Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, September 24, 2017
Penn State provided more evidence of its championship stock by finding a way to win against all odds at Iowa. And, it?s time to move Michigan up my latest Big Ten Power Rankings, presented by ArcelorMittal. Could the Wolverines be the best in the East?
[ MORE: Week 4 video | Best of Week 4 | Week 4 predictions revisited ]
See my latest list below.
1. Penn State (4-0, 1-0). With Superman Saquon on their side, the Nittany Lions are going to be a tough out.
Last week: 1
Up next: Indiana
2. Wisconsin (3-0, 0-0). If QB Alex Hornibrook keeps playing like he did at BYU (18-of-19 with 4 TDs), the Badgers may not lose a regular season game.
Last week: 2
Up next: Northwestern
3. Michigan (4-0, 1-0). If you had any lingering doubts about the defense, drop them. It?s legit and scary-good. Can the offense keep improving?
Last week: 4
Up next: off; Michigan State
4. Ohio State (3-1, 1-0). Five first-half TD passes by J.T. Barrett? Difficult not to be impressed. But can he do it vs. an elite team?
Last week: 3
Up next: at Rutgers
5. Iowa (3-1, 0-0). Yes, the Penn State loss was a gut-punch. But there is so much to build on in Iowa City. Love QB Nate Stanley.
Last week: 6
Up next: at Michigan State
6. Purdue (2-2, 0-1). The fact some felt the Boilermakers had a shot to beat Michigan speaks volumes as to how quickly Jeff Brohm has changed expectations.
Last week: 8
Up next: off; Minnesota, Oct. 7
7. Minnesota (3-0, 0-0). The Golden Gophers look to keep the mojo going after an off week. QB Conor Rhoda is looking good.
Last week: 7
Up next: Maryland
8. Maryland (2-1, 0-0). Just three games into the season, and the Terrapins already are down to their third-string QB.
Last week: 5
Up next: at Minnesota
9. Michigan State (2-1, 0-0). The Spartans failed their first big test. But no shame in losing to Notre Dame, which may be good. The jury remains out on MSU.
Last week: 9
Up next: at Michigan
10. Indiana (2-1, 0-1). The Hoosiers were supposed to rip Georgia Southern. They did. Next!
Last week: 10
Up next: at Penn State
11. Northwestern (2-1, 0-0). A win in Madison will make everything OK. The recipe for success is simple-keep feeding the ball to RB Justin Jackson.
Last week: 11
Up next: at Wisconsin
12. Nebraska (2-2, 1-0). No team needed to taste victory more than the Cornhuskers. Now, can they build on that success?
Last week: 13
Up next: at Illinois (Friday)
13. Illinois (2-1, 0-0). The youth movement is in full force in Champaign. And there will be growing pains.
Last week: 12
Up next: Nebraska (Friday)
14. Rutgers (1-3, 0-1). Wins still may be difficult to come by, but there?s no doubt the Scarlet Knights have improved.
Last week: 14
Up next: Ohio State