An anxious win over San Diego State and mounting injuries have done nothing to lift the Nittany Lions above also-ran status as the Black Knights of the Hudson plan an invasion through sparsely populated timberland from the north and east.
Meanwhile, a more ominous threat to the B1G East Division is rising from the Mitten State. He's odorless, colorless, omniscient and stealthily climbing up the Big Ten Power Poll.
AP photo
Big Ten Power Poll: Week 5
He's watching you... and you... and you. And he knows what all of you are going to do before you do.
In grade-out of 5 a.m. Monday breakfast, Urban Meyer assesses wife Shelley Meyer’s performance as: Eggs 82%, Toast 79%, Oatmeal 82%, Bacon 77%. In sum: "Overall, I thought, OK,” noting he has higher expectations for bacon.
Lynn Ischay, The Plain Dealer
1. Ohio State
Shelley Meyer and son Nate hoping to improve their weekly grade-outs.
Sparty entered season 60-43-3 (.589) against spread during Dantonio era, now 0-4 ATS in 2015, drawing muted concern from state legislators, Dan Gilbert.
AP/Al Goldis
2. Michigan State
Central Michigan receiver Corey Willis is forced out of bounds by Michigan State's Demetrious Cox (7) after 27-yard reception during Spartans' 30-10 win on Saturday in East Lansing.
Continuing bust-out season that now includes 12 catches, senior Wildcat fullback Dan Vitale further separates himself from obscure drunken 1980s SNL cast member of same name.
NBC
3. Northwestern
Forgotten mid-'80s Saturday Night Live cast members Dan Vitale (left) and Ben Stiller (right).
Following 31-0 defeat of No. 22 Brigham Young, Jim Harbaugh lends Bronco Mendenhall his spare seer stone for remainder of season.
AP/Tony Ding
4. Michigan
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh (left) tells BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall (right) after his Wolverines' 31-0 rout of Cougars that he knew exactly what was going to happen before the game even started.
Encouraged by workmanlike 28-0 dispatching of Hawai`i, Paul Chryst plans 78 consecutive 4-yard runs to be scripted for Iowa game.
AP/Morry Gash
5. Wisconsin
Wisconsin's Taiwan Deal blasts between Hawai`i's Jahlani Tavai (31) and Gaetano DeMattei during the first half of Badgers' 28-0 shutout on Saturday in Madison.
Mike Riley privately asks support staff that traveling Nebraska fans who wear corncob hats be kept at least 50 rows from bench because, “I don’t know, frankly, they kinda creep me out.”
MLive.com photo
6. Nebraska
Nebraska fans being who they are.
Hawkeyes on 4-game winning streak to open season for first time in six years. Hawkeyes on 9-game losing streak against ranked foes. Hawkeye boss Kirk Ferentz on 14-year non-vomit streak both in and out of conference. All are on the line entering major road trip to No. 19 Wisconsin.
NBC
7. Iowa
Jerry Seinfeld about to see 14-year vomitless streak snapped by infected black-and-white cookie at Schnitzer's Bakery in 1994.
Tired of fans calling him bland, Gopher junior quarterback Mitch Leidner decides when he becomes legal in January he won’t drink crap Michelob like everyone else in Minnesota.
8. Minnesota
Minnesota, strange home to enthusiasts of a tasteless beer brewed three states to the southwest.
Asked about Nittany Lions’ mounting injury woes and specifics of injuries to several key players, coach James Franklin helpfully acknowledges: “They are all somewhere on the upper, middle and lower parts of regions somewhere on or near their bodies. Unfortunately, even I don’t know any more than that.”
PennLive/Joe Hermitt
9. Penn State
James Franklin providing 400-word non-description of Penn State injuries.
After four weeks of harrowing, life-or-death wins over Florida International, Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky and Wake Forest, unbeaten Hoosiers feel confident and prepared for trip to Ohio State.
AP/Chuck Burton
10. Indiana
Wake Forest's Kendall Hinton (2) celebrates after his touchdown run against Indiana during first half of Hoosiers' 31-24 win on Saturday in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Concerned about Illini’s last-place standing in Big Ten sacks (4), D-line assistant Mike Phair discovers and corrects directive from departed Tim Beckman, tells linemen they need not call out “One-Mississippi, two-Mississippi…” before rushing passer.
AP/Bradley Leeb
11. Illinois
Middle Tennessee quarterback Brent Stockstill (12) scans field at his leisure during second quarter of 27-25 Illinois win on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill.
Heavily favored Scarlet Knights (-13) failed to cover vs. road dog Kansas last Saturday in push (27-14). They remain home this week with a bye and open +3 in neutral-site clash vs. RU Police.
Rutgers Univ.
12. Rutgers
Upcoming opponent has proven troublesome for Scarlet Knights in the recent past.
No, just because both Boilermakers and Maryland Terrapins have now both lost to Bowling Green doesn't mean they'll be relegated to MAC and Matt Johnson and BG will be promoted to Big Ten. But it would be awesome, wouldn't it?
AP/John Terhune
13. Purdue
Bowling Green quarterback Matt Johnson (11) unloads shovel pass during 35-28 win at Purdue on Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind.
It’s gotten so bad for Randy Edsall that UMd students got mad at him for punting too often in 45-6 loss at West Virginia – much like they awkwardly kiss dates they have no shot with and hurriedly leave.
AP/Ray Thompson
14. Maryland
Maryland head coach Randy Edsall watches Terps during second half of 45-6 loss at West Virginia on Saturday in Morgantown.
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