Big Ten Football Power Rankings Week 1: Nebraska already in free fall mode

Had we completed a Week 0 power rankings, Nebraska would have been in the 9-11 range. With a loss to Northwestern, they drop all the way to the Big Ten basement.

Hate to say a Week 0 game fell into a must win category, but with all the changes Scott Frost and the program has undergone in the offseason, the Huskers needed to come out and start with a win. Instead it was another one score loss. During the Frost era, the Huskers are 5-21 in such games.

Nebraska gets to hit the reset button the next two weeks with North Dakota and Georgia Southern visiting Lincoln. Wins, no matter how big they are, will not cool off Frost’s red hot coaching seat.

Thanks to the Huskers falling flat on their faces, the Hoosiers get to start slightly out of the conference basement. Indiana finished the season a year ago winless in the conference and 2-10 overall.

After a Cinderella season and Top 25 finish in 2020, the Hoosiers were dreadful last season. With two new coordinators and fresh faces all over the roster, it could another tough season in Bloomington.

The non conference schedule features the same three opponents as a year ago (Idaho, Western Kentucky and Cincinnati). The Hoosiers kick off the conference season hosting Illinois on Friday night.

Rutgers finished 5-8 and 2-7 in conference last season. The Scarlet Knights were subbed into a bowl game due to Covid issues. Despite being outmatched by Wake Forest, it was good experience for the team.

In order to get back to a bowl the traditional way, Greg Schiano’s team likely will need to have a perfect non conference record. A loss somewhere in the first three games will mean they will need an upset with a tough Big Ten East division schedule plus crossovers with Iowa and Minnesota. Their opener at Boston College will be crucial for the Scarlet Knights.