Editor’s note: Every week, The Daily Illini football staff ranks the football teams in the Big Ten 1-14 and compiles the lists into its own Big Ten power rankings.

1. Ohio State (1) — The Buckeyes destroyed Rutgers 58-0 Saturday. Ohio State was expected to win the game by a large margin, but to beat down a Big Ten competitor like they are a Division II talent shows that Ohio State is a force. They will hold their No. 2 ranking in the nation.

2. Michigan (2) — The Wolverines survived a scare from Wisconsin this week. Wisconsin showed that the Michigan offense can be contained, but in the end, Michigan’s superior athleticism is what sets them apart from a lot of teams — see Jourdan Lewis’s one handed interception for proof of that.

3. Nebraska (5) — Nebraska remained undefeated with a win over Illinois. It wasn’t quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr.’s best game, but he led his team to a few scores late in the game to secure the win. Nebraska is one of the four teams left that are undefeated in the Big Ten, and are currently leading the Big Ten West..

4. Wisconsin (4) — A loss will knock the Badgers down a peg on a lot of power rankings, but when the loss is to one of the top ranked teams in the nation, the team shouldn’t fall far. They came close to beating Michigan, but were not able to pull it off. Despite this, the Badgers are still a top team in the Big Ten West.

5. Penn State (10) — A win at Minnesota helped Penn State stay relevant in the Big Ten East. Right now there are four teams with one win in the Big Ten East, and Penn State is one of them.

6. Indiana (7) — Indiana beat Michigan State, but with the way Michigan State has been playing recently, that is not as much of an accomplishment now as it would’ve been last year. The win will give Indiana some momentum going into a game against Ohio State next week where the Hoosiers can really turn some heads.

7. Michicgan State (3) — The Spartans have dropped two straight, and their chances of making it out of the Big Ten East are falling. Losing to Indiana was not part of their game plan. Trying to win in a division with Michigan and Ohio State leaves little room for error, but Michigan State isn’t making it easier on themselves.

8. Maryland (9) — Maryland is also undefeated after waxing Purdue on Saturday. Maryland has yet to have a real test – its best non-conference competition was University of Central Florida. The Terps are sitting at third in the Big Ten East, and won’t have to face one of the giants of that division (Ohio State or Michigan) until Week 9.

9. Northwestern (14) — After two bad losses in nonconference play, Northwestern has picked up two good wins. The win against Iowa showed that they are still a threat.

10. Iowa (6)  — Kirk Ferentz is lucky that he got that contract extension before this season started. After losing to North Dakota State, the Hawkeyes dropped another game to Northwestern. Northwestern had been struggling, but the Hawkeyes might have blown their chances at the Big Ten West title.

11. Minnesota (8) — A loss at home to Penn State dropped Minnesota down to the bottom half of the Big Ten Standings. The Gophers had the led at half, but were unable to hold on, losing in overtime. It was a tough loss to start Big Ten play for the Gophers.

12. Illinois (12) — The Illini put up a good fight against then-No. 15 Nebraska, but had problems with penalties and getting stops late in the game. The problems have been reoccurring for the Illini all season. They have not shown an ability to win against tougher competition.

13. Purdue — Purdue did not have a fun trip to Maryland. The Boilermakers got blown out 50-7 and are now 2-2 on the season. Purdue is not showing any signs of being relevant in the Big Ten this season.

14. Rutgers (11) — The Scarlet Knights didn’t belong on the same field as Ohio State last week. Losing to Ohio State isn’t anything to be too upset about, but losing to Ohio State by 58 points is bad.

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