Where are they now? Taylor Stubblefield

Taylor Stubblefield played wide receiver for the Purdue Boilermakers from 2001 to 2004. In Stubblefield's senior year of 2004, Purdue finished with a record of 7-5 after losing to Arizona State 27-23 in the 2004 Sun Bowl. Stubblefield became the NCAA's All-Time leader in pass receptions during his senior year of 2004. He is still currently the all-time leader in career receptions with 316 and ranks 2nd in Big Ten history with 3,629 total receiving yards. Despite his success in the college ranks, Stubblefield was not drafted in the 2005 NFL Draft and signed a free agent deal with the Carolina Panthers. He was released by the Panthers after playing in three preseason games. After his release, Stubblefield signed on with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League for the end of the 2005 CFL season. Stubblefield was signed by the St. Louis Rams in January of 2006. He played in all four preseason games for the Rams, but was one of the final cuts prior to the regular season. After his release from the Rams, Stubblefield re-signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in March of 2007. Hamilton finished the season with a 2-15 record and in last place. Taylor spent most of the 2007 CFL season on the Tiger-Cats' inactive list.

Basketball Exhibition Schedule

The Big Ten basketball season tips off tomorrow night with Ohio State and Illinois participating in exhibition games. Here is the schedule for this weeks exhibition contests, most of which will be aired on the Big Ten Network. Unless of course you are a fan of Minnesota or Iowa. Gopher and Hawkeye fans will want to log on to their laptops to get an early look at their squads. Minnesota's game with Minnesota State, and Iowa's tilt with Simpson College will only be available on the Big Ten Network's website.

Week 9 Weekend Recaps

Iowa 34 Michigan State 27 2OT After trailing to Michigan State 17-3 at halftime, the Hawkeyes came out of the locker room and suddenly found their running game. Relying mostly on the rushing of RB Albert Young, Iowa came all the way back to take a 20-17 lead in the 4th quarter. The Spartan's kicker Brent Swenson connected on a 29-yard FG with 4 seconds left to tie the game and force overtime. After both teams scored in the first OT, the Hawkeyes scored first in the 2nd OT on a 1-yard TD run by RB Javon Pugh, and then held Michigan State out of the endzone for the thrilling victory. Young finished the game with 179 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries. Iowa won despite gaining just 53 yards passing and losing the time of possession battle 36:26 to 23:34. With the improbable win and games remaining at Northwestern and home against Minnesota and Western Michigan, the Hawkeyes have played their way back into bowl contention. The Spartans will attempt to rebound from this disappointment as they face-off with instate rival Michigan next week at home. Player of the Game: Iowa RB Albert Young Wisconsin 33 Indiana 3 The Badgers defense looked a lot more like last year's version holding the Hoosiers to just 258 total yards and forcing five Indiana turnovers en route to an easy victory on Saturday. Depending on the severity of Wisconsin RB P.J. Hill's injury (Hill left the game after scoring on a 1-yard run), nothing but positives can be taken from this game for the Badgers. Back-up RB Lance Smith carried the ball 15 times for 79 yards and 2 TDs as the Badger O-Line dominated the line of scrimmage against Indiana. Wisconsin has looked very improved in their last two wins and now head to Columbus for a showdown with the #1 Buckeyes. Meanwhile, Indiana has now lost three straight games and are still searching for their 6th win and bowl eligibility. That could come next week when the Hoosiers host a Ball State that gave Illinois a bit of a scare on Saturday. Players of the Game: The Wisconsin secondary held Indiana WR James Hardy to just 17 yards on 4 catches and also intercepted Kellen Lewis twice. Purdue 35 Northwestern 17 Northwestern led Purdue 17-14 heading into the fourth quarter, but 21 unanswered 4th quarter points by the Boilermakers put the game away. Purdue used their running game to control the ball and eventually blow past the Wildcats. The Boilers got 157 yards on 20 carries from RB Jaycen Taylor, who also rushed for 2 TDs on the day. WR Dorien Bryant finished with 7 catches for 65 yards and scored the go ahead touchdown in the 4th quarter. Up next for Purdue is an away game at Penn State. Northwestern will need to improve the run defense in a hurry as Albert Young and the Iowa Hawkeyes come to Evanston this Saturday. Player of the Game: Purdue RB Jaycen Taylor Illinois 28 Ball State 17 It wasn't the prettiest, but Illinois took care of business at home to most likely lock up a bowl bid with their victory over Ball State. The Illini ground game was firing on all cylinders again after a couple of lackluster performances at Iowa and against Michigan. Illinois rushed for a total of 324 yards with RB Rashard Mendenhall getting the bulk of the carries. Mendenhall ran for 189 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries. QB Juice Williams carried the ball 17 times for 99 yards and also rushed for 2 TDs. Up next for Illinois are back-to-back road games with Minnesota and Ohio State before finishing the season at home against Northwestern. If the Illini can win two of those final three games, they should expect an invitation to a New Year's Day bowl game. Player of the Game: Illinois RB Rashard Mendenhall Michigan 34 Minnesota 10 Michigan starting QB Chad Henne and RB Mike Hart both sat out and it didn't matter as the Wolverines dominated and completely shut down Minnesota's offense. Freshman QB Ryan Mallet was effective enough throwing for 233 yards and a score. Most of Mallet's yards came thanks to WR Mario Manningham's monster day. Manningham caught 5 passes for a total of 162 yards and a touchdown. Michigan RB Brandon Minor filled in nicely for the injured Hart with 157 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. The Wolverines now enter a touch stretch with games at Michigan State and Wisconsin before the hated Buckeyes come to the Big House on November 17th. The disappointment continues for Minnesota, and the Gophers have a tough task ahead as they try to get their first conference victory. Minnesota hosts Illinois this Saturday, and finishes the season at Iowa and against Wisconsin in the Dome. Player of the Game: Michigan WR Mario Manningham Ohio State 37 Penn State 17 Everyone's attention was turned to Happy Valley on Saturday night waiting to see if Ohio State would be the next upset victim in this crazy college football season, and the Buckeyes provided a big statement to the nation that they intend to stay on top. We all know how great the defense is, but it was the Ohio State offense that was impressive in their decisive victory at Penn State. The Buckeyes outgained PSU 453 to 263 and dominated the Nittany Lions the way a number one team is expected to. QB Todd Boeckman had one of his best games of the year completing 19 of 26 passes for 253 yards and 3 touchdowns with 1 interception. OSU RB Beanie Wells added 133 yards on 25 carries. Penn State's passing game was disappointing in the loss as Anthony Morelli threw for only 111 yards on 12 of 21 passing and an interception. The Nittany Lions cannot afford a hangover next week at home against Purdue, before their final two games on the road at Temple and at Michigan State. The "experts" may have a problem with Ohio State being atop the BCS Standings right now, but if the Buckeyes can win out against Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan, they will certainly deserve another shot at the National Title. Player of the Game: Ohio State QB Todd Boeckman

Big Ten Newsstand

With only four weeks left in the Big Ten regular season, let's take a quick glance around the conference in today's Big Ten Newsstand. Illinois, Indiana, Northwestern and Michigan State are all vying for a sixth win and bowl eligibility this week. The BCS #1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes head to Happy Valley in the Big Ten's Game of the Year to date. Michigan State at Iowa Robbery case hits three at MSU, but athletes will be eligible to play - Shannon Shelton - Detroit Free Press Charged Spartans set to suit up - Steve Grinczel - MLive.com Eligibility rule may give Hawkeye pair extra year - Randy Peterson - Des Moines Register Kroul: Iowa's unsung hero - John Riehl - Cedar Rapids Gazette Indiana at Wisconsin Tough to cover: UW faces test with Hardy - Jeff Potrykus - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Wisconsin to play keep away from Indiana - The Sporting News UW Football: Levy provides leadership and much more - Tom Mulhhern - Wisconsin State Journal Northwestern at Purdue Wildcats still have bowl bid as their target - Adam Rittenberg - Chicago Daily Herald Just one game for Boilers, but its huge - Mike Carmin - Lafayette Journal and Courier Plainfield pair mans line for Purdue - Mark Ambrogi - Indianapolis Star Ball State at Illinois Zook won't tip hand in Illini quarterback derby - Stu Durando - St Louis Post-Dispatch Illinois has nowhere to go but up - Mark Tupper - Decatur Herald and Review Ball State can create headaches for Illinois - John Supinie - Peoria Journal Star Minnesota at Michigan Pinnix's pain keeps him from gaining usual yards - Chip Scoggins - Minneapolis Star Tribune Less than Golden: Minnesota struggles with 1-win season - Antoine Pitts - Ann Arbor News Who's Michigan's MVP? Take a Long look at offense - Mark Snyder - Detroit Free Press Burning Questions: There is no need for Henne to play vs Minnesota - Angelique Chengelis - Detroit News Ohio State at Penn State Wining streak on the line for Buckeyes - Ken Gordon - Columbus Dispatch Ohio State LB Laurinatis to showcase skills - Doug Lesmerises - Cleveland Plain Dealer JoePa makes special deliveries - Sam Ross Jr. - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Penn State seeking better fan behavior - Adam Smeltz - Centre Daily Times

