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/Coveted Minnesota Prep Lineman Prepares for Next Big Stagehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/26/coveted-minnesota-prep-lineman-prepares-for-next-big-stage/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/26/coveted-minnesota-prep-lineman-prepares-for-next-big-stage/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/26/coveted-minnesota-prep-lineman-prepares-for-next-big-stage/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Seantrel HendersonCan Cretin-Derham Hall keep its aerial circus and powerful ground game going for one last game? Seantrel Henderson thinks so.

Henderson, the massive senior offensive lineman and top-ranked recruit in the country, ends his stellar Raiders football career on Minnesota's brightest stage Friday. That's when No. 2 Cretin-Derham (11-1) faces No. 1 Eden Prairie (12-0) in the Class 5A state championship at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.

All eyes have been on Henderson, who has been very deliberative in his college selection process and is not expected to announce his decision until February's National Signing Day.

Henderson, who made an unofficial visit to the University of Iowa last Saturday with teammate/quarterback Mark Alt, continues to list Florida, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Ohio State, USC and Minnesota among his favorites.

"I pretty much take everything in, like all the information at every school that I go to," Henderson said of his approach to recruiting. "I'm going to try to have a notebook of everything just so I can compare all the schools when I'm done."

At 6-foot-8 and 300 pounds, Henderson is also an accomplished basketball player and will soon join the Raiders team.

Of course, Henderson's immediate focus is on Eden Prairie, which earned an opportunity to pursue a seventh state title with a stifling 17-0 victory over No. 10 Mounds View last Friday. The Eagles limited Mounds View to 47 total yards on 39 plays, forced four turnovers and registered six sacks.

Cretin-Derham Hall, meanwhile, earned its shot at a second title with an easy 45-19 win over Brainerd. The Raiders amassed 342 yards in the first half and 563 in the game. Alt threw two touchdowns on 15-of-17 passing for 233 yards.

Cretin-Derham Hall advances to the big-school championship game for the seventh time since 1988. Eden Prairie easily beat Cretin-Derham 50-21 in Henderson's sophomore season in the 2007 title game.

Friday's game won't be Henderson's last at the prep level. He also has committed to play in the 10th annual U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 9 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The game will be broadcast nationally by NBC.

The 2010 Under Armour All-America game kicks off the post-season all-star games on Jan. 2 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. The game will be broadcast nationally by ESPN.

Henderson is one of six players ranked among the top-10 recruits in the Class of 2010 by Rivals.com who remains uncommitted.

The group includes No. 4 Lache Seastrunk (running back, Temple, Texas), No. 5 Ronald Powell (defensive end, Moreno Valley, Calif.), No. 6 Jackson Jeffcoat (defensive end, Plano, Texas), No. 7 Marcus Lattimore (running back, Duncan, S.C.), and No. 8 Sharif Floyd (defensive tackle, Philadelphia).

Henderson has held the top spot the entire recruiting season.

"Physically one of the biggest offensive linemen in the country," Rivals.com recruiting analyst Barry Every writes of Henderson.

"Henderson will remind some observers of Ohio State offensive tackle Mike Adams. Upper and lower body structure is in proportion and he has the powerful base to blow anyone off the line of scrimmage.

"Henderson has offers from almost every college in the country, and once he starts year-round focus on football, he should develop into a first-round draft pick."

Rivals.com has been in existence since the Class of 2002. That group of prospects was led by top-ranked quarterback Vince Young of Houston.

Thirty-six of the Rivals100 in the class of 2002 made it to the NFL, including Young, who starred at the University of Texas and was the third overall selection in the 2006 Draft by the Tennessee Titans.

Coveted Minnesota Prep Lineman Prepares for Next Big Stage originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Seantrel HendersonJim HenryThu, 26 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST No Surprise as Ohio State Tops Michiganhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/21/no-surprise-ohio-state-handles-michigan/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/21/no-surprise-ohio-state-handles-michigan/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/21/no-surprise-ohio-state-handles-michigan/#commentsFiled under: ,


"For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'" -- John Greenleaf Whittier

For Michigan it really might have been, if not for a dreadful game by Tate Forcier and the Wolverine offense. Rich Rodriguez's squad fell to Ohio State 21-10 today, keeping Michigan out of the postseason for the second year in a row.

Forcier threw four interceptions. He also fumbled in Michigan's end zone on the Wolverines' opening drive, which OSU recovered for a touchdown.

The Wolverines, who came into the game with the Big Ten's top rushing offense, could only generate 80 ground yards against the typically stout Buckeye defense. OSU running backs Dan Herron and Brandon Saine each rushed for more yards than the entire Michigan team, and quarterback Terrelle Pryor came close to doing the same. Pryor did not have a great game through the air, however, going 9-of-17 for just 67 yards with one touchdown and one pick.
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Three of Forcier's four interceptions happened on successive drives in the fourth quarter, killing any hopes of a Michigan comeback. Greg Robinson's defense did its part to keep the Wolverines in the game during the final period, but every time the offense got something going, the Buckeyes forced a turnover.

Ohio State now awaits the outcome of several games to determine its opponent in the Rose Bowl. That determination may not be made until Dec. 5th, leaving a two-week period of preparing for no one in particular. Michigan, meanwhile, has less uncertainty about its next opponent. Their match with Connecticut is just 287 days away.

No Surprise as Ohio State Tops Michigan originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brandon Sainedan herrongreg robinsonrich rodrigueztate forcierterrelle pryorMark HastySat, 21 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST Ohio State-Michigan Game 2009: Live Twitter Updateshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/21/ohio-state-michigan-game-2009-live-twitter-updates/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/21/ohio-state-michigan-game-2009-live-twitter-updates/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/21/ohio-state-michigan-game-2009-live-twitter-updates/#commentsFiled under: ,

The Ohio State-Michigan game has always been my personal favorite college football rivalry, dating back to my days as a 5-year-old living near Ann Arbor and worshiping Bo Schembechler. OSU vs. Michigan 2009 doesn't figure to be one of the legendary games -- it might not even be a very good game -- but I'll be watching, and I'll be tweeting my observations while I watch.

And since I'm a sucker for rivalry games, I'll also be tweeting about lesser rivalries like the Harvard-Yale game as well. Follow along below or follow me on Twitter @MichaelDavSmith.

Twitter Updates on Ohio State vs. Michigan 2009

Ohio State-Michigan Game 2009: Live Twitter Updates originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Michael David SmithSat, 21 Nov 2009 12:05:00 EST Pickin' on the Big Ten: The Rich Rodriguez Spread Dilemmahttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/19/pickin-on-the-big-ten-the-rich-rodriguez-spread-dilemma/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/19/pickin-on-the-big-ten-the-rich-rodriguez-spread-dilemma/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/19/pickin-on-the-big-ten-the-rich-rodriguez-spread-dilemma/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Michigan football coach Rich RodriguezEvery Thursday, Pickin' on the Big Ten previews the upcoming weekend's games and ponders the meaning of it all, staring into the yawning existential void and calling a fullback dive on third-and-seven.

