1. Michigan
At this point, the top 2 spots in the Power Rankings are pretty much interchangeable as Michigan and Ohio St prepare for one of the biggest renditions of “The Game” in history. The winner will secure a place in the College Football Playoff, while the loser will be forced to sit around and wait on some help around the national landscape. I give Michigan the slight edge, because of their defensive prowess, but this is sure to be a matchup for the ages.
2. Ohio St
The Buckeyes once again showed some vulnerabilities, but continue to look like the nation’s top offense. After a disappointing loss to Michigan last year, you can be sure that CJ Stroud and Ohio St plan on bringing their A-game on Saturday. the Ryan Day-led squad has been preparing for the Wolverines all week by applying Maize and Blue tape to their helmets emulating the winged design of their arch rival.
3. Penn St
Penn St dominated another inferior opponent this past week by routing Rutgers 55-10 in Piscataway, New Jersey. That’s the Nittany Lion’s third straight 30+ point victory since losing to Ohio St. While their hopes of a College Football Playoff are long gone, the fighting James Franklins still have plenty to play for.
4. Iowa
Don’t look now, but Iowa is actually playing some damn good football. After starting the season as the laughingstock of the country due to their historically bad offense, they seemed to have figured some things out. I’ve got the Hawkeyes as the favorite to represent the West in the Big 10 Championship game.
5. Purdue
The Boilermakers are continuing their annual tradition of being one of the most difficult teams to evaluate. After getting manhandled by Wisconsin and Iowa, it appeared that their hopes of a championship were obliterated. But in the past 2 weeks, Purdue has knocked off Illinois and handled business against Northwestern, placing them firmly within the hunt to win the Big 10 West.
