The Big Ten season is nearing its halfway point and, right now, the league's clear-cut No. 1 team is Iowa. The Hawkeyes are still unbeaten in conference and their league resume is by far the most impressive of any team.
Figuring out who comes after Iowa, though? That's anybody's best guess.
But that's why I'm here for you on Monday morning, to help sort out the rest of the 13 Big Ten teams and try to figure out who the other top teams are in the league.
The most prestigious Big Ten power rankings on the Internet are very fluid and will change week-to-week, and I'll admit this week was very tough to rank the teams in the 2 through 6 spots.
But without delaying things any further, here are the Jan. 25 Big Ten power rankings:
1. Iowa (16-3, 7-0)
Last week: 90-76 win at Rutgers; 83-71 win vs. Purdue
This week: Thursday at Maryland; Sunday vs. Northwestern
There's no doubt about it in my mind right now: Iowa is currently the Big Ten's best team. The Hawkeyes are one of those only remaining unbeaten teams in conference play and they own a pair of victories over both Michigan State and Purdue while also posting an additional win against Michigan.
Jarrod Uthoff continues to lead the way for Iowa and is certainly the current front runner for Big Ten Player of the Year, but he is also garnering some national player of the year talk, as well. Uthoff posted 22 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists in the Hawkeyes' 83-71 win over the Boilermakers on Sunday.
Hawkeyes Beat Purdue to go 7 & 0 in the Big Ten Conference https://t.co/XtlVlm8Tcl
— Iowa Basketball (@IowaHoops) January 24, 2016
2. Indiana (17-3, 7-0)
Last week: 103-69 win vs. Illinois; 89-57 win vs. Northwestern
This week: Tuesday at Wisconsin; Saturday vs. Minnesota
After the Hawkeyes things get a little bit more difficult, but I landed on Indiana as this week's No. 2 team, up one spot from last week's rankings. The Hoosiers haven't played another top team in the conference — Indiana has avoided Iowa, Michigan State, Michigan, Maryland and Purdue so far — but they are destroying the teams they are playing to start out league play. Beating the teams you're supposed to, soundly, is the sign of a really good team.
We've discussed IU's backloaded Big Ten schedule before; the Hoosiers still must play the Hawkeyes twice and the other three teams mentioned above once over the last half of the season. Right now, though, Indiana looks like a serious threat to challenge for the regular-season Big Ten title.
3. Michigan State (17-4, 4-4)
Last week: 72-71 loss vs. Nebraska; 74-65 win vs. Maryland
This week: Thursday at Northwestern; Sunday vs. Rutgers
I struggled to rank Michigan State this high because it already has four Big Ten losses and it went through a three-game losing streak, but when it came down to it the only team I really considered putting above the Spartans for the No. 3 spot was Maryland and that seemed impossible considering Michigan State knocked off the Terps by nine Saturday.
Denzel Valentine is fully healthy again and I think when the Spartans are at full strength they are one of the best teams in this league. A regular-season Big Ten crown seems like it may already be out of reach for Michigan State, but nobody wants to see this team over the second half of the season.
4. Maryland (17-3, 6-2)
Last week: 62-56 win vs. Northwestern (OT); 74-65 loss at Michigan State
This week: Thursday vs. Iowa; Sunday at Ohio State
The Terrapins looked like one of the best teams in the country when I saw them obliterate Ohio State in person two weeks ago, but they struggled this week to a 1-1 record, and it really could have been 0-2.
Maryland needed overtime to fend off a reeling Northwestern team, then traveled to East Lansing and was just beaten by a hungrier, tougher Michigan State squad. I still believe the Terps are the Big Ten's most talented teams and if they figure it out will be the most dangerous of all the conference's squads come March.
A huge game looms Thursday when Maryland hosts league-leading Iowa.
5. Purdue (17-4, 5-3)
Last week: 75-64 win vs. Ohio State; 83-71 loss at Iowa
This week: Wednesday at Minnesota; Saturday vs. Nebraska
The Boilermakers would have been higher on this list if not for their disastrous second half Sunday at Iowa. Purdue led the Hawkeyes by two points at halftime, but allowed Iowa to score 50 second-half points as it wound up losing by double-digits.
It's a rather easy week upcoming for the Boilermakers — Minnesota and Nebraska are on the schedule — but Purdue closes with a brutal stretch that includes Maryland twice, Michigan State, Michigan and Indiana.
6. Michigan (15-5, 5-2)
Last week: 74-69 win vs. Minnesota; 81-68 win at Nebraska
This week: Wednesday vs. Rutgers; Saturday vs. Penn State
I was tempted to move the Wolverines up this week after a pair of victories, but for now Michigan is holding steady at the No. 6 spot in the conference. The Wolverines have that marquee win over Maryland two weeks ago, but other than that the league victories are not very impressive: Illinois, Penn State, Minnesota and Nebraska.
Michigan should move to 7-2 in the Big Ten this week with games against Rutgers and Penn State, and the week after that we'll find out a lot more about the Wolverines as they face both Indiana and Michigan State — both at home — with a pair of opportunities for quality wins.
