Where are they now? Tom Coverdale

Tom Coverdale played guard for the Indiana Hoosiers from 1999-2003. During his junior year of 2002, Indiana reached the Final Four and upset 3-seed Oklahoma to reach the National Championship game where they were defeated by Maryland. The next year as a senior, Coverdale had possibly his best game as a Hoosier in IU's 80-74 win over Maryland in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Coverdale ended that game with 30 points, six rebounds, five assists, four steals, and committed only one turnover. Coverdale finished his career at Indiana ranked 2nd in 3-pointers made (200) and 3rd all time in assists (500). He is still the only Hoosier to ever have 1,000 points, 200 three-pointers, and 500 assists in a career. Coverdale was not drafted in the 2003 NBA Draft and signed on with Rockford of the CBA. He played one season in the CBA before heading to Europe to play in Germany for a year. In 2005, Coverdale was named to the staff at the University of Louisiana-Monroe. He currently serves as an Assistant Coach for Orlando Early's staff at UL-Monroe. The Warhawks are currently 2-4, with losses to Kansas and Michigan State. UL-Monroe will face Iowa on Friday night in Iowa City.

Big Ten/ACC Challenge Day 3

Wednesday: NC State (4-1) at Michigan State (4-1) 7:00 ESPN NC State comes into the Big Ten/ACC Challenge after winning the Old Spice Classic in Orlando over the weekend. Sydney Lowe has a nice group back from last year and a budding star in freshman forward J.J. Hickson. The Spartans only loss came against #1 ranked UCLA in a very tough battle. MSU is led of course by senior guard Drew Neitzel and sophomore forward Raymar Morgan. The Spartans are very tough to beat at home, and tonight marks NC State's first true road game of the season. Look for Michigan State to win a tight one. Boston College (4-0) at Michigan (3-3) 7:15 ESPNU BC has gotten out of the game with four straight wins, but they have yet to play anyone of substance. We have yet to see just how good the Eagles actually are, but expect Al Skinner's team to finish somewhere near the middle of the ACC. Michigan has struggled early with John Beilein's new system. This should be looked at as a learning year in Ann Arbor, but the Wolverines could prove to be a tough out later in the season. It's far too early to expect too much from Michigan. BC will remain undefeated. Illinois (4-1) at Maryland (4-2) 7:30 ESPN2 The Illini played nicely in Maui and came home with a 3rd place finish. All of a sudden the 13-point loss to Duke in Hawai'i doesn't look quite as bad after the Blue Devils drubbing of Wisconsin last night. Maryland has lost their only two games against quality teams, losing to both UCLA and Missouri. Under Gary Williams, the Terps are very tough at home against non-conference opponents, but don't be surprised to see Illinois squeak out an upset. North Carolina (5-0) at Ohio State (4-1) 9:00 ESPN UNC recently lost the nation's top ranking to UCLA, but the Tar Heels are still a heavy favorite to win the ACC. Point guard Ty Lawson is questionable for tonight's game, and UNC is a different team when he doesn't suit up. Ohio State is a very young team trying to fill the voids left by last year's trio jumping early to the NBA. If Lawson does play, senior guard Jamar Butler will have his hands full trying to slow him up. The Buckeyes have a nice young crop that will make some noise as they grow this season, but UNC is too much to handle this early in the season, especially with a healthy Lawson. Virginia Tech (2-2) at Penn State (2-3) 9:30 ESPN2 Virginia Tech's recent 1-2 showing in Anchorage was a bit disappointing, but also showed that the Hokie's could be in for a long rebuilding year. Many expected Penn State to be much improved from last year and finish around the middle of the pack in the Big Ten. Three straight losses to South Carolina, Rider, and Central Florida has tempered some of that talk. It looks like the Nittany Lions may be in store for another disappointing finish near the bottom of the conference. Both teams will struggle this year, but since the game is being played in Happy Valley and PSU has difference maker Geary Claxton, we'll pick the Lions in this one. Tuesday's Results: Indiana 83 Georgia Tech 79 Virginia 94 Northwestern 52 Florida State 75 Minnesota 61 Duke 82 Wisconsin 58 Clemson 61 Purdue 58

Big Ten/ACC Challenge Day 2

Tuesday: Georgia Tech (3-2) at Indiana (4-1) 7:00 ESPN Georgia Tech has shown some inconsistencies early in the season with wins over Notre Dame, Charlotte, and Tennessee State. The Jackets have lost to Winthrop and UNC-Greensboro. Indiana got off to a 4-0 start paced by freshman phenom Eric Gordon, but suffered a setback last time out against Xavier. Look for the Hoosiers to get back on track at home and get the Big Ten on the board in this year's challenge. Northwestern (1-3) at Virginia (5-1) 7:00 ESPNU This is by far the worst matchup of the week. Virginia started 5-0 with an impressive win at Arizona, before suffering their first loss to Seton Hall on Saturday in Philly. Cavalier guard Sean Singletary is one of the best in the ACC and will have his way against the Northwestern backcourt. The Wildcats will finish at the bottom of the Big Ten this season and over the weekend lost to Brown, AT HOME. This should be an easy win for Virginia and the ACC. Minnesota (3-0) at Florida State (5-2) 7:30 ESPN2 New coach Tubby Smith has the Gophers at 3-0 and playing good defense. Minnesota has held all three opponents below 60 so far this season. FSU suffered bad losses early to Cleveland State and South Florida, but did knock off rival Florida in Gainesville by 14 on Friday. This will be the first big road test for Tubby's team which has already defeated Iowa State away from home. This should be a close contest but expect Florida State to take care of their homecourt. Wisconsin (5-0) at Duke (6-0) 9:00 ESPN The best matchup of the night will be this battle of unbeatens. Duke is 6-0 and Maui Invitational Champions. Wisconsin has quietly gotten off to a great start winning all five games by 20 plus. But all five of those games have been in the Kohl Center and tonight is the Badger's first trip away from home. This will be a very big test for Wisconsin and should help measure how good this Badger team really is. Duke rarely loses at Cameron Indoor, and the Blue Devils are the one team to never lose a game in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. That streak will continue with another Duke win tonight. Purdue (3-0) at Clemson (5-0) 9:30 ESPN2 Purdue is talented this year but very young. Clemson is off to yet another fast start and the Tigers are currently ranked 24th in the nation. With more experience the Boilermakers will make some noise in the Big Ten this year, but it may still be too early to expect a big win on the road from this young bunch. Look for Clemson to make it a clean sweep for the home teams tonight. Monday's Results: Wake Forest 56 Iowa 47

Big Ten/ACC Challenge Day 1

Monday: Wake Forest (3-0) at Iowa (4-2) 7:00 ESPN2 This year's Big Ten/ACC Challenge kicks off in Iowa City. Wake has won three straight home games to start the year against subpar teams Fairfield, NC Central, and Winston Salem State. Iowa has also yet to defeat anyone meaningful as they continue to learn new coach Todd Lickliter's system. The Hawkeyes are 4-0 at home, but just dropped their last two contests to Bradley and Utah State in the South Padre Invitational over the weekend. The lone bright spot for Iowa this year has been defense, but giving up 75 to a bad Utah State team is not good. Both teams are short on talent and are adjusting to new coaches after Demon Deacon head coach Skip Prosser passed away suddenly in July and former Hawkeye coach Steve Alford left for New Mexico. Pick: Give Iowa the slight edge since this game is being played at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, although three games in four days is a tough obstacle. If the Hawkeyes can keep this game in the 60's I like their chances to give the Big Ten a headstart in this year's challenge. The Rest of the slate: (Check back tomorrow for more picks.) Tuesday: Georgia Tech (3-2) at Indiana (4-1) 7:00 ESPN Northwestern (1-3) at Virginia (5-1) 7:00 ESPNU Minnesota (3-0) at Florida State (5-2) 7:30 ESPN2 Wisconsin (5-0) at Duke (6-0) 9:00 ESPN Purdue (3-0) at Clemson (5-0) 9:30 ESPN2 Wednesday: NC State (4-1) at Michigan State (4-1) 7:00 ESPN Boston College (4-0) at Michigan (3-3) 7:15 ESPNU Illinois (4-1) at Maryland (4-2) 7:30 ESPN2 North Carolina (5-0) at Ohio State (4-1) 9:00 ESPN Virginia Tech (2-2) at Penn State (2-3) 9:30 ESPN2

Ferentz to Michigan?