Saturday Preview - Week 9

Michigan State at Iowa 12:00 ESPN2 Line: Michigan State -3 This game will be big for both teams. Michigan State can become bowl eligible for the first time since 2003 with a win, while Iowa tries to keep their fading bowl hopes alive for one more week. The Spartans defense kept things close last Saturday at Ohio State, but just could not get enough going on the offensive side of the ball to pull off the upset. The running game will have a tough time again this week against a good Iowa defense, but with the Hawkeye offense as bad as it is and seemingly getting worse, it won't take many points to beat them. If Michigan State can get a couple of early scores on the board it could get ugly. Iowa just doesn't have the offense to play catch up. BTC Prediction: Michigan State 27 Iowa 17 Indiana at Wisconsin 12:00 BTN Line: Wisconsin -7 The Badgers stepped outside of Big Ten play last week for a much needed breather against Northern Illinois, but Wisconsin cannot afford a slip up this week with back-to-back games with Ohio State and Michigan looming. The Hoosiers are still looking for their 6th win to become bowl eligible for the first time since 1994. Indiana QB Kellen Lewis should be studying the Wisconsin-Illinois game tape and try to take advantage of the Badger's defensive front much like Juice Williams did in the Illini's win over Wisky. If the Badgers can keep Lewis in check and get a productive day from RB P.J. Hill, they should be able to wear down the IU defense and grind out a win. BTC Prediction: Wisconsin 34 Indiana 24 Northwestern at Purdue 12:00 BTN Line: Purdue -12.5 Purdue got back in the win column against Iowa last week and should be able to pile up the points again this Saturday at home. Northwestern squeaked by Eastern Michigan last Friday night in Detroit and will definitely need a better performance out of their offense to keep up with the Boilermakers. RB Tyrell Sutton's return could come this Saturday and that should help the Wildcats go with a more balanced attack. The story in this game will be the quarterbacks for each team. Purdue's Curtis Painter and NU's C.J. Bacher have been lighting up scoreboards for most of the year and this Saturday will be no different. We should see an offensive shoot-out with the Boilermaker's gun slinger coming out victorious. BTC Prediction: Purdue 42 Northwestern 24 Ball State at Illinois 12:00 BTN Line: Illinois -14 Two weeks ago many in Champaign were dreaming of a New Year's Day Bowl, but after back-to-back losses the Illini are back to meeting the preseason expectations of this young team. Illinois can't lose focus this week after their disappointing loss to Michigan. Ball State has the offense to make this game very interesting. The intriguing storyline for the Illini the rest of the way will be the shuffle between Juice Williams and Eddie McGee at quarterback. Coach Ron Zook has made it clear that Juice is his starter, but if the passing game continues to sputter how short will the leash get? BTC Prediction: Illinois 31 Ball State 17 Minnesota at Michigan 3:30 ESPN Classic Line: Michigan -23.5 Michigan got a huge road win last week, but it may have come at a cost with QB Chad Henne and WR Mario Manningham a little banged up in the game. Thankfully for the Wolverines, Minnesota is coming to town. The Gophers may have the worst defense in the nation. They looked that way last Saturday as Division 1-AA North Dakota State ran all over the Minnesota D. Whether Mike Hart plays or not, the Michigan O-Line should be able to dominate and create holes big enough for your grandma to run through. This will be just what the doctor ordered for an injured Wolverine offense. BTC Prediction: Michigan 38 Minnesota 20 Ohio State at Penn State 8:00 ABC Line: Ohio State -4 Ohio State did not do much to help silence the doubters last week in their first game as the #1 team. Sure the defense completely shut down Michigan State's running game, but the Buckeye offense made a few key mistakes that helped the Spartans stick around. A convincing win at Penn State would cement OSU as the #1 team in the land. The Nittany Lions could launch themselves into a possible BCS bowl with an upset on Saturday and three very winnable games to finish up the season. For Penn State to win, they are going to need to win the turnover battle. This Ohio State defense is as good as it gets, and as long as the offense can limit mistakes, should be enough to keep the Buckeyes undefeated for at least one more week. BTC Prediction: Ohio State 21 Penn State 17

Injury Updates

Northwestern RB Tyrell Sutton is expected to start at tailback this Saturday at Purdue. Sutton was on the field for three plays in the Wildcat's win over Eastern Michigan last Friday. He was used as a decoy on a 21-yard reverse to WR Eric Peterman. Michigan QB Chad Henne and RB Mike Hart are both "questionable" for Saturday's game against Minnesota. Both are listed as day-to-day and Coach Lloyd Carr said he wouldn't know the status of either player until later this week. Iowa's struggling offense may get a few receivers back for this Saturday's home game with Michigan State. TE Tony Moeaki has missed the last four games with a dislocated elbow and broken wrist but has been practicing with the team. WR Trey Stross is questionable for the game with a hamstring injury. WR Colin Sandeman, who missed last weekend's game at Purdue, is expected to suit up for the Hawkeyes against MSU. It was reported that Ohio State's RB "Beanie" Wells would need arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle after the season to remove scar tissue, but both Wells and Buckeye coach Jim Tressel dispelled those rumors. Wells has been playing with scar tissue since an injury he had his freshman year of high school and says he hasn't heard of any plans for any type of offseason surgery.

Where are they now? Asad Abdul-Khaliq

Asad Abdul-Khaliq played quarterback for the Minnesota Golden Gophers from 2000 to 2003. Asad started as a freshman for Minnesota and was a four year letterwinner. Abdul-Khaliq holds school records for career touchdown passes with 55 and total offense with 7,818 yards. In his junior year of 2002, Asad led the Gophers to an 8-5 record and a 29-14 victory over Arkansas in the Music City Bowl. During his senior campaign of 2003, Abdul-Khaliq passed for 2,401 yards and threw for 17 touchdowns and rushed for 4 TDs. Minnesota finished the season 10-3 after beating Oregon 31-30 in the 2003 Sun Bowl. The Gophers were ranked 17th in the final USA Today Coaches Poll. Abdul-Khaliq was not drafted in the 2004 NFL Draft and signed a free agent contract with the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League. Asad did not see any action for the Rush in his rookie year, and played in only 2 games in 2006. He was then acquired by the AFL's New York Dragons for the 2007 season. Abdul-Khaliq did not start in any games at QB for the Dragons this past season, but he did see some time as a defensive back. The Dragons finished the 2007 season with a 5-11 record and missed the AFL Playoffs.

