Big Ten Chronicle

This is the end...

2008-02-22T08:31:00.004-06:00

I started this blog just over a year ago and have enjoyed every minute of covering the greatest conference in the World, the Big Ten. I am both saddened and excited to tell you, my loyal readers, that the Big Ten Chronicle will be no more. I have been offered a spot as a writer for the website Hawkeye Sports News. This is an offer that I have accepted. Now I will have the chance to focus on my home state Iowa Hawkeyes and help provide Iowa fans a place to get all the latest news and analysis for their team. Thank you to everyone who visited The Chronicle over the year and please check out my new home at Hawkeye Sports News.

Also, for fans of the "other" 10 teams, please don't be afraid to keep in touch. I can always be reached via email here. Thanks again and On Iowa....

Indiana-Purdue postgame analysis

2008-02-20T09:05:00.001-06:00

The Purdue Boilermakers took their 11-game win streak across the state last night when they faced off against Indiana. The Hoosiers certainly ended any speculation about whether or not the NCAA violations that are hanging over their coach’s head would be any major distraction to the players with a 77-68 victory over the Big Ten leading Boilers. The win moved Indiana into a virtual tie with Purdue atop the conference standings.

The Hoosiers did succeed at playing the game at their pace, a game in which Indiana had 73 possessions compared to 74 for Purdue (the most in a single game for the Boilers since their win over Ohio State on Jan 12th that started their 11-game win streak). Indiana’s offense was much more efficient than Purdue’s despite an alarmingly high number of turnovers. The Hoosiers scored 1.05 points per possession and held Purdue to only 0.92 points per possession on the evening. This is especially remarkable when you take into account the fact that Indiana had a total of 23 turnovers for the game. Which means the Hoosiers turned it over on 31.5% of their possessions yet still managed to average over a point per possession, thanks in large part to their massive advantage at the free throw stripe. Indiana shot 30 of 34 on their free throws while Purdue was a feeble 11 for 21 (52%).

Hoosier freshman Eric Gordon benefited most from the charity stripe as he alone made more free throws than Purdue’s entire team. Gordon finished 13-15 from the line and with 22 points overall on only 4 of 12 shooting from the floor. Indiana was led once again by the inside force that is D.J. White. White finished with yet another double-double, scoring 19 points on 6 of 11 shooting and pulling down a game-high 15 rebounds. D.J., playing with his left knee wrapped, has almost certainly locked up Big Ten Player of the Year honors, and as Steve Lavin pointed out last night, should start to be seriously considered for the nation’s Player of the Year award.

In the loss, Purdue was led in scoring again by freshman Robbie Hummel, who finished the game with 17 points on 7 of 12 shooting (3-6 from three-point land). As a team the Boilermakers shot just 24% (7-29) from three compared to Indiana’s 64% (7-11) from beyond the arc. IU’s Armon Bassett had his best shooting night of the season, missing just one shot on the night and hitting on all four of his three-pointers taken. Bassett finished the game with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists but did turn the ball over 5 times.

Purdue now has over a week off to prepare for their next game against Minnesota next Wednesday. Despite the loss, the Boiler’s remaining schedule puts them in pretty good shape with back-to-back home games against Minnesota and Northwestern, before finishing the season on the road at Ohio State and Michigan.

Indiana’s next game is at Northwestern on Saturday, a day after the University’s 7-day investigation period comes to an end and a recommendation on Kelvin Sampson’s future is expected to be made on Friday. All eyes and ears will be tuned into Bloomington to hear the decision which will decide Sampson’s fate before the Hoosier’s next game.

BTC Power Rankings - Week VII

2008-02-17T21:32:00.002-06:00

1. Purdue Boilermakers 21-5 (12-1) (Previous #1)
This week: 2/19-at Indiana
Eleven straight wins have the Boilers on top of the Big Ten and atop the Power Rankings for a second straight week. The rest of the nation has finally started to take notice of what Purdue has been able to do in Big Ten play thanks in large part to their nationally televised win over Michigan State on Tuesday. The Boilermakers continue to improve defensively, led by stopper Chris Kramer, and in conference games are holding opponents to just 0.93 points per possession. Next up is another huge ESPN-televised game on Tuesday at in-state rival Indiana.

2. Indiana Hoosiers 21-4 (10-2) (Previous #2)
This week: 2/19-vs Purdue, 2/23-at Northwestern
The Hoosiers were handed the NCAA's report of five major violations committed by coach Kelvin Sampson and his assistants on Wednesday, then hit the court and dropped a heart-breaker to Wisconsin thanks to Brian Butch's bank-shoot three-pointer. Then on Saturday, Indiana bounced back to defeat Michigan State by 19 without D.J. White in the second half, who left the game with a knee injury. White says he'll be fine, but the Indiana basketball program certainly is not. Sampson's job status is day-to-day as IU takes seven days to sort through the mess and ultimately decide their coach's fate for the remainder of the season. In my opinion, Sampson has to be fired. Indiana knew they were hiring Coach Sampson and his past allegations, but after warnings from the NCAA and his school, Sampson committed the same violations. The only problem then is who is named interim coach for the remainder of the season? First-year assistant Dan Dikich is the only coach on the staff not named in the NCAA's report and appears to be the safe option. It looks as though Sampson will be coaching the Hoosiers again on Tuesday when conference leading Purdue comes to town, but he could and should be long gone by next weekend.

3. Wisconsin Badgers 21-4 (11-2) (Previous #3)
This week: 2/20-at Illinois, 2/24-at Ohio State
Wisconsin banked into a win at Indiana on Tuesday and then took care of business against Minnesota over the weekend. The Badgers are 11-0 in conference against teams not-named Purdue and have a very tough week ahead of them on the road. Illinois and Ohio State, while down this year, are still very formidable foes and especially in their places. If Wisconsin can come away with two wins this week, they will be in very good shape for the regular season conference title.

4. Michigan State Spartans 20-5 (8-4) (Previous #4)
This week: 2/20-vs Penn State, 2/23-vs Iowa
Once again the Spartans can stake claim to the Big Ten team doing the least with the most amount of talent. Back-to-back losses at Purdue and Indiana are nothing to be ashamed of, but MSU needed to at least split in their road trip to the state of Indiana last week if they wanted to keep any hope alive for the regular season crown. Surprisingly, the Spartan offense is only averaging 0.99 points per possession in conference games and continue to be haunted by turnovers. Obviously, Michigan State will still be a tournament team, but we are currently looking at three straight disappointing seasons for Coach Izzo's squad.

5. Ohio State Buckeyes 17-9 (8-5) (Previous #5)
This week: 2/24-vs Wisconsin
After a loss on Sunday at Michigan, the Buckeyes are starting to slide back on the bubble. Ohio State needs to find a way to win away from home if they want to secure an NCAA bid before the Big Ten Tournament. OSU is now 8-5 in conference play and have a very tough remaining schedule. Their next two games are against Wisconsin and at Indiana.

6. Minnesota Golden Gophers 15-9 (5-7) (Previous #6)
This week: 2/21-vs Michigan, 2/24-vs Penn State
The Gophers have certainly played themselves out of any NCAA Tournament talk after a 0-2 week. The 24-point home loss to Illinois on Tuesday may have single-handily put a stop to Tubby Smith's career NCAA Tournament streak. The good news is this week Minnesota can get back to .500 with home wins over Michigan and Penn State. Of course that is easier said then done especially for a team that has yet to beat anyone in the RPI Top-100 this season.

7. Illinois Fighting Illini 11-15 (3-10) (Previous #8)
This week: 2/20-vs Wisconsin, 2/24-at Michigan
Illinois has to be the best 11-15 team in the nation. In Big Ten play, the Illini are averaging exactly 1.00 point per possession and surrendering 0.99 points per possession on the defensive end. The Badgers had better not overlook Illinois this Wednesday as Assembly Hall is still a very difficult place to play, just ask Indiana.

