Big Ten Power Rankings (Week 9): Are People Making Too Much of Iowa's 1 Loss?

We've made it to Week 9 in the Big Ten, and there are a ton of division-deciding games on the agenda today, headed by Ohio State-Penn State, Michigan-Michigan State and Iowa-Wisconsin. Here are our Big Ten power rankings, with movement, information on Saturday's game and nuggets on all 14 league teams.

Halfway through the season, the Iowa Hawkeyes looked like one of the best teams in the country. Their defense was excellent and their offense, despite the occasional struggles, still always found a way to make enough plays to win. The Hawkeyes started 6-0, and were being praised for good reason.

But two weeks ago, the Hawkeyes, who were ranked No. 2 in the country at the time, got waxed 24-7 by unranked Purdue inside Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.

And now, everyone seems to think they stink. I don't get that. Now the narrative is that the Hawkeyes have little chance to win Saturday at Wisconsin — the Badgers are 3.5-point favorites — and that the Hawkeyes are no longer the favorite to win the Big Ten West.

I'm more prone to look at the complete body of work with both Iowa and Wisconsin. And I talked with my colleague John Bohnenkamp about the Hawkeyes in our video above. Check it out.

Here are the Big Ten power rankings as we head into Week 9 action, with last week's result, records, game time and TV information, point spreads, ranking and nuggets to know about each team:

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

• Last game: Ohio State 54, Indiana 7 on Oct. 23 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind.
• Records: 6-1 overall, 4-0 in Big Ten
• This week: No. 20 Penn State at No. 5 Ohio State, 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 30 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
• TV: ABC
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Ohio State is a 19-point favorite over Penn State as of Saturday morning on the SISportsbook.com website. The over/under is 60.5. CLICK HERE
• National rankings: No. 5 in both the AP and Coaches polls. No. 3 in Sagarin ratings.
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 1
• Highest/lowest ranking: 1/3
• The skinny: Ohio State is a solid No. 1 in my book after watching them score touchdowns on six straight possessions in the first half of the 54-7 rout of Indiana. This offense is really humming right now, and Indiana coach Tom Allen even called it the best offense he's seen from Ohio State in his six years as a coordinator and head coach. Penn State's defense has been pretty good this year, but it's still a huge edge for the Buckeyes. Hence that large point spread.

2. Michigan Wolverines *** Last Week: 2

• Last game: Michigan 33, Northwestern on Oct. 23 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich.
• Records: 7-0 overall, 4-0 in Big Ten
• This week: Michigan at Michigan State (7-0, 4-0 in Big Ten), Noon ET on Saturday, Oct. 30 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich,
• TV: FOX
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Michigan is a 4-point favorite over Michigan State as of Saturday morning on the SISportsbook.com website. The over/under is 51. CLICK HERE
• National rankings: No. 6 in both the AP and Coaches poll, No. 5 in Sagarin ratings
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 7
• Highest/lowest ranking: 2/7
• The skinny: Michigan's defense continues to play with a lot of passion, but now the meat of the schedule is finally here. Winning at Michigan State will take a stout effort by that run defense, and the Wolverines are going to need to score points against one of the better defenses they've seen so far. Jim Harbaugh has struggled in this moments in Ann Arbor, so Saturday is a great day to change the narrative.

3. Michigan State Spartans *** Last Week: 3

• Last game: Michigan State 20, Indiana 15 on Oct. 16 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind.
• Records: 7-0 overall, 4-0 in Big Ten
• Last week: Bye week
• Next game: Michigan (7-0, 4-0 in Big Ten) at Michigan State, Noon ET on Saturday, Oct. 30 at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich.
• TV: FOX
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Michigan is a 4-point favorite as of Saturday morning on the SISportsbook.com website. The over/under is 51. CLICK HERE
• National rankings: No. 8 in the AP poll and No. 7 in the Coaches poll, up one spot in the AP poll. No. 27 in Sagarin ratings
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 13
• Highest/lowest ranking: 3/13
• The skinny: Michigan State is 7-0 and has been enjoying a great turnaround season, but this game with Michigan — which is always double-circled on the calendar anyway — should tell us a lot about them. They are underdogs and home, and to win, quarterback Payton Thorne needs to make some big throws.

