East Division

1. Michigan State–Sparty looked pretty good in the first half against the Ducks, but then the wheels came off as they were out scored 28-3 in the second half. They are still by far the best team in the East.

Coming Up: Sept. 13^th Bye

2. Ohio State–The Buckeyes came crashing down to Earth after being hit with one of the three brutal Big Ten losses. JT Barrett was under pressure all night and the Hokie offense did enough to win the game.

Coming Up: Sept. 13^th vs. Kent State- The Bucks will get back into the win column Saturday, but it maybe closer than a five score game.

3. Penn State–The Lions are once again Postseason eligible now that the NCAA reduced their penalties again, and that could propel Penn State to a season to remember. The Lions jump over Michigan this week and are posed to hop OSU if this trend continues, although the rushing attack needs to improve.

Coming Up: Sept 13^th– at Rutgers- A rare early Big Ten matchup between teams that have bad blood already. It will be a great test for both squads as the Scarlet Knight faithful will be ready to rock on Saturday night.

4. Michigan–Michigan was shut out for the first time since 1984 and the Maize and Blue faithful may be questioning how long Brady Hoke will be at the helm. They reverted back to 2013 form as Gardner threw three picks.

Coming Up: Sept. 13^th vs. Miami (OH)- The Redhawks are in ultra rebuilding mode and should be a team for Michigan to fatten up on.

5. Maryland–The Terps won on the road against USF, but did not look great in doing so. This week could help move Maryland up the rankings with a win.

Coming Up: Sept. 13^{th th}– vs. West Virginia- The Terps have a nice home test against a pretty good Big 12 team. Win this and Maryland is in business in the East. It should be a good one in College Park.

T-6. Indiana– The Hoosiers had an early bye in week two and took the time to work on the passing game.

Coming Up: Sept. 13^th at Bowling Green- The Hoosiers won this match up last year 42-10, but a lot has changed since then. The Hoosiers should win this game in a high scoring affair.

T-6. Rutgers– Rutgers won again, but how much does beating Howard count? The Knights dominated the first half, then let the Bison back in the game in the second half.

Coming Up: Sept. 13^th vs. Penn State- What a way to open the Big Ten season with a night game pitting two geographical rivals against one another. A win for the Knights could place them among the top three in the East. It should be a great atmosphere in New Jersey, but how much of the stadium will be in white and blue?

West Division

1. Nebraska–Two Words. Ameer Abdullah. The Huskers couldn’t distance themselves from a Wisconsin team that cannot throw the ball. A bigger test is coming this week as the Huskers head west.

Coming Up: Sept. 13^th at Fresno St.- This game shouldn’t be that difficult as the Bulldogs are rebuilding, but McNesse State shouldn’t have been either. The biggest issue may be the travel for Nebraska.

2. Wisconsin–Wisconsin cannot pass the ball. They only led 9-3 at halftime against the Leathernecks. If the Badgers could find someway to throw the ball better during their bye week they will once again be the favorites to come out of the West.

Coming Up: Sept. 13^th– Bye

3. Minnesota–Minnesota keeps on winning games. They handled a tough MTSU team on a day upsets were springing up all over the place.

Coming Up: Sept. 13^th– at TCU- These aren’t the Andy Dalton Horned Frogs, but traveling to Dallas in early September will be a rough road for the Gophers. The Gophers are going to need to find a way to put points on the board if they are going to keep this one close.

4. Iowa– The Hawkeyes survived a major scare from Ball State. Now they take on rival Iowa State.

Coming Up: Sept. 13^th– Iowa State

5. Illinois–The Illini were involved in a barnburner with WKU. The offense can put up points, however there is an issue with the defense and turnovers. We’ll see how much they have improved when they travel to the Pacific Northwest to play Washington.

Coming Up: Sept 13^th at Washington- The Big Ten rep needs some TLC and Illinois could help that if they can spring the upset over the Huskies. The offense should put up points, but can the defense stop anyone?

6. Northwestern–Another brutal loss for Northwestern as Northern Illinois came into Ryan Field and dominated the ‘Cats. Hopefully this bye week can straighten out the issues in Evanston or else this will be a battle with Purdue for the bottom spot in the West.

Coming Up: Sept. 13^th– BYE

7. Purdue–This team stinks. There has been little improvement from 2013 to now. The Boilers got dominated bye Central Michigan, who ran all over them. There also may be a QB controversy brewing in West Lafayette as Austin Appleby replaced Danny Etling.

Coming Up: Sept. 13^th vs. Notre Dame (Indianapolis)- Purdue will be lucky to put up a field goal in this one. Can Darrell Hazell’s seat be hot after just 14 games? Maybe.

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