The rumor mills have been churning over the weekend, and now it appears there may be some actual news coming soon. Chris Landry of Fox Sports Radio reported yesterday that Iowa's Kirk Ferentz was Michigan's #1 option to fill their coaching void with Cincinatti's Brian Kelly their second choice. He claimed that Michigan would go hard after Ferentz and then turn to Kelly if Ferentz showed no interest. LSU's Les Miles is more of a fallback option for Michigan, as they know he will take the job if their top two targets do not. Also yesterday, Brian Cook over at MGoBlog reported that Kirk Ferentz was offered the Michigan job. Late last night he also posted some more 'rumors' that Ferentz has indeed accepted the job with an announcement expected in the next 24-48 hours. It should be noted that these are rumors, the last of which were taken by Brian from an Iowa message board. They are not to be taken as facts, but it should also be mentioned that MGoBlog was the first source to correctly report Lloyd Carr's retirement.

Michigan Coaching Candidates

With Lloyd Carr making his retirement official yesterday, one of the best coaching positions in college football became available. All eyes immediately turned south towards LSU's current coach Les Miles who is the obvious favorite for the position. Here is a look at Miles as well as some other candidates that have been rumored as possible replacements for Carr. Les Miles - LSU Les Miles has been put in an awfully tough position with the timing of Carr's retirement. There is no secret in the college football world that Michigan is the one school that Miles has worked his entire career to coach. However, like every coach in the country, Miles dreams of winning the National Championship and he has the opportunity right in front of him this season at LSU. Miles must have learned a bit from Nick Saban's jump to Alabama last season, because he isn't saying much when asked about Michigan. In the end, it would appear that Miles is the best fit for the Wolverines and he is the early favorite to take over next year. Brian Kelly - Cincinnati Kelly took over at Cincinnati this season after the departure of Mark Dantonio to Michigan State and has coached the Bearcats to a 8-3 record thus far. Before coming to Cincinnati, Kelly coached at Central Michigan for three years and turned the Chippewas around from 4-7 in his first season to 9-4 and a MAC Championship. Kelly started his career at Grand Valley State and won two Division II National Coach of the Year awards with the Lakers. Kelly has no ties with the University of Michigan, but is considered one of the best coaches in the nation. Kirk Ferentz - Iowa Ferentz's name is getting tossed around in Ann Arbor mainly because Michigan's president Mary Sue Coleman was at Iowa before taking the position at U-M and reportedly had a very good relationship with the Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz. Ferentz has won 2 Big Ten co-Championships at Iowa, but recently his Hawkeyes have struggled with successive seasons of 7-5, 6-7, and now 6-6 in the last three years. Also, the fact that 15 Iowa football players have been arrested since the start of spring practice this year in Iowa City, and most in Ann Arbor are hoping the Wolverines look elsewhere. Jeff Tedford - Cal Tedford, considered one of the best offensive minds in the nation, has been brought up by some in the Michigan media. With Cal struggling this season out west, Tedford may be looking for a new challenge and fresh start. Cal was 1-10 the season before Tedford took over, and he has had the Bears bowl eligible every year since. There is no question that he can coach and recruit, but I wonder how high he is on AD Bill Martin's list. Bob Stoops - Oklahoma Wishful thinking has some Michigan fans salivating at the idea of Stoops moving north to take the position in Ann Arbor. Stoops is a 'Big Ten guy' who grew up in Ohio and played college ball at Iowa for Hayden Fry. He would also certainly know how to coach a rivalry with his experience coaching in the Red River Shoot-out with Texas. It seems like a stretch to picture Stoops leaving a great position as Big XII bully at Oklahoma. And it would take a lot of money to top what he is making as Sooner's head coach. Jim Harbaugh - Stanford If the Wolverines are looking for a 'Michigan man' to take the opening left by Carr's retirement, they may reach out to former Wolverine QB Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh burst on to the national scene earlier this season with Stanford's shocking upset at USC. He came to Stanford from Division 1-AA San Diego where he led the Toreros to back-to-back 11 win seasons in three short years. Harbaugh did rub some fans and alumni wrong with comments he made early this season about Michigan and their academic standards. That will likely keep him out of the Wolverine's search, and Michigan will likely turn to a more proven and experienced coach.

Big Ten Newsstand

Ohio State at Michigan Never satisfied: Laurinaitis' desire to keep improving - Columbus Dispatch There was a time when Rose Bowl mattered - Columbus Dispatch OSU has all angles covered on punt returns - Cleveland Plain Dealer Shades of '03: Situation similar to last time Wolverines beat Buckeyes - Ann Arbor News A special delivery from the old football coach - Detroit Free Press Time to take down gentler Buckeyes - Detroit News Northwestern at Illinois Pair of Wildcats have been all over the field - Peoria Journal Star No quit in NU's Simpson - Chicago Daily Herald Fiesta Bowl puts Illini on its list - St. Louis Post-Dispatch Blood, sweat, and tears paying off for Illini seniors - Chicago Daily Herald Penn State at Michigan State PSU visits bowl hungry Michigan State - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Nits' Morelli plays to his strengths - Philadelphia Daily News Bowl potential all over the map for Spartans - Detroit Free Press Finishing touch: Caulcrick effective for MSU near goal line - Lansing State Journal Purdue at Indiana IU duo to challenge Purdue defense - Lafayette Journal and Courier IU, Purdue renew gridiron rivalry - Indiana Daily Student IU closes gap: Hoosiers have chance to match Boiler's record - Indianapolis Star Wisconsin at Minnesota Bielema thinks Donovan will start - Wisconsin State Journal Badgers playing for more than Paul Bunyan's ax - Hudson Star-Observer The spread offense has cost the Gophers - Twin Cities Pioneer Press U-M Football: The 40-year Big Ten title drought - Minneapolis-St Paul Star-Tribune Western Michigan at Iowa Warrant sealed in UI sex assault - Cedar Rapids Gazette Iowa offense searching for complete game - Quad City Times Ex-coach Fry notices Iowa's recent surge - Cedar Rapids Gazette Hawks hungry for bowl - Daily Iowan

