Final Big Ten Football Power Rankings for the 2021 season
By Ryan Kay
Before we look forward to the beginning of the 2022 season, let’s look back at the fourteen Big Ten teams and how well they performed during the 2021 season.
The Big Ten overall had a good season in 2021 with three teams finishing in the top 10 of the last AP poll of the season. 10 of the 14 teams in the conference participated in a bowl game and the Big Ten started the 2021 bowl season with a 5-0 record.
The signature bowl wins were Purdue defeating Tennessee, Ohio State beating Utah, Michigan State defeating Pitt, and Wisconsin beating Arizona State.
Before we begin thinking about spring football or predictions for the 2022 season, let’s look back at the 2021 season and have one last Big Ten power rankings. Here is a look at the first group of Big Ten teams.
Tier 4 Teams in the Big Ten
14. team. 813. . 2-10. . Hoosiers
Big Ten Record: 0-9
Victories: Idaho and at Western Kentucky
Wins over bowl teams: 1
Road victories: 1
Wins over ranked opponents: 0
Victories over conference champions: 0
Bowl Game: Did not qualify for a bowl game
3-9. . Wildcats . 13. team. 882.
Big Ten Record: 1-8
Victories: Indiana State, Ohio, and Rutgers
Wins over bowl teams: 1
Road victories: 0
Wins over ranked opponents: 0
Victories over conference champions: 0
Bowl Game: Did not qualify for a bowl game
team. 810. . 3-9. . Cornhuskers . 12
Big Ten Record: 1-8
Victories: Fordham, Buffalo, and Northwestern
Wins over bowl teams: 0
Road victories: 0
Wins over ranked opponents: 0
Victories over conference champions: 0
Bowl Game: Did not qualify for a bowl game
The above three teams did not play well for various reasons and won only a combined seven games for the 2021 season.
Indiana had various injuries and was competitive in some games against quality opponents but only came away with two wins on the season.
Northwestern like Indiana was very inconsistent but was competitive against Iowa for instance but lost too many games by double digits throughout the season.
Nebraska was more competitive more often than the Wildcats and Hoosiers by comparison. They lost to Michigan, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, and Purdue by single digits and deserve credit for being competitive but wins and loses are the measurements for programs not how close your team kept the final score of the game before falling short.
However, the Cornhuskers were only able to win three games even though they played many teams tough. Let’s now look at the tier three teams in these Big Ten power rankings.