Ranking Big Ten teams from worst to first. Factoring in current results as well as projections, win rate %, the strength of schedule remaining, etc.

With data to work with let's take a look at the current Big Ten Pecking Order.

What are you doing here Bret Bielema? People in Champaign are optimistic about the program under the former Big Ten Championship head coach, but an opening season loss to Indiana was not expected. Illinois has a star in Chase Brown, and Tommy Devito to Isaiah Williams looks like a duo that could put up some big numbers in the passing game. You have to beat Indiana, it isn't more complicated than that.

I expected Indiana to battle Rutgers as one of the worst teams in the conference this season, but with a win against Illinois, I have to put them here at #13. Connor Bazelak threw 52 passes against the Illini and the Hoosiers had no ground game to speak of. I still believe Indiana is replacing too much to make noise, but credit for the conference win.

I was guilty of believing this was the year Nebraska turned it around. You simply can't lose that many close games and not eventually see them start to bounce your way. Nebraska's offense continues to be a mess, with rumors that Frost has already taken over play-calling duties again. Anthony Grant looked great running the ball but the Huskers need Casey Thompson to be the answer at QB or things are going to get hot in Lincoln.

Rutgers is a popular pick to be the worst team in the Big Ten Conference. Greg Schiano will want to exceed expectations and start to show growth in his second stint with the program. The Knights had one of the better wins in the conference over Boston College, but I will need to see more before lifting them higher in these rankings.

I do not expect Northwestern to be very good this year, but it is hard to put them lower than this after beating Nebraska. The Wildcats' offense was balanced and efficient against Nebraska, but did this game say more about them or the Huskers?

Maryland beat a bad team in Buffalo, something they excelled at last season. It was not an overwhelming victory, however, as Maryland had some rocky points. Terrapins star QB Taulia Tagovailoa racked up the yards but couldn't find the end zone, instead, Maryland's RBs led the way in the scoring department. If Maryland wants to build off last season and start to compete with the best teams in the conference, they need to get more consistent.

Purdue did enough to beat Penn State but shot themselves in the foot with bad penalties on third down and some incredible mismanagement from the coaching staff in the closing minutes of the game. The Boilermakers have a good enough QB and the run game showed flashes. They need to get the run game going late in games when it matters most and try to find some pass rush if they want to compete for the West division.

Only Iowa can win a game 7-3 without scoring a touchdown. Two safeties and a FG equaled a victory against South Dakota State, but it is hardly a winning formula. The Hawkeyes defense has the potential to be one of the better in the country again, but the offense is simply abysmal. 166 total yards of offense, 2.7 yards per play is bad. Really bad.

Penn State started the year unranked and after a not-so-impressive win against Purdue, expectations are not going up in Happy Valley. Veteran QB Sean Clifford had highs and lows but was able to lead a game-winning drive to put the Boilermakers away. Penn State's rushing attack struggled again, and they have questions on defense aside from Joey Porter.

It was a rocky start for the Spartans against Western Michigan, but they pulled away late to win 35-13. The rushing combo of Jalen Berger and Jarek Broussard looked good, but time will tell if they can replace the production of Kenneth Walker. MSU is dealing with some injuries, but get Akron before having to travel to Washington.

Minnesota got the shut out against one of lower programs in college football, New Mexico State. The Gophers have a sneaky good chance to win 8-9 games this year. With the West looking rocky early, they have a chance to be the biggest challenger to Wisconsin.

Wisconsin had a convincing win against Illinois State. The offense was balanced with Graham Mertz having one of his more efficient games and Braelon Allen continuing to look like a star in the making. The West looks like it is the Badgers for the taking once again in 2022.

The Wolverines handled Colorado State with a convincing 51-7 win. The defense was impressive and the offense was vanilla but effective. JJ McCarthy gets his first career start against Hawaii, will the offense look more explosive?

Ohio State stays at the top after a win over #5 ranked Notre Dame. The Buckeyes weren't overly impressive through the first three quarters before walking away late with a 21-10 win. Still, with a talented and explosive offense and a potentially improved defense, the Buckeyes remain the favorite in the Big Ten.