“It’s almost that wonderful time of the year when football and basketball are going on at the same time. What a time to be alive.”

1. Penn State (6-0)

Remember when Penn State’s future looked like death? That’s quite the throwback.

2. Wisconsin (6-0)

Here is your weekly reminder that Jonathan Taylor is a freshman, and he is going to be really good for a long time.

3. Ohio State (6-1)

Ohio State’s closest Big Ten game was a 28-point win at Indiana in the opener. The Buckeyes are a pretty good team.

4. Michigan State (5-1)

Did anyone think Michigan State would ever be ranked higher than Michigan at any point this season? I’m going to go ahead and say no, no, they didn’t.

5. Michigan (5-1)

After taking the proverbial “L” against their Michigan counterparts,the Wolverines needed overtime to beat Indiana. Maybe I’m speaking too soon, but things might be on the decline in Ann Arbor.

6. Iowa (4-2)

Iowa is the only other team above .500, so I guess this makes sense.

7. Northwestern (3-3)

A 16-point win over Maryland helps the Wildcats from falling further down the rankings. They have winnable games the rest of the season, so maybe they’ll end up rising.

8. Purdue (3-3)

All three of the Boilermakers’ losses were to teams in the top 20 at the time, and two of those teams were in the top 10. Purdue might be on the come-up.

9. Maryland (3-3)

All of Maryland’s quarterbacks have basically died at one point or another this season. I’ll give the Terrapins a break.

10. Indiana (3-3)

No Big Ten wins, but the Hoosiers almost took down Michigan in overtime, and their other two losses are to Big Ten blue bloods Ohio State and Penn State, which were both in the top five at the time.

11. Minnesota (3-3)

The Gophers have been hit with three-straight losses, but at least they’ve played some teams that are somewhat good. Looking at you, Nebraska.

12. Nebraska (3-4)

I was going to put Nebraska higher, but the team lost to Northern Illinois, and its only Big Ten wins are against Rutgers and Illinois.

13. Rutgers (2-4)

Fun fact: Rutgers actually has a conference win … against Illinois.

14. Illinois (2-4)

I would assume Lovie Smith is still salty that the Colts beat the Bears in Super Bowl XLI. Go Colts.

Offensive Impact

Name: J.T. Barrett, Ohio State

Position: Quarterback

Year: Senior

Barrett matched his career-high last week, accounting for 7 touchdowns, with 5 coming through the air. With numbers like that, it’s easier to see how he has thrown 21 touchdowns on the season, with only 1 pick. Not to mention the conference-leading 1,838 yards on the year. He’s been playing out of his mind.

Defensive Impact

Name: Leon Jacobs, Wisconsin

Position: Linebacker

Year: Senior

Jacobs picked up Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors last week after racking up a career-high 9 tackles in Wisconsin’s 17-9 win over Purdue. He also recorded the second interception of his career, which ended up clinching the game; the Badgers went on to run out the clock.

Michigan at Penn State

Where: Beaver Stadium, State College, Pennsylvania

When: 6:30 p.m.