The Fort's Big Ten Power Rankings: Week 4 – Top tier gets muddier as non-conference ends

The Michigan Wolverines are through with non-conference play and now looking ahead to Big Ten play to defend their conference crown. After hundreds of gathered responses on The Fort, The Wolverine’s premium message board, the Wolverines are still your top team in the Big Ten heading into the fourth week of the season.

Each week, we will give the community the chance to power rank the teams in the Big Ten Conference. Below is The Wolverine community’s ranking of how they see things after the second week of the season.

1. Michigan (54.9% of first-place votes)

Previous rank: 1

There is a lot of prisoner-of-the-moment-type takes going on with Michigan football after a non-conference slate that did not fire a ton of people up. But of course, the Michigan site was always going to have Michigan fans overwhelmingly voting for Michigan. Now, things are starting to even out and people are realizing the Big Ten East for the dogfight it will be at the top.

The truth is that Michigan hasn’t done anything to be removed from this spot, but it does need to wake up. Penn State and OSU are coming, and the Wolverines have the better part of 7 weeks before the stretch run starts to run into championship form.

2. Penn State (42.9% of second-place votes)

Previous rank: 2

The Nittany Lions hold firm at No. 2 this week, but OSU is making a push, too. Not many people will get fired up about a 30-13 win at Illinois, but winning on the road in this conference is hard. A game against Iowa is up this weekend that could shake up these power rankings potentially.

3. Ohio State (41.4% of third-place votes)

Previous rank: 3

The Buckeyes looked like their typical selves on Saturday against Western Kentucky, putting up 63 points, 35 of which came in the second quarter. A game at Notre Dame this weekend is a huge test for a team that is still trying to prove itself.

4. Iowa (55.9% of fourth-place votes)

Previous rank: 4

Cade McNamara has the Hawkeyes at 3-0 and they look like the favorite in the Big Ten West right now. We are about to find out how good they really are with a night game coming up at Penn State on Saturday night.

5. Maryland (45.6% of fifth-place votes)

Previous rank: 5

Maryland exited non-conference play undefeated and has a legitimate shot at a 5-0 start with games up next against Michigan State and Indiana heading into an Oct. 7 game at Ohio State. And when you look ahead, this looks like a team that could have a shot at a nine-win season. We often wait for the other shoe to trip with this program, so we will see what happens.

6. Wisconsin (45.6% of seventh-place votes)

Previous rank: 7

Wisconsin has been up and down at times so far this year but enters Big Ten play with a 2-1 record and a good shot at winning eight or more games. The west pecking order is always to be sorted out, but we have the Oct. 14 game against Iowa in Madison as one to watch.

7. Minnesota (33.8% of sixth-place votes)

Previous rank: 6

Whether at the bottom of the second tier or top of the third grouping in the conference, it is tough to put a finger on what exactly Minnesota is. It plays Michigan and Iowa in back-to-back weeks on Oct. 7-14, and that should go a long way in determining if this team has a shot to come out of the West division.

8. Rutgers (22.8% of 12th-place votes)

Previous rank: 12

Rutgers is a pretty convincing 3-0 right now and has a chance to make a statement when it heads to Ann Arbor this weekend for a showdown with Michigan. Bowl eligibility is not out of the question if Rutgers takes care of business against some of the lower-tier teams in the conference.

9. Illinois (25.0 of ninth-place votes)

Previous rank: 9

There was not any movement on the Illini this week after a loss to Penn State. But they do not have the same caliber of talent as last year’s group did. But you are never out of it in the Big Ten West, and Bret Bielema still has them playing a stout, physical brand of football.

10. Purdue (32.4% of 10th-place votes)

Previous rank: 10

Purdue is 1-2 on the year after losses to Fresno State and Syracuse at home and a win at Virginia Tech. Wisconsin comes to town on Friday night a game that will either give this season new life or potentially be a sign of things to come in the conference race.

11. Nebraska (21.8% of 11th-place votes)

Previous rank: 11

Nebraska finally grabbed a victory this weekend after season-opening losses at Minnesota and Colorado. The Cornhuskers switched to quarterback Heinrich Haarberg in a 35-11 win over Northern Illinois, where he went 14-for-24 for 158 yards and two touchdowns while rushing 21 times for 98 yards and a score. They get Louisiana Tech at home this weekend before welcoming Michigan on Sept. 30.

12. Michigan State (23.4% of eighth-place votes)

Previous rank: 8

Michigan State gave up a program-record 713 yards to Michael Penix Jr. and Washington last week, which was support to be an inspired, rally-the-troops game for a program going through turbulent times. It is clear that things are going to only get uglier before they get better after Mel Tucker’s dismissal. This could be a spot in the power rankings earmarked for Sparty the rest of the way.

13. Indiana (37.3% of 13th-place votes)

Previous rank: 13

Indiana is 1-2 after losses to Ohio State and Louisville and a win over Indiana State. The Hoosiers play Akron on Saturday, which could be one of their last chances for a win this season.

14. Northwestern (89.4% of 14th-place votes)

Previous rank: 14

Once again, the vast majority of folks have the Wildcats set here. We do not see this changing anytime soon.