Illinois’ loss opens the door to the West in Luke Mullin’s Big Ten power rankings

Penn State has two losses. Illinois has two losses.

And ahead of them, undefeated Ohio State and Michigan are leading the pack as usual. Illinois’ loss to Purdue has jumbled the Big Ten West once again, with this week’s Iowa-Wisconsin matchup taking on new importance as a result.

Previous: 1. LW: W 21-7 vs. Northwestern.

Even in poor weather conditions, it was surprising to see Ohio State play its third-closest game of the season against Northwestern. Indiana and Maryland will be the next teams to face the Buckeyes’ top-10 offense and defense before The Game on Nov. 26.

Previous: 2. LW: W 52-17 vs. Rutgers.

At halftime, Michigan appeared to be on upset alert with a slim 17-14 lead over Rutgers. 35 consecutive points later and the Wolverines walked away with another dominant win. After running for 282 yards against the Scarlet Knights, another below-average run defense awaits in Nebraska.

Previous: 4. LW: W 45-14 vs. Indiana.

Penn State jumped out to an early lead behind its rushing attack and cruised to victory as a result. Sean Clifford remains the team’s starting quarterback, but a two-touchdown performance from backup Drew Allar in garbage time should encourage Nittany Lion fans.

Previous: 3. LW: L 23-15 vs. Michigan State.

A win over the Spartans would have meant a crucial two-game lead in the Big Ten West for Illinois. Instead, a crushing home loss means that if Illinois loses again this week versus Purdue, it could find itself in a four-way tie for the division lead. Illinois will hope that a better offensive performance produces a bounceback effort.

Previous: 7. LW: W 23-10 vs. Maryland.

Wisconsin followed its typical game plan against Maryland, winning despite completing just five passes. Wisconsin held the Terrapins to just 189 yards of offense while gaining 278 yards on the ground. The Badgers will face a similarly built opponent in Iowa this week.

Previous: 9. LW: W 24-3 vs. Purdue.

Just two weeks ago, the Hawkeyes were the No. 11 team in the rankings after scoring 30 points during a three-game losing streak. Since then, Iowa has found its offense with 57 combined points over the last two weeks. Incredibly, the winner of its upcoming matchup against Wisconsin could have an outside shot at a Big Ten West crown.

Previous: 5. LW: L 23-10 vs. Maryland.

Even though quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa returned from injury, Maryland couldn’t get him going against Wisconsin in rainy conditions. The Terrapins averaged just 3.3 yards per attempt and 2.7 yards per carry in the loss. Another road game at Penn State is up next.

Previous: 6. LW: L 24-3 vs. Iowa.

It wasn’t absolutely necessary for Purdue to beat Iowa, but a three-point performance from senior quarterback Aidan O’Connell is downright disappointing. However, this week’s matchup is far more important. A win over Illinois would lift the Boilermakers back into first place in the Big Ten West.

Previous: 8. LW: W 20-13 vs. Nebraska.

Movement elsewhere and a disappointing performance results in Minnesota dropping a spot despite a win. The Gophers stumbled out of the gate and trailed by 10 against Nebraska before a second-half comeback kept Minnesota from suffering a stunning loss. The Gophers can still win the Big Ten West with wins in all three of their remaining games.

10. Michigan State (4-5, 2-4)

Previous: 10. LW: W 23-15 vs. Illinois.

Despite an impressive top-25 win over Illinois, Michigan State’s four-game losing streak from earlier in the season is keeping the Spartans from a higher ranking. Bowl dreams are still in play after beating Illinois because Rutgers and Indiana will travel to East Lansing in the next two weeks.

Previous: 11. LW: L 20-13 vs. Minnesota.

Nebraska wasn’t far from beating Minnesota and keeping its bowl hopes alive, but a loss to Michigan this week would now eliminate the Huskers from any postseason hopes. As massive underdogs against the Wolverines, how competitive will Nebraska be?

Previous: 12. LW: L 52-17 vs. Michigan.

Rutgers pushed Michigan for a half but fell apart late, surrendering 35 straight points to end the game. The Scarlet Knights stuck with one quarterback, Gavin Wimsatt, all game long despite a three-interception performance, so perhaps consistency at that spot is on the horizon.

Previous: 13. LW: L 45-14 vs. Penn State.

With starting quarterback Connor Bazelak out due to injury, backup Jack Tuttle looked like he could keep Indiana competitive. When Tuttle suffered an injury as well, Indiana’s upset chances went out the window and Penn State intercepted the Hoosier backups three times. No matter who starts at quarterback, its trip to Ohio State could get ugly.

14. Northwestern (1-8, 1-5)

Previous: 14. LW: L 21-7 vs. Ohio State.

Despite a competitive showing against Ohio State, Northwestern still lost its eighth game in a row. The Wildcats rank No. 126 out of 131 schools with an offense that averages 16.7 points per game, and they’ll face another elite defense in Minnesota this week.