Big Ten Power Rankings Week 8: Purdue and Maryland Rise, Northwestern Falls
Saturday Blitz Big Ten Power Rankings Week 8
The Nebraska Cornhuskers could honestly be at the top of this list, but we can’t put them ahead of Michigan State right now since their last game before Saturday was still that loss to the Spartans. They are a very good team, though, and Bo Pelini’s squad is in the thick of every race, from the Big Ten West to the College Football Playoff. That’s where you want to be.
I’d like to take some credit because I believe that after struggling with McNeese State, Bo Pelini took my advice. We called for him to return to Nebraska to an option system with a mobile quarterback in Tommy Armstrong and such a deadly running back in Ameer Abdullah and only pass when needed, and Pelini has done that with some modernized flare. Since then, the defense looks good as well. So this is a very solid team.
There’s honestly no reason to believe the Cornhuskers can’t win out and reach 11-1. But a road trip to Wisconsin could be the big one to worry about. Still, we think this is by far the best team in the Big Ten West right now, and they could win any game.
That’s why we have them so high in our Big Ten Power Rankings.