Big Ten Football Power Rankings, Week 4: Michigan gaining steam
The Michigan State Spartans got back on track this past Saturday, picking up a win over the Indiana Hoosiers. The Spartans haven’t looked like the team we expected them to be, but their bye week came at the right time. And with two games, that should be wins, before they take on Penn State, the Spartans have time to get ready for one of their biggest games of the season.
But if the Spartans are going to contend for a Big Ten title, their run game will need to gain some traction in the next couple of weeks. Michigan State is averaging just under 120 yards a game and their leading rusher on the season, LJ Scott, has just 103 yards in their first three games. Brian Lewerke is a talented quarterback but asking him to make up for loss ground in the run game could be costly to the Spartans Big Ten title hopes.
The Wisconsin Badgers won on Saturday, bouncing back from their upset loss to BYU, but slip to number four in our power rankings. Their continued fall has nothing to do with their play on Saturday but with the team that jumped them playing dominate football. The Badgers looked great on offense in Week 4, as both the passing game and run game were clicking on all cylinders. Quarterback Alex Hornibrook looked really impressive, going 17-of-22, passing for over 200 yards and three scores.
That type of play from Hornibrook will go along way for the Badgers as they try to recover from their early season loss. The Badgers are still the unanimous favorite to win the Big Ten West and with games against Michigan and Penn State still on their schedule, their playoff hopes are still very much alive. With the one of the nation’s best running backs and top defenses, the Badgers should still be feared by many that have them on their remianing schedule.
Since their opening week loss to Notre Dame, the Michigan Wolverines have been ripping their competition apart on both offense and defense. And despite Nebraska being a disappointment, the Wolverines 56-10 win was still impressive. This win came with a 39-0 lead at halftime and saw the Michigan offense tally up nearly 500 yards of offense, while their defense held the Cornhuskers to 139 total yards of offense.
The Wolverines looked to be overrated after their first game but are proving to the Big Ten and the rest of the nation that they are indeed for real. Michigan should get through their next two games with ease before they go on a three game stretch that has them playing Wisconsin, Michigan State and Penn State. The Wolverines still have yet to put these kind of numbers up against a top opponent, but their performance so far has them inching closer to the top of the Big Ten.