NCAA Football FanHouse http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com NCAA Football FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif NCAA Football FanHouse http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Happy Trails No More for Hawkeyeshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/07/happy-trails-no-more-for-hawkeyes/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/07/happy-trails-no-more-for-hawkeyes/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/07/happy-trails-no-more-for-hawkeyes/#commentsFiled under: ,

Ricky StanziWe finally figured out what sort of misfortune Iowa's Cardiac Kids couldn't survive. They couldn't survive losing Ricky Stanzi. As a result, No. 8 Iowa fell to unranked Northwestern on Saturday, 17-10.

The junior quarterback left just before halftime after Northwestern's Corey Wootton tackled him in the end zone. Stanzi sprained his right ankle and fumbled the ball. As Northwestern's Marshall Thomas recovered the fumble for a touchdown, Stanzi remained on the Kinnick Stadium turf. He would walk off the field on his own power, but Stanzi would not return to the game. Neither would Iowa's offense.

Redshirt freshman James Vandenberg replaced Stanzi but proved ineffective. Vandenberg completed just 9-of-27 passes for 81 yards, throwing one interception. Vandenberg led the Hawks on one impressive drive in the third quarter, but Daniel Murray uncharacteristically missed a field goal from 46 yards. Iowa would get no closer than their own 44-yard-line for the rest of the game.

As usual, Iowa kept plugging despite the deficit. Vandenberg found Trey Stross over the middle on 4th-and-2 with 1:46 remaining to keep a little hope alive, but then he threw four straight incompletions. That was the ballgame.

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The extent of Stanzi's injury and his status for next week's trip to Ohio State was not immediately known. Kirk Ferentz is known to be tight-lipped about such things, so don't expect to hear too much about Stanzi's injury any time soon.

Iowa's loss all but ends any hope of making it to the BCS championship game, a game they would have had little chance of winning anyway. The Hawks simply haven't shown enough offensive firepower at any point this season. Expecting the defense to carry the offense's water all the time was bound to lead to problems, and those problems finally showed up Saturday.

Stanzi played well early as the Hawks rolled out to a 10-0 lead. It looked like they would finally get the statement victory they hadn't had since pasting Iowa State 35-3 on Sept. 12. Once Stanzi left the game, however, even the Iowa defense looked bewildered.

For Northwestern, the win continued their recent strong performance against the Hawkeyes. Pat Fitzgerald seems to be to Kirk Ferentz what Ferentz himself is to Joe Paterno. As Paterno can't beat Ferentz, Ferentz can't beat Fitzgerald, seemingly under any circumstances.

Despite the loss, Iowa still has a strong shot at a Rose Bowl berth. The trip to Columbus to play Ohio State next week looms huge, as they will almost certainly need to win out to make it to Pasadena. It's hard to imagine them winning without Stanzi, though. For as much grief as Stanzi has taken from all corners, his leadership has always been beyond question. Vandenberg is Iowa's quarterback of the future. He showed he has as big an arm as Stanzi has but doesn't have the accuracy yet. To be fair, neither he nor the coaching staff had to expect he would play Saturday.

Still, at roughly 3 pm CT, a slight sigh of relief echoed across the southern tier of states. There won't be an undefeated Big Ten team this season. That means that Texas, Florida, and Alabama now all have a loss to give. The door is now slightly more open for Cincinnati, TCU, and Boise State as well. It's probably not open quite enough, however.

Happy Trails No More for Hawkeyes originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>corey woottonCoreyWoottondaniel murrayDanielMurrayJames VandenbergJamesVandenbergJoe PaternoJoePaternokirk ferentzKirkFerentzMarshall Thomaspat fitzgeraldPatFitzgeraldRicky StanziRickyStanzitrey strossTreyStrossMark HastySat, 07 Nov 2009 17:17:00 EST Iowa's Ricky Stanzi Out With Injury as Hawkeyes Losehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/07/iowas-ricky-stanzi-out-with-ankle-sprain/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/07/iowas-ricky-stanzi-out-with-ankle-sprain/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/07/iowas-ricky-stanzi-out-with-ankle-sprain/#commentsFiled under: ,

Ricky StanziBreathe easier, America: the Iowa Hawkeyes' luck finally ran out. Quarterback Ricky Stanzi was injured just before halftime of today's 17-10 loss to Northwestern in Iowa City. Stanzi was tackled in his own end zone by Northwestern's Corey Wootton. He sprained his right ankle and fumbled the ball. Northwestern recovered the fumble for a touchdown.

Stanzi did not return to the game. Redshirt freshman James Vandenberg, who holds most of the state of Iowa's high school passing records, replaced him. Vandenberg's first pass was intercepted by the Wildcats.

ESPN cameras showed Stanzi on crutches and in a protective boot during the second half.

Both teams had quarterback trouble. Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa left the game with a hand injury. Mike Kafka came in but was clearly still nursing a hamstring injury from last week.

Vandenberg finished 9-of-27 for 81 yards with one interception. He showed promise but frequently overthrew or underthrew open receivers. The Hawkeyes travel to Columbus to face the Buckeyes next week in a game they will have to win to keep their Big Ten title hopes alive.

Iowa's Ricky Stanzi Out With Injury as Hawkeyes Lose originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>corey woottonCoreyWoottonDan PersaJames VandenbergMike KafkaMikeKafkaricky stanziRickyStanziMark HastySat, 07 Nov 2009 14:01:00 EST Big Ten Title Race Tightens Uphttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/big-ten-title-race-tightens-up/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/big-ten-title-race-tightens-up/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/big-ten-title-race-tightens-up/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Penn State running back Evan RoysterWith three games left in the conference season, the Big Ten championship is seemingly up for grabs. I say "seemingly" because thus far Iowa has proved to be more resilient than Kevlar, cast iron, and Gary Busey. At this point it almost seems like the Hawkeyes could not even take the field until late in the fourth quarter and still win.

They've looked quite mortal at times, though, so it's worth looking at who still has a shot at the trip to Pasadena. There's even one team you'd think wouldn't be in it based on who they've lost to.
Iowa has the clearest path to the title, as you might expect. If the Hawkeyes win out, they win the conference. They don't even have to win out if Penn State beats Ohio State this weekend. All they would need to do is win any two of their last three games. It wouldn't matter if they lost in Columbus as long as they beat both Northwestern and Minnesota in Iowa City.

Ohio State can also claim the title if they win out, but their path is much more difficult than Iowa's. They would have to win in Happy Valley this weekend, beat Iowa next week, and close with a win at Michigan. If Iowa were to lose all their remaining games, the Buckeyes would have a loss to give.

Penn State is still alive but needs a little help. Since they lost to Iowa, they have to finish ahead of the Hawkeyes in the conference standings. That would require Iowa to lose at least two of its last three. PSU would also have to beat Ohio State. Failing that, the Nittany Lions would have hope that Iowa and Michigan beat the Buckeyes.

WIsconsin is the surprising team that is still alive, in theory. Of all the remaining contenders, the Badgers have the easiest schedule. They play at Indiana, host Michigan, then play at Northwestern and Hawaii. They can certainly win out with that schedule.

Of course, the Badgers have lost to both Iowa and Ohio State, so they're going to need a little help. Iowa must lose out, while Ohio State must beat the Hawkeyes but lose to Penn State and Michigan. Penn State would need to lose to either Indiana or Michigan State as well. That would leave Wisconsin and PSU, who will not play each other this year, with identical 6-2 conference records.

The Big Ten's second tiebreaker (after head-to-head results) is overall winning percentage. Suddenly the Badgers' game with Hawaii would loom large, because a win would give them an 11-2 record against Penn State's 10-2 record, throwing the title to the Badgers. This would mark the first time the Big Ten title was decided in December and not in the Midwest, as far as I can tell. At any rate, a single Iowa win eliminates Wisconsin.

All of the teams with three conference losses (Minnesota, Michigan State, Northwestern, and Purdue) have been eliminated for a variety of reasons. Michigan State has lost to Iowa and would lose any tie with the Hawkeyes, which is the best they could hope for. Minnesota has lost to Ohio State and Penn State, so both those teams would have to lose three times. Iowa would also have to lose out. Since Ohio State has games remaining with Iowa and Penn State it is not possible for both OSU and PSU to lose out. Minnesota is thus eliminated.

Northwestern doesn't play Ohio State but lost to Penn State, so they would need Penn State to lose out. However, if that happens, the Wildcats could do no better than tie with Ohio State. They would probably lose that tie because of the Big Ten's third tiebreaker, BCS standings.Thus the Wildcats aren't eliminated in theory but might as well be.

Purdue doesn't play Penn State or Iowa, so they would need both teams to lose out and Ohio State to drop two of their final three. However, if Iowa lost out, they would tie with Purdue, and the Hawkeyes would have a vastly better overall win percentage, eliminating the Boilermakers. It would be really funny to see a 6-6 team go to the Rose Bowl, though.

Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois have no chance because there aren't enough games left for Iowa to lose. None of the three have been eliminated from the postseason, however, so there's still something to play for.

Big Ten Title Race Tightens Up originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Mark HastyWed, 04 Nov 2009 16:45:00 EST Time to Fall for Cinderella Hawkeyeshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/time-to-fall-for-cinderella-hawkeyes/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/time-to-fall-for-cinderella-hawkeyes/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/time-to-fall-for-cinderella-hawkeyes/#commentsFiled under:

IowaEven for Iowa, this was a tightrope walk on dental floss, Russian roulette with a double barrel shotgun, riding the demolition derby on a dirt bike.

Even for Iowa, the team that three times has trailed after the end of the third quarter only to rally, that has won games both with a touchdown and a blocked field goal as time expired, a team that must have a separate equipment truck just to haul all its rabbits' feet, this safely qualified as flirting with disaster.

Even for Iowa, Saturday's 42-24 win over Indiana safely qualifies as a comeback.

"Bottom line," said Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz, speaking awfully clearly for a man whilstling past the graveyard, "the guys are finding a way to get it done."

And when it was over, the backlash against the team everyone loves to bash came fast and furious . Even for Iowa.

Saturday, the Hawkeyes again dusted off a few plays from Halas and a few from Houdini.As the fourth quarter began, the Hawkeyes had already muffed a punt inside their own 5-yard-line leading to an Indiana touchdown, suffered quarterback Ricky Stanzi throwing five interceptions (yet Stanzi still managed to be more accurate than the bungling Big Ten replay crew), and trailed 24-14 after generally making a mess of things (even for Iowa).

But the bounces had already started for Iowa, in ways improbable even for the Hawkeyes. With Iowa trailing 21-7 in the third quarter and with Indiana on the 2-yard line, the Hawkeyes finally got a break. Five of them.

It wasn't a football play. It was a curiosity of physics, Minnesota Fats on Iowa faux-grass. Blitzing Iowa linebacker A.J. Edds yanked back the arm of Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell, popping the ball up in the air. It then deflected off the back of Tyler Sash's helmet, off of Indiana tackle James Brewer, then Iowa tackle Christian Ballard, once more off Chappell and into the waiting arms of Sash, who sprinted 86 yards for a sorely needed touchdown.

Got it? If so, read it back to us. The magic bullet theory was easier to follow.

And then Iowa scored 28 points in the fourth quarter tor an 18-point victory. Two touchdown passes from the previously erratic Stanzi, coupled with tackling that wouldn't have even elicited a foul call in Big Ten basketball, and the rout was on.

Just like that, the thrill-seeking Iowa Hawkeyes had just bungeed their way from defeat to victory

"It's clearly just two different ballgames," Ferentz said about his team. "They were totally in charge of the game for quite a while. And then the game turned," Ferentz said. "So, you know, just can't say enough about our players. They continue to battle and fight and find a way to be successful. One thing they'll do, they'll play the entire game."

And as it became obvious Iowa would win its ninth straight game of the season in the most cringe-worthy fashion possible, the hand-wringing began in earnest.

From the sheer volume of hysterics about the team, which vaulted to No. 4 in the BCS rankings Sunday, you'd think they the French national anthem be played before games and beaujolais replace Budweiser at the pre-game tailgate.

So, if we may, what the heck is so bad about Iowa?

Certainly, they're not the most talented team, even their coach will admit to that .Ferentz talked about his team being ranked at the top of the computer polls the previous week in a mystified tone and meant it, not simply the usual keep-the-hype-down coachspeak.

But the Hawks never say die and find ways to win, which, before the college football came down to polls and decimals points, used to the point of the game.

Surprising, we know. But there was a time when games were played for victories, rather than entertainment value, and Iowa's 9-0 record would have meant more than its sex appeal.

If this were college basketball, we'd call them a Cinderella team, when not breathlessly blabbing about grit and determination and other clichés, In college hoops, they'd be on the front of Sports Illustrated.

In college football, they're an affront to the sport.

What's unclear, exactly, is why.



The Hawkeyes won't sneak into the BCS title game, so don't cry into your spread-option playbook about that possibility. Two-thirds of the BCS ranking belong to poll voters and they're three-thirds tired of the Big Ten stinking up the high holy week of college football (The Big Ten, of course, hasn't won a BCS game since taking both the Orange and the Fiesta after the 2005 season, and none of its entrants in that time frame, all losers, have been as unexciting as Iowa).

Even if the Hawks finish with an unblemished record, they would likely be passed over in favor of an undefeated Texas, Cincinnati, and possibly TCU and Boise State. One-loss Oregon will likely finish ahead of the Hawkeyes if the poll voters are forced to decided between the two.

And Iowa probably will lose a game before season's end. Like most Cinderella teams, the Hawkeyes are coming into their own depth problems. The punt fumbled just before halftime was muffed by their third-string punt returner, while they're burning through running backs like Spinal Tap changed drummers. True freshman Brandon Wegher became the thid No. 1 running back this season, counting back to Jewel Hampton's season-ending injury in August. (Wegher, a highly touted recruit, performed well against Indiana, but wait on the coronation -- the Hoosiers gave up 295 yards rushing to Virginia, the nation's 107th-ranked rush attack and a team that has now lost to both an FCS team and Duke).

No team makes it through a college season healthy, and unlike Florida or Alabama that throw four-and-five star replacements by the shovel full. Iowa is a much thinner team and these things matter by the final weeks of the season.

If depth doesn't catch up to them, these slow starts certainly will. Even if you're Iowa, the old Western star that time and time again falls off a cliff only to find a root conveniently protruding from the rocks, you can only spot a team a lead so many times and rally.

But for the moment, they're winning in ways parts improbable and parts exciting.

What's not to like?

Sure, they're not as glamorous as the NFL-laden rosters of USC or Oklahoma two teams, by the way, long since eliminated from title contention. But did anyone get this offended when George Mason beat Connecticut in the 2006 NCAA tournament, a Huskies team that would send a record-tying four first-round draft picks into the NBA that June?? Does anyone look back at the 1983 men's basketball national championship game and crack one-liners at N.C. State's boring basketball because Thurl Bailey and a bunch of never-weres beat a team featuring Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler? Did anyone call Tampa Bay a fraud when that perennial loser ousted the Red Sox on the way to the 2008 World Series?

Or did we just cheer, like you're supposed to do when a team finds a way to win against all odds? Isn't that precisely what makes watching sports great? When David steps between the lines with Goliath and gives the big fella a giant-sized headache? (Note to Ferentz: Don't let Stanzi hurl your rock.).

Only in college football can the wonderful unpredictability of sports, the whimsy of the litte-team-that-could, become a reason to pillory a program..

They don't win pretty, and they don't win easy, but they win every week.

And that's something worth cheering.

Even for Iowa.

Time to Fall for Cinderella Hawkeyes originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ray HollomanMon, 02 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST Pickin' on the Big Ten: Iowa Isn't Concerned About Your Scornhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/29/pickin-on-the-big-ten-iowa-isnt-concerned-about-your-scorn/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/29/pickin-on-the-big-ten-iowa-isnt-concerned-about-your-scorn/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/29/pickin-on-the-big-ten-iowa-isnt-concerned-about-your-scorn/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Iowa football coach Kirk FerentzEvery Thursday, Pickin' on the Big Ten runs down the weekend's games from inside a chicken coop, at least as far as you know.

