Written by Evan McShane

Week one is in the books and the Big Ten went 12-2 in their 14 games, with the only losses being teams traveling out west (Purdue, Northwestern). Here are the post-week one power rankings.

1) Ohio State (1-0, 0-0)

Defeated Florida Atlantic 45-21

While no one doubted the talent level of quarterback Justin Fields, there were questions about whether the new look Buckeyes would be as explosive as they have been. Fields immediately answered those questions, passing for three touchdowns and rushing for one more in the first quarter against Florida Atlantic. Ohio State finished the day out-gaining FAU 469 yards to 228. The Buckeyes were balanced on offense with 232 passing yards and 237 rushing yards. However, Ohio State couldn’t quite keep their foot on the pedal after the opening quarter. Over the final three quarters of the game, the Buckeyes were outscored 21-17. OSU had more turnovers, more penalties, and less sacks than Florida Atlantic. Despite all this, they still won handily. The challenge next week will be tougher with in-state rival Cincinnati traveling up the road to Columbus.

Next Week: Ohio State @ Cincinnati (Noon on ABC)

2) Michigan (1-0, 0-0)

Defeated Middle Tennessee 40-21

Michigan ultimately got the blowout win that was excepted of them, but not without some struggle. Middle Tennessee State jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, quieting the Big House. The Wolverines would storm back with three touchdowns of their own but couldn’t pull away from MTSU until late. Middle Tennessee State kept the score at 27-14 all the way up until the final minute of the third quarter. Quarterback Shea Patterson finished the day 17-of-29 for 203 yards and three touchdowns. The Wolverines added 233 rushing yards while holding MTSU to just 67 yards on the ground. Michigan will have another tune-up game against Army next week before traveling to Wisconsin to open up the B1G season.

Next Week: Army @ Michigan (Noon on FOX)

3) Wisconsin (1-0, 0-0)

Defeated South Florida 49-0

Running back Jonathan Taylor got an early start to his Heisman Trophy campaign, rushing for 135 yards and four total touchdowns, two receiving and two on the ground. Junior quarterback Jack Coen threw for 199 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. The Badgers were relatively mistake free en route to a 49-0 victory over South Florida on the road. Wisconsin very well may be the team to beat in the West. With Taylor poised to put up prolific numbers, the Badgers will go as far as he can take them. Wisconsin hosts Central Michigan next week before beginning Big Ten play the week after. Not much can be taken away from the opening game against an inferior opponent, but the Badgers played as well as they possibly could’ve on Saturday.

Next Week: Central Michigan @ Wisconsin (3:30 on BTN)

4) Michigan State (1-0, 0-0)

Defeated Tulsa 28-7

The Spartans’ opening game was very typical of Michigan State football. Dominating defense and a somewhat inconsistent offense that got the job done nevertheless. The Spartans recorded a passing touchdown, a fumble recovery for a touchdown, a safety and four field goals. Michigan State didn’t have any stellar performers on offense with quarterback Brian Lewerke completing just 21-of-37 passes for under 200 yards. The Spartans failed to get any running back over 50 rushing yards. Luckily for MSU, it didn’t matter. A historically good defensive performance made all the headlines. Michigan State held Tulsa to a remarkable negative 73 rushing yards (largely thanks to sacks counting as negative rushing yards). Tulsa only managed eight first downs. The Spartans should be able to take care of business next week at home against Western Michigan so long as they don’t look ahead to their game against Arizona State the following week.

Next Week: Western Michigan @ Michigan State (7:30 on BTN)

5) Iowa (1-0, 0-0)

Defeated Miami of Ohio

Iowa took care of business at home against Miami of Ohio. Veteran quarterback Nate Stanley completed 21-of-30 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns. Under Kirk Ferentz, Iowa has consistently had great defensive units and great offensive lines. This year is no exception. The Hawkeyes rushed for over 200 yards as a team and held Miami of Ohio to just 59 yards rushing and 186 yards passing. Iowa, along with Wisconsin, will likely be the teams to beat in the West. Big Ten play starts early for the Hawkeyes as they host Rutgers next week.

