Week one of the 2015 college football season is in the books, and the Big Ten has once again come stumbling out of the gates. Utah spoiled Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan debut, BYU bested Nebraska on a last-second Hail Mary, Penn State and its porous offensive line lost to Temple for the first time since the FDR administration, Alabama rolled over Wisconsin, Marshall beat Purdue and a failed two-point conversion was the only thing that kept Indiana from falling to FCS school Southern Illinois.
However, all was not lost for the conference. Ohio State avenged its lone loss from last year by downing Virginia Tech, Northwestern upset Stanford and Minnesota gave No. 2 TCU just about all it could handle. The result: mass confusion in our power rankings outside of Ohio State and Michigan State.
1. Ohio State, 50 points
There’s no chance at the top in this week’s power rankings, as Urban Meyer’s Buckeyes stormed into Lane Stadium and gained a measure of redemption against the Hokies.
Despite the fact that it was missing four players, including All-American defensive end Joey Bosa, due to suspension, Ohio State avoided an upset at the hands of Virginia Tech for a second straight year.
With a stacked roster, a manageable schedule and a formidable QB combo of J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones, the Buckeyes don’t look like they’ll be knocked off their Big Ten perch any time soon.
2. Michigan State, 40 points
The Spartans’ 37-24 win over Western Michigan may not have been as convincing as some would have liked, but they still escaped Kalamazoo with a season-opening victory.
Quarterback Connor Cook had an uneven afternoon, throwing for 256 yards and two touchdowns but completing just 48.4 percent of his passes. However the Spartans won’t have much time to dwell on their shaky performance, as they now must prepare to welcome Oregon into East Lansing for a top-10 showdown next Saturday night.
A win against the Ducks would be huge for both Michigan State and the Big Ten after a subpar opening weekend.
3. Wisconsin, 28 points
Head coach Paul Chryst had the misfortune of making his Wisconsin debut against the Dark Lord Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide, resulting in a convincing defeat for the Badgers.
But despite the loss and a few injuries, there are positives to draw from this game for UW. For example, quarterback Joel Stave reached Joe Flacco-levels of eliteness in the first half, which could bode well for the offense moving forward.
Throw in the fact that Wisconsin’s schedule becomes ridiculously easy from here on out, and it’s clear there’s no cause for panic in Madison following the Badgers’ loss to Bama. Just like last season, Wisconsin is still set up nicely to be a favorite in the Big Ten West despite an 0-1 start.
4. Minnesota, 19 points
The Gophers may have lost their season opener, but they impressed many observers by putting a scare into No. 2 TCU.
Minnesota held the Horned Frogs and their high-powered offense, led by Heisman candidate quarterback Trevone Boykin, in check, only allowing them to score 23 points. That’s the lowest point total that TCU has put up since a 21-7 win over Iowa State in November of 2013.
The Gophers are still searching for a dependable playmaker that can power their offense, but a solid overall performance against a national championship contender can certainly serve as a confidence booster for Jerry Kill’s team as it looks to once against compete in the wide-open Big Ten West.
5. Northwestern, 7 points
Saturday, Northwestern proved once again that for ranked teams, Evanston is an unexplainable parallel dimension and Pat Fitzgerald is its gatekeeper.
The Wildcats upset the No. 21 Stanford Cardinal 16-6, giving fans hope that they can be a factor in the race for the Big Ten West after back-to-back 5-7 seasons. Of course, you don’t want to put too much stock into a single win. After all, Stanford could end up not being as good as the prognosticators thought, and David Shaw and his coaching staff were criticized for their level of conservative play calling that could make Ted Cruz look like Bernie Sanders.
Still, the Wildcats took care of business against a quality opponent in their opener, something very few other teams in the conference can say.
