With another weekend of action in the books, the college football season now turns to Week 9!

Now squarely in the closing days of October, the stretch run of another B1G race is approaching in November. And that means the contenders in the conference are squarely established.

In the B1G West, that meant a co-leader fell by the wayside in a disappointing road loss for Purdue. While the Boilermakers will still control their own destiny with a matchup still to come against Illinois, Purdue missed a great shot to keep a winning streak rolling in Week 8.

It’s also worth noting that the overall rankings for our B1G Power Rankings did not see much of a shakeup over the weekend. With a number of teams on byes and head-to-head matchups still factoring into the picture, minimal movement will be seen on the list.

So, without further ado, let’s get to this week’s Power Rankings!

14. Northwestern (1-6)

Last week: at Maryland, L 31-24

Hey, QB Brendan Sullivan provided a dual-threat spark for Northwestern with 196 yards of offense and 2 touchdowns. Unfortunately, Sullivan also threw 2 interceptions in the loss. There’s also not a lot to say positively about the defense after Roman Hemby averaged 7.5 yards per carry and took a game-winning TD 75 yards to the house.

Up next: at Iowa

13. Indiana (3-5)

Last Week: at Rutgers, L 24-17

There’s not much to say about the Hoosiers at this point. Yes, Indiana is the team that beat Illinois back in Week 1, but that feels like a lifetime ago. Indiana is now riding a 5-game losing streak after getting outscored 24-3 since taking a 14-0 lead against Rutgers. Every remaining game on the schedule will also be tough, so the best moments of this season are likely over.

Up next: BYE 

12. Rutgers (4-3)

Last week: vs. Indiana, W 24-17

Nunzio Campanile’s first game as interim OC was far from a resounding success, but he stuck with what was working against the Hoosiers. That would be riding the legs of Samuel Brown V who carried the ball 28 times for 101 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, the Scarlet Knights came up with a clutch pick-6 to put the game away. Rutgers needs 2 wins from a remaining schedule that includes Minnesota, Michigan, MSU, PSU and Maryland to get a bowl game.

Up next: at Minnesota

11. Nebraska (3-4)

Last week: BYE

Up next: vs. Illinois

10. Iowa (3-4)

Last week: at Ohio State, L 54-10

It’s fair to say at this point Iowa’s struggles extend beyond Spencer Petras. Alex Padilla saw action alongside Petras in Columbus with the two combining to throw 3 interceptions and the team committing 6 turnovers in the blowout win. If not for an early scoop-and-score by Joe Evans and first-half defensive stops, this game would have been over much earlier. As it is, the Hawkeyes are lifeless and still looking for answers offensively.

Up next: vs. Northwestern

9. Wisconsin (4-4)

Last week: vs. Purdue, W 35-24

Jim Leonhard wins his first game in Madison after starting his head coaching career with back-to-back road games. The Badger defense was the big story, forcing Aidan O’Connell into 3 interceptions, including a pair by John Torchio. Now, Leonhard gets a bye week to try and implement his vision as head coach and prove he can get this team to the next level if handed the full-time job.

Up next: BYE

8. Michigan State (3-4)

Last week: BYE

Up next: at Michigan

7. Minnesota (4-3)

Last Week: at Penn State, L 45-17

Would having Tanner Morgan have made a difference against Penn State? It likely would have helped, but there’s no denying having Morgan likely doesn’t change the final outcome. Penn State was ready and hungry in the White Out. Fortunately, the Gophers enter a favorable stretch of the schedule to close out 2022.

Up next: vs. Rutgers

6. Purdue (5-3)

Last week: at Wisconsin, L 35-24

Well, co-leading the B1G West was fun while it lasted. Aidan O’Connell had an ugly outing, including throwing a brutal pick-6 early against the Badgers. The good news is the Boilermakers still must face West leader Illinois in a head-to-head matchup. Unfortunately, Purdue is the latest West contender to fold in a crucial game under the pressure of leading the division.

Up next: BYE

5. Maryland (6-2)

Last week: vs. Northwestern, W 31-24

Playing without Taulia Tagovailoa is never fun, but the Terrapins proved up to the task. Backup QB Billy Edwards Jr. was effective for Maryland, completing 18 passes to 9 different receivers without a turnover against the Wildcats. However, it was Roman Hemby who stole the show. He ran for 179 yards and 3 touchdowns as the Terps became bowl eligible.

Up next: BYE

4. Penn State (6-1)

Last week: vs. Minnesota,

Well, that’s one way to bounce back in a White Out environment. After getting blown out by Michigan in Ann Arbor, the Nittany Lions returned home and put up a blowout of their own against the Gophers. Sean Clifford was (mostly) efficient, the ground game was steady with Kayton Allen and Nick Singleton leading the way, and the defense kept things locked under control. Now, it’s time for the Buckeyes to come to town.

Up next: vs. Ohio State

3. Illinois (6-1)

Last Week: BYE

Up next: at Nebraska

2. Michigan (7-0)

Last week: BYE

Up next: vs. Michigan State

1. Ohio State (7-0)

Last week: vs. Iowa, W 54-10

Yes, the start against Iowa was a bit sluggish. The offensive line struggled at times in the trenches against the Hawkeyes with some drives stalling out in the first half, but that was ancient history by the time the final whistle sounded. Ohio State hung the points on the Hawkeyes during the Kirk Ferentz era that began all the way back in 1999. Find a criticism if you can, but the Buckeyes looked dominant once again and are 7-0.

Up next: at Penn State