Next Week: Rutgers @ Iowa (Noon on FS1)

6) Penn State (1-0, 0-0)

Defeated Idaho 79-7

New Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford has big shoes to fill, following in the footsteps Trace McSorley. Clifford shined in his debut, throwing for 280 yards and two touchdowns, adding 57 yards rushing. The Nittany Lions ran all over Idaho, routing the Vandals 79-7. Penn State logged 10 touchdowns, three field goals and 673 yards of total offense. Five different running backs scored running touchdowns and star wide receiver KJ Hamler caught two TD passes and had 115 receiving yards. Now two years removed from Saquon Barkley and one year removed from McSorley, it doesn’t appear Penn State has missed a beat. Penn State hosts Buffalo and Pitt the following two weeks to round out their non-conference schedule.

Next Week: Buffalo @ Penn State (7:30 on FOX)

7) Minnesota (1-0, 0-0)

Defeated South Dakota State 28-21

Minnesota passed a tough early test against a feisty South Dakota State team. The Jackrabbits were neck and neck with the Gophers until the final five minutes of the game. After trailing through three quarters, Minnesota pulled ahead with a one-yard touchdown run with a little over five minutes remaining. The Golden Gophers would hold off SDSU for the rest of the game despite being out-gained in both passing yards and rushing yards. Minnesota head coach PJ Fleck certainly expected a cleaner game from his team, but the Gophers emerged with a much-needed win. Minnesota will have some confidence as they travel to California next week to play Fresno State. Can they shore up their mistakes before conference play?

Next Week: Minnesota @ Fresno State (10:30 on CBS Sports Network)

8) Nebraska (1-0, 0-0)

Defeated South Alabama 35-21

Expectations are high again for Nebraska football. While the Cornhuskers came away with a victory, it wasn’t as easy as they had hoped. After racing out to a commanding 28-7 lead, South Alabama roared back with two touchdowns of their own. Heading into the fourth quarter with Nebraska leading 28-21, it looked as if the Cornhuskers might be in trouble. Early in the fourth, Nebraska’s defense forced a fumble and returned it for a touchdown. Thereafter, the Cornhuskers milked the clock and locked down South Alabama for the rest of the game. Nebraska couldn’t get anything going offensively, failing to eclipse 100 yards rushing or 200 yards passing. South Alabama out-gained the Huskers 314 yards to 276. At the end of the day, a W in the win column is all that matters. Nebraska will have to be sharper next week as they travel to play a big rivalry game against Colorado.

Next Week: Nebraska @ Colorado (3:30 on FOX)

9) Indiana (1-0, 0-0)

Defeated Ball State 34-24

It wasn’t pretty, but the Hoosiers took care of business on Saturday against the Ball State Cardinals. Dropped passes and missed tackles are firmly in the memory of Indiana fans after watching their team escape with a 34-24 victory at Lucas Oil Stadium. Freshman quarterback Michael Penix, making his first career start, showed he can be a dangerous weapon on offense. Penix totaled 393 yards of total offense, throwing for 326 and rushing for 67. The Hoosiers couldn’t establish a running game, although they did outgain Ball State in that department 148 yards to 100. Indiana’s secondary surrendered 298 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air. IU didn’t allow one sack the entire day, while the defense recorded three on their end. The mistakes Indiana made on Saturday are correctible. This is one of the more talented rosters Indiana has had in recent past. If the mistakes are corrected, this team will be tough to beat.

Next Week: Eastern Illinois @ Indiana (3:30 on BTN)

10) Maryland (1-0, 0-0)

Defeated Howard 79-0

Maryland put up video game numbers in their opening game against a severely overmatched Howard team. The Terps scored 28 points in each of the first two quarters and dominated every level of the game. Howard only managed one rushing yard and 67 passing yards. Maryland notched an impressive eight sacks while only surrendering four first downs. Offensively, the Terrapins surpassed three hundred yards passing and three hundred yards rushing. Eight different players scored a touchdown as Maryland tallied eleven of them on the day. The competition gets stiffer next week as Maryland will host Syracuse. Can the Terrapins be as dominant on both sides of the ball as they were in week one?

