Big Ten Power Rankings (Week 3): Is This Heaven at No. 1? No, It's Iowa

Iowa is the only school in the country to play two ranked teams to open the season, and after wins over Indiana and Iowa State -- and a loss by former No. 1 Ohio State -- the Hawkeyes are now No. 1 in our Big Ten Power Rankings.

Ohio State has won four straight Big Ten championships, and the Buckeyes have been a staple at the top of our Big Ten power rankings since we started them three years ago, but after last week's 35-28 loss to Oregon at Ohio Stadium last week, we have a new team at the top.

Is this heaven? Nope, it's Iowa.

The Hawkeyes are the only team in America that had to play two ranked teams in the first two weeks of the season, but they've been impressive in walloping then-No. 17 Indiana 34-6 in the opener, and then they went on the road and beat No. 9 Iowa State 27-17 last Saturday.

That's impressive, and certainly impressive enough to be our new No. 1

There is a bit of a caveat, of course. The Hawkeyes, despite topping my rankings, still haven't been overly impressive offensively. And if they were playing Ohio State this week, they'd be underdogs by at least a touchdown. I would probably even pick Ohio State to win.

But what happens on the field ALWAYS matters to me, and those are two impressive wins for the Hawkeyes.

And for Ohio State? Well, let's be clear on one thing. They have played four halves of football so far, and they've been best team on the field for exactly ONE of those halves, the second half against Minnesota in the opener.

They do have some issues to resolve. The defense is giving up points -- a lot of them, really -- and that's become an issue. C.J. Stroud has put up some crazy yardage numbers, but a few mistakes here and there have really hurt the Buckeyes.

So, change is good, right? Here are the rankings as we head into Week 3 action, all nonconference affairs except for Friday night's Maryland-Illinois game.

1. Iowa Hawkeyes *** Last Week: 3

• Last game: No. 10 Iowa 27, No. 9 Iowa State 17 on Sept. 11 at Ames, Iowa.
• Records: 2-0 overall, 1-0 in Big Ten
• Next game: Kent State (1-1) at No. 5 Iowa, 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 18 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
• TV: Big Ten Network
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Iowa is a 22-point favorite as of Monday morning. Over/under is 54.5. CLICK HERE
• National rankings: No 5 in the Associated Press poll and No. 7 in the Coaches polls; No. 7 in Sagarin ratings
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 5
• Highest/lowest ranking: 1/5
• The skinny: The Hawkeyes continue to own Iowa State, beating them for a sixth straight time. Those two wins over Indiana and Iowa State have been impressive, especially with the defense scoring points for them in both games. They are a fragile No. 1, of course, because they've been average at best on offense. But  they have clearly earned my No. 1 ranking with those quality wins, and they way they did it. 

2. Penn State Nittany Lions *** Last Week: 2

• Last game: No. 11 Penn State 44, Ball State 13 on Sept. 11 at State College, Pa.
• Records: 2-0 overall, 1-0 in Big Ten
• Next game: No. 22 at Auburn (2-0) at No. 10 Penn State, 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 18 at Beaver Stadium, State College, Pa.
• TV: ABC
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Penn State is a 6-point favorite as of Monday morning. Over/under is 52.5.  CLICK HERE
• National rankings: No. 10 in the AP poll, No. 12 in Coaches poll, No. 8 in Sagarin ratings
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 4
• Highest/lowest ranking: 2/4
• The skinny: I'll be honest, I wavered back and forth between Penn State and Iowa for that top spot, because I place a lot of value on that season-opening win at Wisconsin. Sean Clifford has nice control of this Penn State offense, and he's thrown 62 passes so far with no picks. The running game is good, too, and that defense looks good. A nice test this week with Auburn, and it's ''White Out'' time on Saturday night against a good Auburn team. Winning some Big Ten-SEC showdowns is important.

3. Ohio State Buckeyes *** Last Week: 1

• Last game: No. 12 Oregon 35, No. 3 Ohio State 28 on Sept. 11 at Columbus, Ohio
• Records: 1-1 overall, 1-0 in Big Ten
• Next game: Tulsa (0-2) at No. 9 Ohio State (1-1), 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 18 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio
• TV: FOX Sports 1
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Ohio State is a 37-point favorite as of Monday morning. Over/under is 60.5 CLICK HERE
• National rankings: No. 9 in the Associated Press poll and No. 11 in the Coaches poll. No. 6 in Sagarin ratings.
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 1
• Highest/lowest ranking: 1/3
• The skinny: As I said above, the Buckeyes have really only played one good half so far this season, and that's been a bit of a surprise. They are probably still my favorite to win the Big Ten, but they've definitely got some flaws, especially on the defensive side of the ball. They've got work to do. Seems weird having them at No. 3, but they've earned it. 

