The Lima News midseason Big Ten power rankings

Here are my Big Ten power rankings at midseason:

1. Ohio State (6-0). Even injuries to key players haven’t slowed down the Buckeyes.

2. Michigan (6-0). If Michigan beats Penn State on Saturday it probably will be undefeated when it plays Ohio State.

3. Penn State (5-0). Penn State had a bye week last week to prepare for Michigan.

4. Illinois (5-1). The Illini got their first win over Iowa since 2008 last week and continue to surprise people.

5. Minnesota (4-1). Minnesota was 4-0 with running back Mohamed Ibrahim in the lineup before losing to Purdue without him because of a sprained ankle. He is expected to play against Illinois on Saturday.

6. Purdue (4-2). Back to back road wins at Minnesota and Maryland announced the Boilermakers as a Big Ten West contender.

7. Maryland (4-2). The Terrapins’ only Big Ten win is over Michigan State.

8. Wisconsin (3-3). If Wisconsin had played all season like it did in a 42-7 win over Northwestern last Saturday, Paul Chryst would still be its coach.

9. Iowa (3-3). Iowa’s offense has scored seven touchdowns in six games. Its defense is very good, though, and gives up only 9.8 points a game.

10. Nebraska (3-3). The Cornhuskers are 2-1 since Scott Frost was fired.

11. Rutgers (3-3). Rutgers’ biggest problem is its passing game. It ranks No. 114 nationally in passing yardage.

12. Indiana (3-3). The Hoosiers rank thirteenth in the Big Ten in scoring and last in points allowed. That’s not a winning formula.

13. Michigan State (2-4). An 11-win season last year created big expectations but the Spartans don’t have the talent to back them up.

14. Northwestern (1-5). Northwestern hasn’t won since its season opener against Nebraska.

Jim Naveau
Jim Naveau has covered local and high school sports for The Lima News since 1978 and Ohio State football since 1992. His OSU coverage appears in more than 30 newspapers. Naveau, a Miami University graduate, also worked at the Greenville Advocate and the Piqua Daily Call. He has seen every boys state basketball tournament since 1977. Reach him at [email protected] or 567-242-0414.