10/22/07 - Weekend Recaps

Penn State 36 Indiana 31 Penn State opened up a 29-17 lead in the 4th quarter, then had to hold on as Indiana's valiant attempt at a comeback fell just short. The Nittany Lions defensive line pestered Hoosier QB Kellen Lewis all afternoon sacking him six times in the game. Indiana WR James Hardy had a huge game in the loss, catching 14 balls for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns. Penn State QB Anthony Morelli finished the day 22 of 32 with 195 yards and 2 first half TDs, but the key to this game was turnovers. The Nittany Lions forced four Indiana fumbles which helped PSU keep the Hoosiers arms length away for most of the game. With Ohio State next week, this was a huge win for the Lions, and they can be happy to just get out of Bloomington with the win. Player of the Game: Indiana WR James Hardy Purdue 31 Iowa 6 Coming into this game, these teams looked headed in opposite directions. Iowa was coming off an impressive home win over a ranked Illinois team, and after a 5-0 start, Purdue had been blown out in two straight games against the Big Ten's top two teams. Well that didn't last long as Dorien Bryant and the Purdue passing game got back on track in this game, and the Iowa offense looked as bad as it has at any point this season. Purdue QB Curtis Painter threw for 315 yards on 29 of 48 passing with 3 touchdowns. Bryant caught 9 of those passes for 167 yards and 2 scores. The Boilermakers are now bowl eligible and will try to keep things rolling when they host Northwestern next week. Iowa will now have to win 3 of their last 4 just to finish the season .500. Player of the Game: Purdue WR Dorien Bryant North Dakota St 27 Minnesota 21 Could things have possibly gone any worse for Minnesota coach Tim Brewster in his first year? After giving away a win at Northwestern last week, the Gophers came back to the Dome only to find it filled mostly with ND State Bison fans. On top of that, the Minnesota defense was absolutely dominated by Division 1-AA North Dakota State. The Bison out gained the Gophers 585 yards to 307, while racking up 394 yards on the ground. Bison RB Tyler Roehl rushed the ball 22 times for 263 yards and a touchdown. Minnesota is looking at a winless Big Ten season, unless their defense can show any ability to hold anybody in check, something it hasn't done all year. Things will get even uglier next week when the Gophers travel to Ann Arbor. Player of the Game: ND State RB Tyler Roehl Wisconsin 44 Northern Illinois 3 Wisconsin needed an easy dominate win after back-to-back road losses to Illinois and Penn State. The Badgers pounded the ball all afternoon against NIU, finishing with 331 yards rushing. RB P.J. Hill led the way with 184 yards on 21 carries and 2 touchdowns. The Wisconsin defense also completely shut down what is a very bad Northern Illinois team, holding the Huskies to just 6 first downs and 13 rushing yards. This blowout got the Badgers to six wins, but things will get considerably tougher as they continue Big Ten play with upcoming games against Indiana, Ohio State and Michigan. Player of the Game: Wisconsin RB P.J. Hill Ohio State 24 Michigan State 17 Ohio State dominated the Spartans for much of the game, but a couple of mistakes in the 2nd half gave MSU a chance late in the game. Michigan State scored 14 points off OSU turnovers to give the Buckeyes a bit of a scare, but in reality this game wasn't as close as the final score would suggest. The Spartans finished the game with only 185 yards of total offense and nine first downs as the Buckeye defense continued to dominate. RB "Beanie" Wells led the way for Ohio State with 221 yards on 31 carries and a touchdown. QB Todd Boeckman looked solid through the first half, but did throw one interception in the 3rd quarter that gave the Spartans life. Boeckman finished the day 15 of 23 for 193 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT. The Buckeyes now travel to Penn State for their biggest test to date. Player of the Game: Ohio State RB Chris "Beanie" Wells Michigan 27 Illinois 17 Michigan had to battle back on the road to beat Illinois without RB Mike Hart and with a banged up Chad Henne at quarterback. Hart was on the sideline, but did not dress for the game due to an ankle injury. The Illini jumped out to an early 14-3 lead in the first half, but could not hold off the Wolverines in the 2nd half. Henne was knocked out of the game, but came back to guide Michigan to a come from behind victory. He finished the day 18 of 26 for 201 yards and 2 touchdowns. WR Mario Manningham also had a big day catching 9 passes for 109 yards and 2 scores. The Wolverines showed a lot of heart on the road in a tough situation, but behind the leadership of Chad Henne and the other seniors pulled out the win to stay undefeated in conference play. Up next for Michigan is what should be an easy win over Minnesota before the final stretch of Michigan State, Wisconsin and Ohio State. Player of the Game: Michigan QB Chad Henne Northwestern 26 Eastern Michigan 14 In a rare Friday night Big Ten game, Northwestern and Eastern Michigan did battle in an empty Ford Field in Detroit. This was a must win game for the Wildcats to keep their bowl hopes alive, and although it wasn't pretty, NU did what they had to do to win this ball game. QB C.J. Bacher led the offense again with 470 yards on 41 of 58 passing and throwing for 4 touchdowns. EMU did a nice job of staying close with their backup quarterback playing this game, but eventually the 4 turnovers did them in. Northwestern is now just one win away from reaching six and becoming bowl eligible, but the Wildcats will certainly have to play better in their last four games. Player of the Game: Northwestern QB C.J. Bacher

BTC Midseason Awards

Most Impressive Player: Mike Hart - Michigan Through seven games Mike Hart has rushed for 1,078 yards, scored 12 touchdowns, and earned a spot among the nation's Heisman Trophy hopefuls. Hart has rushed for over 100 yards in each of Michigan's seven contests and has scored in every game except the Wolverines 39-7 loss against Oregon September 8th. After dropping their first two games, Michigan has now won 5 straight and sits atop the Big Ten standings with Ohio State thanks in large part to the play of RB Mike Hart. Honorable Mention: Rashard Mendenhall - Illinois Javon Ringer - Michigan State C.J. Bacher - Northwestern Mid-season Coach of the Year: Bill Lynch - Indiana Bill Lynch was named the Hoosiers head coach prior to this season after the tragic death of Terry Hoeppner and has led Indiana to a surprising 5-2 start. Lynch has built on the foundation laid by the late Hoeppner, and has the Hoosiers ready to make their first appearance in a bowl game since 1993. Honorable Mention: Jim Tressel - Ohio State Surprise Team: Illinois Fighting Illini Despite last weekends loss at Iowa, nobody can say they expected to see the Illini towards the top of the Big Ten standings and ahead of teams like Wisconsin, Penn State, and Purdue at the halfway point. One cannot doubt the talent that Ron Zook has assembled in Chaimpaign, but it seemed that this kind of success was still a year or two away. Thanks to the sudden stardom of RB Rashard Mendenhall and freshman WR Arrelious Benn, the Illini have found themselves back in the Big Ten hunt. Honorable Mention: Indiana Hoosiers Biggest Disappointment: Iowa Hawkeyes Iowa finally snapped their eight game conference losing streak last Saturday with a 10-6 win over Illinois, but the Hawkeyes still stand 3 more wins way from finishing .500. Iowa is last in the Big Ten in scoring this season, averaging just 16.3 points per game, thanks mostly to injuries and inexperience in the passing game. The lone bright spot has been the Hawkeye defense, but it is very difficult to win when your offense has scored more than 21 points just once this year, a 35-0 victory over Syracuse on September 8th. Honorable? Mention: Minnesota Golden Gophers Circle Your Calendar For: Ohio State at Michigan - November 17th Well, duh. As if this game wasn't already circled on the calendar's of every college football fan in America, but once again the Big Ten Championship, and possibly a trip to the BCS Title Game, will come down to this rivalry. Should Ohio State be able to take care of their home field down the stretch and escape Happy Valley with a win on October 27th, this year's trip to the Big House will mean much more than just bragging rights. The Buckeyes need to go undefeated to earn another shot at the BCS National Title. One loss and they will almost certainly be jumped in the BCS Standings by any number of one-loss teams. Other Games to Watch: October 27th - Ohio State at Penn State November 10th - Michigan at Wisconsin