Saturday Preview - Week 12

Ohio State at Michigan Noon ABC Line: Ohio State -4.5 Despite both teams coming into this year's rivalry having lost last week, there is still a lot on the line in Saturday's Big Game. The Buckeye's national title hopes were dashed last week with a home loss to Illinois, but the winner of this game will still get a berth to the Rose Bowl and a Big Ten Championship. On the other hand, the seniors for Michigan have one last shot to beat hated Ohio State. Chad Henne, Mike Hart, and Jake Long have gone 0-3 in their careers against the Buckeyes. After missing last week, Henne and Hart are no doubt going to play on Saturday. There are also rumors abound that Lloyd Carr will be announcing his retirement at year's end after this weekend. If true, what better way for Carr to ride off into the sunset after such a turbulent season by beating Ohio State and earning a trip to the Rose Bowl. The Buckeyes can't afford another lackluster performance like last week from QB Todd Boeckman who threw 3 picks in the loss to Illinois. Both teams will be angry and with the storylines one would have to give Michigan the emotional edge, but you'd be hard pressed to find a better big game coach than OSU's Jim Tressel. It won't live up to the classic game we had last year, but Saturday's contest will provide plenty of magic. BTC Prediction: Ohio State 27 Michigan 24 Northwestern at Illinois Noon ESPN Line: Illinois -13.5 Illinois can not afford a letdown after pulling off what many thought was impossible last week and beating #1 Ohio State in Columbus. Illini QB Juice Williams came up huge in the win and settled the quarterback controversy once and for all. With a win in the season finale, Illinois would likely be headed to either the Capital One Bowl or the Outback Bowl depending on the outcome of the OSU-Michigan game. The Chronicle currently has the Illini headed to the Capital One Bowl and matched up against Ron Zook's former Florida Gators. Northwestern is also coming off a big win last week as they disposed of Indiana to reach six wins and technically become bowl eligible. However, with all but Minnesota likely reaching six wins this season, the Wildcats will need to pull off the road upset Saturday to secure a bowl bid. With a win, Northwestern would probably be headed to the Motor City Bowl, but a loss and they'll be sitting at home over bowl season. This game means more to Northwestern, but as long as Illinois can keep its focus and save the Bowl talk for after the game they should have no problem running it up on the Wildcat's defense. BTC Prediction: Illinois 35 Northwestern 20 Penn State at Michigan State 3:30 ABC Line: Penn State -2.5 Penn State still has an outside chance at reaching a New Year's Day bowl, while Michigan State needs a win to reach 7 and lock up a bowl berth. Even with a loss on Saturday, it appears safe to say that the Spartans will go bowling, with the Motor City Bowl being the likely destination. Michigan State will definitely be more attractive to send to Ford Field in Detroit than the other six win Big Ten teams. The Nittany Lions manhandled Temple last week on the road, but that was Temple and the Spartan running attack seems to be back at full speed. MSU RB Javon Ringer can break it at any time and will test Penn State's excellent linebacker group. Last week's win at Purdue was a huge step towards Mark Dantonio's goal of changing the culture in East Lansing. Previous MSU teams would have packed it in for the season after a devastating loss like they had to Michigan, but these Spartans are more focused. BTC Prediction: Michigan State 24 Penn State 21 Purdue at Indiana 3:30 BTN Line: Purdue -2 Purdue heads into Bloomington for the annual battle for the Old Oaken Bucket carrying a five game winning streak over the Hoosiers. The Boilermakers sit at 7-4 with a bowl bid all but a certainty. Indiana blew a chance to reach six wins last weekend at Northwestern, and they likely need a win over Purdue to secure a "13th Game". This rivalry has not been very competitive in recent years with a Purdue victory almost a foregone conclusion, but this year's battle has the makings of being a classic. The Boiler's defense was shredded last week in their loss to Michigan State, and most teams have had problems this year containing Indiana QB Kellen Lewis. The Hoosier's will also be wearing 1967 throwback jerseys to honor the 1967 Rose Bowl team. With the Old Oaken Bucket and a bowl bid on the line for IU this game has bigger implications for them. The Purdue offense will strike early and often, but Indiana will squeak it out in a shootout. BTC Prediction: Indiana 38 Purdue 37 Wisconsin at Minnesota 3:30 BTN Line: Wisconsin -14 Wisconsin comes into this year's battle for the Paul Bunyan Axe with a New Year's Day bowl on their minds. After their impressive win over Michigan last weekend that is still a possibility, but a trip to the Alamo Bowl seems to be more probable. With the Big Ten likely to only get one team into a BCS bowl, that leaves only two other spots for New Year's Day, the Capital One and Outback bowls. Those will probably be filled by Illinois and the loser of the OSU-Michigan game. With that being said Wisconsin needs to take care of business at Minnesota to keep any hopes of playing in January alive. It will help to get RB P.J. Hill back this week just in time for him to take aim at a terrible Gopher run defense. Minnesota's run defense is ranked 112th in nation and facing a healthy P.J. Hill will only make that worse. Things could not have gone worse for Gopher coach Tim Brewster in his first year at the helm, and it will be very interesting to see if he is given enough time to turn things around. BTC Prediction: Wisconsin 38 Minnesota 21 Western Michigan at Iowa 3:30 BTN Line: Iowa -14 After starting the Big Ten schedule with three straight losses, the Iowa Hawkeyes have won three straight and four of their last five to catapult themselves back into bowl contention. A win over Western Michigan would put the Hawkeyes at 7-5 and most likely send them packing to the Insight Bowl in Tempe, AZ. Any bowl would be a major accomplishment for this Iowa team, and after the way the season started this may be one of Kirk Ferentz's best coaching performances. However, things are not without controversy this week as off-field problems continue to brew in Iowa City. News broke yesterday that an investigation is ongoing into claims of sexual assault involving three Iowa football players. Obviously the last thing any Hawkeye fan wants to hear as their team plays for a bowl berth on Saturday. BTC Prediction: Iowa 27 Western Michigan 17

Where are they now? Jeff Smoker

Jeff Smoker played quarterback for the Michigan State Spartans from 2000 to 2003. After being suspended for the last five games of the 2002 season due to substance abuse issues, Smoker was reinstated by first year head coach John L. Smith for his senior season of 2003. In 2003, Smoker became the first QB in Michigan State history to throw for over 3,000 yards. He finished his senior season with 3,395 yards and a school record 21 touchdown passes. Smoker was named second team All-Big Ten and the 2003 Big Ten Comeback Player of the Year. In 2003, the Spartans finished with an 8-5 record after losing to Nebraska 17-3 in the 2003 Alamo Bowl. That marks the last time Michigan State has played in a bowl game. Smoker was signed as an undrafted free agent by the St. Louis Rams and served as their 3rd string quarterback for the 2004 season. He was cut by the Rams in 2005 and spent brief time on both the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas Chiefs practice squads in both 2005 and 2006. After being cut by the Chiefs in 2006, Smoker signed with the Nashville Kats of the Arena Football League. Smoker was the starting quarterback for Nashville in 2007 and led the Kats to a 7-9 record. Nashville did not advance to the AFL Playoffs. Smoker finished the 2007 season with 3,446 yards with 57 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

