
Week 2 Matchup: @ Iowa State
After two drives when Iowa led 14-0, it looked like the dreadful offense might have turned the corner. The Ferentz-coached offense then proceeded to do what it usually does for the rest of the game — punt and struggle to score points.
Seems like Cade McNamara and Co. still have some things to work on.
6. Maryland (1-0)
Week 1 Result: W, 38-6 Vs Towson
Week 2 Matchup: Vs Charlotte
The least impactful Big Ten football game of Week 1. Maryland did what you're supposed to do against an FCS foe. Not much else to say here.
7. Illinois (1-0)
Week 1 Result: W, 30-28 Vs Toledo
Week 2 Matchup: @ Kansas
Why keep Illinois in the top half of the rankings despite very nearly losing to a Group of 5 team? Well it wasn't just any Group of 5 squad. It was a defending MAC champion in Toledo that returned its superstar quarterback in DeQuan Finn. The Rockets were one of the best teams that any Big Ten squad played in week 1.
Furthermore, while Illinois obviously needs to improve off its week 1 performance, quarterback Luke Altmyer showed some impressive stuff in his Big Ten debut. It's been a long time since there was a quarterback who could make throws like this in Champaign.
8. Michigan State (1-0)
Week 1 Result: W, 31-7 Vs Central Michigan
Week 2 Matchup: Vs Richmond
The final score can't deceive us. We all saw on Friday night that coach Mel Tucker's team was trailing the Chippewas 7-3 nearing halftime. There's still a chance Michigan State has fixed some things in 2023, but it definitely looks like the Spartans are going to be pretty similar to what they were in 2022.
9. Purdue (0-1)
Week 1 Result: L, 35-39 Vs Fresno State
Week 2 Matchup: @ Virginia Tech
Losing a home game and season opener to a Mountain West team is very bad, but as I detailed in yesterday's roundup, that might have had more to do with Mikey Keene and Fresno State. The Bulldogs are an awesome Group of 5 squad, and one that could beat more Big Ten teams than just Purdue.
Coach Ryan Walters needs to figure out this defense, and Purdue might clearly be rebuilding after its great winning seasons of the last two years, but this is far from a bottom rung squad in the Big Ten.
10. Minnesota (1-0, 1-0 B1G)
Week 1 Result: W, 13-10 Vs Nebraska
Week 2 Matchup: Vs Eastern Michigan
A win is a win, but it felt much more like Nebraska just shot itself in the foot than Minnesota did anything impressive. It was a brutally ugly Thursday night game, and one that made both teams look pretty uninspiring altogether.
11. Nebraska (0-1, 0-1 B1G)
Week 1 Result: L, 10-13 Vs Minnesota
Week 2 Matchup: @ Colorado
As you can read in the above, Nebraska's offense looked very bad, and its fortune in these close games somehow got even worse. And things might get uglier as they're on the road again in week 2, and are traveling to take on one of their greatest historic rivals, who is just coming off arguably the most impressive win of week 1.
12. Rutgers (1-0, 1-0 B1G)
Week 1 Result: W, 24-7 Vs Northwestern
Week 2 Matchup: Vs Temple
Rutgers might actually deserve to be ranked way higher than this. It's just impossible to tell because that Northwestern team is so, so bad, that anyone who plays them this year will probably look a whole lot better. Great season opener for quarterback Gavin Wimsatt is notable, though.
13. Indiana (0-1, 0-1 B1G)
Week 1 Result: L, 3-23 Vs Ohio State
Week 2 Matchup: Vs Indiana State
My co-worker Jack Ankony and I have written several stories and recorded a podcast all saying essentially the same thing — the defense, offensive line and skill position players all looked pretty good for Indiana.
But if your quarterbacks look that bad, there's just no way you're going to win. If Indiana can figure out how to get a competent passing game, they'll shoot up the power rankings fast. If not, they're going to be stuck here at the bottom.
14. Northwestern (0-1, 0-1 B1G)
Week 1 Result: L, 7-24 @ Rutgers
Week 2 Matchup: Vs UTEP
It's not a great sign when you make the Rutgers offense look unstoppable in the first half and have your interim head coach begging fans to show up against UTEP next week.
By a wide margin, the worst team in the Big Ten resides in Evanston.
Related Stories:
- HOOSIERS NOW PODCAST: Daniel Olinger and Jack Ankony for HoosiersNow.com recorded a video podcast, talking about the Hoosiers' current quarterback situation, why the team used the game plan that it did and what to expect from IU football moving forward. CLICK HERE
- GAME STORY: The Indiana football team lost to No. 3 Ohio State 23-3 in Bloomington on Saturday in the 2023 season opener. Coach Tom Allen and the Hoosiers had their moments, and even held it to a one-score game through the third quarter, but ultimately, the team was doomed by bad quarterback play from Tayven Jackson and Brendan Sorsby. CLICK HERE
- COLUMN: Indiana hadn't allowed 23 points or fewer against Ohio State since the 1993 season, but that's what the transfer-heavy unit did Saturday. Indiana also proved to have talented skill position players, but this could all go to waste if head coach Tom Allen and offensive coordinator Walt Bell can't solve Indiana's quarterback dilemma. CLICK HERE