10/18/07 - Weekend Preview

FRIDAY Northwestern at Eastern Michigan 7:00 ESPNU Line: Northwestern -10 Northwestern and Eastern Michigan will square off in a neutral site Friday night contest. The game will be played in Detroit and is a must-win for the Wildcats, if they plan to keep their bowl hopes alive. EMU comes into the game with a 2-5 record, having lost 3 straight games on the road. Northwestern is coming off back-to-back overtime wins over Michigan State and Minnesota. Eastern Michigan will have a tough time keeping up with an NU pass offense that is averaging 321 yards through the air per game. Wildcat QB C.J. Bacher will look to continue his unbelievably hot play against the Eagles. In his last two games, Bacher has thrown for 990 yards and 9 TDs without an interception. If Northwestern can avoid the upset in Detroit, they would need just one more win with 4 to play to become bowl eligible. BTC Prediction: Northwestern 31 Eastern Michigan 20 SATURDAY Penn State at Indiana 12:00 ESPN Line: Penn State -7.5 The Hoosiers will look to bounce back from their worst loss of the season last weekend at Michigan State. The only problem for Indiana is the team coming to town Saturday is Penn State. The Nittany Lions have never lost to Indiana in ten games. However, this year's Hoosiers are one of the better Indiana teams of recent memory. Penn State has looked mighty impressive in their last two wins against Iowa and Wisconsin, but the Lions have been a different team away from Happy Valley this year, 0-2 on the road so far. The key to victory for PSU will be to contain Indiana QB Kellen Lewis, and keep him from beating you with his feet. For Indiana to win, they need to get pressure on Penn State QB Anthony Morelli and force him into making bad decisions. If the Hoosiers can come up with a few turnovers, they could be celebrating their first ever win over Penn State. BTC Prediction: Penn State 27 Indiana 21 Iowa at Purdue 12:00 ESPN2 Line: Purdue -6.5 Panic has officially started in West Lafayette. After a 5-0 start, Purdue has been blown out in two straight games against Ohio State and Michigan. Now is the time for the Boilermaker offense to step up and prove their impressive start wasn't a fluke and thanks mostly to a weak non-conference schedule. The only problem is their first five wins were over 1-AA Eastern Illinois and four 1-A teams with a combined record of 8-20. Saturday will be another test for the Purdue offense against a quality defense. The good news for the Boilers is that it shouldn't take too many points to outscore Iowa. The Hawkeyes were very impressive last week shutting down Illinois, but the offense still only garnered 10 points in the win. If Iowa can hold down the Purdue offense and somehow score enough to get the win, the Hawkeyes will suddenly catapult themselves back into bowl contention. BTC Prediction: Purdue 24 Iowa 20 ND State at Minnesota 12:00 BTN No Line North Dakota State comes into the Dome undefeated and one of the best teams in Division 1-AA. They will also be looking for some revenge after nearly pulling off the upset against he Gophers last year. Minnesota held on to beat the Bison 10-9 in last year's meeting. This year, the Golden Gopher defense has not been able to stop anybody's offense and don't expect that to change anytime soon. No one should be surprised if the Bison win this game, and it shouldn't be called an upset if they do. Gopher fans won't like to hear it, but North Dakota State is the better team. This is a team that won at Central Michigan 44-14 earlier in the year, and Central Michigan is currently leading the MAC. The same MAC with teams Bowling Green and Miami (OH). Minnesota beat Bowling Green in overtime early this season, and lost to the Redhawks in 3 OT's at home the next week. BTC Prediction: North Dakota State 31 Minnesota 28 Northern Illinois at Wisconsin 12:00 BTN Line: Wisconsin -23.5 Once the favorite to win the Big Ten this year, Wisconsin has fallen completely out of the Top 25 after an embarrassing 38-7 loss at Penn State last weekend. This is the perfect time for another tune-up for Wisconsin as they play host to hapless Northern Illinois. The one thing this Badger team cannot do is get behind early, as we saw against Penn State. The Wisconsin offense is not built for them to come from behind and play catch up. Luckily for them this week, NIU has scored an average of 13 points in their last three games, all losses. P.J. Hill has been a bit banged up recently, but the Badger running game will dominate against the Huskies and help get Wisconsin back on track with huge games against Ohio State and Michigan still looming in a few weeks. BTC Prediction: Wisconsin 38 Northern Illinois 13 Michigan State at Ohio State 3:30 ABC Line: Ohio State -17 The Ohio State Buckeyes are once again the number one team in the land. Now OSU just needs to avoid the upset bug that has been biting just about everybody so far this season. Michigan State is coming off their most impressive win of the year after running all over Indiana last Saturday night in East Lansing. The question will be whether the Spartans can continue that success running the ball against arguably the best defense in the nation this year. Ohio State's defense has given up more than a touchdown only once this season when Washington scored 14. This week could be the Buckeye's toughest test against a Spartan team that is currently leading the Big Ten in scoring offense. MSU RB Javon Ringer has turned into one of the biggest home run hitters in the conference, and he'll need another huge day for the Spartans to stay close. The Spartans should be able to get a couple of touchdowns, but it won't be enough to knock off the #1 team. BTC Prediction: Ohio State 34 Michigan State 14 Michigan at Illinois 8:00 ABC Line: Michigan -3 These two teams seem to be heading in different directions. After an 0-2 start, the Wolverines have now won five in a row, and are coming off their best overall performance of the year, a 48-21 win against Purdue. On the other sideline, Illinois comes in after a disappointing loss to Iowa on the road. The good news for the Illini, is their offense looks a lot like Appalachian State and Oregon's. Running quarterbacks have given the Wolverine defense fits this year, and Illinois has one of the best in Juice Williams. Coach Ron Zook has said that he will stick with Juice as the starter and bring Eddie McGee in off the bench. Michigan is expected to be with RB Mike Hart, who will be playing on a testy ankle. If Hart is not able to go or seriously hindered by the ankle injury, Illinois will win. A healthy Hart, and the Wolverines pull out a close one. BTC Prediction: Michigan 21 Illinois 20

Where are they now? Brent Moss

Brent Moss played running back for the Wisconsin Badgers from 1991 to 1994. During his junior year of 1993, Moss and the Badgers compiled a 9-1-1 record and won the Big Ten Conference title and earned their first Rose Bowl berth since 1963. In 1993, Moss rushed for a total of 1,479 yards and scored 14 touchdowns and was voted the Big Ten's Player of the Year. He also helped lead the Badgers to a 21-16 Rose Bowl victory over the UCLA Bruins. Moss finished the game with 158 yards and two TDs and was named the 1994 Rose Bowl MVP. Moss' senior season was cut short when he was arrested in November of 1994 with possession of crack cocaine. Brent was suspended from the team and sentenced to two years probation. He never played for the Badgers again, but was signed by the NFL's St. Louis Rams the following year. In 1995, Moss rushed the ball 22 times for 90 yards, his only season in the NFL. After brief stints in the World League, Arena Football League and the XFL, Moss finally gave up on football in 2000. After a seven year hiatus from football, Brent Moss recently returned to the field for his hometown Racine Raiders, a semi-pro team in the North American Football League. Moss played in only one game for the Raiders this season on August 4th. He rushed for 15 yards on 11 carries in the 4th quarter of that 17-0 Racine victory over the Hoosier Hurricanes. Moss was held out for the rest of the season due to insurance concerns.

10/15/07 - Weekend Recaps

Iowa 10 Illinois 6 Iowa snapped its 8-game Big Ten losing streak on Saturday, thanks to a very impressive performance by the defense, especially the Hawkeye's front seven. Illinois was held to just 137 yards rushing, and RB Rashard Mendenhall rushed for only 67 yards, his lowest output since the season opener against Missouri. Iowa's RB Albert Young rushed for 99 yards on 25 carries, and the Hawkeyes actually out gained the Illinois' offense as a whole on Saturday. The Hawkeyes also might want to send a giant thank you card to Illini coach Ron Zook for a couple of head scratching decisions he made Saturday. The first came in the 3rd quarter after the Illini had stopped Iowa on a 3rd and 2 play. The Hawkeyes were flagged for an illegal procedure penalty, but instead of declining the penalty and forcing Iowa to attempt a field goal on 4th down, Zook instead accepted the five yard penalty and in effect gave Iowa another down. The Hawkeyes scored the only touchdown of the game the very next play and took a 10-6 lead they never gave up. Player of the Game: Iowa LB Mike Humpal had 18 tackles, a sack, and a recovered fumble in the victory. Michigan 48 Purdue 21 After averaging 45 points and almost 500 yards in their first five victories, Purdue now finds themselves reeling from embarrassing losses to Ohio State and at Michigan in back-to-back weeks. The Boilermakers have not won at Michigan since 1966, and the Wolverines offense made sure that streak would stay in tact. Michigan was led by their Big Three: Henne, Manningham, and Hart. QB Chad Henne threw for 264 yards and 2 touchdowns on 21 of 28 passing. Both touchdowns were to WR Mario Manningham who caught a total of 8 balls for 147 yards to go along with his 2 scores. Heisman hopeful RB Mike Hart rushed for 102 yards on 21 carries and also scored 2 TD's on the ground. Purdue was held to only 292 yards, but it was the four turnovers that really did them in. And this game wasn't even as close as the final score may indicated. The Wolverines led 31-7 at halftime, and held a 48-7 lead before two Purdue touchdowns in the final minute of the game. Up next for Michigan is a huge game at Illinois, the Boilermakers head home to take on Iowa. Player of the Game: Michigan WR Mario Manningham Northwestern 49 Minnesota 48 2OT The "Comeback 'Cats" were at it again on Saturday. Northwestern was trailing Minnesota 35-14 late in the 3rd quarter, but scored 21 unanswered points, including a Eric Peterman touchdown reception with 8 seconds left in the game to force overtime. The Wildcats scored first in the 2nd OT to take a 7-point lead. The Gophers answered with a TD of their own, but coach Tim Brewster decided to go for 2 and the win on the road. QB Adam Weber's pass attempt fell incomplete and the improbable Northwestern comeback was complete. The Wildcats were led again by QB C.J. Bacher and his 470 yards on 41 of 58 passing with 4 TDs. Minnesota freshman QB Adam Weber threw for 341 yards and 5 touchdowns, but the Gophers were unable to stop Northwestern in the 2nd half. The Wildcats now host Eastern Michigan, and with a win would be just 1 more win away from becoming bowl eligible. Minnesota hosts the #1 team in Division 1-AA next week, North Dakota State, in what could become another embarrassing loss for the Gophers this season. Player of the Game: Northwestern QB C.J. Bacher Ohio State 48 Kent State 3 Ohio State took care of business on field Saturday afternoon against Kent State, and found themselves once again atop the BCS Standings on Sunday afternoon. Thanks to upset losses by LSU and Cal, the Buckeyes are ranked #1 in the first BCS Standings released yesterday. Ohio State was dominate in their victory over the Golden Flashes thanks to a near perfect game by QB Todd Boeckman. Boeckman completed 13 of 16 passes for 184 yards and 2 TDs. WR Brian Hartline caught his first TD pass in the 1st quarter, and then returned a punt 90 yards for another touchdown which gave OSU a 14-0 lead. Then it was the Buckeye defense which had no problems at all shutting down the Kent State offense. Michigan State is up next for the Buckeyes before their next big road test at Penn State in two weeks. Player of the Game: Ohio State WR Brian Hartline Penn State 38 Wisconsin 7 Wisconsin dropped its second straight game on the road Saturday with a big loss at Penn State. The Nittany Lions dominated every aspect of the game racking up 437 of total offense, and 221 yards on the ground. RBs Rodney Kinlaw and Evan Royster continued to fill in nicely for the suspended Austin Scott, and QB Anthony Morelli had a mistake free afternoon against a Badger defense that has really been struggling the past 3 weeks. Kinlaw rushed for 115 yards on 23 carries with a TD, and Royster chipped in 68 yards on just 8 carries. Penn State's defense also impressed holding Wisconsin to just 87 yards rushing and forcing a P.J. Hill fumble and 2 Tyler Donovan interceptions. The Lions need to be careful next week at Indiana, which looks like a classic trap game before their huge matchup with Ohio State in two weeks. The Badgers can get back on track next week at home against Northern Illinois. Player of the Game: Penn State RB Evan Royster Michigan State 52 Indiana 27 Michigan State racked up 52 points and 558 yards of total offense, 368 of those coming on the ground, in a blowout win over Indiana. Spartam RB Javon Ringer ran for 203 yards on 29 carries and scored 2 touchdowns. Jehuu Caulcrick rushed for 94 yards on 23 carries and scored 3 touchdowns, as the MSU running game was in full effect. The Spartans also held Indiana to just 193 yards of total offense and only 22 yards rushing on the night in what was a completely dominating victory. This was a huge bounce back win for Mark Dantonio's bunch after back-to-back losses and a heartbreaker to Northwestern last week. The Spartans now need just one more win to become bowl eligible as they head to #1 Ohio State next week. The Hoosiers are still looking for that 6th win, and it's just a matter of time before it comes. Player of the Game: Michigan State RB Javon Ringer