With one more loss, Michigan will become ineligible for a bowl game for the second season in a row. This has not happened since W.A. "Brad" Thornwhistle's disastrous first two seasons in 1847 and 1848. To avoid this horrible dishonor, all the Wolverines have to do is to beat Ohio State on Saturday. That will keep them alive for the Little Caesar's Pizza! Pizza! Bowl Bowl.

In other words, Michigan fans will be home for the holidays again.

Watching Michigan struggle is the very definition of "schadenfreude" for fans of all the other Big Ten teams. There's a reason I stuck the Wolverines with the team name "ALMOST AS GOOD AS WE THINK WE ARE" when I started writing Pickin' 11 seasons ago. The Wolverines were just coming off Lloyd Carr's national championship season. The Buckeyes were nearing the tail end of their John Cooper hangover. Wolverine fans never missed a chance to brag up their own team and run down everybody else's.

(Now do you understand why I threw your team under the bus last week, Buckeye fans?)

The current malaise at Michigan is nothing more than the latest example of that ancient statistical concept "regression to the mean." Everything averages out in the long run, and every program, without exception, no matter how big it thinks it is, hits a stretch of futility or near-futility. If Oklahoma, Alabama, Nebraska, USC, Texas, and even Ohio State have had to endure these little seasick stretches, there's no reason why the same fate can't befall the Wolverines.

"But ... but ... we're Michigan!" the fans protest. Yes, and you're almost as good as you think you are.

The dilemma for the Big Ten fan is fairly intense, however. It's great to see Michigan finally getting their comeuppance, but Rich Rodriguez was supposed to bring change to the conference. With his use of the spread offense and the inherent recruiting advantages that Michigan offers, there was a chance that the years of "three yards and a cloud of dust" would finally pass and Big Ten football could be brought at least into the mid-1990s.
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It isn't working out that well, of course. Instead we've got Tressel-ball continuing to dominate, with Kirk Ferentz's Midwestern version of Beamerball running close behind. The irony is that Michigan is leading the league in rushing and scoring, though those statistics are severely skewed by their first four games.

Even nationally, it's been a bad year for the spread. Look at Kansas. KansasCity.com did and found that KU's spread offense wasn't helping them very much, while Nebraska and Kansas State have risen to the top of the Big 12 North behind the sort of power running that was supposed to be obsolete. Georgia Tech's Paul Johnson is going to win the ACC with the triple option. What happened to this magic-bullet offense, this mystical Big Ten kryptonite?

Defensive coordinators fell out of love with the West Coast-killing Cover 2 and rediscovered man coverage. Doesn't matter how much you spread the field if nobody's open.

So now, for the non-Michigan big Ten fan, the issue becomes whether you want Rodriguez to succeed or not. There's no question the conference isn't the same with Michigan sputtering. Given the conference's reactionary tendencies, though, what happens if Rodriguez wins the conference next year behind a smaller, speedier, sneakier team? Does anybody really want to see a wholesale conversion to the spread just as it looks like that offensive scheme is starting its downward slide?

I don't. I just want to see coaches who actually want to win ball games and are willing to risk (gasp!) making a mistake or two in order to win. Not that I'm bitter about the last two minutes of last week's OSU/Iowa game or anything.

Right. The games.

Purdue quarterback Joey ElliottPurdue @ Indiana

There's nothing at stake here except pride. Neither team is going to a bowl game. That's a shame, as both these teams are better than their 4-7 records would indicate.

IU's conversion to the pistol offense didn't exactly work out the way it was supposed to. The fact that the Hoosiers got a running game going at all is impressive, but they're stuck in between Iowa and Minnesota at the very bottom of the conference rushing stats. The inability to kill the clock has burned IU more than once this season and has certainly contributed to their icky-looking defensive numbers.

Purdue, meanwhile, has come a long way from the their solid month of losing. The shutout by Wisconsin was an unfortunate burp, but otherwise this team doesn't lack fight.

Expect lots of passing in this game; it's what both teams do best. in the end I think Purdue's slightly better offensive balance will make the difference. Purdue 38, Indiana 27.

Minnesota @ Iowa

Last season the Hawkeyes closed the Gophers' Metrodome era in style with a 55-0 pants-blasting blitzkrieg. There is little reason to expect a wildly different result this year. James Vandenberg acquitted himself fairly well at Ohio Stadium last week, not folding up in the ultimate high-stress situation. This week at home, against a team with no offense and not much defense, and with another week to prepare, he should do just as well. Iowa 34, Minnesota 10.

Ohio State @ Michigan

Remember when this game used to mean something?

Let's face it, right now Michigan football is sort of like a Neil Hamburger standup routine. The timing's all wrong, stuff is flying all over the place, and you're really not sure how much of it you're supposed to be laughing at.

Ohio State, on the other hand, is sort of like a Jay Leno monologue. There's not a joke you can't finish before Leno himself does, but what do you know, he's always on. Ohio State 42, Michigan 13.

Michigan State defendersPenn State @ Michigan State

Now here's an intriguing game for you. Following the Iowa loss and a bad loss at Minnesota, it appears the Spartans are peaking at just the right time to make this match more of a tossup than you might expect.

The Nits have been money in their road games this season. All three of them. Yet Joe Paterno seems concerned. He knows that MSU takes this whole Land Grant Trophy thing very seriously, the Spartans are playing very well, and MSU's offense is hitting its stride after a half-season of confusion. I think the Nits are just a little too stout to lose this game, but Michigan State is going to push them much harder than they want to be pushed. Penn State 28, Michigan State 24.

Wisconsin @ Northwestern

They're fighting for the honor of Mike Hankwitz!

OK, OK, I kid, I kid. They're fighting for something, however. Northwestern recalls slipping way down to the Alamo Bowl last season because they couldn't seal the deal down the stretch (and because the Outback Bowl really wanted Iowa). Wisconsin would like to give Bret Bielema another 10-win season, which should shut the critics up for a couple years.

The Badgers have been shooting out the lights since their back-to-back losses to Ohio State and Iowa back in October. The untold story, however, is the power of the Badger defense, which has yet to surrender its 1,000th rushing yard and has given up fewer first downs than any other Big Ten defense.

That looms as a huge problem for a one-dimensional offense like Northwestern's. The Wildcats have never been able to make anything happen on the ground this season. With the weather looking cool and damp for Saturday, and Wisconsin coming to town, this probably isn't the weekend for them to start. Wisconsin 33, Northwestern 20.

Next week's ... um ... game:
  • Illinois @ Cincinnati: Look away. Look far away.


