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Whole lot of B1G West in the bottom half.

Maryland 3 point underdogs, at home, vs Northwestern, with 2 defenders having to sit out the first half due to ejection this week.

I don't see many more wins, unless Caleb is actually worth his 4-star rating.  If not, and Bortenschlager plays, I don't see a bowl.

Tough crowd.  Buckeyes 4th in the nation in scoring and total offense.

I still don't think they have a competent passing game against quality defenses.  The running game is good enough to put up gaudy stats against inferior teams and the passing game is good enough to function against inferior teams but I still strongly doubt tOSU's ability to move the ball against quality defenses.  

Last week I had Michigan, Ohio State, Maryland, and Michigan State ranked third through sixth respectively.  I commented that I thought that I thought that 3/4 and 5/6 were toss-ups and that the gap between 3/4 and 5/6 appeared to be enormous.  

My #4, Ohio State thoroughly dominated my #5, Maryland thus seeming to confirm my observation.  Then my #3 lost at home to my #6 thus throwing my whole view of the conference into chaos.  

I'm honestly not positive that MSU is even better than Michigan in large part because I do not feel confident either that Michigan is as bad as they looked against MSU or that MSU is as good as they looked against Michigan.  So I'll try again:

• Penn State - I still lack confidence in this pick because in their six games the Nittany Lions have played five bad teams and barely escaped Iowa in the one challenging game they played.  Now, at the mid-point of their season, they get a week off then back-to-back-to-back games vM, @tOSU, @MSU.  
• Ohio State - I don't know how much it means because Maryland was playing mascots and cheerleaders at QB but Ohio State's defense absolutely smothered the Terrapins.  The Terps finished with 66 total yards and nearly half of those came on their final drive when trailing 62-7.  Meanwhile, Oklahoma's loss to ISU confirmed my worst fears about that loss.  
• Wisconsin - I had previously left Nebraska for dead but Wisconsin was tied with them late in the third quarter and within one score until about half way through the fourth.  That could just be a home game effect but if not then either Nebraska is a lot better or Wisconsin a lot worse than I thought.  We'll find out this week when Nebraska hosts Ohio State and Wisconsin plays perhaps the second best team in the B1G-W, Purdue.  
• Michigan State - I'm not confident in this at all, as stated above.  
• Michigan - Both Michigan Schools have defenses good enough to keep them in any game and offenses bad enough to keep their opponents in any game.  
• Purdue - I believe this is the first time in about a decade that I've had Purdue in the top half of a B1G Power Ranking.  
• Iowa - Iowa State win and MSU loss both look better but they should have been able to dispatch Illinois more easily.  
• Indiana - The Hoosiers are 0-2 in Conference but their losses are to my #1 and #2 teams so that doesn't say much.  Their OOC wins over Charleston Southern and Georgia Southern say nothing but the OOC win over UVA looks pretty good.  Can they beat one of the two Michigan schools the next two weeks?  
• Nebraska - Maybe Wisconsin isn't as good as I thought but at least Nebraska put up a fight so for now I am moving them up.   
• Maryland -  It is hard to get a read on this team largely due to their QB situation.  The Texas win looks great, the UCF loss doesn't look too bad, and the win at Minnesota was a pleasant surprise but they just looked flat awful in Columbus.  
• Minnesota - It will be interesting to see how the Gophers respond to adversity.  This could still be a bowl team but time is running out fast.  Back-to-back losses to beatable teams have them teetering at 3-2.   
• Northwestern -  This weekend's game at Maryland is probably a must-win for NU's bowl hopes.  
• Illinois - This week is their best and possibly only chance to avoid going 0-9 in conference because they are playing:
• Rutgers - Saying that Rutgers has been bad since joining the B1G doesn't begin to convey the magnitude of Rutgers' deficiencies.  They are now 4-24 all-time in B1G games and they have only won one since going 3-5 in 2014.  This week's pillow fight against Illinois is the only realistic chance they have to avoid going 0-9 for a second consecutive year.  

I still don't think they have a competent passing game against quality defenses.  The running game is good enough to put up gaudy stats against inferior teams and the passing game is good enough to function against inferior teams but I still strongly doubt tOSU's ability to move the ball against quality defenses.  

Maybe - they will see some with PSU, UM, and MSU coming up.  However, I think the offense is much more coherent compared to what it was last year, and even earlier in the season.  The passing game is now designed to get defenders out of the box and into the hands of speedy guys.  Last year, they seemed intent on throwing the ball in the same areas they wanted to run the ball.  It's also now more on JT making quick reads as opposed to doing timing routes or going through long progressions.

I'd say that looks pretty good for the East in the crossover games. 

1.  Ohio State (3)- I think the Oklahoma game was more about the implementing of a new offensive system and so many new defensive players.  Urban is an awesome coach, and their team is really coming together.  The improvement is tremendous.  I think it's time to admit this is the looking like the best team in the B1G right now.se
2.  Wisconsin (1)- Struggled a bit with Nebraska, but that a very tough place to play.  Should easily win the West.
3.  Penn State (2)- Defense and Special teams have been very good.  Offense is putting up numbers.  However, those who watch every game can see obvious chinks in the armor.  The offensive line is struggling, and the defensive line is getting the pressure it normally does.   Penn State has the best scoring defense in the country, but their schedule has been very weak.  We shall find out what this team is made of in two weeks.
4.  Michigan State (5)- I almost put Michigan here.  I do think that Michigan is a better team, and I think they would have won easily if not for the crazy weather and the 5 turnovers.  However, results on the field trump my opinions -- for now.
5.  Michigan (4)- They really have to get their offense figured out.  On a side note, the last press conference with Harbaugh with shameful.  The Michigan press treated him like hot garbage.  The guy lost a close game with a rival in a rainstorm, in a rebuilding year.  Michigan fans and the press are ridiculous.
6.  Iowa (6)
7.  Purdue (7)
8.  Indiana (11) - after some reflection, I think I had them too low
9.  Maryland (8)
10.  Nebraska (12)
11.  Northwestern (10)
12.  Minnesota (9)
13.  Illinois (13)
14.  Rutgers (14)