Big Ten Notebook: Ohio State Spiffs Up

Below, former Buckeye Raymont Harris models the uniforms Ohio State will wear this weekend.
Your eyes don't deceive you. Raymont Harris still exists, and he's modeling the new throwback uniforms the Buckeyes will be wearing for this weekend's game at Michigan. This is where all you coastal and Southern types wonder aloud how anybody can tell if a Big Ten team is wearing a throwback uniform.

Of course, Columbus is the headquarters of Abercrombie and Fitch, Victoria's Secret, The Limited, and a few other fashion-type retailers. You'd expect some swanky threads on the Buckeyes sooner or later. But what else is going on in less fashionable parts of the conference?

We'll start with the places where not much will be happening after this weekend. Illinois, Indiana and Purdue have all been eliminated from the post-season. Enjoy the basketball. Michigan will be eliminated if they lose to Ohio State this weekend so, um, enjoy the basketball.

Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi is expected to miss this Saturday's game with Minnesota. James Vandenberg will get his second start, and his first start at Kinnick Stadium. When asked for a comment, Trey Stross' hands said "Owie!"

Michigan State is bowl-eligible for the third straight season. This is only the third such stretch in school history. Nick Saban was the last coach to accomplish this feat, so look for Mark Dantonio to be connected to the next SEC opening.

Speaking of streaks, Northwestern's streak of two consecutive bowl-eligible seasons is just the second such streak in school history. The school has never had a three-year bowl streak, which both Stanford and Notre Dame can claim. Don't worry, Pat Fitzgerald; you'll always have Vanderbilt.

Also speaking of streaks, the conference's longest current winning streak belongs to Wisconsin, at three consecutive victories.

Minnesota's squeaker win over South Dakota State continues a recent trend of the Gophers underperforming against FCS opponents. Since 2006 the Gophers are 3-1 against lower division opponents but have only outscored them by 10 points, 82-72.