8. Michigan Wolverines 8-17 (4-9) (Previous #9)
This week: 2/21-at Minnesota, 2/24-vs Illinois
Has Michigan finally figured out Coach Beilein's offense? The Wolverines have won three-straight games including a 80-70 win over Ohio State on Sunday. Michigan has a fairly easy schedule the rest of the way to improve their seed in the Big Ten Tournament and nobody is going to want to face a hot-shooting Wolverine team that weekend.

9. Penn State Nittany Lions 12-12 (4-8) (Previous #10)
This week: 2/20-at Michigan State, 2/24-at Minnesota
Penn State has won back-to-back home games against Michigan State and Illinois, but unfortunately now head on the road for two games this week. Revenge will be on the Spartan's mind on Wednesday and things could get ugly for the Lions in East Lansing.

10.Iowa Hawkeyes 11-15 (4-9) (Previous #7)
This week: 2/19-vs Northwestern, 2/23-at Michigan State
Just when it looked like maybe Iowa was growing into a team that could contend for the 5 or 6 seed in the Big Ten Tournament they look ugly in losses at Minnesota and against Michigan at home. Northwestern comes to town on Tuesday before a trip to East Lansing to face the Spartans.

11.Northwestern Wildcats 7-16 (0-12) (Previous #11)
This week: 2/19-at Iowa, 2/23-vs Indiana
The Wildcats can look at three games on their remaining schedule as their last realistic opportunities to pick up a conference win. Tuesday at Iowa, February 26th at Michigan, and March 5th at home against Iowa in their best chance at a Big Ten win.

Michigan 60 Iowa 52

2008-02-15T09:38:00.000-06:00

(Box Score)

It was a tale of two halves on Thursday night as Michigan took advantage of a cold shooting second half by the Hawkeyes on their way to a 60-52 road victory. It marked only the 3rd win away from home for the Wolverines all season and Iowa’s third straight loss.

The Hawkeyes jumped on Michigan early in what had the looks to be an easy win for Iowa. It looked as though the Wolverines left their offense at home as Iowa jumped out to a 22-7 lead and led by as much as 16 at one point in the first half. The Hawkeyes ended up taking an 11-point lead in the locker room at halftime, leading 27-16.

After the halftime break things started going downhill for the Hawkeyes and downhill in a hurry. Michigan started the 2nd half on a 13-4 run as they picked up the pace on offense and started knocking down their open jumpers. Manny Harris led the charge for the Wolverines scoring all 15 of his points in the second half. Of course, most of those came from the free throw line in garbage time, as Harris ended the game 8-8 from the charity stripe. The Iowa offense lacked showing any type of flow in the second half and went without a field goal for over an eight minute stretch of time. For the game, the Hawkeyes averaged a dismal 0.86 points per possession for the night compared to Michigan’s much more efficient 1.03 points per possession.

Iowa shot just 37% for the game and were 7 of 28 (25%) from the 3-point line. Sharp-shooter Justin Johnson could not find his touch all game long and finished just 3-13 from long range with 9 points. Tony Freeman may have played his worst game of the season, scoring just 8 points and only 3 in the second half. Iowa was led in scoring by Jake Kelly’s 12 points and Cyrus Tate who added 10 points in the loss. They were the only two Hawkeyes to score in double figures. Turnovers also continued to hurt the Hawkeyes. Iowa finished the game with 12 turnovers, which is a high number for a 60 possession game. That equals a turnover rate of 20%, meaning Iowa turned the ball over on 20% of their possessions.

Iowa now has the weekend off to prepare for their next game against Northwestern at home on Tuesday. The Hawkeye’s remaining schedule appears to be quite favorable with a home and away against Northwestern along with a home game versus Illinois and road contests against Michigan State and Penn State. Four of Iowa’s remaining five games look to be winnable, but on the other hand not many would have guessed the Hawks would drop Thursday nights game to Michigan. Certainly at halftime it looked like Iowa may be ready to finish the regular season on a roll, but in the end it’s back to the drawing board for Coach Lickliter and his staff.

Michigan has now won two straight and faces Ohio State at home on Sunday. The Wolverines finish the season with four out of six at home with road games at Minnesota and Penn State. If Michigan can finish strong they could easily find themselves with the 7-seed in the Big Ten Tournament.

Where are they now? Matt Bullard

2008-02-13T08:35:00.001-06:00

Matt Bullard played forward for Iowa from 1988 to 1990. A native of West Des Moines, Bullard transferred back to play for his home state Hawkeyes in 1988 after two seasons at the University of Colorado. Bullard joined an already talented squad his junior year and played alongside seniors Roy Marble, B.J. Armstrong and Ed Horton. In 1988-89 Iowa finished 4th in the Big Ten regular season and lost 102-96 in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament to NC State in two overtimes. Bullard averaged 9.1 points per game off the bench in his junior year and 11.4 points per game his senior year of 1989-90. The Hawkeyes finished that season with a record of 12-16, one of only two losing seasons during the tenure of Dr. Tom Davis.

After Matt’s career at Iowa he signed as a non-draftee free agent with the Houston Rockets. Bullard played for eleven seasons in the NBA, nine with the Rockets (1990-94, 1996-2001) and one each with the Atlanta Hawks (1995-96) and Charlotte Hornets (2001-02). Bullard averaged 5.3 points per game as a professional during his career and won a NBA Championship as a member of the Houston Rockets in 1994. He also set a Rocket franchise record in three-point percentage by shooting 44.6% from behind the arc in the 1999-2000 season.

In 2004, Matt competed against other former athletes for an analyst position in the ESPN reality TV show Dream Job. Bullard eventually lost in the finals to Dee Brown. After Dream Job, Bullard continued to pursue a career in broadcasting and landed spots on ESPN Radio and also worked for Houston NBC Affiliate, KPRC.

Bullard currently serves as color commentator for Houston Rocket games on Fox Sports Net. He and Clyde Drexler share the analyst duties on Rocket telecasts alongside play-by-play man Bill Worrell. Recently, Matt Bullard was featured as NBA.com’s Broadcaster of the Week.

Also, for all you Iowa fans, you know you're out there, it'd be worth your while to check out the site Hawkeye Sports News. They do a great job of providing a daily list of links in their Hawkeye Newsstand and were gracious enough to put today's look at former Hawkeye Matt Bullard on their main page. Check it out!

BTC Power Rankings - Week VI

2008-02-11T13:17:00.000-06:00

1. Purdue Boilermakers 19-5 (10-1) (Previous #3)
This week: 2/12-vs Michigan St, 2/16-at Northwestern

2. Indiana Hoosiers 20-3 (9-1) (Previous #2)
This week: 2/13-vs Wisconsin, 2/16-vs Michigan St

3. Wisconsin Badgers 19-4 (9-2) (Previous #1)
This week: 2/13-at Indiana, 2/16-vs Minnesota

4. Michigan State Spartans 20-3 (8-2) (Previous #4)
This week: 2/12-at Purdue, 2/16-at Indiana

5. Ohio State Buckeyes 16-8 (7-4) (Previous #5)
This week: 2/13-at Northwestern, 2/17-at Michigan

6. Minnesota Golden Gophers 15-7 (5-5) (Previous #7)
This week: 2/12-vs Illinois, 2/16-at Wisconsin

7. Iowa Hawkeyes 11-14 (4-8) (Previous #6)
This week: 2/14-vs Michigan

8. Illinois Fighting Illini 10-14 (2-9) (Previous #9)
This week: 2/12-at Minnesota, 2/16-at Penn State

9. Michigan Wolverines 6-17 (2-9) (Previous #10)
This week: 2/14-at Iowa, 2/17-vs Ohio State

10.Penn State Nittany Lions 11-12 (3-8) (Previous #8)
This week: 2/16-vs Illinois

11.Northwestern Wildcats 7-14 (0-10) (Previous #11)
This week: 2/13-vs Ohio State, 2/16-vs Purdue

Purdue and Wisconsin swap spots after the Boilers win at Madison. Indiana hangs onto the #2 spot for now after holding off the Buckeyes in Columbus on Sunday. This week also proves to be make or break time for Tom Izzo's Spartans. Michigan State has by far the toughest remaining schedule of any team in the Big Ten and it starts with road games against Purdue and Indiana this week.