4. Michigan Wolverines *** Last Week: 4

• Last game: Michigan 31, Washington 10 on Sept. 11 at Ann Arbor, Mich.
• Records: 2-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
• Next game: Northern Illinois (1-1) at No. 25 Michigan (2-0), Noon ET on Saturday, Sept. 18 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich.
• TV: Big Ten Network
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Michigan is a 27-point favorite as of Monday morning. Over/under is 54..  CLICK HERE
• National rankings: No. 25 in both the AP poll and Coaches poll. No. 18 in Sagarin ratings
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 7
• Highest/lowest ranking: 4/7
• The skinny: Yeah, maybe Washington was overrated in the preseason, checking in at No. 20, but losses to Montana and Michigan have exposed them. A 21-point blowout by Jim Harbaugh's Wolverines was impressive, and there's certainly a lot of talent on this team that's playing at a high level so far. How many wins in a row can the Wolverines reel off now? The schedule certainly is favorable.

5. Wisconsin Badgers *** Last Week: 5

• Last game: No. 18 Wisconsin 34, Eastern Michigan 7 on Sept. 11 at Madison, Wis.
• Records: 1-1 overall, 0-1 in Big Ten
• This week: Bye week on Sept. 18. 
• Next game: No. 18 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 Notre Dame on Saturday, Sept. 25 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. 
• TV: FOX 
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Wisconsin is a 24.5-point favorite in the opening line on Monday morning. Over/under is 50.5.  CLICK HERE
• National rankings: No 18 in the AP poll, No. 17 in Coaches poll, No. 11 in Sagarin ratings
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 3
• Highest/lowest ranking: 3/5
• The skinny: The Badgers got a nice win against Eastern Michigan, and did a good job of flushing out that home loss to Penn State in the opener.  I still think this defense is very good, but I really want to see this offense get more consistent. The Badgers get the first bye week of the year this week, rest up this weekend as they get ready to play a huge game with Notre Dame next week in Chicago.

6. Indiana Hoosiers *** Last Week: 6

• Last game: Indiana 56, Idaho 14 on Saturday, Sept. 11 at Bloomington, Ind.
• Records: 1-1 overall, 0-1 in Big Ten
• Next game: No. 8 Cincinnati (2-0) at Indiana (1-1), Noon ET on Saturday, Sept. 18 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind.
• TV: ESPN
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Cincinnati is a 3.5-point favorite on the SISportsbook.com website. The over/under is 50.5.  CLICK HERE
• National rankings: Receiving votes in both the AP and Coaches Polls, and would be ranked No. 31 and No. 37 respectively. No. 33 in Sagarin ratings
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 2
• Highest/lowest ranking: 2/6
• The skinny: Indiana blew out Idaho 56-14, and I'm leaving them at No. 6 despite MSU and Purdue fans ripping me for ranking them too high. I get it, because that season-opener loss to Iowa was really ugly. But what's great about Indiana's brutal schedule -- they play four teams currently in the AP top-10 in the first seven weeks of the season -- is that they get a great opportunity to impress people this week with a win over No. 8 Cincinnati this week. But, yeah, the jury is still out on the Hoosiers, no question about it.

7. Purdue Boilermakers *** Last Week: 7

• Last game: Purdue 49, Connecticut 0 on Sept. 11 at East Hartford, Conn.
• Records: 2-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
• Next game: Purdue (2-0) at No. 12 Notre Dame (2-0), 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 18 at Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Ind. 
• TV: NBC
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Notre Dame is a 7-point favorite as of Monday morning. Over/under is 58.5.  CLICK HERE
• National rankings: No. 54 in Sagarin ratings
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 10
• Highest/lowest ranking: 7/10
• The skinny: Purdue drubbed Connecticut, which is absolutely horrible. And now comes the first real test of the season, with a road trip to Notre Dame. I think the Irish are a lot more concerned now than they would have been a few weeks ago. Purdue has looked crisp offensively, and the defense can make some plays. I'm really curious to see what happens here. The Irish have to be on upset alert, don't they? That haven't impressed me at all the first two weeks.

8. Michigan State Spartans *** Last Week: 8

• Last game: Michigan State 42, Youngstown State 14 on Sept. 11 at East Lansing, Mich.
• Records: 2-0 overall, 1-0 in Big Ten
• Next game: Michigan State (2-0) at No.24 Miami (2-0), Noon ET on Saturday, Sept. 18 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
• TV: ABC
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Miami is a 6.5-point favorite in the game on the SISportsbook site. The over/under is 55.5. CLICK HERE
• National rankings: Receiving votes in both the AP and Coaches Polls, and would be ranked No. 29 and No. 30 respectively. No. 24 in Sagarin ratings. No. 74 in Sagarin ratings
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 13
• Highest/lowest ranking: 8/13
• The skinny: Mel Tucker's Spartans looked great again, and that's a nice 2-0 start. They are certainly better than I thought they'd be, and they're doing a great job of running the ball. I'm curious to see what this offense can do at Miami this weekend. It's their first real test, and the Hurricanes are tough on that side of the ball. Win this one, and there might be a nice jump.

