Detroit News Big Ten Power Rankings: Week of Dec. 10

1. Michigan (10-0, 2-0) – The Wolverines got their first scare of the season as the potential game-winning basket hit the backboard and caromed off the rim at Northwestern, sparing Michigan another heartbreaker in Evanston. The Wolverines followed that up by overcoming a slow start to drub South Carolina as they showed over the course of two games they can win when not playing their best. Last week: 1.

2. Michigan State (8-2, 2-0) – It was a productive week for the Spartans, who capped off a tough six-game stretch that included just one game at home. That home game resulted a convincing blowout of Iowa, which entered the game ranked No. 18 in the country. The Spartans followed that up with a trip to Florida and a gutty win that was anything but pretty, but proved their depth will come into play this season. Last week: 2.

3. Indiana (8-2, 2-0) – The Hoosiers aren’t blowing teams out but they’re getting wins, nonetheless. The only loss in the last six games was at Duke, and last week it was star freshman Romeo Langford who led the way as he scored 15 of 17 in the second half of a win at Penn State before netting 21 in a one-point victory over Louisville. Butler provides the next test Saturday in the Crossroads Classic. Last week: 8.

4. Ohio State (8-1, 2-0) – The Buckeyes had the weekend off after finishing a perfect start to the Big Ten season by rallying to win at Illinois. Whether the Buckeyes have what it takes to remain in the conference hunt all season remains to be seen, but they’ll at least get one more test before Big Ten play begins, when they take on UCLA on Dec. 22. Last week: 5.

5. Wisconsin (8-2, 2-0) – The Badgers overcame an upset bid at home against Rutgers early in the week but couldn’t do the same over the weekend at Marquette as a barrage of missed shots wasted a 34-point outing from Ethan Happ. The Badgers were just 5-for-24 from 3-point range as Brad Davison was held scoreless and D’Mitrik Trice was 1-for-6 from 3-point range. Last week: 3.

6. Minnesota (8-2, 1-1) – The Golden Gophers have responded well to getting trounced by Ohio State in the Big Ten opener. They knocked off Nebraska at home early in the week, then took care of business against Arkansas State, looking more like the team that opened the season with five straight wins before fumbling its way to two losses in three games heading into the week. Last week: 9.

7. Nebraska (8-2, 1-1) – The Cornhuskers came up short in their first Big Ten road game, falling at Minnesota early in the week. But they bounced back behind 30 points from James Palmer to end a seven-game skid to in-state rival Creighton. Palmer was huge, making six 3-pointers, but three more players scored in double-figures as the Huskers proved they’ll be a factor in the conference race all season. Last week: 6.

8. Maryland (8-2, 1-1) – The Terrapins got an early lead on Purdue early in the week but couldn’t take advantage of an off-night from Carsen Edwards as they made just one of their final nine shots to miss out on an early road victory. They got back on track at home late in the week by beating Loyola-Chicago, but the one that got away against the Boilermakers will sting for a while. Last week: 4.

9. Purdue (6-4, 1-1) – Even 40 points from Carsen Edwards on his return to his home state wasn’t enough to get the Boilermakers a win at Texas. Instead, Purdue couldn’t carry any momentum from its win earlier in the week over Maryland and has now lost three of five with a game next weekend against Purdue in the Crossroads Classic. Last week: 10.

10. Iowa (7-2, 0-2) – The Hawkeyes were flying high until conference play began, but after back-to-back losses – at home to Wisconsin and a blowout on the road at the hands of Michigan State – it’s about regrouping. The first step came by beating rival Iowa State in a chippy matchup and should continue over the next few weeks with no real test until Big Ten play picks up again after the first of the year with a trip to Purdue. Last week: 7.

11. Northwestern (7-3, 0-2) – Things were not looking good for the Wildcats on Saturday afternoon. After opening Big Ten play with losses to Indiana and Michigan, Northwestern was in deep trouble against DePaul in a battle of Chicago. But Vic Law scored 25 and A.J. Turner added 24 to help the Cats erase a 15-point deficit and earn a much-needed win that likely kept things from spiraling out of control. Last week: 11.

12. Penn State (5-4, 0-2) – The NIT champions from last season have yet to find much consistency and lost three of four before getting a victory over Colgate on Saturday. Before that, there were losses to Maryland and Indiana, both games the Nittany Lions could have won. If Pat Chambers’ crew continues to be unable to get over the hump in close games, they might get a shot to defend their title. Last week: 13.

13. Illinois (3-7, 0-2) – The Fighting Illini have been close on many nights already this season, but a winless start in the Big Ten is still staring them in the face. They got well to some extent by beating UNLV at home to end a three-game skid, but they’ll need to get it done in conference to turn things around this season. Last week: 14