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The Experts examine if the Big Ten's lack of success is causing Ohio State to suffer in the national conversation.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Bill O'Brien isn't sure whether the NCAA will grant injured tight end Matt Lehman a sixth year of eligibility, but it's something he said Lehman and Penn State are pursuing.

"Obviously, we're looking into it, and we'd love for that to work out for the guy," O'Brien said Tuesday afternoon. "If it doesn't work out, I really believe he has a chance to play at the next level. 6-foot-7, 260-pound guy. He's tough, he can catch. So, some way or another, I think he'll be playing football somewhere."

Lehman suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first quarter of the season opener against Syracuse. He fell to the turf on a 10-yard out when he was breaking out of a cut on his left foot.

"As far as a sixth year goes, it's hard for me to comment on that because it's such a complicated deal what you have to basically prove to the NCAA," O'Brien said. "It has to do with personal background, injury background, transfer -- because he was at Shippensburg and then he came here -- and we'd be here all day if I was having to describe that to you."

Lehman can apply for a medical hardship waiver after the season. If it's granted, he would be one of six returning tight ends for the 2014 season.

The Pennsylvania native had one catch for 2 yards this year before suffering the injury. He finished fourth on the team last season with 24 receptions, with 21 coming during the conference season.

He currently has 298 career receiving yards and three touchdowns.

"It's tough," O'Brien added. "He was playing really well. Really well."

September is in the rearview mirror, and the race for some of the Big Ten's top awards are wide smoking open. As they should be, with the heart of league play still ahead of us. Here's how we see those awards right now:

Graham–George Offensive Player of the Year

1. Iowa RB Mark Weisman (Last week: 3): The offensive player of the year trophy is totally up for grabs right now, but why not Weisman? He's second in the Big Ten in rushing (615 yards), leads the free world in carries (119) and has helped the Hawkeyes establish a definite identity.

2. Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon (LW: 1): Ohio State became the first team this year to slow down Gordon, holding him to 74 yards on 15 carries. Gordon also hurt his left knee in that game. But he still leads the country in rushing.

3. Illinois QB Nathan Scheelhaase (LW: 5): Five more TD passes last week against Miami (Ohio) gives Scheelhaase 12 in four games. He also leads the Big Ten in passing yards and pass efficiency. The true test of his candidacy will come in Big Ten play, starting this week at Nebraska.

4. Ohio State QB Braxton Miller (LW: Not ranked): What, did you forget about the reigning winner of this award? Miller basically missed three games but came roaring back last week with four touchdowns against Wisconsin. His time off and Kenny Guiton's success in his absence no doubt hurts, but if Miller can put up huge numbers in the Buckeyes' conference schedule, he'll have to be reckoned with.

5. Wisconsin WR Jared Abbrederis (LW: NR): Abbrederis was insanely good in the loss at Ohio State with 207 receiving yards, dominating All-America corner Bradley Roby. He has surpassed Penn State's Allen Robinson as the Big Ten leader in receiving yards and catches per game.

Dropped out: Robinson, Ohio State QB Kenny Guiton

Nagurski–Woodson Defensive Player of the Year

1. Wisconsin LB Chris Borland (LW: 1): Even in a losing effort, Borland cemented his case for this award with his performance against Ohio State. He was everywhere and had two ridiculous short-yardage stops against Carlos Hyde on his way to 16 tackles.

2. Ohio State LB Ryan Shazier (LW: NR): We figured Shazier would turn it on in conference play, and he definitely did last week. He was a major key to putting the brakes on Wisconsin's running game with nine tackles, 2.5 for loss and a forced fumble.

3. Iowa LB James Morris (LW: NR): The Big Ten defensive player of the week for his effort at Minnesota, Morris is leading a talented Hawkeyes linebacker group and captains a much-improved defense that is stuffing opponents' run games.

4. Michigan State DE Shilique Calhoun (LW: 3): The early turnover scores were nice. Now it's about whether he can make an impact in the conference race.

5. Penn State DT DaQuan Jones (LW: 5): Like Calhoun, Jones was off last week. Time to see what he's got for October.

Dropped out: Minnesota DT Ra'Shede Hageman, Iowa CB B.J. Lowery

Dave McClain/Hayes–Schembechler Coach of the Year

1. Tim Beckman, Illinois: Yes, it's true. Were the coach of the year award handed out today, Beckman would win it. Illinois has already exceeded last year's win total with its 3-1 start and is the most improved team in the league.