Remember to check out Gopher Nation for this week's FINAL Big Ten Bloggers Power Rankings after all the votes have been tabulated.

Gordon gets last laugh in Champaign

2008-02-08T08:25:00.000-06:00

Indiana 83 Illinois 79 2OT
(Box Score)

Illinois fans paid for two halves but got an extra 10 minutes of free basketball last night when the Hoosiers and Public Enemy #1 Eric Gordon came to town. The star freshman and once Illini commit received taunts and boos all night long courtesy of the fanatics known as the Orange Crush. Gordon struggled early scoring only 1 point in the first half but eventually found his scoring touch and ended the game as the team's leading scorer with 19 points. He banked in a long three with 23 seconds left in the 2nd half to tie the game, silence the crowd, and force overtime.

In terms of efficiency, both teams averaged 1.03 points per possession offensively. The only glaring difference in the stat line was free throws. Indiana needs to look no further than the free throw line for the main reason they were able to stay in this game on the road and eventually pull out a win. The Hoosiers shot 29 free throws, making 22 (76%), compared to Illinois which shot 8 for 17 (47%) from the line. This should come as no surprise to Illini fans as their team has had troubles at the free throw line for most of the season. On the year, Illinois ranks 271st in the nation in free throw rate (a measure of a team's ability to score from the line or FTM/FGA). Indiana ranks 1st in the Big Ten in free throw rate at 31.7, which is top 20 in the country.

Eric Gordon benefited most from fould line leading the Hoosiers with 19 points, 10 of which came as free throws (10-12 FT). From the floor, Gordon shot just 3 of 13 in the game and also committed 7 turnovers. D.J. White had yet another solid game on his way to 1st-team All Big Ten status with 16 points on 6 of 11 shooting while pulling down 9 rebounds. Jordan Crawford provided a spark off the bench, finishing the game with 18 points, shooting 7 of 13 from the floor and making 4 of 6 three-pointers.

Illinois was led in scoring by guard Demetri McCamey who scored 31 points, but also lost the ball off his knee towards the end of the double overtime period to nail the coffin in the Illini. McCamey shot 11 for 20 including 7 of 13 from three-point range. Shaun Pruitt scored 13 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, but shot his team in the foot going just 1 of 7 from the free throw line. After Gordon's game-tying three in regulation, Pruitt was sent to the line for a 1-on-1 with 4 seconds left and missed the front end. Pruitt then clanked two free throws with the game tied and 2 seconds left in the first overtime.

With the win, Indiana improved to 8-1 in Big Ten play while Illinois dropped to 2-9 in conference and 10-14 overall. Next up for the Hoosiers is a trip to Columbus to face Ohio State on Sunday. The Illini have this weekend off before their next game at Minnesota on Tuesday.

Where are they now? Mike Wilkinson

2008-02-07T07:28:00.000-06:00

Mike Wilkinson played basketball for the Wisconsin Badgers from 2001 to 2005. Before his career at Wisconsin, as a senior at Wisconsin Heights High School Wilkinson was named Mr. Basketball for the state of Wisconsin. During 2005, his senior season with the Badgers, Wilkinson averaged 14.3 points per game and was selected First Team All-Big Ten. He led Wisconsin to a 3rd place regular season finish in the Big Ten with an 11-5 conference record. The Badgers earned a 6-seed in the 2005 NCAA Tournament and were eventually eliminated by 2005 National Champion North Carolina in the Elite 8.

Wilkinson was not drafted in the 2005 NBA Draft but instead decided to pursue a professional career overseas. He moved to Greece and played for two years for Aris Thessaloniki. Wilkinson was selected both years to play in the Greek All-Star Games. Since then, Wilkinson has picked up a Macedonian passport and was granted citizenship which would allow him to play for the Macedonian National Basketball Team. His citizenship also makes him a hot commodity in overseas leagues since he does not count against his team's quota of American players.

Mike Wilkinson currently plays for Khimky Moscow Region in the Russian SuperLeague. Khimky is currently 14-2 and in 2nd place out of the 13 teams in the SuperLeague. Wilkinson is averaging 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game so far in the 2007-08 season.

Buckeyes and Boilers take care of homecourts

2008-02-06T07:25:00.000-06:00

Ohio State 65 Michigan 55
(Box .pdf)

What ESPN is calling "Rivalry Week" kicked off last night for the Big Ten with the basketball version of the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry. Some may think the football rivalry has been a bit one-sided recently, but the Buckeyes have absolutely owned Michigan in basketball. Counting last nights win, Ohio State has now won seven straight over the Wolverines; Michigan's last win over OSU was in 2004.

The Wolverines actually led this game at halftime 32-31 and stayed close throughout, trailing by 4 with two minutes to play. Michigan's offense was relatively efficient, for Michigan standards, against the Buckeyes averaging 1.01 points per possession. Most of the damage was done from the outside as the Wolverines shot 9 for 26 from three-point range, scoring nearly half of their points from behind the arc. In the end, Michigan came up just short on the offensive end and especially from the free throw line. The Wolverines shot just 7 free throws on the night, making 6 of them.

Ohio State seemed to get their offense back on track after the weekends loss at Iowa. The Buckeyes offense scored 1.08 points per possession in last nights victory. OSU shot 7 of 16 (44%) from three-point range to complement a strong game from Othella Hunter in the inside. Hunter scored an efficient 15 points on 7 of 11 shooting and also pulled down 12 rebounds to complete his double-double. The Buckeye defense also stiffened up when needed holding Michigan to zero field goals in the final four minutes of the game.

Up next for Ohio State is a huge showdown with Indiana in Columbus on Sunday. The Wolverines play next when they host Penn State on Saturday.

Purdue 67 Penn State 53
(Box)

Purdue had three starters score in double figures and continued their defensive domninance in a 14 point win over Penn State in West Lafayette last night. Robbie Hummel led the Boilers with 17 points on 6 of 9 shooting, and E'Twaun Moore threw in 16 on 4 of 6 shooting (6-6 free throws) to lead a Purdue offense that scored an impressive 1.16 points per possesion as a team.

Purdue also excelled on the defensive end of the court holding Penn State to only 0.87 points per possession. The Nittany Lions were hurt by turnovers and poor free throw shooting in this loss as Penn State only converted on 5 of their 14 free throws as a team. This game could have easily been a much larger Purdue victory if not for the Lions high percentage from three-point range. Penn State shot 53% (8-15) from long range in the loss with Mike Walker pouring in 4 of 6 three's off the bench. The Boilermaker defense has been one of the best in conference all season in forcing turnovers and last night was no exception. Purdue forced Penn State into 18 turnovers in a 60 possession game; that's turning the Lions over on 29.7% of their possesions.

Purdue improved to 9-1 in Big Ten play and currently sits atop the standings with Wisconsin playing tonight. The Boilermakers next game is Saturday against the Badgers in Madison. Penn State travles to Ann Arbor to face Michigan on Saturday.

Tonight's action:
Struggling Minnesota travels to Evanston to face winless Northwestern. The Gophers have dropped 4 of their last 5, while the Wildcast haven't won a Big Ten game in almost a calender year (last win vs Penn St - Feb 10th, 2007).

Iowa tries to make it back-to-back upset wins at home as they face conference front-runner Wisconsin. The Hawkeyes beat Ohio State on Saturday and have won two straight at home. The Badger's lone conference loss came at Purdue on January 26th.

