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B1G Power Rankings after Week 11: Northwestern nearing the top after locking up West crown
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The most surprising things in college football aren’t always massive upsets.
It could be something like Minnesota blowing out Purdue just one week after firing its defensive coordinator. Or maybe it’s Michigan not covering a 40-point spread against Rutgers. It could possibly be Northwestern clinching the West with still two weeks left in the regular season.
All of those things happened on Saturday, and all of them were shocking on some level. It also made this week’s power rankings a little trickier than normal.
Here’s what the B1G power rankings look like after Week 11:
14. Rutgers, 1-9 (lost to No. 4 Michigan 42-7)
For one quarter, Rutgers was knotted with Michigan at 7-7. That’s an improvement from previous two years. As much grief as we’ve given the Scarlet Knights all season, they’ve actually performed much better over the last three weeks. Even though they lost by five scores to Michigan, most everyone thought the Wolverines would easily cover the 40-point spread.
13. Illinois, 4-6 (lost to Nebraska 54-35)
Offensively, a pretty good outing for the Illini. Defensively, not so much. For the sixth time this season, the Illinois defense surrendered 45 points or more, this time in a 19-point loss to the Huskers. Former Nebraska quarterback A.J. Bush was spectacular, running for 187 yards and three touchdowns. But he came up short in his return to Lincoln.
12. Minnesota, 5-5 (def. Purdue 41-10)
The defensive effort from Minnesota on Saturday makes you wonder why P.J. Fleck didn’t make a staff change sooner. After surrendering an average of 40 points per game to B1G opponents, the Gophers held Purdue — one of the conference’s most explosive teams — to just 10 points. Mohamed Ibrahim had a big day on the ground for Minnesota’s offense, too.
11. Maryland, 5-5 (lost to Indiana 34-32)
A heartbreaking loss for Maryland, especially considering how difficult it will be to get that sixth win now. The Terrapins showed up this weekend, but just didn’t make enough plays against Indiana. Now, they’ll have to beat either Ohio State or Penn State to secure a postseason bid. That’s a pretty tough task, considering how poorly Maryland has played against ranked opponents.
10. Indiana, 5-5 (def. Maryland 34-32)
Bowl contention is still on the table for Indiana following the win over Maryland. The Hoosiers snapped a four-game losing streak, thanks to a defense that forced four turnovers. Indiana got beat in a lot of key areas but was able to get points off takeaways, leading to the two point win. IU needs a win over Michigan or Purdue to go bowling.
9. Nebraska, 3-7 (def. Illinois 54-35)
After watching Nebraska over the last four weeks, it’s really a shame that this team couldn’t figure things out a little earlier in the year. The Huskers still have some gaping holes defensively, but Devine Ozigbo and Adrian Martinez have been so good that you hardly even notice those shortcomings defensively. With Michigan State and Iowa still on the schedule, this team can still make a statement to close out Year 1 of the Scott Frost era.
8. Wisconsin, 6-4 (lost to No. 20 Penn State 22-10)
No Alex Hornibrook and unbelievably high winds were too much to overcome for the Badgers. Jonathan Taylor did his thing, running for 185 yards on 20 carries. But Wisconsin had just 60 yards through the air, had three turnovers and mustered just a field goal in the second half. Yes, the Badgers have endured some serious setbacks, but it’s been a disappointing year in Madison.
7. Purdue, 5-5 (lost to Minnesota 41-10)
The rollercoaster year continues in West Lafayette. A week after another thrilling victory, knocking off Iowa on a late field goal, the Boilers laid an egg against Minnesota. Purdue didn’t convert on a single third down attempt and was outscored 28-7 in the second half. It led to the worst loss of the Jeff Brohm era.
6. Iowa, 6-4 (lost to Northwestern 14-10)
For a third straight week, Iowa dropped a game by one possession. A team that was once thinking about a trip to the B1G Championship Game is now hoping for decent bowl placement. The Hawkeyes couldn’t establish a rushing attack and couldn’t keep the offense on the field. Despite a nice effort from Nate Stanley, it just wasn’t enough to take down Northwestern.
5. Michigan State, 6-4 (lost to No. 10 Ohio State 26-6)
Michigan State’s offense is going to owe the defense a meal at a five-star restaurant at the end of this season. The Spartans had absolutely nothing offensively, and yet the defense kept things close with the Buckeyes until the final few minutes. Michigan State continually lost the field position battle, turned the ball over three times and had just 54 rushing yards. That’s a recipe for disaster.
4. Penn State, 7-3 (def. Wisconsin 22-10)
Not an ideal performance, but it was good for Penn State’s defense to have some success against a team capable of putting up some big numbers. Miles Sanders had a big day for the offense, totaling 159 yards, but Jake Pinegar’s three field goals were really the difference in the game. Penn State still has the opportunity to end the season with 10 wins if it can beat Rutgers and Maryland and win the bowl game. Maybe not the ideal year for Lions fans, but it’s still pretty good.
3. Northwestern, 6-4 (def. No. 21 Iowa 14-10)
Pat Fitzgerald just finds ways to win, particularly in B1G games. And now, after Saturday’s win over Iowa, Northwestern is the West champion, punching its ticket to Indianapolis. Fittingly, four-year starter Clayton Thorson connected with Bennett Skowronek for a game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter. Northwestern’s defense took care of the rest. The Wildcats are also winners of 13 of their last 14 B1G games.
2. Ohio State, 9-1 (def. No. 18 Michigan State 26-6)
Defense, field position and special teams were the name of the game for Ohio State on Saturday. For a second, it felt like Jim Tressel returned to the sideline. Drue Chrisman was the star of the show, pinning the Spartans inside their 10-yard line multiple times. It allowed OSU’s defense to play aggressive most of the afternoon and gave the offense a short field to work with. This was an ugly, old-fashion B1G football fight. And the Buckeyes found a way to win.
1. Michigan, 9-1 (def. Rutgers 42-7)
Probably not the best we’ve seen Michigan play this season, but the Wolverines are just trying to get to Ohio State at this point. It’s a bit surprising that Michigan didn’t hang at least half-a-hundred on Rutgers, but it was on cruise control for most of the afternoon. Aside from a sluggish first quarter, the Wolverines had no issues with the Scarlet Knights. UM probably won’t have much difficulty with Indiana next week, either.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB