NCAA Football FanHouse

Big Ten Title Race Tightens Up

Mark Hasty — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Big 10

With 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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Blanket Coverage: For Pete's Sake

John Walters — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:33:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona State, Cincinnati, Florida, Louisville, New Mexico State, Ohio State, Oregon, Temple, Texas

Halloween 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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Pickin' on the Big Ten: Iowa Isn't Concerned About Your Scorn

Mark Hasty — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Big 10

Every 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.

Have 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.

MICHIGAN 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

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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Clearing Up the Big Ten Picture

Mark Hasty — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:30:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Big 10

While 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 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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Pryor Silences Critics ... Sort Of

Mark Hasty — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Minnesota, Ohio State

It 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.

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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Pickin' on the Big Ten: Sorting Saturday

Mark Hasty — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue

Every 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.

Pryor 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

It'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.)

INDIANA @ 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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Big Ten Title Race Far From Over

Mark Hasty — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Big 10

The 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.

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 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)

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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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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Purdue Exercises Pryor Restraint

Mark Hasty — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:22:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State, Purdue

The 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.

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 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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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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Pickin' on the Big Ten: Teams for Sale

Mark Hasty — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Big 10

Every 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.

Iowa 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 @ 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

Located 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.

IOWA @ 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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Pickin' On the Big Ten: Is the Peter Principle Making Illinois Ill?

Mark Hasty — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin

Every 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.

Along 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

We 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 @ 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.

Know 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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Pickin' On the Big Ten: Wake Me Up When Spartember Ends

Mark Hasty — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Big 10

Every Thursday, Pickin' On the Big Ten tries to make sense out of the upcoming weekend's games.

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is where you come in.

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

Right. The games.

PENN STATE at ILLINOIS

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

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

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

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

OHIO STATE at INDIANA

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

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

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

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

ARKANSAS STATE at IOWA

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

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

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

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

Know Your Nonconference Tomato Can: Arkansas State

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

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

MICHIGAN at MICHIGAN STATE

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

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

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

WISCONSIN at MINNESOTA

Now that Minnesota has an outdoor stadium, shouldn't they be playing this game in November?

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

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

NORTHWESTERN at PURDUE

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

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

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

Next week's games:

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

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

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Pickin' On the Big Ten: V for Vendetta

Mark Hasty — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:45:00 EST

Filed under: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin

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

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

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

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

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

INDIANA @ MICHIGAN

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

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

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

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

MINNESOTA @ NORTHWESTERN

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

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

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

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

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

ILLINOIS @ OHIO STATE

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

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

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

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

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

IOWA @ PENN STATE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NOTRE DAME @ PURDUE

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

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

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

MICHIGAN STATE @ WISCONSIN

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

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

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

Next week's games:

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

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

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Pickin' On the Big Ten: Jim Tressel Is Not On the Hot Seat

Mark Hasty — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Big 10

Every Thursday, Pickin' On the Big Ten previews the weekend's action, or lack thereof.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, on to the games.

INDIANA @ AKRON

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

ARIZONA @ IOWA

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

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

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

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

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

EASTERN MICHIGAN @ MICHIGAN

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

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

MICHIGAN STATE @ NOTRE DAME

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

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

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

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

CALIFORNIA @ MINNESOTA

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

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

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

NORTHWESTERN @ SYRACUSE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TEMPLE @ PENN STATE

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

NORTHERN ILLINOIS @ PURDUE

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

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

WOFFORD @ WISCONSIN

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

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

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

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

Know Your Nonconference Tomato Can: Wofford

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

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

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

Next week's games:

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

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

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Starting 11: Buckeyes 1 Flag From Bills

Clay Travis — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Michigan, Ohio State, USC, General CFB Insanity

Thanks to my wife, I root for Michigan.

It's a fringe benefit of marrying into fandom, I get to watch Big Ten games with a rooting interest, but experience none of the pain if Michigan loses. Such was the case on Saturday. While I sat in Neyland Stadium and watched Tennessee's season unravel around me, I occassionaly got a cheery update on the progress of the Wolverines. By 8PM, my wife was upbeat; I was despondent.

But I wasn't alone, I had Oklahoma State fans accompanying me down the primrose path of shattered dreams. Same thing with Notre Dame fans. If opening weekend Saturday was an eye-opening jaunt into the welcoming embrace of college football season, this past Saturday was the day when the cruel hard hand of reality pimp-slapped many of us. Doubt me? Ask Ohio State fans how they feel this week. In fact, let's play a game inside the ClayNation Starting 11, what if Miami doesn't get flagged for pass interference in 2003?

1. Then "THE" Ohio State Buckeyes are college football's Buffalo Bills, even more so, right?

Ohio State would have lost the 2003, 2006, and 2007 title games. They already lost the big game at home to Vince Young and Texas in 2005, the big game to USC in 2008 and now 2009, the big game to Texas in 2008's Fiesta Bowl. Think about this for a moment, absent that one single, belated penalty, Ohio State is the untrammeled master of failed expectations. Jim Tressel isn't a genius in a sweatervest who owns the Big Ten, he's just a guy in a sweatervest who is the best of a bad lot of teams. The guy in charge when Michigan switched identities.

If Buckeye fans think they have it rough now, just imagine what happens if that flag doesn't come out of that official's pocket at the last possible instant.

2. Funniest quote from the weekend. As we watch highlights of Michigan upsetting Notre Dame, a former UT football player puts his arm on my shoulder and sighs wistfully, "Do you know how much ass Tate Forcier just got with that pass?" he asked.

Yeah, a lot.

Another question, how much does the last name Forcier redeem the first name Tate? As is, Tate Forcier is an awesome name. Brent Musberger is already salivating at the thought of pronouncing it on air. But imagine if his last name is Smith.

Tate Smith? (Ed: We apologize to New Mexico's Tate Smith and invite him to discuss the shortcomings of the name Clay Travis. Or his thoughts on peanut butter and jelly in the same jar. Your move, Lobo.)

That's right up there with Casey Dick as names go. He probably doesn't even end up a quarterback. (Ed: Except in New Mexico, America's goober grape state) In fact, Tate Smith doesn't even get selected for the fraternity he wants to join.

But Tate Forcier? The last name redeems his entire future. Do you think his parents had this debate? I'm picturing the mom being completely behind Tate and the dad agreeing only because the last name somehow combines with the first to make the name awesome.

3. On the South Carolina-Georgia game, how much would have you wagered if someone had said, "I'll give you an over/under of 77 in that game."

I probably would have put my house on the line.

Seriously.

I would have thought this was the equivalent of getting to invest in the Microsoft IPO in 1986.

South Carolina managed seven points in their first game, Georgia 10. Then, inexplicably, both teams arrive on the same field and a shootout emerges. Joe Cox and Stephen Garcia turn into Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, both teams surge up and down the field. And the game doesn't end without South Carolina trying to score to go over 40 as well.

Question for Bulldog fans, how many points would I have to give you before you put your house on the line against Arkansas this weekend? Would you feel comfortable with the win if I told you your team would score 42?

No, right?

Is there any clearer indictment of a defensive coordinator? I give you 42 points and you still don't feel that sure you're going to win the game.

4. Oklahoma State becomes the first newly arriving Top-10 team who can't handle the hype.

Somewhere T. Boone Pickens just bought more windmills to blow away his tears.

All season long we hear all about Georgia, then Houston -- not the Texans -- roll into Stillwater and hang 45 on the home team. I bet this loss stung worse than the collapse of oil prices last season. After a long offseason where we all debated who in the Big 12 South, Oklahoma, Texas, or Oklahoma State would dominate, two of the three teams already have losses before the midpoint of September arrives.

Who was the biggest national loser in this game? Dez Bryant. He put up 162 yards receiving on just 8 catches. Before long his defense is going to run him right out of the Heisman race.

5. How amazing is USC's Pete Carroll in big games?

I don't think we write or talk about this enough.

Is there anyone you would rather coach your team in the biggest game of their season? Wouldn't this be the ultimate scientific experiment, trying to quantify the Carroll effect in big games? Like, what if Michigan got him for Ohio State week? Or Georgia for Florida week? Shifting gears, what if UCLA got him for the USC game? How many points is his preparation for a big game worth?

I'm not even sure what he does that works so well. Clearly, having good players is part of it. But he manages to get those players to play better in big games than any coach in America does.

Basically I'm convinced that every team in America would do better against their rivals if Pete Carroll coached them that week.

6. Auburn's Gus Malzahn will be a head coach somewhere next year.

Remember when Gus Malzahn arrived at Arkansas fresh out of Springdale High School and Houston Nutt usurped the play-calling duties? Malzahn huffed and puffed a bit and said something like, "High school football isn't much different than college football, there's only a few things a defense can do." And everyone sort of laughed and then he went off to Tulsa and vanished.

Sure, you knew he was putting up big numbers, but you didn't pay much attention because he was at Tulsa.

Now he's back at Auburn and he's got Chris Todd (Chris Todd!) helming an offense putting up over 550 yards per game.

I'll say it right now, if you're a college program in America in need of an immediate upgrade, Malzahn should be your guy. And here's the kicker, he's only 43 years old. Some lucky program is going to get him as their coach next and the sky is going to be the absolute limit.

7. If you're a Florida State fan, how much do you already want this season over?

And if you were a really smart Florida State fan, does any part of you want you to pay off Jimbo Fisher, fire Bobby Bowden and hire Gus Malzahn at the end of the season? Or is that too wacky?

See, I kind of think almost losing to Jacksonville State, while the probation penalty plays out in court, might be a good cue for Bowden. It's clear he's not calling the shots, why allow the program to suffer?

By the way, I'm going to start questioning everything at Florida State. Why are you guys playing at BYU? Are there tons of great football players in the state that you don't presently have access to? I get why BYU wants to play Florida State, but I have no idea why Florida State wants to play BYU.

8. Cal fans get no national attention until they play USC. So I'm going to try and remedy that by pointing out that they do play at noon ET this weekend at Minnesota.

Yep, it's breakfast in Minnesota and Cal fans have to be nervous about this set-up.

Why? Because Cal was also a 14- point favorite last year in Maryland when they traveled across the country, kicked off at daybreak, and lost.

I've had an issue with this for a while, but if I was a commissioner of the Pac-10 I would insist that my team not play before noon pacific time for any games anywhere. The teams aren't on an even playing field, the players are tired, they can't go to sleep the night before the game -- midnight eastern is 9 pacific -- their bodies aren't adjusted when they wake up in the middle of the night pacific time, and the results show.

All so the game can be on television?

It's not worth it.

9. Brian Kelly and Cincinnati are storming the Top 25.

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Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno gestures as he answers a question during his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009 in State College, Pa. Penn State plays Temple at home on Saturday. (AP Photo/Pat Little)

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Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno answers a question during his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009 in State College, Pa. Penn State plays Temple at home on Saturday. (AP Photo/Pat Little)

Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy speaks during a news conference in Stillwater, Okla., Monday, Sept. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Wisconsin head football coach Bret Bielema screams during the second half of an NCAA football game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, in Madison, Wis. It took two overtimes for a flu-ravaged Wisconsin team to defeat Fresno State. As the Badgers look toward Wofford this week, Bielema gives an update on how his team is handling the flu outbreak that affected 40 players last week. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

In this Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, photo, Northwestern's Stefan Demos celebrates after kicking the game-winning 49-yard field goal against Eastern Michigan in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Evanston, Ill. Northwestern won 27-24. (AP Photo/David Banks)

In this Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, photo Penn State linebacker Sean Lee, left, walks away after sacking Syracuse quarterback Greg Paulus, right, during the second half of their NCAA college football game in State College, Pa. Lee was so active against Syracuse, it seemed like the Penn State linebacker spent all day leveling opponents behind the line of scrimmage. Any lingering doubts about the health of his surgically-repaired right knee were erased in a dominating performance against the Orange. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

In this Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, photo, Penn State linebacker Sean Lee (45) stands with assistant coach Tom Bradley on the sideline during the second half of their college football game against Syracuse in State College, Pa. Lee was so active against Syracuse, it seemed like the Penn State linebacker spent all day leveling opponents behind the line of scrimmage. Any lingering doubts about the health of his surgically-repaired right knee were erased in a dominating performance against the Orange. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers rushes for a key fourth quarter gain on the wiining drive of the Beavers 23-21 win over UNLV in an NCAA college football game on Saturday Sept. 12, 2009 in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Daniel Gluskoter)

COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 12: Running back Stafon Johnson #13 of the USC Trojans celebrates in the end zone with teammate Jarvis Jones #10 after scoring a two yard touchdown in the fourth quarter over the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on September 12, 2009 in Columbus, Ohio. USC won the game 18-15. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Stafon Johnson; Jarvis Jones

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COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 12: Running back Stafon Johnson #13 of the USC Trojans celebrates in the end zone after scoring a two yard touchdown in the fourth quarter over the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on September 12, 2009 in Columbus, Ohio. USC won the game 18-15. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Stafon Johnson

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Has anybody in the country been more impressive than the Bearcats out of the gate? An epic beatdown of Rutgers in a game they were expected to lose, and then hanging 70 on Southeast Missouri last week.

Add Brian Kelly's name alongside Gus Malzahn as a coach that is destined to make a bigger program happy for a long time. Notre Dame anyone? And if he stays at Cincinnati could they really contend for a national title one day playing there? Hell, I wouldn't put anything past him so far.

10. Crazy Mike Leach is rolling Texas Tech into Austin with a 2-0 team.

Can you imagine the Big 12 South carnage if Leach pulled off the impossible and snagged another upset victory over Texas? Wouldn't this be the perfect capstone to the month of September? Seeing Leach waving a pirate sword up and down the streets of Austin?

Hell, he might stage his own pirate parade in the Warehouse District.

11. Even LSU fans blink when they see the top 10. "What the hell, we're the No. 7 team in the country?"

LSU's schedule is so backloaded that they should be 4-0 when they head to Georgia the first week in October, but right now the Tigers have played as poorly as any top 10 team in recent memory. Absent a bobbled first down catch, Vandy could have been tied with them in the fourth quarter of a relatively even game. Not to mention that LSU fans still haven't gotten over the close game against Washington.

Les Miles was so upset after the Vandy game that he accosted athletic director Skip Bertman in the hallway.

Les: "Skip, I'm this close to bolting. These fans don't know what I've done for them. Patrick Swayze just died. You seen Roadhouse? Red Dawn? If he can die, any of us can."

Skip: Says nothing.

Les: "Skip, you hear me. I'm going to be like Tecumseh, first in the West, first in peace, first to get out of here. Wolverine, man, Wolverine."

Skip: "Les, you do realize that Jennifer Grey could have won four SEC games with your talent last year, right? How many did you win?"

Les: "Nobody puts Les in the corner."

Starting 11: Buckeyes 1 Flag From Bills originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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USC Steals Ohio State's Soul

Brian Grummell — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 01:27:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State, USC

The embattled Ohio State football program -- losers of five straight against elite programs -- made its stand. Saturday night was going to be the place where they bucked history and reclaimed some former glory in toppling No. 3 USC. Over 106,000 fans, most in Ohio Stadium history, made life hell for the visitors from sunny California. The Buckeye defense made stop after stop, harassing the Trojan run game and freshman quarterback Matt Barkley over four solid quarters. They made their stand, but in soul-crushing fashion, they once again failed.

Trailing 15-10 and looking ready to wilt, USC mounted a 14-play, 86-yard, six minute touchdown drive to go ahead 18-15 with just over a minute left. Same. Old. Story. Not enough.

The anatomy of a marque game between national powers:

Tressel Ball -- Ohio State played Tressel Ball to perfection, locking USC and its freshman quarterback in bad field position literally the entire evening. Chris Galippo's early interception aside, here was USC's starting position the rest of the game

USC 22
USC 20
USC 18
USC 14
USC 20
USC 20
USC 10
USC 21
USC 14
USC 18

Long fields every time out, absolutely amazing. From there Ohio State didn't relent, its defensive line neutralizing USC's offensive line, shutting things down on first down and forcing all kinds of punts.

Pryor's early interception was the Buckeyes' only turnover.

Classic Tressel Ball

Terrelle Pryor -- His numbers on Saturday weren't great, but make no doubt about it he's arrived. USC's defense was lights out nearly the entire night but had to play incredibly sharp to keep Pryor contained. He still snuck in several long passes totaling 177 yards on the night.

Pryor is so good that even when contained by a top five defense having a great night, he moved the ball and dominated in a role that has me calling him the Human Field Position Machine. In the absence of many touchdowns, he taxed the USC defense and played right into the hands of Tressel Ball in never offering USC a chance for a short field. When it clicks this guy might be better than Vince Young, capable of completely controlling all but the best defenses.

Matt Barkley -- USC freshman quarterback Matt Barkley came into the game beaming, convinced he would not get distracted by the setting and the raucous crowd. In a postgame news conference he admitted to his ears still buzzing minutes later.

For most of the night he did little to help move USC's offense, but was a maestro at the end of both halves in guiding USC to a field goal and then what will go down this year as The Drive among USC fandom. Running back Joe McKnight did most of the heavy lifting on The Drive, but Barkley stayed poised in completing several third down passes and converting a fourth down run. Like Pryor he, too, has arrived after the 195 yard effort.

Of some interest, Barkley admitted that a fourth quarter hit 'jacked up' his shoulder and he was shown grimacing through the rest of the game but refused to be replaced. Its that kind of toughness that screams leadership and poise.

The Numbers -- Ohio State's defense deserves enormous credit Saturday, shutting USC's offense down for long stretches and embarrassing its vaunted offensive line. That said, USC's offense still outplayed Ohio State's. USC gained 18 first downs to 10, and had a 47 yard edge, 313 to 266. USC's defense allowed just 89 rushing yards, the Trojans themselves netting a modest 118.

The star for me was USC linebacker Chris Galippo. Even without his first quarter interception, Galippo was stellar, routinely displaying uncanny instincts arriving at several plays before they could materialize. Even in coverage where he was beat, he made two tremendous plays on perfectly thrown balls that otherwise would have gone incomplete. The guy deserves All America mention after his showing the last two weeks.

The Drive -- After the game, Barkley reportedly said of The Drive "We're Trojans, that's what we do." Sounds about right. On a night USC certainly should have lost and had shown little offensive life in the second half where they normally come to life, something clicked.

The clock read 7:29, ball on their own 14. It would be either their last or second to last possession, assuming they could even acquire a rare first down before giving the ball back to Pryor to grind more clock away while set up in great field position with a five point lead. The Trojans set about on a long drive, draining clock despite a five point deficit and unsure returns. Risky, and inevitably right.