Cue the inevitable anti-Iowa backlash. A team that barely got by Arkansas State and Northern Iowa is somehow No. 1 in the nation according to the computer polls the BCS uses. Don't like it? Line forms to the left. Kirk Ferentz even agrees with you.

Shouldn't the computers' top ranked team have at least some sort of offense? Yes, of course. But whose fault is that No. 1 ranking?

Yours, you loudmouth.

You, the whiny fan ready to overreact to every perceived slight, are the reason margin of victory no longer counts in the BCS computer polls. But that's another rant for another day.

I get it, though. You're tired of the Big Ten and its maddening ability to sneak into national championship games. You're totally convinced that a one-loss Big 12 team is better than a one-loss Big Ten team. You're beyond convinced that a four-loss SEC team is better than any undefeated Big Ten team. I'm totally convinced that once you get past Florida and Alabama the SEC is the Big 12 North with a better TV contract, but I digress. You don't want Iowa, or any Big Ten champion, to get to the title game.

Iowa offensive lineman Rafael EubanksHave you noticed that the Hawkeyes don't seem to care? Kirk Ferentz isn't lobbying the poll voters like Bob Stoops and Urban Meyer have done in the past. For the most part the Iowa players aren't talking about being disrespected. They just want to take care of business, even if there's a good chance they'll get iced out of the championship if they go undefeated.

This may seem hard to understand to you. Rationality left college football years ago, after all. What you have to realize is that, even though a large portion of their roster comes from out of state, the Hawkeyes have the character of the state of Iowa.

When you're from Iowa, you learn early in life that your home state is going to get ripped on by everybody. You can expect to hear the same stale cracks about corn, pigs, flatness, and winter within about 15 seconds of meeting a new person who discovers you're from Iowa. Unless you're talking to one of those indier-than-thou types, of course; they'll just bring up Slipknot and crystal meth. Eventually you realize that people are actually amazed you're wearing shoes, you use words with two or three syllables, and you haven't urinated in the houseplants.

Not that they know of, anyway.

The message all these non-Iowans want to send is something like "You're from a place we feel inherently superior to; therefore, we must be better than you as well." The message you form in your head is more like "These people will never be impressed by anything I do, so why do I care what they think?" Sometimes this manifests itself in an "I'll hurt myself before you get a chance to" attitude. We in the upper Midwest have perfected self-effacing humor. More often it comes across as a decision to define yourself on your own terms.

That's what the Hawkeyes are doing. You don't have to tell them they have trouble on offense, any more than you have to tell a Midwesterner that our winters are cold. Really? Gosh, that must be why the tomato plants keep dying. I'm glad you told me because I was planning to serve BLTs for Christmas dinner!

Right. The games.

MICHIGAN @ ILLINOIS

I told you Ron Zook wasn't going to get whacked.

Now let's see if the "we have no other choice so here's a vote of confidence" he got this week is going to have any effect on the team. With a certain loss looming at Cincinnati Nov. 27, the Illini are not technically bowl-ineligible yet but might as well be. The only thing left for them to do is sack up now that there's essentially nothing to play for, hoping to make some other team as miserable as they are.

Unfortunately, this will not be the week for that. Illinois ranks 102nd nationally in total defense. Michigan just had to face the nation's best scoring defense (Penn State) last week. It's going to look like the Wolverines hit up up down down left right left right B A Start. Michigan 52, Illinois 13.

INDIANA @ IOWA

Trap game?

Maybe.

Even though I just spent six paragraphs explaining why Iowa doesn't care about style points and public opinion, the Hawks know that the rest of the world sees this as an opportunity for them to earn enough of the former to sway the latter. They probably also know that one more close game against a team perceived as bad will knock them down in the human polls. Way down.

Now factor in that Iowa's starting running back Adam Robinson, who was only starting because the preseason starter Jewel Hampton was lost for the season in August, is now lost for the season himself. Now Brandon Wegher, whose hometown of Dakota Dunes, S.D., appears to be endlessly fascinating to play-by-play announcers, gets to be The Guy. Wegher has cooled off from his impressive start to the season; let's see what he can do without another back competing for touches.

Then there's Indiana, a team perceived as bad. They're actually not that bad, but they haven't shaken their penchant for losing games in the most humiliating fashion possible. Sandwiched around a win over Illinois were a pantsing at Virginia three weeks ago and a thoroughly improbable loss to a very average Northwestern team last week. That sort of stuff gets into your head, and that's unfortunate. The Hoosiers have a solid pass rush, which you would think would be exactly what a team facing Iowa would want to have.

The problem is that "make Ricky Stanzi beat you" could prove to be even less successful for IU than it has for Iowa's last 12 opponents. Indiana gives up more passing yards than any other team in the conference and flat out stinks at preventing their opponents from getting first downs. They're scoring the same 23.6 points per game that Iowa is. They're just giving up 12 more points than the Hawks on average.

I still think Bill Lynch deserves better than this. Iowa 26, Indiana 10.

Minnesota wide receiver Eric DeckerMICHIGAN STATE @ MINNESOTA

Speaking of catastrophic, soul-shattering, season-altering injuries, Minnesota has lost wide receiver Eric Decker for the season. Which means Minnesota has basically lost its offense for the season.

The real question in this game will be Michigan State's resiliency. They almost played well enough to beat a top 10 team last week. Almost. Now, can they pull it back together, realize there's still a lot to play for, and take it to their opponents from here on out?

You won't know after this week. Minnesota is starting to take on that abandoned-car look which they so often had under Glen Mason. Michigan State 30, Minnesota 7.

PENN STATE @ NORTHWESTERN

Through the first half of the season no Big Ten team seemed more disappointing than Northwestern. (I say that because I didn't expect Illinois to be any good this year.) I mean, they lost to Syracuse. You know who else has done that this year? Akron. Oh, and Maine.

I still don't think they're a great team, though the rally to beat Indiana last week was impressive. NU is tough, but the parts just don't all seem to be there.

You know who's not having a lot of problems? Penn State. Their closest game all season, except for the Iowa loss, was an 18-point victory over Illinois. The Nits have just been blowing people up. I think NU can play this one closer than anyone else has, but they just don't have enough defense to stop Penn State. PSU 31, Northwestern 20.

NEW MEXICO STATE @ OHIO STATE

Give this to the NMSU Aggies: they're one of the most consistent teams in the NCAA. When they win, they win by three points. When they lose, they lose by at least 15.

Three guesses as to what sort of outcome is more likely in this game. Ohio State 56, New Mexico State 0.

Know Your Nonconference Tomato Can: New Mexico State University

A hand of blackjack. You should definitely say Located a mere half-hour north of El Paso, Texas in the rapidly growing city of Las Cruces, New Mexico State University actually predates New Mexico by almost a quarter century. The former New Mexico A&M was founded in 1888; New Mexico didn't become a state until 1912.

NMSU is probably the only university in America whose founding charter specifies that it was to be located by a drainage ditch, but from those humble origins the university has grown to a comprehensive university with around 17,000 students. Agriculture and engineering are still strongly emphasized, however, and NMSU is known for being in the forefront of chili pepper research. It is one of the few places in the world where the Naga Jolokia pepper is grown; said pepper is anywhere from three to ten times hotter than a habanero.

New Mexico State can also plausibly claim to be the birthplace of card counting. Former math professor Edward O. Thorp literally wrote the book on this blackjack strategy. Thorp's Beat the Dealer was published in 1962 while he was teaching at NMSU.

NMSU alumnus Charley Johnson was a journeyman NFL quarterback in the 1960s and early 1970s. While playing in St. Louis, Johnson decided to further his education and in doing so became one of the very few NFL players to earn a PhD. He earned his doctorate in chemical engineering from the prestigious Washington University in St. Louis. Did I mention he did this while he was still playing in the NFL?

Johnson returned to Las Cruces after retiring from football. He joined the engineering faculty at NMSU, and he's still there.

PURDUE @ WISCONSIN

Wisconsin has had a week off since losing back-to-back games to Ohio State and Iowa. Purdue, of course, beat Ohio State -- though whether that happened because Purdue can beat anybody on the right day or because Ohio State can lose to anybody on the right day remains to be seen.

These two teams appear headed in opposite directions, with the Boilermakers finding a way to stop losing and the Badgers wondering if last season is about to happen all over. Most of the matchups in this game favor Wisconsin, however. The Badgers are just more talented and haven't been burned as often as Purdue has.

Wisconsin's offense has cooled off since their fast start, though much of that can be attributed to playing Ohio State and Iowa. They are still a dangerous team that can strike through the air or on the ground. They'd prefer to strike on the ground, though, and that happens to be the best place to hit Purdue. I like the coaching job Danny Hope has done in preventing his team from collapsing after a horrible start. If the Boilermakers can beat Ohio State they can probably beat anybody in this conference, though the Badgers probably won't give Purdue as much help as Ohio State did. Wisconsin 28, Purdue 24.

Next week's games:

Wisconsin @ Indiana: I actually expect this to be a very good game
Northwestern @ Iowa: Fitz always gives Iowa fits
Purdue @ Michigan: Pack your dinner, neither team plays defense
Western Michigan @ Michigan State: Dangerous game for MSU
Illinois @ Minnesota: Whatever it is, take the under
Ohio State @ Penn State: Possibly the best Big Ten game this season

Pickin' on the Big Ten: Iowa Isn't Concerned About Your Scorn originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Adam RobinsonAdamRobinsonbrandon wegherBrandonWeghereric deckerEricDeckerGlen MasonGlenMasonkirk ferentzKirkFerentzPickin on the Big TenPickinOnTheBigTenricky stanziRickyStanziRon ZookRonZookMark HastyThu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST Starting 11: From BCS Title to Toilet Bowl http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/starting-11-from-bcs-title-to-toilet-bowl/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/starting-11-from-bcs-title-to-toilet-bowl/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/starting-11-from-bcs-title-to-toilet-bowl/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Man carrying toiletI'm convinced there's an epidemic currently afoot in America that receives no attention: Cell phones dropped in the toilet.

I have five different friends who have confessed to this via sheepish e-mails (presumably not from the toilet-ed phones). They're trying to reprogram a new phone. This problem is of epic importance, particularly with the importance of smart phones, which can cost upwards of $500. Do you know how much money we've lost by having to replace a BlackBerry or an iPhone because of fumbles during urination? If this happened to Warren Buffet, and he hadn't backed up his information, we'd need a new stimulus package. What if Obama's BlackBerry vanished down the toilet?

I'm convinced that every day in America we throw away the equivalent of the GNP of Moldova in dropped cell phones in toilets. The issue struck me on Saturday as I tailgated and went inside a disgusting port-o-potty. Because a drop here is even worse. How much would it ruin your day if instead of the home bathroom your cell phone went into a port-o-potty? Because, be honest, you might be willing to reclaim a phone dropped at home? But a port-o-potty? It's with the effluvium for all eternity.

What's more, what about if you go to a port-o-potty, drop your phone, and can't find your friends anymore? . We all live with the idea that we're within easy mobile contact. Suddenly, you're the fan with no clothes. Not to mention no idea who is winning games on Saturday. Anyway, with this august question as prelude, let's dive right in to the ClayNation Starting 11.

1. If you're a Cincinnati fan with dreams of a national championship, you need to start rooting for West Virginia and Pittsburgh really, really hard.

Why?

Because an 8-1 West Virginia could come to Cincinnati Nov. 13. Even better, a 10-1 Pittsburgh could loom Dec. 5, the day the SEC and Big 12, other combatants for the BCS title spot, will be playing their conference championship games. I'm starting to believe that an undefeated Cincinnati will end up in the national championship game if there is only one other undefeated team. Why? Because they get two premier games against teams that will, by then, be ranked in the top 15 if they keep winning. In fact, a 10-1 Pittsburgh would likely be a top-10 team.

I can even sketch out the argument for why an undefeated Cincinnati would have dibs over every other team that doesn't emerge unscathed from the BIg 12 or the SEC. They'll have run the table in the Big East and played two major college opponents in the out-of-conference -- Oregon State on the road and Illinois at home. Aside from the Big East being reasonably strong this season, I think this schedule, featuring two would-be powers from other conferences, eliminates the weak schedule argument. Especially since no one foresaw the Illini collapse when this schedule was made. Plus, and just wait for this argument to get trotted out there, Cincinnati beat Oregon State by 10 on the road, while USC won by six at home.

In the ridiculous cake baking contest that is the BCS, that's a pretty compelling argument for why the Bearcats should be in over USC.
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2. Iowa, Iowa, my kingdom for Iowa's good fortune.

How many teams come back from a third-and-18 conversion on a hook-and-ladder? How many teams can boast wins of two, two, three and one point in their eight games? The team they beat by a lone point, Northern Iowa, has a 10-point loss to North Dakota State and a touchdown loss to Southern Illinois on its resume. Arkansas State, a team Iowa beat by three, is 1-4 against BCS teams.

And on Saturday, Iowa needed a defensive holding call to erase an interception, and a fourth down touchdown pass on the final play of the game to come away with the win. So, to say you don't believe that Iowa is a top echelon team, has some validity, but credit where credit is due, Iowa is 8-0 for the first time ever.

How does Iowa get to the BCS title game? Losses by Texas, USC and probably Cincinnati (Interesting voter aversion test: Which embattled conference do you effectively vote against, Big East or Big Ten?) and maybe even then a little prayer that livestock per capita becomes an only slightly-less-nonsensical BCS component. And they still have to beat Ohio State in Columbus Nov. 14.

At least they've got luck on their side. Not to mention, an underdiscussed benefit, finishing their season on November 21 and getting to sit around and see what the rest of the contenders can do with all the pressure on them for the final two weeks of the season.

3. Tim Tebow threw two interceptions, played a mediocre game, and bailed on the post-game press conference.

That's unfortunate.

There has never been a college athlete who has received more glowing press coverage than Tim Tebow. I genuinely believe that's true. Even after having a poor game -- by his standard -- Florida still won by double digits. For a senior to dodge out on the post-game was beneath his stature.

Put it this way, Tennessee's Daniel Lincoln went on the road and missed three field goals against the No. 1 team in the country. Any one of those kicks would have won the game for his team. Did he dodge the post game press conference?

Nope.

4. Watch out for Oklahoma State in the Big 12 South.

After their 34-7 win over Baylor, the Cowboys are now 6-1 this season and undefeated in the Big 12. Only you haven't heard a damn thing about them in the past month that didn't involve Dez Bryant being suspended. Look, they lost to Houston back in September, we get it.

There's no great crime in that, Houston is a fine team with a superb offense. Certainly other one-loss teams have lost to inferior opponents, USC ring a bell? Meanwhile in their five consecutive wins, Zac Robinson has been smoking.

Yet, given all the preseason hype, the loss to Houston completely killed all interest in the Cowboys.

Until, guess what, Texas comes to town this weekend. Beat the Longhorns and Oklahoma State is about to set the BCS all aflutter. Would a one-loss Texas that doesn't win their division still have a shot at advancing to the BCS title game without playing in their conference championship game?

Maybe.

Would they have a better argument for playing for the title than a one-loss Oklahoma State team that beat them?

Nope.

5. You think the phone in the toilet business has no applicability to college football players, right? You're wrong.

It's a plague I tell you. Even football players are not immune.

"The Tigers' starting running back Joseph Doss was suspended for the first half because he was late to a pre-game meeting. Doss said he normally uses his cell phone as an alarm clock but couldn't after he dropped the phone in the toilet."

6. Ball State had a 300-yard rusher and a 200-yard rusher in their win over Eastern Michigan.

This was the first time in NCAA history that a team had a 300- and 200-yard rusher in the same game.

Ball State had, wait for it, one yard passing.

Can you imagine being the Eastern Michigan defensive coordinator watching game film on this one? Do you think he changes his resume to reflect the one yard passing? Like beneath his position--Defensive Coordinator--does he list, "Allowed only 1 yard passing to Ball State in 2009."

What about calling a pass defense, do you think he did it the entire game? Wouldn't it be great to hear the headset calls from this game?

7. Is the Landry Jones mustache the college football equivalent of Spencer Pratt's cowboy hat, so compelling you can't look away?

Landry JonesI think so.

Every time I think I should hate it, I can't help but admire the bravado.

