Big Ten Power Rankings: Who will win the West?
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9. Wisconsin (5-5, 3-4) Last week: 6
The feel-good vibes that Wisconsin had after beating Maryland were short lived as Iowa defeated the Badgers 24-10. After dominating Maryland on the ground, Wisconsin ran for just 51 yards against the stingy Iowa defense. With no support from the run game, Graham Mertz resorted back to his old play, going 16-35 for 176 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, one of which was a very costly pick-six. Wisconsin just cannot win when it is forced to be a pass-first team. On defense, giving up 17 points isn’t that bad, even though Iowa’s offense isn’t good at all, this is more on the offense. The Badgers had a chance to get back into the Big Ten West discussion with a win, but now they will just fight for bowl eligibility these next two weeks.
8. Michigan State (5-5, 3-4) Last week: 9
Michigan State stayed in the win column with a 27-21 win over Rutgers. The Spartans did hold a 21-7 lead in the third quarter, so the final score looks close, but Rutgers scored in garbage time. Star wide receiver Jayden Reed had a nice day, catching four passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. It was a very solid day for the Michigan State offense, but the defense still had its fair share of struggles. Giving up 460 yards of total offense to Rutgers at home is not ideal. If it wasn’t for Rutgers 14 penalties, this game may have ended differently. Considering how this season has gone, Michigan State is still in position to make a bowl with a win over Indiana this upcoming Saturday.
7. Illinois (7-3, 4-3) Last week: 4
Illinois dream season is starting to slip away after the Illini lost to Purdue 31-24 on Saturday. The defense, which had carried this team, had a big letdown on Saturday. Purdue was able to score 31 points and collect 379 yards of total offense. The game was tied at 21 after the third quarter, but Purdue came out and scored the next 10 points of the game, which was good enough for the win. When Illinois gets behind, it can’t use its best offensive weapon, running back Chase Brown, that leads to problems. With Illinois playing Michigan this upcoming week, its chances of representing the West in the Big Ten title game have gone from great to slim.
6. Iowa (6-4, 4-3) Last week: 8
Somehow, someway, Iowa still has a chance in the Big Ten West after beating Wisconsin 24-10. It was another big day for the Hawkeyes defense as they held the dominant Wisconsin running attack to just 51 yards. This was the seventh time this season that a team failed to score more than 10 points on Iowa. This unit has just been ridiculous this season. The offense still wasn’t great, scoring 17 points. The Hawkeyes once again scored on defense as Cooper DeJean had a pick-six of Graham Mertz. The defense carries this team on both sides of the ball, but it’s working. Winning out would get the Hawkeyes to the Big Ten Championship.
5. Purdue (6-4, 4-3) Last week: 7
What a win it was for Purdue as it upset Illinois 31-24 on Saturday. The offense, which had surprisingly struggled at times this year, showed up by putting up 31 on one of the best defenses in the Big Ten. Quarterback Aidan O’Connell went 25-40 for 237 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. This game was more of what we’re accustomed to seeing from O’Connell and the air raid offense of Purdue. The Boilermakers defense did just enough to get the job done. Holding Illinois to just a late field goal in the fourth quarter was what won Purdue the game. It was a great job on both sides of the ball by Purdue. The Boilermakers look like the favorite to represent the West as of today, but they need another Iowa loss.