BCS Computers Revisited

Last month we discussed here the problems that were created when margin of victory was taken out of the BCS computer formula. We looked at Jeff Sagarin's rankings that are used as part of the BCS formula. Sagarin's rankings are nice to examine because he calculates both his original overall rating and also what he calls ELO-CHESS, which he describes as the "politically correct" rating that is used by the BCS. Scoring margin is not included in the ELO-CHESS rating, only winning and losing matters. In early October we noted some major differences between Sagarin's ratings and the ELO-CHESS ratings that are used by the BCS. At that time the Northern Iowa Panthers were ranked 56th in his "regular" ratings but were #6 when scoring margin was removed. Obviously it was still very early in the year and we figured things would even themselves out as more games were played and as UNI played more opponents from their FCS Subdivision (Northern Iowa is ranked #1 in the Division 1 FCS Subdivision - formerly Division 1-AA.) Well as far as things working themselves out....they haven't. In the current ratings found on Jeff Sagarin's website, through games of November 10th, Northern Iowa is ranked 35th. Seems a bit high for a FCS Subdivision team, but not completely unbelievable. UNI is 10-0, ranked #1 in their subdivision, defeated Iowa State on the road earlier in the year by 11, and would give many FBC teams a very tough game. But once again when scoring margin is subtracted from the formula, things start getting ridiculous. In the ELO-CHESS rating that is used by the BCS formula, Northern Iowa is ranked at #12. That is to say that as far as the BCS is concerned, UNI is the 12th best team in the entire nation. To put that into more perspective, at #12 UNI is ranked higher than USC (#15), Boston College (#14), and Clemson (#13). Now if someone on the street came up to you and was arguing that Northern Iowa was a better football team than Southern Cal you would laugh and immediately disregard anything they further said. Well, in this case that person is the computer polls in the current BCS system and should be considered useless. Now this is not Jeff Sagarin's fault or his computer's fault. Sagarin is just doing what he was told to do by taking margin of victory out of his formula. We've argued before that scoring margin needs to be included in the BCS computers and we will continue to do so. For example, shouldn't Texas be rewarded more for beating Iowa State 56-3 compared to UNI's 24-13 victory over the Cyclones? Obviously. Would Texas beat UNI in a game played on a neutral field? Obviously. (Texas is #16 in Sagarin's ratings, UNI is #35. Texas is #25 in ELO-CHESS, UNI is #12.) Now I know that this is a very small scale example, and these computer polls take every game played in the entire system into account. But the point remains that if any part, albeit a small part, of the current BCS system thinks that UNI is the 12th best team in all of college football, then that system is flawed. Step one to fix the BCS, please allow these computers to do what they were originally designed to do and put some sort of measure for scoring margin back into their formulas. It really is common sense.

Week 10 Weekend Recaps

Wisconsin 37 Michigan 21 Michigan was without RB Mike Hart again on Saturday, and although QB Chad Henne started the game, he left early with an injury. Freshman Ryan Mallett took over for Henne and threw 3 touchdown passes in the loss. Mallett finished the game 11 of 36 for 245 yards and did also throw 2 interceptions. Wisconsin was also without their star tailback P.J. Hill who missed another game with an ankle injury. RB Zach Brown stepped in a rushed for 108 yards and 2 touchdowns on 27 carries. As a team the Badgers out gained Michigan on the ground with 237 yards to 47 for the Wolverines. Michigan now hopes to get Hart and Henne healthy for this Saturday's showdown in the Buckeyes. With a win over Ohio State, Michigan will take home the Big Ten title and earn a trip back to the Rose Bowl. Wisconsin has a trip to Minnesota next and with a win will likely be headed to the Alamo Bowl. Player of the Game: Wisconsin RB Zach Brown Northwestern 31 Indiana 28 Northwestern got a huge day on the ground from RB Tyrell Sutton and came from behind to collect their sixth win. Sutton carried the ball 33 times for 141 yards and a score. Indiana was led once again by WR James Hardy in the passing game. Hardy caught seven balls for 107 yards and 2 TDs. Both NU and Indiana now sit at 6-5, but with the crowded Big Ten bowl picture, both will likely be left at home if they lose next week. The Hoosiers host Purdue on Saturday in the annual clash for the Old Oaken Bucket. Northwestern has to travel to Champaign to take on Illinois. A win by either team would likely earn them a trip to the Motor City Bowl, but a 6-6 record would give the Motor City Bowl a chance to select Michigan State over both IU and Northwestern. Player of the Game: Northwestern RB Tyrell Sutton Penn State 31 Temple 0 Penn State QB Anthony Morelli threw for 260 yards and 3 TDs on 22 of 33 passing and RB Rodney Kinlaw got 168 yards on the ground to lead the Nittany Lions past Temple in a rout. The defense also came up huge on the "road" (there were probably more Penn State fans than fans of the home team in attendance). PSU held Temple to 242 yards overall and just four yards rushing as a team. LB Dan Connor led the defense with 18 tackles and recorded a sack and a half. The Lions finish up next week at Michigan State and with a win will probably be playing in either the Alamo or Champ Sports Bowl. Player of the Game: Penn State LB Dan Connor Michigan State 48 Purdue 31 Michigan State capitalized on three Purdue turnovers and QB Brian Hoyer had a strong game to lead the Spartans past Purdue on the road. Hoyer threw for 266 yards and 2 TDs on 22 of 31 passing. Spartan WR Devin Thomas caught ten balls for 116 yards. Purdue was able to get the passing game going, but RB Kory Sheets was limited with just six carries on the afternoon. Sheets did finish the game with 80 yards and a touchdown, but the Boilermakers were forced to throw for most of the second half. Purdue travels to Bloomington to face Indiana this weekend with a bowl berth on the line. A win would secure Purdue's spot in most likely the Motor City Bowl or Insight Bowl. Michigan State needs a win against Penn State to lock in a bowl bid, but even with a loss the Spartans would still be considered above the other 6-6 Big Ten teams. Player of the Game: Michigan State WR Devin Thomas Iowa 21 Minnesota 16 Despite a lackluster performance from their offense, Iowa captured their sixth win and look primed to go bowling again at this season's end. RB Albert Young led the Hawkeyes with 92 yards on 21 carries and 2 touchdowns. Minnesota's terrible defense actually held the Hawks without a score in the 2nd half. However this week the Gopher's offense was the inept squad. Minnesota's leading rusher on the afternoon was QB Adam Weber, and that is never a good sign. The Gopher's will now try to avoid the 0-fer this Saturday at home against Wisconsin. Iowa hosts Western Michigan in a non-conference finale and with a win the Hawkeyes will likely be headed to the Insight Bowl in Tempe. Any bowl game would be a huge accomplishment for this team considering where it was before this 3-game win streak. Player of the Game: Iowa RB Albert Young Illinois 28 Ohio State 21 Illinois sent shockwaves through the college football world on Saturday with their upset win at Ohio State. It marked the first time ever that the Illini knocked off a #1 team on the road. Illinois QB Juice Williams came up huge with his passing in the first half, and then iced the game with his running in the 4th quarter. Juice finished the game with 140 yards and 4 TDs through the air and 70 rushing yards on 16 carries. Ohio State QB Todd Boeckman struggled and had his worst game of the season. Boeckman was 13 of 23 for only 156 yards and threw 3 interceptions. OSU RB Beanie Wells rushed for 76 yards on 20 carries and scored 2 TDs. The game came down to turnovers with the Buckeyes giving away 3 and Illinois not giving any. Illinois capitalized to take an early lead, then let Juice Williams milk the clock with his legs in the 4th quarter. Illinois hosts Northwestern on Saturday and looks set up to reach a New Year's Day bowl after all. The Buckeyes look to be out of the BCS title hunt, but can still win the Big Ten championship with a win at Michigan. Player of the Game: Illinois QB Juice Williams