Somewhere they summoned that uncanny poise the program's becoming famous for, a freshman leading the charge. It started off like much of the game, with a Barkley sack. Adding insult to injury, Barkley was tagged with a five-yard delay of game penalty, setting up second and 19. Joe McKnight took over from there, rushing for 11 yards and then beating a linebacker on third and eight for a 21-yard weaving reception.

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Ohio State's Etienne Sabino (6) stops Southern California's C.J. Gable (2) on a kick off return in the first half of their NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday, September 12, 2009. (Neal C. Lauron/Columbus Dispatch/MCT)

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Arizona's backup quarterback Nick Foles (8) hands off the ball to Greg Nwoko(28) in the second half of an NCAA college football game against Northern Arizona at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Ariz., Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009. Arizona won, 34 - 17. (AP Photo/Wily Low)

COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 12: Malik Jackson #97 of the USC Trojans celebartes the final touchdown to win the game 18-15 over the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on September 12, 2009 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Malik Jackson

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COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 13: Terrelle Pryor #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes leaves the field after losing 18-15 to the Southern California Trojans on September 13, 2009 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Terrelle Pryor

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COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 13: Head coach Pete Carroll hugs Matt Barkley #7 of the Southern California Trojans after defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes 18-15 on September 13, 2009 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Pete Carroll;Matt Barkley

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EUGENE, OR - SEPTEMBER 12: Ralph Bolden #23 of the Purdue Boilermakers runs the ball against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium on September 12, 2009 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ralph Bolden

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EUGENE, OR - SEPTEMBER 12: LaMichael James #21 of the Oregon Ducks runs the ball against Joe Holland #30 of the Purdue Boilermakers at Autzen Stadium on September 12, 2009 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** LaMichael James

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EUGENE, OR - SEPTEMBER 12: LaMichael James #21 of the Oregon Ducks runs the ball against Nick Mondek #99 of the Purdue Boilermakers as Mark Asper #79 tries to block at Autzen Stadium on September 12, 2009 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mark Asper;LaMichael James;Nick Mondek

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EUGENE, OR - SEPTEMBER 12: Quarterback Joey Elliott #14 of the Purdue Boilermakers runs the ball against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium on September 12, 2009 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Joey Elliott

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EUGENE, OR - SEPTEMBER 12: David Paulson #42 of the Oregon Ducks runs with the ball against Joe Holland #30 of the Purdue Boilermakers at Autzen Stadium on September 12, 2009 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** David Paulson;Joe Holland

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Barkley, sensing some breathing room, found tight end Anthony McCoy 26 yards down field, lofting the ball between a pair of well-positioned defenders.

Two short plays set up another third and nine, and this time Barkley found Damian Williams for an eight-yard pass. Fourth and one, what else, a Barkley run for just over a yard, time ticking away. From there McKnight carried the day, mixing in runs of four, nine and eight yards setting up a third and two from the Ohio State six. Barkley once again answered the challenge, rushing four yards to the Ohio State two with under two minutes left.

The next play, USC's touchdown machine Stafon Johnson did the rest, rushing right for the clinching touchdown.

USC Steals Ohio State's Soul originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 01:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ohio State Loss Nothing to Cheer

Ray Holloman — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:24:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State, Big 10

Jim Tressel may not have exactly had the weight of the world on his shoulders, but he certainly had the weight of everything between the Ohio and Lake Erie. As he sat at the dais in his familiar getup of squared eyeglasses and just plain square sweatervest, Tressel looked like a man that stood on 20 only to watch the dealer draw blackjack.

His eighth-ranked Buckeyes had just fallen to third-ranked USC 18-15 in the kind of loss that would probably keep a coach up for nights even with a barrel full of Sominex at his bed side, and Tressel wasn't much for the optimist role.

"All losses hurt," Tressel said, his voice sounding gray like his vest, "but this one hurts the most because it's today."

It should. Even as talking heads proclaimed this a comeback game for the Buckeyes -- Was this the first time in program history the Buckeyes have been patronized like a kid that almost got the jumble right? -- this loss should've hurt more than any in the Buckeyes' now four-year struggle against college football's elite.

It should hurt more than 2006 BCS championship game rout that saw Heisman winner Troy Smith wind up under a series of Gator pileups. More than the 2007 title game against LSU, when a 10-0 lead turned into another program tarnishing loss. It should've hurt more than the cringeful 35-3 loss to USC last year during the 2008 season.

Because this time, the Buckeyes didn't drop the ball so much as they let it slip through their fingers.

They weren't playing out of their league. They weren't in an unwinnable situation, the byproduct of a conference in a down year and that mix of calculus and dartboards known as the BCS. They were in a game they could have won, with more than 106,000 Buckeye fans roaring like a fleet of 747s circling overhead.

And they let it slip away. A garden variety woulda-coulda-shoulda.

The talking heads were right, of course. It was a good game by the Buckeyes. But at Ohio State, a program that was national champion this decade, that splattered Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl after the 2005 season, good should never be good enough.

"We didn't take advantage of our opportunities," said tight end Jake Ballard, squeezing a mouthful into seven words.

There are no moral victories for a program like Ohio State, or at least they're shouldn't be. For a school that lords its dominance over rival Michigan with a swagger, in billboards high above Detroit, that puts entire units of players into the NFL and that arguably has more history than two of the six BCS conferences, Saturday night's game should've been nothing to cheer about.

There should be no celebration because the Buckeyes were good enough to be just not quite good enough. This was no 60-minute dividing line between the overrated Ohio State that was and the contender they'd like to be.

They shouldn't feel better after Saturday night's near miss, they should feel worse.

"That's the bottom line," Doug Worthington said. "We went out there ... we came up a little short and we've got to get back to the drawing board."

Buckeye fans should feel good about the effort the team put forth for four quarters, after other big games that the team seemed to retire from before the fight was finished. This team took blow after blow, and it didn't knock the Buckeyes back, it just pushed their feet further in the turf. Even after Chris Gallipo picked off Terrelle Pryor's second pass of the game and set up an early fourth-and-goal touchdown that, at least briefly, vacuumed the air right out of the Horseshoe.

