Hoosier Huddle's Big Ten Power Rankings: Week Zero

Written by Evan McShane (@veryreasonable)

College football is underway and Week Zero is complete. Here are our power rankings in the Big Ten as we head into Week One.

1) Michigan, Week 1: vs. Middle Tennessee

Head coach Jim Harbaugh enters his fifth season as head coach of the Michigan Wolverines with some less than impressive results thus far. During Harbaugh’s tenure, Michigan has an impressive 38-14 record, to go along with a 26-9 conference record. However, the Wolverines have failed against their rivals and have lost three consecutive bowl games. Despite a handful of missed opportunities on the football field, Harbaugh has put on a clinic in terms of recruiting since he arrived at Michigan.

Although Michigan lost several players to the NFL draft, quarterback Shea Patterson will look to improve as he returns for his second season in the Big Ten. Patterson won the job outright in camp. The Wolverines have consistently had one of the top-rated recruiting classes in the conference and in the country. This year is no exception. Expectations are sky high as always in Ann Arbor. Will this finally be the year Michigan lives up to their expectations under Jim Harbaugh?

2) Ohio State, Week 1: vs. Florida Atlantic

Ohio State will begin a new era under head coach Ryan Day this season. The Buckeyes lost quarterback Dwayne Haskins to the NFL, but as always, the have plenty of capable reinforcements. While the Ohio State defense struggled at times last season, this year they will return 18 or their top 20 leading tacklers. What was a young and mistake-prone defense last year should be experienced and much improved in 2019.  

The biggest addition to this year’s Buckeyes team is blue-chip quarterback Justin Fields. Fields is one of the highest rated football recruits out of high school ever recorded. Fields transferred to Ohio State this offseason and was granted a waiver for immediate eligibility. Running back JK Dobbins should be poised for a huge season as the Buckeyes will likely run the ball more with a dual threat quarterback.  While there are several questions about this Ohio State team as they begin life without Urban Meyer, the Buckeyes have the talent to win the conference yet again.

3) Nebraska, Week 1: vs. South Alabama

One might be shocked to see Nebraska so high on this list after going 4-8 last season in what was an underwhelming debut for head coach Scott Frost. However, things started to look different in Lincoln, Nebraska in late October last year. Following an 0-6 start and a narrow overtime loss at Northwestern, the Cornhuskers trounced Minnesota 53-28. They finished their final six games with a 4-2 record – their only losses coming by five points on the road against Ohio State and by three points on the road at Iowa.

Nebraska looked like a completely different team during the second half of the season and true freshman quarterback Adrian Martinez showed real promise. Martinez is athletic, elusive, and has a knack for making big plays. It should come as no surprise if the Cornhuskers are massively improved next year. Look for Adrian Martinez to have a big season as Scott Frost works to get Nebraska back to its winning ways. The excitement in Lincoln hasn’t been this high in a long, long time. Will the results match the hype?

4) Michigan State, Week 1: vs. Tulsa

Relative to the hype, last season was somewhat of a dud for the Spartans. Some analysts pegged Michigan State as a potential playoff team until an early loss at Arizona State quashed their hopes. Injuries plagued the team all season long. Last year, the Spartans touted one of the very best defenses in the entire country.

Much of their talent is returning and Michigan State will again be tough to beat in 2020. Can the Spartans stay healthy? If so, their ceiling might be as high as any Big Ten team. In a conference where defense is paramount, Michigan State’s ability to stop the run and the pass will make them tough for anyone to beat. Head coach Mark Dantonio has had very consistent teams during his tenure, but the Spartans offense will need to surpass expectations if they want to compete for a Big Ten title.

5) Iowa, Week 1: vs. Miami of Ohio

The Iowa Hawkeyes lost two tight ends to the first round of the NFL draft this season. Despite losing such significant talent, Iowa should be poised to have another successful season with Nate Stanley at quarterback. The Hawkeyes lost a good chunk of talent on the defensive side of the ball, but historically, Iowa has recruited defense very well and has usually had success replacing high caliber players.

Year after year, head coach Kirk Ferentz paces his team with a consistent defense and steady offensive line. These two things are central to success in the Big Ten. 2020 should be no exception. The Hawkeyes are ranked 19th in the coach’s poll and if they can stay healthy, Iowa can go as far as quarterback Nate Stanley can take them.

6) Minnesota, Week 1: vs. South Dakota State

Minnesota finished their season on an impressive high note. The Golden Gophers stunned Wisconsin, beating the Badgers 37-15 in Madison to become bowl eligible. Minnesota then beat Georgia Tech to win their first bowl under head coach PJ Fleck. The season was not without turmoil, however. Minnesota lost four straight games in early October and surrendered 55 points to a weak Illinois team in November.

Quarterback Zack Annexstad was sidelined this offseason with an injury, opening the door for sophomore Tanner Morgan. Overall, as PJ Fleck attempts to restore the Gophers football program, 2018 was a success with bowl eligibility and a postseason victory. Minnesota will return most of their roster and should be a very experienced group compared to years past.

7) Penn State, Week 1: vs. Idaho

Trayce McSorley couldn’t do it by himself last year, although he came close. The Nittany Lions season was upended with back-to-back home losses against Ohio State and Michigan State early in the year. Penn State hung on and won the games in which they were favored, only to lose to underdog Kentucky in the Citrus Bowl. Tommy Stevens, a 6-foot-5 blue chip recruit, was expected to step in and start at the quarterback position, but he has entered the transfer portal. Penn State still has loads of talent on its roster, but there are many questions about where the production will come from. Will the Nittany Lions’ talent outweigh their inexperience, or is head coach James Franklin and Penn State due for a regression?

