Gophers vs. California: Summary & Analysis

By KENNY FRANEK

First Quarter:
The first quarter belonged to the Bears, as they recorded 159 yards of offense compared to the Gophers’ 39. Jahvid Best scored twice in the first quarter while rushing for 69 yards on just six carries. Penalties caused the Minnesota offense to stagnate; it wasn’t until the final drive of the quarter that the Gophers started clicking and Eric Decker began to get involved in the passing game.
Score: Cal 14, Gophers 0

Second Quarter:
Adam Weber got Minnesota on the board on the first play, hooking up with Decker who made an incredible catch while getting drilled by a Cal defender. Best answered later in the quarter with an impressive 27-yard touchdown run to put the Bears up 21-7. After a personal foul and a pass interference call, the Gophers had great field position with 1:11 left in the half. A few plays later, Weber found Decker again wide open in the end-zone for a twelve-yard score to cut the lead to 21-14. Even though the Bears dominated time of possession 12:03 to 2:57, the Gophers were able to make plays and build some momentum going into halftime.
Score: Cal 21, Gophers 14

Third Quarter:
The Gophers defense came out of the locker room firing on all cylinders. They held Best at bay and didn’t allow a single first-down to the Bears offense, holding them to 22 yards in the quarter. The Gophers showed their offense truly does run through Decker as he completed a seven-yard touchdown pass to freshman MarQueis Gray to tie the game at 21.
Score: Cal 21, Gophers 21

Fourth Quarter:
Things were looking up for the Gophers when they had the Bears pinned on their own 22 yard-line facing 3rd and 16. But Kevin Riley had other plans as he hooked up with Jeremy Ross for a 35-yard pass, keeping the drive alive. Five plays later, Best found the end-zone again for his fourth score of the day to put the Bears up for good, 28-21. Weber tried to make something happen on the very next play, but ended up throwing a crucial interception. That was that, as Best ended up adding another score to make it 35-21, ending the comeback attempt.
Final Score: Cal 35, Gophers 21

The Turning Point:
Facing a 3rd and 16 on their own 22 yard-line, Riley connected with receiver Ross for 35 yards to keep the drive going. Five plays later, Best punched in the decisive score.

Analysis:

Gophers coach Tim Brewster proved that he has turned this program around and has them heading in the right direction. They fought back numerous times against a good Cal football team and sent a message to the powers of the Big Ten that they aren’t to be taken lightly. Although Brewster was pleased with how his team played, he was disappointed that they didn’t find a way to come out with a victory.

“It’s hard. You know, you pour your heart and your soul into an effort…every player and every coach poured their heart and soul into this game and we weathered an early storm and our kids really showed some resilience and resolve," Brewster said following the game. "I’m extremely proud of our football team, the way that they competed against the #8 ranked team in the country. What I’m really disappointed in is that we didn’t find a way to win the game. We didn’t make the plays at the end of the game…we had opportunities on the defensive end, had some opportunities on the offensive end. When you’re playing a great opponent like we were playing today, the team that’s going to win is the team that makes the plays at the end of the football game.”

The score was not indicative of how the game was played. The Gophers fought hard and battled all game and seemed to answer every Cal score, but the lack of a ground game was too much to overcome in the end. They only managed 37 yards rushing which allowed the defense to put pressure on Weber the majority of the game. If the Gophers plan on contending against Ohio State and Penn State in the Big Ten, this needs to be corrected. Decker can only do so much on offense and the ground game needs to be there to take pressure of Weber when he drops back to pass.

On the other side of the ball, the stout Cal defense looked shaky against the pass, allowing 233 yards through the air. Decker was a one-man wrecking crew who had the challenge of going up against potential All-America corner Syd’Quan Thompson. He stepped up to the challenge, catching eight passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns and had Thompson scratching his head for most of the game. The Bears run defense bottled up the Gophers rushing attack, allowing them to blitz Weber and force him into mistakes which proved costly for the Gophers at the end of the game.

Best showed why he is considered the best running back in the country, rushing for 131 yards on 26 attempts and scoring five touchdowns. The Gophers shut down the Cal passing game for most of this contest and forced Best to beat them, which he did. Gopher linebacker Lee Campbell said this of Best, “He’s fast. He’s probably one of the fastest running backs I’ve ever played against. You just have to try and keep him corralled and you saw what happens when he gets to the outside.” He ran through and around the Gophers defense and was the reason the Bears won this football game.

It was a hard fought game for both teams and they both should be proud of the effort they put forth. For the Gophers, it’s about taking that next step to become a contender in the Big Ten. For Cal, it’s about shutting teams down when they have their foot on their throat.

Photos Courtesy of University of Minnesota Athletic Communications, University of California

Big Ten - Week 2 Preview

By JOHN SEARS - BIG TEN INSIDER

USC @ Ohio St. -
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Notre Dame @ Michigan - Click to Read Preview

Central Michigan at Michigan State: Quarterback Dan LeFevour (18-for-31, 108 yards, one interception) was abysmal as the Chippewas lost to Arizona, 19-6. Watch him try to get back to potential while he squares off against the Spartans’ quarterbacking duo, Keith Nichol and Kirk Cousins. This will be a better barometer of the Spartans’ defense as well.
MSU 31, CMU 9

Syracuse at Penn State: Constant disrupter defensive tackle Jared Odrick was certainly the standout last week for Penn State, with the silver going to Daryll Clark (29-for-40, 355 yards, three touchdowns, one interception) and the bronze to Derick Moye, who stepped up big in the receiving corps (6 catches, 138 yards, touchdown). Look for much-improved run blocking this week (they better!) and the front seven forcing Syracuse’s Greg Paulus to make bounce passes through his earhole.
Penn State 37, Syracuse 9

Iowa at Iowa State: Which is worse: last week against FCS Northern Iowa, the Hawkeyes 1) were outgained 354 to 329 in total yards, 2) gave up 270 yards passing, 3) managed only 87 yards rushing, or 4) needed two blocked field goals to steal the win at home? That defense better more inspired, and the Hawkeyes must find a patchwork solution to their vacant rushing attack.
(Only because Iowa can’t start with an almost loss and then a loss)
Iowa 20, Iowa State 17

Purdue at Oregon: Do I dare set-up for the upset of the week? Disarray in Eugene, the loss of their starting running back for the season, and Purdue looking very strong out of the gate (52-31 over Toledo)? No. Purdue will not have an answer for quarterback Jeremiah Masoli in front of the Duck faithful.
Oregon 27, Purdue 14

Fresno State at Wisconsin: The home-and-home series returns to Camp Randall, where Northern Illinois almost stole one late from the Badgers. Call this one the Battle of the Bulge as Fresno State pounded the ball for 310 yards rushing and a 7.9 average versus the Zach Brown/John Clay tank brigade. If Clay healed this week, the Badgers will out-bruise in a close one.
Wisconsin 21, Fresno State 16

Air Force at Minnesota: The good–Adam Weber to Eric Decker looks like the passer-receiver combo of the conference. The bad–besides dedicating themselves to a physical rushing attack, the Gophers mustered only 112 yards rushing. The ugly–they almost lost to a team (Syracuse) with a point guard starting at quarterback and face an Air Force squad that put up 474 yards rushing last week. Home/Stadium-opening delight as Minnesota plays host outdoors to Air Force and squeaks by.
Minnesota 21, Air Force 20

Western Michigan at Indiana: Will the real Tim Hiller please stand up? Hopefully for the Hoosiers, he won’t do so this week. Will the real Ben Chappell please stand up? The Indiana quarterback threw for 326 yards on 27-for-36 passing and one touchdown. If that’s for real, then Indiana might be OK in the pistol.
Indiana 24, Western Michigan 21

Eastern Michigan at Northwestern: Coach Pat Fitzgerald has his team off to a good start as they easily handled Towson last week, 47-14. Eastern Michigan brings former Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English back to the conference. English’s debut wasn’t pretty, as his squad dropped a 27-14 decision to Army. Pssst–Coach Fitz…run-the-football. Central Michigan’s defense gave away real estate in fire-sale fashion, giving up 300 yards to the Black Knights.
Northwestern 33, Eastern Michigan 10

Illinois St at Illinois: As I picked Illinois as a potential contender for the Big Ten title (which of course is still in hand notwithstanding the drubbing handed out by Missouri last week in St. Louis), I now stand on shaky ground in understanding what to expect this week. It’s against Illinois State, who gave up almost 400 yards to Eastern Illinois last week and managed 20 yards rushing? Oh…
Illinois 56, Illinois State 3

Photos Courtesy of Robert Barclay/Central Michigan, University of Minnesota Athletic Communications

Big Ten: “Mark” My Words

By JOHN SEARS

Here is a team-by-team list of statistics that will indicate how well the conference performed by season’s end. Let’s re-visit these after November 21st to see how wrong I was.

