Doc’s Big Ten Update
In general, it was a Ho-Hum week for the Big Ten, as three of the teams
were idle, and the results of the four games played had no real big
surprises.
Wisconsin had everything set up for them to beat Penn State. The
Badgers had two weeks to prepare for the Big Ten Conference season
opener and a fired-up home crowd. However, the Badgers failed to cash
in on many opportunities and the defense certainly had it's problems.
I thought QB Mills for the Nittany Lions looked good and the receiving
corps of the "Johnsons" looked outstanding. Penn State put a lot of
pressure on Wisconsin's QB Bollinger, however the defense for the
Badgers failed badly in this area . Obviously I wasn't happy with the results, as we had Wisconsin as a selection, however it was a very enjoyable game to watch. Certainly a lot of eyes were focused on Joe Paterno as he paced up and down the sidelines. It's amazing what this man has done for the game of football. I'm sure he still has a few more years left.
The Nittany Lions are back on the road this week to play Michigan.
This will be the real test of just how good Penn State is. The ‘Wolves'
have been tagged as a 5-point favorite. Having a bye week, I'm sure
Michigan will be ready for this one. As of this writing, it's hard to
make a choice. The Michigan defense has not played up to what has been
expected of them and the offense struggles at times, with a questionable
ground game. What puzzles me most about Penn State is how Iowa got 42
points on them. The winner of this game certainly has a big edge
toward winning the Big Ten title. Penn State did have a couple of
injuries that should be checked out. Tailback Larry Johnson left the Wisconsin game with a sore right hamstring and QB Mills sustained a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder. Both are key players and both will probably play against Michigan.
Ohio State had more trouble than expected as they edged Northwestern,
27-16. The ‘Bucks' were a 25-point favorite, however the ‘Wildcats'
were ready and in reality, had a questionable call by an official, or
they might have won this game straight up. Once again, Freshman Maurice Clarett had a big day as he rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns. However Clarrett did fumble three times. The Buckeyes win over Northwestern was its 23rd straight, dating back to 1971.
Ohio State is back home this week in non-conference play with San Jose
State. The ‘Bucks' are a 27½ point favorite. No question a tough game
to handicap. The Spartan's have had a real tough schedule so far,
playing Washington, Stanford and Illinois. In fact two weeks ago, as a
23-point underdog, they beat Illinois on the road, 38-35. I rather
doubt if the Spartans have seen this strong a defense thus far this
season. I would think Ohio State will have to work on their passing
attack, which has had problems all season, especially with Wisconsin on
deck. This Badger team can stop the run, but gives up yards passing.
Final look at the Ohio State-San Jose State game, should be a high
scoring affair!
In other Big Ten action, Northwestern will be on the road playing
Thursday night at Minnesota. The Gophers are a 17-point favorite and I
question whether that's enough. The ‘Wildcats' may be emotionally
drained because of their all-out effort against Ohio State. Minnesota
played last Thursday against Illinois and won with ease. The Gophers
have a real balanced attack and always seem to play well at home. Thus
far Minnesota has had a real soft schedule, playing Soutwest Texas
State, Louisiana Lafayette, and Buffalo in non-conference play. Their
record is 5-1 and they should beat Northwestern. The last five games of
the year are brutal, having to play Michigan State, Ohio State and
Wisconsin on the road, and playing Michigan and Iowa at home. It's a
real challenge for the Gophers ahead. I like their chances on Nov. 9
against Michigan to pull the upset, especially with the ‘Wolves' coming
off a big game with in-state-rival Michigan State.
Wisconsin will be on the road this week against the league's worst,
Indiana. One would think this will be a big revenge game for the
Badgers as they were beaten soundly at home by Indiana last year,
63-32. As of this writing, no line has been posted because of the
unknown availability of RB Anthony Davis, who is nursing an ankle
injury. That injury really doesn't concern me as his replacement,
true-freshman, Dwayne Smith, is his equal and a much better pass
blocker. The Badgers did have some key personnel hurt on the defensive
side and we will know more about their status as the week progresses.
One of the most interesting games in the Big Ten this week will be
Michigan State at Iowa. Will the real Spartan team stand up or not?
Michigan State had this week off, however I'm sure they didn't relax,
as they had expected to, at this time of the season. The results of
this team has been rocky, to say the least. They struggled against
Rice, lost to California and Notre Dame, and had it's hands full against
Northwestern. 3-2 overall and 1-4 against the line. This will be a big
week for the Spartans.... a real eye opener! As for Iowa, the Hawks continue to win and are 2-0 in conference play. This team certainly has a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. The real weakness is in their passing secondary. Iowa State, Penn State, and last week Purdue, hit the ‘Hawks' hard through the air. In fact, Purdue had over 400 yards passing. Can Michigan State do more of the same? That's the real question. I like this game and we will have a side.
Finally in the Big Ten, Purdue is at Illinois. Another game that as of
this writing, has no line posted as QB Orton for Purdue is
questionable. Orton left midway through the third quarter with a mild
concussion. He was replaced by Brandon Kirsch, who may not be quite as
good a passer, but is a much better runner.
Illinois, the Big Ten Champion of last year, find themselves in a real
hole as they are 0-2 in the Big Ten and 1-5 overall. The ‘Illini'
defense has had problems all year. It'll be very interesting to see
what line the oddsmakers put on this game. As of this writing I like
Illinois' chances. We'll know more about this game and the other Big
Ten games as the week progresses.
This weekend our Top Game of the Week will be in the Big Ten. As I
look ahead, there is a very good chance that we will have a 6-unit game,
or possibly our Big Ten Game of the Year next week, October 19th. This
sets up very well for us and certainly the line posted will have an
impact on our decision. I'm confident about this selection because it
won't be a public choice. That's very important.