Power Index: Week 2

The latest MVictors Power Index:

Interesting, the Buckeyes move back up to share the top spot with the Hawkeyes, with the Nittany Lions lurking.  Michigan understandably took the biggest drop, not losing their 7th slot but sadly moving well into the third tier of this group.

Comments from the pollsters:

Gilliam the Badger:  Bucky was on a bye, so I’ll let Biggie the Spartan try to talk himself into the value of a well played L. ;^)

Biggie the Spartan:  I thought the Iowa game would go down to the wire and it sure as hell did.  I thought State would miss Winston at some point and they did this game when they had to run Baker twice with a 1^st and goal from the 1 near the end of the third quarter.  Forget about a Big 10 title, Sparty has to win 3 of the next 4 to have a shot at a decent bowl game or they could be looking at a rematch with CMU in the Little Caesars Bowl at Ford Field…nerves.

Schlimmy the Buckeye:  I’m still not convinced Iowa is a legit top 5 team, give them credit for finding a way every week to pull off the "W" but I would say six of their eight wins have came down to the final minutes, they have pulled off two victories on the final play of the game (Northern Iowa, and MSU)  I’m sure some will argue that this is a "sign of a champion" I tend to believe you play with fire to often you will get burned.  Iowa seems to win ugly (win with defense, special teams, smart QB play, come to think of it they remind me of the 2002 Buckeye team that won the National Title so maybe I shouldn’t pick on them so much)

As for my Buckeyes….Nothing on Saturday changed my view of them, brutal offense, awesome defense, solid special teams.  They have a gimmie next week (New Mexico State) then end with a brutal three game stretch (at Penn State, Iowa, at Michigan) good news for them is they still control their fate for the Rose Bowl, bad news is I don’t see them winning out.

Lew:  As long as Iowa keeps winning, they’ll stay atop the Index.  They’re a solid team that just finds ways to win.  Hopefully they’ll get a crack at an SEC team in a bowl, rather than USC, as they seem like the team most capable of giving the Big 10 a much needed reputation boost.

Penn State is a quality team, they execute well and are very disciplined, but Michigan made them look like the New England Patriots on Saturday.  I really want to give Coach Rod his due time, but Michigan seems to have regressed in all phases, and are a long, long way off from looking like they can beat a quality Big 10 opponent on a consistent basis again.