JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
Another ‘wild’ week of Big Ten football is in the books. The insane finish in Ann Arbor, Rutgers coming from way back against Indiana to win 55-52, Minnesota picking up their second loss in the Big Ten…here is how Miller and Deace rank the Big Ten this week.
JON MILLER’S RANKINGS
1) Ohio State: We were all waiting for their talent advantage to show up on the field. They picked a national stage to tighten things up on Saturday in destroying Penn State after a slow start. And as Steve Deace has been saying for weeks, J.T. Barrett needs to be the starting quarterback. They are nearly indefensible with him in the game.
2) Michigan State: Spartans have overcome a lot of injuries to remain undefeated. On Saturday, they overcame impossible odds to win in one of the most unlikely finishes I have ever seen.
3) Iowa: Like the Spartans, the Hawkeyes have overcome injury adversity to remain undefeated. This has been an improbably start to the season, not unlike what the 2004 Hawkeyes were able to do. Iowa is in position right now to being able to afford a loss and still win the Big Ten West.
4) Michigan: Their two losses are to teams currently ranked in the top 10. A real bad beat on Saturday. One of the biggest heartbreakers in Michigan history. 9-3 seems their likely finishing record now
5) Wisconsin: RB Corey Clement has been cleared to play. He didn’t play Saturday but this bodes well for the Badgers, who could finish 10-2 overall and 7-1 with what they have left.
6) Illinois: This is a team that could play spoiler in the Big Ten West, starting next week at Wisconsin. They have a good front four on defense, a dangerous thrower and if Josh Ferguson can get healthy, a dangerous running back. They can beat Wisconsin and that would be a nice bye-week gift for the Hawkeyes, if they returned two up on the field.
7) Northwestern: Iowa made it look easy on the ground against a Northwestern defense that had been pretty stingy against Stanford, Duke and Minnesota. They have an issue at quarterback, as Thorson is going to make rookie mistakes. Michigan and Iowa have shown the game plan; pressure him into mistakes if you can take away the run with four.
8) Penn State: They are a middle of the pack Big Ten team. Nothing more than that.
9) Rutgers: That’s one nice comeback for them, even if it was against Indiana. They didn’t quit on their coach, when this season was a pure dumpster fire off the field for the fist three weeks.
10) Nebraska: Huskers put up 203 rushing yards against Minnesota’s front, which is pretty darned good. I think they will lose at least one more Big Ten game and they already have two losses.
This begins the stretch of the teams who occupy the bottom rung of the Big Ten this year. They are also four of the five teams still on Iowa’s schedule.
11) Indiana: They have a puncher’s chance in every game with quarterback Nate Sudfeld. But that defense…is just not good. 55 points & 596 yards allowed in a home loss to Rutgers when they led 52-27 with 5:25 to go in the third quarter? They will have a bye before playing Iowa.
12) Minnesota: Surprise of all surprises, Mitch Leidner threw for over 300 yards. Then again, Nebraska had the worst pass defense in the nation coming into this game and Leidner going for 300 cements that. But Minnesota rushed for just 65 yards. The Gophers need two wins over their final five to become bowl eligible.
Good luck: Michigan, at Ohio State, at Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. By the time they face Iowa, they could be physically and mentally shaken.
13) Purdue: I struggled with this, but still think Purdue is better than Maryland. Perhaps I am wrong about that.
14) Maryland: Unfortunately, the Boilers and Terrapins do not play one another to settle this debate on the field
STEVE DEACE’S RANKINGS
1) Ohio State
2) Iowa
3) Michigan State
4) Michigan
5) Wisconsin
6) Northwestern
7) Penn State
8) Illinois
9) Nebraska
10) Rutgers
11) Indiana
12) Minnesota
13) Purdue
14) Maryland
JON MILLER’S RANKINGS
1) Ohio State: We were all waiting for their talent advantage to show up on the field. They picked a national stage to tighten things up on Saturday in destroying Penn State after a slow start. And as Steve Deace has been saying for weeks, J.T. Barrett needs to be the starting quarterback. They are nearly indefensible with him in the game.
2) Michigan State: Spartans have overcome a lot of injuries to remain undefeated. On Saturday, they overcame impossible odds to win in one of the most unlikely finishes I have ever seen.
3) Iowa: Like the Spartans, the Hawkeyes have overcome injury adversity to remain undefeated. This has been an improbably start to the season, not unlike what the 2004 Hawkeyes were able to do. Iowa is in position right now to being able to afford a loss and still win the Big Ten West.
4) Michigan: Their two losses are to teams currently ranked in the top 10. A real bad beat on Saturday. One of the biggest heartbreakers in Michigan history. 9-3 seems their likely finishing record now
5) Wisconsin: RB Corey Clement has been cleared to play. He didn’t play Saturday but this bodes well for the Badgers, who could finish 10-2 overall and 7-1 with what they have left.
6) Illinois: This is a team that could play spoiler in the Big Ten West, starting next week at Wisconsin. They have a good front four on defense, a dangerous thrower and if Josh Ferguson can get healthy, a dangerous running back. They can beat Wisconsin and that would be a nice bye-week gift for the Hawkeyes, if they returned two up on the field.
7) Northwestern: Iowa made it look easy on the ground against a Northwestern defense that had been pretty stingy against Stanford, Duke and Minnesota. They have an issue at quarterback, as Thorson is going to make rookie mistakes. Michigan and Iowa have shown the game plan; pressure him into mistakes if you can take away the run with four.
8) Penn State: They are a middle of the pack Big Ten team. Nothing more than that.
9) Rutgers: That’s one nice comeback for them, even if it was against Indiana. They didn’t quit on their coach, when this season was a pure dumpster fire off the field for the fist three weeks.
10) Nebraska: Huskers put up 203 rushing yards against Minnesota’s front, which is pretty darned good. I think they will lose at least one more Big Ten game and they already have two losses.
This begins the stretch of the teams who occupy the bottom rung of the Big Ten this year. They are also four of the five teams still on Iowa’s schedule.
11) Indiana: They have a puncher’s chance in every game with quarterback Nate Sudfeld. But that defense…is just not good. 55 points & 596 yards allowed in a home loss to Rutgers when they led 52-27 with 5:25 to go in the third quarter? They will have a bye before playing Iowa.
12) Minnesota: Surprise of all surprises, Mitch Leidner threw for over 300 yards. Then again, Nebraska had the worst pass defense in the nation coming into this game and Leidner going for 300 cements that. But Minnesota rushed for just 65 yards. The Gophers need two wins over their final five to become bowl eligible.
Good luck: Michigan, at Ohio State, at Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. By the time they face Iowa, they could be physically and mentally shaken.
13) Purdue: I struggled with this, but still think Purdue is better than Maryland. Perhaps I am wrong about that.
14) Maryland: Unfortunately, the Boilers and Terrapins do not play one another to settle this debate on the field
STEVE DEACE’S RANKINGS
1) Ohio State
2) Iowa
3) Michigan State
4) Michigan
5) Wisconsin
6) Northwestern
7) Penn State
8) Illinois
9) Nebraska
10) Rutgers
11) Indiana
12) Minnesota
13) Purdue
14) Maryland