Big Ten Newsstand

Michigan at Wisconsin U-M's Henne has made a career of getting back up - Mark Snyder - Detroit Free Press Henne, Hart will face Badgers - Angelique S. Chengelis - Detroit News Hill to sit again - Jeff Potrykus - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Ikegwuonu ready for challenge - Tom Muhlhern - Wisconsin State Journal Indiana at Northwestern 'Eligible' doesn't mean 'in' - Jeff Rabjohns - Indianapolis Star Hoosiers have depended on big play from 'Little Ray' - Lee Hurwitz - Indiana Daily Student Wildcats creating own headaches - Skip Myslenski - Chicago Tribune Penn State at Temple Penn State's Evans nearing sack record - Bernard Fernandez - Philadelphia Daily News Penn State won't take Temple lightly - Sam Ross Jr. - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Nittany Lions good - not great - Jeff Rice - Centre Daily Times Michigan State at Purdue Dantonio learns a hard lesson - Bob Wojnowski - Detroit News Any bowl would do for MSU - Chris Mackinder - MLive.com Sparty vandalized with block 'M' - Detroit Free Press Time flies when Boilermakers are having fun - Tom Kubat - Indianapolis Star Minnesota at Iowa Floyd of Rosedale on the line when Iowa hosts Minnesota - WCCO-TV Iowa's offense finally has edge - Eric Page - Quad City Times Iowa's Donahue mastering dying art - Randy Peterson - Des Moines Register Fullback faces tons of thankless tasks - Jeff Johnson - Cedar Rapids Gazette Illinois at Ohio State Is Illinois up for upset? - Terry Bannon - Chicago Tribune Wilkins loving new role as contributor - Mark Tupper - Decatur Herald-Review Frenetic Zook puts Illini on fast track - Ken Gordon - Columbus Dispatch Improved tackling puts defense among elite - Tim May - Columbus Dispatch Ohio State kicking game causing some concern - Doug Lesmerises - Cleveland Plain-Dealer

BTB Roundtable Recap

A big thanks to all who participated in this week's Big Ten Blogger's Roundtable discussion. Here's a list of the blogs which answered our questions: Men of Scarlet and Gray Off the Tracks Hoosier Report Michigan Sports Center Maize n Brew Lake the Posts 1. Every year we hear that the quality of play in the Big Ten is "down" and that the conference as a whole is "weak". This season most pundits would consider the Pac 10 or SEC as superior conferences. Give your best argument for the over strength of the Big Ten and evaluated how your team would be doing if they were placed in either the Pac 10 or the SEC. Lake the Posts did a nice job recapping the Big Ten's recent bowl records. Take a look at the recent bowl records of the Big Ten biggies during the past 10 years: Ohio State 0-3 vs SEC, Haven't played Pac-10, 3-0 vs Big 12 and 2 national championship appearances Michigan 4-1 vs SEC, 1-2 vs Pac 10 (1 win was national title in '97 over WSU) Penn State 2-2 vs SEC, No bowls vs Pac 10 Wisconsin 2-3 vs SEC (won in 05, 06), 3-0 vs Pac 10 Now some other players: Iowa 2-1 vs SEC (wins over Florida & LSU), 0-1 vs Pac 10 Purdue 0-2 vs SEC (Georgia both times, OT both times), 1-3 vs Pac 10 Minnesota 2-0 vs SEC, 1-1 vs Pac 10 Michigan State 1-0 vs SEC, 0-1 vs Pac 10 Northwestern and Illini are a combined 0-1 vs SEC and 0-1 vs Pac 10 and Indiana has not been to a bowl game during that span. What does this mean? A combined 13-13 vs the SEC and 5-9 vs the Pac 10. That is my argument for the Pac 10 being the victim of east coast media bias and being better than we are during that span, while the Big Ten suffers from "the south is faster" bias. However, top to bottom, the SEC is more balanced this year and the Cats would be better off trying to get their wins at the bottom half of the Pac 10 than the SEC. 2. Pick your team's Most Valuable Player to date and tell us why he should be in consideration for Big Ten Player of the Year. We had votes for Mike Hart, Todd Boeckman, Dorien Bryant, and James Hardy. I'd have to agree most with Michigan Sports Center's argument for Mike Hart. 3. Sure it's the time of year that has most fans looking ahead to Bowl games, but we covered that last week. Plus, basketball season has officially begun! If you plan on covering basketball, give a brief analysis on your team and how far they will go in this year's postseason (Final 4, Sweet 16, NIT, friend's couch, etc.). The Hoosier Report is covering the round ball and obviously has more reasons then most to be excited for the upcoming season: I am covering basketball. IU currently is ranked in the low end of the top ten (9th in both major polls) and prognosticators are uniformly picking IU and MSU to finish 1-2 in the conference. Some have IU on top, others MSU, but the consensus says that those are the top two. While enthusiasm has been dampened a bit by the new telephone call allegations, I think that IU fans will really like this team. IU returns some key players from last season, most notably DJ White, and adds a bunch of newcomers, including top recruit Eric Gordon and juco transfer Jamarcus Ellis, both of whom will likely start. This is the deepest and most talented IU team in years, and I think IU fans will be somewhat disappointed in anything but a trip to the Final Four. Bonus Question: It's time again for annual "rip on the BCS" party! In your opinion, what is the best way for college football to determine its National Championship? Current BCS system, current system plus one, 16-team playoff, 4-team playoff, something totally cool I've never even thought of before? Personally I'm with Maize n Brew, and think the current system is just fine. Every single game means something in college football. If you want to be the Champion, you can't afford a day off. College football is the only sport left where the regular season actually matters! However, I do like the idea of going back to the old bowl tie-ins and adding one game. Pac 10 champ and Big Ten champ meet up in the Rose Bowl, Big 12 champ goes to the Orange Bowl, etc. Then after the Bowls we re-rank, calculate the BCS and put #1 vs. #2 two weeks later in the National Title game. And as Off the Tracks put it: Oh, and if you’re independent and want to play for the title, then too bad. Join a conference and earn it.

