Where They Stand: Big Ten

Minnesota 11-0 (0-0)
Ohio State 9-0 (0-0)
Illinois 11-1 (0-0)
Penn State 11-2 (0-0)
Purdue 10-2 (0-0)
Michigan 9-2 (0-0)
Michigan State 8-2 (0-0)
Northwestern 8-2 (0-0)
Wisconsin 9-3 (0-0)
Iowa 9-3 (0-0)
Indiana 5-6 (0-0)

Favorite: Purdue
Contenders: Minnesota, Michigan State and Ohio State
Sleeper: Michigan
Destined For Last: Indiana
Biggest Non-Conference Win: Minnesota 70 vs Louisville 64
Biggest Non-Conference Loss: Drake 60 vs Iowa 43

Minnesota is the story of the Big Ten so far because of their early success under Tubby Smith. They scheduled cupcakes but came away with a huge win against Louisville last weekend. They are young and may not be as talented as other teams, but if they listen to Smith they can shock some people and push Purdue and Michigan State down the stretch. The overall quality of the Big Ten is nice especially since the only team with a losing record, Indiana, is rebuilding the program. Michigan has wins over UCLA and Duke this year so don't sleep on the Wolverines.