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Big Ten football: 2023 Week 2 power rankings

By Chris Peterson

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - AUGUST 31: Head coach Matt Rhule of the Nebraska Cornhuskers looks on against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium on August 31, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Golden Gophers defeated the Cornhuskers 13-10. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - AUGUST 31: Head coach Matt Rhule of the Nebraska Cornhuskers looks on against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium on August 31, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Golden Gophers defeated the Cornhuskers 13-10. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) /
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Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

11. Indiana (1-1)

The Hoosiers get credit for the win and they looked impressive doing it with a 41-7 victory over Indiana State, although the Sycamores are from the FCS, so it’s to be expected. However, Indiana was competitive against Ohio State and if the Hoosiers can play all season as they did the first two weeks, six wins seems possible. The Louisville game this week will tell Big Ten football followers a lot about Indiana.

10. Purdue (1-1)

The Boilermakers had one of the worst losses in the first week of Big Ten football as they dropped a home game against Fresno State in the final seconds. But Ryan Walters’ team bounced back with a 24-17 win over Virginia Tech. It was a challenging environment, plus the weather was wild, but Hudson Card threw for 248 yards and Purdue got a big win. Syracuse is up next.

9. Michigan State (2-0)

The Michigan State football team has been forgotten about in the turmoil of the Mel Tucker scandal. The head coach is suspended without pay right now. On the field, the Spartans dominated Richmond 45-14 and the most promising thing about the win was the 292 passing yards and three scores from quarterback Noah Kim. Harlon Barnett will be the interim head coach this week with Mark Dantonio as a special assistant. Michigan State is a double-digit underdog to Washington this week, but don’t underestimate a team with nothing to lose.

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