Also, if I'd had to shave the beard after the Alabama game, I was going to leave a stache with a handlebar that came down the side. It would have looked scary, potentially felonious, but it would have also been pretty awesome.

8. The perception that the SEC is rooting for Alabama and Florida is firmly locked in the fan consciousness.

We can argue about whether a systematic conspiracy is remotely possible ... Actually, we can't. It isn't. But that doesn't mean that it doesn't exist as a fervent point of belief among certain pockets of SEC fans. We sports fans are great conspiracy theorists when it comes to our teams.

But Commissioner Slive is not firing magic bullets from the SEC gatling as he stands on a grassy knoll. There are several reasons for this. No. 1, Slive has a Montgomery Burns-like strength about him, I'm not sure he could pull the trigger if he tried. No. 2 , well, it's just not happening.

But here's what might be happening, the officials, like many of us, have bought into the idea that Alabama and Florida are vastly superior teams to the rest of the conference. Once you buy into that argument you're more likely to notice opposing teams playing in the margin of the rules than you are the dominant teams.

And I'd argue that's what we're seeing take place in games that feature those teams, not an intentional bias in favor of them when it comes to the calls, if there is, in fact, any bias at all, but just a preconditioned perception of superiority that allows those situations to occur.

9. What the funnel is up with Chris Todd and Auburn? A thesis for you.

Early in the season I thought Gene Chizik was a miracle worker given his ability to make Todd a star, but now Todd looks incapable of leading his team to victory against anyone.

Okay, maybe Furman.

But I think Todd offers an interesting illustration of what happens in the SEC. The defenses catch up to and eclipse the offenses every year about this time in the season.

New thesis: the defensive SEC coaching staffs have become so good at what they do, that much like the NFL, merely being good at one or two things doesn't allow you to succeed on a consistent basis. You have to evolve during the season, and most offenses aren't that good at evolving. So Auburn's offense has been quashed. Same with Arkansas and Alabama and Florida. Same with virtually every team in the conference.

Don't believe me?

There are only two offenses in the top 30 in the SEC: Florida and Auburn. The latter is rapidly plummeting and will be outside the top 30 soon if things hold true.





10. I'm not sure I would have gotten out alive if the ref had called Alabama's Terrence Cody for excessive celebration after his blocked kick.

I had on orange pants. The refs would have been safe. Me? Not so much.

Look, I know he ripped his helmet off, and I know there has been a dispute about whether the penalty should have been called and what the impact would have been. The end result would have been negligible. But what if they'd called the penalty and misapplied the rule so that Tennessee re-kicked for the win?

Would you really be surprised if that happened?

Which leads me to this...

Meanwhile there are five defenses inside the top 22. Five! Florida is first, Bama is fourth, Tennessee is tenth, Ole Miss is 20th and LSU is 22nd.

Remember the old thesis that defenses were better than offenses when the season starts? The idea was that offenses would work into their rhythm and get better as the season progressed while defenses wouldn't? I think we might have flipped the cliche in the SEC, the defenses are quicker to react and shut down things that work offensively than they ever have been before.

Keep this in mind as the season progresses, because those dominant defenses perform well in bowl games. Offenses? Often, they don't.

11. Last, but not least, I give and I give and I give.

Wet phone survival tips.

Starting 11: From BCS Title to Toilet Bowl originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Clay TravisMon, 26 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST Clearing Up the Big Ten Picturehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/clearing-up-the-big-ten-picture/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/clearing-up-the-big-ten-picture/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/clearing-up-the-big-ten-picture/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Penn State quarterback Daryll ClarkWhile most of the world is still trying to figure out how the Iowa Hawkeyes stole the cheese out of the mousetrap -- again -- the conference title race is beginning to take a little more shape. Since neither Iowa nor Ohio State lost this past weekend, there's no shakeup at the top. Both teams remain equally in control of their respective destinies.

But what about the rest of the league? Is anybody new out of the hunt this week? Who's still alive but barely breathing? And where do things go from here in this crazy conference?

Still in Control

Iowa and Ohio State know the path is simple. Win out, you win the conference. Iowa doesn't need to win out if Ohio State loses one of its remaining conference games (at Penn State, Iowa, at Michigan). A single Buckeye loss would put Iowa two games up on Ohio State. The Hawkeyes already own a tiebreaker against Penn State. If OSU loses a game, Iowa can lose one too -- and it wouldn't matter which game either team lost.

Ohio State doesn't have to win out so long as Iowa loses at least three of its last four games (Indiana, Northwestern, at Ohio State, Minnesota). That's asking a lot.

A Little Help, Please

Penn State can still make it to the Rose Bowl if it wins out (at Northwestern, Ohio State, Indiana, at Michigan State) and Iowa loses twice. If the Nits lose to Ohio State, they can still win if the Buckeyes lose to Iowa and Michigan and Iowa loses twice. Penn State is eliminated by any three Iowa victories.

A Lot of Help, Please

Michigan State football coach Mark DantonioMichigan State must finish with a better conference record than Iowa and Wisconsin. They would need at least one Badger loss and three Iowa losses. Because the Spartans don't play Ohio State this season they would also need to finish ahead of OSU in the conference or hope for New Mexico State to upset the Buckeyes. Then, so long as Sparty beats Western Michigan, they could tie the Buckeyes and hope the BCS rankings would go in their favor. It would be far simpler just to finish with a better conference record than OSU. Michigan State is eliminated by any two Iowa victories, or if Wisconsin wins out in the conference.

A Miracle, Please

(Note: All these teams must win out to have any chance at winning the conference.)

Northwestern would have victories over Penn State and Iowa if they won out. They would need Iowa to lose one more game, as well. The Wildcats don't play Ohio State. If Northwestern and OSU finished tied in the standings, the BCS rankings would thus be their tiebreaker, unless New Mexico State beats the Buckeyes in Columbus this Saturday. The Aggies are 3-5. Good luck with that. Since OSU would likely have the better BCS ranking, Northwestern would need to finish with a better conference record. That would require two Buckeye losses. Any two Iowa victories or Ohio State winning out would eliminate Northwestern.

Purdue doesn't play Iowa or Penn State this season. It would need three Iowa losses and two Penn State losses. The Boilermakers can finish tied with Ohio State since they beat the Buckeyes, but that requires one more Buckeye loss. They also need Northwestern to lose at least once more. They are eliminated by two Iowa victories, three Penn State victories, or Northwestern winning out.

Wisconsin needs Iowa to lose three times and Ohio State to lose twice. If OSU beats Iowa, the Buckeyes have to lose to Penn State and Michigan. If Iowa beats OSU, the Hawkeyes would have to lose their three remaining home games. It is very hard to see this happening. Wisconsin would be eliminated by two Iowa victories plus two OSU conference victories.

Michigan needs Iowa, Michigan State, and Penn State to finish with four conference losses and Ohio State (whom the Wolverines would beat in the process of winning out) to finish with three conference losses. Since Ohio State has to win one game in order for Iowa to lose out, that means that OSU would also have to lose to Penn State. Penn State would have to lose to Northwestern, Indiana, and Michigan State to give Michigan a chance. That scenario would also require Michigan State to lose to Minnesota and Purdue. In other words, the Wolverines aren't eliminated yet but might as well be. A single Iowa victory would eliminate the Wolverines.

Indiana, like Northwestern, would have victories over Iowa and Penn State if they won out. They would still need Iowa to lose twice more and Penn State once. Ohio State would have to lose all their remaining conference games, Northwestern and Michigan State would both have to lose once. This gives Indiana a situation similar to Michigan's. They're not eliminated but they're hardly alive. A single OSU conference victory or two by Iowa closes the door on IU.

Minnesota needs Iowa to lose three of its four remaining conference games. It also needs Ohio State to lose all of its remaining conference games. This means the Hawks would have to beat Ohio State but lose to everybody else. The Gophers would also need Penn State to beat Ohio State but lose to everybody else. Wisconsin has already beaten Minnesota so the Badgers would also have to lose twice and finish with four conference losses. The Gophers are eliminated by either an Iowa victory or a Penn State victory, so long as that win was over anyone other than Ohio State, or a single OSU conference victory.

Dude, Did You Know There's a Fork in Your Back?

Illinois was eliminated last week.

Impacts of This Week's Games

An Iowa win over Indiana eliminates Indiana and Michigan.

An Ohio State win over New Mexico State gives OSU an outright tiebreaker over Michigan State.

A Penn State win over Northwestern eliminates Michigan.

A Michigan State win over Minnesota eliminates Michigan.

Purdue, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota are eliminated if they lose.


Clearing Up the Big Ten Picture originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Mark HastyMon, 26 Oct 2009 07:30:00 EST Undefeated Iowa Gets Timeless Victoryhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/24/last-second-score-keeps-iowa-perfect/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/24/last-second-score-keeps-iowa-perfect/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/24/last-second-score-keeps-iowa-perfect/#commentsFiled under: ,

Iowa celebratesIowa and Michigan State decided to save all the excitement for the last three minutes of their game Saturday.

The Hawkeyes beat the Spartans 15-13 on a seven-yard, last-second touchdown pass from Ricky Stanzi to Marvin McNutt.

Michigan State went up 13-9 on a Kirk Cousins-to-Blair White pass that went right down the middle for 30 yards. The pass came just two plays after an unbelievable hook-and-ladder involving White and tight end Brian Linthicum.

After the kickoff Iowa had just 1:32 to find the end zone.

Iowa quickly drove to MSU's 15 when Chris L. Rucker appeared to intercept Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi. However, Rucker was flagged for holding on the play, giving Iowa first-and-goal at the Spartan 7-yard-line. Stanzi threw three incomplete passes, leaving Iowa with fourth-and-goal and only two seconds remaining. Following a Hawkeye timeout, Stanzi hit McNutt in rush-hour traffic, silencing the Spartan Stadium crowd. They've seen this sort of situation unfold too many times before.

Once again Stanzi was far from wonderful, completing just 40 percent of his pass attempts. The Hawkeye quarterback is often hard to watch. He holds on to the ball too long. He throws across his body into double coverage. This is fine if you're Brett Favre, but Stanzi is not. However, at least tonight all of his completions were to Hawkeyes.

The game was played without a single turnover.

For Michigan State, this was its fourth loss overall and second in conference play. The Spartans' hopes of winning the Big Ten essentially died Saturday night. They officially die next Saturday if Iowa beats the doddering Indiana Hoosiers in Iowa City and MSU loses at Minnesota.

The Hawkeyes moved to 8-0, the best start in school history. They are beginning to take on the aura of a team of destiny, though such teams usually have at least a token offense. Then again, for all the complaining about Stanzi and the rest of the offense, they did move the ball 70 yards in 90 seconds. Stanzi's final pass into double coverage was exactly on target as well; McNutt was the only player with a chance at the ball.

For now, the Hawkeyes share control of the Big Ten with Ohio State, a team they face in Columbus in three weeks. However, a single Ohio State conference loss at any point before the end of the season would render that game moot. The Hawks could lose against the Buckeyes and still win the title as long as they didn't lose any other games.

Then again, every time this year it looked like Iowa was finally beaten, something incredible has happened to keep the dream season alive. Why assume that's going to stop now?

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Undefeated Iowa Gets Timeless Victory originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 23:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>blair whiteBrian Linthicumchris l. ruckerKirk CousinsMarvin McNuttricky stanziMark HastySat, 24 Oct 2009 23:40:00 EST Pickin' on the Big Ten: Sorting Saturdayhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/22/pickin-on-the-big-ten-sorting-out-saturday/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/22/pickin-on-the-big-ten-sorting-out-saturday/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/22/pickin-on-the-big-ten-sorting-out-saturday/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel and quarterback Terrelle PryorEvery Thursday, Pickin' on the Big Ten answers the questions, questions the answers, and looks ahead to Saturday's games.

It's now indisputably late October. The leaves here in Wisconsin went from being Monet-like things of beauty to being a soggy ground-based nuisance in less time than it takes for a new Jim Tressel criticism to appear on the internet. It feels like the season just started but after this weekend it's two-thirds over.

There are so many questions yet to answer, however. I've already explored the various Big Ten title scenarios, so let's look at some of the other burning issues.

Is Terrelle Pryor actually a quarterback?

That's the talking point du jour here in flyover country after the Buckeyes' pants-blast against Purdue last week. Pryor isn't turning into the Tecmo Bowl Bo Jackson he was supposed to be back when Rivals and Scout were trying to find ways to give him a sixth or seventh star. There have even been intimations from Pryor's high school coach that the OSU staff may have made some promises to Pryor that either aren't being kept or are being kept but shouldn't be.

The whole mess had made people finally realize that Todd Boeckman got a raw deal last season and Terrelle Pryor is getting a raw deal this season. Pryor simply isn't ready to be The Guy. Moving him to wide receiver, as some are suggesting, isn't going to make him better and isn't going to help the Buckeyes at all.

Ohio State quarterback Terrelle PryorPryor looked so good at times last season because he didn't have to do it all. Boeckman was always around when a more traditional quarterbacking style was called for. Benching Pryor now, or moving him to another position, would just transfer all that pressure to Joe Bauserman. Maybe if the Buckeyes lose another game, putting them decisively out of the Big Ten title race, it might be worth seeing if Bauserman can provide some mojo. Until then, the Buckeyes' best chance to win is with Pryor under center. It's just that those chances aren't as good as the chances OSU fans are used to.

When is Ron Zook going to get whacked?

Certainly not until the end of the season, and maybe not then, either. UIUC is in the midst of administrative chaos centered around an admissions scandal -- one which doesn't involve athletics. University Chancellor Richard Herman announced his resignation this week. University President B. Joseph White has also resigned, along with a number of trustees. That's a lot of decision makers to have to replace all at once. Obviously, someone will occupy all these offices on an interim basis, but do you think any of them will want to make major decisions?

Complicating things is the fact that Zook signed a contract extension this summer, which makes him more expensive to buy out. Athletic Director Ron Guenther may be forced to hit the gong anyway just to save his own job, but the timing couldn't be worse for Illinois.

Besides, who are you going to get to come in? Zook has a nice arsenal at Illinois and there are plenty of coaches out there who are experts at getting the most out of the talent they have. But would they be interested in Illinois? The last coach to leave Champaign with a winning record was John Mackovic who left for Texas in 1991. Since then the Illini are 88-123-2, and their overall winning percentage has dropped with each coach.

Is Iowa going to sneak into the national title game more or less by default just to get their doors blown off?

No, and I'll tell you why. It has nothing to do with the perceived weakness of the Big Ten and everything to do with the dramatic dropoffs found in other conferences.

Who's the third-best team in the SEC?

Who's the second-best team in the Big 12?

Who's the best team in the Pac 10?

We don't know the answers to any of those questions, which should tell you that Texas and whoever wins the SEC have the shortest route to Pasadena. At any rate, before the season I had Iowa finishing 10-2. I had them at 7-0 at this point in the season. I'm not bragging; I'm just saying that I do not actually see the Hawks running the table. So don't worry. Some other conference's champion will be embarrassing themselves in the title game.

Right. The games.

PENN STATE @ MICHIGAN

Michigan quarterback Tate ForcierIt's the fourth Saturday in October and this is Penn State's second road game. Nope, nothing wrong with your scheduling, PSU!

If the wheel of karma is spinning the way it ought to, the Wolverines are going to get crushed in this game. Their offensive line in the second half of last week's Delaware State game was made up entirely of sousaphone players from the marching band, for crying out loud. And was that Mary Sue Coleman, the president of the university, running back punts in the fourth quarter?

If ever a team could come in to The Big House and deliver karmic retribution to the Wolverines, it would be Penn State. Iowa is the only school to hold the Nits under 20 points, as well as the only team to score more than 17 on them. Otherwise the scores have been as gaudy as you would suspect. They just aren't as gaudy as they were last year.

Then again, you could make a case that Penn State hasn't faced an offense any better than Iowa's, and Iowa's offense is not exactly a benchmark of wonderfulness. Michigan's offense is quite a different story. Nobody has held them under 20 points, and iowa's defense is at least as good as Penn State's.

This game will come down to who has the better playmakers. Michigan wins that battle on offense, Penn State on defense. Since this is the year of Big D, I'm going with PSU. Penn State 28, Michigan 24.