A Closer Look: Tempo-Free

2008-02-05T12:34:00.000-06:00

Conference games only through 2/3/08
Key:
PPP: points per possession
Opp. PPP: opponent points per possession
EM: efficiency margin (PPP - Opp. PPP)

	Pace	PPP	Opp. PPP	EM
1. Wisconsin	61.1	1.07	0.88	+0.19
2. Ohio State	64.8	1.03	0.90	+0.13
3. Indiana	65.3	1.06	0.94	+0.12
4. Purdue	65.4	1.04	0.94	+0.10
5. Michigan State	65.8	1.02	0.95	+0.08
6. Illinois	63.4	0.99	1.01	-0.02
7. Minnesota	69.1	0.97	0.99	-0.03
8. Iowa	60.9	0.92	0.98	-0.07
9. Penn State	63.2	1.01	1.13	-0.12
10.Michigan	64.5	0.96	1.11	-0.14
11.Northwestern	62.8	0.92	1.17	-0.25

These stats are taken from Big Ten Conference games only. Looking at conference only games should give a better measure of a team's abilities since (although not perfect), those games are against like opponents and consist of an equal amount of home and road games.

Ohio State actually jumped into 2nd in efficiency margin despite their weekend loss at Iowa. The Buckeyes defense has been solid all conference season long, specifically along the perimeter. Iowa's Justin Johnson found some holes in the OSU zone and hit on 8 of his 13 three-point shots in Saturday's Hawkeye win. Take away Johnson's hot hand, and the rest of the Hawkeyes were held to just 3 of 12 from three-point range and 8 of 19 on their two-point shots. Keeping in mind that the Buckeyes get Wisconsin, Michigan State and Purdue all at home in the second half of the conference season, Ohio State is definately going to be a major player in the Big Ten Title Race.

BTC Power Rankings - Week V

2008-02-05T11:25:00.000-06:00

Better late than never! BTC Power Rankings are usually posted on Monday, and my apologies for getting these up a day late. I'll make it brief and post a quick version of this week's poll. Tom over at Gopher Nation tabulates the votes and will release the Final Big Ten Bloggers Power Poll either today or tomorrow.

1. Wisconsin Badgers (18-3, 8-1) (Previous #3)
This week: 2/6-at Iowa, 2/9-vs Purdue

2. Indiana Hoosiers (18-3, 7-1) (Previous #2)
This week: 2/7-at Illinois, 2/10-at Ohio State

3. Purdue Boilermakers (17-5, 8-1) (Previous #4)
This week: 2/5-vs Penn State, 2/9-at Wisconsin

4. Michigan State Spartans (19-3, 7-2) (Previous #1)
This week: 2/9-vs Northwestern

5. Ohio State Buckeyes (15-7, 6-3) (Previous #5)
This week: 2/5-vs Michigan, 2/10-vs Indiana

6. Iowa Hawkeyes (11-12, 4-6) (Previous #6)
This week: 2/6-vs Wisconsin, 2/9-at Minnesota

7. Minnesota Golden Gophers (13-7, 3-5) (Previous #7)
This week: 2/6-at Northwestern, 2/9-vs Iowa

8. Penn State Nittany Lions (11-10, 3-6) (Previous #9)
This week: 2/5-at Purdue, 2/9-at Michigan

9. Illinois Fighting Illini (10-13, 2-8) (Previous #8)
This week: 2/7-vs Indiana

10.Michigan Wolverines (5-16, 1-8) (Previous #10)
This week: 2/5-at Ohio State, 2/9-vs Penn State

11.Northwestern Wildcats (7-12, 0-8) (Previous #11)
This week: 2/6-vs Minnesota, 2/9-at Michigan State

Big Ten Blogger Power Poll Voters:
Big Ten Chronicle
Hoopraker
Hoosier Report - IU
Hoosier Fun Ball - IU
Black Heart Gold Pants - Iowa
Maize N Brew - Michigan
Sparty MSU - Michigan St
Enlightened Spartan - Michigan St
Gopher Nation - Minnesota
Down With Goldy - Minnesota
Paging Jim Shikenjanski - Minnesota
Lake the Posts - Northwestern
Around the Oval - Ohio State
Eleven Warriors - Ohio State
Buckeye Battle Cry - Ohio State
Black Shoes Diaries - Penn State
Nittany White Out - Penn State
Off the Tracks - Purdue

Saturday Previews

2008-02-02T10:34:00.000-06:00

Purdue (16-5) at Illinois (10-12) 3:30 BTN
Pomeroy Rankings: Purdue #36, Illinois #35
Greenfield Rankings: Purdue #41, Illinois #106

Purdue has excelled this year with great defense, ranking in the top 25 of defensive efficiency at 89.0 (allowing 89 points per 100 possessions). The Boilers can attribute most of that to their ability to create turnovers. Purdue's opponents have been turning the ball over on 26% of their possessions, that ranks 15th best in the country, highlighted by Chris Kramer's ability to record steals. The sophomore is credited with a steal on 4% of the possessions that he is on the court, very good for the number of minutes he plays. That stat should be magnified today against an Illinois team that has had more than their share of troubles on offense this season. The Illini have been better at home winning their last two in Chaimpaign (of course against cellar-dwellers Michigan and Northwestern). These two teams met last on January 19th at Purdue with the Boilermakers winning 74-67. Surprisingly, that was the fastest game Illinois has played in conference this season in terms of possessions. Expect the pace to be much slower today with two good defenses and points hard to come by. Also, don't be surprised to see Illinois bounce back from a terrible loss at Michigan State on Wednesday, and Purdue's young team has to fall back to the pack at sometime, right?
BTC Prediction: Illinois 60 Purdue 55

Ohio State (15-6) at Iowa (10-12) 6:05 BTN
Pomeroy: Ohio State #20, Iowa #106
Greenfield: Ohio State #24, Iowa #123

The last time these two teams met in Columbus on January 9th, Buckeye coach Thad Matta pounded his friend and former assistant Todd Lickliter en route to a 79-48 Ohio State win, Iowa's worst loss in Big Ten play. Since then, the Hawkeyes have surprised many by going 3-3 in their last 6 games. The Buckeyes are also 3-3 since that win. Some may also be surprised to learn that in terms of efficiency, the Buckeyes are the best defensive team in conference not named Wisconsin. They are holding opponents to just 86.1 points per 100 possessions which ranks 8th nationally. Opposing teams are making less than 43% of their two point shots against Ohio State. Iowa's offense has been difficult to watch at times this season hindered mostly by their uncanny ability to give up possessions. The Hawkeyes turn the ball over on 26% of their offensive possessions. That was on display in their 51-50 loss at Purdue on Wednesday night when Iowa committed 22 turnovers in a game that had only 58 possessions. That coming from a coach whose Butler team last year led the nation in fewest turnovers per possession. Iowa will try to slow down the pace and cut down on those mistakes, but a win against a peaking Buckeye's team would be a big surprise.
BTC Prediction: Ohio State 62 Iowa 54

Michigan State (19-2) at Penn State (10-10) 8:00 BTN
Pomeroy: MSU #16, Penn State #101
Greenfield: MSU #10, Penn State #134

Michigan State goes into tonight's game at Happy Valley with a five game winning streak. The Spartans have been, for the most part, able to overcome their biggest weakness and seemingly annual Achilles' heel of turnovers to find themselves tied for the conference lead. If you have followed Big Ten basketball in recent years it should not be a surprise for you to learn that this year's Spartan team is fantastic at getting second chances by stockpiling offensive rebounds while also giving many more chances away by frequently turning the ball over to the other team. Michigan State again ranks very high (3rd in the nation) in offensive rebounding percentage at 42.4%. Of course they also rank low in turnover ratio (22.2%), second to last in the Big Ten ahead of only Iowa (Hawkeye turnover woes documented above). It seems this year, like any other of recent memory, if the Spartans can ever find away to trim turnovers they could be very scary come March. As for Penn State, their season needs to be broken down in two parts. BGCACL (Before Geary Claxton's torn ACL) and AGCACL (After Geary Claxton's torn ACL). Since the Nittany Lions lost Claxton for the season, they are 0-6 (losing the last 5 by double-digits). This after a surprising 10-4 start with Claxton in the starting lineup.
BTC Prediction: Michigan State 74 Penn State 60

* BTC Predictions are 22-3 on the season

A Closer Look: Wisconsin 62 Indiana 49

2008-02-01T08:36:00.000-06:00

(Full Box Score)
Indiana took a trip north to Madison last night and suffered their first defeat in Big Ten play. The Badgers knocked off the Hoosiers 62-49 to create a four-way logjam at the top of the conference standings. Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan State and Purdue are all now tied in the loss column atop the Big Ten standings. The Hoosiers shot 18-54 (33%) on the night while Wisconsin was 20-58 (34%) from the floor. Both teams were cold from three-point range, Indiana only 3-21 (14%) and Wisconsin shot just 3-20 (15%) from long distance. So what was the difference in this 13-point win for the Badgers? Lets take a closer look:

1. Efficiency
Possesions: Indiana 60.7, Wisconsin 61.4
Offensive PPP(Points per Possesion): Indiana 0.81, Wisconsin 1.01
The Badgers held Indiana well below their conference average of 1.06 PPP. Offensively, Wisconsin averaged over 1.0 PPP against a Hoosier defense that was holding opponents to 0.90 PPP in conference play before Thursday.

