Where does Penn State rank in the week 7 power rankings?

We are nearing the midseason point in college football and the races for division and conference championship crowns will start to really heat up. In the Big Ten, most of the teams have played six games with a few teams including the Penn State football team with only five games since they had a bye week. There was not much movement this week in the power rankings with only a handful of teams swapping spots based on the results of this past Saturday. With some big games coming up later in the month and into November, expect to see more movement soon. For now, let’s see where the conference stacks up heading into mid-October.

No. 14 Indiana 2-3 (Last week 14)

The Hoosiers had the week off to prepare for their trip to Ann Arbor. They could have multiple weeks to prepare for the Wolverines and it would not make a difference in their power rankings.

No. 13 Northwestern 3-3 (Last week 13)

Northwestern had a 23-7 lead over Howard heading into the fourth quarter Saturday. It got really dicey but the Wildcats pulled off the narrow three-point victory. The Bison outgained the Wildcats in total yards.

Northwestern has an off week before a matchup with Nebraska in two weeks. They are still fighting but bowl eligibility will be difficult to obtain.

No. 12 Michigan State 2-3 (Last week 12)

The Spartans had the week off to regroup after a tumultuous start to their season. They head to Rutgers this week.

No. 11 Illinois 2-4 (Last week 10)

The Illinois defense has been surprisingly not good this season but it held up okay against Nebraska. It was the struggles of the Illinois offense that were magnified against the Huskers. They could only amass 21 yards on the ground and turned over the ball three times. A failed fourth and goal from the Nebraska one on Illinois’ opening drive of the game set the tone for a bad night.

Illinois finds itself at the bottom of the Big Ten West standings. Since their 7-1 start to last season, the Illini are 3-8. A trip to Maryland is up next.

No. 10 Nebraska 3-3 (Last week 11)

Nebraska scored two touchdowns in the first half against Illinois and then rode a tremendous defensive effort to earn coach Matt Rhule’s first Big Ten victory of the season. Heinrich Haarberg only completed 50 percent of his passes but was the Huskers leading rusher with 82 yards and a touchdown.

The Huskers are firmly in a muddled Big Ten West race. They now get a week of rest followed by hosting Northwestern.

No. 9 Purdue 2-4 (Last week 9)

Purdue led Iowa in time of possession and total yards but could not put up enough points in a loss to the Hawkeyes. Losing the turnover battle and not being able to finish drives doomed the Boilermakers.

Purdue is at risk of falling out of the Big Ten West quickly. They next host Ohio State which will certainly not be easy, but a win could give them a boost in the power rankings.

No. 8 Rutgers 4-2 (Last week 8)

Rutgers went into Camp Randall Stadium this past Saturday and kept it close for about a half. But their one turnover on the day was a backbreaker. Late second quarter, the Scarlet Knights had a second and goal from the Wisconsin 6-yard line when Gavin Wimsatt threw an interception which was returned 95 yards for a Badger touchdown.

Instead of the score being at least 10-3 if not tied going into halftime, it was now 17-0 and that pretty much sealed Rutgers’s fate. The Scarlet Knights have improved this season but they do not appear ready to beat the upper echelon of the conference yet. They will host Michigan State this upcoming Saturday.

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

Athan Kaliakmanis threw a pick-six on the game’s second play and it was an uphill battle for the Gophers the rest of the way, getting blown out by Michigan. The Gophers were missing the conference’s leading rusher Darius Taylor so they had no real firepower to match what the Wolverines threw at them.

Now halfway through the schedule, Minnesota gets a much-needed break to figure out their issues and gain rest. They will be back in action against Iowa in two weeks.

No. 6 Iowa 5-1 (Last week 6)

No offense, no problem for the Hawkeyes. They only care about the wins, which is good of course. But this offense is so terrible and difficult to watch. Late in the first half after Cooper DeJean returned an interception to the Purdue five, the Hawkeyes went backward three plays and kicked a field goal.

Deacon Hill, making his first career start, completed only six of 21 passes. None of them were to Hawkeye wide receivers. Running back Kaleb Johnson was the lone bright spot, rushing for 134 yards and a touchdown.

This anemic offense continues to be carried by its defense and special teams. A huge showdown at Wisconsin is up next.

No. 5 Maryland 5-1 (Last week 4)

Maryland started well in their game against Ohio State. They led 10-0 early second quarter and 17-10 early in the third quarter. But their mistakes were costly. Taulia Tagovailoa threw two interceptions, including a pick-six to give Ohio State their lone first-half touchdown. Eventually, the Buckeye offense woke up and took over the game in the second half.

The Terps have been talking about this being their moment to keep up with the big boys of the Big Ten East and while they lost, they held their own for long stretches of the game. If they can clean up their mistakes when they face Penn State and/or Michigan later in the season, those games could be closer. Terps will look to bounce back against struggling Illinois next in an attempt to improve in the power rankings.

No. 4 Wisconsin 4-1 (Last week 5)

The Badger offense has been inconsistent at times this season but they got a major boost from their defense with a pick-six against Rutgers. They also held Rutgers running back Kyle Monangai, who was averaging a little over five yards per carry, to only 16 yards on the ground.

If Wisconsin can figure out some of the offensive issues, particularly with the wide receivers, they could be a formidable team. They will have a challenging matchup at least with Iowa’s defense this upcoming Saturday.

No. 3 Penn State 5-0 (Last week 3)

Penn State had an off week to get ready for a final stretch that will define their season. Hopefully, the offense can improve as it has struggled at times this season. The defense looks elite but it will be put to the test in the back half of the schedule. After a homecoming matchup with UMass, the Buckeyes await. A win over Ohio State could boost the Nittany Lions to the top of the power rankings next weekend.

No. 2 Ohio State 5-0 (Last week 2)

The Buckeyes struggled offensively in their first half against Maryland. Their six first-half possession consisted of a turnover on downs, four punts, and a field goal. They finally got going in the second half, leading to winning the game comfortably. Questions have to be raised about how good the Buckeyes offense is. Kyle McCord threw for over 300 yards with Marvin Harrison hauling in 163 of those yards. But there was a complete lack of rushing attack with Treveyon Henderson sitting out due to injury and the offensive line seems a mess.

The Buckeye defense looks stout but this offense needs to find a way to start faster and be more well-rounded as they head deeper into the season. Next up for the Buckeyes is a trip to Purdue.

No. 1 Michigan 6-0 (Last week 1)

The Wolverines got two pick-sixes on their way to a 52-10 rout of Minnesota this past Saturday night. What has been impressive with Michigan is their offense has not had many explosive plays this season. They are just plodding along and wearing down teams. Their defense has been tremendous this season, not allowing any opponent inside their 10-yard line.

The schedule has not been the most challenging but Michigan keeps winning dominantly. They will look to continue the same theme as they host Indiana next. As they continue to be the No. 1 team in the power rankings.

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