Did narrow win hurt Penn State football in Big Ten power rankings?

Penn State football was looking to rebound after suffering its first loss of the year to Ohio State. Instead, the Nittany Lions found themselves in a battle with the two-win Indiana Hoosiers, needing some late-game heroics to avoid an upset. Over the last eight quarters of football, things have been trending downward for James Franklin and the Nittany Lions. Will this stretch impact Penn State in our updated Big Ten power rankings?

Week 10 Big Ten power rankings

We enter the month of November with the division races shaping up to be exciting down the stretch. In the last season of the Big Ten West, we have a four-way tie at the top with another team only a game out. It is as wide open as we all thought it would be.

In the Big Ten East, it is mostly a two-team race, with The Game looking to decide it at the end of the season. Penn State football could make it interesting in two weeks, but that is a very tall order for the Nittany Lions.

There was some shuffling this week in the Big Ten power rankings, particularly in the bottom half of the rankings. Let’s see where the teams fall as we head into the final month of the regular season.

No. 14 Indiana 2-6 (Last week 14)

The Hoosiers put up a decent fight against Penn State football, scoring touchdowns on two explosive plays but ultimately falling in Happy Valley. The Hoosiers would have to run the table now to get to a bowl, which seems unlikely. Up next is a home date against Wisconsin.

No. 13 Michigan State 2-6 (Last week 12)

Michigan State allowed Minnesota to run up and down the field against them on its way to a 27-12 loss. It was the sixth loss in a row for a beleaguered Spartan squad.

This team does not look like one that will win another game this season. Up next is a home game versus Nebraska.

No. 12 Illinois 3-5 (Last week 10)

Illinois may have been on a bye week, but it fell in this week’s Big Ten power rankings simply because Northwestern made a jump ahead. The Illini also remain behind Purdue because of their head-to-head loss to the Boilermakers. Both teams are not very good, though. Up next for the Illini is a trip to Minnesota.

No. 11 Purdue 2-6 (Last week 11)

Purdue tried to make it a game late against Nebraska, but fell 31-14 to the Huskers. Hudson Card appears to be getting worse as the season progresses. He completed only 50 percent of his passes for a meager 100 yards, his lowest output of the season. He also threw two interceptions.

Purdue travels to take on Michigan this Saturday. So the Boilermakers, in all likelihood, will be eliminated from bowl contention in short order.

No. 10 Maryland 5-3 (Last week 8)

Maryland continues its slide down the power rankings after its third loss in a row, this time to Northwestern. It is clear now the Terps may have feasted on some bad teams early in the season. The loss to Ohio State to kick off the losing streak was excusable. Losing to Illinois and Northwestern with a bye week sandwiched between is not.

Taulia Tagovailoa, who is still putting up decent numbers in their losses, will need to be relied on more in order for the Terps to snap this losing streak. They host Penn State football on Saturday in a “Gold Out” game.

No. 9 Northwestern 4-4 (Last week 13)

Northwestern makes the biggest jump this week after surprisingly beating Maryland. The Wildcats are now at .500 heading into November. With their remaining schedule, bowl eligibility is certainly possible, and they are only one game behind the division lead in the Big Ten West.

Northwestern has Iowa next at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

No. 8 Nebraska 5-3 (Last week 9)

Nebraska’s win over Purdue gave the Huskers their first three-game winning streak since 2016. With only one more victory, they will secure bowl eligibility for the first time since that same season.

The Huskers defense has been the most impressive during their win streak, allowing only 10 points per game in the stretch. They will look to lock up a bowl bid against Michigan State on Saturday.

No. 7 Minnesota 5-3 (Last week 7)

Minnesota was without its top two running backs against Michigan State, but Jordan Nubin filled in nicely. The redshirt sophomore rushed for 204 yards on 40 carries and found the end zone twice in the Gophers victory.

Minnesota has won three games in its last four and finds itself in the middle of the Big Ten West race. The Gophers host Illinois this upcoming Saturday.

No. 6 Rutgers 6-2 (Last week 6)

Rutgers had the week off to get ready for a November stretch run. The Scarlet Knights are already bowl-eligible and would love to pad their win total. It will be a challenge to do so against Ohio State this Saturday, however.

No. 5 Iowa 6-2 (Last week 5)

Iowa had a bye week, and then news broke on Monday that Brian Ferentz would not return as offensive coordinator after this year. The news kind of throws a wild card into the rest of the Hawkeyes season. We will see how much the offense can improve against Northwestern.

No. 4 Wisconsin 5-3 (Last week 4)

Wisconsin did not play badly against Ohio State and even were tied 10-10 early in the third quarter. But ultimately, the Badgers could not muster up enough offense to win. Losing Braelon Allen and Chimere Dike with injuries also hurt. They will need both back if they are going to make a run at the Big Ten West crown.

Wisconsin travels to Bloomington next. They have dominated the Hoosiers in this century, but their last matchup in 2020 was a victory for Indiana.

No. 3 Penn State 7-1 (Last week 3)

The Nittany Lions escaped with a nine-point victory over Indiana. Not sure if it was a hangover from the Ohio State game or a sign that this team may not be as good as originally thought. The offense continues to struggle at times, but now that Drew Allar threw his first interception, perhaps he can play more loose moving forward.

Penn State football has a huge home date against Michigan in two weeks, but it cannot look past a road trip to Maryland. This is a chance for Penn State to get the offense on the right track before facing off against the Wolverines.

No. 2 Ohio State 8-0 (Last week 2)

Ohio State started slow again, but relied heavily on a returning Treveyon Henderson and star receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to pull away from the Badgers. Henderson had 162 yards and a score on the ground, while Harrison put up 123 yards on six catches and two scores.

Just because the CFP committee believes the Buckeyes are No. 1 does not mean they will be there in our Big Ten power rankings. They will get their chance at the end of November as long as they do not slip up beforehand.

No. 1 Michigan 8-0 (Last week 1)

The sign-stealing mess continues to suck up a lot of the oxygen in the room regarding Michigan. Of course, Jim Harbaugh and the rest of the program cannot comment on it right now. Will this be a distraction that could cost the Wolverines a game? Probably not against Purdue, but they do have a trip to Happy Valley looming.

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