But should they cheer because the Buckeyes got pushed around when it mattered? Because Ohio State's defense had a freshman quarterback in an insane asylum politely called a stadium backed up five yards from his own goal line, yet they couldn't come through? Because they couldn't hold USC back on two third-and-9s, giving up a first down and a manageable fourth-and-1 on that final drive? Because their offense moved in lurches and their possible Heisman quarterback looked more like the true freshman in crunch time?

Should they cheer because they looked like a good team, but not an Ohio State team, not the power three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust lineage team that might lose the war but would always win the battle of the trenches?

Sure, the Ohio State defense stood up to the Trojans and an offensive line that had been overrun by Navy a week ago, held the Trojans' handful of future NFL linemen generally on the happy side of scrimmage.

But is that enough to be happy about for Ohio State? That, instead of the embarrassment of their last three major non-conference games, they simply lost?

No, they weren't hard-luck losers that turned a page on Ohio State history. They were a team that played USC tough for four full quarters. That's all well and good.

But at Ohio State, no matter recent history, good still shouldn't be good enough.

Ohio State Loss Nothing to Cheer originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Week 2 College Football Chat

Brian Grummell — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:25:00 EST

Filed under: Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, UCLA, USC

Another week of college football, another mid-day chat, we're here to serve. Like last week we'll commence at 3 PM Eastern as the early games wrap up and take you through the middle of the day featuring teams like Notre Dame, Michigan, Oklahoma State, UCLA, Tennessee, TCU, Texas and BYU. That's some good football, no?

Oh and we can certainly discuss USC and Ohio State or whatever else strikes your fancy while Tweets from some of our writers provide updates from elsewhere. Chat application after the jump.

<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=a3f65c2f34" >FanHouse Week Two College Football Chat</a>

FanHouse Week 2 College Football Chat originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trojan Heroes Smell Buckeye Blood

Lonnie White — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State, USC

LOS ANGELES -- It's the fourth quarter of the 1980 Rose Bowl game and Ohio State has USC on the ropes. Coach Earle Bruce's undefeated Buckeyes lead the Trojans by six points and are one defensive stop from a win that will likely clinch a national championship.

Tailback Charles White and USC's offensive line had a different plan.

Over the final 5½ minutes, White carried the ball six times and gained 70 yards in a deciding 83-yard drive, which concluded with his one-yard touchdown run that gave the Trojans a 17-16 victory.

"It's special. I'm not going to lie to you," the 1979 Heisman Trophy winner, said about his signature game against the Buckeyes that saw him finish with a Rose Bowl-record 247 yards rushing on 39 carries.

"It really came down to where I just wanted the ball and I knew that I could run with it," White added with a laugh. "It was as simple as that.

"We wanted to run out the clock and the best way to do that was to give it to me. That's the way it was. I was happy for the fact that there were a lot of people relying on me and [USC Coach] John Robinson believed enough to keep giving me the ball."

USC vs. Ohio State. John McKay, Woody Hayes, O.J. Simpson, Archie Griffin, Anthony Davis, Randy Gradishar, Ronnie Lott .... the list goes on and on. All College Football Hall of Famers who have coached or played in the unique rivalry, which will add a chapter Saturday night when the third-ranked Trojans face the eighth-ranked Buckeyes at "The Shoe" in Columbus, Ohio.

"When you play against an opponent with the status like Ohio State.... you feel fortunate whenever you can win," said White, 51, who works in computer analysis at USC. "And when you can look back and say, 'Hey, I did something to that football team that people still remember, that's a real special feeling.' "

"The history is there. Those things were not built overnight. They were built over a long period of time with blood, sweat and tears. That's what makes Ohio State special. But that's also what makes USC special." Ohio State and USC have played each other 22 times with the Trojans holding a 12-9-1 edge. In recent years, USC has dominated, winning six in a row, including a 35-3 victory last year in the L.A. Coliseum.

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said USC should expect a vocal crowd because fans remember how the Trojans manhandled the Buckeyes a year ago.

"Well Columbus loves football," said Tressel, who has led the Buckeyes to an 85-19 record, which includes one BCS national championship and at least a share of five Big 10 titles. "They get excited just at the mention of a football practice. We have 10, 15, 20,000 people come to a practice sometimes if we open it up. They love the sport of football. Add to it that Southern Cal, which is storied in the history of football, storied in the history of Ohio State football with some very important games over the years having been played against them and the respect they have for their excellence, they're absolutely excited about the game."

Ohio State's fan support is a major reason why so many former Trojans take so much pride in beating the Buckeyes.

"Man, they sure love their Buckeyes back there," said Kennedy Pola, who started at fullback in the Trojans' 20-17 victory over Ohio State in the 1985 Rose Bowl. "Their fan support is just unreal."

Ironically, it was Ohio State's vocal fan support that played a role in USC wide receiver Tim Ware's memorable touchdown celebration in that 1985 game.

With Ohio State heavily favored and looking for a Top 5 finish with a win, USC upset the Buckeyes, thanks to a second-quarter touchdown catch by Ware, who brought flare to the game when he arched his back with his arms over his head for an artistic gymnastic-like touchdown celebration.

"From the USC standpoint, we were always taught that we owned the Rose Bowl but we had not reached the game for a few years," said Ware, who played for the Trojans from 1980 -84 before spending several NFL seasons playing with the Raiders, Chargers and Chiefs.

"So when I was a senior, we got a chance to play a great Ohio State team that featured a lot of future NFL players, including Chris Carter, Keith Byars and Mike Tomczack. I was really excited for the game.

"During that time, a lot of guys were Mark Clayton and Mark Duper fans. During that season, Mark Clayton had done something similar but I guess I got caught up in the moment and inspired [by Ohio State] fans and put a little more arch in my back. It's funny that people still remember what I did in the end zone. There are still a lot of die-hard Ohio State fans who bring my touchdown celebration up."

That's what happens when a player does something special in the USC vs. Ohio State rivalry, especially when it's a Rose Bowl game.