4. Iowa Hawkeyes *** Last Week: 4

• Last game: Purdue 24, Iowa 7 on Oct. 16 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
• Records: 6-1 overall, 3-1 in Big Ten
• Last week: Bye week
• Next game: Iowa at Wisconsin (4-3, 2-2 in Big Ten), Noon ET on Saturday, Oct. 30 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
• TV: ESPN
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Wisconsin is a 3-point favorite over Iowa as of Saturday morning on the SISportsbook.com website. The over/under is 36. CLICK HERE
• National rankings: No. 9 in the AP and No. 10 in the Coaches poll. up two spots in the AP poll. No. 11 in Sagarin ratings
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 5
• Highest/lowest ranking: 1/5
• The skinny: The Hawkeyes probably needed a bye week more than anyone after that stunning loss to Purdue at home. They come back refreshed now, which wil have an impact on Saturday's game at Wisconsin. Don;'t be surprised if the winner of this game playing Indiianapolis in December in the Big Ten Championship Game. Spencer Petras needs to get this Iowa offense rolling.

5. Minnesota Golden Gophers *** Last Week: 6

• Last week: Minnesota 34, Maryland 16 on Oct. 23 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn.
• Records: 5-2 overall, 3-1 in Big Ten
• This week: Minnesota at Northwestern (3-4, 1-3 in Big Ten), 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 30 at Ryan Field in Evanston, Ill.
• TV: Big Ten Network
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Minnesota is a 7.5-point favorite over Northwestern as of Saturday morning on the SISportsbook.com website. The over/under is 43.5. CLICK HERE
• National rankings: Received one vote in the AP poll. No. 29 in Sagarin ratings
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 8
• Highest/lowest ranking: 5/12
• The skinny: Minnesota moved up to No. 5 a bit by default because I had to punish Penn State more than be impressed with the Gophers' entire body of work. They've played well lately, winning the games they should be winning, and Saturday is another one of those circumstances. This should be a win, but it's a road game in the Big Ten and Minnesota has laid some eggs this year. 

6. Penn State Nittany Lions *** Last Week: 5

• Last game: Illinois 20, Penn State 18 (9-OT) on Oct. 23 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa.
• Records: 5-2 overall, 2-2 in Big Ten
• This week: Penn State at Ohio State (6-1, 4-0 in Big Ten), 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 30 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
• TV: ABC
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Ohio State is a 19-point favorite over Penn State as of Saturday on the SISportsbook.com website. The over/under is 60.5. CLICK HERE
• National rankings: No. 20 in the AP poll, down 13 spots after the loss to Illinois, and No. 17 in the Coaches poll, No. 20 in Sagarin ratings
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 4
• Highest/lowest ranking: 1/6
• The skinny: I'll gladly admit that I never saw that loss to Illinois at home coming last weekend. Sure, Sean Clifford was coming off an injury from the Iowa game, but the offense was a complete flop against what was, at least last week, the worst team in the league. And what about that usually good Penn State defense giving up 357 yards rushing. That's a flat-out embarrassment. Bloom came off this rose in a hurry.

7. Wisconsin Badgers *** Last Week: 8

• Last game: Wisconsin 30, Purdue 13 on Oct. 23 at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind.
• Records: 4-3 overall, 2-2 in Big Ten
• Next game: Iowa (6-1, 3-1 in Big Ten) at Wisconsin, Noon ET on Saturday, Oct. 30 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
• TV: ESPN
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Wisconsin is a 3-point favorite over Iowa as of Saturday morning on the SISportsbook.com website. The over/under is 36. CLICK HERE
• National rankings: No. 20 in Sagarin ratings
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 3
• Highest/lowest ranking: 3/9
• The skinny: The Badgers might have had their best win of the season against Purdue, playing great defensively and then finally finding a way to score some points. They can run the ball again, and that showed with Chez Melluci (149 yards) and Braelon Allen (140) both rolling up yards. Now, the question is, can they do that against Iowa?