Saturday Preview - Week 11

Michigan at Wisconsin Noon ESPN Line: Michigan -2.5 The Badgers will try to rebound from a disappointing loss at Ohio State last week. This is a big game for Wisconsin, with Minnesota up next week, a win over Michigan should set Wisconsin up for another New Year's Day bowl. The Wolverines cannot afford a letdown this week after their come from behind win over Michigan State and with the showdown with Ohio State coming next week. On the injury front, it appears Wisconsin RB P.J. Hill will miss another game with an ankle injury, he is officially listed as questionable. The Badgers will start Lance Smith, who missed last week and is suspended from all road games but can play at home. For Michigan, QB Chad Henne and RB Mike Hart should be able to go on Saturday. If Henne and Hart can perform at 100% and play the entire game, Michigan should be able to keep things rolling on offense. The Badgers seem to be too banged up to pull out this victory. BTC Prediction: Michigan 27 Wisconsin 20 Indiana at Northwestern Noon ESPN Classic Line: Indiana -2 It's November and an Indiana-Northwestern football game has huge bowl implications? That's right, and no, this isn't the Bizarro Big Ten. The Hoosiers finally got their 6th win last week against Ball State to officially become bowl eligible, but with 10 teams in the conference within reach of six wins, Indiana needs to win another to secure a bowl bid. Northwestern still sits on five wins after blowing a big chance at home last week against Iowa. The Wildcat offense was clicking in the first half, but some C.J. Bacher mistakes and the abandonment of the running game eventually led to Northwestern's demise. A bright spot in the loss however was the return of RB Tyrell Sutton. Sutton was impressive in the first half last week before he was seemingly forgotten about and left out of the 2nd half gameplan. On the other side, the Indiana offense was on fire last week against Ball State led by the Lewis-Hardy connection, and QB Kellen Lewis will give Northwestern's defense fits. This game is huge for both teams, but the Hoosier offense is playing much better than Northwestern's at this point in the season. BTC Prediction: Indiana 34 Northwestern 28 Penn State at Temple Noon ESPNU Line: Penn State -24.5 Penn State needs to finish strong against Temple and Michigan State to earn a trip to a New Year's Day bowl. The Nittany Lions have beaten Temple 24 straight times. The Owls come into Saturday's game with a 3-6 record and more than three touchdown underdogs. Last year Penn State embarrassed Temple in a 47-0 win. This year's game should be closer than that, but it'd be shocking if Temple can keep this within 20 points. The Lion defense has been very strong this season and helped right the ship after back-to-back losses to start Big Ten play. Expect Penn State to dominate on the road this Saturday, but next week at Michigan State will be the real test. BTC Prediction: Penn State 34 Temple 9 Michigan State at Purdue Noon BTN Line: Purdue -4 Last week's loss to Michigan dropped the Spartans to 5-5 on the season. Michigan State has had three straight chances to get to six wins and bowl eligibility, but the Spartan's have lost three straight. MSU is running out of chances with Purdue this week and Penn State up next. It's now or never time. Purdue has winnable games against Michigan State and Indiana left on the schedule, and two wins would put the Boilermakers in the hunt for a New Year's Day bowl. Purdue's defense has been hurt by good running teams this year giving up some good yardage on the ground. MSU RB Javon Ringer is one of the most explosive backs in the nation, and he should find some room to run on Saturday. The Boilers will likely turn to WR Dorien Bryant early and often as he celebrates Senior Day in West Lafayette. Purdue will give up over 200 yards on the ground, but the offense will bail them out with a big day. BTC Prediction: Purdue 34 Michigan State 27 Minnesota at Iowa Noon BTN Line: Iowa -14 With a win over Minnesota in the battle for Floyd of Rosedale, the once dead Iowa Hawkeyes can become bowl eligible. Iowa heads out of conference next week to finish the season with Western Michigan, and two wins would put the Hawkeyes at a remarkable 7-5 considering their terrible start to the year. And speaking of terrible, here comes Minnesota. The Gopher's sit at 1-9 with their lone victory coming in a triple overtime win over Miami (Ohio) at home in week two. The Minnesota defense gave up 448 rushing yards last week in their loss to Illinois as things just continue to get worse. Iowa's turnaround has been led by RB Albert Young and the emergence of sophomore QB Jake Christensen. The Hawkeye offense should have a field day against Minnesota en route to bowl eligibility. BTC Prediction: Iowa 34 Minnesota 13 Illinois at Ohio State 3:30 ABC Line: Ohio State -15 How is it that this year's Ohio State team, which could very well be better than last years squad, is still considered by most around the nation as unworthy of another shot at the National Title? The Buckeyes have one of the best, if not THE best defense in the nation. The non-conference schedule did leave a lot to be desired, but with an undefeated record and decisive wins at Penn State, at Purdue, at Washington, and last week's victory over Wisconsin at home, the Buckeyes deserve to be one of the two teams battling for the BCS Championship. This week OSU faces a dangerous Illinois team before the game everyone is waiting for next weekend at Michigan. The Illini have weapons on offense with QB Juice Williams and RB Rashard Mendenhall leading the way. The Buckeye defense led by LB James Laurinaitis will have to be on their toes against Illinois' option attack, but this year's Ohio State squad seems to focused to suffer a letdown before the Michigan game. BTC Prediction: Ohio State 31 Illinois 14

Where are they now? Tavian Banks

Tavian Banks played running back for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 1994 to 1997. During his senior campaign of 1997, Tavian rushed for a school record 1,691 yards and 17 touchdowns, also an Iowa single season record. In the 2nd game of the 1997 season, Banks rushed for 314 yards and scored four times in Iowa's victory over Tulsa, one of the most memorable performances in Hawkeye football history. Tavian also holds the school record for touchdowns scored in a career with 36. Iowa finished 1997 with a record of 7-5 after losing to Arizona State 7-17 in the 1997 Sun Bowl, in what would be legendary coach Hayden Fry's last bowl appearance. Fry would later retire after the 1998 season. Tavian was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 4th round of the 1998 NFL Draft. After a promising start to the 1999 season, Tavian suffered a major knee injury during a game with the Atlanta Falcons. Banks tore the ACL, PCL, and LCL in his left knee and missed over two years due to surgery and rehab. Tavian attempted a comeback with the New Orleans Saints in 2002 and was actually named to the practice squad in 2003. Banks was waived by the Saints in 2004 at the conclusion of the NFL Preseason. Tavian served as assistant running backs coach for the Louisville Cardinals last season, but decided to leave the team when head coach Bobby Petrinio left for the Atlanta Falcons. Currently, Tavian is the Sports Performance Director with Velocity Sports Performance in Naperville, IL.

Big Ten Roundtable - Week 11

The Big Ten Chronicle has been chosen to lead this week's Big Ten Blogger's Roundtable. Quite a distinguished honor for us. Here are this week's questions: 1. Every year we hear that the quality of play in the Big Ten is "down" and that the conference as a whole is "weak". This season most pundits would consider the Pac 10 or SEC as superior conferences. Give your best argument for the over strength of the Big Ten and evaluated how your team would be doing if they were placed in either the Pac 10 or the SEC. 2. Pick your team's Most Valuable Player to date and tell us why he should be in consideration for Big Ten Player of the Year. 3. Sure it's the time of year that has most fans looking ahead to Bowl games, but we covered that last week. Plus, basketball season has officially begun! If you plan on covering basketball, give a brief analysis on your team and how far they will go in this year's postseason (Final 4, Sweet 16, NIT, friend's couch, etc.). Bonus Question: It's time again for annual "rip on the BCS" party! In your opinion, what is the best way for college football to determine its National Championship? Current BCS system, current system plus one, 16-team playoff, 4-team playoff, something totally cool I've never even thought of before? Please check back later in the week for our answers and a complete wrap-up of the Roundtable.

