You never truly know what to expect on a college football Saturday, but none of us were expecting that, were we?

By that, I of course mean:

  • Wisconsin obliterating Michigan in their B1G openers
  • Michigan State’s offense dropping 31 on Northwestern’s defense
  • Justin Fields scoring six touchdowns in one quarter
  • Nebraska overcoming four turnovers to beat Illinois

Pretty crazy, right? Even if you expected all of those respective teams to win, you probably weren’t anticipating the way in which they did. That’s just what makes college football fun, I guess.

Enough about the craziness, though, let’s dive into the Week 4 power rankings. There wasn’t much change after this Saturday, but things get very interesting in Week 5 with 13 teams in action and six B1G games on the docket. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

Let’s close the book on Week 4 before looking ahead to Week 5:

14. Rutgers, 1-2 (L, 30-16 vs. Boston College)

Last week: No. 14

This had a must-win feeling to it for Chris Ash and company. If Rutgers hasn’t improved enough to beat a middling Boston College team at home, who is it good enough to beat in the B1G? The Scarlet Knights do look like an improved team, but they still lack the depth and skill to compete with just about any Power Five opponent it faces. Could we be looking at another winless conference campaign in Piscataway?

Next up: at #11 Michigan

13. Purdue, 1-2 (OFF)

Last week: No. 13

An off week came at the right time for the Boilermakers, who enter B1G play next Saturday.

Next up: vs. Minnesota

12. Illinois, 2-2 (L, 42-38 vs. Nebraska)

Last week: No. 11

For a good chunk of Saturday night’s B1G-opening showdown against Nebraska, Illinois actually looked decent. It held a two-score advantage for a good portion of the game and appeared to be on its way to a 3-1 start. Then it all came crumbling down in the fourth quarter, being outscored 15-3 in the final 15 minutes. The Illini didn’t have enough in the tank to beat a Huskers team that had four turnovers and committed 11 penalties for 119 yards. That’s concerning, to say the least.

Next up: OFF

11. Northwestern, 1-2 (L, 31-10 vs. Michigan State)

Last week: No. 10

Surrendering 31 points to a team coming off a seven-point performance a week ago isn’t the best thing in the world for Pat Fitzgerald and company. What’s worse is that Northwestern still doesn’t seem to have any semblance of a passing attack. Hunter Johnson completed 15-of-26 attempts for just 88 yards and an interception. Quite the drop off from what the team had a year ago. It’s too early to write the Wildcats off, but if that QB situation doesn’t get figured out, it’s going to be a long season in Evanston.

Next up: at #13 Wisconsin

10. Indiana, 3-1 (W, 38-3 vs. UConn)

Last week: No. 11

It’s a little difficult to get a gauge on Indiana. Yes, the 51-10 loss to Ohio State was ugly, but that doesn’t appear to be quite as bad of a reflection on the Hoosiers as it did a few days ago. IU has looked like a B1G team in wins over Eastern Illinois and UConn and is now 3-1 on the year, exactly where we’d thought it’d be. It’ll be interesting to see how the Hoosiers handle a tough road challenge, traveling to East Lansing next weekend.

Next up: at Michigan State

9. Maryland, 2-1 (OFF)

Last week: No. 9

A big one is coming up on Friday, and it should be an electric atmosphere at “The Shell.” We’ll find out if the Terps can compete with the big boys.

Next up: vs. #13 Penn State

8. Nebraska, 3-1 (W, 42-38 at Illinois)

Last week: No. 8

The good news? Nebraska was able to overcome four turnovers and nearly a dozen penalties to get a road win against Illinois. The bad news? Nebraska had four turnovers and nearly a dozen penalties against Illinois. There’s something to be said for scratching and clawing your way to a B1G victory, but that kind of performance won’t cut it with most other B1G teams. The Huskers have to clean things up, and in a hurry, with College GameDay coming to town on Saturday for next week’s showdown with the Buckeyes.

Next up: vs. #6 Ohio State

7. Minnesota, 3-0 (OFF)

Last week: No. 7

Will the “Cardiac Gophers” continue their trend in B1G play? Or will they finally play a complete game start to finish?

Next up: at Purdue

6. Michigan, 2-1 (L, 35-14 at #13 Wisconsin)

Last week: No. 5

Who was expected a 21-point loss to Wisconsin? Nooooobody. Michigan could’ve afforded a road loss to a really good Wisconsin team and recovered if it would’ve been competitive. Falling behind 35-0 and scoring a few late touchdowns to make the game appear closer than it really was doesn’t cut it. I’m actually not even convinced Michigan is the sixth-best team in the B1G right now, but since the Badgers are pretty darn good, it’s getting the benefit of the doubt. We’ll see if they deserve next week.

Next up: vs. Rutgers

5. Michigan State, 3-1 (W, 31-10 at Northwestern)

Last week: No. 6

So, Michigan State’s offense appears to be showing up every other week. It may want to think about making it a more regular occurrence. The Spartans won’t be categorized as explosive, but 31 points is more than enough to win games with that defense. Hell, 21 points should be more than enough to hit at least nine wins with that defense. If this Michigan State offense shows up regularly, then Mark Dantonio’s bunch can still be a dangerous team in the East. Still seems like a big if, though.

Next up: vs. Indiana

4. Penn State, 3-0 (OFF)

Last week: No. 4

Arguably the biggest test is on the horizon. Penn State makes its first road trip against a Maryland offense that has the capability of putting a lot of points on the board.

Next up: at Maryland

3. Iowa, 3-0 (OFF)

Last week: No. 3

Iowa gets one more touch up game before entering the meat of the B1G. At least it should be a touch up game.

Next up: vs. Middle Tennessee

2. Wisconsin, 3-0 (W, 35-14 vs. #11 Michigan)

Last week: No. 2

The best win in the B1G officially belongs to Wisconsin. It’s not just that Wisconsin defeated Michigan, it’s that it beat the Wolverines to a bloody pulp. Jonathan Taylor had nearly 150 yards in the first quarter and the Wolverines didn’t cross the goal line until the second half. That’s really impressive. Right now, Wisconsin looks like its head and shoulders above the competition in the B1G West.

Next up: vs. Northwestern

1. Ohio State, 4-0 (W, 76-5 vs. Miami (OH))

Last week: No. 1

No, Ohio State doesn’t have a win as good as Wisconsin, but the Buckeyes just look better and better each week. The defense is playing fast and the offense is nearly impossible to stop. Things get a lot more challenging with B1G play on the horizon, and there’s an interesting test coming up with a trip to Lincoln next Saturday with College GameDay setting up shop. This will be the nation’s first look at the Buckeyes against a formidable opponent. We’ll really see what Ryan Day and the Buckeyes are made of on Saturday.

Next up: at Nebraska