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B1G Power Rankings after Week 5: Ohio State the hands-down leader after huge win
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The winner of Saturday night’s B1G showdown between No. 4 Ohio State and No. 9 Penn State was going to be the leader in the clubhouse. It was the first step in claiming a B1G East title, taking the trip to Indianapolis and competing for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
And, of course, taking the top spot in our power rankings, which is probably what was most important.
Ohio State came away with a 27-26 win and now is the clear-cut favorite to win the East. But Penn State didn’t drop after the one-point loss. The Nittany Lions proved they belong in the same conversation as the Buckeyes.
As a conference, there wasn’t much movement in this week’s power rankings. Five teams were on bye weeks and the team’s that were expected to win in Week 5 pulled through. Here’s what our rankings look like after five weeks of the season.
14. Rutgers, 1-4 (lost to Indiana 24-17)
The good news? Rutgers looked like an actual football team and showed some fight for a full 60 minutes. The bad news? The Scarlet Knights dropped their fourth straight and are winning out of winnable games. If they don’t beat Illinois next week, it’s going to be another winless B1G season.
13. Nebraska, 0-4 (lost to Purdue 42-28)
At the risk of sounding really, really dumb, I actually don’t think Nebraska is quite as bad as an 0-4 record suggests. The Huskers have hung with three of their four opponents, but continue to shoot themselves in the foot. Nebraska was penalized 11 times for 136 yards, simply too much for this team. Adrian Martinez was sensational though, throwing for 323 yards and adding 91 yards on the ground.
12. Illinois, 2-2 (bye week)
Lovie Smith and the Illini enjoyed an off week. Next up is Rutgers next Saturday.
11. Northwestern, 1-3 (lost to No. 14 Michigan 20-17)
It’s been a really rough start for Northwestern. This weekend marked another heartbreaking loss, blowing an early 17-0 lead against No. 14 Michigan, and with home field advantage. The Wildcats netted just 32 yards in the second half, leading to their third-straight loss of the season. Pat Fitzgerald needs to figure something out quickly.
10. Minnesota, 3-1 (bye week)
Minnesota had an extra week to prepare for next week’s rivalry game vs. Iowa. Floyd of Rosedale is on the line.
9. Purdue, 2-3 (def. Nebraska 42-28)
Maybe it’s just me, but I get the feeling Purdue might be 5-0 if Jeff Brohm had just started David Blough from the get-go. The senior threw for over 300 yards for the third straight week as the Boilermakers offense racked up over 500 yards on the day. The defense still needs some work, but this is starting to look like a dangerous team in the West.
8. Indiana, 4-1 (def. Rutgers 24-17)
It wasn’t the most impressive outing, but the Hoosiers defeated Rutgers and improved to 4-1. Tom Allen is doing something right. The Hoosiers are still having trouble closing out opponents, something they’ll have to do as their schedule beefs up considerably. It was good to see Peyton Ramsey have the passing attack going on the road.
7. Maryland, 3-1 (bye week)
Next weekend is a big one for the Terrapins, taking on No. 14 Michigan.
6. Michigan State, 3-1 (def. Central Michigan 31-20)
What is going on with Michigan State’s offense? Yes, the Spartans recorded 31 points, but they were scoreless through the first quarter and had just 17 points at half against a bad Central Michigan team. Fortunately the defense is playing well, holding the Chippewas to just three points through the first three quarters. MSU did get a little too lackadaisical at the end of the game, though.
5. Iowa, 3-1 (bye week)
Just like Minnesota, the Hawkeyes get an added week to prepare for the battle for Floyd of Rosedale.
4. Wisconsin, 3-1 (bye week)
The Badgers host Nebraska at Camp Randall Stadium under the lights next week.
3. Michigan, 4-1 (def. Northwestern 20-17)
A three-point win over a 1-3 Northwestern team isn’t going to impress people across the country, but Michigan got its first gritty win of those season. Those are important in the B1G. The Wolverines got off to a rough start, trailing 17-0 early. But the defense stepped up, forcing the Wildcats to punt on every possession in the second half. And the offense made just enough plays to survive. Karan Higdon was huge, rushing for 115 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries.
2. Penn State, 4-1 (lost to No. 4 Ohio State 27-26)
So close. For a second straight year Ohio State ripped out Penn State’s heart in the final minutes of the game. The Nittany Lions blew a two-score lead in the fourth quarter, despite a career day from Trace McSorley. But after a questionable use of timeouts and even more puzzling 4th down play-call, this PSU loss is attributed more to the coaching staff. Still, Penn State proved it was a top 10 team in college football.
1. Ohio State, 5-0 (def. No. 9 Penn State 27-26)
Ohio State has its second win over a top 25 opponent this season after taking down Penn State on Saturday night. The talent prevailed late in the game for the Buckeyes, as stars like J.K. Dobbins, K.J. Hill and Binjimen Victor made huge plays in clutch situations. And how about Dwayne Haskins leading the offense on a 96-yard drive in eight plays for the go-ahead touchdown? Just an incredible performance — especially in that fourth quarter — from Ohio State.
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