Big Ten Saturday TV

Saturday TV Schedule and Coverage Maps 12:00 PM Illinois at Iowa - ESPN2 Purdue at Michigan - BTN (Coverage Map) Minnesota at Northwestern - BTN Kent State at Ohio State - BTN 3:30 PM Wisconsin at Penn State - ABC* (Coverage Map) *Viewers outside of ABC's coverage area can see the game on ESPN HD 7:00PM Indiana at Michigan State BTN (National)

10/11/07 - Saturday Preview

Illinois at Iowa 12:00 BTN Line: Illinois -3.5 After home wins over Penn State and Wisconsin, Illinois has officially joined the scene as a Big Ten contender. Meanwhile, Iowa has been falling down the Big Ten ladder just as fast as the Illini have been climbing. The Hawkeys have lost eight straight conference games and the schedule does not get any easier any time soon. However, Illinois cannot find themselves looking ahead to next week's game with Michigan. This has the makings of a classic "sandwich" game for the Illini, but lucky for them Iowa is very, very bad. Illinois RB Rashard Mendenhall has emerged as one of the best backs in the conference, if not the nation this year. The Iowa defensive front is probably the best unit of the team, but with the Hawkeye offense being so inept, most teams have been able to wear down the defense and really rack up the yards in the 2nd half. Look for much of the same if the Illini stay disciplined and continue to pound away on the ground. Illinois needs to continue using the formula that has worked so well this year, running the football and strong defense. The Illini D should dominate against Iowa, and remember, Ron Zook puts the "Noise" in Illinois. BTC Prediction: Illinois 24 Iowa 13 Purdue at Michigan 12:00 BTN Line: Michigan -5.5 Bad news Michigan fans. Another spread offense is coming to town this Saturday! The Wolverines have bounced back from their 0-2 start to win four straight games, but they have been far from impressive. After a 5-0 start, Purdue was exposed by a great Buckeye defense last Saturday night. For the first time all year, the Boilermaker offense was stopped cold. This week should go a long way to helping decide if OSU's defense is really that good, or if Purdue's offense was helped by a weak early season schedule. Both are probably true, but the Boiler passing game should be able to get back on track this week at Michigan. With remaining games at Illinois and Wisconsin, and of course the showdown with Ohio State, this is a must-win for the Wolverines if they want to compete for the conference crown. BTC Prediction: Purdue 31 Michigan 28 Minnesota at Northwestern 12:00 BTN Line: Northwestern -7 Thanks to last week's overtime victory at Michigan State, the Northwestern faithful (all 15 of them!) are starting to dream about a bowl bid. With Minnesota this week, Eastern Michigan next Saturday, and another winnable home game against Iowa down the road, six wins are certainly a possibility for the Wildcats. NU QB C.J. Bacher has to be licking his chops at the opportunity to face Minnesota's pass defense that ranks dead last in all of Division 1. Bacher lit up the Spartans last week for 520 yards, and expect more the same against the Gophers. Minnesota's offense will find themselves in another shootout this week, and QB Adam Weber is going to need to play a near perfect game to come away with the victory. BTC Prediction: Northwestern 38 Minnesota 28 Kent State at Ohio State 12:00 BTN Line: Ohio State -30.5 Don't you just love these non-conference games placed right in the middle of conference play? Are these midseason tune-ups against MAC schools really better for the Big Ten then just giving each team an off week like the good ol' days? Here's how it should be. Push the Big Ten schedule back one week so that "rivalry weekend" is on November 24th instead of the 17th. That means four non-conference games at the front of each school's schedule and an idle week for each team during conference play. That will help solve two problems. 1. Does anybody really get excited about facing a Kent State, Eastern Michigan, or Ball State in October or November? 2. This would lessen the time off between the end of the season and the bowl games. Anyways, Ohio State will dominate the Golden Flashes as they prepare for the toughest part of their schedule with remaining games against Michigan State, at Penn State, Wisconsin, Illinois and at Michigan. If the Buckeyes can go undefeated through that Big Ten gauntlet, they will deserve to play for another BCS Championship. BTC Prediction: Ohio State 34 Kent State 6 Wisconsin at Penn State 3:30 ABC Line: Penn State -6.5 Despite an impressive victory over Iowa, the news hasn't been all too good in Happy Valley this week. RB Austin Scott has been dismissed from the team for violating the "team rule" of committing sexual assault, allegedly. Then there was the news of a brawl at the HUB on campus which involved some members of the team over the weekend. And probably the most bizarre news was that of JoePa pulling over and raging at a younger couple on the side of a road. Saturday could not come sooner for Nittany Lion fans who just want to see some good football again. As for the game with Wisconsin, it should be tough defensive battle with both teams trying to establish their running games. With Scott out for PSU, the Nittany Lions will again turn to the duo of Rodney Kinlaw and freshman Evan Royster. Of course the Badgers have one of the best backs in the conference with P.J. Hill, but he is nursing a groin injury. Expect the Penn State linebackers to key on Hill and force Wisconsin to beat them through the air. This game could come down to quarterback play, and Wisconsin's QB Tyler Donovan has the edge over PSU's Anthony Morelli. BTC Prediction: Wisconsin 21 Penn State 17 Indiana at Michigan State 7:00 BTN Line: Michigan State -5 The Spartans certainly had their troubles on defense last week against Northwestern, and they could be in trouble again versus the Hoosiers. If Michigan State plans on going bowling this year, Indiana is a team they must beat at home. On the other hand, the Hoosiers are just one win away from becoming bowl eligible and have to like the way Wisconsin and Northwestern piled it on against MSU's defense. QB Kellen Lewis, who can beat you with with his arm and his legs, gives any defense matchup troubles. Indiana WR James Hardy is a big target and should have a huge day against a smaller Spartan secondary. The question will be if State's offense, or should we say Javon Ringer, can keep up. If the Spartans running game can produce against a pretty good Indiana defensive front, then Michigan State will win. BTC Prediction: Michigan State 31 Indiana 28

