Fitting, isn’t it?

The one week we thought we’d most likely see an upset was the one Saturday that one wasn’t manufactured. Despite some interesting matchups, the heavy favorites persevered. It might’ve been the least chaotic weekend we’ve witnessed since the season kicked off in August.

Results from Week 11 didn’t translate to many significant changes in this week’s power rankings. Sure, there were some slight alterations, but there were no big climbers or sliders from the past weekend.

So, without wasting more time, let’s go ahead and dive into the Week 12 power rankings in the B1G:

14. Indiana Hoosiers (2-8, 0-7)

Last week: vs. Rutgers, 38-3 L

Tom Allen’s team is just bad. There’s really nothing more to say at this point. Good thing basketball season has started, right?

Up next: vs. Minnesota

13. Northwestern Wildcats (3-7, 1-6)

Last week: at #18 Wisconsin, 35-7 L

At times, there are signs that Northwestern can be competitive in the B1G West. Ultimately, though, this is a team that just doesn’t have the talent or depth to compete with many teams in the conference. To add insult to injury, the Wildcats were officially eliminated from bowl eligibility with the loss to Wisconsin on Saturday.

Up next: vs. #19 Purdue

12. Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-7, 1-6)

Last week: OFF

Scott Frost is coming back in 2022. It’s going to be interesting to see how this team plays its final two games against Wisconsin and Iowa knowing there is absolutely nothing to lose.

Up next: at #18 Wisconsin

11. Illinois Fighting Illini (4-6, 3-4)

Last week: OFF

Even at 4-6, Illinois has proven to be a dangerous team at times this season. Is there any chance the Fighting Illini pull off another upset over Iowa and take down Northwestern to squeak into a bowl game at the end of the year? That would be quite the feat for Bret Bielema’s squad.

Up next: at #20 Iowa

10. Maryland Terrapins (5-5, 2-5)

Last week: at #7 Michigan State, 40-21 L

While Maryland continues to prove it’s an improved team from previous seasons, it’s still nowhere close to competing with the upper echelon of the B1G. Inconsistency has been a problem for Mike Locksley’s team throughout the season. There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done on the defensive side of the football, as well.

Up next: vs. #6 Michigan

9. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (5-5, 2-5)

Last week: at Indiana, 38-3 W

A blowout win over Indiana might’ve been Rutgers’ most impressive performance of the season. No, the Hoosiers aren’t exactly a juggernaut, but it was the first time the Scarlet Knights dominated a Power 5 opponent this season from start to finish. That’s a sign of growth. Because of it, Greg Schiano’s team now sits just one victory away from bowl eligibility. Who would’ve thought he could elevate this program from the cellar in such a short period of time?

Up next: at Penn State

8. Purdue Boilermakers (6-4, 4-3)

Last week: at #4 Ohio State, 59-31 L

Well, go ahead and throw the word “Spoilermakers” out the window for awhile. Purdue was a team expected to pose a challenge to Ohio State, but instead was run out of the Horseshoe. Give the Boilers some credit for continuing to fight throughout this game — at least on the offensive side. Jeff Brohm’s squad just ran into a team playing at an elite level right now. An 8-win regular season is still in sight for this program, a big step in the right direction.

Up next: at Northwestern

7. Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-4. 4-3)

Last week: at #20 Iowa, 27-22 L

Minnesota could almost taste the bacon, but once again, Floyd of Rosedale was just out of reach. For the first time this season, the Gophers dropped back-to-back games, which likely results in their elimination from the B1G West race. For some reason, PJ Fleck just can’t quite figure out Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes. Still, Minnesota is a team that has been competitive in every game this season, despite battling a pretty serious injury bug. It’s been an admirable effort from the Golden Gophers all year.

Up next: at Indiana

6. Penn State Nittany Lions (6-4, 3-4)

Last week: vs. #6 Michigan, 21-17 L

Another toss-up game goes the wrong direction for James Franklin’s team. The coaching might have something to do with that, especially looking back on that fake field goal try early against Michigan. There’s no doubt Penn State is still one of the most talented teams in the B1G from a roster perspective. Saturday — and at other times throughout the season — coaching has held this team back. With 2 games remaining, Penn State has a chance to still make this a respectable season, even if it won’t be claiming a B1G title in December.

Up next: vs. Rutgers

5. Iowa Hawkeyes (8-2, 5-2)

Last week: vs. Minnesota, 27-22 W

Remember when we were talking about the Hawkeyes being wildly overrated? They’ve won their last two games and now have a chance to end the year with 10 wins. Not a bad year for Kirk Ferentz’s bunch. The switch to Alex Padilla seems to be helping the offense, at least in big-play capability. That’s a good sign. Iowa is still in the mix for a division title, but it’ll need some help from rivals Nebraska or Minnesota, relying on them to hand Wisconsin a loss. Maybe it won’t happen, but the Hawkeyes deserve a ton of credit for being in the conversation with two weeks to play.

Up next: vs. Illinois

4. Wisconsin Badgers (7-3, 5-2)

Last week: vs. Northwestern, 35-7 W

Is there a hotter team in the B1G than Wisconsin? The Badgers have been clicking on both sides of the football since that 1-3 start and have ripped off wins in 6 straight games. The most impressive part? 5 of the 6 victories have come by double digits. Oh, and Wisconsin has held its last 3 opponents to 7 points or less. This team was counted out after such an abysmal start, but it now looks like the team to beat in the B1G West. The Badgers are just 2 victories away from a return trip to Lucas Oil Stadium.

Up next: vs. Nebraska

3. Michigan Wolverines (9-1, 6-1)

Last week: at Penn State, 21-17 W

Saturday’s win over Penn State in Beaver Stadium might’ve been the most impressive of the season. Michigan had to overcome deficits early and late in the game to take down a good Penn State team. We saw the type of fight Jim Harbaugh has talked about at length when discussing this year’s team. Michigan slayed one of two giants on Saturday. Now, the Wolverines will have a matchup against Maryland before all eyes focus on the season finale against Ohio State on Thanksgiving weekend. Is this the team that snaps the drought?

Up next: at Maryland

2. Michigan State Spartans (9-1, 6-1)

Last week: vs. Maryland, 40-21 W

Mel Tucker’s team responded in a big way. After suffering a 40-29 loss to Purdue one week ago, the Spartans took out their frustrations on an inferior Maryland program. That’s a good sign. But the greatest challenges still await. Michigan State will have back-to-back matchups against Ohio State and Penn State to close out the year. We’re going to find out pretty quickly where the talent level of Michigan State ranks compared to some of the premier programs in the B1G.

Up next: at #4 Ohio State

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (9-1, 7-0)

Last week: vs. #19 Purdue, 59-31 W

Some were concerned about Ohio State only beating Penn State and Nebraska by 9 points in the last two weeks. Apparently, the Buckeyes were tired of hearing about it. They sent Purdue packing by racking up 59 points and winning the game in convincing fashion. There might still be some questions about the defense, but Ryan Day’s offense is operating at an extremely high level right now.

Up next: vs. #7 Michigan State