IOWA @ MICHIGAN STATE

This is the game this weekend with the most implications for the Big Ten title. Both these teams are legitimately contending for it.

Kirk Ferentz has never won in East Lansing. In fact, the last time Iowa won at Spartan Stadium Ren and Stimpy were still on the air.

Michigan State has come a long way from their 1-3 start, but do they have enough to beat the Hawkeyes? It depends. No Big Ten team passes for more yards than Sparty, but that actually could be a liability. The Hawks have picked off every starting quarterback they've faced, with the exception of Northern Iowa's Pat Grace. Kirk Cousins is expected to get the start for Michigan State. He doesn't throw many picks, but Iowa has a way of making bad things happen.

So Sparty needs to get the running game going early before the Hawkeyes start dropping linebackers into coverage. Without a good running game they're just going to be too easy to defend. MSU hasn't put up more than 30 points all season.

Defensively the Spartans need to force Ricky Stanzi to throw, though as the season goes on that strategy works less and less. Derrell Johnson-Koulianos and Tony Moeaki are both hitting their peak now as receivers, which has cut down on Stanzi's struggles. Iowa probably won't be able to run the ball very well all afternoon, but neither, I fear, will Michigan State. In the end, Iowa's superior pass defense and MSU's inexperienced running backs will make the difference as Iowa wins. DEATH RIDES A PALE COW 30, OFFENSIVE WIZARD IN MY BACKYARD 23.

(You like that? A little old school POTBT for you longtimers. For the n00bs, that means I expect Iowa, a team from a state with a lot of cows, to defeat Michigan State, a school with offensive wizard Rich Rodriguez nearby, by a final score of 30 points to 23 points. Also it means I am a fan of the Dead Milkmen.)

Northwestern football coach Pat FitzgeraldINDIANA @ NORTHWESTERN

Both these teams deserve better seasons than the ones they're having. Indiana has finally solved its baffling offensive problems and actually has one of the best pass rushes in the conference. Yet somehow it's all for naught. The Hoosiers lost to Ohio State and Michigan in consecutive weeks, then went to Virginia the week after someone on Al Groh's staff decided to risk having to do 4,000 pushups by telling the coach the football season had actually started and all these games counted. They got over on Illinois last week, but that's sort of like bragging that you were only third in line at Starbucks.

Northwestern, meanwhile, can't put the pieces together . Their offense started off just fine but their defense was lost in space. Then the defense showed up at the same time the offense took a cookie break. If they ever get both units to show up for the same game they might really have something.

Since both these teams have the consistency of cafeteria soup it's hard to predict how things will go. I like Indiana's ability to run the ball better than I like Northwestern's. I don't trust Ben Chappell as much as I trust Mike Kafka. But I don't trust Mike Kafka all that much. I've picked the road team in every game so far, but they can't all win. Northwestern, in a game that's so ugly it'll belong on public access. Northwestern 14, Indiana 10.

MINNESOTA @ OHIO STATE

I'm tempted to make some lame quip like "Here's one road team I won't be taking" but if the Buckeyes can lose to a team as snakebit as Purdue, then anything can happen. Except for Minnesota scoring a lot of points. Or Ohio State not scoring a lot of points. I'll go out on a limb here and say that Terrelle Pryor won't need any lukewarm endorsements for at least seven days after this game. Ohio State 31, Minnesota 12.

ILLINOIS @ PURDUE

WTTW in Chicago is showing Mexico One Plate at a Time at 11:30 on Saturday. Rick Bayless will be making tortas.

I'm just sayin', that's all. Purdue 38, Illinois 21.

Next week's games:
  • Michigan @ Illinois: This ought to be good for a few laughs
  • Indiana @ Iowa: And this
  • Michigan State @ Minnesota: Not to mention this
  • Penn State @ Northwestern: Or this
  • New Mexico State @ Ohio State: That's not funny
  • Purdue @ Wisconsin: This is as close to a good game as we're going to get, I guess

Pickin' on the Big Ten: Sorting Saturday originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Al GrohAlGrohBen ChappellBenChappellDerrell Johnson-KoulianosDerrellJohnson-koulianosjoe bausermanJoeBausermanKirk CousinsKirkCousinsmike kafkaMikeKafkaPickin on the Big TenPickinOnTheBigTenRicky StanziRickyStanziron zookRonZookterrelle pryorTerrellePryortony moeakiTonyMoeakiMark HastyThu, 22 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST Big Ten Title Race Far From Overhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/20/big-ten-title-race-far-from-over/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/20/big-ten-title-race-far-from-over/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/20/big-ten-title-race-far-from-over/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Iowa players Travis Meade and Ricky StanziThe Iowa Hawkeyes are the Big Ten's only undefeated team, both in conference play and overall. Right behind the No. 7 Hawkeyes stand a 5-2 team (Ohio State), a 4-3 team (Michigan State), and a 6-1 team Iowa has already beaten (Penn State).

The Hawks look to be in complete control of the conference race, with those 6-1 Nittany Lions nipping at their heels. But Iowa the only Big Ten team in control of its BCS destiny? No, no they are not. You might be surprised how little help some of the other teams need, too.

Let's take a look at who could still win the conference without any help, who needs a little help from their enemies friends, and who might as well start making other plans for New Year's.

Before we start, however, remember the Big Ten's tiebreaker policy, which goes in this order: Head-to-head result, overall winning percentage (i.e., nonconference record), and BCS standings. Will any of these be tiebreakers prove necessary? They just might.

The Contenders

Iowa and Ohio State play each other Nov. 14. Thus, if either team wins out, that team wins the conference. Ohio State's stunning loss to Purdue is nullified if they beat the Hawkeyes.

Winning out is a mighty big 'if' for both teams, however. Iowa plays at Michigan State this Saturday. Kirk Ferentz has never won in East Lansing. Ohio State travels to Happy Valley Nov. 7, and you'll see how that game fits into Penn State's plans a little later.

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If the Buckeyes fall to Penn State, Iowa doesn't need to beat OSU to win the conference. It would be enough to beat Michigan State, or hope Sparty and Penn State each lose one more conference game.

If Michigan State beats Iowa, Ohio State doesn't need to beat the Hawkeyes as long as a.) someone else besides MSU does beat Iowa, b.) Michigan State loses at least one more conference game, and c.) the Buckeyes don't gack against New Mexico State. Otherwise ... well, it's easier to explain from Sparty's point of view.

Need a Little Help

 Michigan State wide receiver Blair WhiteMichigan State doesn't play Ohio State and thus far has a worse non-conference record than Ohio State. Nonetheless, Sparty can still win the conference if they win out, which would give them tiebreakers against Iowa and Penn State, and Ohio State loses one more conference game. If OSU loses to New Mexico State but wins out otherwise, the Spartans and Buckeyes would find themselves watching the BCS standings because those standings would decide the conference title. Ohio State is No. 19 in the current BCS standings. Michigan State doesn't appear in them. Advantage: Buckeyes.

Penn State can win the conference if they win out and Iowa loses twice. Ohio State and Michigan State would both finish no better than 6-2 in conference since they both still have to play Penn State. The Nits would be 7-1 in the conference under that scenario. If Iowa doesn't lose twice Penn State is eliminated from winning the conference.

Minnesota wins the conference if they win out, Iowa loses one other conference game, and Penn State loses once. The Gophers play the Buckeyes this week in Columbus. A Minnesota win would be OSU's second conference loss and the Gophers would thus own the tiebreaker over the Buckeyes. (I'm with you; I can't believe how little help the Gophers need.)

Need a Lot of Help

 Wisconsin has lost to Ohio State and Iowa. They must finish with a better conference record than either team. That requires three Iowa losses and and two more Ohio State conference losses, plus Wisconsin running the table from this point forward. Since the Badgers beat Michigan State, they can finish tied with the Spartans and still go to the Rose Bowl. Of course, they can only finish tied with the Spartans if somebody else in the conference beats MSU.

Wisconsin doesn't play Penn State this season and the two teams have identical non-conference records. If Penn State loses once more the Badgers could also tie the Nits. Assuming Wisky and PSU are the only two-conference-loss teams in the Big Ten, the title would be decided by ... oh man. The title would be decided by the Wisconsin-Hawaii game on December 5th.

Purdue owns a tiebreaker against Ohio State but doesn't play Iowa or Penn State. The Boilermakers' 1-3 nonconference schedule requires them to finish with a better conference record than either of those schools, which would require three Iowa losses and two Penn State losses.

Michigan has lost to Michigan State and Iowa. Unless both those teams wind up with three conference losses the Wolverines can't win the Big Ten. However, if both those teams do lose three times and Michigan wins out, the Maize and Blue could still, theoretically, wind up in the Rose Bowl.

Northwestern needs two Iowa losses, two Ohio State losses (they don't play OSU this season), one Michigan State loss, one Indiana loss, and no more losses of their own.

Indiana needs to run the table and hope for three Iowa losses, two Ohio State losses, and one Michigan loss.

So okay, there's one team still unaccounted for. Illinois. Is all lost for the Illini?

All Is Lost

It is. Since Illinois doesn't play Iowa this season, they would have to finish with a better conference record than the Hawkeyes, which is only possible if Iowa loses the rest of its games. However, the Illini have already lost to Ohio State so they would need a better conference record than the Buckeyes as well. That's not possible if OSU beats Iowa. Therefore, the Illini have been mathematically eliminated from the Big Ten title race.

More's the pity. I was hoping there would be a chain of wreckage which would put them in the Rose Bowl, because that would be the death blow for the BCS. Some other year, some other conference.

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Students gather around a candle vigil for Connecticut football player Jasper Howard in Storrs, Conn., Monday, Oct. 19, 2009. Howard, 20, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
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    Members of the University of Connecticut's football team share stories about their teammate and friend Jasper Howard around a candle vigil at the spot where he was killed outside the Student Union on campus in Storrs, Conn., Monday, Oct. 19, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    A candle vigil is displayed at the spot where Connecticut football player Jasper Howard was killed outside the Student Union on campus in Storrs, Conn., Monday, Oct. 19, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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    Kentucky quarterback Randall Cobb (18) finds the end zone around Auburn defensive back Daren Bates (25) during an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

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    Arizona State receiver Chris McGaha celebrates his game-winning touchdown against Washington during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009 in Tempe, Ariz. Arizona State won 24-17. (AP Photo/Matt York)

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    Arizona State's William Sutton (90) and James Brooks (34) celebrate their team's win over Washington during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009 in Tempe, Ariz. Arizona State won 24-17. (AP Photo/Matt York)

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    A documentary is being produced on the Wichita State plane crash in Colorado from almost 40 years ago. The Star met with Howard Johnson, from left, father of one of the victims, Ron Johnson; one of the survivors, David Lewis, and the roommate of Ron Johnson, Gerry Gleissner. (Allison Long/Kansas City Star/MCT)

    MCT

    A documentary is being produced on the Wichita State plane crash in Colorado from almost 40 years ago. The Star met with the parents of one of the victims of the crash; Howard, left, and Virginia Johnson. In the background is a picture and helmet of their son Ron Johnson. (Allison Long/Kansas City Star/MCT)

    MCT

    A documentary is being produced on the Wichita State plane crash in Colorado from almost 40 years ago. Wichita State football player Ronnie Johnson, shown in family photograph, was 21 years old when he and 29 other people were killed. (Courtesy Johnson family/Kansas City Star/MCT)

    MCT

    Members of the University of Connecticut's football team share stories about their teammate and friend Jasper Howard around a candle vigil at the spot where he was killed outside the Student Union on campus in Storrs, Conn., Monday, Oct. 19, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

    AP

    A candle vigil is displayed at the spot where Connecticut football player Jasper Howard was killed outside the Student Union on campus in Storrs, Conn., Monday, Oct. 19, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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Big Ten Title Race Far From Over originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Mark HastyTue, 20 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST Pickin' on the Big Ten: Teams for Salehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/15/pickin-on-the-big-ten-teams-for-sale/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/15/pickin-on-the-big-ten-teams-for-sale/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/15/pickin-on-the-big-ten-teams-for-sale/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bargain huntersEvery Thursday, Pickin' on the Big Ten gives you the bottom line on the upcoming weekend's games.

Every team now has six games on the books. Well, Illinois doesn't, which is good news/bad news. Illinois fans have only had to watch five games so far; that's good news. They have seven games left to watch, which is not such good news.

This would be a perfect time for mid-term report cards, but letter grades are so one-dimensional, don't you think? There are more meaningful comparisons to be made. Make the jump and see every Big Ten team compared to ... well, just go and look.

Illinois is like the Whopper (or, if you prefer, any other reasonably complicated fast food burger). You see the ads and it looks fantastic. They talk about using the best-quality, freshest ingredients and it shows. You see a perfectly-cooked burger glistening with juice, deep red tomatoes, green lettuce that looks like it was just picked, all stacked high on a golden brown bun. You can't resist. This is going to be good.

Then you get one. You unwrap it. It doesn't look like the picture. It looks like somebody who had never seen a hamburger before made it by hurling ingredients at a bun from a good 15 or 20 feet away. You sit under a buzzing fluorescent light, gnawing away at it, hoping you forget this meal as soon as possible.

Indiana is like grapefruit juice. You want it to be good, yet no matter what you do it, it inevitably leaves a bitter aftertaste in your mouth. You run for the toothbrush of basketball season, only to discover that grapefruit juice plus toothpaste is a combination that belongs in the next Saw movie.

IKEA furnitureIowa is IKEA furniture. Not many things are both trendy and popular, but IKEA and the Hawkeyes both are right now. IKEA because it's cheap; Iowa because a weary football nation sees the Hawkeyes as the last best hope for a Buckeye-free BCS. Thus millions are willing to overlook the common flaws of each: They're kind of funny looking, nobody is really sure how long either will hold up, and you're not sure you can believe them when they say that the STANZI coffee table goes with the FERENTZ armchair, the ANGERER TV stand, and the MOEAKI floor lamp.

Michigan is a BMW with the first-generation iDrive system. From the outside, everybody can see that you've got a Bimmer, and a fairly new one at that. It's easy to be impressed. That's good news for you, because you're sitting inside the car with absolutely no idea how to change the radio station or keep the defroster from running full blast all summer long. But you look like a player.

Michigan State is any article of clothing from the late Steve & Barry's. I loved Steve & Barry's, mostly because I am a horribly cheap individual. Buying clothes there was a bit risky, though. Some things would hold up as well as anything else you could buy. Some things fell to tatters the third time you wore them. You didn't know which you had until one day you were out walking and all of a sudden there's a little trickle of cold air in your armpit or your crotch or some other place where cold air is not supposed to be felt on a fully clothed body and OH CRAP IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN.

Minnesota is MTN DEW. New container, same product, same tendency to keep you up nights if you take in too much of it.

Northwestern is a gas station burrito. They're as tasty on offense as the burrito is in your mouth. Then they go on defense, the burrito hits your intestines, and all of a sudden you wish there was somebody around who could keep bad things from happening.

Ohio State is a Buick Century. Designed as an unhip car for unhip people, the Century couldn't outrun or outdazzle anything on the road. While at one time driving a Buick meant you were too rich for a Chevy and too humble for a Cadillac, those were different times and different Buicks. Your neighbors will tell you, "Hey, nice car." But you you know the minute they get in their Altimas and Passats they're laughing at you and your "ask me about my grandchildren" car.

Yet, no matter how much scorn and abuse gets heaped on it, it just won't die. It starts on the coldest, bleakest mornings. It may never run perfectly, but it'll run okay longer than most cars will run at all. It'll even keep running long after you yourself are sick of it. The only way to get rid of it is to drive around parking lots looking for an Anti-Buick you can park it next to, hoping that the violent explosion which follows doesn't ignite the entire universe.

Penn State is Beeman's gum. You thought it was gone, but it came back, looking like it had never left.

Purdue is the wretched combination of Adobe Flash and Windows Vista. It works well until it doesn't. Then your browser crashes, three other programs stop working, there are security alerts all over the place, and just when you really need Task Manager, CTRL-ALT-DELETE gets you ten seconds of a black screen followed by a dialog box telling you that Vista failed to create Security Options. You sit there wondering why they ever decided to do it like that.