Where are they now? Ki-Jana Carter

Ki-Jana Carter played running back at Penn State from 1992 to 1994. Despite only playing three years at Penn State, Carter is still ranked among the school's top ten all-time rushers with 2,829 yards on 341 carries and 38 touchdowns. In his junior year of 1994, the Nittany Lions went undefeated but did not earned a national title, finishing 2nd in the polls to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Penn State earned a berth to the 1995 Rose Bowl and defeated the Oregon Ducks 38-20, in what was the Nittany Lion's first ever appearance in the Rose Bowl. 1994 was Penn State's 2nd full season as a member of the Big Ten Conference. Carter was named a co-MVP of the Rose Bowl after finishing with 156 yards on 21 carries and 3 touchdowns. Carter left Penn State early after his junior season and declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft. He was drafted by the Bengals with the first overall pick of the 1995 NFL Draft. However, in just his 3rd carry of the Bengals first preseason game, Ki-Jana tore the ACL in his left knee and missed the entire 1995 season. Carter came back and missed only one game in the next two seasons, but he was never the same runner after that knee injury. Then in 1998, Carter suffered a shattered wrist in his first game that kept him out for the entire season. Ki-Jana came back in 1999 only to suffer another season-ending injury when he dislocated his right kneecap. The Bengals released Carter before the 2000 season. After sitting out the 2000 season, Carter was signed by the Washington Redskins and played in 14 games during the 2001 season. After another short stint with the New Orleans Saints in 2003, Ki-Jana Carter found himself out of football for good. The once 1st overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft finished his career with just 1,127 yards and 20 touchdowns. Carter, now residing in Miami, FL, has yet to file any official retirement papers, and still dreams of playing again. He has been pondering some full-time business ventures, but currently does not have any regular salary coming in. Of course he took home $8 million in 1995 alone, including his then-record $7.1 million signing bonus. Ki-Jana has broadcasted some local high school and college football and can be heard as a frequent guest on some Miami radio stations. Every Monday, Carter and former Penn State and NFL player O.J. McDuffie host a Monday Night Football event at Gulfstream Park Racing and Casino in Hallandale Beach, FL.

JoePa's Road Rage?

As if the reports of a brawl breaking out at a local establishment involving some Penn State football players wasn't bad enough news, rumors are now starting to swirl around the Internet that Nittany Lion's head coach Joe Paterno may have been involved in a road rage incident Friday afternoon before last weekend's game against Iowa. Even at 80, JoePa appears to be as ornery as ever! Here is the Centre Daily's report of incident: (NOTE: JoePa is not mentioned by name, and his involvement has not been confirmed in any way at this point.) UNIVERSITY PARK -- Penn State police are investigating an apparent road rage incident that was reported to them about 12:10 p.m. Friday along Bigler Road near the Food Science Building. Penn State police spokesman Tyrone Parham said he could not release the names of those involved because the investigation is ongoing. Additional interviews are being conducted, he said. "We've only heard one side of the story so far," Parham said. The caller and apparent victim is a university employee, according to police.

10/8/07 - Weekend Recaps

Illinois 31 Wisconsin 26 Illinois made a big statement with their win over Wisconsin on Saturday that this Illini team plans to be a major player in deciding the conference championship. The Illini were once again led by RB Rashard Mendenhall and the running game. Mendenhall rushed for 160 yards on 19 carries and scored two of Illinois' touchdowns. However, the most important performer for the Illini offense was QB Juice Williams. Juice finished the day 12 of 19 for 121 yards and 1 passing TD. The numbers are nothing to write home about, but Williams played an accurate and consistent game and most importantly did not make any mistakes. Mendenhall will continue to get his yards, but if Juice can continue to play mistake-free football, Illinois will be playing in January. The Badger's saw their nation best winning streak snapped while they continued to give up huge chunks of yards on the ground. For the second straight game, the Wisconsin run defense was sub-par, allowing Illinois to rush for 310 yards on the day. With a road game at Penn State next on the schedule, the Badgers had better start to show improvement up front or they could be looking at back-to-back losses. Player of the Game: Illinois RB Rashard Mendenhall Northwestern 48 Michigan State 41 OT Northwestern went into East Lansing and got their revenge for last year's devastating loss to Michigan State. The Wildcat offense gained a total of 611 yards in the overtime victory. Northwestern QB C.J. Bacher completed 38 of 48 passes for 520 yards and 5 TD passes. WR Eric Peterman caught 9 of those throws for 141 yards and a touchdown. Michigan State RB Javon Ringer had another huge day on the ground rushing for 185 yards on just 12 carries with 3 TDs. Ringer also caught 6 passes for 54 yards on the day. Northwestern now has a serious chance to get to 5-3 with home games with Minnesota and Eastern Michigan the next two weeks. The Spartans host Indiana this Saturday before heading to Ohio State, as they try to avoid another collapse during conference play. Player of the Game: Northwestern QB C.J. Bacher Indiana 40 Minnesota 20 The Indiana Hoosiers have won back-to-back Big Ten games, and are now just one win away from becoming bowl eligible. Everyone knows about the Hoosier pass attack by now led by QB Kellen Lewis, but it was RB Bryan Payton and the IU running game that eventually did Minnesota in. Payton finished with 90 yards on 13 carries and 3 TDs. Indiana has scored 37+ points in their 5 wins, with the only loss coming to Illinois, which can now be considered a quality loss. The Hoosiers have winnable games at Michigan State and versus Penn State the next two weeks as they look to continue to surprise in the Big Ten this season. The Gophers will head to Northwestern on Saturday still looking for their first conference win. Player of the Game: Indiana RB Bryan Payton Michigan 33 Eastern Michigan 22 Mike Hart had a historic day in the Big House and the Wolverines picked up a non-conference win against Eastern Michigan. Hart finished the day with 215 yards and 3 touchdowns on 22 carries en route to becoming Michigan's all-time leading rusher. However, the Wolverines didn't have much else to be excited about after the victory. EMU kept it close early before Michigan eventually pulled away in the second half. Wolverine fans should start to worry with games against Purdue and at Illinois coming up in the next two weeks. The Boilermaker offense should give Michigan fits, and everyone is finding it tough to win in Champaign this year. Losses in both of those games and Michigan could very well be looking at a 4-4 record. Player of the Game: Michigan RB Mike Hart Penn State 27 Iowa 7 Penn State was without starting RB Austin Scott against Iowa, and will likely be without him for the rest of this season, but Rodney Kinlaw picked up the slack leading the Nittany Lions to a much needed win at home. Kinlaw rushed for 168 yards on 28 carries and scored 2 TDs. QB Anthony Morelli looked decent going 18 of 31 for 233 yards and a score, but he did also throw 2 bad interceptions. Penn State can be excited about the running game, as this is a strong defensive front that Iowa brings. The Lions season will be made in the next three weeks with games against Wisconsin, at Indiana, and home against Ohio State. Meanwhile, Iowa has now lost 8 straight Big Ten conference games dating back to last year and it looks as though that streak will continue. The Hawkeye offense might as well not even take the field at this point, and the only winnable conference game left on the schedule will be a doormat fight with Minnesota in Iowa City on November 10th. Player of the Game: Penn State RB Rodney Kinlaw Ohio State 23 Purdue 7 If anyone still had doubts about this year's Buckeyes being a Top 5 team, those got answered on Saturday night. The Ohio State defense pitched a shutout until Purdue was able to score with just 10 seconds remaining in the game. Keep in mind this is a Purdue offense that scored 52, 52, 45, 45, and 33 in each of their first 5 games. It should be safe to say this OSU defense is as good as it gets. While there is certainly room for improvement, the offense did what it had to do. Buckeye QB Todd Boeckman threw for 200 yards on 17 of 29 passing and 2 TDs, but he also threw 3 interceptions. And the running game averaged just 4 yards per carry with RB Chris Wells gaining 85 yards on 18 carries. The good news for Ohio State is if the defense keeps playing like this, it won't take many points from the offense to win games. The Buckeyes head home to face Kent State and Michigan State the next two weeks before their toughest 4-game stretch of the year to finish up (at Penn State, vs Wisconsin, vs Illinois, at Michigan). Purdue will look to rebound on the road at Michigan next week in a must-win game if the Boilers want to keep their Rose Bowl hopes alive. Player of the Game: Ohio State S Chimdi Chekwa led the Buckeye defense with 10 tackles

Austin Scott....HE GONE!

WJAC-TV Channel 6 News is reporting that Penn State RB Austin Scott will not play in today's home game against Iowa, also citing sources close to the team who say that Scott's locker has been cleared. Police are investigating an alleged sexual assault involving a Nittany Lion football player which occurred at an on-campus dormitory early Friday morning. The name of the Penn State player is not being released by police at this time, but WJAC-TV is reporting it is an offensive starter.

