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2-6 remain pretty interesting.

Wisconsin: still has the worst loss of the group, but has two blowout wins, including one on the road, against 2-6, plus beating Iowa to go 3-0 against 2-6. I think Wisconsin is the pretty easy #2 here. Blowout loss at Ohio State after getting to 10-7 in the 3rd quarter...then things snowballed.

Penn State's case for #3? Beat Iowa on the road and Michigan, and lost by a single score at Minnesota (2-1 against 2-6); and gave Ohio State a mild start in the 3rd quarter thanks to a couple of turnovers. Interesting that at 21-0, Ohio State was cruising to another blowout, then two quick turnovers, and bam, PSU gets credit for a close game against the Buckeyes.

Michigan's case: Notre Dame. And a 1-score win against a good Iowa team. Poor Iowa. Blowout losses to Wisconsin and Ohio State (no shame there--unless you are a Michigan fan), and a loss to Penn State, so 1-2 against the 2-6.

Minnesota's Case: Penn State (at home). One-score loss to Iowa, and a blowout loss to Wisconsin at home. Ouch. Tense game in the 3rd quarter turned into a rout. 1-2 vs. 2-6. Soft schedule (though credit where it is due, they worked over their weak B1G competition...hear that Wisconsin?).

Iowa: one-score losers, again, and again, and again, and...hey--a one-score win against Minnesota! They don't score a lot, but they find a way to win against teams not in the 2-6... (1-3). No blowout losses.

All of this has me re-shaping 2-6: and moving Minnesota all the way down. And Iowa/Michigan ends up the toughest call for me. Iowa's problem is the lack of a really good win and the head-to-head loss (to be fair, on the road--different result in Iowa City?), but Michigan's blowout loss in Madison is hard to ignore (Iowa was a two-point conversion away from maybe going to OT). Other than the helmet, what tells us Michigan is better? Coming on strong late against a weak schedule? No, but Notre Dame is pretty good, and the Wolverines took it to the wood shed.

Wisconsin
Penn State
Michigan
Iowa
Minnesota

I have done this the last few weeks, here is a ranking based on each team's average relative performance against the nine B1G teams that they played as compared to the other eight B1G teams that played that same team:

• 1.61 Ohio State
• tie 3.11 Michigan
• tie 3.11 Penn State
• tie 3.11 Wisconsin
• 3.83 Minnesota
• 4.00 Iowa
• 5.33 Indiana
• 5.78 Illinois
• 5.83 Nebraska
• 6.11 Michigan State
• 6.33 Northwestern
• 6.39 Purdue
• 7.33 Maryland
• 8.11 Rutgers

Now if we eliminate each team's best and worst relative performance here is the ranking:

• 1.43 Ohio State
• 2.57 Penn State
• 2.93 Michigan
• 3.00 Wisconsin
• 3.64 Minnesota
• 4.00 Iowa
• 5.57 Indiana
• 5.86 Illinois
• 5.93 Nebraska
• 6.29 Michigan State
• 6.50 Purdue
• 6.71 Northwestern
• 7.86 Maryland
• 8.43 Rutgers

It is interesting that Michigan does a lot better here than in most rankings.  The other interesting thing is the enormous gap between the two newbies and everybody else.  Note that Rutgers' two best relative performances were being 5th best against Ohio State and 6th best against Penn State.  It is pretty clear that in those cases the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions simply didn't see any need to grind the Scarlet Knights into the dust.  Other than that Rutgers had the worst relative performance or second worst relative performance against their other seven opponents.  

12) Maryland
13) Northwestern 

What are you seeing that I am completely missing to justify Maryland over Northwestern?

perhaps they missed the Cat's last game?

What are you seeing that I am completely missing to justify Maryland over Northwestern?

apathy 

11. Nebraska
13. Northwestern
12. Maryland
14. Rutgers

Hawk, did you intend your vote to be the numbers you used:

• 11 Nebraska
• 12 Maryland
• 13 Northwestern
• 14 Rutgers

Or the order you used:

• 11 Nebraska
• 12 Northwestern
• 13 Maryland
• 14 Rutgers

?