Big Ten Power Rankings

[HuskerLuke]

1. Ohio State

2. Michigan

3. Nebraska

4. Michigan State

5. Wisconsin

6. Northwestern

7. Purdue

Cmon, you can't have Michigan at #2. They got rocked. The final score doesn't look as bad as the game was. Alabama was 2 blown coverages away from shutting out UM, and Saban could've dropped 60some points in that game if he felt like it. I don't deny Alabama is phenomenal and a legit national title contender again, but I'm very confident that Ohio State, Nebraska, and Michigan State would've all put up a much better fight than that.

Edit: Wisconsin too. They looked awful but I think they'd have managed to leverage their running game into a respectable looking loss.

 

[Excel]

They looked awful but I think they'd have managed to leverage their running game into a respectable looking loss.

Please elaborate.

 

[HuskerLuke]

Please elaborate.

Sure. I think Wisconsin was unfocused and greatly underachieved against an FCS foe. If they played Alabama, I think they'd have brought close to their A-game. And with Ball, White, and what should be another really good offensive line, I think Wisconsin manages avoid the 3 and out/turnover fest that made the Michigan game so ridiculously ugly. Also, Danny O'Brien isn't Russell Wilson, but he's also a competent thrower, something Denard Robinson is not. Mind you, any B1G team would still decisively lose, but I think in Wisconsin's case, they have enough ball control to keep it from getting completely out of hand. Probably something in the neighborhood of 34-17, and that's assuming away the flukiness that made the Michigan game look closer than it was.

 

[Excel]

Please elaborate.

Sure. I think Wisconsin was unfocused and greatly underachieved against an FCS foe. If they played Alabama, I think they'd have brought close to their A-game. And with Ball, White, and what should be another really good offensive line, I think Wisconsin manages avoid the 3 and out/turnover fest that made the Michigan game so ridiculously ugly. Also, Danny O'Brien isn't Russell Wilson, but he's also a competent thrower, something Denard Robinson is not. Mind you, any B1G team would still decisively lose, but I think in Wisconsin's case, they have enough ball control to keep it from getting completely out of hand. Probably something in the neighborhood of 34-17, and that's assuming away the flukiness that made the Michigan game look closer than it was.

Ok I get what you're saying. I didn't realize you were talking as if UW were to play Bama. I agree with your assessment of the team and our game against UNI but think that had we played Bama in week one the Tide would work us over worse than they did UM. Our DBs need tons of work and I'd hate to see DOB thrown against a Saban defense in his first game as a Badger.

 

[bshirt]

Even Lee Barfknecht moved the Huskers to #1. I didn't think I'd live to see the day.

Barfy??? No way!!

 

[MSUFAN4320]

Why does everyone have Michigan State ranked so high? I don't get it. They have no offense outside of Leveon Bell. None. Yeah, the defense is impressive, but it's not good enough to rank them as high as people are.

I don't think offenses peak in week 1. The passing game will be fine.

That wasn't a matter of "peaking". There was no passing game. I'm not necessarily saying the offense is gonna be as bad as it looked against Boise State all year long, but your guys didn't give me a reason not to believe it, either.

There are some things to correct (mostly stupid unforced errors) but it's not like the passing game was anemic. I guess we could have started the season with Central Michigan. Maxwell would have thrown for 280 yards and 2-3 TDs and everyone would say how good he looked. We'll see, but I think the passing game is going to be just fine. Just gotta run more play-action. Having Bell back there as a threat should keep defenses honest, and WRs open. Plus Sims is a beast for us at TE. I think it would be unwise to write off our offense after 1 game.

Agreed, but you guys lost a lot in Cunningham, Martin, and Nichols leaving. Smart teams will load the box and make Maxwell throw

to the inexperienced WRs. That doesnt bode well for an offense, see Nebraska during the Callahan days.

Sure, but those guys started off slow as well. Also, this crop of receivers has more speed and athleticism than those guys sans Martin.

