Big Ten Power Rankings #3

Before we get to this week’s edition of the Big Ten Power Rankings, we have two quick notes to forward:

First, junior kicker Brett Swenson was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week for the second straight week after making all three of his field goal attempts in Saturday’s 37-20 win over Northwestern. Swenson, who made field goals of 26, 42 and 34 yards, is now 15-of-16 on field goal attempts this year. Against the Wildcats, Swenson also set an MSU-record 15 consecutive field goals, breaking Paul Edinger’s streak of 13 in a row in 1998.

Secondly, the Big Ten announced the game time for the Oct. 25 game against Michigan in Ann Arbor as 3:30 p.m. The game will be televised by ABC.

Without further ado, here is this week’s edition of Big Ten Power Rankings according to football reporters Cash Kruth and Jacob Carpenter (last week’s rankings in parentheses).

Cash’s rankings:
1 (1). Penn State (7-0, 3-0)
2 (2). Ohio State (6-1, 3-0)
3 (3). MSU (6-1, 3-0)
4 (10). Minnesota (6-1, 2-1)
5 (4). Illinois (3-3, 1-2)
6 (7). Purdue (2-4, 0-2)
7 (9). Iowa (4-3, 1-2)
8 (6). Northwestern (5-1, 1-1)
9 (5). Wisconsin (3-3, 0-3)
10 (8). Michigan (2-4, 1-1)
11 (11). Indiana (2-4, 0-3)

The big jump of the week belongs the Golden Gophers, who beat Illinois 27-20 this past week and played Ohio State tough a week ago. I’ve been high on the young Gophers all season, but had to wait until they made some noise in the Big Ten before moving them up (though, truthfully, putting them as high as No. 4 never entered my mind, but who else?). Iowa’s toughness earns them the No. 7 slot, while Northwestern didn’t impress me at all this weekend. Wisconsin’s struggles amaze me while U-M’s straight up amuse me.

Jacob’s rankings:
1 (1). Penn State
2 (2). Ohio State
3 (5). MSU
4 (10). Minnesota
5 (3). Illinois
6 (6). Wisconsin
7 (4). Northwestern
8 (8). Iowa
9 (9). Purdue
10 (7). Michigan
11 (11). Indiana

I’ll admit it when I’m wrong: MSU should have been ranked above Northwestern last week considering the Wildcats hadn’t played anybody this season before running into the Spartans … Raise your hand if you don’t think Penn State is the Big Ten’s No. 1 team. Nobody? OK, that’s what I thought … I’m still not on the Minnesota bandwagon, but there’s nobody else you can put above the Gophers after their win over Illinois … Wisconsin will rebound after playing the Big Ten’s two top teams and collapsing against Michigan. They have to rebound. Don’t they?