Big Ten Football Power Rankings Week 14: Michigan State, Iowa are kings
Nov 28, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Northwestern Wildcats quarterback Clayton Thorson (18) hands off to running back Justin Jackson (21) during the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Soldier Field. Northwestern won 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
It was hard to really get a grasp on how good Wisconsin really was this season. One week the Badgers were putting the beatdown on ‘inferior’ opponents and other weeks they had trouble scoring against teams like Iowa and Northwestern. With the schedule Wisconsin had this season, it should have finished the year with nine wins, so that’s no surprise, but the Badgers were not overly-impressive in any contest.
Paul Chryst’s first season at Wisconsin can be dubbed a success, but it’s pretty clear this team is not as competitive as it was a year ago. Still, a nine-win team being No. 6 in the power rankings would have never happened last year.
If I had told you before the season started that Michigan would finish the regular season with a 9-3 record and the last game of the season against Ohio State would have the potential to be a play-in for the Big Ten Championship game, you would have sent me to the hospital for severe delusion. However, the Wolverines were impressive in Jim Harbaugh’s first season and the sky is the limit for this program.
The Wolverines would have likely finished in the top four — and were almost nearly ranked No. 6 in this week’s power rankings — had it not been for a blowout defeat at home against the Buckeyes, 42-13, to end the year. A solid bowl game still awaits this team, though.
It took three-plus quarters, but Northwestern finally put Illinois away on the road with a 24-14 win to record its second 10-win season under Pat Fitzgerald. The Wildcats have been one of the biggest surprises in the country this season and even took down a potential playoff contender in Stanford to open the season.
Clayton Thorson has a bright future ahead of him at quarterback as the freshman led this team to a 10-2 record and will likely have a chance to lead it back next season. Finishing the year as one of five Big Ten teams in the top 15 is a pleasant surprise for Northwestern.
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