2. Urban Meyer, Ohio State: These awards usually go to coaches who exceed expectations. Meyer hasn't done that. But when you've won 17 in a row, isn't that worthy of some recognition?

3. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa: Like Beckman, Ferentz has turned fan grumbling into early optimism with his 4-1 start. We'll see whether Iowa or Illinois can keep this going.

4. Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern: His Wildcats are 4-0 and weathered the loss of Venric Mark in September. Slightly big game coming up this week.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern hoped to get through non-league play without needing the services of Venric Mark. The hope has become a reality.

Mark will return Saturday night when No. 16 Northwestern hosts No. 4 Ohio State at Ryan Field. He participated fully in Tuesday morning's practice, playing running back and handling punt returns.

The senior said he suffered a leg injury two days into preseason camp and wasn't 100 percent for the opener against Cal, in which he had 11 carries and a reception, while not handling any returns.

"The coaches asked me before going in there what I wanted," Mark said. "I told them I wanted to help the team. Who knows if it was the right decision or not? All I know is we got the W, we're 4-0 right now, so we're just looking to get another one."

Mark provides a significant boost on special teams, as Northwestern has had only one punt return for six yards in the first four games. He also allows the Wildcats to crank up the zone-read option with quarterback Kain Colter, a huge part of the offense in 2012, especially in the red zone.

The 5-8, 175-pound Mark is an emotional leader who didn't handle sitting out well.

"I'm not the type of individual to get depressed," Mark said, "but I want to get out there, I want to play. That's when I'm the happiest here at Northwestern. The coaches will tell you I've always had a positive attitude, but being on the field, it just brings me a certain feeling. I haven't had that feeling in a while, so I'm just glad to finally feel like I'm back up to par."

Mark called the timing of his return, for the Big Ten opener against a national championship contender, a "reward." Although Mark is back, Northwestern will continue to use its other backs, namely Treyvon Green, who rushed for 404 yards and five touchdowns during Mark's absence.

"It's going to be a good game," he said. "We're gonna be ready, they're gonna be ready, and when it's time to go, it's time to go."

Our stalemate in the pick-off was broken this past week, as Adam surged ahead by one after correctly pegging the Iowa-Minnesota game in an otherwise short week.

WEEK 5/SEASON RECORD

Adam Rittenberg: 4-0, 44-6 (.880)
Brian Bennett: 3-1, 43-7 (.860)

Here's one last look at the Week 5 predictions from us and our guest picker, Phillip Mykleby from Minneapolis:

Rewind those predictions ...

Miami (Ohio) at Illinois

• Brian Bennett's pick: Illinois 38, Miami 10
• Adam Rittenberg's pick: Illinois 31, Miami 13
• Actual score: Illinois 50, Miami 14
• 20-20 hindsight: Excuse us for underestimating your offense, Illini. I said Nathan Scheelhaase would have a fun day, and he did by throwing five touchdown passes, all in the first half. But he came up 72 yards shy of my 350-yard forecast since he took an early seat. Adam called for Josh Ferguson to score twice; he was half right about that.

Northern Illinois at Purdue

• Bennett's pick: Northern Illinois 28, Purdue 20
• Rittenberg's pick: Northern Illinois 38, Purdue 27
• Actual score: Northern Illinois 55, Purdue 24
• 20-20 hindsight: We weren't far off on Purdue's point totals, but we gave the Boilers' defense far too much credit. Neither of us saw the Huskies tying the record for margin of victory by a MAC team over a Big Ten squad. Probably the less said about this game, the better.

Iowa at Minnesota

• Bennett's pick: Minnesota 23, Iowa 21
• Rittenberg's pick: Iowa 28, Minnesota 24
• Actual score: Iowa 23, Minnesota 7
• 20-20 hindsight: Kudos to Rittenberg for getting the Floyd winner right, and my apologies to Hawkeyes fans for totally underselling their team. Neither of us thought Minnesota would get so thoroughly dominated at the line of scrimmage by Iowa's defense. Adam was right that the lack of a passing game came back to bite the Gophers. My prediction of a big game by Mitch Leidner couldn't have been more wrong, as the Minnesota quarterback didn't even play.

