1. Wisconsin

Thanks to a six-game win streak that includes sweeps of Michigan Tech and Minnesota on the road and Michigan at home, Wisconsin is now 9-1 on the season and has earned the #3 ranking as of publication. The Badgers have a good, not great, offense (3.5 goals per game), but their defense (1.8 goals allowed per game) is what drives them.

2. Michigan

Despite being swept by Wisconsin this past weekend, the Wolverines are still a really good team. They possess the firepower to burn holes in the back of the net, but sometimes they lose focus and play down to their competition.

3. Michigan State

If there was a 2b., that’s where the Spartans would be, but the Wolverines got the benefit of the doubt by losing close ones to the best team. Michigan State absolutely dominated Ohio State in Columbus this weekend and, if it weren’t for a poor showing against Boston College in October, would be rivaling Wisconsin for the top spot.

4. Penn State

Penn State started the season red-hot but have been lukewarm (at best) since mid-October. After a shoot-out win and loss this weekend against an (admittedly improved) Notre Dame squad, the Nittany Lions rest comfortably in the #4 spot.

5. Minnesota

The Gophers show flashes of elite play at times, but then go long stretches of uninspired, sloppy play. The high-level scoring talent they’ve had in years past is either non-existent or in hibernation. For Minnesota’s sake, let’s hope it’s the latter and the Gophers wake up in November.

6. Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish started off the season just looking like regular Irish, but have found that spark in recent weeks. Their only taste of Big Ten play resulted in a couple of shoot-outs so not a lot to hang their hat on yet.

7. Ohio State

What is going on in Columbus? The Buckeyes got manhandled Friday by the Spartans and looked lost. They came back Saturday matching Michigan State punch-for-punch before collapsing in the final five minutes of the game, despite killing off a 5-minute Spartan powerplay. It seems when they win, it’s by the skin of their teeth. And when they lose, they let the opposition test the limits of the scoreboard.