Harty: My first Big Ten football power rankings for 2015
IOWA CITY, Iowa – An Iowa football season that seemed to take forever to finally get here is now suddenly one-fourth complete.
It’s been a season filled with mixed emotions, caused by Iowa’s 3-0 record on the field and by unimaginable tragedy off it.
The pressure was on Kirk Ferentz to make his 17th season as head coach something special. And right now, the Hawkeyes are on course to do that heading into Saturday’s game against North Texas at Kinnick Stadium.
Iowa and Northwestern, which is also 3-0, would have to rank as the Big Ten’s two biggest overachievers at this point, while Nebraska and Penn State would be the two biggest underachievers.
Here is the first of four Big Ten power rankings that I will compile this season. The next three power rankings will come after the sixth, ninth and final regular season games.
1. Ohio State 3-0 0-0 – How good are the defending national champion Buckeyes?
They’re 3-0, are averaging over 400 yards offense per game and have outscored their opponents 100-37, and yet they’re perceived as being off to a poor start because two of the three games have been competitive.
From a talent standpoint, Ohio State is in a class by itself and that ultimately should prevail. However, the competition at quarterback between Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett still is unsettled and that could become a distraction.
2. Michigan State 3-0, 0-0 – Not since the mid-1960s has Michigan State had this level of success for this long. The Spartans are well on their way to winning at least 11 games for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. The defense is solid as usual, but the Spartans are now more explosive on offense behind senior quarterback Connor Cook and senior receiver Aaron Burbridge, who leads the Big Ten with 374 receiving yards.
3. Northwestern: 3-0, 0-0 – After back-to-back 5-7 seasons, the Wildcats are healthy and back to playing the kind of fundamentally-sound football that’s expected from a Pat Fitzgerald-coached team. Instead of finding ways to lose games like the previous two seasons, Northwestern is doing just the opposite this season, thanks, mostly to a stingy defense – the Wildcats have allowed just 16 points in three games – and a potent ground attack that leads the Big Ten in rushing at 256.7 yards per game.
4. Wisconsin 2-1, 0-0 – Despite looking overmatched against Alabama in the season opener, the Badgers shouldn’t be penalized too harshly for playing a tough non-conference opponent. However, their hold on the fourth spot is shaky at best.
It’s strange seeing the Badgers ranked last in the Big Ten in rushing, but that’s where they stand right now, averaging just 142.7 yards per game. An injury to starting running back Corey Clement has exposed Wisconsin’s lack of depth at a position where depth is usually a strength.
Paul Chryst was without question a convenient hire as head coach. He’s a former Badger assistant under Barry Alvarez and a native of Madison, Wis. But Chryst is also Wisconsin’s third head coach since 2012. That’s a lot of change in a short time for any program, even one as stable as Wisconsin.
5. Iowa 3-0, 0-0 – Many factors have contributed to Iowa’s success, but the four that stand out the most are C.J. Beathard’s presence at quarterback, a more productive rushing attack, better defense against the run and improved special teams.
Beathard has shown an uncanny ability to make big plays at pivotal times, both as a passer and runner. But he also has absorbed some vicious hits, especially against Pittsburgh, after which he said he expected to be very sore over the next few days.
I thought about putting Iowa ahead of Wisconsin, but decided to wait and see what happens when they face each other on Oct. 3 in Madison, Wis.
6. Minnesota 2-1, 0-0 – The Gophers might be a cure for insomnia on offense, but they rarely self-destruct under head coach Jerry Kill and they get after it on defense. Minnesota has to improve its rushing attack, which is currently ranked next to last in the Big Ten, because its passing attack with quarterback Mitch Leidner isn’t good enough to lead the way.
7. Michigan 2-1, 0-0 – Former Iowa quarterback Jake Rudock has performed as you would expect as a serviceable game manager who now and then provides a spark. With each game, though, the Wolverines have looked a little better under new head coach Jim Harbaugh. The offense is limited with Rudock playing quarterback, but the defense is showing signs of being a force. Combine that with Harbaugh’s influence and the Wolverines could be better than expected.
8. Nebraska 1-2, 0-0 – The Cornhuskers are ranked ahead of four teams with better records mostly because of their tough nonconference schedule. Nebraska lost at home to Brigham Young on a Hail Mary pass as time expired and at Miami (Fla.) this past Saturday. Being 1-2 under first-year head coach Mike Riley doesn’t meet Nebraska’s high standards, but the schedule has to count for something.
9. Penn State 2-1, 1-0 – This is only James Franklin’s second season as head coach, but I still expected more from this team, especially on offense. Penn State’s offensive line has been a sieve, allowing 10 sacks during the season-opening loss to Temple. Junior quarterback Christian Hackenberg apparently has NFL scouts drooling, but he’s been average at best under Franklin.
10. Maryland 2-1, 0-0 – The Terrapins have some talented players sprinkled throughout the roster, just not enough to be much better than a .500 team.
11. Illinois 2-1, 0-0 – Life after Tim Beckman looked promising when Illinois pounded Kent State and Western Illinois by scores of 52-3 and 44-0, respectively. Those two victories now look like fool’s gold in the wake of last Saturday’s 48-14 loss at North Carolina.
12. Indiana 3-0, 0-0 – The Hoosiers are undefeated and underwhelming at the same time. The offense behind quarterback Nate Sudfeld is capable of scoring lots of points, while the Hoosier defense is incapable of preventing lots of points from being scored. It’s been that way since Kevin Wilson became the head coach in 2011.
13. Purdue 1-2, 0-0 – Returning 16 starters is usually considered a positive, but not in the case of lowly Purdue. Darrel Hazell faced a huge rebuilding job when he took over before the 2013 season. He is now in his third season, but it’s hard to see where progress is being made.
14. Rutgers 1-2, 0-1 – You have to wonder if Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany has buyer’s remorse where Rutgers is concerned. Rutgers hasn’t performed well on the field since joining the conference, but its performance off the field has been much worse with multiple player getting arrested and kicked off the team and with head coach Kyle Flood being suspended for three games.