My final Big Ten football power rankings
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Nothing against the Big Ten Championship game, but the two best teams in the conference won't be there on Saturday in Indianapolis.
Wisconsin and Penn State will meet in the title game, but they only finished third and fourth, respectively, in my final Big Ten power rankings.
The top spot goes to Ohio State as a result of defeating Michigan in overtime this past Saturday in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes finished the regular season at 11-1, their only loss coming at Penn State on Oct. 22 by a slim 24-21 margin. Ohio State also pounded Oklahoma 45-24 in the third game of the season in Norman, Okla., and won at Wisconsin 30-23 in overtime on Oct. 15.
Penn State might have seized the moment against Ohio State this season. But I still think the Buckeyes have accomplished more this season, in addition to being more talented. I'd be willing to say that Ohio State would defeat Penn State at least six or seven times if they played 10 games.
It only takes one game to produce an upset.
Iowa finished in the fifth spot after closing the regular season with three consecutive victories, highlighted by the 14-13 upset over Michigan on Nov. 12 at Kinnick Stadium.
1. Ohio State (8-1, 11-1) – Thoughts and prayers to the folks in Columbus. Sadly an incredible weekend was tainted by more senseless violence.
2. Michigan (7-2, 10-2) – Jim Harbaugh had a right to complain about the officiating during the overtime loss to Ohio State because there were some questionable calls. But he went way too far with his criticism and his team also self-destructed more than any official did.
3. Wisconsin (7-2, 10-2) – Maybe Barry Alvarez should consider giving himself a raise for hiring Paul Chryst.
4. Penn State (8-1, 10-2) – Please, no statues of James Franklin. At least, not yet.
5. Iowa (6-3, 8-4) – Penn State running back Saquon Barkley did Iowa a favor by more or less accusing the Iowa players of quitting during their game on Nov. 5. Iowa hasn’t been the same since then, especially on defense, allowing just 23 points in the past three games.
6. Nebraska (6-3, 9-3) – Nebraska almost doubled its win total in the regular season compared to last season, and yet it feels like another failed attempt to be relevant again
7. Minnesota (6-3, 8-4) – To sort of borrow a line from the late Dennis Green, the Gophers are what most expected them to be; a good team, but far from great.
8. Northwestern (5-4, 6-6) – The Wildcats have a way of making average look pretty good.
9. Indiana (4-5, 6-6) – The Hoosiers are bowl eligible at 6-6. That might be a sign that there are too many bowl games.
10. Maryland (3-6, 6-6) – The comment about Indiana fits here, too.
11. Michigan State (1-8, 3-9) – Of all the collapses this season by elite programs, none were as startling or as unexpected as Michigan State’s sudden fall from grace.
12. Purdue (1-8, 3-9) – There are rumors that Purdue is trying to finalize a deal with Western Michigan head coach P.J. Fleck. That would be a great hire, at least from a perception standpoint.
13. Illinois (2-7, 3-9) – The best thing about Lovie Smith’s first season as head coach is that it’s finally over.
14. Rutgers (0-9, 2-10) – The worst thing about Chris Ash’s first season as head coach is that it had to start.