Wisconsin at Ohio State

• Bennett's pick: Ohio State 34, Wisconsin 28
• Rittenberg's pick: Ohio State 37, Wisconsin 30
• Actual score: Ohio State 31, Wisconsin 24
• 20-20 hindsight: Easily our best score prediction of the week, as Adam nailed the margin, and I came closer on the actual score. When in doubt, pick Wisconsin to lose by seven points or less. I correctly pegged Ohio State to get off to a big early lead and then hold on, while my prediction of a Bradley Roby interception of Joel Stave was only partially correct as it didn't seal the win. Adam said Braxton Miller would account for three touchdowns, one shy of his actual total, while his forecast of a 180-yard day for Melvin Gordon was way off as Wisconsin didn't come close to reaching that rushing total as a team.

Now let's see how our guest picker, Phillip, performed:

Illinois 45, Miami (Ohio) 10
Northern Illinois 41, Purdue 28
Iowa 28, Minnesota 24
Ohio State 42, Wisconsin 24

Nice job, Phillip, as you went 4-0 and beat me this week. The Illinois and Northern Illinois score picks were better than ours, although you were off on Ohio State's margin of victory. (If the game ended after the third quarter, though, you would have almost had the margin right).

Who's going to be our guest picker this week? If you're interested, drop us a note here with a short explanation of why we should choose you to do battle in the Week 6 pick off.

The baseball postseason starts today. Who ya got? (Hint: birds on a bat).

• Adjusting on defense will be key for Ohio State's trip to Northwestern. Christian Bryant's father is encouraged by all the support for the injured Buckeyes safety. Urban Meyer won't ever apologize for going into win-the-game mode.
• Northwestern is relishing this week's big-game atmosphere at home. Teammates are confident that Venric Mark will play this week. Pat Fitzgerald answered a reporter's phone.
• Michigan's offensive line is still in flux as it gets ready for Minnesota. Brady Hoke wants to get a second running back some early work versus Minnesota. Jake Ryan could potentially return at Penn State.
• Silas Redd's decision to transfer to USC backfired. Indiana-Penn State is a big game for both sides. Bill Belton has left 2012 behind him.
• Here are five wins to remember from Kirk Ferentz's success against Michigan State. Defense should rule the day in Iowa City.
• Michigan State is mixing and matching on the offensive line. Jamal Lyles is starting to make a difference at tight end for the Spartans.
• Nebraska defensive end Greg McMullen, an Ohio native, is eager for Big Ten play. The Huskers are confident in their quarterback situation despite health questions around Taylor Martinez.
• Minnesota got a commitment from a 2014 linebacker. The Daily Gopher asks some uncomfortable questions about Jerry Kill's team.
• Indiana has a tough road ahead as Big Ten play opens for the Hoosiers. Kevin Wilson went back to the drawing board during the bye week (subscription required).
• High praise is coming Illinois offensive coordinator Bill Cubit's way. Tight ends have taken on a larger role in the Illini offense. Big Ten losing streak? What Big Ten losing streak?
• Wisconsin has almost no margin of error in its quest to repeat as Big Ten champs. Gary Andersen feels good about the health of his team during the bye week and said star running back Melvin Gordon would be ready to play next week. Andersen is trying to learn from last week's loss.
• The bye week did not start off well for Purdue, as two young receivers were arrested on suspicion of theft.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The arsenal once again included a battering ram and that was the tool needed for the job.

Rather than wondering how else it might attack Wisconsin’s castle, Ohio State just kept hammering away with what was working instead of making sure every weapon got a little use.

That doesn’t mean the Buckeyes won’t need a few different approaches to breach the various defenses it faces for the rest of the season, but at least against the Badgers in a physical win on Saturday night, the situation called for some heavy lumber. And for all the positive work Jordan Hall has done early in the season, Carlos Hyde was clearly the guy No. 4 Ohio State favored to handle the job.

“Jordan Hall has got to be involved, but that was a decision we kind of made,” Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer said. “We thought and we knew it was going to be very hard to run in there the way they play their defensive line. They packed it in … and they are very good against the rush.

“But those are our top two backs, and we are working on that now. I want to make sure we get Jordan Hall involved.”

Based on the depth chart entering the game, Hall seemed to still be in line for plenty of involvement as the designated starter coming off a productive stretch outside of conference play.

But when the Big Ten slate opened, it was almost exactly like last year all over again as Hyde dominated the carries among the tailbacks. Rather than Hall being forced to the sideline with an injury like last season, though, he was instead limited to just one rush by coach’s choice as Hyde pounded his way to 85 yards on 17 attempts in his second game back from suspension.