Pickin' on the Big Ten: The Rich Rodriguez Spread Dilemma originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>James Vandenbergjoe paternoPickin on the Big TenRich RodriguezMark HastyThu, 19 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST Big Ten Notebook: Ohio State Spiffs Uphttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/18/big-ten-notebook-ohio-state-spiffs-up/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/18/big-ten-notebook-ohio-state-spiffs-up/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/18/big-ten-notebook-ohio-state-spiffs-up/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Below, former Buckeye Raymont Harris models the uniforms Ohio State will wear this weekend.


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Big Ten Notebook: Ohio State Spiffs Up originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>james vandenbergMark Dantoniopat fitzgeraldricky stanziTrey StrossMark HastyWed, 18 Nov 2009 23:03:00 EST Blanket Coverage: Create November Saturday to Rememberhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/blanket-coverage-create-november-saturday-to-remember/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/blanket-coverage-create-november-saturday-to-remember/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/blanket-coverage-create-november-saturday-to-remember/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

BCS logoA playoff? No, thank you.

That said, please do not think for a second that I ravenously slurp the Kool-Aid that the BCS is attempting to serve. I don't want to see a playoff because I love the idea that you have to show up every Saturday, that each week the stakes get higher and the opponent, no matter what their record, gets tougher for an undefeated team. And I hate the idea of neutral-site playoff games in NFL cities in December and January (there's a reason that the SEC and Big 12 title games never have any juice).

It would not be a panacea, but the most effective step toward improving the current system would be to compel teams who are seriously interested in playing for the national championship to play 12 meaningful games. Which brings us to Saturday's slate.

Florida, the No. 1 team in the nation, hosts Florida International (3-7), which boasts the nation's 118th-rated total defense. No. 2 Alabama hosts Chattanooga, an FCS school. I agree that the SEC is the nation's toughest conference. I realize that Florida plays Florida State out-of-conference in two weeks. And I am aware that the Gators and Tide are not the only schools to schedule guaranteed victories in order to garner another home date and the booty that it entails (see, Washington State versus Notre Dame).

Think, however, how much more interesting the season might be if the NCAA were to designate either the second or third Saturday in November as a play-in weekend. Imagine if the FBS agreed that on that date the top eight schools would be required to play one another. On that weekend no intra-conference games would be scheduled (you could move up the beginning of conference play one week earlier in the season). The eight teams that would be dropped (e.g., FIU by Florida) would fall into a pool and play one another.

Home field among the top eight would be determined by higher ranking. Paul Johnson, the coach at No. 7 Georgia Tech, might not relish the idea of traveling to Tuscaloosa but he'd probably prefer that to not having a shot at the national title at all.

Sure, there are wrinkles that would need to be solved. What if the two schools had already met that season (switch the matchups)? Would the picture be any clearer after such a weekend, for instance, would an unbeaten No. 5 Cincinnati, having toppled No. 4 TCU, be any closer to a shot at the national championship game?

Ludicrous? In college football, something can never be done (e.g., games after New Year's Day, African-Americans on SEC rosters, instant replay) until someone decides that it can.

A mid-November winnowing of the contenders? I'd be thankful for that.

Hanging 50 on Troy ... that Was His Deal

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, when USC's Pete Carroll and Stanford's Jim Harbaugh met for the post-game handshake following the Cardinal's 55-21 de-pantsing of the Trojans, the conversation went thusly:

Carroll: "What's your deal? What's your deal?
Harbaugh: "What's your deal?"

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I'll take a wild guess and assume that this was not an impromptu dialogue between the two to compare contracts. What I cannot understand is why anyone who has seen Harbaugh operate the past few seasons is the least bit surprised that he went for the two-point conversion up 48-21.

The Cardinal had just scored and only 6:47 remained in the game. Harbaugh was likely figuring, When's the last time anyone hung 50 points on princely Pete (answer: never)? So he went for the deuce. Guarantee if the score were 47-21 at the time he would not have.

Stanford and USC compete for the same players in the same fertile Golden State breeding grounds. How much farther can Harbaugh puff out his pecs when he struts into a recruit's living room having not only beaten USC at the Los Angeles Coliseum but embarrassed them?

No punking of USC by Stanford could be complete, though, without a cruel and clever halftime performance by the Stanford band. They did not disappoint, performing a tribute to USC alum -- "Girls Gone Wild" creator-tax evader Joe Francis. I can only imagine what they are devising for Charlie Weis when the Irish visit Palo Alto in two weeks.


Records Are Made to Be Broken ... or Digitized and Sold on iTunes

A few weeks ago, when Florida's Tim Tebow was on the verge of breaking the SEC rushing touchdowns record of 49 set by Herschel Walker, fellow FanHouse scribe Clay Travis argued that the standards were unfair. Because the NCAA now includes bowl game statistics in overall stats, something that it did not do in Walker's era, Travis argued that the scales were unbalanced.

Either give Walker (the greatest college football player many of us ever saw) the five touchdowns that he scored in bowl games, making the record 54, or subtract from Tebow's total the two he has scored in January contests. Seems reasonable, which of course is why Clay's proposal was ignored by the SEC.

Now along comes a new stats controversy involving Tebow. Two years ago when he won the Heisman (which, by the way, he will not do this season), the Gator QB rushed for a single-season NCAA-record 23 touchdowns. On Saturday, Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs pulled to within one score of Tebow's mark when he ran it in five times against Delaware in the Mids' 35-18 win against Delaware.

Never mind that Dobbs' five touchdown runs went for a total of 10 yards. That's irrelevant. However, Delaware is an FCS school. If victories against FCS programs do not count toward a team's minimum number of wins required for bowl eligibility, should the statistics accrued in those contests count?

Dobbs is a terrific player, but five of his 22 rushing touchdowns -- nearly 25 percent -- came in what amounts to a glorified scrimmage. When he unseats Tebow, perhaps as early as Navy's next game at Hawaii on November 28, how will the Gainesville groupies react?

Distant Replay

Earlier this season a prominent college football writer on the web (that is no longer an oxymoron) told me that he'd be happy if every play were reviewed in the booth because he was all for getting the call right.

If only it were that simple.

After Pittsburgh beat Notre Dame Saturday night, assisted by an overturned call late in the fourth quarter, Irish coach Charlie Weis said, "It seems like the replay officials recently, every game you watch, they are the stars."

In their brief history, instant replay officials have become the most despised men in a glass booth since the "Deal or No Deal" banker. It need not be that way. A few suggested changes:

1. Unless these men can demonstrate that they understand the concept of "indisputable evidence" before overturning a call, then instant replay itself should cease to exist.

2. Instant replay officials need to get younger and fast. The majority of them are retired or near-retirement officials. We're not looking for Wal-Mart greeters here. We're looking for people who are at the peak of their powers in terms of scrutinizing a play.

