A fellow football junkie and I compare our weekly power rankings. If you missed last week’s, catch up here. Changes are marked by +/- the number of rankings. These are real emails back and forth.
Josh Kam
1. Michigan State 1. Michigan State
2. Ohio State +1 2. Ohio State +1
3. Nebraska +1 3. Nebraska +1
K – My top three sees just a touch of change with MSU and OSU still elite and Nebraska jointing the fray.
J – Well I am watching hockey opening night and have had a bit to drink but I have the exact same top 3 so we must be doing something right. OSU feels like one more dominating performance away from surpassing MSU. I would have rather seen Sparty finish that thing strong. Instead the fourth quarter propels the Huskers to third overall and the class of the West.
K – Agreed. If MSU played 60 full, and by MSU I mean the student section, we would still be in love with them. Now we have respect for Nebraska and their grit. OSU is starting to look like the OSU of old. Really looking forward to that MSU-OSU matchup.
J – Each team has a loss. I am more of a homer / optimist you are more blunt and a realist so……..if anyone runs the tables of this trio can they make the tournament? Even with my homerism and optimism I think they would need a lot of help. FSU doesn’t face a ranked team the rest of the way, you know one of those SEC teams will get a nod, Baylor (and TCU) is lurking, Notre Dame is on the chase and don’t sleep on ECU…they are 19th and running the league table combined with the AAC being perceived as the best “group of five” might slip them in if there aren’t many undefeated teams. This isn’t even mentioning the Pac 12 or if Oklahoma goes 11-1. Too much damage done from the opening month for the league.
K – Doesn’t ND play FSU, like, this weekend?
J – They do play in a couple weeks. I meant to say no ranked ACC team left (they don’t play Georgia Tech)…too much hockey! – and Sam Adams pumpkin ale.
K – The season is long, SEC champ gets auto bid, PAC 12 top to bottom is good, but not sure they have a champ that has 1 loss, they could have 2. MSU or OSU run the table, I think they might be in. I think Baylor and TCU fall.
J – What about ECU? They are doing the impressive double dip…leading the AAC and winning a division in the ACC (2-0 against the “big boys” of that league). In all seriousness, I know he is an ECU alum but shouldn’t Illinois (and/or Michigan among any other big conf. school) take a look at Ruffin McNiell. An offense that can drop 70 points and a pretty proven track record now with the Pirates.
K – I don’t see ECU getting in, even with one loss. AAC champ has to be undefeated in the nation’s eyes.
J – Fair enough. That’s enough with the AAC. We can only talk one crappy conference at a time. Still think his phone will be ringing quite a bit this off season. Hell, Iowa can make a run for him. I’m all in on Ruffin stock.
4. Northwestern +6 4. Northwestern +6
5. Rutgers +2 5. Rutgers +1
6. Penn State 6. Iowa +1
J – This comes with two big ifs. First of all IF Northwestern plays defense like they did the last two weeks, they can pick off a lot more teams. IF Rutgers gets that quarterback play they will pick off more teams. These feel like temporary awards for good weeks though. I think they will stumble as their roads get tougher.
K – Yeah I think you could put a lot of teams here and you could see someone shift a lot of spots in just a week.
J – P.S. Woah?! Iowa!!!
K – I think the Iowa defense is coming into their own. If you look at their body of work over the last few games, it’s impressive. It will be tested against Indiana and if they pass, this is definitely a contender for the West. Kirk is usually very good off bye weeks
J – Hmm…we’ll see how this two qb thing works.
7. Wisconsin -5 7. Wisconsin -5
8. Minnesota 8. Penn State +1
9. Iowa 9. Minnesota -1
J – So the big questions are…how does UW get their quarterback play figured out and can they do it in time to salvage this season?
K – They better get it figured out before Iowa and Nebraska, the Northwestern loss really hurts. Iowa and Nebraska have the front seven that is better than Northwestern’s….
