B1G Things: Week One Power Poll

[JonDMiller]

Week one is in the book for the Big Ten and the league posted a 12-2 record. How do we rank them after the first round of action? These rankings are more of a barometer of how teams looked in a given week and not necessarily what I think will happen at the end of the year. Therefore, there can be a lot of movement in this ranking from week to week, especially early in the season.

1. Michigan State: No problems with Jacksonville State; Offense better start than 2013
2. Michigan: Impressive in 52-14 win over Appalachian State. No miracles this year
3. Nebraska: Nearly 800 yards of offense in win against FIU. That’s impressive!
4. Wisconsin: Had LSU on ropes, couldn’t finish. QB/WR play a major question mark
5. Iowa: Most outside the state won’t respect the Panthers; Iowa knows better
6. Ohio State: Problems with Navy; next week a test vs Virginia Tech
7. Penn State: That was a solid win for the Nits against a good UCF team
8. Maryland: Wasted James Madison the way a good team should
9. Rutgers: Entertaining opening win at Washington State. Salty looking team
10. Minnesota: Shaky early; passing game needs a lot of work
11. Illinois: So-so in win is better than so-so in loss.
12. Northwestern: Off season turmoil hangover against Cal?
13. Indiana: Didn’t meet expectation in win against Indiana State
14. Purdue: Yeah, they won. But they are still the worst

Notes: I don’t think Nebraska is the third best team in the league, but they had an impressive performance on Saturday. The thing is, after Michigan State, teams two through maybe eight will be moving quite a bit over the coming weeks. Wisconsin is probably rated too high, but I respect LSU and the Badgers had this game won despite looking clueless on offense in the second half…that’s the reason they lost. They are short playmakers and if the running game isn’t working, Tanner McEvoy doesn’t look like the answer through the air but is Stave? Ohio State probably won’t be lower than this and will get better as the quarterback Barrett has time to mature, but their defense isn’t as great as some want to believe.

Iowa struggled at times and looked mundane at others, but they were able to grind out a win. They should be 3-0 heading to Pitt for week four, which could really lay the foundation for just what type of year this will be for the Hawkeyes. Rutgers might be better than 9th and Michigan probably isn’t the second best team in the league. But hey, we have to start somewhere and we’re off!

Here is Steve Deace’s Power Poll following Week One:

1. Michigan State
2. Nebraska
3. Michigan
4. Ohio State
5. Penn State
6. Iowa
7. Wisconsin
8. Rutgers
9. Maryland
10. Indiana
11. Minnesota
12. Illinois
13. Purdue
14. Northwestern

 

[AreWeThereYet]

Michigan State
Nebraska
Michigan
Ohio State
Wisconsin
*
*
*
Penn State
Maryland
Iowa
Rutgers
*
*
Minnesota
Indiana
Northwestern
Illinois
Purdue

 

[guffus]

1. MSU
2. OSU
3. Nebraska
4. Iowa
5. wisc
6. Maryland
7. Minnesota
8. Michigan
9. PSU
10. Rutgers
11. Indy
12. Illinois
13. Purdue
14. Northwestern.

 

[ibahawkeye]

Week one is in the book for the Big Ten and the league posted a 12-2 record. How do we rank them after the first round of action? These rankings are more of a barometer of how teams looked in a given week and not necessarily what I think will happen at the end of the year. Therefore, there can be a lot of movement in this ranking from week to week, especially early in the season.

1. Michigan State: No problems with Jacksonville State; Offense better start than 2013
2. Michigan: Impressive in 52-14 win over Appalachian State. No miracles this year
3. Nebraska: Nearly 800 yards of offense in win against FIU. That’s impressive!
4. Wisconsin: Had LSU on ropes, couldn’t finish. QB/WR play a major question mark
5. Iowa: Most outside the state won’t respect the Panthers; Iowa knows better
6. Ohio State: Problems with Navy; next week a test vs Virginia Tech
7. Penn State: That was a solid win for the Nits against a good UCF team
8. Maryland: Wasted James Madison the way a good team should
9. Rutgers: Entertaining opening win at Washington State. Salty looking team
10. Minnesota: Shaky early; passing game needs a lot of work
11. Illinois: So-so in win is better than so-so in loss.
12. Northwestern: Off season turmoil hangover against Cal?
13. Indiana: Didn’t meet expectation in win against Indiana State
14. Purdue: Yeah, they won. But they are still the worst

Notes: I don’t think Nebraska is the third best team in the league, but they had an impressive performance on Saturday. The thing is, after Michigan State, teams two through maybe eight will be moving quite a bit over the coming weeks. Wisconsin is probably rated too high, but I respect LSU and the Badgers had this game won despite looking clueless on offense in the second half…that’s the reason they lost. They are short playmakers and if the running game isn’t working, Tanner McEvoy doesn’t look like the answer through the air but is Stave? Ohio State probably won’t be lower than this and will get better as the quarterback Barrett has time to mature, but their defense isn’t as great as some want to believe.

