Editor’s note: Every week, The Daily Illini football staff ranks the football teams in the Big Ten 1-12 and compiles the lists into its own Big Ten power rankings.
1. Ohio State (last week: 1)
The Buckeyes just keep winning, although not as easily as they might have liked. Ohio State’s past three victories over Wisconsin, Northwestern and Iowa have all been by 10 points or fewer after Saturday’s 34-24 comeback win over Iowa. The good news for the Buckeyes is that their schedule sets up very nicely to give them a very serious chance to make the BCS National Championship game. “The Game,” the yearly showdown against Michigan, poses the only threat to an undefeated season, as none of the Buckeyes four remaining opponents have a winning record in conference.
2. Wisconsin (2)
3. Nebraska (3)
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4. Michigan (4)
Time to rewrite the record books. Devin Gardner and Jeremy Gallon wrote their way into school history in a shootout win over Indiana. Gallon had 369 yards receiving and Gardner had 584 total yards, and they needed all of them to outlast a feisty Hoosiers squad. The school-record 503 passing yards was especially important for Gardner who had been inconsistent through much of the year. The Wolverines will go as far as Gardner takes them, as they can be an elite team when he’s on his game but just mediocre when he turns the ball over.
5. Michigan State (6)
6. Northwestern (5)
7. Indiana (9)
If nothing else, Indiana can light up the scoreboard. The Hoosiers dropped 47 points against Michigan in the Big House, although it wasn’t enough to stop the Wolverines’ record-setting offense in a 63-47 loss. Indiana is ninth in the country in passing yards and 11th overall in points per game, although its defense will need to get some stops to stay in games. Indiana has two weeks to prepare for Minnesota, which is considered a must-win if Indiana wants to make a bowl. Indiana needs three wins to be bowl eligible with trips to Madison, Wis., and Columbus, Ohio, still on the schedule, so a loss against the Gophers could end Indiana’s bowl dreams.
8. Minnesota (11)
9. Iowa (10)
10. Penn State (7)
11. Illinois (8)
12. Purdue (12)
