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Big Ten Power Rankings: The East continues to dominate

By Alec Whitaker

Sep 10, 2022; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford (14) signals from the line of scrimmage during the second quarter against the Ohio Bobcats at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Ohio 46-10. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2022; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford (14) signals from the line of scrimmage during the second quarter against the Ohio Bobcats at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Ohio 46-10. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports /
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Purdue Boilermakers tight ends Paul Piferi (89) and Payne Durham (87) celebrate Piferi’s touchdown on the Indiana State Sycamores defensive line during the NCAA football game, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind.Np1 7349
Purdue Boilermakers tight ends Paul Piferi (89) and Payne Durham (87) celebrate Piferi’s touchdown on the Indiana State Sycamores defensive line during the NCAA football game, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind.Np1 7349 /

9-5

9. Wisconsin (1-1, 0-0) Last week: 4

It was a rough Saturday for the Badgers as they were upset 17-14 at home by Washington State. Washington State is a respectable program, but a ranked Wisconsin squad should not be losing to them at home. Wisconsin actually didn’t play that bad offensively, putting up 401 total yards of offense. The problem was that they turned the ball over three times and had 106 yards in penalties. That combination will not lead to wins. The Wisconsin defense was still up to its normal standards, but this team has a lot to clean up if it wants to compete in the Big Ten. The talent is there though.

8. Rutgers (2-0, 0-0) Last week: 10

A week after beating Boston College on the road, Rutgers returned home and destroyed Wagner 66-7. The Scarlet Knights looked good in all phases of the game and put up 575 yards of total offense. This is an exciting start for Rutgers, who has another winnable matchup next week against Temple. It will be interesting to see how Rutgers performs in its Big Ten opener against Iowa in a couple weeks. Right now, this looks like an improved team that should be on its way to a bowl game. There still a lot of football to play, but quarterback Evan Simon has this team headed in the right direction offensively.

7. Purdue (1-1, 0-1) Last week: 9

A week after a heartbreaking loss to Penn State, Purdue bounced back in a big way, crushing Indiana St. 56-0. Quarterback Aidan O’Connell was excellent again, going 17-19 for 211 yards and four touchdowns. Wide receiver Charlie Jones also looks like the real deal with nine catches for 133 yards and a touchdown. The air attack for Purdue will be fine and will be the reason why this team has a chance in the Big Ten West. Penn State is also a very good team, so it’s hard to punish Purdue too much for having that loss. Purdue will head to Syracuse next week in a game that will actually be a tough one. We’ll learn a lot more about this team with how they play on the road next week.

6. Maryland (2-0, 0-0) Last week: 7

Is this the normal Maryland “Non-conference slate dominance”? It might be, but the Terps won again, this time 56-21 against Charlotte. Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa was great again, going 27-31 for 391 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Maryland’s passing attack continues to be one of the more impressive ones in the conference. Time will tell if Maryland can finally sustain this success in Big Ten play, but they’ve looked like one of the more dominant teams in the Big Ten so far. The Terps have a decent challenge against SMU this upcoming week.

5. Penn State (2-0, 1-0) Last week: 6

Penn State made quick work of Ohio on Saturday, winning 46-10. The Nittany Lions played a lot of players in this game, including backup quarterback Drew Allar, who looked great. The big story was freshman running back Nick Singleton, who carried the ball ten times for 179 yards and two touchdowns. It was the best performance from a Penn State running back since 2019. If Penn State can sustain a run game, this team will be hard to beat. Defensive end Chop Robinson continues to look better each week, making the defense better than what was expected. A really tough challenge awaits the Nittany Lions in Week Three as they head to Auburn.

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