SiriusXM Big Ten Radio’s Week 4 football power rankings

Pete Pistone and the rest of the SiriusXM Big Ten Radio team will unveil “Power Rankings” each week of the college football season. Check out their Week 4 “Power Rankings” below, and start listening to SiriusXM Big Ten Radio (Ch. 372) on the SiriusXM app now.Four unbeaten teams remain in Big Ten play with two each from the East and West Divisions. That will not be the case a week from now with Ohio State (3-0) facing off against Indiana (4-0), and Northwestern (4-0) taking on Wisconsin (2-0).

Here’s how the SXM Big Ten Radio team voted to shape this week’s edition of the “Power Rankings” heading into Week 4.

1. OHIO STATE (3-0)

A non-scheduled off week thanks (or no thanks) to a COVID outbreak with planned opponent Maryland. The Buckeyes now put their 25-game winning streak against Indiana on the line Saturday in Columbus.

NEXT: Indiana on Saturday at noon ET

2. INDIANA (4-0)

Hello Ty Fryfogle. He was the centerpiece of Indiana’s high-powered offense in the Hoosiers 24-0 win over Michigan State, racking up 200 receiving yards. Showdown time comes Saturday for Tom Allen’s team against Ohio State for East Division supremacy.

NEXT: Ohio State on Saturday at noon ET

3. NORTHWESTERN (4-0)

Pat Fitzgerald’s team has already eclipsed last year’s win total with Northwestern’s 4-0 start. Peyton Ramsey’s quarterback play is one of the big reasons for the turnaround with a three-TD, 212-yard passing performance against Purdue.

NEXT: Wisconsin on Saturday at 3:30pm ET

4. WISCONSIN (2-0)

The two-week layoff didn’t seem to hurt the Badgers in their rout of Michigan 49-11. Wisconsin had 28 points on the board before the Wolverines even had a single first down. Showdown for the top of the West Division comes up Saturday in Evanston against Northwestern.

NEXT: Northwestern on Saturday at 3:30pm ET

5. PURDUE (2-1)

The scrappy Boilermakers aren’t buried just yet in the West Division but the clock is ticking. Purdue came up a touchdown short late of sending last week’s game against Northwestern into overtime. The running game needs to tighten itself up.

NEXT: Minnesota on Friday at 7:30pm ET (SiriusXM Big Ten Radio Channel 372)

6. IOWA (2-2)

All of a sudden Iowa looks pretty stout with back-to-back wins, the latest coming against Minnesota 35-7. The ground game was Iowa’s calling card against the Gophers with 235 yards gained rushing.

NEXT: Penn State on Saturday at 3:30pm ET

7. MARYLAND (2-1)

The latest victim of a COVID outbreak, Mike Locksley’s team was out last week and couldn’t measure any gains the team has made this year against the mighty Buckeyes.

NEXT: Michigan State on Saturday at noon ET

8. RUTGERS (1-3)

The Scarlet Knights have been much more competitive this year and were in the hunt for win number two of the season until Illinois derailed those plans with a game-winning field goal. Noah Vedral is the answer so far at quarterback.

NEXT: Michigan on Saturday at 7:30 pm ET (SiriusXM Big Ten Radio Channel 372)

9. MICHIGAN (1-3)

The wagons are circling in Ann Arbor after Wisconsin came in to send Michigan to its first 1-3 start since 1967. The Badgers jumped to a 28-0 nothing lead and never looked back, leaving Jim Harbaugh’s squad in a haze not seen around The Big House in some time.

NEXT: Rutgers on Saturday at 7:30 pm ET (SiriusXM Big Ten Radio Channel 372)

10. NEBRASKA (1-2)

Luke McCaffery appears to have taken the quarterback spot away from Adrian Martinez and, although he wasn’t spectacular, led the Huskers to a convincing 30-23 win over Penn State, a final score that really wasn’t as close as it may seem.

NEXT: Illinois on Saturday at noon ET (SiriusXM Big Ten Radio Channel 372)

11. MINNESOTA (1-3)

What happened to the Minnesota offense that was so good a year ago? Actually, this team is nowhere near as good on the field as PJ Fleck’s 2019 squad, with last week’s disappointing 35-7 loss to Iowa the latest example.

NEXT: Purdue on Friday at 7:30pm ET (SiriusXM Big Ten Radio Channel 372)

12. MICHIGAN STATE (1-3)

Final score last week was 24-0 in favor of Indiana. These numbers tell the bigger story – Indiana had 433 total yards to just 191 for the Spartans.

NEXT: Maryland on Saturday at noon ET

13.  ILLINOIS (1-3)

Give Lovie Smith’s crew credit. Despite being decimated on the depth chart by COVID and injuries, Illinois fought all day against Purdue and came away with a 27-20 victory.

NEXT: Nebraska on Saturday at. noon ET (SiriusXM Big Ten Radio Channel 372)

14.  PENN STATE (0-4)

The Nittany Lions are 0-4, and the question has now become not when they’ll win but whether this team is capable of victory? A quarterback change is the least of James Franklin’s headaches right now.

NEXT: Iowa on Saturday at 3:30pm ET