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. Michigan (2) — The Wolverines are one of the most dominate teams in the Big Ten and in the country. And they have no blemishes on their record unlike Ohio State. The Wolverines are winning their games by an average of over 37 points per game. Nobody will come close until the last game against Ohio State.

2. Ohio State (2) — Ohio State lost to Penn State on a field goal, ruining the Buckeyes’ perfect season. But they aren’t rolling over, and they showed that against Nebraska. After a close game with Northwestern, they crushed the Cornhuskers by 59 points, reminding everyone that the Buckeyes are still an alpha dog.

3. Wisconsin (3) — Wisconsin stayed steady, and now that Nebraska has fallen even with them in the standings, the Badgers can take their rightful place as the top team in the Big Ten West. The Badgers should cruise to the end of the season, and since they already beat the Cornhuskers, they own the tiebreaker if both teams were to end the season with two losses.

4. Penn State (6) — Some could not understand how Penn State was ranked so high (No. 12) in the playoff rankings this week. They beat Ohio State, but a bad loss to Pittsburgh early in the season makes them a little hard to stand behind. They proved those feelings wrong by trouncing an underperforming Iowa team.

5. Nebraska (4) — The Cornhuskers got completely embarrassed in Columbus this weekend. They once had a two-game lead in the Big Ten West and are now clinging for life after a two-game losing streak. What was once a magical season for the Cornhuskers might end in a second-place finish.

6. Minnesota (7) —  The Golden Gophers are tied for first in the Big Ten West, but do not have the strength to compare to both Nebraska and Wisconsin. They play both these teams over the next three weeks, so they will have a good measuring stick to see exactly how good they are.

7. Indiana (9) —  Indiana has just been there all season. The Hoosiers are the definition of a middle-of-the-pack team. They are not picking up any bad losses and are not picking up any big wins. They are sitting in the middle of the Big Ten, and that is  where they will finish.

8. Northwestern (5) — The Wildcats have had a rough two weeks. They had to play two top teams in the Big Ten  back-to-back right as the Wildcats were on a three-game winning streak. They have three-straight winnable games to close the season, and should be bowl-eligible by the end of it.

9. Iowa (8) — Iowa is the definition of an underperformer. The Hawkeyes got smacked by Penn State. sitting at 5-4. There were debates about this team making the college football playoff last season, and now, they are struggling through the Big Ten.

10. Maryland (10) — After a promising season start, Maryland did not live up to expectations in the Big Ten slate. They were humiliated by Michigan and sit at 2-4 in the Big Ten East. If it weren’t for Michigan State and Rutgers, they would be in the basement.

11. Purdue (12) — Purdue took another loss to Minnesota this week. They are now 3-6 in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers are on a four-game losing streak, but they beat Illinois, which gives them the spot above the Illini despite the worse record.

12. Illinois (13) — Illinois beat Michigan State, a team that was ranked No. 12 in the preseason but is currently on a six-game losing streak. The Illini have had a rough season, but this was a bright spot for them. The Illini needs to win out to make a bowl game, and that just isn’t likely with the amount of injuries and struggles they have had this season.

13. Michigan State (11) — Michigan State is just bad. For weeks people have been wondering what is going on with them, but the answer is simple: The Spartans are bad. They get Rutgers next week, so they should be getting their first — and likely only — Big Ten win of the season, but the loss at Illinois seals it: Michigan State is bad.

14. Rutgers (14) — The only team worse than Michigan State. The Scarlet Knights keep putting up some good fights, but they can never get it done. They will likely end their season without a Big Ten win, and it should come as no surprise. Rutgers is a long way away from being relevant in the Big Ten.

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