2. Turnovers
TO Rate: Indiana 19.8% (12 turnovers), Wisconsin 9.8% (6 turnovers)
Turnovers become a key in this game thanks to Wisconsin's incredible ability to hold onto the ball. Last night marked the first time all season the Badgers had a TO % of less than 11% on the season and along with the fact Wisconsin pulled down 4 more offensive rebounds than Indiana gave them the chance to take more shots and even more importantly more free throws. Which speaking of...

3. Free Throws
FT: Indiana 10-12 (83%), Wisconsin 19-26 (73%)
Bo Ryan coached teams have also put an emphasis on getting to the free throw line. They expect to make more free throws than their opponents attempt. That was certainly the case against the Hoosiers and proved to be the single most important factor in Wisconsin's victory. Trevon Hughes himself got to the line 10 times, making 9 of those attempts.

If you listened to the commentators or are reading some recaps on last night's game you have probably heard about Eric Gordon's wrist injury and how much that effected the game. Which it definately appeared as though he was having trouble getting comfortable last night, especially in the first half. Gordon finished the game with 16 points on just 6-14 shooting (2-7 from 3). Indiana's most efficient player was again D.J. White as he completed a monster game with a game-high 22 points on 7-13 shooting and pulled down 17 boards for yet another double-double.

Wisconsin was led by Marcus Landry's 14 points on 6-10 shooting, and he also grabbed 11 rebounds. Trevon Hughes struggled from the floor, shooting an ugly 3-15, but still finished the game as the Badger's leading scorer with 16 points, thanks in large part to his 9 out of 10 free throws.

Up next for Wisconsin is a trip to Minnesota on Sunday to face Tubby Smith's Gophers. Indiana returns home this weekend with a great chance of ending their two game skid against Northwestern on Sunday.

Thursday Previews

2008-01-31T11:54:00.000-06:00

Minnesota (12-6) at Michigan (5-15) 7:00 BTN
Pomeroy Rankings: Minnesota #39, Michigan #125
Greenfield Team Rankings: Minnesota #60, Michigan #194

Minnesota started the Big Ten season 2-1 but have since dropped three straight games. Michigan has lost 4 straight games and 5 straight at home. The Gophers are led by senior Dan Coleman, who fills up the stat sheet and takes nearly 30% of Minnesota's shots on offense. The Wolverines have had a dreadful time stopping anybody this year giving up 1.10 points per possession in conference games. The Gophers have a strong shot at picking up a road win tonight against one of the worst teams in the Big Ten.
BTC Prediction: Minnesota 75 Michigan 66

Indiana (17-2) at Wisconsin (16-3) 9:00 ESPN
Pomeroy: Indiana #11, Wisconsin #7
Greenfield: Indiana #14, Wisconsin #13

The first-place Hoosiers travel to Madison for their first game since a home loss to UConn last weekend. The Badgers will also be looking to rebound after a weekend loss to Purdue in West Lafayette. Both teams display excellent defense holding opponents to under 0.9 points per possession. On the offensive end, Indiana is led by freshman guard Eric Gordon, who is suffering a little with an injured left wrist, and senior forward D.J. White. Both Gordon and White get to the foul line frequently, combining for 257 attempts (and 202 makes). However, Wisconsin's defense excells at shutting down an opponents offense while also keeping them away from the charity stripe. Most around the Big Ten know how tough it can be to escape the Kohl Center with a win and no team knows that more than Indiana. The Hoosiers haven't won in Madison since the 1997-98 season.
BTC Prediction: Wisconsin 64 Indiana 62

*BTC Predictions are 20-3 on the season

Where are they now? Deon Thomas

2008-01-31T07:43:00.000-06:00

Deon Thomas played forward for the Illinois Fighting Illini from 1990 to 1994. Thomas finished his career as the all-time leading scorer in Illinois history with 2,129 career points, averaging 18.0 points per game. He is the only player in Illini history to score 2,000 career points.

Despite his illustrious career, Deon Thomas is probably still most remembered for the recruiting scandal that surrounded him prior to enrolling at Illinois. Thomas played high school basketball for Simeon High School in Chicago and was regarded as one of the top prospects in the nation. He was recruited by a number of teams including Illinois and Iowa. Bruce Pearl, then assistant coach at Iowa, recorded a telephone conversation between him and Thomas in which Deon allegedly admitted to have been offered a Chevy Blazer and cash from Illinois' assistant Jimmy Collins. Pearl turned the recording in to the NCAA along with a memo describing his recollection of the events.

Deon Thomas denied having received and/or being offered any such benefits from Illinois, and no proof of any improper offers were ever found. The NCAA never formally charged Thomas with any wrongdoing, but the resulting investigation did uncover other violations committed by Illinois. Ultimately the NCAA cited Illinois for lack of institutional control and implemented a one year postseason ban as well as several recruiting restrictions.

Still to this day Deon Thomas denies any wrongdoing, swears that he never received anything from Illinois and has yet to forgive Bruce Pearl, now head coach at Tennessee, for his involvement in the scandal. He still contends the decision to play for Illinois was made due to his relationship with his grandmother and her proximity to Champaign.

After his college career, Thomas was selected with the 28th pick in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. He attended mini camp but never actually played in a regular season NBA game. He instead opted to play professional basketball in Europe. Thomas has had a very successful professional career playing for teams in Spain, Israel and Bulgaria.

Deon Thomas is currently playing in the Israel National League for Maccabi Haifa. Thomas has played in 14 games this season and is averaging 10.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. His team is 7-8 on the season and sitting in 7th place out of 14 teams in the league.

Wednesday Night Previews

2008-01-30T08:31:00.000-06:00

Iowa (10-11) at Purdue (15-5) 7:00 BTN
Pomeroy Rankings: Iowa #112, Purdue #35
Greenfield Team Rankings: Iowa #129, Purdue #40
Iowa has won 3 of their last 5 to find themselves sitting at 6th place in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes are doing it mostly with solid team defense. During that 5 game span, Iowa is holding its opponents to 55 points per game. Purdue is coming off their biggest win of the last few years, a home win against Wisconsin. The Boilermakers are one of the hottest teams in the conference, they've won 5 straight and 8 of their last 9 games. These teams met two weeks ago in Iowa City, with Purdue winning 67-62.
BTC Prediction: Purdue 61 Iowa 54

Texas-Pan American (14-10) at Northwestern (6-11)
8:00 BigTenNetwork.com
Pomeroy: TX-Pan American #274, Northwestern #175
Greenfield: TX-Pan American #258, Northwestern #204
Fans who are without the Big Ten Network get a bonus treat tonight! Whether your cable provider carries BTN or not, all will be able to watch Texas-Pan American face off against Northwestern on the Big Ten Network's website. Of course the newest episode of America's Ballroom Challenge on PBS will probably provide more excitement. Anyways, for those interested Texas-Pan American has actually won seven straight games, of course all against teams ranked 270th or worse in Pomeroy's rankings. Northwestern is 0-7 in Big Ten play and have lost all seven by double-digits. The Wildcat's last win came out of conference two weeks ago against Chicago State.
BTC Prediction: Northwestern 70 Texas-Pan American 60

