East Division

1. Michigan State 3-1 (0-0) –The Spartans closed their non-conference schedule with a big win against Wyoming. They head into Big Ten play in good shape, however they have a major test right off the bat when Nebraska comes to town.

Coming Up: Oct. 4^th vs. Nebraska– Could this be a possible preview of the Big Ten Championship Game? It should be a great one in East Lansing as the Spartan D tries to stop Ameer Abdullah.

2. Ohio State 3-1 (0-0)–Ohio State finished their non-conference schedule with a 3-1 record, however there are a lot of concerns about the Buckeye pass defense.

Coming Up: Oct. 4^th at Maryland- The Buckeyes hit the road for the opening of the Big Ten season. Playing at Maryland may be harder than expected after the Terps shut down Indiana on the road last week. The folks in College Park should be ready to go on Saturday, but the Buckeyes have played in hostile environments before.

3. Maryland 4-1 (1-0)–Maryland started their Big Ten Era with an impressive 37-15 victory of the Hoosiers, but are they ready to take on the big boys of the east? With CJ Brown’s status in question for the game, the outcome could fall into the hands of Caleb Rowe. Rowe threw two touchdowns in relief of Brown last week.

Coming Up: Oct. 4^th vs. Ohio State- If the Terps want to make a splash in the East this season this is the game to show that they belong in the Big Ten. Maryland has the aerial attack to expose the weak Buckeye secondary.

4. Penn State 4-1 (1-1) –The Nittany Lions offense looked bad Saturday in a shocking loss at home to Northwestern. If the offensive line and the running game do not turn it around it could be a long season for PSU.

Coming Up: Oct. 4^th – OPEN

5. Rutgers 4-1 (0-1)–The Scarlet Knights rolled over Tulane last week in an impressive defensive performance. They finished their non-conference slate undefeated and look to score their first conference win when the dumpster fire that is Michigan rolls into Piscataway on Saturday night.

Coming Up: Oct. 4^th= vs. Michigan- Talk about catching a big name team at the right time. The Knights should get their first Big Ten win ever and against a “brand” name. Excitement should be sky high for the folks at Rutgers.

6. Indiana 2-2 (0-1)– The roller coaster ride that has been the 2014 season continued Saturday when the Hoosiers took the fall from grace and got dominated by Maryland. The offense put up fewer than 350 yards and only managed 15 points.

Coming Up: Oct. 4^th– vs. North Texas- Indiana needs to win this game, heck they should be able to beat a non-power 5 school at home right? I expect the Hoosiers to bounce back because that’s what they have done under head coach Kevin Wilson.

7. Michigan 2-3 (0-1)– The reason Michigan is number seven and not six is because this is a full blown nuclear level disaster in Ann Arbor. Combining the fact that Minnesota reclaimed the Little Brown Jug in a dominating win with the issues going on with ticket promotions, and the accusations that head coach Brady Hoke knowingly played QB Shane Morris with a head injury has caused this tire fire to turn into a head-shaking situation.

Coming Up: Oct. 4^th– at Rutgers- Does a loss here mean that Brady Hoke could be left in the swamps of Jersey like Jimmy Hoffa? Maybe. This may be the perfect time for a road trip for this team. The need to get out of Ann Arbor, but a fired up Piscataway may not be the destination of choice.

West Division

1. Nebraska 5-0 (1-0)–The Huskers took care of business against a bad Illinois team. Now comes a real test when they travel to East Lansing to take on the reigning Big Ten champs.

Coming Up: Oct. 4^th– at Michigan State- Nebraska’s toughest test to date no doubt, but if they can get Abdullah running well and the defense on track they have a shot at pulling off the upset.

2. Wisconsin 3-1 (0-0) –Wisconsin wasn’t overly impressive closing out their non-con schedule with a 27-10 win over South Florida. They will open up Big Ten play by traveling to Evanston to take on an upstart Northwestern squad.

Coming Up: Oct. 4^th– at Northwestern- There is no reason to think that the Badgers don’t win in a quasi-home game. Northwestern will be fired up, but could this be a let down game after a big win.

3. Minnesota 4-1 (1-0)–The Gophers won the Little Brown Jug for the first time in nearly a decade. They have a week off to enjoy it and get ready for Northwestern

Coming Up: Oct. 4^th– OPEN

4. Iowa 4-1 (1-0)– A win is a win is a win right? The Hawkeyes still do not look impressive as they held off a putrid Purdue squad 24-10. Maybe this open week will allow them to improve the offense and get ready for the Hoosiers

Coming Up: Oct. 4^th– OPEN

5. Northwestern 2-2 (1-0)–The Wildcats have a winning streak thanks to the upset of Penn State in Happy Valley. This week the Badgers come into town with their rushing attack

Coming Up: October 4^th– vs. Wisconsin- Northwestern is in for a tough day if they cannot stop the Wisconsin run game. It may be competitive early, but the Badgers will wear you out running the ball.

6. Illinois 3-2 (0-1)–Did anyone expect this to go any differently? I didn’t think so. Nebraska rolled to a 45-14 victory and brought the Illini back to Earth.

Coming Up: October 4^th– vs. Purdue- In what might be the worst game of the year in the Big Ten the Illini will look to score just their second conference win since 2011. It could happen.

7. Purdue 2-3 (0-1)–People are getting restless in West Lafayette. This team has not progressed like they expected. After a 24-10 loss to Iowa, Purdue heads to Illinois in a battle for last place in the West.

Coming Up: Oct. 4^th– at Illinois- This is the best chance for the Boilermakers to win their first conference game since 2012. If they lose it could be another winless year in the Big Ten and maybe even a search for a new coach and athletic director.

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