Big Ten Power Rankings: Penn State notches big SEC win this week

14. Northwestern 0-1, 1-2

Flip a coin between the Wildcats, Cornhuskers, and Fighting Illini, and you get the bottom of the Big Ten. Give Northwestern credit, however. The Wildcats fell behind 21-0 early and made it a game before losing 30-23 on the road to Duke.

The quarterback play left a lot to be desired for the Wildcats. Hunter Johnson threw three interceptions, Andrew Marty played well in relief but got hurt, leaving Ryan Hilinski to come in and play. That did not go well.

13. Illinois 1-1, 1-3

The Fighting Illini played well in their home loss to Maryland. Illinois had every opportunity to win the game. Unfortunately for the Illini, Josh McCray and Chase Brown left the game with injuries.

The defense played well, but the offense, especially the passing game, sputtered. The way they played is a blueprint for some success while they rebuild. If they can shorten games and run well, the Illini could stay in more games.

12. Nebraska 0-1, 2-2

Speaking of hanging in games, the Nebraska Cornhuskers looked like the old-school black shirts the way they played against Oklahoma. Everyone expected this to be a route. The Cornhuskers found ways to stay in the game.

Nebraska found some long passing plays against Oklahoma. Unfortunately, the Cornhuskers could not come up with the goods at the end.