Big Ten Network Lists Preseason Football Power Rankings

Tom Dienhart from Big Ten Network debuted his first Big Ten football power rankings of the 2017 season

The Wisconsin Badgers don’t start Big Ten play until September 30th when Northwestern visits Camp Randall Stadium. But, Big Ten football actually starts this Thursday when The Ohio State heads to Bloomington to play Indiana.

Therefore, Tom Dienhart from Big Ten Network posted his first power rankings list of the 2017 conference season.

Dienhart lists Wisconsin as 3rd in the Big Ten behind The Ohio State and defending champion Penn State. He cites the favorable schedule as a big reason why.

"3. Wisconsin. The Badgers have no glaring weakness and a user-friendly schedule. Could this team go unbeaten and make the playoff?"

Next: Wisconsin Football Week One Injury Outlook

Of note, here is where the Big Ten Network power ranking lists the Big Ten East teams:

Wisconsin (3rd)
Northwestern (5th)
Nebraska (6th)
Iowa (7th)
Minnesota (11th)
Purdue (12th)
Illinois (14th, last)

Said another way, three of the top four teams in the power rankings come from the Big Ten West. Meanwhile, three of the four lowest teams come from the Big Ten East.

This season, Wisconsin faces Indiana (10th) Maryland (8th), and Michigan (4th) from the Big Ten East.

I recognize Minnesota is the rival and the Gophers have a new coach in boat rower PJ Fleck. But 11th seems awfully low for a Minnesota team that seems a few spots low. In addition, I don’t share Dienhart’s enthusiasm for Maryland.

"If the Terrapins were a stock, they would have a “buy” rating. It’s only a matter of time before this program pushes its way further up the East mountain"

Sure, Maryland wouldn’t be a bad stock buy because the price is low. They may not be a penny stock like Purdue or Illinois, but putting the Terps 8th in the Big Ten seems like a reach.

After all, Maryland went 6-7 (3-6) last season. In comparison, Minnesota went 9-4 (5-4) in 2016. Yet, the Terrapins are ranked three spots ahead of the Gophers in the preseason power rankings.

Next: Surprises on Wisconsin Football First Depth Chart

The Big Ten Network power rankings confirm the conventional wisdom. Namely, that Wisconsin is a conference favorite thanks to a comfortable schedule. Fortunately, the Badgers have just over a month to settle into the season before its first Big Ten game. Unfortunately, we have to wait just over a month to see if the expectations are justified.