Big Ten Power Rankings: What we learned from Week One
9-5
9. Purdue (0-1, 0-1) Last week: 7
Purdue suffered a brutal loss on Thursday, falling short to Penn State 35-31. Aidan O’Connell picked up where he left off last season, with his new favorite target Charlie Jones going for 12 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown. The running game looked at least capable but was far from a strength as the Boilermakers could not get anything going on the ground in the fourth quarterback when they were trying to run out the clock. That allowed Penn State to get the ball back and march down the field for the game-winning touchdown. The defense needs to tighten some things up in the secondary, but if they do, this team still has a chance in the West.
8. Iowa (1-0, 0-0) Last week: 7
Iowa won but like what was that? The Hawkeyes beat South Dakota State 7-3 but didn’t score a touchdown. The scoring was a field goal and two safeties. The defense outscored the offense. The Hawkeyes managed just 166 total yards of offense, with just 57 coming on the ground. Quarterback Spencer Petras was just 11-25 for 109 yards and an interception. This offense is going to scare no one in the Big Ten, but that defense will. That unit is legit and will keep this team in most games. The problem is, holding every opponent to under 14 points would seem impossible.
7. Maryland (1-0, 0-0) Last week: 8
Maryland took care of business, defeating Buffalo 31-10. We knew Maryland would be able to throw the ball, and they did, but it was the running game that was impressive. The Terps ran for 149 yards and four touchdowns on just 26 attempts. Freshman Roman Hemby led the way, rushing the ball only seven times but for 114 yards and two touchdowns. This was a good win for Maryland, but one that was expected. The Terps have a tendency to torch their out of conference schedule and then implode in Big Ten play, so it’s too early to come to any conclusions, but 1-0 is 1-0.
6. Penn State (1-0, 1-0) Last week: 6
Penn State came away with a huge Big Ten win at Purdue on Thursday. The Nittany Lions battled back to score the game-winning touchdown with just 57 seconds remaining. The offense moved the ball through the air fairly well. Quarterback Sean Clifford was great, expect for a costly pick-6 in the fourth quarter. Overall, Clifford accounted for all five of Penn State’s touchdowns and looked like a guy who can win some games in the Big Ten this year. Penn State’s defense sputtered at times but played great in the fourth quarter when it mattered the most. This team still has some work to do, especially in the run game, but escaping Purdue with a win is massive. The Nittany Lions deserve to move up, but no one ahead of them did anything to fall.
5. Minnesota (1-0, 0-0) Last week: 5
The Golden Gophers looked impressive Thursday night, beating New Mexico State 38-0. Many probably forgot that Minnesota even played on Thursday with the Backyard Brawl and Penn State/Purdue also on that night. Mohamed Ibrahim certainly looked like his old self, carrying the ball 21 times for 132 yards and two touchdowns. It’s great to see him healthy. Overall, the Gophers ran for 297 yards and featured numerous different running backs. The defense also picked up where they left off last year, pitching a shutout. This unit is quietly one of the better defenses in the conference. Minnesota will compete for the Big Ten West title.