Quarterback Braxton Miller still wound up shouldering more of the load than both of them. The junior carried 22 times through a combination of calling his own number on the option, designed draws and a few scrambles on passing plays that certainly had an effect on the number of touches available to the rest of the Buckeyes. And while one game is a small sample size and the plan is always subject to change on a weekly basis, giving Hyde the start against a stout Wisconsin defense and continuing to feed him the football consistently sent a strong message that he’s quickly regained his leading role in a crowded backfield.

“It wasn’t planned,” offensive coordinator Tom Herman said. “I think the plan was to increase the role for Carlos, there was no doubt about that. We hadn’t gone into the game and said, ‘Jordan Hall is only going to get one carry.’ That’s not what we intended. “You kind of fall back into some habits, at least as a playcaller or as a position coach, and at the end of the day you look up and [Hall] has got one carry.”

Hall also isn’t the only other option who is pushing for touches as the Buckeyes start preparing for a visit to No. 16 Northwestern. Dontre Wilson was impacted by Hyde’s return as an every-down rusher as well, with the talented freshman only getting two rushes and catching just one pass.

The way the Buckeyes distributed the football still worked, since Hyde averaged 5 yards per carry, the offense put up 31 points and the program came away with yet another victory in the process. But potentially tweaking the formula after a win surely beats the alternative.

“Is it difficult? No, it's actually awesome,” Meyer said. “It's great. It's not as difficult as the other one where you don't have the puzzle pieces of the checkerboard that you like, and we have several.”

But if it only takes one running back to bust open the gates, the Buckeyes won’t make it more complicated than it needs to be.

As if Purdue's 1-4 start isn't bad enough, the Boilers' problems are extending beyond the field.

Boilers wide receivers B.J. Knauf and Jordan Woods were arrested Monday on suspicion of theft, according to multiple reports. The two players were detained in a local Kohl's after being suspected of shoplifting two tie bars, valued at $20 each.

Kohl's security recovered the items, but Lafayette police determined there was probable cause for theft and arrested both players late Monday afternoon. They were released after posting bond.

Purdue spokesman Tom Schott said head coach Darrell Hazell is aware of the situation and will let the legal process unfold before making a determination on internal discipline. The Boilers are off this week before resuming play Oct. 12 against Nebraska.

Knauf, a 5-foot-10, 183-pound redshirt freshman, has been one of few bright spots for Purdue's offense, recording nine passes for 95 yards and rushing for 90 yards on 11 carries. Woods, a redshirt freshman, has yet to play this season.

Hazell places a premium on discipline and has tried to set a higher standard in the program. I don't expect him to take the situation lightly.

LINCOLN, Neb. – Taylor Martinez is coming back. It’ll happen.

Maybe not this week, though. And don’t be shocked if he sits for a good portion of October.

Reading between the lines of Bo Pelini’s comments on Monday, the Nebraska coach appears ready to err on the side of caution in determining the right time for the return on his senior quarterback from a turf-toe injury.

On Sept. 21, Martinez, who has more than 10,000 yards of total offense to his credit among dozens of school records, missed his first game since 2010 as freshman Tommy Armstrong and senior Ron Kellogg III filled in nicely to direct a 59-20 win over South Dakota State.

Since then, Martinez has not practiced. He’s getting closer to 100 percent, Pelini said.

“It’s still to be determined,” Pelini said Monday of the starting assignment against the Illini Saturday (noon ET, ESPNU).

That’s coachspeak.

This from Pelini is not: “I would assume Taylor wants to play. But at the same time, I deal with doctors and trainers. Taylor knows. We’ve talked to him. We’re not putting him out there until I know he’s going to feel 100 percent and can execute our offense at 100 percent.”

Pelini’s thinking represents something of a change from early in the season, when Martinez played at less than 100 percent. His rushing figures decreased each week, from 80 yards against Wyoming to 34 on just six carries against Southern Miss to minus-13 against UCLA.

Martinez is the second-leading active rusher among FBS players with 2,959 career yards, trailing only James White of Wisconsin. When Martinez presents little or no threat to run, his entire game suffers.

You saw it in the second half against UCLA, and it’s why you might not see him in uniform at Memorial Stadium this week.

“You’ve got to be able to put your foot in the ground and go,” Pelini said. “That’s a big part of our offense.”

Martinez won’t return, Pelini said, “until he shows us that he’s ready, willing and able to do that.”

