Detroit News Big Ten Power Rankings: Week of Feb. 17

1. Maryland (21-4, 11-3) – It was a heck of a week for the team that’s starting to look like a champion. The Terrapins squeaked by Nebraska at home, but rebounded with a huge win on the road, scoring the final 14 points at Michigan State to knock the Spartans out of the race. The Terps will get a home tuneup on Tuesday against Northwestern before hitting the road to face a surging Ohio State team. Last week: 1.

2. Penn State (20-5, 10-4) – The Nittany Lions long ago were on a three-game skid and doubt was creeping in. However, since then they’ve won eight in a row, are keeping the heat on first-place Maryland and have some talking Final Four. It would be a remarkable run for Pat Chambers (pictured) as the winning streak is put to the test this week at home against Illinois and at Indiana. Last week: 2.

3. Iowa (18-8, 9-6) – Give credit to the Hawkeyes for bouncing back from a tough loss at Indiana by going on the road and rallying for a win at Minnesota. They might be too far back from Maryland to make a push for the Big Ten title, but it was a solid finish, nonetheless. They’ll get Ohio State at home this week before closing the season on a tough stretch that includes MSU, Penn State, Purdue and Illinois. Last week: 4.

4. Michigan (16-9, 7-7) – The overall record is still lagging, but the Wolverines have won five of their last six and with the return of Isaiah Livers to the lineup, it seems they’re just hitting their stride. This will be a tough week for the Wolverines as they try and prove they’re back on the right track with back-to-back road games against Rutgers and Purdue. Last week: 8.

5. Michigan State (17-9, 9-6) – The slide continues for the Spartans, who have now lost four of the last five. The lone win came early in the week at Illinois, but with a chance to jump back in the Big Ten race, the Spartans allowed Maryland to score the final 14 points on Saturday and watched a seven-point lead disappear in the last three minutes. They’ll have to rebound on the road this week at Nebraska. Last week: 5.

6. Rutgers (18-8, 9-6) – The Scarlet Knights keep plugging along toward the NCAA Tournament despite having lost three of their last five. A tough loss at Ohio State started the week before they took advantage of a slumping Illinois team, getting a big home win. The Scarlet Knights welcome Michigan this week before heading to Wisconsin on the weekend. Last week: 6.

7. Illinois (16-9, 8-6) – The Fighting Illini have hit the skids, losing four in a row and playing at Rutgers over the weekend without Ayo Dosunmu (11). The star guard was hurt on the final play of a loss at home to Michigan State and missed the next game. His status for Tuesday’s game at Penn State remains up in the air as the Illini look to halt the losing streak. Last week: 3.

8. Ohio State (17-8, 7-7) – It feels like the momentum is starting to build again for the Buckeyes, who beat Rutgers and Purdue last week to win five of their last six. It’s been a solid turnaround for a team that was outstanding in non-conference play but struggled to begin Big Ten action. They’ll head to Iowa this week before hosting Maryland as they attempt to play off the NCAA Tournament bubble. Last week: 10.

9. Wisconsin (15-10, 8-6) – The Badgers have won two in a row and three of four as they continue to solidify their NCAA Tournament resume. They’ll get a chance to do so this week as they have back-to-back home games with Purdue and Rutgers, games that will be critical to get to keep momentum heading in the right direction. Last week: 9.

10. Purdue (14-12, 7-8) – The consistency continues to elude the Boilermakers, who entered last week having won three in a row but came up short at home against Penn State before getting blown out at Ohio State. It wasn’t a good week for the NCAA Tournament resume, but with a trip to Wisconsin up next followed by a home game with Michigan, the opportunity to turn things around is there. Last week: 7.

11. Indiana (16-9, 6-8) – The Hoosiers now have lost five of six games, somehow beating Iowa at home early last week to keep it from being a six-game skid. The Hoosiers were unable to build off that win, however, as they got run out of the gym at Michigan on Sunday and now must rebound at Minnesota this week before hosting Penn State. Last week: 12.

12. Minnesota (12-12, 6-8) – The Golden Gophers have to be one of the more frustrating teams in the Big Ten. They’re in almost every game they play but simply can’t finish. It happened again on Sunday as they held an eight-point lead in the final five minutes against Iowa, but never scored again to suffer their fourth loss in the last five games. Last week: 11.

13. Nebraska (7-18, 2-12) – The losing streak is at 10 now for the Cornhuskers, but there were signs of life early in the week as they pushed Maryland to the limit on the road before losing by two. They’ll get a decent shot at ending the skid this week when they host a slumping Michigan State team on Thursday. Last week: 14.