With the Wisconsin Badgers crawling into their first bye week at 2-2 on the season after a disastrous Big Ten home opener loss to the Maryland Terrapins, things can only go up from here, right? Not so fast! What anyone watching the Badgers over the weekend saw was no longer acceptable. Although Luke Fickell's complicated buyout may keep him employed longer than he should, this team stinks!
The best pathway forward to following and covering this team is to be honest with oneself. This is nothing close to the Wisconsin football brand all of us have grown accustomed to. Where is the powerful running game? Where are those lovable big uglies along the offensive line? Where is the plucky defense that plays together as one and celebrates every big play together? It is all gone...
So in an attempt to be honest with where things are at in Madison, Badgers fans are not going to like where their favorite team resides in the latest batch of conference power rankings. Their upcoming ranking may be a bit of the prisoner in the moment variety, but how many teams are you taking ahead of the Badgers, honestly? It starts by admitting there are serious problems at hand to find a solution.
From the bottom of the totem pole to the very top, here is how the Big Ten looks heading into Week 5.
18. UCLA Bruins: 0-3
Let's make one thing perfectly clear. Unless the UCLA Bruins find a way to win on the road on Saturday at the Northwestern Wildcats, there is a real possibility this team might go winless. UCLA went 0-3 in the non-conference with losses to Utah, UNLV and New Mexico. The one at home to the Lobos cost DeShaun Foster his job. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong for this program.
17. Wisconsin Badgers: 2-2
After what everyone saw in Madison over the weekend, there is a chance the Badgers may not win a game the rest of the way. The Maryland game was by far and away their easiest Big Ten game on the schedule, and the Badgers got their teeth kicked in. Luke Fickell is not the answer at head coach. It does not matter who starts at quarterback for this team. Fans have every right to tune this team out.
16. Northwestern Wildcats: 1-2
Wisconsin is probably begging to have Northwestern be swapped in for anyone on its schedule. The Wildcats are going nowhere fast under head coach David Braun. Now in year three at the helm, it is hard to imagine he will be getting a fourth year. This team needs to desperately get back to playing at renovated Ryan Field. Outside of UCLA, there is no program in the Big Ten with less juice than them.
15. Purdue Boilermakers: 2-2
Purdue is not a good football team, far from it in fact. What is great to see is the team is starting to be well-coached again. Barry Odom is making a real difference for this team in year one. Although the Boilermakers may struggle to win conference games, they have the upward trajectory of being a win or two of getting to a bowl game. It is a major improvement, but a 4-8 or 5-7 mark is really their goal.
14. Michigan State Spartans: 3-1
This feels like a potential make-or-break year for Jonathan Smith and Aidan Chiles at Michigan State. The Spartans need to get to a bowl game in year two with them at the helm. So far, they are halfway there at 3-1. Falling on the road to USC in Week 4 is one thing, but it will be interesting to see how the Spartans pick up the pieces in the final two-thirds of the season. The Big Ten needs them to be good.
13. Rutgers Scarlet Knights: 3-1
Rutgers is the epitome of a well-coached team with a low ceiling. Greg Schiano knows better than anyone about what it takes to win at a high level for Rutgers standard. This team will always play great defense under him, but the big question remains if the Scarlet Knights can ever offer much firepower on the offensive side of the ball. They will oscillate between 8-4 and 4-8 in perpetuity because of that.
12. Minnesota Golden Gophers: 2-1
What to make of the Minnesota Golden Gophers... They are 2-1 and continue to be well-coached under P.J. Fleck. This is a team that could win upwards of eight games this year. The problem is they lost a tough road game to Cal, who then in turn got shut out by San Diego State on the road... Again, the upside for the Gophers is there, but the floor might be considerably lower than we ever expected.
11. Iowa Hawkeyes: 3-1
Iowa is going to keep being Iowa for as long as Kirk Ferentz is allowed to keep on coaching at Iowa. The Hawkeyes will be defined by good defense and great special teams, while it tries to figure a modern offense for the umpteenth time this decade. Mark Gronowski does provide some spark to the team, but it remains to be seen if the Hawkeyes will become an elite team in the Big Ten this season.