People say we have nothing outside of Bell, yet the stats indicate we were pretty balanced in that game vs Boise. We actually had more passing yards than rushing yards. Just have to cut out the boneheaded turnovers and we'll be fine. If anybody's banking on us turning it over 4 times a game every game, I think they'll be sorely mistaken.

We only need to average about 250 passing yards a game and we'll be fine.

 

[Foppa]

Overall the Big 10 is a very weak conference. Michigan showed they were pretty hopeless. Wisconsin should have lost to the third best team in Iowa. Ohio State is on probation. Michigan State snuck by Boise State. Syracuse put up over 40 points on Northwestern. Iowa is just awful and doesn't have a running back. Penn State will be bad for the next ten years.

You all can be a big fish in a small pond - kind of like those Big 8 days.

Or you can be a little fish in a smaller pond and go 6-8 while losing to a sub-par B1G school in the Kraft Nobody Cares Bowl.

 

[Excel]

Overall the Big 10 is a very weak conference. Michigan showed they were pretty hopeless. Wisconsin should have lost to the third best team in Iowa. Ohio State is on probation. Michigan State snuck by Boise State. Syracuse put up over 40 points on Northwestern. Iowa is just awful and doesn't have a running back. Penn State will be bad for the next ten years.

You all can be a big fish in a small pond - kind of like those Big 8 days.

Or you can be a little fish in a smaller pond and go 6-8 while losing to a sub-par B1G school in the Kraft Nobody Cares Bowl.

We may not get along but I'll still +1 that.

 

[The Dude]

We normally get a lot of good people visiting Huskerboard during game week, but whenever it's a Pac-Whatever opponent, we just get trolls.

Anyone remember those Washington trolls? *shudders*

 

[deedsker]

We normally get a lot of good people visiting Huskerboard during game week, but whenever it's a Pac-Whatever opponent, we just get trolls.

Anyone remember those Washington trolls? *shudders*

 

[walksalone]

Overall the Big 10 is a very weak conference. Michigan showed they were pretty hopeless. Wisconsin should have lost to the third best team in Iowa. Ohio State is on probation. Michigan State snuck by Boise State. Syracuse put up over 40 points on Northwestern. Iowa is just awful and doesn't have a running back. Penn State will be bad for the next ten years.

You all can be a big fish in a small pond - kind of like those Big 8 days.

 

[junior4949]

I'm not sure where I'd rank the teams in the Big 10 yet as we really need to see more than just one game. However, can anyone honestly say any of the Big 10 teams would have done much better against Alabama than Michigan did? I know we'd all like to think we could, but I just don't know.

 

[walksalone]

I'm not sure where I'd rank the teams in the Big 10 yet as we really need to see more than just one game. However, can anyone honestly say any of the Big 10 teams would have done much better against Alabama than Michigan did? I know we'd all like to think we could, but I just don't know.

If you want to base it off of that, outside of USC & Oregon, everyone else in the PAC-12 would get "pantsed" by 'Bama. I guess I'm just a homer, but I'd like our chances, Mich St, Wisky's, and maybe even Ohio St's chance against 'Bama.

 

[HuskerShark]

I'm not sure where I'd rank the teams in the Big 10 yet as we really need to see more than just one game. However, can anyone honestly say any of the Big 10 teams would have done much better against Alabama than Michigan did? I know we'd all like to think we could, but I just don't know.

If you want to base it off of that, outside of USC & Oregon, everyone else in the PAC-12 would get "pantsed" by 'Bama. I guess I'm just a homer, but I'd like our chances, Mich St, Wisky's, and maybe even Ohio St's chance against 'Bama.

I'm not sure I would like our chances. Not yet anyways...

Michigan State? No. Boise picked them off 3 times and returned one to the house. Just think about what Bama's D would do to them...

Wisky? Not from the performance they put up on Saturday. Maybe later in the season once their OL gets in a groove, but not at the moment.

Ohio State? It's possible. They looked pretty pathetic vs MiamiOH in the 1st quarter but once they turned it on, they dominated and looked damn good IMO. And MiamiOH isn't a sluff of an opponent.