Key Statistical Markers of Successful Season

Penn State: Pass defense must average less than 200 yards/game: This is obviously a nod to the depleted secondary, which must re-tool all four positions. The front seven will be solid against the run. Losing edge rushers will compromise the pass defense further. Since 2005, Penn State’s return to the top of the conference, they have given up an average of 203 yards/game through the air, including the 2006 season where they reloaded all four secondary positions. The pass defense can help solidify this team’s identity as a stifling, smash-mouth rush defense.

Iowa: Must finish in top four (Big Ten) in rush defense and at least top six in total offense: Nothing fancy here for the Hawkeyes, just good old Iowa City football–strong defense and solid offense. There’s no need to excel per se on either side of the ball for Iowa to win the prize, but there is a desperate need to reload the defensive interior. The pass defense will be there this year and, just like Penn State, if they can shore up the potential weakness (against the run) in their defense, Iowa will have a shot every week this season. Top half in total offense will indicate that the running game was established, despite the absence of the injured Jewel Hampton. If so, quarterback Ricky Stanzi’s job gets much easier, and the offense will click enough to put up solid, not sexy, offensive numbers.

Illinois: Must finish at least even in turnover margin and +10 in sacks: This will indicate to that the offense took care of the ball and more importantly, that Juice Williams continued to improve upon his touchdown to interception ratio. The +10 in sacks will show that 1) Williams’ blind side is protected well by Corey Lewis, a sophomore who emerged last year after dropping his red-shirt status and 2) that the Illini defense plays opportunistic enough to make plays. Altogether, this gives more opportunities for Illinois’ offense to be in better field position and eventually put up more points.

Ohio State: Rush defense must average less than 125 yards/game: We all realize that Terrelle Pryor is a tremendously gifted athlete, but it sure would help if the defense steps up and relieves some pressure from the offense. We’ve seen this as a classic recipe for the Buckeyes’ success in the past; it’s no surprise that Ohio State has held opponents under 100 yards/game five of the last seven years and coincidently has been in conference title contention (or champions). If the Buckeyes put up this kind of rush defense, they will have a much better shot at making another title run.

Northwestern: Must finish in top five in passing offense: Northwestern insists they plan on passing the ball this season, despite the fact that starting quarterback Mike Kafka’s strongest showing last year was as a running quarterback and the team lost 80 percent of its receiving offense from last year. Northwestern’s defense is already slated to be very strong, so the offense needs to step it up. If Kafka leads Northwestern to a top-five passing offense, it will convince me that the Wildcats will be complete on both sides of the ball.

Minnesota: Total offense must be split close to even: 55 percent pass, 45 percent rush yardage: Simple statistic, nuanced reasoning. As Minnesota shifts away from the spread and into a physical rushing attack, the rushing yards MUST be there. If so, this statistic will indicate that the newly installed offensive game plan was well adopted and that the defense held up its end of the bargain (there potentially wouldn’t be a need to pass, pass, pass if they fell behind).

Michigan State: The Spartans running backs must average over four yards a carry: Michigan State’s strength certainly lies on the defensive side of the ball. Led by Javon Ringer last year, the Spartans averaged only 3.3 yards/carry. A significantly higher rushing average will indicate that enough pressure was taken off the inexperienced quarterbacks, giving them more time to develop and then excel. This will also indicate more balance strategically, as the Spartans will be returning much experience at the receiver position, led by junior Mark Dell. This will force the opposition to come up with better game plans to stop Michigan State’s offense.

Indiana: Must lead the conference in sacks and win time of possession battle: It’s tough to find ways to indicate a successful season when you’re positioned at the bottom of the conference. However, Indiana returns their top-three sack masters from last year (DEs Jammie Kilrew 10.5 and Greg Middleton 4.0, and LB Matt Mayberry 5.0). Kilrew and Middleton have combined for 35 sacks the last two seasons, and stand to be the two biggest playmakers for the Hoosiers this year. Without having standout talent on the offensive side of the ball and moving to the pistol offense and a downhill physical running style, the offense will slow to a more ball-control style–quite fitting for the qualities Ben Chappell possesses taking snaps. These statistics will indicate the playmakers made plays and that the offense was able to take control of the game.

Wisconsin: Must finish at least 5th in the conference in total defense: Wisconsin is very difficult to predict. Their offense carries so much firepower...but only if newly designated starting quarterback Scott Tolzien, gives them consistency. Running back John Clay is ready to have a monster year running, and Wisconsin returns tight end Garrett Graham, David Gilreath, and Nick Toon as their veteran receiving unit. The yards and points will be there, but can they stop anyone? Last year, their 26.5 points/game against were the worst the Badgers have put up in their last seven years. They return five starters on defense, but the front seven seems awfully inexperienced on paper. A top-five total defense indicates, well, that the defense gave the offense the chance to win games.

Michigan: Must finish season with a positive turnover ratio: The Wolverines’ -10 turnover ratio was the only ratio in the red the last seven years, and was a difference of -24 versus their best turnover margin season, which came in 2006. A positive turnover ratio will indicate tons: the quarterback play will be improved, special teams won’t fork over the ball on every other attempted return, and the defense will be flying around the ball. Quite simply, losing the turnover battle loses games to begin with, and Michigan gave themselves no chance last year with the number of giveaways they committed.

Purdue: Must finish mid-conference in passing offense and rushing defense: Purdue’s strength lies in their pass defense, which last year gave up a conference-leading 183 yards/game through the air. They look as strong or stronger in the defensive backfield this year. However, they were dead last against the rush, averaging 175 yards/game against. So it’s obvious where the improvement needs to be for them to have a successful overall defense. On offense, not much experience returns at quarterback with senior Joey Elliott. Furthermore, Purdue lost most of their receiving playmakers (Desmond Tardy, Greg Orton), so the stage is not set well for Purdue to make a splash passing the ball.

Photos Courtesy of Mike Dickbernd, IU Athletics & Iowa Sports Information

Big Ten: The September Start

By JOHN SEARS

Here’s a look at some key early-season matchups and “The Quick Synopsis” of what to look for in each game

September 12th (Redemption Weekend)

Quite simply Michigan and Ohio State need to redeem themselves for their two embarrassing losses last year, on a national stage.

Notre Dame (W) @ Michigan (L): This game is obviously big for the folks from South Bend led by a coaching “intern” as they make a plausible push back in to the BCS and media’s hearts. For Michigan not only is this a chance for them to redeem themselves for last year’s more-turnovers-than-minutes-played fiasco in the mud, it’s a formidable litmus test against a BCS contender.

The Quick Synopsis: 1) Michigan’s youth and inexperience at quarterback versus Jon Tenuta’s zone blitzing scheme and 2) Michigan’s third defensive coordinator, with the newly installed stack defense versus Jimmy Clausen and company. Was the trip to the Hawaii Bowl to end 2008 Clausen’s coming out party (24-28, 413 yards, five touchdowns) or a timely aberration? I am not convinced the maize-and-blue will have the answers to their two questions resolved before week two of the season.

USC (W) @ Ohio State (L): On the Big Ten beat, it is somewhat choking to rehash another Big Time matchup resulting in a Big Ten blunder. 35-3. And no, the Buckeyes didn’t cover the spread (+12). Nonetheless, Ohio State now plays host to the Trojans this go-around and Jim Tressel holds a 54-8 record in Columbus. Redemption is certainly in order to give the Buckeyes (and the conference) an early season lift and to set the stage heading into conference play.