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In this photo taken on Sept. 5, 2009, Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones (12) passes in the second half of a NCAA football game against Brigham Young in Arlington, Texas. Jones filled in for starter Sam Bradford who was injured late in the first half of the football game. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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ATLANTA - SEPTEMBER 10: ESPN sportscaster Erin Andrews (L) interviews head coach Paul Johnson of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets after their 30-27 over the Clemson Tigers at Bobby Dodd Stadium on September 10, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Erin Andrews;Paul Johnson

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ATLANTA - SEPTEMBER 10: ESPN sportscaster Erin Andrews watches the Clemson Tigers face the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium on September 10, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Erin Andrews

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ATLANTA - SEPTEMBER 10: Da'Quan Bowers #93 and Brandon Thompson #98 of the Clemson Tigers tackle Jonathan Dwyer #21 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium on September 10, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Da'Quan Bowers;Brandon Thompson;Jonathan Dwyer

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ATLANTA - SEPTEMBER 10: Jerrard Tarrant #37 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets breaks up a reception intended for C.J. Spiller #28 of the Clemson Tigers at Bobby Dodd Stadium on September 10, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** C.J. Spiller;Jerrard Tarrant

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ATLANTA - SEPTEMBER 10: Dwayne Allen #83 of the Clemson Tigers celebrates his touchdown reception with Terrance Ashe #87 against Brad Jefferson #51 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium on September 10, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Brad Jefferson;Dwayne Allen;Terrance Ashe

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ATLANTA - SEPTEMBER 10: Dwayne Allen #83 of the Clemson Tigers pulls in a touchdown reception against Brad Jefferson #51 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium on September 10, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Brad Jefferson;Dwayne Allen

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ATLANTA - SEPTEMBER 10: Anthony Allen #18 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets drives upfield against Ricky Sapp #7 and Marcus Gilchrist #12 of the Clemson Tigers at Bobby Dodd Stadium on September 10, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Marcus Gilchrist;Anthony Allen;Ricky Sapp

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ATLANTA - SEPTEMBER 10: Head coach Paul Johnson of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets looks on against the Clemson Tigers at Bobby Dodd Stadium on September 10, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Paul Johnson

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ATLANTA - SEPTEMBER 10: Buzz, the mascot of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, cheers against the Clemson Tigers at Bobby Dodd Stadium on September 10, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Buzz

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Seven times, the teams have played on New Year's Day in Pasadena with the Trojans going 4-3. In four of those Rose Bowl games, the winner left the field with at least a share of a national championship (USC won the 1972 and 1974 national crowns after Rose Bowl wins over Ohio State, while the Buckeyes won the 1954 and 1968 titles after beating the Trojans).

As in the overall series, USC has held an edge over Ohio State in recent years, winning the last three Rose Bowl meetings and four of the last five.

It's an advantage that former Trojans take particular pride in when they talk about the Buckeyes.

"One of the reasons why I went to USC was because of the 1974 Rose Bowl when Ohio State beat SC 42-21," said former USC All-American safety Dennis Thurman, now the current secondary coach for the New York Jets. "I was in high school still being recruited and Ohio State had some great players like Pete Johnson, Cornelius Green and Neal Colzie.

"I was sitting in the stands that day and after the game was over, I remember walking out of the Rose Bowl saying that we'll be back next year and that we'll beat them. It was really weird because at that time, I was undecided between USC and UCLA but after that game, I realized I had already made my college decision. And the next year, I was a freshman on the team that beat Ohio State, 18-17, in the Rose Bowl that led for us to win a share of the national title."

With so many former Trojans and Buckeyes currently playing or coaching in the NFL, the USC vs. Ohio State rivalry rises to a different level after college.

"It's for pride for your university," said Thurman, who has spent 18 years as a player or coach in the NFL. "And it's a big deal between USC and Ohio State. We have Nick Mangold and Vernon Gholston, two top draft picks from Ohio State, and my assistant Doug Plank, played on that team that lost to us in the 1975 Rose Bowl.

"So there's a lot of trash-talking going on between [former USC quarterback Mark] Sanchez and myself and the three Buckeyes going on this week."

Pola, current Jacksonville Jaguars running backs coach, is another former USC player who was influenced by sitting in the Rose Bowl stands for a game between the Buckeyes and Trojans.

"It was Charles White's Rose Bowl game at the end of the 1979 season and I was straight off the [Samoa] Island to the mainland," said Pola, who played at USC from 1982-86. "I had never been to a college football game before and was sitting in the student section watching all of the great players on the field, the colors in the crowd and the bands. It was so exciting to me. I thought every college game was that way and when USC won, I was sold.

Pola said it's only natural for the USC vs. Ohio State rivalry to flourish among people working in the pros because of the impact both programs have had in the league.

"Around the NFL, it's normal for everyone to wear their university colors on Fridays," Pola said. "It's a big deal, at least with the ones who are proud of their programs. And everyone gets into, including guys from "THE" Ohio State University. But the nice thing about being from the University of Southern California. People know. I don't need to put on the colors. They know about USC's football program."

After several years recruiting at the college level against the Buckeyes and spending the last decade attending pro scouting days in Columbus for the NFL pre-draft workout, Pola has gained a tremendous amount of respect for Ohio State's program.

"Everything starts with their tradition," Pola said. "To this day. Ohio State is the only school to have had a player win back-to-back Heisman Trophies. That says a lot. The History is there. Those things were not built overnight. They were built over a long period of time with a lot of blood, sweat and tears. That's what makes Ohio State special. But that's what also makes USC special."

Which only adds to a rivalry that will be take over college football's center stage this weekend with the winner gaining an inside track to the 2010 BCS Championship game ...

This game, of course, will be played in the Rose Bowl.

Trojan Heroes Smell Buckeye Blood originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pac-10 Notes: USC and Cal Up, Everyone Else In Holding Pattern

Brian Grummell — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:05:00 EST

Filed under: California, Ohio State, Tennessee, UCLA, USC, Pac 10

Pac-10 teams begin their second week of play on Saturday, highlighted by No. 3 USC's trip to Columbus to play Ohio State. It means nothing but consensus leans heavily towards the Trojans despite it being a cover of darkness road game before what Eleven Warriors calls 105,000 of college football's best hooligans, despite starting a true freshman quarterback in Matt Barkley and despite Ohio State having the tiebreaker of all tiebreakers in Terrelle Pryor.

Yeah, USC's loaded. The rest of the conference lineup Saturday is a mixed bag filled with one big road trip to SEC country, a couple middling names and a handful of regional cupcakes. Mmm, cupcakes. Wait, no, bad Pac-10. Time to bag some fresh game out of say, Knoxville? Hmmm, maybe not.

