Greg McElroy ranks Top 4 teams in Big Ten after Week 2

The gap between Ohio State and the rest of the Big Ten after Week 2 is “fairly significant,” according to ESPN analyst Greg McElroy, who ranked the top four teams in the league Wednesday on “Always College Football with Greg McElroy.”

That said, McElroy provided insight on the other three teams that make up the top of the Big Ten, including an upstart squad that has a clear path to a 7-0 start.

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Plus, McElroy left out a preseason favorite to contend with Ohio State for the Big Ten crown. On3 has the rundown of McElroy’s post-Week 2 Big Ten rankings.

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1. Ohio State (2-0)

Ohio State has allowed six points and 2.46 yards per play through two games. Granted the Buckeyes have played back-to-back games against MAC opponents to start the year, but they look as advertised, like a national title contender. Kansas State graduate transfer quarterback Will Howard has command of the offense, which just piled up 686 yard against Western Michigan, and true freshman wideout Jeremiah Smith is a star, not to mention the two-headed monster of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins in the backfield.

“Ohio State’s No. 1 by a fairly significant margin,” McElroy said. “I thought that this league was going to be kind of tight at the top between Ohio State and a former Pac-12 program. I just thought that Pac-12 program would be Oregon. It’s not. It’s USC.”

2. USC (2-0)

USC made a statement in Week 1 when it took down then-No. 13 LSU in Las Vegas. It’s not just that the Trojans beat the Tigers — it’s how they did it. Led by new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, USC limited LSU to 113 rushing yards and allowed just 20 points, a year removed from ranking 119th in rushing defense (186.46 rushing yards per game allowed) and 121st in scoring defense (34.4 points per game allowed). Quarterback Miller Moss and the Trojans kept their foot on the gas last week with a 48-0 win over Utah State.

“I have USC as the No. 2 team right now, based on what I saw against LSU,” McElroy said. “I like their quarterback. I think the defense is significantly improved. They got great weapons on the perimeter. So I think USC right now occupies that No. 2 spot.”

3. Penn State (2-0)

McElroy has Penn State as his No. 3 team in the Big Ten right now. The Nittany Lions got a scare from Bowling Green last week, holding off the MAC’s Falcons, 34-27, in State College. Penn State gave up 24 points and 286 total yards in the first half. Tackling and communication errors were a thorn in the side of coordinator Tom Allen’s defense. Allen’s group responded in the second half and, thanks to a pair of interceptions, helped the Nittany Lions secure a win. It’s also worth noting that the Penn State offense is second in the Big Ten at the moment with 14 plays of 20-plus yards from scrimmage this season.

“While Penn State looked terrible on the defensive side of the football in the first half last week against Bowling Green, they figured it out in the second half,” McElroy said. “They really tightened up their coverage. They were better along the line of scrimmage. And I still think, based on what I’ve seen through two weeks, Penn State is a far more capable offense than they were at any point last year.”

4. Nebraska (2-0)

McElroy doesn’t have Oregon — still the No. 9 team in the AP Poll despite its early-season struggles — in his top four. Instead, he has Nebraska rounding out the group. The Cornhuskers are coming off a 28-10 win over Colorado, an 18-point victory that was even more decisive than the score suggests. True freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola is off to a fantastic start, living up to his high school hype through two games. What’s maybe more impressive is that the Nebraska defense has now held nine straight opponents to 24 points or fewer, dating back to last season.

“Fresh off a beatdown of the Colorado Buffaloes, Nebraska is in the top four,” McElroy said. “I love their defensive line. I really love their defensive line. I think the back end of their defense is solid. Their quarterback is going to continue to get better, but at this point, you know what he’s doing? He’s not turning the ball over. Dylan Raiola for a freshman, not turning it over and not taking unnecessary risks — that was their undoing last year. They turned it over time and time again, which led to defeats. He’s not doing that this year. He’s distributing the football and looks like he’s very poised for the moment to take Nebraska to the next level.”