I’m unsure if there has ever been a more striking difference between the Big Ten East and West divisions. And, that’s saying a lot.
The two divisions have been very different for years: The East featured the dominant three teams in the conference. The West, especially in recent years, has lagged behind its counterpart.
That really hasn’t changed much, the West is still a derp-fest that wouldn’t contend with the heavy hitters in the East. We saw a great deal more clarity on that east side of the conference over the weekend.
Penn State and Ohio State battled in a heavy defensive showdown; neither offense looked up to standard. Michigan, meanwhile, has continued to mow down competition. The defense is, well, a Michigan defense, while J.J. McCarthy looks like a possible first-round pick come April. Sure, the Wolverines haven’t really played anyone worth their weight, but these are the vibes of the division. It’s up to Ohio State to prove everyone wrong.
The West: Who the heck really knows what is happening? Everyone thought Iowa was going to walk away with the division, but it was unable to luck into another victory on Saturday. To be fair, Iowa probably did win that game if not for some serious ref-show silliness.
Almost nobody is truly out of the race for the honor of getting smashed by either Michigan or Ohio State at the Big Ten Championship game.
With the season heating up and the weather starting to become cold, here are your Week 9 power rankings.