Likely, there’s more at work here. Nebraska is excited about the prospects of Armstrong, the heir apparent to Martinez, who looked ready, willing and able to do it all in his first start, albeit against the FCS-level Jackrabbits. And Kellogg provides a stabilizing, veteran presence.

As a duo, they work.

Additionally, look at the schedule. After upstart Illinois, the Huskers travel to 1-4 Purdue before another bye week. The Huskers need a healthy Martinez for the stretch run that starts Oct. 26 with Minnesota and includes Northwestern, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State and Iowa.

Pelini said he feels better about Armstrong and Kellogg than he did before they directed Nebraska to its first-ever 300-yard rushing, 300-yard passing game against SDSU.

“I have a lot of confidence in those guys,” Pelini said. “I think they are both good players. I know we’ll play well around them, too, whatever gives us the best chance to win the football game. We’ll have somebody who is physically and mentally ready to roll at that position.”

Offensive guard Spencer Long said he knew from their practice reps that Armstrong and Kellogg could handle the job.

“It’s really just a matter of doing it in front of 92,000 people,” Long said. “They showed that they could.”

For his part, Kellogg said he’s preparing to start, though Pelini said if Martinez can’t go, Armstrong would probably remain as the first to play.

As for Martinez, he has handled the waiting time of past two weeks, according to Kellogg, “like an adult.”

Don’t be surprised if the wait continues.

Wisconsin wideout Jared Abbrederis is no secret.

Ohio State knew he was the Badgers' main receiving threat. Heck, he's basically their only receiving threat. So OSU lined up All-American cornerback Bradley Roby against him and hoped for the best.

What they got instead was the best performance by a Wisconsin receiver in nearly a decade.

The redshirt senior finished with 10 receptions for a career-high 207 yards and a touchdown, while the rest of his team combined for just eight catches and 88 yards. It was the first time a Wisconsin receiver wound up with 200 yards since Lee Evans had 258 against Michigan State on Nov. 15, 2003.

The Badgers didn't come away with a win. But a national television audience -- and even OSU coach Urban Meyer -- gained an appreciation of Abbrederis' talent.

"No. 4 for them, he's got my vote for All-Big Ten," Meyer said.

Abbrederis struck early and often in the Saturday night game. He made four catches for 118 yards in just the first quarter, and Roby was often forced to hold or tug on Abbrederis' jersey to slow him down. Roby was called for holding in the second half.

For as frustrating as it was for Ohio State's All-American, it might have just ended up as the career highlight for Abbrederis. The matchup made the Wisconsin receiver's performance all the more impressive.

He reeled in a few receptions that are sure to make Mel Kiper's highlight film come the NFL draft, and he seemed to catch everything thrown his way. On an underthrown ball late in the second quarter, Abbrederis slowed down to make a leaping, 33-yard grab as Roby knocked his legs out from under him. Despite the hit, the 6-foot-2 receiver held on.

And in the first quarter, on a 36-yard touchdown grab, Abbrederis made an over-the-shoulder catch and out-muscled Roby -- as the cornerback fell to the turf and the Wisconsin receiver sprinted another 10 yards into the end zone.

When you know what's coming and you still can't stop it? That obviously says something about the type of game Abbrederis had.

The Wisconsin wideout now leads the conference in receptions (33) and receiving yards (572). And he's also moving up the school-record lists. He's third in career touchdown receptions and third in career receiving yardage.

Saturday's game was the best for one of Wisconsin's best-ever wideouts. And that's why he's the Five-Star Player of the Week.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The announcement was still fresh in mind, barely more than 24 hours old as Urban Meyer reported for the first meeting of the day.

Saturday night’s win over Wisconsin was creeping into Sunday morning when the Ohio State coach walked to a podium he would soon smack after revealing star safety Christian Bryant had been lost for the season with a broken ankle, and it was still early on Monday when his staff met at 7 a.m. to talk about replacing him.

The emotions might still have been raw given Bryant’s importance as more than just a tenacious tackler thanks to the vocal leadership and veteran leadership he provided the Buckeyes in the secondary. But there was nothing Meyer could do to change the fact that Bryant was no longer a part of the plan for trying to stop No. 16 Northwestern on the road this week, and finding somebody to fill that void will stay at the top of the agenda until No. 4 Ohio State finds its best option.

“This is not an easy one,” Meyer said. “Last year, I would have put my hands all over that, because I didn't really know [safeties coach] Everett Withers very well. But he's an excellent football coach, and when we met this morning, I wanted opinions [from the entire staff], and I'm going to give mine.