The Quick Synopsis: the quarterback role-reversal – 1) apparently, USC will be going with a freshman signal caller in Matt Barkley, and will do so on the road. Will the Columbus faithful be as welcoming as the Coliseum was for Terrelle Pryor’s freshman start last year? 2) Who is scoring for the Buckeyes? They lost Beanie Wells at running back (team rushing leader), receivers Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie (team leading receivers), and now the weight falls even more heavily on Pryor to be the playmaker on offense. 3) On defense, can they quickly reload after losing their team tackling leaders James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman? It’s a step-up Saturday for the Buckeyes.

September 19th (Big Ten R-E-S-P-E-C-T Weekend)

These non-conference matchups will set the stage for conference play for the Spartans and Gophers. Wins here will boost each, and infuse a competitive lifeline in to their Big Ten conference aspirations.

Michigan State (L) @ Notre Dame (W): No need to rehash Notre Dame’s need for a Big Ten sweep (Purdue follows for the Irish the following week). But this game is absolutely huge. Michigan State needs this game to prove they have made the leap from a very good team to a possibly great team.

The Quick Synopsis: 1) same goes for the Spartans against the Irish as compared to their “brothers” in Ann Arbor–how will inexperience at quarterback (sophomore Kirk Cousins named starter over sophomore Keith Nichol) be affected by the zone-blitz? 2) How does the running-back-by-committee pan out early on? 3) Can the front seven put pressure on the Notre Dame passing game with the installation of more stunts and blitzes?

Cal (W) @ Minnesota (L): After breaking in the new outdoor, on-campus field against Air Force the week prior, hopefully with a win, the Gophers will have to man up for a visit from a PAC-10 conference contender, Cal, who returns 15 starters from last year (on top of a 9-4 record). Minnesota needs revenge for 2006’s drubbing by the then #22 ranked Golden Bears, which took place in Berkeley. A win here will, well, you get the drill here–it’s all about respect.

The Quick Synopsis: The Gophers are doing a 180-degree swing out of the spread and into a power-running, pro-style attack. How do the Gophers respond 1) with physicality at the line of scrimmage, something stressed under their new offensive scheme? Can they get a good push against Cal’s 3-4 defensive front? 2) How does quarterback Adam Weber look as a drop-back passer? 3) With the focus on the running game, can Duane Bennett break through as an impact runner after missing 2008 with injuries?

September 26th (Spoiler Alert Weekend)

Big Ten conference play starts immediately with upset alerts, one of which being Illinois over Ohio State in Columbus. A loss in the first week of conference play could derail chances for the contenders to make it to the top of the mountain.

Illinois (W) @ Ohio State (L): Juice Williams has done it before, in 2007, and I believe he will do it again—upset the Buckeyes in Columbus. Ohio State, with Laurinaitis and Freeman, were unable to get the ball out of Williams’ hands for the last 8:09 of the game. Williams also passed for four touchdowns. This year, Illinois has two weeks to prepare for the matchup, with a bye on the 19th.

The Quick Synopsis: 1) How Juice goes, so does the team. Will the Buckeyes have the speed and discipline to stop Williams and the read-option? 2) How Pryor goes, so does the team. Will the Illini have the speed and discipline to stop Pryor? 3) How does Ohio State’s secondary match up with Arrelious Benn, Jeff Cumberland, and newcomer Jared Fayson?

Iowa (L) @ Penn State (W): No need to bring up the past for the Nittany Lions. Penn State can avenge their tarnished 2008 with a good old fashioned home thumping under the lights and 110,000 of their closest friends.

The Quick Synopsis: 1) Did Penn State correct the drops that plagued their chances last year? Better yet, have they found receivers who can emerge as viable targets for Daryll Clark? For PSU, projected starting receivers are well over six-feet tall as is their returning tight end, Andrew Quarless (6-5). 2) With Jewel Hampton sidelined for the season, who will replace Shonn Greene (who rushed for 117 yards and two scores against the Nittany Lions last year)? 3) Will Iowa be able to plug up the gaping hole left by the loss of Mitch King and Matt Kroul in the interior of the defense? If not, look for a punishing running attack from the home team.

Notre Dame (W) @ Purdue (L): Notre Dame could potentially be looking at a Big Ten sweep when they travel to take on the Boilermakers. I give Purdue a chance because this is a rivalry and Purdue’s strength lies in their secondary.

The Quick Synopsis: 1) CBs Brandon King and David Pender vs. WRs Michael Floyd and Golden Tate. Who wins? 2) How well can running back Jaycen Taylor stay healthy enough to take some pressure off of quarterback Joey Elliott?

Photos Courtesy of Illinois Sports Information, University of Minnesota Athletic Communications, The Ohio State Department of Athletics

Insight Bowl: Kansas vs. Minnesota

By JOHN SEARS - BIG TEN INSIDER

December 31, 2008 * 5:30 * NFL Network
Sun Devil Stadium * Tempe, Arizona

The Jayhawks kicked off the season 5-1, but soon stumbled across a murderer’s row of Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Nebraska and Texas in a five-week stretch (all losses). As fast as the Gophers (7-5) went from instant overachievers (4-0) to January 1st bowl contenders (7-1), they became a team in a tail-spin after losing their last four. Nevertheless, posting a 7-5 record was a significant achievement after their abysmal 1-11 2007 campaign.

When the Gophers Have the Ball

Minnesota’s run under Coach Tim Brewster this year certainly drifted towards disappointment with their November woes. The struggles can be attributed to the loss of, junior receiver Eric Decker. Decker was the fulcrum of the Minnesota offense leading the team in receptions, receiving yards, yards from scrimmage and receiving touchdowns. Crisp route running and soft hands provided him the tools to be almost more productive than the next three receivers combined. Rushing has not been a particular strong suit, but the Gophers piece-meal ground game gained just under 1,000 yards (11 touchdowns) between a freshman DeLeon Eskridge and quarterback Adam Weber. “Quick strike” won’t be the descriptor for the Gophers’ offense – it will be more of a ball control offense in this one.

When the Jayhawks Have the Ball

Contrary to their opponents, Kansas has had little trouble scoring often, averaging 33 points per game. It comes as little surprise that another Big 12 team churned out massive yards and scoring behind the arm of their gunslinger, two-year starter Todd Reesing. Quite simply, when Reesing is on, the Jayhawks have a good chance of winning – in six of their seven victories he has averaged 330 yards and 2.67 touchdowns per contest. Reesing’s two main targets are Kerry Meier (hauling in 87 receptions, seven touchdowns) and big-play receiver Dezmon Briscoe (15.5 yards/catch, 12 touchdowns). When they are not throwing the ball all over the field, which has accounted for 70 percent of their total yards from scrimmage, Jake Sharp and Angus Quigley moved the ball on the ground at five yards per carry and combined for 14 scores.

Final Analysis

Minnesota has shown they can contend in the Big Ten conference, especially when their defense hands the ball over to the offense. Weber to Decker has been the catalyst for the Gophers’ success on offense, but if Decker played for Kansas, he would have finished third on the team in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Kansas’ Reesing finished eighth in the FBS in yards, 12th in touchdowns (28) and 21st in rating (146). The ability of the Jayhawks to pass the ball coupled with Minnesota’s anemic passing defense (in a rush-oriented Big Ten conference no less) ranked 88th in the FBS (232 yards/game) it seems unfair to think this game will be close. Furthermore, the Gophers’ bread-and-butter is winning the turnover battle, but Kansas is good at protecting it. Not much is leaning in Minnesota’s favor. The Gophers must hope Reesing continues to be interception-prone (7th worst in quarterbacks with at least 15 attempts/game with 12 interceptions) to have any hope.

Kansas Jayhawks (7-5, 4-4)
Pass: Todd Reesing – 3,575 yards, 28 TDs
Run: Jake Sharp – 796 yards, 11 TDs
Catch: Dezmon Briscoe – 1,206 yards, 12 TDs

Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-5, 3-5)
Pass: Adam Weber – 2,585 yards, 14 TDs
Run: DeLeon Eskridge – 652 yards, 7 TDs
Catch: Eric Decker – 925 yards, 6 TDs

The CFI Prediction: Kansas 46, Minnesota 27

Photo Credit: Jeff Jacobsen/Kansas Athletics, University of Minnesota Athletic Communications

Big Ten - Biggest Team Turnaround

4. Indiana: No doubt the 2007 campaign by the Hoosiers was in honor of their late coach Terry Hoeppner. They finished the season bowl eligible and took the Old Oaken Bucket with a last-second field goal victory against rival Purdue. They finished 7-6. This year the magic was gone and injuries took their toll on the team’s record as they finished a paltry 3-9

3. Michigan: By far and away the worst turnaround season on the losing front. Forget last year. This year Michigan lost to rivals Michigan State, Notre Dame and Ohio State, lost their consecutive bowl streak, failed to register back-to-back wins all season, and wound up with an obscene nine losses. It was a forgettable season to say the least.

1b. Minnesota: Last season they were 1-11. This season, they have notched at least seven wins, which is fantastic. A late season four-game losing streak tarnished their Disney movie season, but it was a formidable one nonetheless.

1a. Northwestern: 9-3 for 2008 in Pat Fitzgerald’s third season. He was 4-8 his first year, then 6-6, and now his Cats are eyeing the best season in Northwestern history – 10 wins, including the bowl game.

Bonus - Biggest Surprise:

5. Michigan State fell just short, losing to Penn State in their effort to gain a share of the Big Ten title.

4. Ohio State losing convincingly to USC 35-3

3. Michigan at 3-9 and losing to Toledo

2. Indiana topping Northwestern (the Wildcats’ only other losses were to Michigan State and Ohio State)

1. Wisconsin ranked as high as ninth then falling, falling, falling.

Tomorrow: Best Clutch Performance

Photo Credit: University of Minnesota Athletic Communications

Big Ten - Best 1-2 Punch: Defense

By JOHN SEARS - BIG TEN INSIDER

5. Trey Simmons and Marcus Sherels (Minnesota): They combined as the top two defenders against the pass, tallying a conference-best 24 pass break-ups and 6 interceptions. And they’ll be back next year.

4. Pat Angerer and Amari Spievey (Iowa): Nine interceptions with one returned for a touchdown between the two. OK, not bad. But, they also combined for 166 tackles (101 from Angerer).
3. Aaron Maybin and Navarro Bowman (Penn State): The epitome of playmakers for the Penn State defense. Maybin took first place in sacks with 12, third in tackles-for-loss (19) and tied for third in the Big Ten with three forced fumbles. Navarro Bowman complemented him from the linebacker position by adding 98 tackles (seventh best in the Big Ten) with 11.5 of them tackles-for-loss.

2. James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman (Ohio State): True ball-hawks. The two linebackers quite simply terrorized defenses (OK, after the USC game), accumulating 7.5 sacks and 197 tackles.


1. Brit Miller and Martez Wilson (Illinois): Tackling machines Miller and Wilson seemed to allow the orange fan base to forget about 2007 graduate and star middle linebacker, J Leman. Miller took home top honors in tackles with 132, while sophomore WILL tacked on another 73—that’s a whopping 205 combined. Oh, and they also sacked the opposition nine times between the two.

Tomorrow: Best Kicks

Photo Credit: College Press Box (Penn St.)

Big Ten - Best Single-Game Performances

By JOHN SEARS - BIG TEN INSIDER

6. Eric Decker (Minnesota) against Indiana: 13 receptions and 190 yards, both conference season highs. (For Michigan and Illinois: lucky we are excluding non-Big Ten opponents for best receiving performances).

5. K.C. Lopata (Michigan) against Minnesota: five field goals and two PATs gave the Michigan man 17 points single-handedly. Minnesota finished with one-third (6) of the total output by Lopata in a lopsided victory for Michigan (?!) for the Little Brown Jug. Did that really happen?

4. Juice Williams (Illinois) against Michigan: Williams single-handedly brought down the [Big] House with a stadium record of 431 total yards of total offense and four touchdowns, only to be out-done next week by…

3. Juice Williams (Illinois) against Minnesota: This time, Williams accounted for a whopping 503 yards of offense (conference high)--462 passing (also conference high) and 41 rushing. That’s 924 yards and six touchdowns in two weeks. Unfortunately, these great numbers came in a losing effort.

2. Shonn Greene (Iowa) against Wisconsin: 217 yards and four touchdowns in by far and away his best performance of an already celebrated, accomplished season. He accumulated at least 100 yards rushing in every game, and finished with a second-best 17 touchdowns.

1. Daryll Clark (Penn State) against Michigan State: When all the Big Ten marbles and a ticket to Pasadena were at stake, Clark achieved personal season bests for yards/attempt (13.1), rating (222.5), yards (341) and touchdowns (five).

Tomorrow: Best Video Game Performance (Performances that can only be believed if they were played out on a controller with too many buttons)

Photo Credit: Illinois Sports Information

Big Ten Preview - Rivalry Week

By JOHN SEARS - BIG TEN INSIDER

And down the stretch they come! The chase for the Big Ten crown looks like a three horse race – Penn State (6-1), Michigan State (6-1, loss to Ohio State) and Ohio State (6-1, loss to Penn State) neck-and-neck…and-neck. Penn State’s road to the Rose Bowl is most straight-forward: win and they pack for Pasadena as they will have beaten the other two. Ohio State needs Michigan State to beat Penn State, but that’s not all. The Buckeyes then need to avoid slipping over distractions in Columbus to take care of business against the sickly Wolverines (Ohio State then owns the tie-breaker with their head-to-head win over the Spartans). Michigan State has the biggest battle on their hands: beat Penn State on the road after Michigan beats Ohio State after a reversal of the magnetic north and south poles. Where are we when Ohio State needs to root for a team from Michigan (the Spartans) to win, while Michigan State will become the Wolverines’ biggest supporters as their in-state rivals try and knock off the Buckeyes? And by the way, five other teams are jockeying for bowl positioning. How’s that for the last week of the season in the Big Ten?

On to the games…

Michigan State (6-1, 9-2) at Penn State (6-1, 10-1) [Battle for the Land Grant Trophy]: Penn State is looking for their 800th win, all under Joe Paterno. OK, yes, I exaggerate…Michigan State is looking for their first win in Happy Valley since Lucky Debonair took first place in the Kentucky Derby back in 1965.

The keys to the game:
1. Penn State’s Clydesdales versus Michigan State’s Clydesdale: Michigan State star and heart of the offense, Javon Ringer (1,548 yards, 20 touchdowns) needs to show up big to have a chance. Penn State boasts the number one overall (259 yards/game) and rushing defense (102 yards/game). On the other side, Evan Royster (1,123 yards, 12 touchdowns) leads the Nittany Lions’ rushing charge (first in the conference, 218 yards/game). However, Royster’s rushing between the tackles has been less successful compared to earlier in the year—he’s broken 100 yards only once in the last five games (Michigan, 174 yards). Further, coaches seem to be holding Daryll Clark back, perhaps due to the concussion he suffered in the Ohio State game. Clark hasn’t scored on the ground since, well, Michigan (two touchdowns rushing). The team with more rushing yards has the best chance of winning because…

2. Air Clark and Air Hoyer have lost their wings lately: Clark has not thrown for 200+ yards since Wisconsin (244), and that was five games ago. His last two outings have included interceptions, doubling his total from the previous nine games combined. Nitpicky? Maybe. But Penn State has, like most teams, shown they struggle when they turn the ball over. Brian Hoyer, on the other hand, has thrown touchdown passes only once in his last four games (against…Michigan, three) and tossed two interceptions to Purdue last week. Further, Hoyer’s completion percentage has surpassed 60% only twice this season (at Northwestern October 11th and against Eastern Michigan, September sixth). Championship caliber play comes with mistake-free football, which means being smart through the air. The quarterback who makes the least amount of mistakes regardless of yards or touchdowns will give his team the best chance to win.

PREDICTION: Penn State is better equipped for this type of game – better defense, more options on offense, better leadership at quarterback. White roses signify purity, innocence, and sympathy--sorry Michigan State.

Penn State 30, Michigan State 17

Michigan (2-5, 3-8) at Ohio State (6-1, 9-2): So “The Game” billed up as the greatest rivalry in all of sports is on fall break this year as the Wolverines’ season was put out to stud after their bad loss to Toledo…or Penn State…or Michigan State…The Buckeyes, on the other hand, play host while playing their best football to date.

The keys to the game:
1. Michigan’s arms vs. Michigan’s hips: The tackling by Michigan’s defense outside of the Minnesota and perhaps Wisconsin games has been egregious. Attempting to arm tackle 6’1” 237 lbs of Chris “Beanie” Wells or the slippery 6’6” 235 lb Terrelle Pryor will only lead to bad things in the yards after contact statistic. The Wolverines need to tackle solidly to have any chance of preventing small plays from turning in to big gains, something they’ve been unable to avoid this season.

