By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Iowa football team is on the rise in my latest Big Ten power rankings, and deservedly so.

Iowa still hasn’t defeated a ranked opponent midway through the season, and might only get one chance to do it against Penn State. But with exception to the two teams ranked above Iowa in my power rankings, no team in the conference is playing better than the Hawkeyes.

I gave some consideration to ranking Michigan on top, but it didn’t seem fair to punish Ohio State for being undefeated, even with a slime ball as head coach.

The Wolverines are certainly on the rise under fourth-year head coach Jim Harbaugh, and it’s about time.

I even like Michigan’s chances against Ohio State in their annual showdown in November.

But unless the Buckeyes lose, they will remain on top.

And Rutgers still occupies the basement, although, winless Nebraska is making a serious push for that dubius spot.

1. Ohio State, 4-0, 7-0 – Urban Meyer admits to P.J. Fleck before their game this past Saturday that he can’t remember how to row a boat.

2. Michigan, 4-0, 6-1 – The best thing Jim Harbaugh has done is hire Don Brown as his defensive coordinator, and it didn’t even require having a sleepover.

3. Iowa, 2-1, 5-1 – Iowa’s victories now come with style points and with television broadcasters questioning whether Kirk Ferentz is running up the score.

4. Michigan State, 2-1, 4-2 – This is probably too high for the Spartans, but at least they won on Saturday.

5. Penn State, 1-2, 4-2 – Penn State fans might want to start looking the other way, given recent results.

6. Wisconsin, 2-1, 4-2 – It wouldn’t surprise me if Barry Alvarez already has shed his red athletic director’s blazer for a whistle and a playbook in response to Saturday’s beat down at Michigan.

7. Northwestern, 3-1, 3-3 – The Fighting Fitzgeralds avoided a serious case of Frost bite this past Saturday.  

8. Purdue, 2-1, 3-3 – Purdue is the best 3-3 team east of Ames.

9. Maryland, 2-1, 4-2 – Maryland is one of those just-when-you-think teams in that just when you think it’s good or bad, it proves you wrong.

10. Minnesota, 0-3, 3-3 – P.J. Fleck is learning the hard way that it takes having an engine to survive in the Big Ten because rowing the boat just isn't enough.

11. Indiana, 1-3, 4-3 – Even if Indiana had defeated Iowa on Saturday, it would’ve been a sidebar to the news that local five-star hoops recruit Trayce Jackson-Davis had trimmed his list to Indiana, UCLA and Michigan State.

12. llinois, 1-2, 3-3 – Fair to say that Lovie Smith is making more money than Illinois is making progress under his watch, if that makes any sense.

13. Nebraska, 0-4, 0-6 – With six games still remaining, a majority of Cornhusker fans still haven’t ruled out making a bowl game in Scott Frost’s first season.

14. Rutgers, 0-4, 1-6 – With five games still remaining, Rutgers fans have reason to rejoice with the season now being more than half over.