J – It seems like after a year and a half of Gary Anderson he is in over his head. Wisconsin has been the most successful team the last 5 years thanks to titles and Rose Bowls and the fan base has gotten used to winning. They went 9-3 last year but finished badly. If they go 8-4 this year (already have two losses) does Anderson enter year three as make or break and what is the break? I think they need to make the title game in year three. Lots of Badger fans assumed with the new alignment that they just had to win one game every year (Nebraska) to represent the West.
K – 8-4, no. I think year 3 is another shot to win the conference. If another 8-4 season comes….then year 4 is the hot seat.
J – Sounds about right. Still toastier than he assumed it would be though after just 18 games.
J – We both have the Gophers in the second half of the standings. I feel primed to jump them if they do well against Northwestern. I just need to seem them play well against a good team. Not that NU is the 85 bears but after that debacle against TCU, I’ve been hesitant to bump up UM.
K – Same here, one dimensional. Good coach though that can beat some better teams.
10. Maryland -5 10. Maryland -5
11. Indiana 11. Indiana
J – My 10 and 11 are the “one step forward, two step backwards” teams. Each interestingly enough plays Iowa next. Indiana this Saturday and Maryland after the bye. That’s either good news for Iowa or great news for teams looking for wins. Guess we’ll find out. I was stunned by that OSU game. Hats off the the Bucks. I thought Maryland would hang for a half, possibly even three quarters before they tapped out
K – Yeah I was disappointed. It was an excellent reminder of where they came from and they clearly aren’t ready to take on the big dogs of the Big Ten.
12. Michigan +1 12. Purdue +2
13. Purdue +1 13. Michigan
14. Illinois -2 14. Illinois -2
J – Michigan showed some signs of life against Rutgers. They are clearly better…or less crappy?…with the experienced Gardner at qb. Still not sure they can win a game the rest of the way though. PSU’s defense isn’t half bad, MSU, Indiana can put up points, Northwestern’s improved, Maryland can put up points and then the game with OSU. You can talk me into IU, NU and Maryland but even sweeping those three is a five-win year…yikes!
K – Not to pull from other media outlets, but a couple weeks ago Lee Corso said Michigan would be LUCKY to win 4 games. My god he might be right. That being said, there are usually peaks and valleys to a season. Michigan will win some games still, but 4 more? I have my doubts.
J – Oh wow, I missed that. That might be right on the money. A more interesting prospect is Purdue thanks to the the more manageable west. They got some things going with Austin Appleby. Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northwestern and Indiana looks like the best hopes for Purdue to stun and make a bowl. A long shot clearly, but injuries could happen and maybe Indiana is playing without their coach by the final week in the season. Something to keep an eye on in the bottom of the league.
J – Illinois is DOA. The coach doesn’t have a prayer to come back thanks to West Lunt (the starting QB) going down with injury and a nightmare schedule left. In Madison, Minnesota, Iowa and Northwestern remain for divisional games. They still have their two cross-over games as well: Penn State…and…drumroll if you will…Ohio State. When quarterback-less Wisconsin is about the only game you could talk me into them having a chance in, you got some issues. Very real possibility Beckman goes 1-23 in Big Ten play before getting canned (unless he is fired before the end of the season)
K – Yeah, incredible on how much rides in the careers of coaches from the Purdue-Illinois game.
J – I’m still dumbfounded by how bare the cabinet was at Purdue. I mean Danny Hope went 13-12 (7-12) with bowls each season in his final two years there. You would have assumed they had a little something. Coaches have certainly inherited worse.
K – Yeah, there is so little patience anymore. If Ferentz wouldve started his career at Iowa with those first 3 seasons right now, he would probably be gone.
J – They won’t need any patience with Illinois when they grab Ruffin. 10-2 first season under him. You heard it hear first.
K – I think he would really stay at ECU.
J – Well with that last parting insult for Illinois, let’s call it a night. Hockey’s back!!!
K – HOCKEYYYYYYYYYYYYY
Big Ten and Counting 
Pingback: Point-Counterpoint Week 7 Power Rankings | Big Ten and Counting