2. The safety dance: In the same vein, Michigan’s safeties must realize their “safety dance” is a series of maneuvers best executed when there is no partner behind them. Stevie Brown, Brandon Harrison and company may have the most simplistic recipe for success – keep everyone in front of them, hug your “partner” and do not let go.

3. Trench Warfare: Ohio State is ranked third in rushing offense (188 yards/game) and defense (115 yards/game) and second in total defense (287 yards/game). Furthermore, the time of possession battle sways heavily in the Buckeyes’ favor (31:55 vs. 27:29). Controlling the line of scrimmage typically is and will be paramount for either team’s success in the “Big Game”; it looks like the scarlet and gray carry significant advantages in the trenches, in case you needed any statistics to show the lopsided nature of this year’s contest.

PREDICTION: My prediction? Painnnn…in a Clubber Lang sort of way.
Ohio State 37, Michigan 13

Iowa (4-3, 7-4) at Minnesota (3-4, 7-4) [Battle for the Floyd of Rosedale Trophy]: Certainly the under-card, but a contest that will help separate those teams jockeying for higher bowl bids. With a Northwestern loss, Iowa can jump the Wildcats and finish fourth in the conference if they beat the struggling Gophers. If Minnesota prevails, they will hop Iowa in the standings but can only secure fifth place (Northwestern owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over Minnesota). The Gophers’ magical season came to a screeching halt in November and they’re winless in their last three tries. Galloping toward a January bowl game has quickly turned in to a limp towards the finish line. An eight-win season would be nothing less than magical after a single-win season last year, but it will take some heavy lifting against a hot Iowa squad. The Hawkeyes have won four of their last five, including the stunner over Penn State, and it all starts (and finishes) with tough running (Shonn Greene -1,585 yards, 15 touchdowns) and tough defense (third in scoring defense and total defense, second in rushing and red zone defense). Iowa wins a close contest, which will be in their control most or all of the game

PREDICTION: Iowa 27, Minnesota 21

Illinois (3-4, 5-6) at Northwestern (4-3, 8-3) [Battle for the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk Trophy]: This is a meeting between two teams moving in opposite directions. Illinois is a win shy of bowl eligibility, having failed in their last two attempts (Western Michigan, Ohio State) to reach their sixth win. The big talk from the Illini camp after the Iowa win seems like it happened many moons ago as players and coaches alike seemed optimistic about the last three weeks of the season. Well, so much for that. Northwestern stands in the way (20 points/game against) defensively, led by junior defensive end Corey Wootton. No one seems to be discussing Coach Pat Fitzgerald’s job in his third year in charge of the Wildcats--four wins in 2006, followed by six last year, and now at least eight and possibly 10 this year speaks volumes for the coach’s mettle (and if Iowa loses, they secure fourth place in the conference). Northwestern wins this one old-school, middle linebacker style – with defense and grit.

PREDICTION: Northwestern 27, Illinois 23

Indiana (1-6, 3-8) at Purdue (1-6, 3-8) [Battle for the Old Oaken Bucket]: So as it breaks down here, if Purdue wins and Michigan loses…wait…whatever.

PREDICTION: Purdue - Old Oaken Bucket, Indiana – the comfort of last place in the Big Ten again.

Cal Poly (8-1) at Wisconsin (6-5, 3-5): Cal Poly’s undefeated season was dashed early in the year by none other than Montana (30-28), but the Mustangs have steadily improved and now hold the third spot in the FCS polling (James Madison first, Appalachian State two). Short of those aforementioned magnetic poles reversing Saturday afternoon, the Badgers will tidy up their record and finish with a seven-win season.

PREDICTION: Winner - Wisconsin, Losers – Cal Poly and college football fans tired of seeing fat cat FBS schools filling in their 12th game with FCS opponents.

Photo Credit: Michigan State Athletic Communications

Big Ten Power Rankings - Week Twelve

By JOHN SEARS - BIG TEN INSIDER

1. Penn State (1) 10-1 W: 34-7 vs. Indiana
It took a while--half of a game to be exact--for Penn State to shake the ill-effects of their disappointing loss last week. Indiana hung around and trailed only 10-7 at half-time, but salvaged only one first down in the second half against the tightened up Nittany Lions’ defense. The offense has been less than impressive two weeks running now, but Deon Butler still managed to break the school record of receptions (167) and Derek Williams added two scores of his own. The Penn State hog mollies up front need to shore up their game if they plan on celebrating a Big Ten championship and trip to the Rose Bowl.

2. Ohio State (2) 9-2 W: 30-20 at Illinois
By far and away the Big Ten’s hottest team put away memories of last year’s upset win by Illinois in Columbus, which dashed the Buckeyes’ undefeated season. As predicted under blustery winter conditions, Ohio State took to the ground and ran through, around, and over Illini defenders. Beanie Wells and Terrelle Pryor cashed in on rushing scores while gaining 143 and 110 yards on the ground, respectively. “The Game” is what’s left for Ohio State to complete their season turnaround and hopes for a share of the Big Ten crown.

3. Michigan State (3) 10-2 BYE
Michigan State is holding strong during the bye week; they cannot afford what teams have grown accustomed to this year – the post-bye week blues--as they head into their “Big Ten Championship Game”, rivalry game, and capstone to a brilliant Spartan season. Onward to Happy Valley.

4. Iowa (4) 7-4 W: 22-17 vs. Purdue
Rushing and defense. That’s the Hawkeye recipe and it continues to work. This week, Shonn Greene did not reach the 100-yard rushing plateau; he eclipsed 200 (211 yards, two touchdowns) en route to Iowa’s 248-yard rushing performance. Defensive tackle Mitch King sacked Curis Painter late, and safety Pat Angerer’s interception help stave off a late Purdue charge. After a three-game skid, Iowa has won four of its last five, including the upset over then third-ranked Penn State. With a win at Minnesota and a Northwestern loss, the Hawkeyes can finish their season on a great upswing and sole possession of fourth place in the conference.

5. Northwestern (5) 8-3 W: 21-14 at Michigan
Snow, wind, cold, the Big House, whatever. Down 14-7 at the half, Northwestern posted touchdowns on their next two possessions to finish off the scoring and the Wolverines. The Wildcats can now celebrate their first eight-win season since 2000, the last time they beat Michigan. If Northwestern holds off Illinois next week, they will take over fourth in the conference with a nine-win season.

6. Wisconsin (7) 6-5 W: 35-32 vs. Minnesota
Surprisingly, Minnesota limited the Badgers’ backfield to only 116 yards, but Wisconsin was still able to punch it in on the ground three times (Hill two, Clay one) in their come from behind victory. The defense clamped down on Minnesota, forcing two safeties and allowing only two scoring drives (one touchdown, one field goal) in the second half. The Badgers can congratulate themselves for becoming bowl eligible and scheduling Cal Poly to end the year for a seven-win season.

7. Minnesota (6) 7-4 L: 35-32 at Wisconsin
After their brilliant 7-1 start, the Gophers have stumbled in their last three. Football is a team sport, but wide receiver Eric Decker’s miss on a Weber pass (returned for a touchdown by Northwestern) followed by getting knocked out of the next two games with an ankle injury has seemed to coincide with Minnesota’s demise. The Gophers (3-4) can redeem themselves by knocking off Iowa (4-3), who sits just above them in the conference standings, pushing up their bowl eligibility.

8. Illinois (8) 5-6 L: 30-20 vs. Ohio State
Illinois mistakes piled up too high against the wrong team. Poor special teams and two costly turnovers from Juice Williams stunted any chances for the underdogs to take down Ohio State. The offense put up 455 total yards (214 rushing, 241 passing), but the defense couldn’t stop the will of the Buckeyes rushing attack. The Illini must now fight to stave off bowl elimination next week against in-state rival Northwestern to finish off the season on a higher note.

9. Purdue (9) 3-8 L:22-17 at Iowa
The upside – Curtis Painter looked like he still has a little fight left in him (24-30, 190 yards, two touchdowns, one interception), throwing for a pair of touchdown passes in a game for the first time since Purdue took on Notre Dame, September 27th. The downside – their defense is what we thought it was – terrible stopping the run (248 yards). Purdue is one more loss away from the cellar of the Big Ten.

