Megan Ryan's Big Ten rankings

November 8, 2019 at 7:10AM
Illinois linebacker Dele Harding (9) returns his interception of a Minnesota pass for a touchdown in the first quarter at an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
Illinois linebacker Dele Harding. (Ken Chia — AP/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

1. No. 1 Ohio State (8-0, 5-0)

2. No. 4 Penn State (8-0, 5-0)

3. No. 17 Gophers (8-0, 5-0)

4. No. 14 Michigan (7-2, 4-2)

5. No. 13 Wisconsin (6-2, 3-2)

6. No. 18 Iowa (6-2, 3-2)

7. Indiana (7-2, 4-2)

8. Illinois (5-4, 3-3)

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9. Michigan State (4-4, 2-3)

10. Nebraska (4-5, 2-4)

11. Purdue (3-6, 2-4)

12. Maryland (3-6, 1-5)

13. Northwestern (1-7, 0-6)

14. Rutgers (2-7, 0-6)

Comment: The Illini haven't made a bowl game in four seasons. But against all odds, they're one win away from bowl eligibility. Their signature win, upsetting Wisconsin on Oct. 19, spurred a current three-game winning streak. And with just Iowa and Northwestern left, a 7-4 Illinois is a real possibility.

Week 10 MVP: Dele Harding, LB, Illinois

The senior linebacker made game-changing plays in his team's 38-10 win against Rutgers. He returned an interception 54 yards for a score and also forced a fumble that led to another touchdown. He tallied 12 tackles, including two for a loss. And he leads the conference in tackles per game at 11.7, which is almost two more tackles than the next player on the list.

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Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune

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