Ohio State has yet to play its best game and has still easily handled every one of its opponents. Their first tough matchup could be the Big Ten Championship Game against Indiana, which looks just as good, if not better. USC finally got its signature win in the Big Ten, and kept its playoff hopes alive.. The UCLA Bruins are as hot as any team in college football; they are not going to make the College Football Playoff, but a bowl game appearance, given how this season has started, would be a dream scenario.
Here are my Big Ten football rankings after Week 7:
Indiana is the best football team in the country. There are not many teams that have a resume like theirs. A loss was expected yesterday for them against the Ducks; instead, they went out there and looked miles ahead of Oregon. They rattled Dante Moore, the consensus best quarterback in college football. Indiana has weapons galore, the Heisman favorite at this current moment, and a defense just as good as the Buckeyes’.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0)
Ohio State has controlled every game that they have played, and it’s crazy to think they have yet to play a perfect football game. They are the team everyone expects to win it all. They have the most talent in college football and a quarterback who is improving. I like the Buckeyes a lot, but I now believe this Indiana team can beat OSU in the Big Ten Championship Game.
3. Oregon Ducks (5-1)
The Ducks showed major weaknesses against the Hoosiers. They still control their destiny and are slotted in the AP Poll rankings as the No. 8 team. This loss does not completely derail them. Given how USC looked Saturday night against Michigan, USC-Oregon could be a game with crucial implications for both teams.
The loss against Illinois has to feel like a gut punch. USC could have been sitting in the top 10, top 15 at least, with two signature wins. USC is the better football team than Illinois; they may have just needed that loss to discover who they are as a team. If this defense can play like it played Saturday night, this is a dangerous team, even with a tough upcoming schedule. This offense no question it can score on anybody.
5. Washington Huskies (5-1)
Demond Williams is one of the best players in college football. The Huskies are a dangerous team when he is on. The Huskies can beat both Michigan and Illinois in the coming weeks. There is a likely scenario where their next loss is the last game of the season against Oregon. I would not be surprised.
6. Illinois Fighting Illini (5-2)
Illinois is no different from what Iowa and Wisconsin have been in the past years. They are a good football team that is well-coached and is due for an upset every now and then. They are not in that top tier of excellent Big Ten teams, and they will not be in the College Football Playoff; those chances are now dead.
7. Michigan Wolverines (4-2)
Michigan’s defense had no answer for anything USC’s offense was doing. Lincoln Riley outcoached Wink Martindale. Bryce Underwood is a really talented young player but he is just nit ready yet to win the big games and for Michigan to enter championship contention. In the next two years Michigan will be a force but for now they will be at best a 3-4 loss team.
Aside from his forced appearance, Dylan Raiola bears little resemblance to Patrick Mahomes. In the clutch, however, he has consistently played his best ball when it is required the most. Nebraska has won games because it has turned it up a notch in the 4th quarter. Against Maryland, it was the same story: three interceptions, one being a pick-six. He still followed up his mistakes with a game-winning drive, capped off with a game-winning touchdown by him. This team will go as far as he will take them, if he continues to be clutch, the Huskers could end up having a successful season.
9. Maryland Terrapins (4-2)
Maryland is a tough beat for each and every Big Ten team that has to face them. Malik Washington has already proved he is the real deal. I could see the Terps being a dangerous team next year. They feel like another team that will come up short against the more experienced football teams, but the talent will keep them in every game.
The inevitable finally occurred: James Franklin has been relieved of his duties. I think Penn State is done for this season, especially with Drew Allar being down for the year. They will not have a UCLA-type surge from their interim head coach. This was the right move and decision; they just have to hope and pray they can get their own version of Curt Cignetti. Who knows, maybe Curt Cignetti would leave Indiana for Penn State.
11. Iowa Hawkeyes (4-2)
This past victory was more based on how bad Wisconsin is, not how impressive Iowa looked. The pass game is still suspect. When the Hawkeyes play high-quality Big Ten teams, or just maybe teams that aren’t Rutgers and Wisconsin, they will lose.
The Boilermakers hung around a little more than they should have against Minnesota, but this is the usual frisky Gophers team that is not an elite or top-tier team. They are still growing with young quarterback Drake Lindsey. Minnesota will need their star back, Darius Taylor, to return to form and get back to elite play against Nebraska on Friday for them to have any shot..
13. Northwestern Wildcats (4-2)
Northwestern could not have faced Penn State at a better time. Good morale win for the Wildcats but, this is still a bottom team in the Big Ten.
14. UCLA Bruins (2-4)
The Bruins look scary right now. I still don’t understand what DeShaun Foster was doing that led to them being the worst team in college football for the first few weeks of the season. The Bruins, instead of being an easy win, are now a team nobody in the Big ten wants to face. Nico Iamaleava has been playing as well as any quarterback in college football over the last two weeks. I am nervous for USC to face UCLA, which could end up being a trap game.
This team does not lack talent. They have a pretty solid quarterback in Athan Kaliakmanis; he has improved much this season. Rutgers just makes it so easy for their opponents, practically giving games away. I could see them beating Purdue and maybe Penn State, that’s it, on their upcoming stretch of games. Another year of Rutgers being an easy win for Big Ten teams.
16. Purdue Boilermakers (2-4)
The Boilermakers were better than the Gophers in every category in Saturday’s game, except for penalties. They gift-wrapped this game for the Gophers. This is a young team still trying to learn how to win. Barry Odom’s tenure is continuing to be off to a tough start.
17. Michigan State Spartans (3-3)
Michigan State is very well in competition for the worst team in the Big Ten. Luckily for them, they had three easy non-conference games, and Wisconsin had Alabama as its third non-conference game. Michigan State did not look like it belonged on the same field as UCLA. That will be a continuous trend with their following string of opponents as well.
18. Wisconsin Badgers (2-4)
Luke Fickell should of been fired before James Franklin. I do not understand how he still has a job after Saturday’s homecoming performance. The Badgers are going to be a 2-win team, that is just a fact. Why not stop the bleeding like UCLA, and Wisconsin did?