“And we are going to meet again at 2 o'clock and I want to hear what they are going to do.”

After all that brainstorming, the Buckeyes don’t necessarily need to have identified a permanent solution, but they will need to settle on somebody to line up in Bryant’s spot at safety when they hit the practice field on Tuesday afternoon.

The list has already been whittled to three defensive backs, with Corey “Pittsburgh” Brown the most likely candidate given his experience and some consistent production already this season from his role in the dime package. But nickel safety Tyvis Powell is also a potential target for a starting role in the base formation, and talented true freshman Vonn Bell also gave the Buckeyes something to consider during those conversations on Monday.

But whoever ultimately emerges and takes over Bryant’s job moving forward, the shoes are going to be extremely difficult to fill -- and there isn’t going to be much time to get used to wearing them either.

“This is a very complicated offense,” Meyer said. “It’s one that's going to require [good communication], and one of the disappointing things we had last Saturday was not just a couple guys got beat, but we had some errors in checks and communication.

“We can't have that, and with that position open now, that's a big part of it.”

Brown’s familiarity with the system alongside fellow veteran defensive backs Bradley Roby and C.J. Barnett might give him the edge to claim that spot, and cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs indicated the senior would likely be getting the first crack at it.

Brown had actually been nipping at Bryant’s heels statistically so far this season, with Bryant only leading Brown by one tackle through five games. And Brown had also chipped in a tackle for a loss and broken up a pass, showing signs of the type of versatility the Buckeyes crave in the secondary.

Bryant, though, has set a high standard for stuffing the box score in a variety of different ways, and at least from an on-field perspective, Coombs and the rest of the defensive staff will be watching closely early in the week to make sure they find somebody capable of providing some similar production across the board.

“I think as we sit here this afternoon that Pitt Brown will go in there and play,” Coombs said. “I don’t know exactly the configuration of how all those guys are going to fit going into the week, and some of that will be developed and discussed during practice.

“But our guys, those are versatile players back there and I think that gets understated somewhat.”

That doesn’t necessarily mean the loss of Bryant has been overstated. But all the coaches can do now is show up for their early meetings and work on a new plan.

Neither Adam nor I vote in the Associated Press, USA Today coaches' or Harris polls. We do get a lot of customer service satisfaction survey emails, though. And we have a say in the weekly ESPN.com power rankings. Here's what we said this week:

Adam's Top 25

1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Clemson
4. Stanford
5. Ohio State
6. Georgia
7. Texas A&M
8. Florida State
9. LSU
10. Louisville
11. Oklahoma
12. UCLA
13. South Carolina
14. Washington
15. Miami
16. Baylor
17. Northwestern
18. Florida
19. Arizona State
20. Wisconsin
21. Michigan
22. Oklahoma State
23. Fresno State
24. Maryland
25. Mississippi

Brian's Top 25

1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Oregon
4. Ohio State
5. Stanford
6. Georgia
7. Florida State
8. Texas A&M
9. LSU
10. Louisville
11. Miami
12. Oklahoma
13. UCLA
14. South Carolina
15. Washington
16. Northwestern
17. Baylor
18. Florida
19. Arizona State
20. Wisconsin
21. Fresno State
22. Michigan
23. Ole Miss
24. Texas Tech
25. Northern Illinois

Ohio State fans, direct your anger to Mr. Rittenberg for ranking you No. 5. In all seriousness, the Buckeyes probably will have to make a big statement this week and have teams ahead of them falter to get up to the No. 2 spot. First order of business: Keep winning. ... Big Ten teams are in mostly the same place on both our ballots. Neither of us punished Wisconsin much for losing at Ohio State. ... I bumped down Michigan another notch after UConn got hammered 41-12 by Buffalo. Not a good development for the Wolverines' image. ... Adam ranks future Big Ten member Maryland for the first time, while I welcomed in Northern Illinois, which is 2-0 vs. Big Ten teams this season.

What does your top 25 look like this week?

Want to talk about last weekend's games or the big ones coming up this Saturday? Well, come on by my Big Ten Monday chat, and we'll discuss all of it.

The chat kicks off in less than an hour, at 3 p.m. ET. Here's the link. See you there.

Austin Ward talks about One Good Thing from the Big Ten over the weekend, focusing on the offensive line play in wins for Iowa and Ohio State.