10. Michigan (10) 3-8 L: 21-14 vs. Northwestern
A season without back-to-back wins, the bowl and winning record streaks snapped, the game fumbled away in South Bend, the abysmal Toledo game, the lost winning streak against Penn State, a humbling loss to Michigan State and now their first ever eight loss season (thanks to Northwestern) can be redeemed…, maybe. It would be an improbable achievement—one that even a #2 ranked Michigan team could not accomplish–to beat Ohio State. Just win, Richy.

11. Indiana (11) 3-8 L: 34 -7 at Penn State
Simply overpowered by Penn State, Indiana tried their best to make the game interesting. Marcus Thigpen is credited with the Hoosiers’ only score of the game, a 57-yard scamper in the second to tie the game 7-7. But the defense then surrendered 27 straight to the Spread HD, defending a short field for most of the afternoon. On the bright side, the defense sacked Daryll Clark three times and forced three turnovers Indiana will try to o salvage something from the season as they close out at Purdue for their battle for the Old Oaken Bucket, defending it for only the third time this millennium.

Big Ten Preview - Redemption-packed match-ups

By JOHN SEARS - BIG TEN INSIDER

The penultimate week of the season brings the chill, the snow, the flu and the redemption in the Big Ten. A closer look at this week’s action proves that teams are playing for a little more than an extra notch in the win column.

Ohio State at Illinois: Mr. Juice Williams, welcome back to the Ohio State defense you single-handedly scorched in a clutch performance (four touchdowns, 60 minute drive to seal the game in the end) to stifle the Buckeyes’ undefeated run. Mr. Laurinaitis and Mr. Jenkins are waiting. If a 6-4 Illinois team coming off a convincing victory over Western Michigan were playing host, this game would have even more, well, juice to it. As it stands, the Illini will be very motivated to redeem themselves after last week’s loss and the Buckeyes will certainly be ready to avenge last year’s loss.

Last week, Buckeyes’ quarterback Terrelle Pryor (9-14, 197 yards, three touchdowns) and running back Beanie Wells (28-140, two touchdowns) helped light up Northwestern’s vaunted defense (16 points/game scoring defense before Ohio State’s 45 last week) and showed the conference the potential of their dual-threat offense. Illinois is mostly a one-sided team--the offense is tops in passing (278 yards/game) and total offense (448 yards/game) and second in scoring (31 points/game). Their defense has stacked up a conference-leading 32 sacks so far. If Illinois has more sacks than giveaways they have a chance, but Ohio State looks to be strong [as usual] down the stretch, outscoring opponents 90-17 in their last two wins. The Buckeyes best chance at winning is if Wells and Pryor combine for at least 200 yards on the ground in tough Midwest fall conditions (rain/snow/wind, high in the 30s). Buckeyes roll.
PREDICTION: Ohio State 30, Illinois 17

Northwestern at Michigan: Northwestern is in desperate need of redemption themselves, coming off a bad loss to Ohio State last week 45-10. They showed that teams having their number in the recent past are able to continue their dominance over the injury-plagued Wildcats. Not good news for those favoring purple – Northwestern has also taken their historically recent shots from Michigan. The Wildcats still seek their eighth win of the season, a tally unattainable since 2000 (Michigan had outscored them in 5 straight wins 161-66 since) which was when they last beat Michigan, in a wild 54-51 shootout. Michigan’s redemption is not directed towards Northwestern and is rather evident at this point in the season. They played like “the Michigan of old” against Minnesota last week and will continue to prove the team is on the rise.

Sloppy conditions are predicted for the Wolverines’ last home game of the season. Due to injuries for both teams at their starting quarterback and running back positions, this contest will likely come down to who gets the lucky bounce of the ball
(off the turf). Whoever holds onto the ball will have the best shot at winning. I am hesitant to give the edge to Michigan on that factor alone, but I believe the seniors on defense will carry themselves to victory in front of their home crowd.
PREDICTION: Michigan 25, Northwestern 20

Minnesota at Wisconsin: The Gophers are in need of redemption after their stunning loss of the Little Brown Jug last week against Michigan. On offense, they couldn’t move the ball (188 total yards) sans an injured Eric Decker and surrendered 435 yards to the anemic Wolverines…with their backup quarterback. In order to prove their success this season was not a gift from the scheduling gods, Minnesota must stop a two-game skid against the much-improved Badgers. If that does not motivate Minnesota, perhaps a recap of the last 35 seconds of their shocking 2005 defeat at the hands of the Badgers will do (38-34 on a punt block for touchdown). Wisconsin needs redemption from the beginning their season when they were ranked as high as ninth…now they’re clawing for bowl eligibility.

Wisconsin has steadily improved after their Michigan/October implosion, winning two of their last three. Last week, the offense ran and ran and ran for over 400 yards versus Indiana, so expect similar things this week. Minnesota is eighth against the rush (142 yards/game), but still tops in takeaways (27) and turnover margin (+15). Thus, if the Gophers can force Wisconsin in to passing situations, where they are second in interceptions (14), Minnesota may give themselves some short field situations to put up some points. But my feeling is that they will not, as they have managed on average just 17 points/game against Big Ten foes.
PREDICTION: Wisconsin 27, Minnesota 20

Purdue at Iowa: Iowa seeks redemption after last year’s 31-6 thrashing at the hands of three Curtis Painter touchdown passes in West Lafayette. Purdue seeks redemption on behalf of Coach Joe Tiller’s quite forgettable closing season. Iowa’s defense stifles Purdue and Shonn Greene (1,374 yards and 13 touchdowns) and runs wild on Purdue’s abysmal rush defense (175 yards/game), leading the Hawkeyes’ quest towards a major post-season bowl bid.
PREDICTION: Iowa 27, Purdue 10

Indiana at Penn State: Redemption? Practice? We’re talking about redemption? No need here.
PREDICTION: Penn State 41, Indiana 14

Photo Credit: Illinois Sports Information

A Football Fan’s Four-Pack - Week 12

By JOHN GARRETT

California @ Oregon St. (November 15, 3:30, ABC): Over the past four seasons the road team has come out victorious in this series. The Beavers are currently one-half game behind USC for the lead in the Pac-10, while the Bears are tied for fourth. The winner of this contest will look to have an inside track for an appearance in one of the top-tier bowl games in the conference. Cal comes in ranked sixth in the country in pass efficiency defense and tied for second in interceptions with 17. Three Cal players have earned Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week honors this fall: linebacker Zack Follett - one of the 15 semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award as best defensive player, defensive end Cameron Jordan and linebacker Mike Mohamed.

Super Senior: Zack Follett, LB, California

Star of Tomorrow: Jacquizz Rogers, RB, OSU

Minnesota @ Wisconsin (November 15, 3:30, ABC): Get ready for the most-played rivalry in FBS football, as the Golden Gophers (7-3, 3-3) will travel to Camp Randall. Awaiting them, are the Badgers (5-5, 2-5) who hope to take the 118th meeting – and the Paul Bunyan axe – in what should be an entertaining Big Ten match-up. Despite a four-game losing streak midway through the season, Wisconsin is one win away from bowl eligibility, so look for them to throw caution-to-the-wind in an already heated rivalry. Minnesota, who is currently the No. 3 team in the nation in turnover margin, is a ball-hawking unit that will look to take advantage.

Super Senior: DeAndre Levy, LB, Wisconsin

Star of Tomorrow: Kyle Theret, DB, Minnesota

Oklahoma St. @ Colorado (November 15, 8:00, ABC): The Buffaloes (5-5, 2-4) look to close out their last home game of the season on a positive note, but the No. 9 Cowboys (8-2, 4-2) ride into town with something to say about that. OSU, who is 6-14 all-time at Boulder, should look to put Colorado away early, and not let them hang around. In their past three conference games against ranked teams, the Buffs have lost by a combined margin of 126-28, so home-field advantage may not be enough this time...