Next Week: Syracuse @ Maryland (Noon)

11) Illinois (1-0, 0-0)

Defeated Akron 42-3

The Fighting Illini had one of their most complete games in several years as they routed the Akron Zips 42-3. Transfer quarterback from Michigan, Brandon Peters, threw three touchdowns on top of a modest 163 yards. Illinois won with a balanced attack. They dominated the ground game with 208 yards to Akron’s 64. The Illini were efficient on multiple levels: the offense converted 9-of-15 third down attempts and did not turn the ball over once. The defense held Akron under 200 yards and generated five sacks and two turnovers. One game isn’t gospel, but Saturday’s game in Champaign was a very positive sign for Lovie Smith and the Fighting Illini.

Next Week: Illinois @ UConn (3:30 on CBS Sports Network)

12) Northwestern (0-1, 0-0)

Lost to Stanford 17-7

Northwestern had the toughest matchup of any Big Ten team on opening weekend, traveling to Palo Alto to play Stanford. The Wildcats were dominated by Stanford’s defense, failing to score until the 7:49 mark of the fourth quarter. Northwestern posted a measly 210 yards of total offense, completing just 12 passes on the day for 117 yards and failing to run for 100 yards as a team. The Wildcats also turned the ball over four times, losing two fumbles and throwing two interceptions. Pat Fitzgerald’s club will need to shore things up offensively if they want to keep bowl aspirations alive. One positive from the day was Northwestern’s defense, holding Stanford to just 10 first half points and 17 total. While defense is paramount in the Big Ten, the Wildcats must strike more of a balance. Northwestern is off next week and then will host UNLV.

Next Week: OFF

13) Purdue (0-1, 0-0)

Lost to Nevada 34-31

The Boilermakers seemed to be on pace to dominate their opening game in Reno, Nevada. Then the second half happened. Purdue, double-digit favorites, carried a 24-7 lead into halftime. With under 20 minutes left in the game, the Boilers led 31-14. Nevada would go on to score 20 unanswered points. The Wolf Pack tied it up at 31 with under a minute left with a 20-yard touchdown pass. Purdue quarterback Elijah Sindelar made an unthinkable mistake on the ensuing drive, throwing a ball into coverage that Nevada intercepted. Nevada marched 27 yards down the field to set up a 56-yard field goal attempt. The Wolf Pack’s true freshman kicker nailed the kick, won the game, and earned himself a scholarship in the locker room afterward. Purdue returns to West Lafayette with some soul searching to do. While WR Rondale Moore looked fully capable of being a Heisman candidate, the rest of the team must improve. Expectations for the Boilermakers are high after they gave head coach Jeff Brohm a massive raise. Losses like this one must sting. Purdue hosts Vanderbilt and TCU before Big Ten play.

Next Week: Vanderbilt @ Purdue (Noon on BTN)

14) Rutgers (1-0, 0-0)

Defeated Massachusetts 48-21

Things got dicey early on in New Jersey for the Scarlet Knights. UMass leaped out to a startling 21-7 lead after the first quarter, but Rutgers head coach Chris Ash kept his team composed. The Knights rallied in the second quarter, scoring 31 unanswered points. They would shut out UMass the rest of the game while tacking on 17 more points in the second half. Rutgers out-gained the Minutemen through the air and on the ground. Quarterback McLane Carter finished the game with 340 passing yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. Running back Isaih Pacheco ran for 156 yards on just 20 carries and scored four touchdowns. After a rocky start, Rutgers showed some legitimate improvement over last year’s team. The Scarlet Knights will face a tough test next week as the travel to Iowa to open the Big Ten season. Rutgers has nowhere to go but up after winning just one game last season.