Michigan St., Ohio St., Nebraska Still Top Big Ten Power Rankings Week 7
Saturday Blitz Big Ten Power Rankings Week 7
Just like Ohio State, the Nebraska Cornhuskers didn’t play last week, so they didn’t do anything to fall down our list or move up our list. And nobody did anything to jump them or fall below them. They still played Michigan State a lot closer than some people would have thought on the road, and that’s enough to say that they are close to the Spartans’ level, which is why they’re at No. 2 and not No. 3.
Bo Pelini has realized that Ameer Abdullah is a superstar, and to win games, he should just stick with old-school Nebraska football with a new-age twist. The Cornhuskers didn’t mind not having a passing game all those years they ran the triple-option. Why worry now? Use Tommy Armstrong to run a spread triple-option with still a bunch of linemen, and let the defense dominate. That’s the formula for this team, and they’ve used it to pretty good success so far.
After a bye week, a trip to Northwestern this weekend will be another chance for the Huskers to show off just how good they are, and then they get Rutgers. Those are two decent teams. But this team is good enough to be 8-1 heading into a showdown with Wisconsin, and with Minnesota and Iowa to close the year out, there’s a chance these guys make it to 11-1.
We have enough faith in them to do that in the weak Big Ten West, which is why they’re No. 2.