Mike Wolf, BTN volleyball announcer, October 13, 2015

Six matches into conference play and there is no clear favorite for the Big Ten title. For over a decade contenders have risen above the field in the first few weeks of conference play to then battle for the league crown in the second half of the season. 2015 may finally be the year where no team truly separates itself from the pack and four to six teams could be in the conversation for the title as we make our way into late November.

Penn State, the presumed favorite and 16-time conference champions, looked the part in the Big Ten opener by sweeping Wisconsin. But ever since the Nittany Lions have seen inconsistent play resulting in near upsets and two losses. This is the second consecutive year Penn State has dropped two conference matches in the first three weeks.

A season ago the Nittany Lions won the remaining 14 conference matches and went on to their second straight national title. The 2014 team had seniors Micha Hancock at setter and Dominique Gonzalez at libero while this year?s freshman starters, Bryanna Weiskircher and Keeton Holcomb, need the experience that will only come with time. Penn State will improve and stay in the mix but the one-time favorite is now just one of many teams vying for the top spot.

The Boilermakers, the current team atop the standings, are 6-0 and the only unbeaten in the conference. An impressive record no matter the opponent in this league but Purdue has faced just one ranked Big Ten foe and none of the five teams ranked in the top 15. That will change this weekend when Dave Shondell?s team travels to Columbus and University Park.

How good are the Boilers? We?ll find out over the next few matches but Purdue currently leads the conference in hitting and kills with senior Annie Drews second in the league in kills per set. The Boilermakers started 6-0 in 2014 as well but lost 8 of their final 14 matches and missed out on the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2009. Purdue is once again a contender for the title but cannot be considered a favorite despite the 6-0 record.

Unblemished records in the Big Ten are a thing of the past and with the unbalanced schedule a true champion will be hard to define when all contenders do not play each other twice. Though a clear favorite has not emerged one thing has become apparent, all of the talk about ?any given night? in the Big Ten conference being your toughest match of the season is no longer just hyperbole. Northwestern?s first win against Penn State since 2002 sent notice to rest of the Big Ten, just because there may not be a ranking in front of the team name doesn?t mean that an opponent in the bottom of half of the league can?t knock off one of the preseason favorites.

Live on BTN/BTN2Go this week:

Rutgers at No. 23 Michigan, 7 p.m. ET Wednesday (Watch on BTN2Go)

Year two for the Scarlet Knights in the Big Ten has not seen a dramatic step up from the team?s first year in the conference. Rutgers has yet to win a Big Ten match since joining the league and the Knights have lost of five of six conference matches in straight sets. The one outlier was the team?s four set loss at Indiana when it had set point in the second with a chance to take a 2-0 lead on the Hoosiers but fell 26-24. The improvements may be minor thus far for Coach CJ Werneke but Rutgers can challenge an opponent if its play is inconsistent.

Michigan has yet to put together a complete performance in conference play and is hoping a matchup with the Scarlet Knights can allow for that opportunity. After a straight set loss to Michigan State to start week two, the Wolverines rebounded to take a five-setter at home over the Spartans. A five-set win in Iowa was followed by a four-set loss to Nebraska. Michigan has struggled going 2-0 in a Big Ten week the past few seasons but this week?s matchups with Rutgers and Maryland presents a good opportunity.

No. 18 Purdue at No. 7 Ohio State, 7 p.m. ET Friday (Watch on BTN2Go)

Purdue finally meets one of the conference?s other contenders on Friday in Columbus for what will be the only meeting between the Boilers and Buckeyes this season. A year ago Purdue won this matchup in five thanks in large part to a 21-kill effort from Annie Drews but both teams have significantly different lineups from last season.

The Buckeyes have won their last five matches since dropping the Big Ten opener to Minnesota and have two wins over ranked league opponents in Wisconsin and Nebraska. The freshman duo of Taylor Hughes and Audra Appold were named the Setter and Freshman of the Week following last week?s wins over Northwestern and Illinois. Early edge goes to the Buckeyes after the success they have shown against other top league competition but Purdue will be anxious to prove itself against a top 10 opponent.

No. 3 Nebraska at No. 16 Illinois, 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday (Watch on BTN2Go)

The Cornhuskers shuffled lineup has paid off through the early portion of the Big Ten schedule as Nebraska leads the conference in blocks through six matches. Add in the continued emergence of Mikaela Foecke as a go to threat on the left after an 18 kill effort against Michigan and Nebraska has become a team to be feared for the remainder of the Big Ten season.

Illinois on the other hand needs this weekend to alter the course of its season. The Illini finally returned home to Huff Hall after a five-week road trip only to lose both matches in its home gym to Penn State and Ohio State. Illinois has now lost its last four matches and has lacked a consistent high level of play over the course of that time. With its second straight weekend at home this could be the time that we see the Illini team that was picked as a preseason contender by numerous Big Ten coaches.