So, USC. We last saw them romping over Dick Why In The Heck Did Arizona Fire Him Tomey's San Jose State kids, 56-3 behind a ridiculous 342 yard rush effort that was the fifth best rush total of the Pete Carroll era. Their defense played lights out as well, allowing a little over 130 total yards while mixing in some talented youngsters. The names to know this year beyond Taylor Mays are middle linebacker Chris Galippo and defensive tackle Jurrell Casey.

Obviously on Saturday we'll see them on the road against Ohio State with all kinds of intrigue as people see if USC can continue its ridiculous streak of big early season road game kills. Notable: Taylor Mays has likened Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor to a Pterodactyl.

Oregon -- The first rule of Blount-gate, nobody talks about Blount-gate. Or Boise State. Oregon is going to press the refresh button on its season this weekend as it hosts surprising Purdue. The Boilermakers smashed Akron to the tune of 315 rush yards, 234 of them coming from previously anonymous Ralph Bolden. Drew Brees would roll over in his grave at that news, er, um, anyway. The Duckies' big problem is their pass game was horribly exposed last week as something insufficient if they can't get that run game going. They have to, or this year's over.

Oregon State -- Just call them the Twin Mice of Terror, as the Rodgers brothers returned for the Beavers in rolling up 253 combined yards in a 34-7 victory over Portland State. Heaven help that offense is they're not on the field, as we saw what happened in the Sun Bowl against Pitt, an ugly 3-0 victory with absolutely zero spark. Sean Canfield replaced the injured Lyle Moevao and went 8 of 11 for 158 yards and appears to have found his mojo -- and accuracy. Next up: UNLV as the Beavers try to shake a history of slow starts.

Stanford -- Everyone's sleeper Pac-10 pick and with good reason, Stanford got the Pac-10 party started early with a 39-13 victory over improving Washington State last Saturday. Freshman quarterback Andrew Luck was solid if unspectacular but added 53 rush yards including a high of 31. The team's identity will mirror that of its coach, smash mouth football, little depth (we kid, we kid) and bulldozer back Toby Gerhart. Speaking of which he had 121 rush yards as part of a 288 yard team total. The defense chipped in a goal line stand from the one for good measure.

Of some intrigue, this week's game is at Wake Forest and Stanford coaches enforced a mandate that players not sleep on the flight. Mirroring Maryland's early start time against Cal last year, the game will kick off at noon Eastern, 9 AM Pacific time. The endlessly annoying Stanford Tree will most certainly not be recovered from its hangover in time to give its full effort on account of that. There will be retribution, oh yes, there will be retribution.

UCLA -- As expected the Bruin offense was so-so under redshirt freshman quarterback Kevin Prince, but an overall team effort speared a surge of 30 unanswered points after training San Diego State at home 14-3 last week. A return of a blocked field goal, three interceptions from defensive back Rahim Moore and a few timely runs plus a stout defensive effort after a shaky first quarter paved the way to a 33-14 final total. Next up is a trip to Knoxville, Tennessee to play ... Tennessee, a trip that tripped up northern rival California a few years ago.

Tennessee is well familiar with UCLA, as both coach Lane Kiffin and assistant Ed Orgeron were USC assistants. Orgeron gets particularly animated about UCLA and is certain to make clear losing to a team with powder blue colors is a crime against all of the Volunteer state. Bruins' offensive coordinator Norm Chow will be opposite sidelines of the man who replaced him at USC, almost certainly carrying a grudge. Good times.

Arizona State -- The Sun Devils battered cupcake Idaho State 50-3 last week, holding them to just 37 total yards. Kicker Thomas Weber nailed five short field goals on the way to a 20 point afternoon. Nobody will pay attention to them for at least another week with Louisiana-Monroe on the docket. Deservedly so. Schedule better, Sparky!

Arizona -- The Wildcats were 19-6 winners over Central Michigan, effectively shutting down one of the FBS's more versatile quarterbacks in Dan LeFevour. Matt Scott got the nod at quarterback, performing modestly beyond the 83 rush yards he totaled. Next up is Northern Arizona.

Cal -- The Bears have jumped out as the prime candidate to take down USC after stomping Maryland 52-13. Quarterback Kevin Riley tossed four touchdowns and the defense swarmed Maryland's quarterbacks in cruising to the revenge win. Next up is Eastern Washington before a brutal stretch at Minnesota, at Oregon, home against USC and then at UCLA. There's gold in them thar' proving grounds.

Washington -- The surprise team of the weekend, although I anticipated they'd put up a good fight against LSU. The Huskies are a bit like Stanford, with several very good players but lacking much overall depth to sustain themselves over 60 minutes. Husky Stadium was rocking in making an unwelcome host to the visitors from down south before inevitably falling 31-23. Moral victories are worthless but Washington gets a great shot Saturday for a real one against Idaho which would snap their 15-game losing streak.

Washington State -- Well, at least they showed some life in losing to Stanford 39-13. Quarterbacks Kevin Lopina and Marshall Lobbestael rotated but by every account Lopina was the clear superior. Yet, it looks like the rotation is in effect for another week when the Cougars host Hawaii.

Our Pac-10 Power Rankings

1)USC
2)Cal
3)Stanford
4)Oregon State
5)Washington
6)UCLA
7)Arizona
8)Arizona State
9)Oregon
10)Washington State

Pac-10 Teams In The Rankings

Rushing Offense (7) USC 342 yards/game
Total Offense (4) USC 620 yards/game
Scoring Offense (6) USC 56 points/game (9) California 52 points/game
Passing Efficiency (5) USC 212.83 rating (7) California 204.6
Time of Possession (2) Arizona 37:45 (7) Washington 36:52 (9) UCLA 35:59

Rush Defense (1) ASU -5 yards/game (2) USC 9 yards
Pass Defense (4) ASU 42 yards/game
Total Defense (1) ASU 37 yards/game (6) USC 121 yards
Scoring Defense (10) ASU 3 points/game TIE USC 3 points
Pass Efficiency Defense (1) ASU 22.64 rating
Sacks (1) California 6/game (4) USC 5/game
Turnover Margin (1) ASU +5 (10) California +2

Pac-10 Notes: USC and Cal Up, Everyone Else In Holding Pattern originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ohio State Tries to Buck Trend of Big-Game Flops

Ray Holloman — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State, USC, Big 10

There will be no clips package this week from Ohio State coach Jim Tressel. No binder full of chapter-and-verse about how the Buckeyes can't be Southern California Saturday night , or how his program's image has become about as hip as Joe Paterno's record collection.

