Big Ten Power Rankings: Penn State, the East headline rankings

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9. Michigan State (4-5, 2-4) Last week: 10

Michigan State showed signs of life on Saturday with a 23-15 win over No. 17 Illinois. This game came down to the fact that the Spartans bended but did not break. Illinois outgained Michigan State 441 to 294 yet Sparty only allowed 15 points. Payton Thorne had a fine day, going 19-29 for 182 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. The offense did just enough to get by, but the real story was the defense. This unit had struggled mightily over the past six games but regrouped when the team needed them the most. Michigan State needed this one to keep its bowl hopes alive and the Spartans came through. This season has not gone the way anyone in East Lansing expected, but this was a positive moment.

8. Iowa (5-4, 3-3) Last week: 9

Iowa had its best showing of the season as it defeated Purdue 24-3. The great Hawkeye defense shut down a pretty good Purdue offense, but the bigger story may be the offense. Yes, 24 points may not seem like a lot, but when your defense is as good as Iowa’s is, 24 points feels more like 35. Spencer Petras looked good but the real star on offense was running back Kaleb Johnson, who ran for 200 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. It was the best performance by an Iowa running back all season. Considering Johnson is just a freshman, Iowa may have found the future of its offense. Purdue was a 3.5-point favorite in this one and the Hawkeyes crushed them, not sure many saw this coming.

7. Maryland (6-3, 3-3) Last week: 5

Maybe the wet conditions played a role, but Maryland lost to Wisconsin 23-10 on Saturday. It was an ugly showing for quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, who went just 10-23 for 77 yards, a touchdown and an interception. On defense, the Terps got ran over as Wisconsin ran for 278 yards as a team. One team took advantage of the weather, one did not. Tagovailoa also took a beating, being sacked five times in this one. Considering he was coming off of an injury, this isn’t what Maryland fans want to see. A rejuvenated Penn State team is up next for Maryland.

6. Wisconsin (5-4, 3-3) Last week: 7

As just mentioned, Wisconsin used a power run game to defeat Maryland 23-10. Braelon Allen had 119 yards and a touchdown, while backup Isaac Guerendo had 114 yards and a touchdown on just 14 carries. While this game was made for the Badgers offense, the defense was just as impressive. Wisconsin usually struggles with spread offense that fling the ball around, but that was not the case here. Maryland threw for just 77 yards, despite averaging over 270 per game before this contest. Having a loss to Illinois does not help, but Wisconsin is still mathematically alive in the Big Ten West.

5. Minnesota (6-3, 3-3) Last week: 6

No team has gone up and down these rankings more than Minnesota. The Golden Gophers overcame a 10-point deficit to beat Nebraska 20-13 on Saturday. Despite quarterback Tanner Morgan leaving the game with an injury, running back Mohamed Ibrahim had no problems winning this game. The star tailback rushed the ball 32 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns. The defense, which had been struggling, also had a great game, especially in the second half. now, it was against a team with no real answer at quarterback, but still a nice showing. Like with Wisconsin, Minnesota has a loss to Illinois, making the Gophers still technically alive, but a long shot to make the Big Ten Championship.