Noel’s Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 1

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Every Monday,  I’ll release my weekly Big Ten Power Rankings. 

Every team in the Big Ten has now played at least one game. How do the teams stack up after heading into Week 2?

  1. Michigan (1-0) 

The reigning conference champs started their season with a victory over Colorado State, 51-7. Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara didn’t sound too happy after the game when asked about sharing quarterback duties with J.J. McCarthy. How will Harbaugh handle this for the rest of the season? 

Next Up: Hawaii 

  1. Ohio State (1-0) 

It was the Buckeyes’ defense that stole the show from the offense as Ohio State shut out No.5 Notre Dame over the final 42 minutes in a 21-10 victory. Without his top WR for most of the game, C.J. Stroud still threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns.

Next up: Arkansas State 

  1. Minnesota (1-0)

Minnesota out-grained New Mexico State on offense 485 to 91 in total yards. The Gophers’ defense was only on the field for less than 16 minutes as they shut out the Aggies. Mo Ibrahim looked great as he scored twice and ran for 132 yards. 

Next Up: Western Illinois 

  1. Wisconsin (1-0) 

Braelon Allen rushed for 148 yards, including a 96-yard touchdown, as the Badgers shut out Illinois State. The Badgers’ first score was a 100-yard interception return by John Torchio. 

Next Up: Washington State 

  1. Penn State (1-0) 

With 57 seconds left in the game, Sean Clifford hooked up with Keyvone Lee to lead Penn State over Purdue, 35-31. Battling cramps in the second half, Clifford led the Nittany Lions with 282 yards in the air and four touchdowns. 

Next Up: Ohio 

  1. Michigan State (1-0)

The Spartans beat a good Western Michigan team 35-13. Wisconsin transfer Jalen Berger ran for 120 yards and a touchdown. Bad news for Michigan State is the loss of linebacker Darius Snow, who is out for the season with a leg injury. 

Next Up: Akron

  1. Purdue (0-1) 

Quarterback Aidan O’Connell threw for 356 yards and a touchdown. His favorite target was Charlie Jones, who had 12 catches for 153 yards. The Boilermakers start their season with a conference loss to Penn State, 35 – 31.

Next Up: Indiana State

8. Maryland (1-0)

Remember the name of Roman Hemby. The Maryland running back had 114 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries. Maryland starts the season off with a win over Buffalo, 31-10. 

Next Up: @ Charlotte

  1. Northwestern (1-0)

The Wildcats were off this past weekend but started the season well in week zero over Nebraska in Dublin, Ireland. Running back Evan Hull had himself a day, rushing for 119 yards along with five catches for 55 yards. Northwestern’s offense puts up over 500 yards in an upset victory. 

Next Up: Duke

  1. Rutgers (1-0)

The Scarlet Knights scored the last ten points of the game to rally past Boston College, 22-21. It wasn’t the prettiest game for Rutgers as they had 10 penalties and were 4-14 on third down. Rutgers entered the game as nine-point underdogs. 

Next Up: Wagner 

  1. Indiana (1-0) 

Great start of the season for Tom Allen and the Hoosiers as they beat Illinois to start the season 1-0 in conference play. Connor Bazelak threw for 330 yards with a touchdown and an interception. 

Next Up: Idaho

  1. Iowa (1-0) 

The Hawkeye defense scored more points than the offense 4-3 as Iowa hung on to beat South Dakota State 7-3. Not the best day for Spencer Petras as he finished the day with a quarterback rating of 1.1. Iowa’s defense looked great but a lot to worry about in the offense. 

Next Up: Iowa State 

  1. Illinois (1-1) 

After dominating Wyoming 38-6 in week zero, Illinois couldn’t hold off Indiana as the Hoosiers scored with 23 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Keep an eye on running back Chase Brown, who is already averaging 150 yards on the ground. 

Next Up: Virginia 

  1. Nebraska (1-1) 

The Huskers’ offense may have finally found their running back in Anthony Grant, but they have yet to find a defense that can play consistently. Nebraska couldn’t stop Northwestern in week one and struggled against North Dakota this past week. 

Next Up: Georgia Southern

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