Wisconsin is RC Cola. It tastes a little different. Some people like it. Some don't. Everybody agrees that it's not as big as Coke or Pepsi.

Right. The games.

Illinois coach Ron ZookILLINOIS @ INDIANA

If either team wins this game, it'll be a miracle. Indiana 23, Illinois 20.

DELAWARE STATE @ MICHIGAN

Delaware State is a Division I-AA Football Championship Subdivision school. They are giving up, on average, almost 400 yards per game. They have scored, on average, a little over 14 points per game. Last week the DSU Hornets lost at home to Bethune-Cookman. It was Bethune-Cookman's first win of the season; they lost to Division II (oh, wait, it's still called Division II) Shaw in their season opener.

I thought that this, plus Michigan's explosive offense, would combine to make a game so stinky that not even the Big Ten Network would show it. I thought wrong. Oh well. Enjoy the game, Wolverines; you probably deserve something to smile about after last week. Michigan 66, Delaware State 7.

Know Your Nonconference Tomato Can: Delaware State

Clyde Bishop, US ambassador to the Marshall IslandsLocated in Delaware's capital city of Dover, Delaware State University is part of America's proud tradition of historically black colleges and universities. DSU was founded in 1891 as the State College for Colored Students before becoming Delaware State College in 1947 and Delaware State University in 1993.

Despite being in the same state and same NCAA division as the University of Delaware, the two schools did not meet in football until 2007, and then only because both schools made the FCS playoffs. Earlier this season, they played their first regular season game.

DSU is a small school, enrolling only about 3,700 students.Its best known alumnus is Dr. Clyde Bishop, the US ambassador to the Marshall Islands. That sounds like a pretty good gig to me.

NORTHWESTERN @ MICHIGAN STATE

The story here is injuries; namely, how will Sparty react to losing starting running back Glenn Winston for the season with a torn ACL? Larry Caper appears ready to step in, but even he tweaked his knee in last week's Illinois game. Quarterback Kirk Cousins is expected to start this week after missing most of the Illinois game with a sore ankle.

Northwestern, meanwhile, is healthy, but their 16-6 loss to Miami (Ohio) last week was yet another unimpressive outing for the Wildcats. Things are bound to get better for NU soon, and a bowl game awaits, but they won't get any closer to it this week. Michigan State 30, Northwestern 17.

MINNESOTA @ PENN STATE

This is one of those games that looks dangerous on paper because the teams have similar records and their overall statistics aren't that far off. Where the teams differ is in overall talent and most particularly depth. Minnesota has come a long way from their 1-11 2007 season, but doesn't yet have all the parts to make a run at the conference title. There are individual Gophers who are as good as their counterparts on any Big Ten team (Eric Decker, for one, who I'm not sure is even human) but football is a team sport.

This is the first game of a brutal road trip for Tim Brewster's team, who travel to Columbus next week. Penn State will play three of its final five games on the road, but they won't face 30% of the challenges the Gophers will. The Nits are lying in wait for the Buckeyes; Minnesota's only real hope is that Penn State is thinking more about that game than this one. I wouldn't bet on that. Penn State 28, Minnesota 16.

OHIO STATE @ PURDUE

Two reasons not to be so glum, oh ye Purdubious: You probably won't lose this game in the last minute, and Illinois is coming to town next week. Ohio State 45, Purdue 20.

Wisconsin wide receiver Nick ToonIOWA @ WISCONSIN

Here it is, the sole Big Ten game this week which can be described as "watchable." Wisconsin is still reeling from its "How did we lose that game?" performance in the Horseshoe last Saturday, while Iowa continues to whistle past the graveyard.

The Badgers' well-balanced, potent offense means that Iowa can't leave eight in the box, which is the usual defensive game plan for beating Wisconsin. Arkansas State and Michigan exposed some vulnerabilities in the Hawkeye pass defense; now it's up to Scott Tolzien, Nick Toon, and Garrett Graham to exploit them.

That's assuming that John Clay doesn't just take this game on his shoulder and run with it. If Clay has early success, he'll put the Iowa defense back on its heels and force Ricky Stanzi to play with urgency. The problem for WIsconsin is that you never know which John Clay you're going to get.

Wisconsin's defense gives up a lot of points, however, and that will help keep the Hawkeyes in this game. Nothing's going to be easy for Iowa this year, this game included, but somehow Kirk Ferentz will find a way to hold on. Again. Iowa 31, Wisconsin 30.

Next week's games:
  • Penn State @ Michigan: Key to UM's dreams of a good bowl is winning this game
  • Iowa @ Michigan State: Promises to be another wild shootout
  • Indiana @ Northwestern: Cats want revenge; IU kept them from Capital One Bowl last season
  • Minnesota @ Ohio State: Another week of Buckeye target practice?
  • Illinois @ Purdue: The Illini's last shot at victory?

Pickin' on the Big Ten: Teams for Sale originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>eric deckerEricDeckerGarrett GrahamGlenn WinstonGlennWinstonjohn clayJohnClayKirk Cousinskirk ferentzKirkCousinsKirkFerentzlarry caperLarryCaperNick ToonPickin on the Big TenPickinOnTheBigTenRicky StanziRickyStanziscott tolzienScottTolzientim brewsterTimBrewsterMark HastyThu, 15 Oct 2009 10:30:00 EST Iowa Edges Michigan, Stays Perfecthttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/10/iowa-edges-michigan-stays-perfect/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/10/iowa-edges-michigan-stays-perfect/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/10/iowa-edges-michigan-stays-perfect/#commentsFiled under: ,

The Iowa Hawkeyes rode five Michigan turnovers to a 30-28 victory in Iowa City tonight. The victory was their tenth in a row, which is the second-longest winning streak in the nation after Florida.

Iowa's passing game took control after quarterback Ricky Stanzi's first pass was intercepted by Michigan's Brandon Moore and returned for a touchdown. Stanzi threw two touchdown passes, both to tight end Tony Moeaki.

The Hawkeyes' 33-quarter streak of not allowing a rushing touchdown ended in the first quarter when Brandon Minor busted in from three yards out to put Michigan up 14-10. Iowa regained the lead just before halftime and would not relinquish it.

The Iowa pass defense, one of the Big Ten's stingiest, rattled Tate Forcier, who completed only 8 of 19 passes for 94 yards. Forcier was replaced by fellow freshman Denard Robinson, who led the Wolverines to a touchdown which he ran in himself from three yards out. Michigan's defense stopped Iowa after the ensuing onside kick went out of bounds, but Iowa's Brett Greenwood intercepted Robinson with 46 seconds left to finish off the Wolverines.

With Ohio State's victory over Wisconsin today, the Hawkeyes are now the Big Ten's only undefeated team. The Hawkeyes now face back-to-back road games against Wisconsin and Michigan State. Michigan fell to 4-2 and will face Delaware State in Ann Arbor next week.

Iowa Edges Michigan, Stays Perfect originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>brandon minorbrandon mooreBrandonMinorBrandonMoorebrett greenwoodBrettGreenwooddenard robinsonDenardRobinsonRicky StanziRickyStanziTate ForcierTateForciertony moeakiTonyMoeakiMark HastySat, 10 Oct 2009 23:47:00 EST Pickin' On the Big Ten: Is the Peter Principle Making Illinois Ill?http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/08/pickin-on-the-big-ten-is-the-peter-principle-making-illinois-i/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/08/pickin-on-the-big-ten-is-the-peter-principle-making-illinois-i/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/08/pickin-on-the-big-ten-is-the-peter-principle-making-illinois-i/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Illinois coach Ron ZookEvery Thursday, Pickin' On the Big Ten stays late to run the TPS reports on the coming weekend's games.

In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his or her level of incompetence.

The above statement is better known as the Peter Principle, and if it doesn't make sense to you, join the club. I didn't get it the first 1,378 times I read it. Now I recognize it for what it is. It's an overly intellectual way of saying "People who do a good job keep getting promoted until they wind up in a job they can't do."

So what does this have to do with Illinois, you ask?

Oh, come on. Like you don't know I'm writing about Ron Zook.

Look, I don't mean to pass judgment on Ron Zook the person. That's not my place at all. I don't even intend to pass judgment on whether Ron Zook can coach football or not. He obviously can; you don't rise to his level without having some coaching chops, after all. I'm just questioning whether he's actually meant to be a head coach.

On the surface that sounds ridiculous. Rip his name off the top of his resume and ask me if you would have hired him. He was personally associated with one of the best college football programs of the 1990s, serving on the staff of a coach widely thought to be at the top of his profession. Not only that, but he also had significant experience in the NFL, where he worked with Bill Cowher. Other coaches he had worked for? Try Johnny Majors and Frank Beamer.

Ron Zook, 2003Along the way he earned a reputation as one of college football's most energetic and tenacious recruiters. Was Florida nuts to give him the head coaching job back in 2002?

Well, sort of, given that he'd never been head coach anywhere at any level. Head coaching isn't the same as position coaching or coordinating. Not every great coordinator pans out as a head coach. Not every great head coach would make a good coordinator or position coach. They're just different skills.

Problem was, there was no place for Zook to go except into the head coaching ranks.

Three years later, was Illinois nuts to give Ron Zook the head coaching job? Not really. There just wasn't enough of a body of work available to judge his talents. He lost too many games, but the expectations in Gainesville were flying higher than Michael Crabtree's self-image. He did manage to win three straight road games against top-11 teams, and he beat 13-win teams in back-to-back seasons. Not everything was bad.

Now, well, we sort of know. He had one great season in which he got the Illini to the Rose Bowl. Otherwise, it looks like "head coach" is not the best job title for Zook to pursue. Give him a title like "assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator," then pair him up with some charm-free Xs-and-Os genius of a head coach. In that role Zook's worth at least $300,000 a year. But as a head coach? Not really. He's reached the level of his incompetence.

Right. The games.

MICHIGAN STATE @ ILLINOIS

Speaking of the Peter Principle, could it also apply to Zook's star recruit of all star recruits, Juice Williams?

You could make the case. As a freshman Williams showed incredible promise coupled with maddening inconsistency. As a sophomore who was just one of many weapons in the arsenal, he helped lead the Illini to the Rose Bowl. As a junior who had to carry water for the offense while the defense put the hurt on people, he was marginal. Now, as the only real playmaker on a team that was allegedly loaded with them, he's been benched.

As Williams' role got bigger, he was less and less able to meet expectations. Zook now won't even say how he's going to use Williams, except that he won't line up at running back or wide receiver. My opinion? Juice went to his coach and said, "Look, this season's lost, and I realize now I'll probably never play quarterback in the NFL. But maybe I can still make it to the pros. Give me a chance to run back kicks; maybe I'm the next Joshua Cribbs."

Given the way Illinois' defense is playing, and the way Michigan State's offense is playing, then if that's what Wiliams wants, he's going to get a good start on his highlight reel this week. Michigan State 38, Illinois 20.

INDIANA @ VIRGINIA

Virginia: Awful, despite beating North Carolina last week.

Indiana: Not awful, despite losing to Ohio State last week. Indiana 20, Virginia 6.

MICHIGAN @ IOWA

Michigan quarterback Tate ForcierWe could've had a real Game of the Century of the Week on our hands, but no, the Wolverines had to lose to Sparty last weekend. Tate Forcier can blame himself all he wants to, but no team comes down to just one guy, and no game ever really comes down to just one play. You still can't win in the Big Ten without a pretty good defense, and Michigan does not yet have one.

Of course, you can't win without an offense either, and you could argue that Iowa still doesn't have one. At the risk of negating everything I said in the previous paragraph, Arkansas State showed the best way to defend against the Hawkeyes: stuff the run and make Ricky Stanzi throw a lot. In the first half of last week's game, this looked like a profoundly stupid strategy. In the second half, it almost worked. I still think a team is a lot more than one guy, but 24 points isn't going to beat Michigan. If Stanzi comes out cold or falters for a quarter, the Hawks could easily lose this game, Kinnick Stadium magic or not.

Then again, Michigan hasn't faced a defense close to as good as the one it's about to face. Iowa 28, Michigan 26.

PURDUE @ MINNESOTA

Attention Purdue fans: Since I'm batting .000 when it comes to calling out coaches (the three I've called out this season have all won every game since), I want you to know that I'm now accepting offers to make Danny Hope the lead of next week's Pickin'.

You might not need to after this week, though. Purdue and Minnesota are basically the same team. They're both pass-wacky but can't defend the run at all. The only real difference between them? Purdue has a proven running back. Minnesota doesn't. Always go with the team that can strike at its opponent's weakness. Purdue 34, Minnesota 31.

FAKE MIAMI @ NORTHWESTERN

Fake Miami has lost 10 games in a row, all by at least 10 points.

Northwestern has been at least modestly disappointing in four of its five games this season. Last week Purdue turned the ball over six times and still came within one play of beating the Wildcats.

NU might get running back Stephen Simmons back this week. Simmons hasn't played since the second game of the season. If he does play, it will be in a limited role behind Arby Fields. I wouldn't play him, though. Why risk aggravating his injury in a game in which he probably won't be needed? Northwestern 35, Fake Miami 10.

Wisconsin defensive lineman O'Brien SchofieldWISCONSIN @ OHIO STATE

Ohio State has played lights out since losing to USC. It has been nothing short of dominant in its last three games. Of course, those games have been against Toledo, Illinois, and Indiana. Not exactly Murderers Row, you know?

But could you put Wisconsin on Murderers Row? Their 5-0 record would suggest that you could, and if it's possible to kill an opponent with passing, Scott Tolzien is just the man to do it. As long as John Clay can stay at the level he played at last week, there isn't a great defensive game plan to beat the Badgers.

Sometimes the best defense is a good offense, however, and OSU has one. Wisconsin, meanwhile has given up at least 20 points to every team it has played except for Wofford. The Badgers don't have the defense to go into Columbus and win, but there's a chance this could be the last time the Badgers lose this season. Ohio State 30, Wisconsin 27.

EASTERN ILLINOIS @ PENN STATE

Joe Paterno would like you to know that Eastern Illinois is a very good football team. They have a quarterback who transferred from Iowa and a running back who transferred from Michigan. They deserve nothing but the utmost respect and this is going to be a very, very tough game. People who think Penn State's nonconference schedule is a bit too soft just don't get it.

Count me among those who just don't get it. Penn State 41, Eastern Illinois 3.

John MalkovichKnow Your Nonconference Tomato Can: Eastern Illinois

Yes, I know. Except for Wofford, this season's tomato cans have pretty much been teachers' colleges gone Hollywood. But hang on, here's one that actually sends people to Hollywood.

Located in the downstate burg of Charleston, tantalizingly close to the greater Mattoon metropolitan area, Eastern Illinois University can boast some big-name acting talent among its alumni. Three-time Oscar nominee Joan Allen has a degree from EIU, for instance. Then there's three guys who went to Eastern without graduating but still managed to make a name for themselves in Hollywood: Burl Ives, Jerry Van Dyke and John Malkovich.

But what does EIU have to do with football? Plenty. EIU is the alma mater of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who is pretty Hollywood himself. He's not the only Panther to make a name in the NFL, either. Current head coaches Brad Childress (Minnesota) and Sean Payton (New Orleans) also played football for Eastern Illinois, as did long-time Raider and Bronco coach Mike Shanahan. That's not bad for a school of 12,000 students located at least two hours from anyplace.

Next week's games:
  • Illinois @ Indiana: Amazingly, one team is guaranteed to win
  • Delaware State @ Michigan: I checked; DSU actually exists
  • Northwestern @ Michigan State: a/k/a Disappointment Bowl II
  • Minnesota @ Penn State: Potential trap game for the Nits
  • Ohio State @ Purdue: Potential trap month for the Buckeyes
  • Iowa @ Wisconsin: At least there's one game worth watching

Pickin' On the Big Ten: Is the Peter Principle Making Illinois Ill? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Danny HopeDannyHopeJoe PaternoJoePaternojohn clayJohnClayjuice williamsJuiceWilliamsPickin on the Big TenPickinOnTheBigTenRicky StanziRickyStanziron zookRonZookscott tolzienScottTolzienTate ForcierTateForcierMark HastyThu, 08 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST Iowa Escapes Arkansas Statehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/03/iowa-escapes-arkansas-state/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/03/iowa-escapes-arkansas-state/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/03/iowa-escapes-arkansas-state/#commentsFiled under: ,

Iowa quarterback Ricky StanziAfter shutting down nearly every passing attack it faced, the Iowa pass defense struggled Saturday against Arkansas State. The Hawkeyes barely got by the Red Wolves, 24-21.

Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi finally had the fast start which had eluded him thus far. Stanzi hit on his first five passes, and two of them went for touchdowns. However, two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown by ASU's Demario Davis, kept the Hawkeyes from pulling away.

Arkansas State's running game was all but absent today, and a glance at the box score would give you the wrong impression of ASU quarterback Corey Leonard's performance.

Leonard was 22 of 40 for a mere 217 yards and two touchdowns. That doesn't look that impressive, but Leonard was clutch, finding wide receiver Brandon Thompkins and tight end Trevor Gillott for a series of drive-sustaining conversions every time the Hawkeyes threatened to pull away.

In fact, the Hawkeyes did pull away early, up 14-0 before anybody's coffee was cool enough to drink. Arkansas State didn't flinch, scoring just before halftime to freeze out the Iowa crowd. Iowa picked off Corey Leonard on Arkansas State's first possession of the second half, needing only two plays after that to find the end zone.

But Arkansas State wouldn't go away. Iowa missed a field goal on its next drive. The two Iowa drives after that ended in interceptions, then the Red Wolves ate up more than half of the fourth quarter with a 17-play drive that ended with Leonard hitting a totally uncovered Gillott for a four-yard touchdown.

Was Iowa caught looking ahead? Not as much as Arkansas State found the cracks in Iowa's previously unbreakable defense. Using crossing routes and underneath routes, the Red Wolves could pick up six to eight yards almost any time they wanted to. Arkansas State offensive coordinator Doug Ruse called a great game and deserves much of the credit for keeping it so close.

As for the Hawkeyes, they'll have to study what went wrong in this game (lots) and, if they want to make a serious run at the Big Ten title, they'll need to find a way to get more than 20-25 points on the board. I have a feeling nothing's going to be easy for the Hawkeyes this year.

Iowa Escapes Arkansas State originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 15:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brandon Thompkinscorey leonardCoreyLeonardDoug RuseRicky StanziRickyStanziTrevor GillottMark HastySat, 03 Oct 2009 15:50:00 EST Pickin' On the Big Ten: Wake Me Up When Spartember Endshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/30/pickin-on-the-big-ten-wake-me-up-when-spartember-ends/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/30/pickin-on-the-big-ten-wake-me-up-when-spartember-ends/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/30/pickin-on-the-big-ten-wake-me-up-when-spartember-ends/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Michigan State head coach Mark DantonioEvery Thursday, Pickin' On the Big Ten tries to make sense out of the upcoming weekend's games.

It was not supposed to be like this for Mark Dantonio and the Michigan State Spartans. Sure, they lost in the Capital One Bowl last season, but not by much, which is why many people tagged them as the Big Ten's third-best team going into this year. It was going to be hard to replace Brian Hoyer and Javon Ringer, but at long last things were looking up for Sparty.

Now, after a heart-shattering 1-3 start, things are still looking up, if only because "up" is the only direction left. Now it's time to pull the wreckage of this season out of the ditch to see what can be salvaged.

The news isn't all bad. There isn't an unwinnable game left on the schedule, and all the really good teams they still have to play are coming to East Lansing. The Spartans have proven they can score points, which was a huge concern in the preseason.

But ugh, that defense. Everybody's throwing on the Spartans. The numbers have got to be killing Dantonio. Try a 65.2 percent opponents' completion rate for starters. How about giving up five touchdown passes for every interception? And only 17 schools have given up more first downs on passing plays than MSU has. Fortunately, two of those schools are Western Michigan and Purdue, who are still on the schedule. A bowl game certainly isn't out of the question. Getting back to New Year's Day probably is at this point.

Is Michigan State the Big Ten's biggest disappointment of September? Probably. You could make a case for Illinois, since the Illini have been all but useless against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents. However, in order to be a disappointment, people first have to expect something of you, and I didn't expect anything from Illinois this season. Likewise, not many had Northwestern pegged as a .500 team at the end of September. I thought their defense would be a lot better than it has proven to be.

Okay, now, before we get on to the games, let me just address one little topic. A number of you have been wondering what happened to the funny team names. The guys at Black Heart Gold Pants had me as a guest on their podcast this week and asked that very question. I'll tell you what I told them. After 11 seasons of writing this column, I'm just plain out of ideas for the team names. Dropping them was nobody's decision but my own. Besides, I know they were confusing some of you.

This is where you come in.

I'll make a deal: If one of you comes up with team names for one game every week, I'll come up with names for one game as well. You can scroll down to the bottom of the page to see next week's games. Give it your best shot and send the results to me at pickbigten@gmail.com. The winner gets immortalized in the column, which is my polite way of saying that I don't have any prizes to give you.

Right. The games.

Penn State quarterback Daryll ClarkPENN STATE at ILLINOIS

For Penn State, there are two possible ways they can play in their first game after yet another season-altering loss to Iowa. They're the same two options any team has after a letdown. Option A is to recognize that the season is far from over, there are still many things to play for, and this is the first game of their undefeated last two-thirds of the season. Penn State is a team which doesn't lack leadership and talent. Ohio State can be had. They got them last year in Columbus, didn't they? With a little help from the rest of the conference, another Rose Bowl bid could be theirs. All they have to do is TCB from here on out.

Option B is to collapse in a giant cloud of fear, panic, feathers, and clucking, sort of like when a chicken truck overturns on the freeway during rush hour. This is the option Illinois appears to have chosen during the first quarter of the Missouri game.

Possessors of enough offensive firepower that they could have a seat on the UN Security Council, the Illini have scored a grand total of zero touchdowns against FBS opponents. It isn't enough to say that their passing offense, despite the presence of Juice Williams, is the worst in the Big Ten. It's the fifth-worst in the nation. Granted, they've played one few game than most teams, but who's further down the list than they are? The three service academies and Eastern Michigan.

Given these facts, what are the odds that Illinois can get anything at all done against the Big Ten's statistically-best defense? About the same as a runaway chicken's chances against six lanes of Buicks, I'd say. Penn State 28, Illinois 3

OHIO STATE at INDIANA

The last person to score on the Buckeyes was USC's Stafon Johnson, who I sincerely hope is doing well. Let us not forget that the USC game was in week two, and it's now week five.

However, I predict that the scoreless streak ends this week. Indiana's offense has really come together since their opening-night scare from Eastern Kentucky, but what is making the difference right now for the Hoosiers is the one biggest question everybody had about them in the offseason: the run defense. Of the two teams in this game, one has allowed fewer yards on the ground than the other. Ohio State is not that team.

Of course, one reason why is because IU's pass defense is a little soft. It's not bad. It just isn't great. That should help OSU improve some of their passing numbers, which are among the very worst in the Big Ten. (Wasn't Terrelle Pryor supposed to change all of that?)

The Buckeyes will learn what Michigan did last week: Indiana is no gimme. I don't think Ohio State loses this game, but you might have a hard time finding a unopened bottle of Pepto-Bismol in Columbus after this one is over. Ohio State 24, Indiana 10

ARKANSAS STATE at IOWA

Give Iowa credit: At least they're playing a good Sun Belt team.

The Red Wolves are a run-first kind of team. Tailback Reggie Arnold has scored seven touchdowns in three games and sits third among Sun Belt running backs in yards per game. Arkansas State was in a total dogfight last week with Troy, losing only because they bobbled a punt midway through the fourth quarter. That's not bad when you consider Troy outgained them by more than 200 yards. That's a testimony to the stoutness of ASU's defense, which held Nebraska to just 136 yards on the ground. It would be dangerous for Iowa to overlook the Red Wolves, particularly because the Hawkeye offense hasn't exactly been wonderful thus far.

(Seriously, Hawkeye fans, you know I'm one of you, so believe me when I say this: You do not want to go to a BCS game with this offense.)

Despite ASU's run-stopping ability, the Red Wolves have not intercepted a single pass this season. This could be a good game for Ricky Stanzi to build some confidence in the pocket, particularly since Iowa's defense is going to give him a big, big cushion to work with. As long as Iowa isn't looking ahead to next week and Michigan, they should easily win this game. Iowa 38, Arkansas State 0.

New York Giants running back Maurice CarthonKnow Your Nonconference Tomato Can: Arkansas State

Located in Jonesboro, Arkansas, atop the geological oddity known as Crowley's Ridge, Arkansas State has grown from its original role as a regional agriculture school to become a full-fledged university offering doctorates in biomedical sciences, educational leadership, environmental science, and something called "heritage studies."

With over 11,000 students, ASU is Arkansas' third-largest university and boasts a proud heritage in football. The Red Wolves (formerly the Indians) just moved up to Division I-A in 1992 but before then had already produced two players familiar to many NFL fans: New York Giants running back Maurice Carthon and linebacker Bill Bergey, who spent most of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles, went to four Pro Bowls, and was at one point the NFL's highest-paid defensive player. Other notable ASU alumni include current Arkansas governor Mike Beebe and former Miami Dolphins quarterback Cleo Lemon.

MICHIGAN at MICHIGAN STATE

Revenge Week was supposed to be last week, but go ahead. Tell Rich Rodriguez and his team. I dare you.

We've already detailed Sparty's struggles in the intro to this column. I'd like to believe that Mark Dantonio can get his team up for this game, but MSU just has too much inertia to overcome in a single week. Tate Forcier should be able to shred the Spartan secondary.

That's a good thing, because Michigan State's Two-Headed Quarterbeast ought to be able to do the same to Michigan's "is this really a Michigan defense?" defense. One of these weeks the Wolverines are not going to be able to score 30 points, and then they'll be in trouble. It won't be this week, but until the Michigan defense gets better, defeat looms in the relatively near future. So enjoy your revenge, Wolverines. Michigan 45, Michigan State 41.

WISCONSIN at MINNESOTA

Wisconsin running back John ClayNow that Minnesota has an outdoor stadium, shouldn't they be playing this game in November?

Wisconsin is a good team which could be a great team if only their defense would stop letting opponents back into games. One of these days John Clay is going to wake up and realize he's the next great Wisconsin running back, but until that day, Scott Tolzien and his cadre of overlooked receivers are more than good enough to keep the Badgers in their games. If Wisconsin can force Minnesota into using their nickel package, that should open up enough space for Clay to bring the pain.

Tim Brewster seems to have calmed down some of his playcalling aggression, so he might be able to resist the temptation to make the Badgers run the ball. If he does, he'll find plenty of cracks in the Wisconsin defense and should be able to create scoring opportunities. So, unless Tim Brewster loses his mind and sells out the run defense to stop Scott Tolzien, Bucky's inability to put an opponent on ice should finally lose a game for them. Minnesota 27, Wisconsin 24.

NORTHWESTERN at PURDUE

The first of what figures to be many Disappointment Bowls in the Big Ten this season, this game features two teams that are absolutely being let down by their defenses. That's a shame, particularly for Northwestern. They brought back one of the most experienced units in the conference, a defense that was expected to help out an offense which more or less had to start from scratch. Instead, Mike Kafka's incredible start to the season is being overshadowed by their inability to hold most teams under 24 points.

The story is much the same at Purdue, but let's not ignore the elephant in the living room. I too have no idea why Danny Hope called that time out against Notre Dame last week. Situationally, it looked like the wrong thing to do. Before you come crashing down on Hope's head, though, remember that no football game actually comes down to a single play. Games are always won and lost before the last few plays of the game, even if those last few plays wind up changing the lead. You can always find a few coulda-woulda-shouldas earlier in the game which may have changed the outcome. So cut Hope a little slack, okay? But only a little, because it sure didn't make sense to me either.

This game boils down to a question of which stinky defense can stink the least. The two offenses are essentially interchangeable, so who do you trust? I'll trust the team that didn't just lose at home by eleven points. Purdue 37, Northwestern 28.

Next week's games:
  • Michigan State at Illinois: A momentary reprieve for somebody
  • Indiana at Virginia: This could be the game that finally gets Al Groh fired
  • Michigan at Iowa: Front-runner for Overhyped Big Ten Game of the Year
  • Purdue at Minnesota: This might actually be a good game
  • Fake Miami at Northwestern: This, however, will not
  • Wisconsin at Ohio State: Buckeyes playing three trap games in a row?
  • Eastern Illinois atPenn State: Why? Seriously, why?

Pickin' On the Big Ten: Wake Me Up When Spartember Ends originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>danny hopeDannyHopejohn clayJohnClayjuice williamsjuicewilliamsmark dantonioMarkDantoniomike kafkaMikeKafkapickin on the big tenpickinonthebigtenrich rodriguezRichRodriguezricky stanziRickyStanziscott tolzienScottTolzienstafon johnsonStafonJohnsontate forcierTateForcierterrelle pryorTerrellePryortim brewsterTimBrewsterMark HastyWed, 30 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST Hawkeyes Turn Lions Into Lambshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/27/hawkeyes-defense-turns-nittany-lions-into-lambs/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/27/hawkeyes-defense-turns-nittany-lions-into-lambs/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/27/hawkeyes-defense-turns-nittany-lions-into-lambs/#commentsFiled under: ,

Iowa defenseExactly one snap into Saturday night's game against Penn State, Iowa's defense was already in the middle of an impromptu meeting.

Daryll Clark had just faked a handoff to running back Evan Royster and launched a 79-yard rainbow to Chaz Powell for a 6-0 lead on the Lions' first offensive play. It was a simple play action, but the Hawkeyes bit hard on the fake, swarming the line like Bill Gates had just dropped his wallet somewhere behind Penn State's center, leaving cornerback Amari Spievey all alone to become a cautionary tale.

So, with a steady rain thumping against their helmets and 109,000-strong migraine of a crowd on their backs, the defense launched a sideline intervention.

"They told me to just forget about it," Spievey said. "They got at me, but they kind of motivated me at the same time, so I guess it happens for a reason."

From that point on, the Hawkeyes played like they could've kept the raindrops out of the end zone, if they'd just put it in their defensive playbook. Over the remaining 58-plus minutes, Penn State would come within 30 yards of the goal line just once.

So, by the time Adrian Clayborn, Iowa's long-haired bulldozer of a defensive end, returned a blocked Penn State punt for an 11-10 lead early in the fourth quarter, the defense had finished what it started, another upset victory over Penn State.

"The defense played outstanding today," said last year's hero, kicker Daniel Murray. "They kept us in the game."

And then they won it with the finest 15 minutes of defensive football this season.

The Hawkeyes' fourth quarter was a study in the sort of pressure that causes a top-10 team to wilt in front of a city of its own fans. In four possessions, the Lions had a punt blocked, fumbled the ball, and Clark, who threw just six interceptions last season, tossed two picks.

The white-out turned into a washout; the Lions turned into lambs. Iowa 21, Penn State 10.

"That was really something to see," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said of his defense's final quarter. "Our guys really knuckled down."

And hopefully everyone was paying attention. It's well past time to give Iowa its due.

The Hawkeyes probably aren't national title contenders -- you need look no further than quarterback Ricky Stanzi's confused 11-of-26, two interception line -- not in the era of the big-play offense, at least, but they're every bit a threat in the Big Ten. And in a season where wins over Memphis and Southeast Louisiana, were enough to confirm Ole Miss's bona fides as the nation's No. 4 team, the Hawkeyes certainly deserve a spot among the nation's 20 best.

Granted, they aren't spectacular. There's not much about the team that would you make worry about missing something while you went to get a beer. The Hawkeyes needed to force four turnovers against Penn State and even then the offense barely had enough mustard to bring home a win.

But on a day when the promise of the spectacular turned the No. 9 team into a 24-point loser and the No. 6 team into a 39-point flop, Iowa affirmed the value of the steady over the stunning.

Still, the Hawekeyes play in the Big Ten, a league whose reputation is about as hip as Joe Paterno's cabana wear, so the benefit of the doubt is squarely against Ferentz's team.

After the Hawkeyes needed two blocked field goals to beat Northern Iowa - a team that has since beaten its last three opponents 131-14 -- in Week 1, Iowa dropped out of the rankings. Despite a 27-17 win over Arizona last week, they've yet to come close to returning.