8) Wisconsin, Week 1: @ South Florida

The 2018 campaign was mightily disappointing for a Wisconsin team that was widely projected to compete for a college football playoff bid. The Badgers lost their third game of the season against BYU at home and subsequently lost every other game thereafter, failing to build any positive momentum. Quarterback Alex Hornibrook was a large part of that inconsistency. Quarterback Jack Coan has won the starting job and Badger cans hope he can provide the offense with a spark. Wisconsin lost four of their five starting offensive linemen and several talented defenders. One bright spot remains the return of running back Jonathan Taylor. The Badgers will rely on Taylor to carry them to success in 2020.

9) Northwestern, Week 1: @ Stanford

After a rocky 1-3 start to their season, Northwestern remarkably found themselves in the Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Quarterback Clayton Thorson managed a balanced offense and was supported by head coach Pat Fitzgerald’s consistent defensive unit. The Wildcats got a midseason gift in the form of recruiting. Highly touted quarterback Hunter Johnson transferred to Northwestern from Clemson. Johnson will likely be the favorite to start for the Wildcats next season. If Northwestern can assemble another steady defense, they have the tools on offense to pace themselves to another successful season. Perhaps the most intriguing question for Northwestern in 2020, just how good is Hunter Johnson?

10) Indiana, Week 1: vs. Ball State

As is too often the story in Bloomington, the Hoosiers failed to make a bowl game. After a racing out to a 3-0 nonconference start, Indiana posted a lackluster 2-7 record in conference play. The Hoosiers were constantly hampered by a limited offensive attack. Consistent and stout defensive play wasn’t enough to put IU over the top against the most formidable conference foes.

Hoosier fans received some exciting news this week with the naming of redshirt freshman Mike Penix as the starting quarterback. Penix has fully recovered from an ACL last year and has played with supreme confidence all throughout camp. Known for his arm strength, Penix should be able to make the most of Kalen DeBoer’s attacking style. With a new offensive coordinator and several returning starters, Indiana hopes to exceed expectations in 2020.

11) Purdue, Week 1: @ Nevada

Purdue had one the stranger seasons last year with wins over Ohio State, Iowa, and Boston College and puzzling losses at home against Northwestern and Eastern Michigan. Their season was punctuated by an embarrassing 63-14 bowl loss against Auburn. A wildly inconsistent defense was lifted up by a playmaking offense that relentlessly attacked downfield. Breakout star freshman Rondale Moore made a name for himself in the receiving game. Quarterback David Blough showed off his arm strength time and time again. The Boilermakers will turn to quarterback Elijah Sindelair next year to replace Blough. In addition to Blough, over two-thirds of Purdue’s offense graduated. Head coach Jeff Brohm has had great early success recruiting at Purdue. The Boilermakers will need his success on the recruiting trail to pay off quickly if Purdue plans to return to another bowl game.

12) Maryland, Week 1: vs. Howard

Maryland hired Mike Locksley from Alabama to be their new head coach in a decision met with varying opinion. The Terrapins lost a lot of talent on defense and quarterback Kasim Hill is recovering from a knee injury. Another transfer quarterback will be starting in the Big Ten. Josh Jackson recently won the QB job for the Terrapins. Jackson beat out quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome and there is some excitement for his future.

However, the most pressing need to improve comes on the other side of the ball. Maryland’s defense surrendered 30+ points on seven occasions last year. No matter how explosive their offense can be, Maryland will have to drastically improve their defense if they want to become bowl eligible next season. 

13) Illinois, Week 1: vs. Akron

The Fighting Illini were able to see some improvement last year during Lovie Smith’s third season as head coach. Although the improvement was subtle as Illinois won just two conference games. While defense was Lovie Smith’s specialty in the NFL when he coached the Chicago Bears, this has not turned out to be the case at Illinois. The Fighting Illini gave up 40 or more points in half their games last season. They lost these six games by embarrassing margins of 63, 39, 39, 30, 29, and 19 points.

If Illinois is to see any improvement moving forward, they will have to correct these fatal defensive flaws. Quarterback play has been less than stellar under Lovie Smith and it’s unclear who will be the started next year. Quarterback transfer Brandon Peters, who came to Illinois from Michigan, recently won the starting job. Peter’s was a highly rated recruit who showed some promise with the Wolverines.  Will Illinois’ defense and quarterback play improve upon a 4-8 campaign in 2018?

14) Rutgers, Week 1: vs. Massachusetts

Rutgers has been utterly abysmal since joining the Big Ten in 2014. Chris Ash will have another year to redeem himself and the program. One thing the Scarlet Knights showed flashes of last season as the ability to generate some big plays. Freshman quarterback Artur Sitkowski struggled taking care of the football, but he did demonstrate the ability to stretch the field. Sitkowski will need to limit his mistakes if he’s going to make the most of his strong arm. Explosive running back Raheem Blackshear will also return to the Scarlet Knights.  If Rutgers is going to have any success in 2020 it will be because their offense is generating big plays. If the offense stutters, it could be another dreadful season in New Jersey.