Big 10 Power Rankings

1. Michigan State- The way the Spartans are playing during their 11-game game winning streak, a two game lead in the Big 10 isn’t even fair.

2. Purdue-Purdue has just began to live up to the potential Big 10 fans had expected all year. The Boilermakers will be very tough to beat if JuJuan Johnson keeps playing at a high level.

3. Minnesota- After winning at Wisconsin for the first time in 15 years, the Gophers are 16-2 and ranked #21 in the country. I’ll overlook the Northwestern loss for now.

4. Illinois- A quality win over than #24 Michigan and a seven-point halftime lead at Michigan State is a enough to convince me that Illinois is a legit contender this year.

5. Wisconsin- The Badgers have lost two straight and are looking to climb back up this week against Iowa.

6. Ohio State- Look for Ohio State to move up in my power rankings, if they can continue to get consistent play from BJ Mullens and William Buford.

7. Michigan- Michigan has been up and down for most of the Big 10 season. They are 3-3, but every time they appear to be making a move in the standings they take a step back the next week.

8. Penn State- The Nittany Lions continue to prove that they can play with the upper echelon of the Big 10. They will be right in the thick of tournament talks, if they can figure out how to start and finish games.

9. Northwestern- Northwestern picked up their first conference win against Minnesota at home. It was the Wildcats first victory over a ranked team since Feb. 8, 2006 over Iowa.

10. Iowa- This week will be a rough one if Cyrus Tate isn’t back and healthy.

11. Indiana- They try so hard, stay in games long enough to give them hope, and then fall short in the end. Every time is better than the next!