Big Ten Basketball Preview

Player of the Year: Drew Neitzel, G, Michigan State Newcomer of the Year: Eric Gordon, G, Indiana All-Conference Team G- Drew Neitzel, Michigan State G- Eric Gordon, Indiana F- Geary Claxton, Penn State F- D.J. White, Indiana C-Shaun Pruitt, Illinois 1. Michigan State Despite the stunning exhibition loss to Division II Grand Valley State this week, Michigan State tops our Preseason Rankings. It seems every year the Spartans struggle at the offset, but end the season in contention for the conference title. Last year, Tom Izzo led an inexperienced squad to an impressive 23 wins. This year, MSU returns most of that squad and adds freshman phenoms Chris Allen, Durrell Summers, and Kalin Lucas to the bunch, which makes them a lock for online betting. All-American candidate and our pick for Big Ten Player of the Year Drew Neitzel returns and will help make the Spartans a legitimate Final Four contender. 2. Indiana Senior center D.J. White and stud freshman guard Eric Gordon will give the Hoosiers one of the best inside-out duos in the nation. Junior college transfer Jamarcus Ellis will provide a nice dual-threat to go along with IU's "Big Two". The Hoosiers will be happy to finally get to playing some basketball games and getting Coach Sampson off the phones, for now. 3. Wisconsin The Badgers will be without All-American Alando Tucker and Kammron Taylor, but as long as Bo Ryan is still roaming the sidelines Wisconsin will also be in the hunt. Brian Butch returns on the inside along with forward Marcus Landry. Senior guard Michael Flowers was to be the Badger's most experienced player in the backcourt, but Flowers is serving a "medical leave of absence" and his leadership will be missed. 4. Ohio State No team in the nation lost as much as the Buckeyes did from last year's squad. Greg Oden, Mike Conley and Daequan Cook are all in the NBA , but Thad Matta did bring in a nice group of freshman. Center Kosta Kofus is the most touted of those recruits and should form a nice inside-out game with returning guard Jamar Butler. 5. Purdue Purdue will rely heavily on sophomore guard Chris Kramer and Keaton Grant to help bring the Boilermaker's young talent along. E'Twaun Moore is the most highlighted of Matt Painter's recruits. Moore is a combo-guard who should provide Purdue with some much needed scoring whether it be in a starting role or off the bench. 6. Illinois Shaun Pruitt is returning for his senior season and will be one of the better big men in the league. Point guard Chester Frazier also returns to help provide the Illini defense a spark. Illinois will be without guard Jamar Smith to start the season, who is serving his suspension from last season's alcohol related car accident that injured teammate Brian Carlwell. 7. Michigan Tommy Amaker is finally out, and former West Virginia head man John Beilein is in. Beilein will bring a very different yet exciting form of basketball to Ann Arbor. It may take a year or two before serious results are seen, but things are looking brighter for Michigan basketball. This year's squad will be led by Jerret Smith and freshman Manny Harris. 8. Penn State Penn State finished tied for last in the conference last year with a record of 2-14 but do return one of the better frontcourts in the league. Geary Claxton should compete for 1st Team All-Conference honors and forward Jamelle Cornley provides another inside presence for the Nittany Lions. 9. Minnesota The Tubby Smith era begins at Minnesota with most of the same team back from last year. Unfortunately last year's squad finished with a total of nine victories. The Gopher's will eventually be very happy with their hiring of Smith, but it should take a few years and a couple of Tubby's recruiting classes before Minnesota makes any serious noise in the Big Ten. 10. Iowa Iowa also has a new face on the sidelines after Steve Alford's departure to New Mexico. Former Butler coach Todd Lickliter takes over a Hawkeye team that will be missing it's two leading scorers from last year. Adam Haluska is in the NBA and Tyler Smith transferred and will be starting for Tennessee this year. Add in the injury to guard Tony Freeman in Iowa's exhibition game, and it should be a long season in Iowa City. Freeman is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a broken ankle. 11. Northwestern When trying to predict the standings for a Big Ten basketball season one thing is easy. Write Northwestern in at 11th. The Wildcats do have a legitimate All-Conference caliber player in forward Kevin Coble, but unfortunately Northwestern doesn't have much around him. It should be noted that Northwestern is still the only team from a "BCS Conference" to never make the NCAA Tournament. That streak will continue for at least one more season.

Week 10 Weekend Recaps

Penn State 26 Purdue 19 Purdue WR Dorien Bryant took the opening kickoff all the way for a touchdown to give the Boilermaker’s an early lead, but that would be the only time Purdue found the endzone against a tough Penn State defense. The Nittany Lion defense gave up four field goals, but kept the Purdue offense out of the endzone for the first time all season. Penn State LB Dan Connor recorded 11 tackles to become the school’s all-time leader. Lion RB Evan Royster rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries to lead the PSU offense. Up next for Penn State are back-to-back road games against Temple and Michigan State. Player of the Game: Penn State LB Dan Connor Iowa 28 Northwestern 17 For the second straight week the Iowa Hawkeyes looked dead on offense for most of the first half, but somehow found a rhythm and came back to win. Northwestern jumped out to an early 14-0 lead behind the running of Tyrell Sutton. After not completing a pass for the entire 1st quarter, Iowa QB Jake Christensen connected with WR Trey Stross for an Iowa TD just before half. The Hawkeyes carried that momentum into the 2nd half and outscored the Wildcats 21-3 after halftime. Christensen ended the game with 299 yards and a touchdown on 21 of 36 passing. Iowa WR Derrell Johnson-Koulianos caught 8 passes for 119 yards in the win. Iowa now looks primed for a bowl bid with home games against Minnesota and Western Michigan to finish the year. Northwestern finishes with Indiana at home and Illinois on the road. Even if the Wildcats split those games and finish 6-6, it probably won’t be enough in this year’s Big Ten for them to reach a bowl. Player of the Game: Iowa QB Jake Christensen Ohio State 38 Wisconsin 17 Even without RB P.J. Hill, the Badgers gave Ohio State a much closer game than the final score makes it seem. This game was actually tied at 17-17 late in the 3rd quarter before Ohio State followed the running of Beanie Wells to run away with a win. Wells finished the game with 169 yards and 3 TD’s on 21 carries. OSU QB Todd Boeckman also played well, but most importantly did not make any mistakes. Boeckman threw for 166 yards and 2 touchdowns on 17 of 28 passing. The Buckeyes have another tough home game next week against Illinois before the showdown at Michigan. Wisconsin will try to get everyone healthy for their tilt with Michigan next week before finishing the season at Minnesota. Player of the Game: Ohio State RB Chris “Beanie” Wells Indiana 38 Ball State 20 After failing in their first 3 tries, Indiana finally gets their sixth win and are now officially bowl eligible. The Hoosiers proved to have too much firepower for Ball State to keep up with. QB Kellen Lewis threw for 354 yards and 4 touchdowns on 22 of 35 passing, and also added 52 yards on the ground. IU WR James Hardy caught 8 passes for 116 yards and 2 touchdowns to lead the Hoosier’s past Ball State. Indiana got their 6th win, but to assure a bowl game they will need to win on of their last 2 games, at Northwestern or against Purdue at home. Player of the Game: Indiana QB Kellen Lewis Michigan 28 Michigan State 24 Michigan dominated for most of the 1st half and took a 14-3 lead into the locker room, but it was the Spartans who came out and took control of the 2nd half and eventually took a 10-point lead. Spartan RB Javon Ringer rushed for 128 yards on 15 carries and helped MSU get the momentum and the lead late in the 2nd half. With Michigan’s Rose Bowl hopes on the line, senior QB Chad Henne stepped up and lead the Wolverines to an improbably come from behind win on the road. Henne connected with WR Mario Manningham for 2 of his 4 touchdowns and finished the game with 221 yards on 18 of 33 passing. Michigan RB Mike Hart also returned from injury to rush for 110 yards on 15 carries, most of which came in the first half. The Wolverines now travel to Wisconsin, and even with a loss to the Badgers; can still win the Big Ten with a win over Ohio State on November 17th. Michigan State’s once promising season looks all but lost, and the Spartans will almost certainly have to win out in order to receive a bowl bid. Player of the Game: Michigan QB Chad Henne Illinois 44 Minnesota 17 Illinois dominated Minnesota in every aspect of the game from the opening whistle. Minnesota’s QB Adam Weber was intercepted on the Gopher’s first play from scrimmage, and it was all Illini from there. Minnesota’s defense was once again shredding by the run as Illinois racked up 448 total yards on the ground. Illini RB Rashard Mendenhall rushed 17 times for 201 yards and 2 TDs. QB Juice Williams added 133 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown. Illinois now heads to Columbus to take a shot at #1 Ohio State, before wrapping up the season at home against Northwestern. The Illini appear to be in the driver’s seat to still reach a New Year’s Day bowl. Minnesota travels to Iowa next week, then home to finish the season against Wisconsin. Player of the Game: Illinois RB Rashard Mendenhall