3. I've noted this before, but there is absolutely no reason a replay official needs to be in a glass booth watching a second-rate television. When every Hooters' waitress has a better view of the play than you do, something's not right.

That play, by the way, did not doom the Irish. Their feckless first-half performance, a chronic shortcoming all season, did.

From First-Round to Fifth-String

Oregon head coach Chip Kelly reinstated tailback LeGarrette Blount for the Ducks' game with Arizona State. He just failed to play him.

"We didn't get to our fifth running back," Kelly said, referring to Blount with a complete lack of chalant. "Andre (Crenshaw, the third-string tailback) had one or two carries, Remene (Alston, the fourth-stringer) got in for one or two carries."



The Ducks' best player heading into the season, Blount was considered a first-round caliber draft pick before he decked Boise State's Byron Hout following Oregon's 19-8 loss in the season opener. While Kelly has shown compassion and mercy by rescinding the year-long suspension imposed on Blount in the immediate aftermath of the Hout punch, every so often he jerks the leash, as he did on Saturday, as if to test Blount's resolve and contrition.

This is terrific theater out of Eugene. Watching the drama between Kelly and Blount unfold is a little like watching the bathroom scene in Jerry Maguire. It's as if Kelly is Rod Tidwell, and he's telling Blount, "You are hanging on by a very thin thread and I dig that about you!"

All-Name Team

From the same people who introduced you to Central Michigan's Tommy Mama and Marshall's Darius Marshall, meet center T-Bob Hebert. With a name like that, it should take no more than one guess as to the state in which he plays and no more than two guesses (for the benefit of a few Ragin' Cajun reading this) as to the school.

And, yes, the former NFL quarterback is his daddy.

You can call me Al ... Golden ... Tate ... Forcier

Speaking of names, this is my favorite moniker chain of the season. From the up-and-coming thirtysomething head coach at the school located in the town where "Thirtysomething" was set, to the lone player at Notre Dame who each week reinforces the vestigial notion that the Irish really do have Fight, to the freshman quarterback at Michigan, which last beat an FBS opponent in September.

Overheard...

Matt Millen, while doing the broadcast of the Iowa-Ohio State contest, stressed that he "could not underemphasize enough" the importance of Ohio State's dominant defensive linemen. Everyone makes errors on live television (we even do in dead print), but for the future Millen should remember that it's "overemphasize."

The best way to not underemphasize enough a point is to remain silent.

Flighting Irish

In the biggest aviation story related to Notre Dame football since Knute Rockne's plane landed about 1,400 miles short of the runway, the school has found a way to block the university plane's registration number (N42ND) from appearing on the flight-tracking web site flightaware.com.

Shrewd tactic by the Irish. It will compel the legion of scribes covering the program to go Anton Chigurh on athletic director Jack Swarbrick and, like Chigurh, they will track him down. It's the nature of the business.

Alive ... and Kicking

If it feels as if once a year you come across the story of some grizzled Rudy type finding his way onto a Division III roster, that's because you do. This fall's middle-aged Walter Mitty is Austin College kicker Tom Thompson, age 61, who successfully converted the point after in the Kangaroos' 44-10 loss to Trinity (yes, that Trinity). It was Thompson's first kick of his college career.

Thompson is just 35 years older than Ohio State kicker Devin Barclay, 26, the retired pro soccer player whose overtime boot versus Iowa sent the Buckeyes to the Rose Bowl.

Blanket Coverage: Create November Saturday to Remember originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>John WaltersMon, 16 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST Buckeyes Earn First Rose Bowl Since '97http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/14/osu-heads-to-first-rose-bowl-since-1997/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/14/osu-heads-to-first-rose-bowl-since-1997/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/14/osu-heads-to-first-rose-bowl-since-1997/#commentsFiled under: ,

Ohio State placekicker Devin BarclayOhio State is going to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1997. The foot of former Major League Soccer player Devin Barclay gave the Buckeyes a 27-24 overtime win over the Iowa Hawkeyes Saturday. Barclay's 39-yard kick came after Ohio State picked off Iowa quarterback James Vandenberg's desperation heave on the Hawkeyes' first possession of overtime.

Vandenberg, replacing the injured Ricky Stanzi, was unimpressive last week but performed much better after a week of preparation. The two defenses essentially dominated the game until the fourth quarter when OSU started running effectively and Iowa began to throw the ball almost at will.

Both teams had ample opportunities to put the game away but failed to capitalize. A bizarre rushing call on third-and-eight deep in Iowa territory killed one of OSU's fourth-quarter drives, leading to Barclay missing a 47-yard field goal. A Buckeye pick-six of Vandenberg was nullified by an offsides penalty. Iowa's usually reliable placekicker Daniel Murray missed a 22-yard chip shot early in the third quarter. Perhaps most confusingly, both coaches refused to try to win the game in regulation despite having plenty of time on the clock.

The Buckeyes now head to the Rose Bowl for the first time since after the 1996 season. They have now won at least a share of five consecutive conference titles and will head to their fifth straight BCS bowl game.

Next Saturday's home game against Minnesota now takes on greater importance for Iowa. A win would give the Hawkeyes at least a shot at a BCS at-large berth, though Penn State and Wisconsin may be in the running for that berth, as well. Should the Hawkeyes win next week it will be their fourth 10-win season under Kirk Ferentz, putting him two seasons ahead of former coach Hayden Fry's mark.

Buckeyes Earn First Rose Bowl Since '97 originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>daniel murrayDevin Barclay james vandenbergkirk ferentzricky stanziMark HastySat, 14 Nov 2009 19:11:00 EST Buckeye Bullseye in OT Saves Winhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/14/buckeye-bullseye-in-ot-saves-win/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/14/buckeye-bullseye-in-ot-saves-win/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/14/buckeye-bullseye-in-ot-saves-win/#commentsFiled under: , ,

COLUMBUS, Ohio(AP) -- The oldest of the Buckeyes sent Ohio State back to the Granddaddy of all bowls.

Devin Barclay, a 26-year-old former pro soccer player, kicked a 39-yard field goal in overtime to give No. 10 Ohio State a 27-24 victory Saturday over No. 15 Iowa and send the Buckeyes to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 13 years.

"None of our kids have gone to the Rose Bowl. I haven't been there in 25 years (since) I was an assistant coach in the 1985 Rose Bowl,'' coach Jim Tressel said. "There's nothing like it. It's a great feeling.''

The Buckeyes (9-2, 6-1) clinched at least a share of their fifth consecutive Big Ten title and the conference's automatic BCS bid.

"It means everything to us,'' linebacker Austin Spitler said. "Senior day, we're going to remember this for the rest of our lives. This is a special moment.''

