ES ranks each of the Big Ten teams through the first five games, and gives you a Buy/Hold/Sell prognostication.

1. Ohio State. 4-1/2-0. #8 Sagarin. Lone loss was to SoCal; outscored opponents 101-14 last three games, including Illinois & Indiana. Buy.
2. Iowa. 5-0/1-0. #9 Sagarin. Seems to be playing to its level of competition, with a squeaker over Arkansas State. But, they are 5-0 with a butt-kicking at JoePa. Buy.
3. Joe Pa. 4-1/1-1. #18 Sagarin. Joe Pa fell to #3 after it was pounded at home by a gritty Iowa team, but rebounded nicely with its thumping of woeful Illini. Hold.
4. Wisky. 5-0/2-0. #23 Sagarin. The Big Ten's other undefeated, with a pounding of the Big Green, but a nice win at Minny. Now comes the litmus test: at Ohio State. Buy.
5. Michigan State. 2-3/1-1. #47 Sagarin. Is Michigan State back from the brink? The defense woke up after a four game funk by limiting scUM to 82 total yards and -27 yards rushing mid-way through the fourth quarter. The Big Green left many points on the field, and bent late but didn't break. Best 2-3 team in the nation (we Spartans have heard that before). Buy.
6. Minnesota. 3-2/1-1. #51 Sagarin. Minny's squeaker wins over Syracuse, Air Force, and its butt kicking at the hands of a then-overrated Cal team may diminish their stock, but its late pull-away over Northwestern and competitiveness vs Wisky give the Gophers my "Bi-polar" award. Hold.
7. scUM. 4-1/1-1. #42 Sagarin. What, a ranked, undefeated Michigan team was an underdog to a 1-3 Spartan team, the first time that's ever happened? The pundits are enlightened as Sparty reveals scUM as overrated. scUM can prove otherwise, but won't, at Iowa this week. Sell.
8. Indiana. 3-2/0-2. #72 Sagarin. No shame for Indy losing to Ohio State and scUM - that's par for the course for a program that is about 2-100 against those teams the past 50 years. Now at... Virginia? A win would help the Hoosiers sweep their non-conference slate. Hold.
9. Northwestern. 3-2/1-1. #85 Sagarin. A loss to Syracuse and struggles against Eastern reveals the Cats belong among the cellar dwellars; a squeaker over Purdue just demonstrates Purdue belongs there, too.... Sell.
10. Purdon't. 1-4/0-2. #82 Sagarin. See NW above, but at least the Boilers are competitive, losing their last four by a combined 18 points, something you can't say about... Sell.
11. The Uncompetitive Zooks. #91 Sagarin. 1-3/0-2. Illini are falling fast - and so is Ron Zook's job. This team resembles more of the team MSU thumped by a 69-21 score under John L Smith than it does a team moving up the leaderboard. Against BCS teams, the Illini are 0-3 and outscored 126-22. Sell fast.