It takes a monster game to crack the list of top 10 players in a 14-team league.

And the key to having a monster game in the B1G seems to be getting to play against the Michigan defense.

So welcome to the club, Indiana QB Michael Penix Jr. That performance against the Wolverines and your Hoosiers’ 3-0 record are definitely turning heads.

Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa also turned a lot of heads leading the Terps’ upset of Penn State, gaining a spot on Saturday Tradition’s list of the Big Ten’s top 10 players.

Here’s how it looks after 3 weeks of play:

Honorable mention: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota; Chance Campbell, LB, Maryland; Charles Campbell, K, Indiana; Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State; Olakunle Fatukasi, LB, Rutgers; Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State; Haskell Garrett, DT, Ohio State; Zander Horvath, RB, Purdue; George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue; Graham Mertz, QB, Wisconsin.

10. Michael Penix Jr., QB, Indiana

Penix bumps Ricky White, who set a Michigan State freshman record with 196 receiving yards the previous week against Michigan.

While White flamed out Saturday against Iowa (1 catch, 22 yards), Penix seems to be finding a rhythm and has a track record of success when healthy. I don’t think his performance was a Michigan-related aberration.

Penix has gotten better each week and helped the IU offense dominate the first half against Michigan. Penix took advantage of free plays when Michigan jumped off sides, masterfully reading situations and coverages. He was accurate and on time picking apart all levels of the Wolverines’ defense, racking up 254 yards on 22-of-32 passing by halftime. He finished 30-of-50 for 342 yards and 3 TDs, and surely would have had epic stats if more offense were needed.

He’s thrown for 3 TDs in each of the last 2 games and his lone interception came in Week 1’s upset of Penn State. With RB Stevie Scott III and WRs Whop Philyor and Ty Fryfogle all displaying top form, the IU offense racked up 460 yards Saturday. With calm and poise, Penix orchestrated the show. And with Michigan State next on the schedule, an encore is likely.

9. Taulia Tagovailoa, QB, Maryland

The B1G rookie totally outplayed Penn State veteran Sean Clifford to lead Maryland to a second straight victory.

Decisively hitting receivers in stride, he racked up 282 yards and 3 TDs on 18-of-26 passing, posting most of those numbers in a dominating first half against the heavily favored Nittany Lions.

Coming off a superb performance in an OT victory over Minnesota, Tagovailoa showed the charisma and poise of older brother Tua. He’s looking like the real deal, as are Mike Locksley and the Terps.

8. Wyatt Davis, OL, Ohio State

Projected by multiple analysts to be a first-round NFL pick, Davis leads a talented line that fronts for Justin Fields’ Heisman campaign and the Buckeyes’ CFP championship quest. Ohio State leads the B1G with 511.3 ypg and 46.3 ppg.

7. Daviyon Nixon, DT, Iowa

Nixon added only half a tackle for loss to his league-leading total (6.0) on Saturday. After an 11-tackle game in Week 2, he had a more typical DT day with 3 stops against Michigan State.

But here’s the thing: The Spartans gained only 59 rushing yards and less than 300 total yards as Iowa rolled 49-7 for its first win of the season. Surely, Nixon was drawing a lot of attention, freeing up his teammates to wreak havoc.

6. Aidan O’Connell, QB, Purdue

An unexpected bye week doesn’t change O’Connell’s status. The junior first-time starter leads the B1G with 326.5 passing yards per game and is connecting on better than 70 percent of his throws for the 2-0 Boilermakers. He has quickly formed a bond with star receiver David Bell, creating a dynamic duo that just might be able to keep Purdue competitive throughout the season.

5. Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State

After consecutive 100-yard games to start the season, Olave settled for 64 yards on 5 catches Saturday night. But 2 of his catches went for touchdowns, helping the Buckeyes put away Rutgers.

4. Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State

Another week, another 100-yard receiving game. Wilson snared a team-high 6 catches for 104 yards and a TD against Rutgers. He remains second in the B1G in receiving yards per game and in all-purpose yards.

3. David Bell, WR, Purdue

Thanks to the canceled Wisconsin game, Bell no longer leads the B1G in raw receiving stats. He does, however, still lead the league with averages of 11 catches and 121.5 receiving yards per game. Next up is Northwestern in a battle of unbeatens Saturday night.

2. Mohamed Ibrahim, RB, Minnesota

Another workhorse effort keeps Ibrahim right here at No. 2 on this list.

With his second straight 200-yard, 4 TD rushing game, Ibrahim powered Minnesota to its first victory of the season. The exact numbers against Illinois: 30 carries, 224 yards; 2 receptions, 31 yards.

For the season, he’s averaging 32.3 carries for 190.3 yards and has scored 10 touchdowns. I said last week that Ibrahim already had lapped the B1G field in running back play. The rest of the league’s backs are now 2 laps down.

1. Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

Fields’ latest dominant effort hurts his Heisman hopes — because he’s making the game look so easy that 24-of-28 for 314 and 5 TDs seems ho-hum.

It was just another day at the office for Fields in a 49-27 victory over Rutgers. His season completion rate actually dropped, all the way to 86.7 percent. With 11 TDs and no interceptions, he’s making the rest of the B1G look like the MAC.

If you’re curious, no, no qualifying quarterback (at least 14 attempts per his team’s played games) has every completed better than 80 percent of his passes in a season. Fields is on pace to obliterate Colt McCoy’s 76.7 percent with Texas in 2008.