10. Maryland Terrapins: 4-0
This may be a prisoner of the moment ranking for the Maryland Terrapins, but what everyone saw out of them in Madison last week is a sign that things could be different this year in College Park. Malik Washington is a promising young quarterback, one who knows how to sling it and win early in his career. To be quite frank, his allure is probably going to save Mike Locksley's job for the time being.
9. Nebraska Cornhuskers: 3-1
The Nebraska Cornhuskers can still achieve all they can this season, but there may be a finite ceiling with this team. Even though this is Dylan Raiola's second year as their starting quarterback, the offense has yet to really take off like it was projected to under Dana Holgorsen. While winning nine games is still very much in play, there is a chance that the Matt Rhule "pop" year does not happen...
8. Washington Huskies: 3-0
The Washington Huskies have already had their first of two byes. Admittedly, it is a small sample size, but there is reason to believe that they will grow and prosper during Big Ten play under second-year head coach Jedd Fisch with Demond Williams Jr. at quarterback. When it comes to defending their home turf, there are no concerns with the Huskies. They have to come together on the road this year.
7. Michigan Wolverines: 3-1
At this juncture, Michigan is arguably the worst team in the Big Ten that could still make the College Football Playoff. Although Bryce Underwood has a ton of star potential as a true freshman quarterback, it remains to be seen if Sherrone Moore is the right head coach to lead this team. Not to say Biff Poggi should be the guy going forward, but this offense stagnates too much under Moore.
6. Illinois Fighting Illini: 3-1
Illinois getting its clock cleaned by Indiana on Saturday may have done serious damage to the Fighting Illini's chances of making the College Football Playoff. However, even in its blowout defense, this is still a team that could win upwards of nine games and have a say in who makes the playoff out of the Big Ten. Under Bret Bielema, this team has such a high floor, but its ceiling has been overstated.
5. USC Trojans: 4-0
A lot can change between now and the end of the season, but this year's USC team looks different under Lincoln Riley. There may always be a bit of a finesse component to them with the Trojans running the Air Raid, but the powerful running game has returned. Jayden Maiava gives off the blue-collar vibes this team needs from a leadership standpoint. The Trojans' big questions are on defense.
4. Indiana Hoosiers: 4-0
Indiana is not only phenomenally coached, but have a deep enough roster to potentially win the Big Ten. Curt Cignetti is in his bag in Bloomington. At this time, Fernando Mendoza has an argument to be the Heisman Trophy front-runner. Through their first four games of the season, Indiana is playing like a team that is not going away. They should be a playoff team in back-to-back years under this staff.
3. Penn State Nittany Lions: 3-0
The Penn State Nittany Lions have a loaded roster and one of the best coaching staffs. Saturday night is the time for them to go out and prove it. Oregon comes to town in one of the biggest games of the weekend. If the Nittany Lions win, they can win a national title. If they lose, more James Franklin doubt will creep him. Did he pick the wrong quarterback in Drew Allar over Beau Pribula last winter?
2. Ohio State Buckeyes: 3-0
Ohio State is the defending national champion with a high-quality non-conference win at home on its resume over Texas. However, there are some concerns about the overall viability of this offense. Will Julian Sayin be able to replicate what Will Howard did in Chip Kelly's offense down the stretch vs. great competition under Brian Hartline's watch? Sayin is starting to give off some Kyle McCord vibes.
1. Oregon Ducks: 4-0
Through the first four weeks of the season, Oregon has been mightily impressive. The Ducks have not played the hardest opponents, but they have crushed the competition. Getting effortless wins over Oklahoma State, Northwestern and Oregon State is how this team builds confidence heading into the heart of Big Ten play. Dante Moore looks to be better than Dillon Gabriel. This team gives off ferocity!
If Wisconsin wants to get back to being a good team, maybe take a page out of Oregon's playbook?