There will be no compilation, because the message couldn't be clearer if Terrelle Pryor put in his eye black and the Ohio State marching band spelled it in script.

Ohio State and the big stage go together like peanut butter and gasoline.

Since the then-No. 1 Buckeyes' primetime win over No. 2 Texas in the second week of the 2006 season, the collapse of Ohio State's reputation has been nasty, brutish and long. In the BCS championships game following the 2006 season, the underdog Florida Gators turnstile jumped the Ohio State offensive line and sacked Heisman winner Troy Smith so many times that a cottage industry sprung in Gainesville selling bumper stickers that read "Honk if you sacked Troy Smith." Ohio State lost 41-14.

A year later, the Buckeyes again qualified for the BCS championship and promised a different ending. They were right. This time, they lost to LSU in humbling fashion, the schools' ninth loss in nine bowl games against the SEC.

So, by last season, that the Buckeyes would lose against South California was as fait accompli as Jim Tressel's wardrobe choice. A 32-point loss in Los Angeles, and a season-ending defeat to Texas in the Fiesta Bowl, even if it was closer than expected, proved that SEC speed has nothing on how quickly perception becomes reality.

"It's a fact, so it's fair," Tressel said, of the school's big-game reputation. "So outside of that and as you look at what you need to do to win this game or any of "those" games or those X number of games in between, you have to go to work at what you need to do to get better. And no one spends any more time trying to figure out how to fix their world they live in than we do."

And as Ohio State's reputation coughed, the Big Ten has come down with the flu. The league went 10-1 last week, but Iowa's near-loss to Northern Iowa and Ohio State's goal-line interception to stave off Navy spawned enough one-liners to fill a week's worth of late-night monologues.

So as Ohio State heads into the Coliseum as a touchdown underdog, Tressel is well aware he carries more than just the fate of his team on their shoulderpads, even if he doesn't want his team to think about it.

"We've got to think about the moment," Tressel said. "And good teams have that ability to stay in the moment and ignore anything positive or negative or anything along the way and just stay in the moment of what's going on.

"If you don't stay in the moment ... you won't do very well in the moment."

And yet, comes the belief out of Columbus that this time, at home, will be different.

Larry King might've been less of an optimist in every trip to the altar.

But Saturday's game will be a proving ground for a pair of elite teams with well-known weaknesses that might tip in Ohio State's favor. For the Trojans, who lost an entire linebacking corp in the first 40 picks of the NFL draft, they'll need to prove they can handle a mobile quarterback. Last year, Ohio State started the decidedly stone-footed Todd Boeckman before alternating in Pryor. The true freshman was sacked just once to Boeckman's four times and scampered for 40 of the team's 71 rushing yards. It was an inlking of the ground-churning efforts running quarterbacks like Vince Young and Dennis Dixon have staged against the Trojans.

"We don't have an athlete like that," Carroll said. "I've always said that the most difficult aspect of defending an opponent is when they have a quarterback that can run and run on plays that aren't designed to be quarterback running plays."

Ohio State, meanwhile, will have to prove its offensive line is national championship caliber, or at least something more than a receiving line in front of the quarterback. The unit has let the Buckeyes down in national matchups the past four seasons and struggled at times against a surprisingly blitz-happy Navy last week. While the national mantra of the Big Ten's lack of athleticism may be a bit of convenient fiction -- players like Pryor, Antonio Pittman, Beanie Wells, Troy Smith, Ted Ginn and Malcolm Jenkins to name a small few, could've starred anywhere they liked south of the Mason-Dixon line or in L.A. -- its offensive lineman haven't been quite as convincing.

"I thought there were some moments where we did some pretty good things up front. I thought there was some indecisive moments," Tressel said. "There were some things that looked like we had a chance and then there were some things that make you recognize that you've got a ways to get better."

And in a hurry. Against San Jose State, the Trojans' defensive line went over, around and right through the blockers-in-name-only.

As a defensive unit, USC racked up five sacks among 16 tackles-for-loss against the Spartans, meaning that Saturday could be another long night for the offensive line, the Buckeyes, and the Big Ten.

That too, is another thing Jim Tressel isn't going to mention.

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Florida quarterback Tim Tebow (15) is congratulated by teammates Jeffrey Demps (2) and John Fairbanks (59) after scoring a first half touchdown against Troy during an NCAA college football game in Gainesville, Fla., Saturday, Sept., 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

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Florida's Jeffery Demps (2) goes for a touchdown as helmet-less teammate Riley Cooper (11) blocks Troy's Bryan Willis (26) during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Gainesville, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, center, looks for a receiver as he is pressured by the Troy defense during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Gainesville, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

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Florida running back Chris Rainey (3) runs past Troy cornerback Bryan Willis for a gain during the first half of an an NCAA college football game in Gainesville, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009.(AP Photo/John Raoux)

Florida's defensive end Jermaine Cunningham (49) reaches down to recover a Troy fumble as Troy running back DuJuan Harris (32) looks on during the during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Gainesville, Fla., Saturday, Sept., 12, 2009.; (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 12: Quarterback Daryll Clark #17 of the Penn State Nittany Lions eludes a tackle by Nico Scott #28 of the Syracuse Orangemen as guard Matt Stankiewitch #54 of the Nittany Lions defends during the first half at Beaver Stadium September 12, 2009 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Matt Stankiewitch;Nico Scott;Daryll Clark

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Florida wide receiver Riley Cooper catches a 36-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tim Tebow during the first half of an an NCAA college football game against Troy, in Gainesville, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009.(AP Photo/John Raoux)

Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour, right, scrambles away from Michigan State's Tyler Hoover (91) for a first down during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

Troy running back DuJuan Harris, center, is stopped for no gain by the Florida defense during an NCAA college football game in Gainesville, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009.(AP Photo/John Raoux)

Michigan State quarterback rushes on a keeper against Central Michigan during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

Ohio State Tries to Buck Trend of Big-Game Flops originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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