8. Purdue Boilermakers *** Last Week: 7

• Last game: Wisconsin 30, Purdue 13 on Oct. 23 at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind.
• Records: 4-3 overall, 2-2 in Big Ten
• Last week: Bye week
• Next game: Purdue at Nebraska (3-5, 1-4 in Big Ten), 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 30 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb.
• TV: Big Ten Network
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Nebraska is a 7.5-point favorite over Purdue as of Saturday morning on the SISportsbook.com website. The over/under is 53.5. CLICK HERE
• National rankings: Purdue fell out of the rankings after being No. 25 a week ago.  No. 44 in Sagarin ratings.
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 10
• Highest/lowest ranking: 7/11
• The skinny: Purdue couldn't validate that big win at Iowa, getting pushed around by Wisconsin's running game and not generating enough offense once again. And what's with this 13 points? That's the FOURTH time they've scored 13 in a game this year, and that's just not good.

9. Nebraska Cornhuskers *** Last Week: 9

• Last game: Minnesota 30, Nebraska 23 on Oct. 16 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn.
• Records: 3-5 overall, 1-4 in Big Ten
• Last week: Bye week
• Next game: Purdue (4-3, 2-2 in Big Ten) at Nebraska, 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 30 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb.
• TV: ESPN2
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Nebraska is a 7.5-point favorite over Purdue as of Saturday morning on the SISportsbook.com website. The over/under is 53.5. CLICK HERE
• National rankings: No. 39 in Sagarin ratings.
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 9
• Highest/lowest ranking: 6/14
• The skinny: Nebraska has played a lot of close games this year but just can't close. This is a fine time to get on a bit of a roll and beat Purdue handily. It's certainly a hard team to figure out. I think the bye week will help with some improved offensive efficiency.                                                          

10. Maryland Terrapins *** Last Week: 10

• Last game: Minnesota 34, Maryland 16 on Oct. 23 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn.
• Records: 4-3 overall, 1-3 in Big Ten
• This week: Indiana (2-5, 0-4 in Big Ten) at Maryland, Noon ET on Saturday, Oct. 30 at Maryland Stadium in College Park, Md.
• TV: Big Ten Network
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Maryland is a 4.5-point favorite on the SISportsbook.com website as of Saturday morning. The over/under is 48.5. CLICK HERE
• National rankings: No. 71 in Sagarin ratings
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 11
• Highest/lowest ranking: 6/11
• The skinny: Maryland is on a three-game losing streak, so it's a good thing that they're catching the injury-raved Hoosiers at the right time. Maryland needs to make the most of that opportunity, Turnovers have been a huge problem for Taulia Tagovailoa and his Maryland offense, and they need to play a clean game on Saturday to put the Hoosiers away.

11. Indiana Hoosiers *** Last Week: 11

• Last game: Ohio State 54, Indiana 7 on Oct. 23 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind.
• Records: 2-5 overall, 0-5 in Big Ten
• This week: Indiana at Maryland (4-3, 1-3 in Big Ten), Noon ET on Saturday, Oct. 30 at Maryland Stadium in College Park, Md.
• TV: Big Ten Network
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Maryland is a 4.5-point favorite on the SISportsbook.com website as of Saturday morning. The over/under is 48.5. CLICK HERE
• National rankings: No. 66 in Sagarin ratings
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 2
• Highest/lowest ranking: 2/11
• The skinny: Indiana had no answers for anything that Ohio State did last week in the blowout loss and Tom Allen stressed flushing that one quickly. Easier said than done, of course, especially when you go into Maryland probably starting a true freshman, Donaven McCulley at quarterback. The defense will have to carry the load to pull out a win.

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

• Last game: Illinois 20, Penn State 18 (9-OT) on Oct. 23 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa.
• Records: 2-5 overall, 1-3 in Big Ten
• Next game: Rutgers (3-4, 0-4 in Big Ten) at Illinois, Noon ET on Saturday, Oct. 30 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill.
• TV: Big Ten Network
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Rutgers is a 1.5-point favorite as of Saturday morning on the SISportsbook.com website. The over/under is 41.5.
• National rankings: No. 85 in Sagarin ratings.
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 14
• Highest/lowest ranking: 10/14
• The skinny: Illinois got a terrific win at Happy Valley, stunning Penn State in nine overtimes. The Illini rushed for 357 yards, which is great, but how do you still only get 10 points out of that in regulation. The Illini might finally be putting things together in Bret Bielema's first season.