Go ahead, name one other Big Six team that's ever won its first three games, including two wins over BCS teams, and still fell out of the rankings. We'll wait.

More perplexing, in the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world of college football, Iowa has done everything. Only Florida has a longer winning streak that the Hawkeyes' eight in a row. The last time Iowa lost on the first day of November, 2008, TARP was still simply the thing you rolled out during a rain delay, and Sarah Palin had one eye on the vice presidency and another on Russia. The Hawkeyes even won a bowl game, and beat an SEC team at that - something Ohio State still hasn't done -- routing South Carolina in the Outback Bowl.

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STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 26: Rafael Eubanks #52 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates a 21-10 victory over the Penn State Nittnay Lions on September 26, 2009 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rafael Eubanks
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    STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 26: Adam Robinson #32 of the Iowa Hawkeyes runs for a fourth quarter touchdown trough the tackle of Josh Hull #43 of the Penn State Nittnay Lions on September 26, 2009 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. Iowa won the game 21-10. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Adam Robinson;Josh Hull

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    STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 26: Rafael Eubanks #52 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates a 21-10 victory over the Penn State Nittnay Lions on September 26, 2009 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rafael Eubanks

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    STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 26: Ricky Stanzi #12 of the Iowa Hawkeyes along with Adam Robinson #32 and Brett Morse #36 celebrate a 21-10 victory over the Penn State Nittnay Lions with Iowa fans on September 26, 2009 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ricky Stanzi;Adam Robinson;Brett Morse

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    STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 26: Adrian Clayborn #94 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates a 21-10 victory over the Penn State Nittnay Lions on September 26, 2009 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Adrian Clayborn

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    STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 26: Ricky Stanzi #12 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates a 21-10 victory over the Penn State Nittnay Lions with Travis Meade #61 on September 26, 2009 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ricky Stanzi;Travis Meade

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    STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 26: Ricky Stanzi #12 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates a 21-10 victory over the Penn State Nittnay Lions with Travis Meade #61 on September 26, 2009 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ricky Stanzi;Travis Meade

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    HOUSTON - SEPTEMBER 26: Quarterback Taylor Potts #15 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders drops back in the pocket against the Houston Cougars at Robertson Stadium on September 26, 2009 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Taylor Potts

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    HOUSTON - SEPTEMBER 26: Running back Bryce Beall #25 of the Houston Cougars runs through the tackle of linebacker Marlon Williams #39 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Robertson Stadium on September 26, 2009 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Bryce Beall;Marlon Williams

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    HOUSTON - SEPTEMBER 26: Running back Baron Batch #25 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders rushes for a touchdown against the Houston Cougars at Robertson Stadium on September 26, 2009 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Baron Batch

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    HOUSTON - SEPTEMBER 26: Head coach Kevin Sumlin of the Houston Cougars runs out to the field through smoke while the Houston Cougars are introduced before playing against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Robertson Stadium on September 26, 2009 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Sumlin

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This season, they've compiled more wins over BCS teams than anyone in last week's top 10. Yet they were 30th in the AP poll, immediately behind Pitt, who played its first BCS opponent Saturday. And lost.

Now, the Hawkeyes, have one of the season's best victories, a defensive tap-out over a top-10 team on the road in front of a crowd 40,000 larger than all of Iowa City.

But will they finally earn notice as something other than the team that nearly lost to Northern Iowa?

Perhaps an impromptu meeting is in order, one with the same message as the Hawkeyes' early-game huddle: When it comes to Iowa football, first impressions aren't always accurate.

Hawkeyes Turn Lions Into Lambs originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ray HollomanSun, 27 Sep 2009 00:52:00 EST Iowa Defense Shuts Down Penn Statehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/26/iowa-defense-shuts-down-penn-state/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/26/iowa-defense-shuts-down-penn-state/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/26/iowa-defense-shuts-down-penn-state/#commentsFiled under: ,

STATE COLLEGE, Pa.(AP) -- Iowa slugged out an ugly win in soggy Happy Valley to upset Penn State for the second straight year.

Adrian Clayborn returned a block punt for a touchdown and the Hawkeyes beat mistake-prone No. 5 Penn State 21-10 on Saturday night.

A year after a stunning 24-23 win knocked the Nittany Lions out of the national title race, the Hawkeyes (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) took down Penn State (3-1, 0-1) again, this time in drenching rainstorm.

After falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter, Iowa's defense shut down quarterback Daryll Clark and the Penn State spread HD offense with withering pressure. Broderick Binns' sack led to a safety in the second quarter.

A defensive end, Clayborn rumbled 51 yards after blocking the punt to give Iowa an 11-10 lead with 12:21 left.

Clark was intercepted on the next drive to set up Adam Robinson's 13-yard touchdown run to put the Hawkeyes up 18-10 with 8:32 left.

It didn't get any better for Penn State.

A 36-yard punt return by Chaz Powell, plus a 15-yard personal foul penalty gave the Nittany Lions the ball at the Iowa 36 after Robinson's touchdown.

But tailback Evan Royster fumbled the ball away on the next play, appearing to lose control after trying to lunge for extra yardage.

Clark was intercepted again with four-plus minutes left.

It was a disappointing end to a strong start for Clark, who connected with Powell for a 79-yard touchdown pass on Penn State's first offensive play of the game.

After hitting his first five passes, Clark finished 12 of 32 for 198 yards with one TD and three interceptions.

Ricky Stanzi finished 11 of 26 for 135 yards and two interceptions for Iowa, and Robinson had 88 yards on 19 carries.

After opening the season with victories over three weak nonconference opponents, the Nittany Lions' offense failed its toughest test yet in tough Big Ten tilt.
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On defense, Penn State star linebacker Sean Lee (left knee) didn't play, but the Lions got a boost from the return of fellow standout Navorro Bowman from a right groin injury. They held an opponent without a touchdown in the first half for the fourth straight game.

Iowa's defense was just as stout.

Penn State followed up their nice first quarter with three straight three-and-outs, including Binns' sack of Clark in the end zone that led to the safety.

The Hawkeyes ruined Penn State's "Whitehouse,'' in which the school asked its fans to wear white team gear. Over 109,000 people packed Beaver Stadium.

In the end, it was the loud Iowa fans in bright yellow clothing that stood out in sad Happy Valley.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Iowa Defense Shuts Down Penn State originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 26 Sep 2009 23:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>FanHouse NewswireSat, 26 Sep 2009 23:43:00 EST Pickin' On the Big Ten: V for Vendettahttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/24/pickin-on-the-big-ten-v-for-vendetta/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/24/pickin-on-the-big-ten-v-for-vendetta/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/24/pickin-on-the-big-ten-v-for-vendetta/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Penn State whiteout, 2007Every Thursday, Pickin' On the Big Ten previews the weekend's action, settling the scores before the scores are settled.

Penn State has declared that Saturday night's game with Iowa will be a "whiteout" game. That distinction is usually reserved for games of the utmost importance, and if you don't know why this game is so important to the Nittany Lions, you must not remember what happened last year in Iowa City. A Daniel Murray field goal put the Hawkeyes on top and ended any hopes Penn State had of getting blown out by Florida playing in the BCS National Championship Game. It's time for revenge.

Penn State, however, is not the only Big Ten team with a little revenge on its mind this weekend.

In Columbus, Ohio State has a score to settle with Illinois. The last time the Illini came to Columbus, back in 2007, Ron Zook's unranked team knocked off the No. 1 Buckeyes, 28-21. The loss didn't prevent Ohio State from getting beat by LSU playing in the BCS National Championship Game but it was an unwelcome humiliation that exposed some weaknesses. Would the Buckeyes like to exact revenge on the wobbling Illini? You don't need a Magic 8 Ball to tell you the answer.

Elsewhere in the conference, several teams aren't looking to settle old scores but do find themselves with things to prove. There's even another matchup of undefeated teams and oh boy, did we not see this one coming.

INDIANA @ MICHIGAN

The last time the Hoosiers beat the Wolverines was in 1987. That's a long time ago. The last time they beat the Wolverines in Ann Arbor was twenty years before then, in 1967. Jimi Hendrix was still alive; Kurt Cobain was seven months old.

After an eye-wateringly bad performance against Eastern Kentucky in the season opener, Bill Lynch's team has turned a corner of sorts, beating Western Michigan in a thriller and going on the road to Akron to win in an impressive performance last Saturday. The Hoosiers have installed a triple-threat running attack like they said they wanted to, but most impressive has been IU's improvement on defense.

Michigan, meanwhile, you know about. They didn't need any dramatics to beat that same Western Michigan team. They got a clutch win against Notre Dame, and they roughed up Eastern Michigan, who gave Northwestern more fight than the Wildcats were hoping for. They're off to a great start as well.

I'd like to think that Indiana has a real shot in this game. The improved defense along with a running game that is just starting to roll will probably make this game a little closer than Michigan partisans will be hoping for and may cause some reassessment of just how far "back" the Wolverines have come. However, the Hoosiers just haven't faced an offense with the kind of firepower Michigan can bring. As long as the Wolverines don't screw themselves over with turnovers and penalties, they should get some separation on IU in the second half. Michigan 34, Indiana 17.

MINNESOTA @ NORTHWESTERN

Northwestern lost to Syracuse last week. That could be my whole preview for this game.

Northwestern quarterback Mike KafkaOkay, so Syracuse doesn't look quite as dreadful this season as they have in recent years. It's kind of sad, though, that Northwestern's defense got caught in the lurch as many times as it did last week. That effectively negated a truly amazing performance by NU quarterback Mike Kafka, who was darn near brilliant last week (35 of 42 for 390 yards; 3 TDs against 1 INT, plus a touchdown reception). Still, how do you hold a team to 2 of 12 on third down, as Northwestern did last week, and still let the Orange get in position for a game-winning field goal? Northwestern has a lot of growing to do on defense.

Minnesota lost last week as well but it wasn't a bad loss, as if any loss was ever good. They hung with California, a legitimate top-ten team in my eyes, well into the fourth quarter. If Jahvid Best hadn't been in the game the Gophers might easily have won.

So far Tim Brewster's efforts to reestablish Minnesota as a rushing team haven't exactly panned out. The Gophers haven't rushed for more than 112 yards in any game and were held to just 37 yards last week by Cal. Good. Less running means more passing, which means more Eric Decker, which means more times when we all wonder how this guy slipped under so many radar screens when he was in high school. It's hard to think of a college team Decker would not start for.

Northwestern's faltering defense leaves the offense with little margin for error. That's not such a good thing when you're facing a team which just had to deal with the best running back in the country. NU will have to throw to beat the Gophers, but then, Mike Kafka is coming off an incredible week of throwing the ball and the Minnesota secondary can be beaten. This game could turn into a shootout; if it does, I think that favors the Gophers. Minnesota 38, Northwestern 31.

ILLINOIS @ OHIO STATE

As previously mentioned, Ohio State has a score to settle with Illinois. Nobody comes into the Horseshoe and wins without becoming a target. Some targets the Buckeyes can't hit; some they can. Illinois? Very hittable.

The Illini have only played two games, losing big to Missouri and having an easy time with Illinois State prior to taking last week off. Juice Williams was hurt early in the Illinois State game but is expected back. He hasn't attempted a pass since September 5, and that might be a bigger concern.

Meanwhile, Arrelious Benn is expected to return from the high ankle sprain he suffered against Missouri. Rejus has caught only one pass this season. Look for him to be a much larger part of the offense this week, assuming he's healthy.

Illinois will also have to do without middle linebacker Martez Wilson, lost for the season with a neck injury. Wilson was expected to anchor the Illinois defense but had come under criticism in some corners for not being aggressive enough, particularly in tackling. Regardless, Wilson would have helpful in defending against Terrelle Pryor's mobility, so he'll be missed.

As for Ohio State, they certainly worked out their frustrations against Toledo last week, blanking the Rockets 38-0. By now Jim Tressel probably has his team's confidence back at an acceptable level. Blowing up Illinois would go a long, long way towards getting the Buckeye swagger back. With Illinois having questions on defense and injuries on offense, and Ohio State looking for payback, well, kaboom. Ohio State 31, Illinois 10.

Penn State running back Evan RoysterIOWA @ PENN STATE

I don't care that Keith Jackson is 80 years old and retired. He should be broadcasting this game. It's his sort of game. Two teams known for the strength, size and prowess of their "big uglies," two teams with quite a recent history between them, the two longest-tenured coaches in the conference, going at each other in the first game of the conference season in front of the whole nation. That's a situation that just calls for Keith Jackson. Plus there's at least a slight chance we'd get to hear Keith say the name "Derrell Johnson-Koulianos." How brain-flipping awesome would that be? Answer: very.

These two teams are known for the stoutness of their defenses, and that's where all the intrigue will be in this game. The outcome will depend on which team can force the other team's offense to do something it really doesn't want to do, before that offense forces the defense out of its comfort zone.

For instance, Iowa has been almost impossible to pass on so far this season. If Penn State can find a way to move the ball through the air, that should open up the running lanes for Evan Royster and his backfield brethren. But if the Hawkeyes can make it clear that Daryll Clark's passing isn't going to beat them, they'll have the luxury of selling out to stop the run and watching Penn State go three-and-out over and over again.

On the other hand, Iowa really doesn't want to run the ball. I mean, they want to run the ball, but they know they're not experienced and haven't faced a front seven like Penn State's. Penn State can probably leave eight in the box and keep the Hawkeyes from going anywhere.

Thus we have the key to success for each offense. Penn State needs to attack Iowa's known liability, the underneath crossing routes. The sooner they force Iowa to keep a linebacker back from the line of scrimmage, the sooner Evan Royster can really start pounding the rock. Iowa needs essentially the same thing. If they force the Nits to leave a fourth man in coverage, their two-tailback scheme might soften up and confuse that front seven. Even though the strength of each defense is different, the strategy for moving the ball is essentially the same and the first team to get the passing game going will have a huge advantage.

That is not good news for the Hawkeyes. Ricky Stanzi plays like Peyton Manning in the second half of games, but in the first half he plays like Ryan Leaf. You hate to think that a team's chances in a game this big come down to one guy, but if Stanzi comes out as cold as he's come out in every game this season, Iowa doesn't have much of a chance. Daryll Clark and his cadre of disrespected wideouts will find a crack or two in the Hawkeye pass defense, but it won't be easy.

Stanzi has never started in a road game this big before and no, the Iowa State game doesn't count. I'm not saying I don't believe in him; I'm just saying I don't trust him to come out firing on all cylinders. Penn State 20, Iowa 17.

NOTRE DAME @ PURDUE

"I don't think anybody has an answer for Ralph Bolden," I wrote last week. Well, Northern Illinois sure did, holding Purdue's leading rusher to just 64 yards on 12 carries. What was their secret? Ball control. Bolden can't rush the ball if he's not on the field.

Notre Dame figures to go to the running game a little more often this week now that Michael Floyd has been lost for the season. Their run defense will have to improve somewhat if they want to keep this from being too much of a game. The Irish allowed both Nevada's Vai Taua and Michigan's Brandon Minor to go over 100 yards. If Bolden gets even a sniff of that sort of success, the Boilermakers could make it an uncomfortable afternoon for Charlie Weis.

Purdue can't win this game, however. They don't have the defense to slow down the Irish, who have far more talent than they do. The Boilers can make a game of it, perhaps even through three quarters, but Jimmy Clausen is just getting too good. Notre Dame 34, Purdue 24.

Michigan State quarterback Kirk CousinsMICHIGAN STATE @ WISCONSIN

Technically every game is a "must-win" for both teams, but man, Michigan State needs a win in the worst way. Back-to-back soulcrushing losses have many people writing the Spartans off. And why not? No one in East Lansing is happy with how the team has looked this year. Some fans are even turning on starting quarterback Kirk Cousins. Yes, he's only hitting on 65.7 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and one interception. Clearly, he's the problem. Can't be the league's second-worst running offense and absolute worst pass defense.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, is 3-0 but hasn't been impressive in any of its victories. Not even last week's scheduled beatdown of Wofford. The Badgers fumbled the ball six times against the Terriers and are lucky they only lost three of them. A better question, though, is why they're running the ball so much. Sure, they're Wisconsin, and that's what they do. They're not doing it as well as they used to, however. And what is this, a Wisconsin quarterback who can actually throw the ball well? Yes, that would be Scott Tolzien, currently second in QB rating among Big Ten starting quarterbacks. Who is he behind? You guessed it. Kirk Cousins. How dare he only lead the conference by 2.5 rating points!

