Big Ten Power Rankings: Ohio State, Penn State ready for rumble at the top
Saturday was another ho-hum day for the Big Ten, which should see some more lively action next weekend when Ohio State and Penn State meet. But there wasn’t a whole lot of noteworthy movement near the top of this week’s Big Ten Power Rankings.
Ohio State blasted Iowa and Penn State mashed Minnesota, keeping the top part of the rankings intact.
There were several moves in the middle as Wisconsin topped Purdue and Rutgers beat Indiana. Let’s delve into how the weekend’s games shook up the rankings.
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Today we update the Big Ten Power Rankings following Week 8 games.
2022 Big Ten Power Rankings – Week 8
In a game heavily shortened by Iowa giving Ohio State a lot of short fields and easy points the Buckeyes battered the Hawkeyes 54-10. Quarterback CJ Stroud threw for four touchdowns. Ohio State forced six turnovers in the game and Iowa ran just 59 plays, gaining only 158 yards in the contest. Now a big challenge for Ohio State: a road game at Penn State.
Michigan was off this weekend and watched as Ohio State moved into a tie atop the Big Ten East by beating Iowa to get to 4-0 in league play. Both Big Ten powerhouses are at 7-0 overall. On the other side of the bye Michigan plays host to Michigan State at home.
Illinois was also off this weekend after rising to the top of the Big Ten West standings last week with a win over Minnesota. The Fighting Illini will be back in action on the road at Nebraska this weekend to take on a Huskers team that has elevated its play since interim coach Mickey Joseph took over.
Quarterback Sean Clifford was significantly better than he was in the loss to Michigan a week ago, helping Penn State get back on track with four touchdown passes in a 45-17 win over Minnesota. The Golden Gophers were without starting quarterback Tanner Morgan, who missed the game with a head injury. Penn State now hosts Ohio State with a chance to get back into the Big Ten East race.
- Maryland (+1)
Both teams played without their starting quarterbacks, and Maryland leaned on its defense and the rushing ability of Roman Hemby to snag a late 31-24 win over Northwestern. It wasn’t pretty, but the Terps found a way without Taulia Tagovailoa (knee). A pair of interceptions helped. A long touchdown run by Hemby (his third of the contest) followed by a Northwestern interception inside the final four minutes of the game sealed it.
- Purdue (-1)
Wisconsin jumped out to an early 21-0 lead and held on for a 35-24 win over Purdue as Boilermakers quarterback Aidan O’Connell threw three interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown. Wisconsin was outgained 431-381, but the quick start and the Purdue turnovers were enough to move the Badgers back to .500 on the season.
- Michigan State (+2)
The Spartans were off one week after outlasting the Badgers in double overtime, retaining their spot ahead of Wisconsin as both moved up following losses for Iowa and Minnesota. Now the first of three games against ranked teams in the final five contests of the year: a road trip to face rival Michigan.
- Wisconsin (+2)
Like many of the teams rocking an interim coach, Wisconsin has seemed to take its game up a notch since Jim Leonhard took over. Saturday the Badgers were able to hound O’Connell into a handful of key mistakes to secure the win. Wisconsin has already played eight games and will be off this weekend. The last four games could result in a decent little run for the Badgers: Maryland, at Iowa, at Nebraska, Minnesota.
- Minnesota (-1)
The Golden Gophers have lost three straight now, dating back to a 20-10 loss to Purdue to start the month. Saturday’s 45-17 shellacking at the hands of Penn State was the worst yet, though it came without starting quarterback Tanner Morgan. Minnesota will try to bounce back against Rutgers at home this week.
- Iowa (-3)
There’s only so much you can say about how inept Iowa is offensively before it gets repetitive, and you’ve heard it all before in previous editions of the Big Ten Power Rankings. But suffice it to say, six turnovers will result in disaster against one of the nation’s most dangerous teams. The Hawkeyes finally lifted quarterback Spencer Petras in the loss to the Buckeyes, but backup Alex Padilla didn’t fare much better in the lopsided affair.
- Rutgers (+2)
After spotting Indiana 14 points in the first quarter, Rutgers buckled down and only gave up three the rest of the way in a 24-17 win that snapped the longest conference losing streak at home in Big Ten history. The Scarlet Knights held the Hoosiers to just 272 total yards, while freshman running back Samuel Brown ran for 101 yards and a score to power Rutgers to the win.
- Nebraska (-1)
The Cornhuskers were off this weekend after falling to Purdue in a hard-fought game just before the bye. Nebraska has found new life since moving to interim coach Mickey Joseph. Refreshed and ready to go again, Nebraska will host a reeling Minnesota team that has lost three straight.
- Indiana (-1)
The Hoosiers have now lost five straight after opening the season with a three-game win steak. And the skid isn’t likely to end here; a home date with Penn State and then a trip to Ohio State are up next for Indiana. Luckily there’s a bye week this week before those two games, a chance for Indiana to lick its wounds and try to come up with some answers.
The Wildcats kept starting quarterback Ryan Hilinski on the sidelines with a concussion and despite making a game of it against Maryland couldn’t come through in the end. Northwestern has now lost six straight and will hit the road to take on a stingy Iowa defense.
Want to see how this week’s power rankings compare to our previous edition? Check out the 2022 Week 7 Big Ten Power Rankings here!