Victory Bell Rings
Fansided

Big Ten Power Rankings: Penn State makes a statement

By Alec Whitaker

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) runs the ball as Auburn Tigers take on Penn State Nittany Lions at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022.
Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) runs the ball as Auburn Tigers take on Penn State Nittany Lions at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson (2) runs into the end zone during a NCAA football game against Nevada, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.220917 Nevada Iowa Fb 069 Jpg
Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson (2) runs into the end zone during a NCAA football game against Nevada, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.220917 Nevada Iowa Fb 069 Jpg /

14-10

14. Nebraska (1-3, 0-1) Last week: 14

Despite firing Scott Frost, things did not get better for Nebraska as it was drilled by Oklahoma 49-14. The Cornhuskers scored the first seven points of the game, the Sooners scored the next 49 points. It was a disaster from start to finish and it’s hard to see a way this situation gets better for Nebraska this season. Nebraska already has three losses on the record and still has games with Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa this year. The best thing for Nebraska to do is to play young players as much as possible and then make a home run coaching hire in the off-season.

13. Northwestern (1-2, 1-0) Last week: 13

Not only does Northwestern’s win against Nebraska get less impressive each week, but the Wildcats lost at home to Southern Illinois 31-24 on Saturday. This is a bad loss, there’s no other way to look at it. Northwestern was a two-touchdown favorite and lost, that just can’t happen against an opponent like Southern Illinois, who was 0-2 before this. There really aren’t any positives to take from this game. It looks like it will be another long year for the Wildcats.

12. Purdue (1-2, 0-1) Last week: 7

After playing Penn State tough in Week One and dominating Indiana State last week, Purdue blew a late lead to Syracuse on Saturday to lose 32-25. It was a loss that could’ve been avoided, despite the Orange being a respectable team this year. Tight end Payne Durham caught the go-ahead touchdown with 51 seconds left, but got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the PAT. A Purdue coach also got one on the play, resulting in the Boilermakers kicking off from their own 10-yardline. The Orange used the short field to their advantage and scored with seven seconds remaining. A brutal way to lose, but one that could have easily been avoided. Their inability to close out games is concerning.

11. Illinois (2-1, 0-1) Last week: 11

Illinois was on a bye this weekend. The Illini were given a bye because they played in Week Zero. Chattanooga is up next for Illinois. The Illini have a shot to make some noise in the Big Ten West this year and reach a bowl game.

10. Iowa (2-1, 0-0) Last week: 12

Breaking news: Iowa scored an offensive touchdown. The Hawkeyes actually had three touchdowns as they defeated Nevada 27-0. The game was delayed for hours due to weather, but the Hawkeyes stayed motivated and kept the shutout intact. Nevada had only 151 yards of total offense and were just totally outmatched on that side of the ball. The jury is still out on if Iowa can continue to score against teams with a pulse. We may learn more next week as Iowa faces Rutgers; a win would put them back up towards the top of this list.

Home/Penn State Football