Big Ten Power Rankings, Week 3: Upstart Maryland Adds to Penn State's Misery

For the first time on more than 40 years, Maryland has won back-to-back games as a three-touchdown underdog or more, and it added to Penn State's 2020 pain on Saturday night.

It's 2020, so it's easy to write off weird. But how do we explain what the heck is going on with the Maryland Terrapins?

During Week 1 of the truncated Big Ten football season, I tried watching Maryland's opener against Northwestern, but I had to turn it of before it was over because my eyes were bleeding. Maryland was horribly incompetent and lost to the Wildcats, 43-3. I doubted if they would ever win a game all year.

But then two weeks ago they beat Minnesota in overtime, and then on Saturday they went to Happy Valley and knocked off Penn State. They won back-to-back games as three-touchdown underdogs, something that hasn't happened in college football in more than 40 years. They were 26.5-point underdogs to Penn State – and won outright. In the century-plus of football at both schools, that had NEVER happened before.

Never.

I've got no answer. But maybe Maryland coach Mike Locksley does.

“We’re going to take it as one win — obviously it’s a big one,” Locksley said. “It’s a big one for our young team to come up here in State College and win a game against a traditional power like Penn State. I’m happy for our players. ... They’re buying into everything we’re asking of them.”

They also had fun with it, which is fine considering all the misery that Penn State has doled out the past few years.

SAD VALLEY. pic.twitter.com/MLvELL9lf7

— Maryland Football (@TerpsFootball) November 7, 2020

Penn State beat Maryland 59-0 a year ago and won 38-3 and 66-3 the previous two years, so to say that no one saw this coming is a massive understatement. The wins over Minnesota and Penn State — two teams that were nationally ranked when the season started — have helped the Terps jump all the way up to No. 7 in our rankings this week, with a suddenly huge game against No. 1 Ohio State one the docket this weekend.

Penn State, meanwhile, is a mess. "We're not as one right now,'' Nittany Lions receiver Jahad Dotson said. "There's a lot of different things going on, distractions that we shouldn't be focused on right now. We need to be focused on getting in the win column and nothing else.''

Here are the new rankings after Week 3, with TV and game times for next week as well, plus my usual enlightening outtakes on each team:

1. Ohio State (3-0) *** Last Week: 1

• Last week: Beat Rutgers 49-27
• This week: Ohio State at Maryland, 3:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network)
• Preseason ranking: No. 1
• The skinny: This game really wasn't as close as the final score indicates, because Rutgers scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns after being down by 33 points. Justin Fields was nearly perfect once again for the Buckeyes, going 24-for-28 for 314 yards and five touchdowns. His numbers for the season, however short, are mind-blowing. He has 11 touchdown passes and ONLY 11 incompletions. He's 72-for-83, an 86.7 completion percentage. Ohio State is still a solid No. 1.

2. Indiana (3-0) *** Last Week: 2

• Last week: Beat Michigan 38-21
• This week: Indiana at Michigan State, Noon ET (TV: ABC or ESPN2)
  
• Preseason ranking: No. 6
• The skinny: So I caught some heat for having ranked No. 2 a week ago, getting that homer take. But the Hoosiers proved me right once again, looking great in beating Michigan for the first time in 33 years. Indiana's offense clicked all day and Michael Penix Jr. had a great day at quarterback. Indiana's offense also did a great job on third down (0-for-6 on conversions to start the game) and once again forced a couple of turnovers in the second half. A great start to the season for the Hoosiers.

Indiana tight end Peyton Hendershot turns the corner after making a catch on Saturday against Michigan. (USA TODAY Sports)

3. Northwestern (3-0) *** Last Week: 3

• Last week: Beat Nebraska 21-13
• This week: Northwestern at Purdue, 7:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network)
• Preseason ranking: No. 9
• The skinny: Peyton Ramsey had a couple of interceptions and the Wildcats weren't overly impressive, but they got their third straight win to take the early lead in the Big Ten West. Northwestern's defense pitched a shutout in the second half and allowed the offense to get back in the game thanks to two Ramsey touchdown passes Drake Anderson had a nice day running the ball, gaining 89 yards on 18 carries. Northwestern has equaled its win total from a year ago already.

4. Purdue (2-0) *** Last Week 5

• Last week: Purdue at Wisconsin CANCELED
• This week: Northwestern at Purdue, 7:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network)
• Preseason ranking: No. 10
• The skinny: Purdue didn't get a chance to play last week because of Wisconsin's COVID issues, and maybe that week off will be a plus heading into this weekend's now-huge Big Ten West showdown with Northwestern. Wisconsin failed to show, so I moved Purdue up ahead of them. Not fair probably, but so what. It wasn't Purdue's fault that they couldn't play.

