Big Ten Football Power Rankings: Week 6 edition

Oct 3, 2015; College Park, MD, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Jake Rudock (15) carries the ball against the Maryland Terrapins at Byrd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

The Jim Harbaugh era continues to be an absolute success so far as the Michigan Wolverines continue to build off an early season loss against Utah. It was an ugly first half against Maryland in unfavorable conditions, but the Wolverines came out swinging in the second half, finishing off a 28-0 thumping of the Terrapins.

Must Read: College Football Rankings: Spartan Avenue’s Week 6 Top 25

Jake Rudock continues to be an average quarterback for the Wolverines, but the run game and the defense are carrying the weight. This is the second consecutive shutout for Michigan as the defensive side of the ball is elite.

It’s not easy to go into Camp Randall Stadium and steal a win from a ranked Wisconsin team, but that’s exactly what Iowa did on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Badgers in a snoozer, 10-6.

Hawkeyes’ quarterback C.J. Beathard had his worst game of the year, completing just 9-of-21 passes for 77 yards, a touchdown and an interception, but he didn’t need to do much as the defense was holding Wisconsin in check the whole game. We knew it’d be a defensive battle, but who would have thought it would be first to 10 points wins it?

A shutout of Minnesota was all it took for Northwestern to sneak into the top 15 nationally. The Wildcats have their best defense in the Pat Fitzgerald era and are starting to really look like a Big Ten title contender. They’ll face off against Michigan this weekend at the Big House in a battle that really looks to be top-notch.

Clayton Thorson really looks solid in his first year as the starting quarterback, but it’s Justin Jackson who is powering the offense. He finished with yet another 100-yard rushing game against the Golden Gophers.

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