Barfknecht's Big Ten Ratings, Nov. 7

After a turbulent weekend for Big Ten teams, one team has risen back to the top of Lee Barfknecht's Big Ten rankings.

1. Wisconsin (7-2, 3-2)
Last week: Beat Purdue 62-17.
Up next: at Minnesota, 2:30 p.m., BTN.
Tailback Montee Ball has 24 rushing touchdowns. That ties the school record set by Brian Calhoun in 2005, and Ball has at least three games to play.

2. Penn State (8-1, 5-0)
Last week: Idle.
Up next: Nebraska, 11 a.m., ESPN.
The quiet of the bye week was shattered Saturday by child sexual abuse charges against a former assistant. This story could torpedo the season.

3. Michigan State (7-2, 4-1)
Last week: Beat Minnesota 31-24.
Up next: at Iowa, 11 a.m., ESPN2.
The Spartans are shaky on the road. Iowa is unbeaten at home. Something is going to have to change for MSU to keep control of its destiny.

4. Ohio State (6-3, 3-2)
Last week: Beat Indiana 34-20.
Up next: at Purdue, 11 a.m., BTN.
Like most other Big Ten title contenders, OSU had a mistake-filled letdown game. But the Buckeyes managed to pull out a victory.

5. Nebraska (7-2, 3-2)
Last week: Lost to Northwestern 28-25.
Up next: at Penn State, 11 a.m., ESPN.
Another head-scratching loss to an unranked opponent at home leads to more questions about the consistency and quality of preparation.

6. Iowa (6-3, 3-2)
Last week: Beat Michigan 24-16.
Up next: Michigan State, 11 a.m., ESPN2.
Good feelings are running high in Iowa City. But the 6-0 mark at home and 0-3 record on the road cause pause in picking the Hawkeyes as division champions.

7. Michigan (7-2, 3-2)
Last week: Lost to Iowa 24-16.
Up next: at Illinois, 2:30 p.m., ABC.
The Wolverines have spent so much time telling quarterback Denard Robinson to stay in the pocket and avoid contact that he looks tentative when a big play is needed.

8. Illinois (6-3, 2-3)
Last week: Idle.
Up next: Michigan, 2:30 p.m., ABC.
Home games the next two weeks against Michigan and Wisconsin will determine whether Illini fans see this as a good season or a major missed opportunity.

9. Northwestern (4-5, 2-4)
Last week: Beat Nebraska 28-25.
Up next: Rice, 11 a.m., BTN.
The Wildcats were so juiced about winning at Nebraska that they posed for pictures in front of the Husker result boards in the visitor locker room hallway.

10. Purdue (4-5, 2-3)
Last week: Lost to Wisconsin 62-17.
Up next: Ohio State, 11 a.m., BTN.
The Boilermakers' last hope is to get bowl eligible. That means two wins in the final three games: Ohio State, Iowa and at Indiana.

11. Minnesota (2-7, 1-4)
Last week: Lost to Michigan State 31-24.
Up next: Wisconsin, 2:30 p.m., BTN.
The Golden Gophers had more rushing yards and more total yards than Top 20-ranked Michigan State.

12. Indiana (1-9, 0-6)
Last week: Lost to Ohio State 34-20.
Up next: Idle.
In a difficult season, true freshman quarterback Tre Roberson has emerged as a bright spot for the future. He racked up 244 yards of total offense against Ohio State.

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