Iowa (9-2, 5-2), which overcame a 24-10 deficit with just over 11 minutes left, lost its second in a row. Redshirt freshman quarterback James Vandenberg was solid for the Hawkeyes in his first college start. But filling in for the injured Ricky Stanzi -- who hurt his ankle in last week's upset loss to Northwestern -- Vandenberg was intercepted three times, the final time to end Iowa's only possession in overtime.

Brandon Saine rushed for 103 yards and two touchdowns and Dan Herron added another score for the Buckeyes.

Iowa started overtime with an incompletion. Then freshman Adam Robinson was thrown for a 6-yard loss by Spitler, and Doug Worthington sacked Vandenberg for a 10-yard loss. Out of field goal range on fourth-and-26, Vandenberg then lofted a long pass into the end zone that was picked off by Anderson Russell.

The Buckeyes handled the ball with extra care - just the way Tressel wanted. Three runs up the middle netted two yards. On came Barclay, the Buckeyes' front-line kicker since taking over after starter Aaron Pettrey injured a knee three games ago.

"We had so much confidence in Devin that we were going backwards to make his kick longer,'' Tressel cracked.

Still, Tressel admitted, he was on the headphones as Barclay made contact with the ball, telling the offensive coaches in the press box to have a play ready for the next possession in overtime in case Barclay missed.

Instead, his kick split the uprights, touching off a wild scene as thousands rushed the field.

"It's unbelievable. I'm speechless,'' said Barclay, a former Major League Soccer player who walked on for the Buckeyes. "The fourth quarter definitely made it interesting. I'm just glad we came out on top - and now we're going to the Rose Bowl.''

A cadre of state police surrounded the goal posts, preventing anyone from tearing them down. But that didn't prevent the frenzied crowd from mobbing the Buckeyes players, snapping pictures and joining the team in singing the alma mater.

The Buckeyes haven't been to Pasadena since the 1996 team finished No. 2 in the nation, scoring in the final minute to beat Arizona State 20-17 in the Rose Bowl.

Ohio State does not want to duplicate one aspect of that season, however - those Buckeyes were perfect all year until losing 13-9 to Michigan in the regular-season finale. Ohio State plays at its archrival next Saturday.

Iowa, a 17-point underdog, overcame several dropped passes and other mistakes to tie it at 10 on Vandenberg's 9-yard slant pass to Marvin McNutt midway through the third period.

Coach Kirk Ferentz told his team earlier this week that it needed to play a perfect game to win.

"We didn't quite do it,'' he said. "Maybe if we had, we might have won. This was a heck of a challenge.''

The Buckeyes counter-punched, putting together a 79-yard drive. Terrelle Pryor - who completed 14 of 17 passes for 93 yards and ran for 29 more yards - engineered a march that resulted in Herron taking a direct snap and sweeping right, stiff-arming Brett Greenwood and then turning the corner for the go-ahead score with 13:03 left.

Vandenberg then tossed his second interception, picked off by Ross Homan. On the first play from the Iowa 49, Saine took the ball on a quick-hitter off left tackle and outraced everyone for a 24-10 lead.

The 14-point margin was short-lived, however. Derrell Johnson-Koulianos dropped the ensuing kickoff, picked it up, shed a tackle and raced to the right sideline where he sidestepped another potential tackler before sprinting 99 yards for the fourth-longest return in Iowa history.

Barclay missed a 47-yard field goal that might have salted it away, and Vandenberg made several big plays on the next drive - after Brian Rolle's interception return for a touchdown was wiped out by an Ohio State offside penalty.

Vandenberg, who completed 20 of 33 passes for 233 yards and two scores, then threw a pass directly to two Buckeyes but it popped up in the air and tight end Tony Moeaki quickly grabbed it for a 16-yard pickup.

Vandenberg flipped a high pass into the end zone where McNutt pulled it in with two hands over defender Chimdi Chekwa to tie it at 24.

"Man, this was great,'' Ohio State offensive lineman Jim Cordle said. "I'm bruised. I'm battered. But we're victorious, man. We did it.''

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.

Buckeye Bullseye in OT Saves Win originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>adam robinsonbrandon sainericky stanziFanHouse NewswireSat, 14 Nov 2009 19:01:00 EST Pickin' on the Big Ten: Coping With Buckeye Fatigue Syndromehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/12/pickin-on-the-big-ten-coping-with-buckeye-fatigue-syndrome/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/12/pickin-on-the-big-ten-coping-with-buckeye-fatigue-syndrome/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/12/pickin-on-the-big-ten-coping-with-buckeye-fatigue-syndrome/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Penn State football coach Joe PaternoEvery Thursday, Pickin' on the Big Ten previews the upcoming weekend's games and issues random taunts to overconfident fan bases.

Be careful what you ask for, college football fan. The very same Iowa team that so many of you desperately wanted to see lose lest the Big Ten get another team into the title game is now the only thing standing between Ohio State and the BCS. If the Hawkeyes can't pull off a ginormous upset in Columbus behind a quarterback making his first college start, you're going to get the Scarlet and Grey facing some honked-off Pac 10 team.

You might be new to that dreadful condition known as Buckeye Fatigue Syndrome, but I've been observing it for years. It's a chronic condition caused by a malfunction of Ohio State football. Symptoms of BFS include the belief that a team which spends almost all of its time in the top 10 is underrated, an inability to let even the slightest perceived sleight go unanswered with a pile of history and statistics, and the uncontrollable urge to sit on a seven-point lead with eight minutes left in the second quarter.

There is no known cure. There's an experimental treatment which involves a team from a state whose entire population is only slightly greater than that of metropolitan Cleveland, but it is unproven and many experts doubt its efficacy. Some of the symptoms can be managed through simple procedures such as diet, exercise, turning the channel, taking up oil painting, and writing the phrase "Ohio State: the Atlanta Braves of college football" repeatedly on a piece of notebook paper.

(Note to Buckeye fans: This is just a hint of what awaits you if you go to the Rose Bowl and once again stink it up. Your team and its complete inability to win a big game outside the conference has made success in the Big Ten a meaningless accomplishment. The whole conference has suffered as a result. If you make it to the BCS and lay an egg, I promise you every edition of Pickin' on the Big Ten next season will include a recap of one of John Cooper's losses to Michigan. When I run out of them, which won't be until very late in the season, I'll start in on the bowl games. I will also run a picture of Coop next to every Ohio State game prediction. I hate doing this, because I actually like John Cooper. But it's for your own good. Win, or next season will be a reminder of how fragile your "elite" status actually is.)

Right. The games.

Illinois quarterback Eddie McGeeNORTHWESTERN @ ILLINOIS

You won't find two hotter teams in the conference than these two right now. Sure, O*** S**** (please don't make me type their name any more than I have to) is playing very well right now, but Northwestern just did what no one else has been able to (bump off Iowa) while Illinois is just on fire.

