Week 5 gave little reason to move any of the teams in these weekly Big Ten power rankings out of their respective spots, but there was a good amount of reorganization just about everywhere else you look. The first Saturday in October offered an opportunity to take a hard look at everything that has happened this season and start to realize what is real and what was misguided.
Expecting Wisconsin and Michigan State to still be good was, as it turns out, not the wisest decision this season. The two programs have combined for six losses already and are trending in the wrong direction. But the mere thought of Illinois and Maryland playing a key role in how the division races shape up is becoming more a reality than ever before. And Minnesota taking its first loss of the season was another cause for some reworking in this week’s power rankings.
Here is a look at this week’s Big Ten power rankings following the events of Week 5.