The status of Caris LeVert is still up in the air, too, as head coach John Beilein is playing it coy when it comes to his superstar's leg injury.
You see @D_Bo20 throw it down? You see @DerrickWalton10’s play? See clips from U-M's 81-68 win at Nebraska #GoBlue https://t.co/PModDp9jyz
— Michigan Basketball (@umichbball) January 24, 2016
7. Ohio State (12-8, 4-3)
Last week: 75-64 loss at Purdue
This week: Monday vs. Penn State; Thursday at Illinois; Sunday vs. Maryland
Ohio State was at least competitive in its latest road game in the Big Ten against a top-tier team, but in the end the result was the same: a loss. The Buckeyes have arguably played the toughest road schedule in the league thus far — games at Northwestern, Indiana, Maryland and Purdue — but they are just 1-3 in those contests.
It's a busy week for Ohio State with three games — two at home. The Buckeyes host Penn State on Monday and Maryland on Sunday with a road trip to Illinois sandwiched in between those. Ohio State needs a signature win badly without a devastating loss and it has an opportunity to get one against the Terps — a team that beat the Buckeyes by 35 the last time they played.
8. Nebraska (12-9, 4-4)
Last week: 72-71 win at Michigan State; 81-68 loss vs. Michigan
This week: Saturday at Purdue
The Cornhuskers were surging and had won four-straight Big Ten games after their 72-71 win at Michigan State this week, but Nebraska's momentum was halted Saturday at the hands of Michigan.
Still, the recent performance by the Huskers was enough to move them up two spots this week to No. 8 and they are right on the heels of Ohio State for that No. 7 spot. Tim Miles' group has a big game Saturday at Purdue and if the Huskers can find a way to pull that one out, they'll be ranked higher in next week's poll.
9. Wisconsin (11-9, 3-4)
Last week: 66-60 win vs. Penn State
This week: Tuesday vs. Indiana; Sunday at Illinois
The Badgers remain at No. 9 after playing just one game last week — a six-point road win over Penn State.
Already with a win over Michigan State under its belt, Wisconsin has a chance to pick up a second quality Big Ten win Tuesday when it hosts Indiana. A win would end the Hoosiers' perfect start to the conference season and would likely result in the Badgers moving up in next week's rankings.
10. Northwestern (15-6, 3-5)
Last week: 62-56 loss at Maryland (OT); 89-57 loss at Indiana
This week: Thursday vs. Michigan State; Sunday at Iowa
The Wildcats are headed the wrong direction.
Northwestern has lost its last three games — two of which came this week on the road against Maryland and Indiana. Those certainly don't qualify as "bad losses," but the Wildcats haven't done much to prove they warrant a bump in the rankings.
Things certainly don't get easier from here with games against Michigan State and Iowa on the schedule this week.
11. Illinois (10-10, 2-5)
Last week: 103-69 loss at Indiana; 76-71 win at Minnesota (OT)
This week: Thursday vs. Ohio State; Sunday vs. Wisconsin
After getting its doors absolutely blown off Tuesday at Indiana, Illinois rebounded with an overtime road win over Minnesota on Saturday. Sure, it was just the Gophers, but a loss to a team that is winless in the league could have been devastating to the Illini.
There are some winnable games ahead for Illinois — Ohio State, Wisconsin and Rutgers are up next — and for the Illini to start working their way back toward the middle of the Big Ten standings they need to win them all.
12. Penn State (11-9, 2-5)
Last week: 66-60 loss vs. Wisconsin
This week: Monday at Ohio State; Saturday vs. Michigan
Penn State came in at No. 12 last week and with only one game on its schedule that resulted in a six-point home loss to Wisconsin, the Nittany Lions remained at that spot in this week's rankings.
Penn State's goal for the rest of the way should be to battle with those directly ahead of it in the Big Ten standings to get out of the league's bottom four and avoid playing on the opening day of the Big Ten tournament.
13. Minnesota (6-14, 0-8)
Last week: 74-69 loss at Michigan; 76-71 loss vs. Illinois (OT)
This week: Wednesday vs. Purdue; Saturday at Indiana
Another week, another pair of Big Ten losses for Minnesota. Silver lining, here? Well, it almost beat Illinois.
The Gophers will likely fall to 0-10 in league play with matchups against Purdue and Indiana this week and there's a realistic shot both Minnesota and Rutgers are winless in conference play up until their meeting Feb. 23.
14. Rutgers (6-14, 0-7)
Last week: 107-57 loss vs. Purdue; 90-76 loss vs. Iowa
This week: Wednesday at Michigan; Sunday at Michigan State
Minnesota has at least been somewhat competitive a few times in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights? Not so much. Rutgers was blasted by 50 (!!) points earlier last week in a loss to Purdue.
The Scarlet Knights haven't won a Big Ten game since Jan. 11, 2014 when they inexplicably beat Wisconsin — last year's national runner-up. Rutgers has lost 22-straight Big Ten matchups and counting.