13. Northwestern Wildcats *** Last Week: 12

• Last game: Michigan 33, Northwestern on Oct. 23 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich.
• Records: 3-4 overall, 1-3 in Big Ten
• This week: Minnesota (5-2, 3-1 in Big Ten) at Northwestern, 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 30 at Ryan Field in Evanston, Ill.
• TV: Big Ten Network
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Minnesota is a 7.5-point favorite over Northwestern as of Saturday morning on the SISportsbook.com website. The over/under is 43.5. CLICK HERE
• National rankings: No. 75 in Sagarin ratings
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 6
• Highest/lowest ranking: 6/13
• The skinny: Northwestern just can't get enough going on offense right now to contend with the big boys. That's a lot to overcome for a very young defense that's starting to find its way. 

14. Rutgers Scarlet Knights *** Last Week: 13

• Last game: Northwestern 21, Rutgers 7 on Oct. 16 at Ryan Field in Evanston, Ill.
• Records: 3-4 overall, 0-4 in Big Ten
• Last week: Bye week
• Next game: Rutgers at Illinois (3-5, 2-3 in Big Ten), Noon ET on Saturday, Oct. 30 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill.
• TV: Big Ten Network
• SISportsbook.com point spread: Rutgers is a 1.5-point favorite as of Saturday morning on the SISportsbook.com website. The over/under is 41.5.
• National rankings: No. 76 in Sagarin ratings
• Preseason B1G power ranking: 12
• Highest/lowest ranking: 10/13
• The skinny: Rutgers hasn't won a Big Ten game yet, but they're suddenly favored this week now against Illinois, with is something of a surprise. Illinois was actually a slight favorite early in the week. Greg Schiano has been pushing improvement there in Jersey, but this is a big week for that. Getting a win would be huge.

Previous Big Ten Power Rankings

• POWER RANKINGS, WEEK 8: There's a huge seismic shift in the top five spots of our Big Ten Power Rankings in Week 8 after former No. 1 Iowa was upset at home by Purdue. We've got a new No. 1 now, and its a familiar face in our weekly rankings. Welcome back, Ohio State. CLICK HERE
• POWER RANKINGS, WEEK 7: Iowa erased a two-touchdown deficit to beat Penn State last Saturday in a rare battle of top-five teams, and Ohio State continues to impress week after week. Here are our Week 7 Big Ten power rankings. CLICK HERE
• POWER RANKINGS, WEEK 6: Ever since Ohio State, the four-time defending Big Ten champions, lost to Oregon in Week 2, it's been Penn State and Iowa taking turns at No. 1 in the league. There's been another change on the eve of their epic showdown in Iowa City on Saturday. CLICK HERE
• POWER RANKINGS, WEEK 5: With Iowa's offense sputtering and everything seemingly in place at Penn State, there's a new team at the top of our Big Ten Power Rankings. CLICK HERE
• POWER RANKINGS, WEEK 4: Iowa and Penn State both have a pair of impressive victories thus far, and they're the clear class of the Big Ten through three weeks, which might perturb fans of the Ohio State Buckeyes, the four-time defending conference champions who have yet to impress. CLICK HERE
• POWER RANKINGS, WEEK 3: 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. CLICK HERE
• POWER RANKINGS, WEEK 2: Beating ranked teams on the road has been difficult during James Franklin's tenure at Penn State, but going into Madison to win on Saturday was a huge deal. The Nittany Lions move up to No. 2 in our rankings, now the big question is, can they stay there? CLICK HERE
• POWER RANKINGS, WEEK 1: With five Big Ten matchups in Week 1, there's no easing into the college football season this year. And we already learned from Saturday's Week 0 game with Illinois and Nebraska that no favorite is safe this season. CLICK HERE
• POWER RANKINGS, PRESEASON: Ohio State has won four straight Big Ten football titles, and the Buckeyes are heavy favorites to win again. But in our preseason power rankings, the pecking order behind them has a few surprises. CLICK HERE