Big Ten Football Power Rankings, Week 13: Minnesota finally falters

With Iowa’s win over Minnesota, Ohio State stands as the only undefeated team in Big Ten football. But can they stay that way with Penn State this Saturday.

For the first time all season the power rankings for Big Ten football remain the same from the prior week. Several teams picked up some big wins, while others suffered some crucial losses, but it wasn’t enough to move anyone up or down in this weeks installment.

The biggest game of Week 12 was that of Minnesota going on the road to take on Iowa. The Golden Gophers fought hard but Iowa was able to hold on and give Minnesota their first loss of the season.

Indiana and Michigan State were looking for upset wins of their own taking on Penn State and Michigan. Unfortunately for both, they found themselves going home with another tally in the loss column. Indiana was in a dog fight and battled until the very end, but wasn’t enough, while the Spartans were silenced with an embarrassing loss to their big brother.

And to round off the week, Northwestern picked up just their second win on the season, while Wisconsin and Ohio State took care of business with their games against Nebraska and Rutgers.

This weekend might be the biggest for not only the Big Ten, but also the College Football Playoff as Penn State goes on the road to take on Ohio State. A win for Ohio State would keep them unbeaten, at the top of the playoff rankings and would clinch a spot in the conference title game. For Penn State, a win would bolster their one-loss resume, and while a win doesn’t technically clinch them a spot in the conference title game, with Rutgers the following week, it basically does.

But before we get to the games, let’s take a look at this week’s power rankings, especially if you missed us last week.