Super Senior: Ryan Walters, FS, Colorado

Star of Tomorrow: Kendall Hunter, RB, OSU

Boston College @ Florida St. (November 15, 8:00, ABC): No. 21 Florida State (7-2, 4-2) will try and keep its title hopes alive when the Eagles (6-3, 2-3) head into Tallahassee. But don’t think for a minute that Boston College forgot about last year’s meeting, in which the Seminoles came into Chestnut Hill and upset the then No. 2 ranked Eagles. This year, BC’s defense has helped the cause by holding three opponents scoreless and leading the nation in interceptions with 18. If Boston College can run the table – the Eagles will represent the Atlantic Division in the ACC Championship Game for the second-straight season.

Super Senior: Paul Anderson, SS, Boston College

Star of Tomorrow: Everette Brown, DE, FSU

Photo Credit: University of Minnesota Athletic Communications

This Date in College Football History

Nov. 12, 1966: Playing in sub-freezing weather in Minneapolis, Purdue shuts out Minnesota 16-0, securing its first-ever bid to the Rose Bowl. Boilermaker quarterback Bob Griese (1984 College Football Hall of Fame inductee) opens the second half by completing five consecutive passes, including a touchdown pass to Jim Bierne.

Credit: The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame

Big Ten Power Rankings - Week Eleven

By JOHN SEARS - BIG TEN INSIDER

1. Penn State (1) 9-1 L: 24-23 at Iowa
Not the Nittany Lions’ best effort. A 30-mph headwind did not help matters, but seemed to bother Penn State more than Iowa. With the wind at their back in the third quarter, Penn State could not pull away; in the fourth quarter, Daryll Clark’s (9-23, 86 yards, one interception) third and long pass to Derrick Williams sailed high and was intercepted by Iowa, setting up their game-winning drive. All is not lost — just the Lions’ national championship hopes and an undefeated season…the Rose Bowl now looms as a disappointing consolation prize.

2. Ohio State (2) 8-2 W: 45-10 at Northwestern
Quarterback Terrelle Pryor looked calm and determined coming off the loss to Penn State. He kept plays alive with his feet and notched three scores with his arm. He was complemented nicely by the powerful running of Beanie Wells (28, 140 yards, two touchdowns) and a stout defense that gave up 294 yards and 10 points while taking the ball away three times. The Buckeyes are staring down another ten-win season (at Illinois, Michigan).

3. Michigan State (3) 9-2 W: 21-7 at Purdue
The Spartans handled Purdue for almost the game’s entirety, surrendering the sole Boilermaker touchdown with just under a minute left in the game. Michigan State, with Penn State’s loss and an extra game played, actually holds a half-game lead in the conference; their fate will likely be determined in their showdown with Penn State to end the season. Meanwhile, running back Javon Ringer (32, 121 yards, two touchdowns) should rest up after logging his 353rd carry of the season and FBS-leading 20th touchdown. Thumbs up to the defense for holding Purdue under 200 total yards.

4. Iowa (7) 6-4 W: 24-23 vs. Penn State
They did it. Coach Kirk Ferentz said before the game they needed to play perfect football to beat Penn State. It wasn’t quite perfect, but it was good enough. The Hawkeyes punched Penn State in the mouth immediately; pressuring Penn State’s passing attack and containing their rushing. Iowa limited Penn St. to almost half of their average offensive output (289 total yards). Daniel Murray ignored the gusty conditions and became the Iowa City hero, booting the game-winning field goal from 31 yards to seal the upset. Game balls go to Shonn Greene (tenth consecutive 100-yard rushing [28, 117 yards, two touchdowns]) and mother nature.

5. Northwestern (4) 7-3 L: 45-10 vs. Ohio State
The battle of quarterbacks between freshman Terrelle Pryor and back-up Mike Kafka (260 total yards, one touchdown) undoubtedly goes to the Buckeye. The Wildcats’ defense simply did not have an answer to Pryor’s fleet feet or Beanie Wells’ power running. Northwestern just looked outmatched against Ohio State (again), but can rebound next week on the road against Michigan.

6. Minnesota (5) 7-3 L: 29-6 vs. Michigan
Minnesota lost their leading receiver Eric Decker early in the game and could not find a way to recover offensively. Scoring in the first half certainly would have kept Minnesota in the game as their defense limited the Wolverines to five field goals in their first six scoring drives. Adam Weber had a tough go at it (13-24, 105 yards, one interception) and the Gophers were out-rushed 232-83.

7. Wisconsin (8) 5-5 W: 55-20 at Indiana
The three-headed monster of P.J. Hill, John Clay and David Gilreath combined for 406 yards and six touchdowns on the ground and the Badgers totaled 441 total rushing yards, tying the Memorial Stadium record. Wisconsin will host Minnesota and Cal Poly to finish off the season, both winnable games. Dustin Sherer (64-122, 770 yards, three touchdowns, four interceptions) and Allan Evridge (71-132, 949 yards, five touchdowns, five interceptions) have similar numbers at quarterback, so it seems the Badgers live and die by the run game. Run, Bucky, run!

8. Illinois (7) 5-5 L: 23-17 vs. Western Michigan
A bad hiccup on Illinois’ path toward bowl eligibility. Juice Williams threw two costly interceptions, which led to 14 Western Michigan points. A Toledo-Michigan replay? Like Michigan against Toledo’s Nick Moore, Illinois was unable to stop big, shifty receiver JeMarko Simmons, who gashed the Illini defense with 11 catches, 174 yards and a touchdown. Illinois now has two shots (Ohio State, at Northwestern) left at bowl eligibility, but may very well need both victories to find their way into the post-season.

9. Purdue (10) 3-7 L:21-7 vs. Michigan State
Purdue’s success against the Michigan team from Ann Arbor last week was squashed by the Michigan team from East Lansing this week. Dustin Siller and Kory Sheets combined for 182 yards and zero touchdowns (compared to last week – 461 yards, six touchdowns). They could not take advantage of four Spartans’ turnovers, while giving up a back-breaking interception returned for a score just before halftime. Bowl eligibility has now officially been squandered, so Purdue is left playing for Coach Joe Tiller, whose coaching pulse is down to two beats in 120 minutes.

10. Michigan (11) 3-7 W: 29-6 at Minnesota
Michigan sails up the rankings this week after keeping the Little Brown Jug in a surprising, yet impressive win over Minnesota. The defensive line implored the coaches to shift them back to a four-man front, which worked like a charm. After all this “change”, Michigan’s traditional base 4-2-5 contained Minnesota to six points (first half shutout), 83 yards rushing and 105 yards passing. Nick Sheridan took the offensive reins like a veteran (18-30, 203 yards, two touchdowns), but the Wolverines kept Minnesota off balance with 232 rushing yards. Third-string quarterback Justin Feagin lost his red-shirt but showed flashes of his running ability with 49 yards on seven carries. Potential energy yields kinetic energy in the presence of a catalyst. Was this Michigan’s catalyst?

11. Indiana (9) 3-7 L: 55-20 vs. Wisconsin
Holding onto conference’s worst slot is shaping up to be quite the battle. This week’s three-way scuffle leaves Indiana picking up the pieces after getting blown out by Wisconsin. The Hoosiers were unable to stop the Wisconsin ground attack, and needed a MASH unit to deal with their quarterback injuries. Thankfully, Purdue and Indiana square off at season’s end to settle this log-jam at the bottom of the conference on the field.

Fans Weekend Guide - Week Eleven

The Conference Title is on the Line When…
Oklahoma St. Visits Texas Tech (November 8, 8:00, ABC): When Graham Harrell connected with Michael Crabtree, the Red Raiders took the baton from the Longhorns and they are now the team to beat in the Big 12. Will they still be after Saturday? That is in doubt, as they play host to the Oklahoma St. Cowboys, who have proven their mettle with a win at Missouri and a hard-fought loss at Texas. No team may be more road-tested than the Pokes. They also have a deadly passing combination of their own in Zac Robinson to Dez Bryant. The sophomore wide out has more receiving yards (1,054 to 921) than Crabtree, matching the 2007 Biletnikoff Award winner touchdown-for-touchdown with 15 each. Get your popcorn…

Don’t Call it an Upset When…
Clemson Visits Florida St. (November 8, 3:30, ABC): The Seminoles are ranked No. 22 in the BCS Standings and are led by Bobby Bowden, who has 381 wins under his belt. The Clemson Tigers were playing so well, they fired their head coach (Bobby’s son Tommy Bowden) and are now led by Dabo Sweeney, who won his first game as a head coach last week. Quarterback Cullen Harper, coming off shoulder surgery, told CFI this week that this is the healthiest he’s been all season and tailback C.J. Spiller (55 rushing yards on eight carries, 105 receiving yards on six receptions, 18 yard punt return, 64 yard kick return) is coming off his best game of the season. This may not the “Bowden Bowl”, but expect it to be intense, as only one game separates the two teams in the ACC Atlantic Division standings.