Wow, how low had Illinois sunk if I can call a two-game winning streak "on fire?" But I digress. Juice Williams is questionable for the Illini, but the offense played pretty well without him last week. NU will probably start Dan Persa at quarterback. The real question in this game, however, will be defense. The Ilini have struggled in that phase of the game all season and weren't exactly brilliant last week, while Northwestern did quite well. It must be noted, however, that NU's success came against an Iowa offense so depleted by injuries they were forced to use a backfield made up of nothing but Iowans.

Illinois will score a lot of points in this game. That's just what they do, at least now that it's November. The question will be whether Northwestern can answer. I think they'll fall just short. They can't get in the Illini's heads like they got in Iowa's. Illinois has already lost its quarterback. Illinois 35, Northwestern 28.

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE @ MINNESOTA

Before you write this off as just another FCS money game, you should be aware of two things. First, South Dakota State is actually pretty good, especially when you consider they've only been a Division I school for five years. The Jackrabbits opened their season on the road with a beatdown of perennial FCS power Georgia Southern, for instance.

Second, this is Minnesota we're talking about. They have a history of losing these kinds of games, don't you know?

Adam Weber has been playing like a new quarterback now that Eric Decker is out for the season. It's almost like he has to read progressions now or something. That could be a problem, though, because SDSU plays some pretty ferocious defense. They won't quite have enough grunt to pull off the upset, but at least through halftime this game will be too close for comfort for the Gopher faithful. Minnesota 27, SDSU 13.

Indianapolis Colts placekicker Adam VinatieriKnow Your Nonconference Tomato Can: South Dakota State University

Agriculture is and always will be a big deal in South Dakota, so it's no surprise that the state's agricultural school happens to be the biggest university in the state. Located five hours west of Minneapolis in the city of Brookings, SDSU now enrolls almost 13,000 students and boasts one of the biggest homecoming celebrations on any college campus anywhere.

You might think SDSU is all play and no work. Think again. SDSU's students and faculty are responsible for a great many innovations. The Briggs & Stratton engine was invented by an SDSU alumnus. The university claims to be the birthplace of cookies and cream ice cream. Virtually every major stadium in this country has a Daktronics scoreboard. That company was started by two SDSU professors.

SDSU has a strong history in football as well. Indianapolis Colts placekicker Adam Vinatieri is a former Jackrabbit football player, as are journeyman NFL offensive lineman Adam Timmerman and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Langer. Go ahead, call SDSU "the middle of nowhere." They can prove you wrong.

IOWA @ OHIO STATE

Ohio State's going to win this game 66-0. A Buckeye fan told me so. So, there you go. Ohio State 66, Iowa 0.

Indiana wide receiver Tandon DossINDIANA @ PENN STATE

The Hoosiers have never beaten Penn State. This is probably not the week they'll change that. Since Indiana isn't Ohio State or Iowa, Penn State will use all of its offensive playbook instead of just the first three pages. That should make a long afternoon for IU.

Then again, PSU's two losses have shown that their offensive line is not up to their usual standards and can be pushed around quite a bit. Indiana has the best pass rush in the Big Ten right now. The Hoosiers never seem to give up either. Put this game in with the Minnesota game under the category of "closer than the home team thought it was going to be." Expect a very similar result, however. Penn State 31, Indiana 27.

MICHIGAN STATE @ PURDUE

Both these teams play with intensity, and there's a lot riding on this game. If Purdue loses they're out of the bowl hunt. If MSU loses they'll have to beat Penn State just to have a shot at a bowl game. You can reasonably expect both these teams to give it everything they've got. This should be the most entertaining Big Ten game this weekend.

The question right now is who has more in the tank. Purdue is on a hot streak, having won three of their last four games. MSU has struggled down the stretch but got a much-needed breather against Western Michigan last week. Matchups like these usually favor the better defense. MSU has playmakers in its secondary. Purdue can't win without throwing the ball well. Advantage: Sparty. Michigan State 34, Purdue 30.

MICHIGAN @ WISCONSIN

Two teams, two philosophies, two different directions. Michigan could not seem more out of sorts right now. Apart from punting, it's hard to think of one thing they're doing well. The Wolverines are still a threat to move the ball and score points, but there's a good reason you don't hear Tate Forcier's name as much as you did just a month ago.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, is riding its traditional strengths (defense and the running game) while adding the new wrinkle of vertical passing. The Badgers deserved to lose to Iowa but should have beaten Ohio State and they know it. Since that mid-October stumble Bret Bielema's team has reverted to form, running all over their opponents and putting up at least 30 points a game. There is no reason to think they won't do that to Michigan. Wisconsin 41, Michigan 21.

Next week's games:
Purdue @ Indiana: Will either team be playing for a bowl bid?
Minnesota @ Iowa: More at stake here than a bronze pig
Ohio State @ Michigan: "Help us, Obi-Rod. You're our last hope."
Penn State @ Michigan State: MSU win here messes everything up
Wisconsin @ Northwestern: No trophy on the line here

Pickin' on the Big Ten: Coping With Buckeye Fatigue Syndrome originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>adam weberbret bielemadan persaeric deckerjohn cooperJuice WilliamsPickin on the Big TenMark HastyThu, 12 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST Big Ten Notebook: Buckeyes Back in Control in Title Racehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/11/big-ten-notebook-buckeyes-back-in-control-in-title-race/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/11/big-ten-notebook-buckeyes-back-in-control-in-title-race/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/11/big-ten-notebook-buckeyes-back-in-control-in-title-race/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Ohio State quarterback Terrelle PryorOne little loss to Northwestern can change everything. Iowa looked like the team to beat in the Big Ten title race, but now that it has fallen to the Wildcats and Ohio State has beaten Penn State, all the momentum has moved back to Columbus. Technically, both the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes control their own destiny. Whichever team wins Saturday's game is the presumptive conference champion.

Now go try to figure the odds that Iowa can win in the Horseshoe with a redshirt freshman quarterback making his first career start with no run support to speak of.

At any rate, it will be one of those teams that will go to Pasadena. Neither Penn State nor Wisconsin can do anything better than to tie with Ohio State or Iowa. The Nits and the Badgers lost to both those teams, so they'd lose the tiebreaker.

Here's a quick look at what else is going on around the conference.

Illinois has picked a strange time to peak, but then again, all the pressure is off the Illini. With back-to-back wins over Michigan and Minnesota the Illini's bowl hopes are still alive, but barely. They will have to win out to finish 6-6, and that will require beating Fresno State and Cincinnati. If Illinois should win out, then, you could argue that it would be the best 6-6 in the country and possible the best ever.

Indiana travels to Penn State this weekend right after the Nits laid an egg against Ohio State. Joe Paterno's teams usually bounce back hard after a big disappointment, but if IU loses there will be no bowl game for the Hoosiers. It's a shame. Indiana has never beaten Penn State.

Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi had surgery on his ankle this week and is out for the last two games of the regular season. He is expected to be available for Iowa's bowl game. James Vandenberg will start in his place. Vandenberg was Iowa's 3A football player of the year in 2007 and holds many of the state's all-division passing records. Vandenberg picked Iowa over Nebraska and Northern Illinois and has probably heard all your Dawson's Creek crackbacks before.

Michigan's retiring athletic director Bill Martin came under fire this week when reports surfaced that he had pushed one student and grabbed the jacket of another during football games at the Big House. Martin refused to show passes to enter VIP areas when the students requested them. This shows just how hard it is for Michigan to get flagged for pass interference at home. It also represents the most contact any Wolverine defender has managed since September.

Michigan State, with 53 underclassmen on the roster, needs the extra practice for a bowl game as much as it needs the bowl game itself. A win at Purdue this Saturday would likely secure at least a bid to the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl.

Ohio State, believe it or not, has not been to the Rose Bowl in more than a decade.

Wisconsin's former defensive lineman Erasmus James faces felony battery charges for a Nov. 5 incident at a Madison bar in which he punched one of his friends. James was suspended by the NFL in September for undisclosed reasons.

Big Ten Notebook: Buckeyes Back in Control in Title Race originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Bill MartinBillMartinErasmus JamesErasmusJamesJames VandenbergJamesVandenbergjoe paternoJoePaternoRicky StanziRickyStanziMark HastyWed, 11 Nov 2009 12:00:00 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 Blanket Coverage: For Pete's Sakehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/blanket-coverage-for-petes-sake/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/blanket-coverage-for-petes-sake/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/blanket-coverage-for-petes-sake/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Pete CarrollHalloween in Eugene began with Oregon coach Chip Kelly disguised as the Duck mascot and ended with USC masquerading as Cal. Pete Carroll's Trojans are not exactly immune from defeat in the Beaver State (0-4 since 2006) but they never lose to a fellow highly ranked Pac-10 foe and they most certainly never get waxed.

That's Jeff Tedford's domain.

Hands continue to wring in the Southland -- the Orange County Register declared that "USC's complete dominance of the league, a dominance unmatched in conference history, is over" -- but I believe that Pete Carroll, much like Michael Myers, will haunt the Pac-10 for many Halloweens to come.

Also, I'd like to suggest a more salient reason for Troy's desultory play of late, one that has nothing to do with the freshman QB, the eight defensive starters lost, or the two new coordinators: jet lag (and that's not a Mark Sanchez reference).

This Saturday, the Trojans will fly to Phoenix to face Arizona State in neighboring Tempe, which will mark their sixth flight of the season. No school among the top dozen in the BCS rankings (USC is No. 12) will play six of its first nine games away from home. And only Boise State, primarily because the Broncos visited Hawaii on October 24, has accrued more frequent-flier mileage.

The Trojans are lax because of LAX. They've covered more miles than Les Miles. They've made two across-three-time-zones treks already (Ohio State and Notre Dame), which equals the total of the other 11 top-12 schools combined (Cincinnati at Oregon State and Boise State at Ohio State).

Below is a table ranking the top 12 in terms of mileage covered, with their actual BCS rankings in parentheses. Distances were rounded off to the nearest hundred miles:

1) Boise State (7)......................................13,400 miles

2) USC (12).............................................11,700

3) Cincinnati (5).........................................9,200

4) TCU (6)................................................8,200

5) LSU (5)................................................5,600

6) Texas (2)..............................................4,900

7) Florida (1).............................................3,800

8 (Tie) Iowa..............................................2,800

Georgia Tech....................................2,800

10) Oregon...............................................2,700

11) Alabama............................................1,800

12) Penn State.........................................1,300

Granted, it's not as if the Trojans were traveling by sleeper car back to South Bend. On the other hand, I'm beginning to wonder if safety Taylor Mays begins pep talks with, "This is your captain speaking."

Maybe Carroll's greatest nemesis may not be the swiftly surging Ducks. Maybe it's his athletic director.

THE ZACH ATTACK
He has only been the starter for 2½ games, but Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros has been outstanding in leading the No. 5 Bearcats to victories against South Florida, Louisville and Syracuse. Since taking over for injured starter Tony Pike, Collaros has completed 75 percent of his passes (47-of-63) for 749 yards and nine touchdown passes versus just one interception. That's the same TD-to-INT ratio that Jimmy Clausen of Notre Dame, second in the nation in passing efficiency, has.

Asked when Pike, who himself is currently seventh in the nation in passing efficiency, would play again on Monday, Bearcat coach Brian Kelly offered, "It's hard to say."

STEIN SHINES
Louisville, led by 5-8 walk-on quarterback Will Stein, beat Arkansas State, 21-13. Stein had last seen game action at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium as a local high school senior when he led Trinity to a defeat of St. Xavier in front of 37, 550 fans. Saturday's attendance at the same venue was 21,497.


TRUE BROMANCE
I cannot decide whether Riley Cooper is the Jordan Shipley of the SEC or whether Shipley is the Cooper of the Big 12. Cooper is the Gator wideout with the Head & Shoulders mane who is not only Tim Tebow's primary target, he's also his roommate.

Shipley is the childhood best friend and roommate of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy. He is also the Longhorn quarterback's favorite target. All four are straight out of "Friday Night Lights" (it's Jason Street and Tim Riggins come to life). Should Florida and Texas meet in Pasadena for the BCS championship, it'll be a question of whether Brent Musberger utters the term "bromance" during the broadcast or if he'll just refer to them as "pardners."

HMMMMMMM
Ohio State beat New Mexico State 45-0. The spread in Vegas was 44. If only everyone worked as diligently as oddsmakers.

TEMPLE IN NEED OF WORSHIPPERS?
Congrats to Temple for beating Navy. In earning their sixth straight victory, the Owls also became bowl-eligible for the first time since 1979. And so it would seem that their next home game would be an ideally opportune time for the fans in Philadelphia, and not just the Cos, to show their pride.

There's just one small problem. Temple's next home game, versus Miami of Ohio at Lincoln Financial Field, is Thursday night. That also happens to be the scheduled date for Game 7 of the World Series between the Phillies and the New York Yankees ... if necessary.

Blanket Coverage: For Pete's Sake originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>John WaltersTue, 03 Nov 2009 12:33:00 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 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 Pryor Silences Critics ... Sort Ofhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/24/ohio-state-beats-minnesota-as-terrelle-pryor-sort-of-silences-cr/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/24/ohio-state-beats-minnesota-as-terrelle-pryor-sort-of-silences-cr/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/24/ohio-state-beats-minnesota-as-terrelle-pryor-sort-of-silences-cr/#commentsFiled under: ,

Terrelle PryorIt took more than a half, but eventually Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor proved that he's not all hype. The Buckeyes totally routed Minnesota Saturday 38-7 in Columbus.

