Conference play shifts into second gear − full-throttle begins next week − which means Purdue and Northwestern get another chance to lose to a non-conference opponent, while Indiana faces a likely loss against Cincinnati. The bottom half of the Big Ten is so anemic we considered ranking only half the league, to protect the innocent. But the downtrodden need to own their embarrassment.
Meanwhile, Ohio State continues to lead the pack, Michigan finally plays a decent opponent and Penn State looks like more of a threat in the East. Nebraska has the week off to decide how hard it wants to pursue Urban Meyer.
