SiriusXM Big Ten Radio Power Rankings: Week Four

Pete Pistone and the rest of the SiriusXM Big Ten Radio team will unveil Power Rankings each week of the college football season. Check out their 2021 preseason Power Rankings below, and start listening to SiriusXM Big Ten Radio (Ch. 372) on the SXM App now.A very eventful weekend of Big Ten football left some teams scratching their heads at what went wrong while others continued their early season rolls. Here’s how the SiriusXM Big Ten Radio team rank the schools with three weeks in the books:

1. PENN STATE

The Penn State passing attack was on display Saturday as the Nittany Lions defeated Villanova 38-17 at Beaver Stadium. Quarterback Sean Clifford recorded career numbers in the contest, reaching the 400-yard passing mark for the first time with a total of 401 yards. He also matched his career-high with four passing touchdowns.

NEXT: Indiana (October 2)

2. IOWA

The fifth-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes pitched a second-half shutout en route to a 24-14 come-from-behind victory over Colorado State on Saturday afternoon on Duke Slater Field inside Kinnick Stadium. It is the Hawkeyes’ 10th consecutive, and it moves the Hawkeyes to 4-0 heading into at Oct. 1 road game against undefeated Maryland.

NEXT: @Maryland (October 1)

3. MICHIGAN

Hassan Haskins ran for touchdowns the first two times the Wolverines had the ball to help them take a 17-point lead, but the undefeated team had to hold on to beat Rutgers 20-13 on Saturday.

NEXT: @Wisconsin (October 2)

4. OHIO STATE

True freshman quarterback Kyle McCord overcame early jitters to throw for 319 yards and two touchdowns, freshman TreVeyon Henderson ran for 93 yards and two scores in the first half, and No. 10 Ohio State routed Akron 59-7 on Saturday night. McCord was 13 for 18 and got credit for the first touchdown pass of his career when Chris Olave turned a jet sweep toss into a 5-yard score in the first quarter.

NEXT: @Rutgers (October 2)

5. MICHIGAN STATE

Chester Kimbrough intercepted Adrian Martinez’s pass in overtime and Matt Coghlin made a 21-yard field goal to keep No. 20 Michigan State unbeaten with a 23-20 win over Nebraska on Saturday night. The Spartans (4-0, 2-0 Big Ten) won despite not converting a first down in the second half.

NEXT: Western Kentucky (October 2)

6. MARYLAND

Maryland stayed perfect with a 37-16 victory over Kent State on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium. The Terps are now 4-0 for the first time since 2016 heading into a huge match-up with #5 Iowa next Friday night. Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa continued his hot start, throwing for 384 yards on 31-of-41 with three touchdown passes.

NEXT: Iowa (October 1)

7. WISCONSIN

At Chicago’s Soldier Field, No. 12 Notre Dame beat No. 18 Wisconsin 41-13 on Saturday at Soldier Field. Wisconsin (1-2) held a brief 13-10 lead with 14:14 left in the fourth quarter, but turnovers undid the Badgers’ efforts as the Fighting Irish put up 31 unanswered points to finish the game.

NEXT: Michigan (October 2)

8. INDIANA

The Hoosiers (2-2) edged out the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (1-2) by a final score of 33-31 on Saturday night at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium. Redshirt junior quarterback Michael Penix Jr. completed 35-of-53 passes for 373 yards to lead the Hoosier attack. Graduate transfer running back Stephen Carr posted 25 carries for 109 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns.

NEXT: @Penn State (October 2)

9. RUTGERS

Despite a valiant effort and strong second half, Rutgers dropped their first game of the season losing to Michigan Saturday in Ann Arbor.

NEXT: Ohio State (October 2)

10. PURDUE

Quarterback Aidan O’Connell engineered a clutch fourth-quarter drive, throwing for 89 yards on a 94-yard march up the field that culminated in the game’s lone touchdown and propelled Purdue football to a 13-9 victory vs. Illinois on Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium. The Boilermakers (3-1, 1-0 B1G) improved to 3-1 for the first time since 2012 and won their Big Ten opener in a traditional campaign for the first time since 2011.

NEXT: Minnesota (October 2)

11. MINNESOTA

Quarterback Matt McDonald ran for a pair of scores, and two late interceptions by the Bowling Green defense sealed the win as the Falcons defeated Minnesota, 14-10, on homecoming Saturday.

NEXT: @Purdue (October 2)

12. NEBRASKA

Scott Frost’s team definitely put up a fight, but despite taking the game to overtime, they lost to Michigan State. The Huskers have fallen to 2-3.

NEXT: Northwestern (October 2)

13. NORTHWESTERN

Northwestern defeated Ohio 35-6 at Ryan Field on Saturday, behind a season-high 216 yards from sophomore Evan Hull. Hull’s monster day included the longest Northwestern rushing touchdown in 80 years, a 90-yard scamper to put the Wildcats up 14-0 in the second quarter and help the ‘Cats pick up their second win of the season.

NEXT: @Nebraska (October 2)

14. ILLINOIS

The Fighting Illini are playing good football but can’t find a way to win. Illinois dropped its fourth straight game Saturday to Purdue.

NEXT: Charlotte (October 2)