Undefeated Probabilities

With three weeks remaining in the Big Ten season and four games left for most every other NCAA team, there are still five teams that have yet to lose a game. Ohio State, Boston College, Arizona State, Kansas, and Hawai'i all have their dreams of a perfect season still alive. We thought it would be fun to take a look at each teams remaining schedule and the probabilities of each team finishing the season with an undefeated record. The "win probabilities" for each game are taken from Mike Greenfield's Team Rankings website and are based on his computer rankings. Ohio State Buckeyes: (Remaining Games - Win Probability) vs Wisconsin - 89.2% vs Illinois - 87.0 % at Michigan - 67.7% Probability of Undefeated Season = 52.5% Kansas Jayhawks vs Nebraska - 94.1% at Oklahoma State - 73.9% vs Iowa State - 98.8 % vs Missouri - 70.6 % Probability of Undefeated Season = 48.5% Boston College Eagles vs Florida State - 79.4% at Maryland - 76.6% at Clemson - 63.8% vs Miami (Fl) - 83.3% Probability of Undefeated Season = 32.2% Arizona State Sun Devils at Oregon - 35.2% at UCLA - 76.6% vs USC - 74.9% vs Arizona - 88.5% Probability of Undefeated Season = 17.9% Hawai'i Warriors vs Fresno State - 69.7% at Nevada - 78.0% vs Boise State - 50.6% vs Washington - 62.2% Probability of Undefeated Season = 17.1% Obviously Ohio State has the best chance to run the table not necessarily because they are rated the highest by the computers, but mostly because OSU has the fewest games remaining. Arizona State has the toughest remaining schedule of these five teams, and Kansas has the weakest. It is somewhat surprising to see that the Jayhawks have nearly a 50/50 chance to finish the season unblemished. Of course the nightmare scenario for the BCS would be to have more than 2 undefeated teams (not including Hawai'i) when all the games have been played. However, no matter how the rest of the season plays out one thing is for certain. Some team(s) will cry foul with the current system and the demand for some type of playoff system will probably be at an all time high.

Saturday Preview - Week 10

Purdue at Penn State 12:00 ESPN Line: Penn State -7.5 After two blowout losses to Ohio State and Michigan, Purdue bounced back and has played themselves back in position for a New Year's Day bowl. Penn State is also in desperate need for wins to keep themselves in the discussion for a January bowl game. The Nittany Lions disappointed last weekend against the #1 Buckeyes on national TV, and they can't afford another set back this weekend in their home finale. The Boilermakers offense has struggled mightily against the two teams they played with solid defenses, OSU and Michigan. Last week it took a big 4th quarter for Purdue to come from behind against Northwestern. Unfortunately for the Boilers, yards will be much tougher to come by this Saturday against Penn State's defense. It will be close throughout with the Lions winning one on Senior Day. BTC Prediction: Penn State 23 Purdue 14 Iowa at Northwestern 12:00 ESPN2 Line: Northwestern -1 Don't look now, but the once left for dead Iowa Hawkeyes have a serious possibility of making a bowl game. Iowa improved to 4-5 after stunning Michigan State in double overtime last week, and the Hawkeyes need to win two of their last three in order to finish with six wins. Their remaining schedule is very favorable with home games against Minnesota and Western Michigan up next after this Saturday's tilt with Northwestern. A win in Evanston, and Iowa will almost certainly be bowling in late December. Northwestern has won two straight in the series against the Hawkeyes, and they also are looking for a bowl bid this season. The Wildcat run defense has to be a concern. NU has given up over 200 yards rushing in 4 of their 5 Big Ten games, including 220 yards last week to Purdue's Jaycen Taylor. Iowa's RB Albert Young came up huge last week in their win over MSU with 179 yards on 34 carries. The Hawkeyes will need another monster game on the ground this weekend to come home with a win. BTC Prediction: Iowa 24 Northwestern 20 Wisconsin at Ohio State 12:00 BTN Line: Ohio State -15.5 This week's Big Ten showdown in Columbus features two teams coming off very impressive victories. Ohio State spanked Penn State last Saturday in Happy Valley to silence some of the doubters, but a big win over Wisconsin would solidify the Buckeye's spot on top of the college football world, at least for now. The Badgers come to town after back-to-back blowout wins over Northern Illinois and Indiana, but the offense could be without leading rusher P.J. Hill. Hill suffered a foot injury against Indiana and is questionable for Saturday's game. Backup running back Lance Smith is not able to travel with Wisconsin to road games, so if Hill is unable to go freshman Zach Brown will most likely get the start. That could be disaster against a Buckeye defense that is one of the best in the nation. Ohio State has shut down every offense they have faced this season, and a Badger offense minus P.J. Hill may not find the endzone. BTC Prediction: Ohio State 30 Wisconsin 13 Ball State at Indiana 12:00 BTN Line: Indiana -6.5 Ball State continues on their Big Ten tour this week at Indiana after losing to Illinois last Saturday. Indiana has been stuck on 5 wins after losing three straight and continue to seek that 6th win to become bowl eligible. With a road game at Northwestern next followed by Purdue at home, this week looks like the Hoosier's best chance to finally get to six wins, but it won't be easy. Ball State has performed very well on the road this year against major conference teams Nebraska and Illinois. The Cardinals did however have some trouble stopping Juice Williams, and struggle against the run. Ball State is ranked 116th in the nation in run defense, and Indiana's dual threat QB Kellen Lewis should be able to take advantage much like Juice did last week. This should be a high scoring affair and turnovers will play a key. Losing to Ball State at home would be devastating to a once promising season for Indiana, but don't be shocked to see it happen. BTC Prediction: Indiana 31 Ball State 30 Michigan at Michigan State 3:30 ABC Line: Michigan -4.5 Michigan has been playing without star RB Mike Hart for two weeks, but hope to get both him and QB Chad Henne back for Saturday's rivalry game with Michigan State. The Wolverines sit atop the Big Ten standings with Ohio State after an impressive seven game win streak to get them back into Rose Bowl contention. These final three games will make or break the year with Wisconsin and Ohio State up next for Michigan. It's time for the Wolverines to get healthy, and in a hurry! Michigan State has struggled in conference play after their 4-0 start. Obviously a win over the hated Wolverines would be a big notch on first year coach Mark Dantonio's resume. Michigan is obviously the more talented team, especially if Henne and Hart both play, but it's almost impossible to predict how emotion will effect rivalry games such as this one. BTC Prediction: Michigan 34 Michigan State 28 Illinois at Minnesota 8:00 BTN Line: Illinois -11.5 Illinois is 6-3 and bowl eligible, but now it's time for the Illini to improve their bowl standing. Minnesota has three more chances left to get off the snide in Big Ten play, and this week's home game may be their best remaining shot at a win. The Gopher defense is absolutely terrible, probably the worst in all of college football. They continue to get torched by everybody they play, including 1-AA North Dakota State. Illinois comes in with one of the best running attacks in the Big Ten led by RB Rashard Mendenhall and QB Juice Williams. Mendenhall will likely go over 200 yards and the Juice will be loose on Saturday. Minnesota's offense has shown promise at times, but they have been fighting a losing battle each week trying to keep up with the points their defense is giving. This week will be no different for one of the worst Big Ten teams in recent memory. BTC Prediction: Illinois 31 Minnesota 20