Pryor and his coach, Jim Tressel, spent last week under continual assault from all corners. Part of it was just another expression of the college football world's Buckeye Fatigue Syndrome, but most of it was the natural consequence of OSU's dreadful performance last week. The Buckeyes turned the ball over five times in a loss to Purdue.

Saturday was a different story. Eventually.

For most of the first half Pryor looked like he'd heard the criticisms of him and decided to prove them all right. Until OSU's third possession of the second half Pryor was skittish at best, nightmarish at worst. At halftime he had connected on just over 40 percent of his passes. Suddenly it all seemed to come together for him and he began to chew up Minnesota's defense, both on the ground and through the air.

It must be noted that Minnesota did a lot to help Ohio State win this game. The Gophers turned the ball over four times, seemingly always at the worst possible moment. Minnesota quarterback Adam Weber had to play almost the entire game without his go-to wide receiver, Eric Decker. Decker left with an ankle injury in the first quarter.

Without Decker, Weber struggled to find any open receivers. He was replaced in the fourth quarter by MarQueis Gray, who led the Gophers to their only points of the afternoon.

The win takes some pressure off the Buckeyes, whose string of consecutive Big Ten titles remains in jeopardy. Pryor's second-half performance, however, is cause for optimism. Next week's game against New Mexico State should provide a chance for Pryor to gain more confidence and shut the critics up a little more.

The Gophers now sit at 4-4 and would seem to be in jeopardy of missing the postseason. They face Michigan State next week and travel to Iowa in the season closer. Sandwiched between those two games are instant winners against South Dakota State and Illinois, though, so they still have a good shot at six wins. Decker's injury is cause for concern, however. The Gophers don't have much offense without him.

In a fitting twist of irony, Pryor may have saved his own starting job and cost Adam Weber his. The Gopher faithful had to have liked what they saw from MarQueis Gray. They will certainly want to see more.

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Pryor Silences Critics ... Sort Of originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>adam webereric deckerJim Tresselmarqueis grayMark HastySat, 24 Oct 2009 16:15:00 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)

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    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)

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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 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)

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    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)

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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)

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    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 Purdue Exercises Pryor Restrainthttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/purdue-exercises-pryor-restraint/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/purdue-exercises-pryor-restraint/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/purdue-exercises-pryor-restraint/#commentsFiled under: ,

PurdueThe Purdue Boilermakers were long overdue for a victory. They got one today, and it was huge. Purdue defeated No. 7 Ohio State 26-18 in West Lafayette in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicated.

Boilermaker quarterback Joey Elliott sharpened his claws on Ohio State's secondary, going 31-of-50 for 281 yards and two touchdowns. Purdue's defense kept Ohio State's sputtering offense in check, with Terrelle Pryor looking particularly ineffective until a fourth quarter drive which pulled the Buckeyes within eight.
Pryor was 17-of-31 for 221 yards, throwing one touchdown and two picks. He also ran 21 times for just 34 yards.

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Despite the lack of offensive production, Ohio State had several chances to win this game. The Buckeyes had a first-and-goal on Purdue's 3 yard line early in the fourth quarter but after a short run, an incomplete pass, and a penalty, they settled for a field goal. The decision left them needing two touchdowns to win and is sure to be talked about ad nauseum on Buckeye message boards this week.

Had OSU gone for it and failed, Purdue would have taken over around the 7-yard-line. Instead, the Boilermakers' Al-Terek McBurse, a freshman, returned the kickoff to the Purdue 45. A Carson Wiggs field goal put Purdue back up by 16.

OSU almost made a comeback with Pryor getting them to the end zone on a desperation pass to DeVier Posey. Pryor then ran in the two-point conversion. The defense stopped Purdue in four plays but on the ensuing drive Pryor failed to find a receiver on fourth and 14.

After taking over on downs, Purdue got stuffed on a third and 9 pass play. This is where the Boilermakers have usually snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, but this time it was Ohio State who went into brainlock. A 15-yard facemasking penalty gave Purdue a game-winning first down.

It was Purdue's first win since defeating Toledo the opening week of the season, bringing the Boilermakers to 2-5 overall and keeping their bowl hopes alive, just barely. For Ohio State, the loss takes them out of first place in the Big Ten and makes the upcoming Penn State game on November 7 huge. If they lose they have absolutely no hope for a fifth straight BCS bid. If they win, they'll still need to beat Iowa in Columbus the following week to stay alive for the conference title.

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Iowa's Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, left, and J.D. Griggs carry off the Heartland trophy after Iowa beat Wisconsin 20-10 in an NCAA college football game Saturday Oct. 17, 2009, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)
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    Iowa's Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, left, and J.D. Griggs carry off the Heartland trophy after Iowa beat Wisconsin 20-10 in an NCAA college football game Saturday Oct. 17, 2009, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

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    Iowa defensive tackle Adrian Clayborn holds up the football and celebrates an interception with teammates Shaun Prater (28), Pat Angerer and Jeff Tarpinian during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Wisconsin Saturday Oct. 17, 2009, in Madison, Wis. Iowa won 20-10. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

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    Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham (55) leads teammates in singing the school fight song after beating Delaware State 63-6 in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Tony Ding)

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    Purdue head coach Danny Hope celebrates after Purdue defeated No. 7 Ohio State 26-18 in an NCAA college football game in West Lafayette, Ind., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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    Iowa running back Adam Robinson (32) cuts between Wisconsin's Chris Borland (44) and Aaron Henry during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, in Madison, Wis. Robinson rushed for 91 yards in Iowa's 20-10 win. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

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    Wisconsin's Gabe Carimi hangs his head in the final minutes of play in their 20-10 loss to Iowa in an NCAA college football game Saturday Oct. 17, 2009, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

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    Iowa defensive tackle Adrian Clayborn holds up the football and celebrates an interception with teammates Shaun Prater (28), Pat Angerer and Jeff Tarpinian during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Wisconsin Saturday Oct. 17, 2009, in Madison, Wis. Iowa won 20-10. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

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    Wisconsin running back John Clay (32) and Kyle Jefferson (3) run off the field after Wisconsin's 20-10 loss to Iowa in an NCAA college football game Saturday Oct. 17, 2009, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

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    Iowa running back Adam Robinson (32) cuts between Wisconsin's Chris Borland (44) and Aaron Henry during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, in Madison, Wis. Robinson rushed for 91 yards in Iowa's 20-10 win. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

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    Purdue wide receiver Keith Smith, center, is tackled by Ohio State wide receiver Lamaar Thomas, left, and defensive back Devon Torrence during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game in West Lafayette, Ind., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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Purdue Exercises Pryor Restraint originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>al-terek mcburseAl-terekMcburseCarson WiggsDevierPoseyJoey Elliottterrelle pryorTerrellePryorMark HastySat, 17 Oct 2009 15:22:00 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 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