Generally speaking it's a bad idea to pick a desperate, struggling team in a must-win game on the road. I think I'll stick to that logic. Wisconsin 27, Michigan State 26.

Next week's games:
  • Penn State @ Illinois: Trap game?
  • Ohio State @ Indiana: Definitely not a trap game
  • Arkansas State @ Iowa: A little bread and circus for the masses
  • Michigan @ Michigan State : Speaking of vendettas
  • WIsconsin @ Minnesota: A better game than you think
  • Northwestern @ Purdue: Fighting to stay alive in the race for Detroit

Pickin' On the Big Ten: V for Vendetta originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>arrelious bennarreliousbennbill lynchBillLynchdaniel murrayDanielMurraydaryll clarkDaryllClarkderrell johnson-koulianosDerrellJohnson-koulianoseric deckerEricDeckerevan roysterEvanRoysterfalsejim tresselJimTresseljuice williamsJuiceWilliamskeith jacksonKeithJacksonkirk cousinsKirkCousinsmartez wilsonmartezwilsonmike kafkaMikeKafkapickinonthebigtenralph boldenRalphBoldenricky stanziRickyStanziron zookRonZookscott tolzienScottTolzienMark HastyThu, 24 Sep 2009 09:45:00 EST Iowa Shuts Down Arizonahttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/19/iowa-shuts-down-arizona/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/19/iowa-shuts-down-arizona/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/19/iowa-shuts-down-arizona/#commentsFiled under: ,

IowaIt was a measure of revenge for the Big Ten this afternoon in Iowa City as the Iowa Hawkeyes knocked off the Arizona Wildcats, 27-17.

The Hawkeyes were led by their defense, which held Arizona's powerful rushing attack to 146 yards and kept the nation's No. 2 rusher, Arizona's Nic Grigsby, to just 74 yards on 11 carries. Arizona didn't score an offensive touchdown until 1:55 remained in the fourth quarter and only managed eight first downs all afternoon.

Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi started slowly, throwing a first-quarter interception which Arizona's Trevin Wade returned for a touchdown. Stanzi finished 20 of 32 for 205 yards.

Iowa's running game, which was thought to be a lost cause when projected starter Jewel Hampton went down with a kneee injury during the preseason, helped the Hawkeyes hold onto a lead from the second quarter on. Freshman running backs Adam Robinson and Brandon Wegher both scored touchdowns on goal line plunges, Robinson from one yard out and Wegher from two.

Still, the Iowa defense was the difference maker today. The Hawkeye pass defense made Arizona quarterback Matt Scott struggle to find an open receiver. Scott completed only four of his fourteen pass attempts. He was replaced by backup Nick Foles early in the fourth quarter in what has to be considered an act of mercy.

The win doesn't exactly settle the score between the Pac 10 and Big Ten but it does leave Iowa as the last Big Ten team to win a bowl game and the last Big Ten team to defeat a team from the Pac 10, the SEC (South Carolina in last season's Outback Bowl), and the Big 12 (Iowa State last week).

For Arizona coach Mike Stoops it was an unpleasant return to Iowa City. Stoops played defensive back for the Hawkeyes in the eary 1980s, as did his older brother, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, and his younger brother, Arizona defensive coordinator Mark Stoops.

Arizona fell to 2-1 on the season in advance of a trip to Oregon State next Saturday. The 3-0 Hawkeyes will travel into a Happy Valley whiteout next weekend to face Penn State.

Iowa Shuts Down Arizona originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Adam Robinsonbrandon wegherBrandonWeghermatt scottMattScottmike stoopsMikeStoopsnic grigsbyNicGrigsbyricky stanziRickyStanziTrevin WadeMark HastySat, 19 Sep 2009 19:21:00 EST Pickin' On the Big Ten: Jim Tressel Is Not On the Hot Seathttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/17/pickin-on-the-big-ten-jim-tressel-is-not-on-the-hot-seat-peop/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/17/pickin-on-the-big-ten-jim-tressel-is-not-on-the-hot-seat-peop/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/17/pickin-on-the-big-ten-jim-tressel-is-not-on-the-hot-seat-peop/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ohio State football coach Jim TresselEvery Thursday, Pickin' On the Big Ten previews the weekend's action, or lack thereof.

There are weeks when many of us would trade lives with Jim Tressel. This is not one of those weeks.

Not only did his Buckeyes fail to finish USC when they had the Trojans on the ropes, Tressel also saw "Tresselball" ripped apart by Chris Brown of Smart Football, faced a fan base who want him fired three days ago, had to lash back at some of those same fans, discovered that one of USC's touchdowns may not have happened, and now he has to face a Toledo team that just mashed Colorado into goo.

Yes, there are a lot of reasons why you wouldn't want to be Jim Tressel this week, but "because he's on the hot seat" isn't one of them.

Here is what you have to do to stay off the hot seat at OSU: beat Michigan, and win the Big Ten a lot. Yes, these big-game losses sting, but all is forgotten in the October haze of thrashing all the Big Ten's darkhorse contenders.

Conversely, what do you have to do to get fired in Columbus? You must either (A) lose three or more games eight seasons in a row like Earle Bruce did, (B) lose to Michigan 10 times in 13 tries like John Cooper did, or (C) punch out a Clemson linebacker like Woody Hayes did.

It's hard to imagine Jim Tressel punching anybody, so let's forget about that. At Tressel's current rate of losing to Michigan once every eight years, he'll need until 2079 just to lose to them ten times. He'll have to go the Earle Bruce route before he gets canned. Even then it'll take until 2016 at the earliest.

Maybe Ohio State fans are cursing themselves, and their team, with low expectations. Maybe they're just realistic about what they can expect. Who knows? Bucknuts will be happy to tell you that they're the most dominant team in the Big Ten, even if the rest of the college football world thinks that's like saying you're the best-looking person at the truck stop. Pride is pride, and as long as there's something to brag about, everything is fine in Columbus.

Now, on to the games.

Indiana running back Demetrius McCrayINDIANA @ AKRON

The Hoosiers finally got their ground game going against Western Michigan last week, with Demetrius McCray running for 134 yards and a touchdown. Now they're off to Akron as the first big-name opponent in the Zips' new InfoCision Stadium. Akron was pretty much useless against Penn State in the season opener but responded by blowing up Morgan State last weekend. Indiana is a little bit closer to Morgan State's level than it is to Penn State's level, but the Hoosiers should still be good enough to pull off the road win. Indiana 23, Akron 17.

ARIZONA @ IOWA

If you're only going to watch one Big Ten game this weekend, this should be it. On the face of things it looks like a total yawner: two defense-oriented teams, one with an offensive identity (Arizona), one without (Iowa). Sounds like a formula for a 7-6 punting festival, and that's how this could turn out.

There's tremendous backstory involving Arizona coach Mike Stoops, a former Hawkeye defensive back who had to coach for his job last season and succeeded. He and his little brother Mark, who is Arizona's defensive coordinator, now come back to Iowa City to try to get a signature road win for their ascending program.

Dee Stoops, mother of the Stoops brothers, is making the trip to Iowa City. Back in the 1980s, the Stoops family used to park their car at Kirk Ferentz's house on game days. I'm guessing that probably won't happen now; from what I gather, it's quite a walk from Kirk's new digs to Kinnick Stadium.

The Hawkeyes don't lose many games at Kinnick these days. Arizona is a solid team that just needs a little more offense, but you can ask Central Michigan about the Arizona defense. The Chippewas didn't get a touchdown on their trip to Tucson; East Lansing proved a bit friendlier.

Arizona has struggled to establish a passing game. Iowa is not the team you want to try to establish a passing game against. What Amari Spievey doesn't shut down, Tyler Sash and Brett Greenwood will intercept. Zona should stop Iowa's fragile rushing attack, but Ricky Stanzi is far more likely to get a hot hand than Arizona's Matt Scott. Welcome back, Mike; sorry things couldn't be more accomodating. Iowa 17, Arizona 10.

EASTERN MICHIGAN @ MICHIGAN

The Wolverines' stay in the top 25 could be short-lived if they can't beat EMU more convincingly than Northwestern did last week. NU needed a last-second field goal to beat Ron English's crew, who seem intent on letting everybody know they're tired of getting kicked around.

The Eagles haven't faced anything like what they're going to see from Rich Rodriguez's offense. Army is an option team, and they beat the Eagles. Northwestern is still rebuilding its offense, and they beat the Eagles. Michigan is getting pretty good at the spread option and, well, they're going to beat the Eagles too. Michigan 45, Eastern Michigan 7.

MICHIGAN STATE @ NOTRE DAME

Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy ClausenI thought Mark Dantonio had made the Spartan's trademark Nonconference Brain Fart Game a thing of the past, but I guess not. Cultural change is a gradual process, after all.

The good news for Michigan State is that the old Bobby Williams/John L. Smith Spartans almost always followed up their annual Nonconference Brain Fart Game with a game where they played at near-apocalyptic levels of intensity. They will need that in South Bend against a Notre Dame crew eager to prove that they might belong in the top 25 after all.

This will be the best defense Michigan State has faced this season, though truthfully, Notre Dame's offense is probably on a par with Central Michigan's. That's not to say the ND offense is weak; CMU just has a pretty good offense. I've always had confidence in Mark Dantonio's ability to coach up a defense, but I'm a little less sure after MSU couldn't get big stops when they really needed them.

Nobody really wants to admit that Jimmy Clausen is getting better week by week, but he is. His experience will be the difference in this game. Notre Dame 28, Michigan State 24.

CALIFORNIA @ MINNESOTA

One week after it opened, TCF Bank Stadium gets its first big game. California is coming to town, bringing its scary good running back Jahvid Best. This is not what a team that beat Syracuse by a field goal really wants to see. Factor in that Cal has dropped half a hundred on both of its first two opponents (Maryland and Eastern Washington) and it's pretty hard to imagine Minnesota even coming close in this game.

But ... do you believe in TCF magic? Do you think the football gods will smile on the Gophers for going back outside, where football is meant to be played? Do you think Nate Triplett can play out of his mind once again and frustrate the usually reliable Cal offense? Do you think that a team which held Air Force under to 261 yards of rushing can do the same to Jahvid Best? Do you think that maybe, just maybe, the need to defend their new stadium will motivate the Gophers to shock the world and beat a top ten team?

Yeah, I don't think so either. I do think they'll hold the Bears under 50, though. California 38, Minnesota 13.

NORTHWESTERN @ SYRACUSE

So far Syracuse has played more Big Ten games than any Big Ten team has. This will be their third, and it's actually hard to predict what's going to happen here. It wouldn't have been so hard if Northwestern had been able to take care of business against Eastern Michigan last week. The Wildcats looked like anything but a great team last week, however.

Not only that but -- get this -- Syracuse actually scored a touchdown on Penn State last week. Sure, it was late and against the scrubs, but the fact that it happened at all represents considerable progress from last season.

It's still not enough, though. Northwestern should ride its running game straight into, and out of, the Carrier Dome. Northwestern 34, Syracuse 10.

OHIO STATE "@" TOLEDO (game played at Cleveland)

You've already had enough talk about Tresselball this week, and so have I. So let's talk about Toledo and their chances of running with the Buckeyes. Through two games, the Rockets are averaging more than 550 yards of offense and 34.5 points per game. Toledo quarterback Aaron Opelt has already thrown for almost 750 yards with a TD/INT ratio of 7/2.

This performance has come against Purdue, who has some serious defensive issues, and Colorado, whose defense is a figment of Dan Hawkins' imagination. More to the point, Toledo has given up almost 500 yards a game as well. Purdue's offense is clicking and Colorado's isn't quite as terrible as you might think, while Ohio State has looked like a team with some work to do.

Here's a good chance for them to do that work. This won't be a big enough blowout to placate all the Ohio State fans, but it should put an end to Aaron Opelt's Heisman campaign. Ohio State 35, Toledo 17.

TEMPLE @ PENN STATE

If you're wondering when this ridiculously soft nonconference schedule is going to rear up and bite the Nittany Lions, next week would be a good place to start. Give Joe Paterno credit, though; he's holding down the scores so his offense doesn't get overconfident, while making his defense work as hard as it will have to down the stretch. That's what have to you do when your AD signs a contract with Dolly Madison to provide your nonconference opponents. Penn State 34, Temple 0.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS @ PURDUE

Purdue running back Ralph BoldenThe Boilermakers were two points and several dozen mental errors away from beating Oregon on the road last week. The Huskies played Wisconsin tough and blew out Western Illinois last Saturday. To win here they'll have to find an answer to the question "How do we slow down Ralph Bolden?"

I'm not sure anybody has an answer to that question yet. Purdue 45, Northern Illinois 21.

WOFFORD @ WISCONSIN

Wisconsin is 2-0, but it's a soft 2-0. The Badgers have been unimpressive in both of their victories, letting Northern Illinois back into the game in the fourth quarter and needing double overtime to beat Fresno State.

If there's anything hopeful for the Badgers, it's that the passing game has been there when they needed it, unlike the last couple seasons, and that John Clay responded to his demotion the way you would hope he would have: by playing like a man with something to prove. Clay was brilliant last week against Fresno State. He busted a 72-yard touchdown run en route to 143 yards of total rushing. The defense, however ... yikes. It's going to be a long season if the Badgers don't find a way to stiffen up their D.

Right now Bret Bielema needs a solid, convincing win to get the fans believing that this year will be better than last year was. A visit from Wofford would seem to be just what they need, but Badger fans still haven't forgotten last season's near-loss to Cal Poly. If the Wofford game is like that, they'll be calling for Bielema's head all the way from Oshmilwaunamoc to Lake Winneboognish.

Wofford has absolutely no passing game, so the Badgers should prevail. Wisconsin 34, Wofford 3.

Know Your Nonconference Tomato Can: Wofford

Former Air Force football coach Fisher DeBerryOf all the colleges playing Division I football, one of them has to be the smallest, and here it is. Wofford College enrolls just 1,450 students, or about as many as the typical freshman biology lecture at a Big Ten school.

Located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Wofford College was founded in 1854 with money from the estate of Rev. Benjamin Wofford, a Methodist minister. The entire 170 acre campus is on the National Register of Historic Places. Wofford is highly ranked by US News and World Report and The Princeton Review. It shows in a student body with high grades and SAT scores. 58% of Wofford students graduated in the top 10% of their high school classes.

For such a small school, Wofford has made a couple notable contributions to the world of sports. Longtime Air Force Academy football coach Fisher DeBerry (pictured) is an alumnus, as is Jerry Richardson, owner of the NFL's Carolina Panthers. Not bad for a school that was in the NAIA as recently as 1988.

Next week's games:
  • Indiana @ Michigan: Sure hope the Hoosiers enjoyed being undefeated
  • Minnesota @ Northwestern: Return of three yards and a cloud of dust
  • Illinois @ Ohio State: Has Zook got one more upset in him?
  • Iowa @ Penn State: Somebody's dreams get crushed in this one
  • Notre Dame @ Purdue: Boilers' first experience against a good defense
  • Michigan State @ Wisconsin: Only one of these teams is for real

Pickin' On the Big Ten: Jim Tressel Is Not On the Hot Seat originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Aaron OpeltAmari Spieveybret bielemaBretBielemabrett greenwoodBrettGreenwoodDemetrius McCrayjahvid bestJahvidBestjim tresseljimmy clausenJimmyClausenJimTresseljohn clayJohnClaykirk ferentzKirkFerentzmark dantonioMarkDantoniomatt scottMattScottmike stoopsMikeStoopsnate triplettNateTriplettpickin on the big tenPickinOnTheBigTenralph boldenRalphBoldenrich rodriguezRichRodriguezricky stanziRickyStanziron englishRonEnglishtyler sashTylerSashMark HastyThu, 17 Sep 2009 21:00:00 EST