Iowa struggled at times and looked mundane at others, but they were able to grind out a win. They should be 3-0 heading to Pitt for week four, which could really lay the foundation for just what type of year this will be for the Hawkeyes. Rutgers might be better than 9th and Michigan probably isn’t the second best team in the league. But hey, we have to start somewhere and we’re off!

Here is Steve Deace’s Power Poll following Week One:

1. Michigan State
2. Nebraska
3. Michigan
4. Ohio State
5. Penn State
6. Iowa
7. Wisconsin
8. Rutgers
9. Maryland
10. Indiana
11. Minnesota
12. Illinois
13. Purdue
14. Northwestern

I'd say Steve's would be closer to mine.

What I really don't understand is how you put Ohio State at 6th after a double digit win over Navy on a neutral field.

Yet you you have Iowa who won by 8 at home.

The Buckeyes have to be ahead of the Hawks at this point.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

I'd have Iowa 7th at this point, Penn St and Ohio St beat better teams than us away from home. Wisconsin hung tough with LSU in what was basically an away game, I think Iowa can absolutely beat any of those squads but not ready to put us ahead of them yet.

 

[cecilB]

Wisconsin is way too high by many. No passing game, questionable D that got a whole lot more questionable. If LSU had a QB that could hit the broad side of a barn, that thing would have been ugly.

1. State of Michigan
3. Nebraska
4. Flip a coin b/w penn State, Iowa, OSU and Maryland
8. Flip a coin b/w Wisky, Rutgers, Minny, Indy, Illinois ( all showed something , including major deficiencies)
13. Purdue
14. NW

 

[PhoenixHawk]

Li'l Patty and his Fightin' Fitzes are done for the season before it even began. He took a program that Barnett & Walker turned into Big 10 champs, and flushed it back down the toilet. He'll keep up with the rah-rah-rah and tough talk, but he's nothing more than the Paul Rhodes of the B10.

 

[SoliDeoGloria]

Li'l Patty and his Fightin' Fitzes are done for the season before it even began. He took a program that Barnett & Walker turned into Big 10 champs, and flushed it back down the toilet. He'll keep up with the rah-rah-rah and tough talk, but he's nothing more than the Paul Rhodes of the B10.

Barnett had 2 winning seasons that were both conf championships.

Walker had 2 winning seasons and 1 conf championship.

Fitz has had 4 winning seasons but no championships. I still think he has done a good job there.

 

[MoseSchrute]

3. Nebraska: Nearly 800 yards of offense in win against FIU. That’s impressive!

I hope FAU is really, really bad; cuz I don't like those numbers.

 

[hawkinn3]

3. Nebraska: Nearly 800 yards of offense in win against FIU. That’s impressive!

I hope FAU is really, really bad; cuz I don't like those numbers.

FIU is really bad. In a fun twist Coach Kitten McAngerIssues's brother wrecked that program on his way out.

 

[NCHawker]

Outside of Iowa...the hawks slide below 7 other teams. Typical KF 1st IWA game in mid-summer form. .

 

[74Hunter]

3. Nebraska: Nearly 800 yards of offense in win against FIU. That’s impressive!

I hope FAU is really, really bad; cuz I don't like those numbers.

Heard that it set the all time total offensive yardage for a game in the B1G.

5th best day in school history, iirc.

 

[JHHawk]

Li'l Patty and his Fightin' Fitzes are done for the season before it even began. He took a program that Barnett & Walker turned into Big 10 champs, and flushed it back down the toilet. He'll keep up with the rah-rah-rah and tough talk, but he's nothing more than the Paul Rhodes of the B10.

Nailed it.

I had to laugh when I heard some Cal fans noting that the Ryan Field grass was the longest they had ever seen on a football field....like 3 inches or longer...Fitz was trying to slow down the speedy passing offense of Cal, and then Cal shocked Fitz by having a wildcat QB who tore it up when he alternated with their passer at QB.

Fitz is trying to gain every single edge with scientific thinking....sleep pattern studies to determine nap times for players, having the weather report determine which side of the field the Cats will inhabit at home...growing longer grass....you name it...but when it comes to preparing his team for a running qb? Not so much. Fitz is all PR, with little substance.