Illinois (10-11) at Michigan State (18-2) 9:00 BTN
Pomeroy: Illinois #34, Michigan State #17
Greenfield: Illinois #112, Michigan State #10
Illinois has actually played better than their record would suggest. The Illini are 2-6 in conference play but have played some good teams close on the road. Their last 4 losses have all come on the road and by 10 or less points to Ohio State, Purdue, Indiana and Wisconsin. The Illini's only head-scratching loss in Big Ten play came at Penn State in early January, but of course that was back when Geary Claxton was still suiting up for the Nittany Lions. The bad news for Illinois is you don't get any points for losing close on the road, and Michigan State has yet to drop a home game this year. In fact, the only team to beat the Spartans in East Lansing in the past three years was last year's National Runner-Up Ohio State.
BTC Prediction: Michigan State 67 Illinois 58

BTC Predictions are 17-3 on the season

Tempo-Free Breakdown

2008-01-29T12:45:00.000-06:00

John "Big Ten Wonk" Gasaway has an awesome article up today at Basketball Prospectus looking at tempo-free and efficiency stats for conference games only. Here is his breakdown of the Big Ten:

	Pace	PPP	Opp. PPP	EM
1. Wisconsin	61.0	1.09	0.92	+0.17
2. Indiana	67.4	1.06	0.90	+0.16
3. Ohio State	67.2	1.03	0.88	+0.15
4. Purdue	65.4	1.05	0.94	+0.11
5. Michigan State	64.8	1.05	0.96	+0.09
6. Illinois	62.3	1.02	1.02	0.00
7. Minnesota	69.7	0.98	1.00	-0.02
8. Iowa	62.6	0.91	1.00	-0.09
9. Michigan	64.2	0.96	1.10	-0.14
10.Penn State	62.8	0.98	1.13	-0.15
11.Northwestern	63.5	0.90	1.15	-0.25

(Conference games only through January 28)
Key:
Pace: possessions per 40 minutes
PPP: points per possession
Opp. PPP: opponent points per possession
EM: efficiency margin (PPP - Opp. PPP)

To read Mr. Gasaway's entire breakdown and see stats for every conference visit his article at Basketball Prospectus.

Basically the only surprises here are the high ranks for both Ohio State and Illinois. Some may also be surprised to see Michigan State rank in at 5th in efficiency margin.

BTC Power Rankings IV

2008-01-28T10:04:00.000-06:00

1. Michigan State Spartans 17-2 (6-1) (Previous #3)
This week: 1/30-vs Illinois, 2/2-at Penn State
Michigan State jumps two positions to claim the top spot in this week's poll thanks in large part to losses by Indiana and Wisconsin over the weekend. The Spartans beat up on the bottom of the conference this week with wins over Northwestern and Michigan. If the Spartans could ever figure out a way to cut down on turnovers, they would be an amazingly efficient team. Michigan State continues to turn the ball over at a very high rate, nearly 22% of their possessions (only Iowa gives away possessions at a higher percentage).

2. Indiana Hoosiers 17-2 (6-0) (Previous #1)
This week: 1/31-at Wisconsin, 2/3-vs Northwestern
The Hoosiers dropped a non-conference game to UConn on Saturday; a loss that snapped Indiana's 29-game home winning streak. IU is still undefeated in conference play but have yet to play anyone in the top five of the Big Ten. All of that will end on Wednesday with a trip to Madison to face the Badgers.

3. Wisconsin Badgers 16-3 (6-1) (Previous #2)
This week: 1/31-vs Indiana, 2/3-at Minnesota
Wisconsin traveled to West Lafayette on Saturday to get a "closer look" at the Purdue team we looked at on Friday. The Badgers and everybody who watched the game found out these young Boilers are for real, so how can we still have Wisconsin ranked higher? Remember, these are "Power Rankings" and despite the 4-point loss, we still feel if these teams met on a neutral court the Badgers would be favored.

4. Purdue Boilermakers 15-5 (6-1) (Previous #4)
This week: 1/30-vs Iowa, 2/2-at Illinois
The Boilermakers have won five straight games in conference and have proven themselves worthy of being mentioned in the same group as the Big Ten's top three. Purdue continues to take care of the ball on offense, they had just 12 turnovers against a solid Wisconsin defense, as they continue their ascent up the conference standings. The Boilers are looking more and more like an NCAA Tournament team with each game.

5. Ohio State Buckeyes 14-6 (5-2) (Previous #5)
This week: 1/29-at Penn State, 2/2-at Iowa
Ohio State took care of business at home this past week with wins over Illinois and Minnesota. The Buckeyes will now head back on the road with games at Penn State and Iowa this week. If the season ended today, we'd also have Ohio State in the Big Dance.

6. Iowa Hawkeyes 10-11 (3-5) (Previous #7)
This week: 1/30-at Purdue, 2/2-vs Ohio State
So this Lickliter guy might be able to coach, eh? After looking like a JV team for most of the non-conference, Iowa has turned things around and actually won 3 of their last 5 conference games despite having the worst offense in the Big Ten. Does that say more about Iowa or more about the weakness of the Big Ten? Probably a little of both. The Hawkeyes have really started to play well on the defensive end, and yes, the bottom half of the Big Ten is terrible.

7. Minnesota Golden Gophers 12-6 (2-4) (Previous #6)
This week: 1/31-at Michigan, 2/3-vs Wisconsin
Minnesota has dropped three straight against the likes of Indiana, Michigan State and Ohio State. None of those are bad losses, but at some point you have to beat somebody and Minnesota has not. The Gophers have not won a game against any team ranked in Pomeroy's Top 100 this season. To date, Minnesota's best win came at Iowa State on November 20th. Losing close to good teams is not exactly how you build a tournament resume.

8. Illinois Fighting Illini 9-11 (2-6) (Previous #8)
This week: 1/30-at Michigan State, 2/2-vs Purdue
Will Illinois' destruction of Northwestern on Sunday help spark a team in massive need of a jump start? We shall find out soon as Illinois is looking at Michigan State, Purdue and Indiana in their next three games. An ugly season could get even uglier with those opponents waiting in the wings.

9. Penn State Nittany Lions 10-9 (2-5) (Previous #8)
This week: 1/29-vs Ohio State, 2/2-vs Michigan State
We said that Penn State's season technically ended at the same time Geary Claxton's season was cut short due to injury. Five straight losses has helped make that prediction look accurate. The Nittany Lions would have competed for a postseason bid with Claxton, but without their best all-around player they simply do not have the firepower.

10.Michigan Wolverines 5-14 (1-7) (Previous #10)
This week: 1/31-vs Minnesota
Michigan has lost 9 of their last 10 with the only win being against Northwestern. The Wolverines have been bad in recent memory, but it's still strange to see the once prominent Big Ten power struggling so badly.

11.Northwestern Wildcats 6-10 (0-7) (Previous #11)
This week: 1/30-vs Texas-Pan America, 2/3-at Indiana
How many years is Bill Carmody going to get at Northwestern? I realize that it is Northwestern and nobody has nor probably will be successful there, but isn't it about time to try something else? Anything else?

A Closer Look: Purdue

2008-01-25T07:31:00.000-06:00

Purdue Boilermakers 14-5 (5-1, T-3rd)

Team Capsule:
Home Record: 10-1 Away: 2-3
Pomeroy Rank: 38 RPI: 75 SOS: 152

Efficiency: Offense= 107.9 (82nd) Defense= 89.2 (24th)
*RPI and Efficiency stats taken from KenPom.com

Best wins:

Indiana State 71-60

Louisville (@ Indianapolis) 67-59

Ohio State 75-68

Worst loss:

Wofford 66-69

"Good" losses:

@ Clemson 58-61

@ Michigan State 75-78

The surprise team so far this conference season could very well be the Purdue Boilermakers. The young Boilermakers finished their non-conference schedule with a 9-4 record but have since found their stride winning 7 of their last 8 including 5 out of 6 in Big Ten play to find themselves tied for 3rd in the conference. Purdue will host Wisconsin on Saturday in what will be one of the biggest games played in Mackey Arena in recent years. Many fans around the country and even Big Ten fans will most likely be getting their first glimpse of Purdue, so before the big game let's take a closer look at the Boilermakers.

