2022 Big Ten Conference Football Power Rankings — Preseason
College football season is on fast approach, as the programs who are competing in ‘Week 0’ have officially begun game week.
With less than seven days until the start of the season, it’s a perfect time for Spartan Nation to debut it’s 2022 Big Ten football power rankings. These rankings will be updated weekly throughout the season, and will heavily emphasis a program’s recent momentum.
To be clear, this is not how I would rank each of the Big Ten programs heading into the 2022 season, or where I expect these programs to finish in the league standings. Instead, these early power rankings are mostly based on where teams finished a season ago and the offseason momentum they are carrying into 2022.
Without further ado, let’s get started:
14.) Indiana – I don’t expect the Hoosiers to be the worst team in the Big Ten in 2022, but after a season in which they went winless in conference play, I’ve got no choice but to start Indiana at the bottom of my power rankings. Tom Allen is a good coach, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Hoosiers are a tough out or even upsets one of the East Division’s top contenders. However, Indiana has to prove that the 2021 season was just a disastrous fluke before they move out of the bottom spot here.
13.) Northwestern – If there is a more bizarre Power 5 program in America over the last four years, than I’d like to find out who that is. The Wildcats won the Big Ten West division in 2018 and 2020, with conference records of 8-1 and 6-2, respectively, in those seasons. But in the year’s directly following those division titles, 2019 and 2021, Northwestern went 1-8 in league play each year. I guess that means the Wildcats are due for another Big Ten West crown in 2022, but Northwestern will have to show vast improvement before they move up in my power rankings.
12.) Nebraska – Speaking of bizarre programs, not many teams had a more miserable season in 2021 than the Cornhuskers. Nebraska went 1-8 in Big Ten play a season ago, and yet there point differential in league games was EVEN. The Huskers lost eight Big Ten games by a combined 49 points, and beat Northwestern by 49 points. Head coach Scott Frost is coaching for his job at his alma mater, and whether he remains in Lincoln beyond 2022 is entirely dependent on if Nebraska can turn some of those close losses into wins.
11.) Rutgers – The Scarlet Knights have been a much better program since Greg Schiano returned to Piscataway for his second stint leading this program in 2020. Still, life is tough at the bottom of the Big Ten East, and Rutgers has yet to prove itself as a program that can compete with the division contenders. The Scarlet Knights are picked to finish last in the division by many publications. We’ll see what Schiano can get out of this group in 2022.
10.) Illinois – The Fighting Illini had been the bottom-feeder of the Big Ten West for much of former head coach Lovie Smith’s tenure, but Illinois showed some life during a 5-7 debut season under new coach Bret Bielema. The Illini are probably another recruiting class or two away from being a contender in the West division, but Bielema has a history of success in this conference and I’m intrigued to see if this program can crawl out of the Big Ten basement in the coming years.
9.) Maryland – The Terrapins have not finished in last place in the Big Ten East since joining the conference in 2014, but Maryland has also not finished higher than fifth in the division in any full Big Ten season. Again, this is life in one of college football’s toughest divisions. Head coach Mike Locksley seems like a good fit in College Park, but one would think sooner or later he needs to have some type of breakout season that sees the Terps finish in at least the ‘Top 3’ of the division.
8.) Penn State – This feels awfully low for the Nittany Lions, but after a 7-6 season in 2021, I’m willing to slot Penn State in the middle of the conference. I expect something of a bounce-back season for James Franklin’s program, but it won’t be easy in the Big Ten East. The Nittany Lions open with a Big Ten opponent and also have an early trip to Auburn in September, so we’ll find out a lot about this season’s Nittany Lions in a hurry.
7.) Purdue – It’s been nice to see head coach Jeff Brohm take this programs from a perpetual Big Ten bottom-feeder and turn it into a program that can surprise any given team on any given Saturday – even if that came at the expense of Michigan State a season ago. Programs continually dwelling at the bottom of their respective leagues isn’t fun for anyone, expect maybe those program’s rivals. The Boilermakers finished last in their division for four straight seasons before Brohm was hired, but have not finished below fifth in the West in any full Big Ten season since the coaching change. Purdue has finished tied for second in the West twice under Brohm – is 2022 the season in which the Boilermakers make it to Indianapolis?
6.) Wisconsin – The Badgers have been such a consistent program over the last two decades that it was kind of shocking to see them open the 2021 season with a 1-3 record, albeit against an extraordinarily difficult September slate of games. Wisconsin pulled themselves together to win eight in a row following that start, before falling to Minnesota in the regular season finale. The Badgers are always a contender in the Big Ten West, and no one should be surprised if they make their way to Indy again in 2022.
5.) Minnesota – The Golden Gophers have quietly been a respectable program for much of the last decade. Head coach PJ Fleck led Minnesota to a breakthrough 2019 season in which the Gophers went 11-2, and led Minnesota to a 9-4 season a year ago. The Golden Gophers are still seeking their first trip to Indianapolis – they tied for first in the West division in 2019, but Wisconsin held the tie-breaker. Minnesota should be considered a contender for the division again in 2022.
4.) Iowa – The Hawkeyes were the champions of the Big Ten West a season ago and featured one of the top defenses in the country, but that offense was dreadful a year ago. If Iowa is going to repeat as the division winners in 2022, they’ll need to find answers on the offensive side of the football. Head coach Kirk Ferentz is the longest-tenured head coach in all of college football, and the Hawkeyes are another one of the those programs that can sneak up and beat anybody on a given Saturday, particularly at home in Kinnick Stadium. In the balanced Big Ten West, I expect Iowa to once again compete for a trip to Indy.
3.) Michigan State – The Spartans were arguably the biggest surprise in college football a season ago, but Mel Tucker’s program won’t catch anyone by surprise in 2022. That’s okay, because I expect Michigan State to be pretty good once again this season. The Big Ten schedule is difficult – the Spartans drew Minnesota and Wisconsin as cross-divisional opponents out of the West, and have to deal with each of the East powers as well. In 2021, Michigan State hit a home run in the transfer portal in Kenneth Walker III. In 2022, the Spartans coaching staff gets to flex its development muscles and show how far this program has comes over the past three seasons.
2.) Ohio State – Let me be clear: The Buckeyes are my pick to win the Big Ten in 2022, but they open the season No. 2 in my power rankings after their streak of four consectutive league championships was halted in 2021. Ohio State will feature one of the most dangerous offenses in all of college football – as usual – this coming season, but the Buckeyes have questions to answer on defense. New defensive coordinator Jim Knowles comes over from Oklahoma State, after leading one of the top defenses in the country a season ago. Defensive talent has never been lacking in Columbus, but Ohio State hasn’t turned that talent into a hard-nosed defense over the past few seasons.
1.) Michigan – The Wolverines get the nod at the top of the conference, mostly due to the fact that they are the defending Big Ten champions. Michigan’s non-conference schedule is one of the weakest among Power 5 programs, so don’t expect the Wolverines to be challenged much through the first month of the season. Michigan has to replace seven starters on defense, including a trio of first-round talents in Aiden Hutchinson, David Ojabo and Daxton Hill. However, the Wolverines bring back a ton of talent on offense, and is expected to have one of the best offensive lines in all of college football.