9. Maryland Terrapins *** Last Week: 9

• Last game: Maryland 62, Howard 0 on Sept. 11 at College Park, Md.
• Records: 2-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
• Next game: Maryland (2-0) at Illinois (1-2), 9 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 17 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. 
• TV: FOX Sports 1
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Maryland is a 7.5-point favorite on the SISportsbook.com website. The over/under is 59.5. To bet the game, CLICK HERE
• National rankings: Receiving votes in the Coaches Poll, and would be ranked No. 49. No. 57 in Sagarin ratings
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 11
• Highest/lowest ranking: 9/11
• The skinny: It's hard to garner much from a blowout win over Howard, because the talent discrepancy is massive. Still, the Terps are 2-0 and now they get cranking on Big Ten play with a rare Friday night game at Illinois. There a lot of weapons on the Maryland offense, and I am a believer. We'll learn a lot more in the next month, that's for sure.

10. Rutgers Scarlet Knights *** Last Week: 11

• Last game: Rutgers 17, Syracuse 7 on Saturday, Sept. 11 at Syracuse, N.Y.
• Records: 2-0 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
• Next game: Delaware (2-0) at Rutgers (2-0), 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 18 at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, N.J.
• TV: Big Ten Network
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Rutgers is a 1.5-point favorite in the opening line on Monday morning. Over/under is 50.5.  CLICK HERE
• National rankings: Receiving votes in the Coaches Poll and would be ranked No. 43. No. 53 in Sagarin ratings
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 12
• Highest/lowest ranking: 10/12
• The skinny: Rutgers got a huge road win at Syracuse, and it's nice to start out 2-0 in Jersey. Greg Schiano is turning things around, slowly but surely. It's going to be tough sledding when the Big Ten East games roll around, but they were look a lot better, and they're really flying around on defense, rallying to the ball. This is not the Rutgers of old, to be sure. 

11. Minnesota Golden Gophers *** Last Week: 10

• Last game: Minnesota 31, Miami of Ohio 26 on Sept. 11 at Minneapolis, Minn.
• Records: 1-1 overall, 0-1 in Big Ten
• Next game: Minnesota (1-1) at Colorado (1-1), 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 18 at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo.
• TV: Pac-12 Network
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Colorado is a 2-point favorite in the opening line on Monday morning. Over/under is 50.5  CLICK HERE
• National rankings: No. 41 in Sagarin ratings
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 8
• Highest/lowest ranking: 8/11
• The skinny: Minnesota drops a notch despite winning, because this game should have been a rout and the Gophers never really got that done. Mohamed Ibrahim being out for the year is a big deal, and this defense needs to get better. Still very much in wait-and-see mode with the Gophers.

12. Northwestern Wildcats *** Last Week: 12

• Last game: Northwestern 24, Indiana State 6 on Saturday, Sept. 11 at Evanston, Ill.
• Records: 1-1 overall, 0-1 in Big Ten
• Next game: Northwestern at Duke, 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 18 at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C. 
• TV: ACC Network
• SISportsbook.com point spread:  Northwestern is a 2.5-point favorite on the game on the SISportsbook.com site. The over/under is 49.5.  CLICK HERE
• National rankings: No. 77 in Sagarin ratings
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 6
• Highest/lowest ranking: 6/12
• The skinny: Northwestern's offense still hasn't kicked into high gear, so I need to continue to reserve judgment on how good the Wildcats can be this season. Duke isn't very good, and a win on the road this weekend might have move them up a bit.

13. Nebraska Cornhuskers *** Last Week: 14

• Last game: Nebraska 28, Buffalo 3 on Saturday, Sept. 11 at Lincoln, Neb.
• Records: 2-1 overall, 0-1 in Big Ten
• Next game: Nebraska (2-1) at No. 3 Oklahoma (2-0), Noon ET on Saturday, Sept. 18 at Memorial Stadium, Norman, Okla.
• TV: FOX 
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Oklahoma is a 22-point favorite in the opening line on Monday morning. Over/under is 62. To bet the game, CLICK HERE
• National rankings: No. 51 in Sagarin ratings. 
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 9
• Highest/lowest ranking: 9/14
• The skinny: OK, the Cornhuskers have shown me a little, and the defense has been very good against inferior opponents. I'll bump them up a notch and it's going to be interesting to see if they can hang with Oklahoma at all on Saturday. For all the great games in this series, it seems odd that Nebraska is a three-touchdown underdog.

14. Illinois Fighting Illini *** Last Week: 13

• Last game: Virginia 42, Illinois 14 on Saturday, Sept. 11 at Charlottesville, Va.
• Records: 1-2 overall, 1-0 in Big Ten
• Next game: Maryland (2-0) at Illinois (1-2), 9 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 17 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill.
• TV: FOX Sports 1
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Maryland is a 7.5-point favorite on the SISportsbook.com website. The over/under is 59.5. To bet the game, CLICK HERE
• National rankings: No. 103 in Sagarin ratings.
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 14
• Highest/lowest ranking: 10/14
• The skinny: Yeah, I know that Illinois beat Nebraska, but the eye test the last two weeks tells me a different story now about the Illini. They have not looked good at all in those losses to Texas-San Antonio and Virginia, so down into the cellar they go. The honeymoon ended quickly.