Purdue starts two freshman, two sophomores and a junior as Matt Painter coaches the youngest team in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers are a very inexperienced, talented and balanced team. The team's leading scorer Keaton Grant averages 11.6 points per game and is one of three starters who average double-digits. Robbie Hummel averages 10.7 PPG and is the team's leading rebounder with 6.0 rebounds per game. Freshman E'Twann Moore averages 10.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

The most impressive offensive stat for this year's Purdue team would be their turnover ratio. The Boilermakers have a turnover percentage of 19.1, which ranks 44th best in the nation. This means that Purdue turns the ball over on 19.1% of their offensive possessions, which is actually quite good for such a young team with no "true" point guard. Compare that ratio to that of Michigan State (21.7) and Iowa (25.4) which rank 10th and 11th in the conference in TO %. The Boilermakers rank 3rd in the Big Ten in that stat.

The Purdue defense also forces turnovers a high clip. The Boilers defensive turnover ratio is 26.0% which ranks 17th nationally. Overall, Purdue's defensive efficiency ranks 24th best in the NCAAs. Defensive efficiency is defined as points allowed per 100 possessions. This tempo-free stat is a much better measure of a team's defensive abilities than just looking at overall points allowed per game.

If Purdue can continue to play solid defense and forcing opponents into a high number of turnovers while taking care of the ball themselves on offense, they will find themselves dancing come March. A win at home on Saturday over Wisconsin would not only put the Boilers in great position for a postseason bid, but it would also jump Purdue into the national spotlight and Big Ten title race. Win or lose, a "closer look" at this young, overachieving Purdue team was long overdue.

Where are they now? Rick Rickert

2008-01-24T10:01:00.000-06:00

Rick Rickert played center for the Minnesota Golden Gophers from 2001 to 2003. Rickert was named the 2001 Minnesota Mr. Basketball as a high school senior and came to Minnesota after previous commitments with Arizona and Duke. He became the Gopher's first ever Big Ten Freshman of the Year after averaging 15 points and 5 rebounds per game in 2001-02. Rickert averaged 16 points and 6 rebounds per game in his sophomore season and declared for the 2003 NBA Draft after just two years at Minnesota.

Rickert was drafted in the 2nd Round of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 55th overall pick. He failed to make the team and decided to play professionally in Europe. Rickert has since played for various European teams as well as in the NBA's Development League. He was selected to the NBADL's 2007 All-Star Game while playing for the Fayetteville Patriots.

Rick Rickert currently is playing professionally for the New Zealand Breakers of Australia's National Basketball League. Rickert is currently averaging 17.8 points per game and is 2nd in the league with 10.7 rebounds per game. Through 25 games the Breaker's are 13-12 on the season.

Rick Rickert's NBL Profile Page

Wednesday Night Matchups

2008-01-23T10:31:00.000-06:00

Purdue (13-5) at Penn State (10-7) 7:00 BTN
Penn State has dropped three straight to fall to 2-3 in conference. The freefall started when Geary Claxton injured his ACL in the Lion's game against Minnesota. Claxton is out for the season and Penn State might as well be too. They simply aren't the same team without him. Purdue has been the surprise team so far in the Big Ten as they are off to a 4-1 start with their only blemish a 3-point loss at Michigan State. The young Boilers are poised to make a serious run at postseason play, but they need to take care of business on the road tonight and can't afford to look past Penn State to the huge game against Wisconsin this weekend.
BTC Prediction*: Purdue 72 Penn State 60

Iowa (9-10) at Indiana (16-1) 9:00 BTN
When these teams met in early January Indiana "escaped" Iowa City with a 79-76 victory. I say "escaped" hesitantly since the game wasn't really as close as the final score would indicate. Iowa was trailing by 13 with two minutes to play, but they made the loss look much more respectable thanks mostly to Justin Johnson "going ass-bananas". (Chronicled here at Black Heart Gold Pants) The bad news for Iowa is now Johnson finds himself slumping, and Indiana is really good. The Hoosiers have proven they can win on the road in the Big Ten without major contributions from the conference's leading scorer Eric Gordon (22.4 PPG). For as good as Gordon has been, D.J. White has been the consistent force inside that paces the Hoosiers' success. White is averaging 16.9 points per game and also leads the Big Ten in rebounding (10.6 RPG).
BTC Prediction*: Indiana 68 Iowa 54

* BTC Predictions Current Record: 15-3

Big Ten Newsstand and other Links

2008-01-22T11:51:00.000-06:00

Michigan at Wisconsin 7:00 ESPN
U-M's road gets tougher tonight - Detroit News
Toe injury frustrates Harris - Ann Arbor News
Badgers doing just fine at the line - Wisconsin State Journal
Stiemsma keeps it fresh - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Illinois at Ohio State 9:00 BTN
Illini try to survive on the road - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Freshman foes played at St. Joe's - Peoria Journal Star
OSU's road to NCAAs is paved with Big Ten wins - Cleveland Plain Dealer
Turner's game taking off - Columbus Dispatch

Other news and notes:
The Chicago Tribune's Skip Myslenski takes a look at the "good, the unkempt, and those needing a makeover" in this glance around the Big Ten.

After Iowa's victory at Michigan this weekend, head coach Todd Lickliter "suggested" his team head back into the locker room at Crisler Arena and clean up the mess his players had made.

Ken Pomeroy opened up his mailbag at Basketball Prospectus to address some issues. If you don't already frequently read Mr. Pomeroy's musings, I would highly recommend a visit to his site. Trust me, you will be enlightened.

In football news, Penn State's Anthony Morelli all but slammed the door on any hopes he had at being selected at the NFL Draft with his lackluster performance in the Shrine Game.

Tyrelle Pryor's high school coach was just one of the many who commented on the blue chip recruit's "enjoyable" visit to Michigan over the weekend. Pryor's final decision isn't expected until February 6th.

BTC Power Rankings III

2008-01-21T08:48:00.000-06:00

If you still haven't heard, some of my good friends in the Big Ten Bloggers group and myself are doing weekly Big Ten Power Rankings for this basketball season. Our rankings will be posted every Monday, and Tom over at Gopher Nation will count the ballots and release the Big Ten Bloggers Power Rankings each week. You can also find the updated rankings each Tuesday right here in the Chronicle's left sidebar.

Pow-Pow-Power Rankings!

1. Indiana Hoosiers 16-1 (5-0) (Previous #1)
This week: 1/23-vs Iowa, 1/26-vs UConn
The Hoosiers remain at the top spot after squeaking a win away from Minnesota and then returning home to take care of Penn State on Sunday. Indiana has won 12 straight games, soon to be 13 straight with Iowa in town on Wednesday, before what should be a tough out of conference test against UConn over the weekend.

2. Wisconsin Badgers 15-2 (5-0) (Previous #2)
This week: 1/22-vs Michigan, 1/26-at Purdue Wisconsin has been impressive in their five wins in conference as they continue to work through the softest portion of their Big Ten schedule. All of that changes on Saturday with a good road test at Purdue on tap before next week's game of the week at home against Indiana on Thursday.

3. Michigan State Spartans 16-2 (4-1) (Previous #3)
This week: 1/24-at N'western, 1/27-vs Michigan Michigan State bounced back from their devastating loss at Iowa with a 2-0 week. It seems as Drew Neitzel found his shooting touch just in time for the Spartans to ride his hot hand to a tough road win against Minnesota on Sunday. I'd say MSU has two gimmes this week with Northwestern and Michigan scheduled, but the Spartans proved in that loss to the Hawkeyes that anything is possible in the Big Ten.