10/5/07 - Big Ten Newsstand

Time once again for our weekly look around the conference with Friday's Big Ten Newsstand. Can Wisconsin's D bounce back? Is Illinois for real? Who's worse, Iowa or Penn State? Will Purdue prove the doubters wrong against Ohio State? How good are the Buckeyes? Read The Big Ten Chronicle. Gain Knowledge. Wisconsin at Illinois UW LB Hodge looks to continue making big plays - Jeff Potrykus - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel UW plays role of underdog - Ben Voelkel - The Badger Herald High 5: Big Ten Showdown - Teddy Greenstein - Chicago Tribune Not-so-thin red line - Mark Tupper - Decatur Herald & Review Northwestern at Michigan State Game to be won on the ground - Matt Baker - Daily Northwestern 2006 loss to MSU still burns 'Cats - Ethan Conley - Lansing State Journal Receiver steps up to help defense - Steve Grinczel - MLive.com Minnesota at Indiana Gopher's prepare to face nation's top sack artists - Marcus Fuller - Twin Cities Pioneer Press IU looks to avenge loss to Gopher's - Lee Hurwitz - Indiana Daily Student IU wants to reverse trend - Terry Hutchens - Indianapolis Star Eastern Michigan at Michigan UM won't have to forfeit Big Ten win - Angelique Chengelis - Detroit News UM's Henne has nerves of steel - Mark Snyder - Detroit Free Press Iowa at Penn State Hawkeyes try to turn negative into positive - Randy Peterson - Des Moines Register Hawks hungry for victory at Penn State - John Riehl - Cedar Rapids Gazette Offensive flaws are glaringly obvious - Jeff Rice - Centre Daily Times PSU looks to end losing streak vs. Iowa - Sam Ross Jr. - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Ohio State at Purdue In Buckeye's nickel defense, Russell looms large - Tim May - Columbus Dispatch Hartline brothers find success at OSU and Kentucky - Doug Lesmerises - Cleveland Plain Dealer Purdue's offense gains OSU's attention - Brendan Murphy - Lafayette Journal and Courier Boiler's coaches wary of Buckeyes' pass attack - Stacy Clardie - Ft Wayne Journal Gazette

10/4/07 - Saturday Preview

Wisconsin at Illinois 12:00 ESPN Line: Illinois -2.5 Both teams enter this weekend's showdown in Champaign coming off big wins at home. Wisconsin outlasted Michigan State last Saturday, while Illinois proved it belongs in the upper half of the Big Ten with a 27-20 win over Penn State. This week things will be much tougher for the Illini as the Badgers come to town carrying a top 5 national ranking. Wisconsin will need to vastly improve their run defense after it was exposed last week by the Spartans. Illinois QB Juice Williams and RB Rashard Mendenhall have the capability to break some big runs, much like Javon Ringer was able to do last week. The nation's longest winning streak will come to an end if the Badgers continue to give up big chunks of yards on the ground. Look for Wisconsin to stack the line and dare Juice Williams to beat them with his arm, and if he can hit a few long passes it should be a very successful day for the Illini offense. The Badgers luck will run out this weekend. BTC Prediction: Illinois 27 Wisconsin 20 Northwestern at Michigan State 12:00 BTN Line: Michigan State -14.5 Northwestern may be underhanded again this weekend and perhaps for the rest of the season. It has been reported that RB Tyrell Sutton could redshirt this season for the Wildcats, and that is a huge loss. Northwestern doesn't have enough talent on offense to overcome missing that big of a piece the rest of the way. Michigan State is coming home after a tough loss at Wisconsin, and in previous years this would be the type of game the Spartans would lose. But this year's team is different, and don't expect a carryover loss this time around. The Spartans running game is just too good, with Javon Ringer emerging as the go-to back, and the defense should get back on track after giving up some big plays to the Badgers. BTC Prediction: Michigan State 31 Northwestern 14 Minnesota at Indiana 12:00 BTN Line: Indiana -13 After a very impressive road win at Iowa, Indiana is two wins away from becoming bowl eligible. If the Hoosiers plan on going bowling in December, this is a game they absolutely must win. Last week QB Kellen Lewis had his way with the Iowa defense, and Minnesota's pass defense has been giving up big plays all season. The Gopher's will certainly have their hands full with Indiana WR James Hardy. Minnesota should be able to run the ball against Indiana and keep it close into the 4th quarter, but the Lewis-Hardy connection will be the key in this game to a Hoosier victory. BTC Prediction: Indiana 30 Minnesota 20 Eastern Michigan at Michigan 12:00 BTN Line: Michigan -31.5 Word is that Michigan WR Mario Manningham will not play Saturday for violating a team rule. We will probably never find out, but it would be interesting to know when exactly the violation occurred and if Lloyd Carr waited for this game against Eastern Michigan before handing out his disciplinary action. Of course, the Wolverines haven't exactly been following every rule in the book this season! EMU comes to Ann Arbor with a record of 2-3 after getting waxed last week at Vanderbilt 30-7. It's probably safe to say that with or without Manningham, the Wolverines should be able to defeat the Eagles and do so handily. Michigan isn't exactly playing to its full potential, but this game should help QB Chad Henne and the offense get things ironed out and back on track. BTC Prediction: Michigan 38 Eastern Michigan 10 Iowa at Penn State 3:30 ABC Line: Penn State -8 Both teams come into this game looking for their first conference win of the season. After a promising start, Penn State has dropped back to back road games to Michigan and Illinois, and some are calling for a change at QB. Meanwhile, the Iowa Hawkeyes have dropped seven straight conference games dating back to last year, and are starting to look like the worst team in the Big Ten. However, Iowa has won five straight against Penn State, so a game against the Lions may be what the Hawkeyes need to get back on track. Of course, if Iowa doesn't start to get more production from their offense, it probably won't matter who they play. QB Jake Christensen had his worst game of the year in the loss to Indiana, and with most of his receivers out with injuries, the Hawkeyes need to find a way to get the running game going again. Penn State's offense hasn't looked much better in recent weeks, and it will be interesting to see how the Lion faithful will respond if QB Anthony Morelli struggles early. This will be a defensive battle, but if Penn State can limit turnovers, they should be able to get their first Big Ten win. BTC Prediction: Penn State 20 Iowa 13 Ohio State at Purdue 8:00 ABC Line: Ohio State -7 The game of the week features the fourth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes and 5-0 Purdue. The Boilermakers had not played Ohio State or Michigan the past two seasons, but they will face both in back-to-back weeks this season with the Wolverines up next week. Purdue has been mighty impressive on offense putting up 30+ in each of their five wins, but this will be their first test against a "real" defense. The Buckeyes may be playing the best football of any team in the nation right now, and Purdue RB Kory Sheets will have a very difficult time finding any room to run. As for the passing games, it will certainly be fun to watch two of the best receivers in the conference, Purdue's Dorien Bryant and OSU's Brian Robiskie. Both wide outs will get their yards and a touchdown for each, but in the end this game will be won on the ground. The Buckeyes will ride RB Chris Wells to another victory. BTC Prediction: Ohio State 31 Purdue 20

10/3/07 - Where are they now? Kurt Kittner

Kurt Kittner played quarterback for Illinois from 1998 to 2001. In his senior season, Kittner led the Fighting Illini to a 10-win season and the Big Ten conference title. The Illini earned a berth to the Nokia Sugar Bowl, their first and only BCS Bowl Game, and were defeated by LSU. Kittner still holds school records for total career offense (8,880 yards) and career touchdown passes thrown (70 TDs). He also holds the single season record of 27 touchdown passes thrown, set in 2001. Kittner was drafted in the 5th round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He played in seven games for the Falcons in the 2003 season, throwing for 391 yards, including 2 TDs and 6 interceptions. After that season Kittner was released by the Falcons and had short stints with four other NFL teams, before landing in the now defunct NFL Europe. In 2005, Kittner quarterbacked for the Amsterdam Admirals and led them to the NFL Europe World Bowl title. He was then invited to training camp for the Chicago Bears and earned a roster spot as the team's 3rd string QB. Kittner never played a down for the Bears, and was eventually released in November of 2005. Kittner currently resides in Chicago and works in commercial real estate. In July of 2007, it was announced that Kittner would be joining the Illini Sports Network as an expert analyst, providing color commentary for Illinois football games on the radio. Kittner and play-by-play announcer Brian Barnhart call the action on the 45-station Illini Sports Network for fans across the Midwest.