5. Wisconsin (1-0) *** Last Week 4

• Last week: Purdue at Wisconsin CANCELED
• This week: Wisconsin at Michigan, 7:30 p.m. ET (TV: ABC)
• Preseason ranking: No. 2
• The skinny: The Badgers have missed two games in a row now, and if they can't go again this week, they might just want to consider shutting it all down. This wasn't supposed to happen with daily test. The best ability? Availability. Still applies for the Badgers.

6. Iowa (1-2) *** Last Week: 9

• Last week:  Beat Michigan State 49-7
• This week: Iowa at Minnesota, Friday 7 p.m. ET  (TV: FOX Sports 1)
• Preseason ranking: No. 7
• The skinny: Iowa's offense finally found its footing in a rout of Michigan State, and got into the win column. The Hawkeyes rushed for 226 yards to take some of the pressure off new quarterback Spencer Petras, and the defense forced three interceptions from Michigan State QB Rocky Lombardi. Short week now with the rivalry game with Minnesota on Friday night. Let's see if the Hawkeyes can start to put together a string of good games.

7. Maryland (2-1) *** Last Week: 12

• Last week: Beat Penn State 35-19
• This week: Ohio State at Maryland, 3:30 p.m. ET (TV: Big Ten Network)
• Preseason ranking: No. 13
• The skinny: As we mentioned above, we just didn't see this Maryland turnaround coming. But Taulia Tagavailoa has been great at quarterback, and Maryland's offense looks solid. He passed for 282 yards and three scores.

Taulia Tagovailoa passed for 282 yards and three scores in the big upset of Penn State. (USA TODAY Sprts)

8. Michigan (1-2) *** Last Week: 6

• Last week: Lost to Indiana 38-21
• This week: Wisconsin at Michigan, 7:30 p.m. ET (TV: ABC)
• Preseason ranking: No. 5
• The skinny: Michigan has all sorts of problems, and they all got exposed in the loss to Indiana. Their cornerbacks got torched constantly by Indiana receivers and their defensive line, which is supposed to be a strength, never had a sack all day. That's two straight losses now, and it looks like this season is about to unravel.

9. Minnesota (1-2) *** Last Week: 13

• Last week: Beat Illinois 41-14 
• This week: Iowa at Minnesota, Friday 7 p.m. ET (TV: FOX Sports 1)
  
• Preseason ranking: No. 4
• The skinny: Minnesota finally got into the win column by feeding running Mohamed Ibrahim as much as possible. The running back had 30 carries for 224 yards and four touchdowns in the rout of Illinois. Big game on Friday night now with Iowa.

10. Nebraska (0-2) *** Last Week: 8

• Last week: Lost to Northwestern 21-13
• This week: Penn State at Nebraska, Noon ET (TV: FOX Sports 1)
• Preseason ranking: No. 8
• The skinny: Nebraska's offense is really struggling, which continues to be a shocker under Scott Frost. They were shut out in the second half against Northwestern, giving up a 13-7 lead to remain winless. This was a game that was there for the taking, and the Cornhuskers couldn't do enough to make it happen. More disappointment in Lincoln.

11. Penn State (0-3) *** Last Week: 7

• Last week: Lost to Maryland 35-19
• This week: Penn State at Nebraska, Noon ET (TV: FOX Sports 1)
• Preseason ranking: No. 3
• The skinny: Penn State is 0-3, something that I've never written before, at least during football season. This team is a mess right now, and even receiver Jahan Dotson said so after the game, that they weren't "playing as one'' and they were "distracted.'' Can you ever imagine a mid-November football game between (former) bluebloods Penn State and Nebraska where both teams were winless? 

12. Rutgers (1-2) *** Last Week: 11

• Last week: Lost to Ohio State 49-27
• This week: Illinois at Rutgers, Noon. ET (TV: Big Ten Network)
• Preseason ranking: No. 14
• The skinny: Rutgers showed a lot of fight against Ohio State, which may be the most obvious sign of Greg Schiano being on campus. Despite getting blown out again, they kept playing hard and scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns. After two rough weeks against Indiana and Ohio State, the league's two best teams, it will be interesting to see how well they play next week at home against Illinois. 

13. Michigan State (1-2) *** Last Week: 10

• Last week: Lost to Iowa 49-7
• This week: Indiana at Michigan State, Noon ET (TV: ABC or ESPN2)
  
• Preseason ranking: No. 11
• The skinny: Michigan State's offense just isn't good enough to overcome turnovers, and that was obvious in the beatdown at Iowa. Rocky Lombardi threw three interceptions and the running game, once again, was non-existent. A tough test this week with Indiana.

14. Illinois (0-3) *** Last Week: 14

• Last week: Lost to Minnesota 41-14
• This week: Illinois at Rutgers, Noon. ET (TV: Big Ten Network)
• Preseason ranking: No. 12
• The skinny: Illinois was woefully shorthanded, so getting routed by Minnesota really wasn't a surprise. It's 2020, and it is what it is. When you've got a dozen guys out because of COVID, including your quarterbacks, these things are to be expected.