The Team That Can’t Afford to Look Ahead is…
Penn St. Visiting Iowa (November 8, 3:30, ABC): Most of talk this week surrounding the Nittany Lions is about their chances of making the BCS Championship game. Now that they have knocked off the Buckeyes, it appears they have an open path, even with Texas Tech leapfrogging them in both the BCS standings and the AP rankings. However, before Penn St. makes it to Miami undefeated, Joe Paterno’s crew must win a few more football games beginning with their trip to Iowa this week. Iowa ranks third in the Big Ten in scoring offense (29.1 points per game) and second in scoring defense (13.2 points per game). In Shonn Greene (1,257 yards, 11 touchdowns), they have a difference maker.

The Team on the Cusp is…
Minnesota Hosting Michigan (November 8, 3:30, ABC): With a win in Ann Arbor, the Gophers not only claim the Little Brown jug, but should jump back into the land of the ranked.

Photo Credit: Texas Tech Athletics

Big Ten: Presidential Slogans Capture Essence of Match-ups

By JOHN SEARS - BIG TEN INSIDER

In light of this week’s Presidential election, I thought it would be interesting to see what campaign slogans were utilized by the candidates dating back to William Henry Harrison’s “Tippecanoe and Tyler too” way back in 1840 to see if they described any of the Big Ten action this week. Go to http://www.presidentsusa.net/campaignslogans.html to see the exhaustive list. On to the games:

Penn State at Iowa (“The stakes are too high to stay at home”, Lyndon B. Johnson 1964): If you haven’t been paying close attention out there, Penn State could find itself in quite a pickle. And no, it’s not just because of quarterback Daryll Clark’s concussion. There is a significant chance that Penn State’s history will repeat itself and an undefeated Lions’ squad finds itself on the outside looking in on a national championship (if Texas Tech and Alabama win out). One of the biggest “problems” for the Nittany Lions this year has been their strength of schedule, or lack thereof. They rank 67th on the FBS list for how many tough foes have been slated in 2008; rest assured that Penn State will not be sending out thank you cards to the likes of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois who have underachieved this year, thus weakening the schedule further. So it stands that Penn State should embrace their trip to Iowa City because the stakes are indeed too high to be playing at home.

But maybe before we worry too much about perfect seasons, let’s recall that the state of Iowa has not been friendly towards the Nittany Lions’ campaigns the last five visits (all Iowa wins). Coming off a bye last week will only slow Penn State down and Iowa’s tough defense will clamp down on their opponents for most of the game. Iowa may come out swinging and open up a seven or 14 point lead, but the Lions will wake up in the second half and pull things together.

1st 2nd 3rd 4th
Iowa 7 7 0 0
PSU 0 7 7 14

PREDICTION: Penn State 28, Iowa 14

Ohio State at Northwestern (“Don’t swap horses in the middle of the stream”, Abraham Lincoln 1864): How fitting for both teams that swapping horses, or quarterbacks, could make or break their respective seasons. On one hand, Ohio State benched sixth-year senior Todd Boeckman for freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor and their only stumble since then was a tough loss against Penn State. On the other hand, a battered Northwestern team traveled to Minnesota on homecoming day after a weekend and saw back-up quarterback Mike Kafka put up conference player of the week numbers in the Cats’ 24-17 upset of the Gophers. But the word coming out of the Wildcats’ camp is if starter C. J. Bacher is healthy enough to have a go this week, he is Coach Pat Fitzgerald’s guy. Quarterback controversy is inappropriate terminology for this situation, but there will be plenty of second-guessing if Bacher returns and lays an egg against the stingy Buckeye defense.

Defense wins championships, and in this case, will dictate who wins this game. Ohio State (104 yards/game) and Northwestern (109 yards/game) are identical against the rush but the Buckeyes hold a formidable edge against the Wildcats in passing defense (163 yards/game vs. 232 yards/game). However, the Wildcats are second best in sacks with 26, compared to Ohio State’s 15.

Whoever controls the opponent’s quarterback controls the game. I just think too many question marks exist at that position for the Wildcats and the Buckeyes win a grinder.

PREDICTION: Ohio State 19, Northwestern 15

Purdue at Michigan State (“Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow”, Bill Clinton 1992): Tomorrow may mean different things to these teams, but as it stands, Michigan State’s “tomorrow” certainly pertains to this week (and the rest of this season). They have an outside chance of taking home the conference title and stumbling against Purdue would all but eliminate them from realizing this opportunity (which, by the way, hasn’t happened since the Bush I administration in 1990). For Purdue, tomorrow will almost certainly pertain to the post-Tiller era, although they hang by a thread at the hopes of bowl eligibility. If they win out (at Iowa, Indiana) they’ll earn a bowl bid.
To do that, they must contend with Spartans’ running back Javon Ringer, who was contained in yards (21 carries for 54 yards, two touchdowns) by Wisconsin last week. However, unlike the Badgers, Purdue checks in with the Big Ten’s worst rush defense (176 yards/game). Whichever team rushes the ball better (Ringer vs. Purdue’s quarterback Justin Siller and running back Kory Sheets) wins this one.

At the end of the day, Ringer will prevail and Siller will have been hoping he was playing that other team from Michigan again.

PREDICTION: Michigan State 24, Purdue 13

Michigan at Minnesota (“Change we can believe in”, Barrack Obama 2008): How this statement can embody bitter irony for Michigan while ringing true for Minnesota is uncanny. Michigan is bad this year, no question, which spawns second-guessing of bringing Rich Rodriguez, the non-“Michigan Man” into town with his brand new offense and staff. It seems that outside of Schembechler Hall, very few see this as a regime “change they can believe in”. If anything, questioning how the Coach and staff have performed after only 10 months in office seems awfully premature. Familiarity (with winning) breeds complacency, and complacency breeds contempt. For the Gophers, change has certainly been a good thing. Are we all forgetting that this time last year, Minnesota was 1-9 on their way to a 1-11 record? In fact, you’ll need to count up all of the wins from the previous two seasons to accumulate the same number of wins that Minnesota has notched already this year (seven).

So it goes Saturday--just like every other rivalry game and streak Michigan has hung onto for so long, the little brown jug will find its resting place back with the original captors of ye old water bottle. Minnesota will regroup from their heartbreaker last week as Michigan’s pulse on this season is barely detectable.

PREDICTION: Minnesota 30.9 (Michigan’s scoring defense average, Michigan 17.9 (Minnesota’s scoring defense average) – Listed as such because I reasoned 30-18 before checking their scoring defenses…

Wisconsin at Indiana (“54-40 or fight”, James K. Polk 1844): Indiana’s defense gave up a whopping 485 yards and four touchdowns to Central Michigan’s backup quarterback Brian Brunner last week in a 37-34 loss. The Hoosiers have averaged 40 points against in their six losses. So, in order to get back in the win column, it seems they must outscore Wisconsin “54-40” or else Indiana will be “fighting” to stay out of the conference cellar.

PREDICTION: Wisconsin 30, Indiana 24

Western Michigan at Illinois (“Who is James K. Polk?” Henry Clay 1844): Or better yet, who is Western Michigan? They happen to be a 7-2 MAC team under the leadership of quarterback Tim Hiller, who is posting an excellent season (69% completion, 2,856 yards, 28 touchdowns, five interceptions). His favorite target may be Jamarko Simmons (74 catches for 830 yards and six touchdowns), but two other receivers may breach the 50-reception mark as well after this game (Schneider Julien [49] and Juan Nunez [48]). Their toughest opponent this year seems to have been Nebraska (loss: 47-24) in their season opener, but still managed to air out 342 yards passing.

For Illinois, will this be a contrast against the defensive struggle against Iowa? Yes, but Illinois takes down the Broncos in a shoot out.

PREDICTION: Illinois 48, Western Michigan 32