10/2/07 - The Real Problem with the BCS

It's never too early to discuss the BCS, and any time the BCS is mentioned there is instant controversy. Many fans of college football would love to see the BCS dismantled and the Division 1 Bowl Subdivision turn to a playoff system to determine its National Champion. The biggest problem with the current BCS system, they say, is the inclusion of computer polls. But what many don't understand is that the six computer polls used in the BCS formula are stripped down, unbiased, "politically correct" versions of the computer ratings. That is to say they do not include any measurement of margin of victory or scoring margin. The problem with this is that most of the computer polls used were originally calculated and developed using some type of margin of victory. Here is the problem. Currently, the Northern Iowa Panthers look like the sleeper in the race to the BCS Championship game! Looking at Jeff Sagarin's current ratings, you'll see that Northern Iowa is ranked at #56. In case you are unaware, Northern Iowa plays in what is now called the Division 1 Championship Subdivision, or as most know it to be called, Division 1-AA. Now the fact that the Panthers, a Division 1-AA team, is rated #56 is not at all surprising. Northern Iowa is 5-0, with 4 straight wins on the road, and one of those wins coming at Division 1 Iowa State. But where things really start to get strange is when you look at what Sagarin calls his ELO-CHESS rankings, or the unbiased rankings used by the BCS. ELO-CHESS does not measure any type of scoring margin and are strictly based on wins and losses. Northern Iowa, what Sagarin's true rating considers the 56th best team in the nation, is ranked #6 when scoring margin is removed. That means the BCS would look at Jeff Sagarin's ratings and think that the Northern Iowa Panthers are the sixth best team in all of college football! Obviously, we have a problem. Now I realize that it is early in the season, and with the more games UNI plays against Division 1-AA opponents, even if they continue winning, the more they will fall down these ratings, but this should be an eyeopener that the current BCS formula is flawed. How does a Division 1-AA team who has played the 135th toughest schedule to this point look like a top 10 team to any computer? When you remove scoring margin, you are handicapping these computer polls from doing what they were originally developed to do. The BCS does not want to include any type of scoring margin due to the fear of coaches "running up the score" on their opponent. First of all, this already happens on a weekly basis. Under the current system, and any system we choose, coaches will always have the thought of scoring a few more points in order to impress the pollsters. This is going to happen whether those pollsters are human or computers. The art of "running up the score" has been around long before computer polls, and will always be a part of college football so long as there are polls. But margin of victory, with strength of schedule, is the truest way to determine the quality of teams who do not play head-to-head. For example, Team A defeats Team B handily by three touchdowns. Team C defeats the same Team B on a last second field goal. Shouldn't Team A be rewarded for playing better in a game against a like opponent? The Solution. Why not have margin of victory be included into the equation of these computer polls but with a cap or limit? That is to say, if a team wins by 20 or more points it is considered a 20+ point win. So a 20-point victory is measured the same as a 45-point win. That will appease those who are concerned about teams "running it up", but it will also reward a team that wins by 20 more than a team that wins by 1. Obviously no system is perfect, and just by adding a scoring margin element the computer polls are not going to all of a sudden be able to predict everything. But with the way these computer polls are currently derived, the BCS formula cannot possibly do what it was developed to do. Just think of a game between Northern Iowa (currently #6 in Sagarin's "unbiased" formula) and Oklahoma (38th in that same "unbiased" formula), then try to tell me that there isn't a major problem with the current BCS formula, that could be fixed very easily.

10/1/07 - Weekend Recaps

Illinois 27 Penn State 20 Illinois head coach Ron Zook got his first big conference win as the Fighting Illini topped Penn State 27-20 on Saturday. The Illini now find themselves in strange territory, on top of the Big Ten. They are 2-0 in conference with a giant home game against Wisconsin coming up this week. Freshman WR Arrelious Benn had a breakout game for Illinois, catching six passes for 84 yards and a touchdown, and also returned a kick-off 90 yards for a score. RB Rashad Mendenhall added 76 yards on the ground and a touchdown on 18 carries. If Juice Williams can find a way to become a little more efficient, and cut down on his interceptions, this Illini team would get a whole lot scarier. As for Penn State, they drop to a disappointing 0-2 in conference play after another weak performance by QB Anthony Morelli, who finished 21-38 with 298 yards and 3 interceptions. The Nittany Lions host Iowa this week in a very winnable game, but they may want to start thinking about a change at quarterback. Player of the Game: Illinois WR Arrelious Benn Michigan 28 Northwestern 16 Nobody should have been surprised with Michigan's troubles again with a spread offense. Northwestern controlled most of the first half, and actually ended the game with more yards than the Wolverines, 417 total yards to Michigan's 380, but the Wolverine defense tightened up in the second half and capitalized on five Northwestern turnovers. Wildcat QB C.J. Bacher had a game he'd like to forget, passing 22 of 42 for 289 yards with three interceptions. Michigan QB Chad Henne returned to the lineup and threw for 193 yards and 3 touchdowns on 18 of 27 passing. Workhorse Mike Hart carried the ball 30 times and finished with 106 yards and 1 TD. Michigan now returns home to face Eastern Michigan with a chance to tune up and get Henne some more work before the rest of the Big Ten season. Northwestern falls to 0-2 in conference play and it doesn't get any easier next week with a trip to East Lansing and a date with Michigan State. Player of the Game: Michigan WR Mario Manningham caught 10 passes for 123 yards and 2 TDs Indiana 38 Iowa 20 Maybe the most shocking result on Saturday was Indians triumph over the Hawkeyes in Iowa City. It's not too surprising that Indiana won, but this game was never really close. The Hoosiers never really got the ground game going, and they didn't need to as QB Kellen Lewis had his way picking apart a depleted Iowa secondary. Lewis finished with 322 yards through the air and 3 TDs on 19 of 26 passing. WR James Hardy continued to torment the Hawkeyes, he caught four passes for 113 yards and a score. Now after a win over Minnesota this weekend at home, Indiana will be one win away from becoming bowl eligible. Meanwhile, Iowa has now dropped seven straight Big Ten contests dating back to last year, and all is not well for Kirk Ferentz and his Hawkeyes. They will try to get things back on track this weekend at Penn State. Player of the Game: Indiana QB Kellen Lewis Purdue 33 Notre Dame 19 Purdue continued to roll and kept Notre Dame without a scratch in the win column for the 5th straight week. The Boilermakers got off to an early lead and led at halftime 23-0 thanks to the running of Kory Sheets, who finished the day with 141 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. But there has to be some concern with the Purdue defense after they allowed Notre Dame to sneak back into the game in the 2nd half. Irish QB Jimmy Clausen got his first touchdown pass of his career before being knocked out of the game in the 2nd half. All in the all, the Boilermakers improve to 5-0 on the year with back-to-back showdowns with Ohio State and Michigan looming. Player of the Game: Purdue RB Kory Sheets Wisconsin 37 Michigan State 34 So about that hard-nosed, defensive struggle we were suppose to have in Madison...someone apparently forgot to tell the two defenses on the field, because an offensive shoot-out broke out. Both offenses in this game combined for a total of 71 points and 1,025 yards of total offense and Wisconsin still somehow found a way to win. The Badgers extended the nation's longest winning streak to 14 games. Wisconsin was led again by the running of P.J. Hill, who ran 29 times for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns. QB Tyler Donovan looked much improved from last week throwing for 247 yards and 2 TDs on 17 of 24 passing. The Spartans were led by RB Javon Ringer who had a huge day. Ringer ran for 145 yards on just 10 carries, and also caught 7 passes for 88 yards. QB Brian Hoyer completed 22 of his 36 passes for 323 yards and 2 TDs. Michigan State hosts Northwestern this week with a good chance to get back in the column, while Wisconsin heads to Chaimpaign to face 2-0 Illinois. The Badgers continue to win, but you have to think it's only a matter of time before the breaks start going against them and they drop a few of these tight games. Player of the Game: Wisconsin RB P.J. Hill Ohio State 30 Minnesota 7 Ohio State continues to roll, and the Buckeye defense continues to dominate any offense it faces. Minnesota may be a bad team, but the Gopher offense has been very impressive thus far, and they could not get anything going against Ohio State. The Buckeyes offense was led by RB Chris Wells who finished the night with 116 yards and 2 TDs on 24 carries. QB Todd Boeckman continued to do an excellent job of managing the game and threw for 209 yards and 2 touchdowns on 18 of 29 passing. Of course it always helps to have a receiver like Brian Robiskie. Robiskie caught five passes for 99 yards and a score. Ohio State will get its first big test in the Big Ten this weekend when they travel to Purdue. Minnesota has three straight winnable games coming up at Indiana and Northwestern, then a home game against North Dakota State. Player of the Game: Ohio State RB Chris Wells