After a 38-17 win over Buffalo in the 2023 season opener Saturday, Wisconsin Football now travels to Pullman Washington to take on the Washington State Cougars Saturday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 on ABC.
Week one is now in the books for all the other Big Ten teams as well. After one week, where do I rank Wisconsin and the rest of the teams in the Big Ten?
Big Ten Rankings: Week 2
- 1. Michigan
- 2. Penn State
- 3. Ohio State
- 4. Maryland
- 5. Wisconsin
- 6. Iowa
- 7. Minnesota
- 8. Michigan State
- 9. Illinois
- 10. Nebraska
- 11. Purdue
- 12. Indiana
- 13. Rutgers
- 14. Northwestern
Why Wisconsin Football at 5?
There’s a few reasons why I have Wisconsin Football at five. Last week, I had them at number four. I don’t think we saw all the things the Badgers wanted to do against Buffalo. Luke Fickell has mentioned that they were sloppy for a majority of the game.
I put Maryland ahead of the Badgers because I felt the Terrapins looked a little cleaner and a little better than Wisconsin. I do think the Badgers will end up being a better team, but it’s clear they have some things to work on especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Other Power Rankings Takeaways
I thought Penn State looked impressive against West Virginia in Drew Aller’s debut as the starter. Ohio State was impressive on defense against Indiana, but starting quarterback Kyle McCord struggled at times.
Michigan did their thing against East Carolina as J.J. McCarthy only threw four incompeltions to go along with three touchdowns. It’s clear the Wolverines are the best team in the Big Ten after one week.
Iowa and Minnesota could be higher and I’m sure most would rank both teams higher. There’s no doubt Iowa had some mistakes as did the Badgers. After scoring 14 early points, the Iowa offense was quiet the remainder of the game. This Wisconsin Football team seems to be a little more ahead on offense right now.
While Minnesota did beat a Big Ten West team at home, Nebraska was the better team for 58 minutes. The Cornhuskers got sloppy in the final minutes and turned the ball over in their last two possessions. Credit the Gophers for taking advantage of the mistakes, but if that doesn’t happen, they only score three points on their home field. Their game at North Carolina next week will tell if the Gophers are for real.
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