4. Purdue Boilermakers 13-5 (4-1) (Previous #6)
This week: 1/23-at Penn State, 1/26-vs Wisconsin

The Boilermakers are beneficiaries of the biggest jump in this week's power poll. Purdue jumps up two spots after wins at Iowa and against Illinois last week. The young Boiler's are looking nice at 4-1 in conference with their only blemish a 3 point loss at Michigan State.

5. Ohio State Buckeyes 12-6 (3-2) (Previous #4)
This week: 1/22-vs Illinois, 1/26-vs Minnesota

After jumping to a 3-0 start out of the gate, Ohio State has now dropped three straight ball games. Of course, those three games have all been against quality opponents away from home. Buckeye fans can take pride in the way OSU hung tough at Tennessee over the weekend. Just ask nationally ranked Vanderbilt how tough it can be playing a very talented Volunteers squad in Knoxville.

6. Minnesota Golden Gophers 12-5 (2-3) (Previous #5)
This week: 1/26-at Ohio State

Minnesota went into last week needing a win over Indiana or Michigan State to catapult themselves into the upper half of the conference. However, thanks to cold shooting against the Hoosiers and Drew Neitzel's hot hand, the Gophers found themselves with two losses and down a spot in this week's power poll.

7. Iowa Hawkeyes 9-10 (2-4) (Previous #8)
This week: 1/23-at Indiana, 1/26-vs Penn State

The Hawkeyes continue to play solid team defense and thanks in large part to the play of Tony Freeman, it seems Iowa has finally started to show signs of life on offense. Todd Lickliter picked up his first Big Ten road win on Saturday against Michigan and today sees his Hawkeyes move up a spot in BTC's Power Rankings.

8. Penn State Nittany Lions 10-7 (2-3) (Previous #7)
This week: 1/23-vs Purdue, 1/26-at Iowa

Penn State has lost three straight now as they continue to slide down to the bottom of the conference. With Geary Claxton out for the season, things should get worse before they get any better for the Nittany Lions.

9. Illinois Fighting Illini 9-10 (1-5) (Previous #9)
This week: 1/22-at Ohio State, 1/27-vs N'western

Bruce Weber's Illini finally got a Big Ten win last week! Hey, even wins over Michigan count when things are as ugly as they have been for Illinois this year. They find themselves one game under .500 currently, but I'd be very surprised if the Illini finish the year with a losing record. If this team misses out on any postseason play it would be a massive disappointment.

10.Michigan Wolverines 5-13 (1-5) (Previous #10)
This week: 1/22-at Wisconsin, 1/27-at Michigan State

Man are things looking bad in Ann Arbor this season. Michigan lost big to Illinois on the road, then dropped a game to Iowa at home on "Terrelle Pryor Day". The eight-point home loss to Iowa wasn't even really that close as the Wolverines threw in an array of late three's to help it look more respectable. Not that anyone really cared about the basketball score...a blue chip football recruit was in the crowd!!

11.Northwestern Wildcats 6-9 (0-5) (Previous #11)
This week: 1/24-vs Michigan State, 1/27-at Illinois

After a non-conference win at Chicago State last Wednesday, Northwestern came back to conference play with a loss at Wisconsin over the weekend. Two more losses look ahead this week before the Wildcats can boost their confidence with another out of conference game against Texas-Pan America next Wednesday.

The definition of an "Ugly Win"

2008-01-18T09:17:00.001-06:00

Indiana 65 Minnesota 60
(Full Box Score)

The Indiana Hoosier's best basketball was definitely not on display last night in their win over Minnesota at The Barn. In fact, I still haven't got a very good grasp on just how Indiana pulled out a road victory while looking so ugly and with their superstar freshman struggling so mightily.

Despite Big Ten leading scorer Eric Gordon playing the worst game in his young career and the Hoosiers committing an eye-popping 24 turnovers, IU was able to hold off the Gophers in a 65-60 victory. Gordon was sent to the bench early in the first half after committing two fouls in the first 3 minutes and ended the half with just 5 points. He finished the game with 12 points on 3 of 8 shooting and led the team with 7 turnovers.

Indiana can thank the Gophers for their poor shooting and inability to keep the Hoosiers off the glass as reasons for this win. Minnesota shot just 17.6% (3-17) from the three-point line and was a terrible 11 of 21 from the free throw line. Spencer Tollackson missed all seven of his free throw attempts. The Gophers were also outrebounded 21 to 39 in the loss.

D.J. White led the Hoosiers with a game-high 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Jordan Crawford stepped up off the bench scoring 14 of his 16 points in the first half while Gordon was hindered by foul trouble. Indiana led 40-32 at the halftime break. Dan Coleman was a bright spot for Minnesota scoring 15 points on 7 of 14 shooting and grabbing 7 rebounds. The Gophers were given just about every opportunity to knock off 10th-ranked Indiana, but in the end cold-shooting and missed free throws did them in.

Where are they now? Scoonie Penn

2008-01-17T09:28:00.000-06:00

Scoonie Penn played point guard for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 1998 to 2000. Penn started his career at Boston College but transferred to Ohio State after the 1996-97 season to play for coach Jim O'Brien. Scoonie was named Big Ten Player of the Year his junior season of 1999 and helped lead the Buckeyes to the Final Four. That Final Four appearance has since been vacated by the NCAA due to rules infractions committed during O'Brien's tenure. He was named 1st Team All-Big Ten in both 1999 and 2000.

Scoonie Penn was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 57th overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft. Penn never played a game in the NBA, but instead he signed a contract to play professionally in Italy.

Penn has played professional basketball all over Europe since 2000 in Italy, Serbia, Croatia and Greece. Scoonie currently plays for Efes Pilsen S.K. in the Turkish Basketball League. Penn has played in 12 games this season and is currently averaging 11.1 points and 2.6 assists per game. His team is currently 12-4 and tied for second in the league.

Geary Claxton Out for Season

2008-01-16T08:36:00.000-06:00

Penn State lost much more than just a basketball game to Wisconsin last night, as the Nittany Lions may have been watching their postseason hopes limp off the court in the first half. Senior forward and leading scoring Geary Claxton left last night's game 7 minutes in with an injury to his ACL. Penn State team doctors said after the game that Claxton's season and career are likely over as he is expected to miss the rest of the season.

Claxton was leading the Lions scoring 18.7 points per game, second in the Big Ten behind only Indiana's Eric Gordon. Claxton's injury is obviously a huge blow to Penn State. Claxton was not only the team's best defender, but he also accounted for 29% of shots taken by Penn State on the offensive end. In fact, Jamelle Cornley is the only other Lion scoring in double figures. With the loss to Wisconsin, the Nittany Lions fell to 2-2 in conference play, and now with Claxton out, it's hard to see them finishing above .500 in Big Ten play this season.

Tonight's action:
Purdue (11-5) at Iowa (8-9) 7:00 BTN
Both teams are coming off big home wins in the last week. Purdue defeated Ohio State 75-68 on Saturday to improve to 2-1 in Big Ten play. The young Boilermakers have been steadily improving throughout the year and have gotten a surprise shot in the arm from forward Marcus Green. Green is only averaging 4.9 points per game but has raised that average to 11.7 ppg in Big Ten play, including a season-high 22 in the win over Ohio State. Iowa is led by junior guard Tony Freeman, who scored 22 of the team's 43 points in their upset of Michigan State on Saturday. The Hawkeye defense will be put to the test tonight and don't expect Purdue to show up as cold as the Spartan's did over the weekend.
BTC Prediction: Purdue 61 Iowa 55

Northwestern (5-8) at Chicago State (6-13) 8:00
Northwestern travels across city to face the Cougars of Chicago State. Chicago State has lost by 30+ to both Indiana and Michigan State on the season, so Northwestern better hope they can "escape" with a win. This may be the last real chance the Wildcats have at winning a road game.
BTC Prediction: Northwestern 69 Chicago State 66

Michigan (5-11) at Illinois (8-9) 9:00 BTN
The Wolverines got their first Big Ten win on Saturday, but it came over the only other winless team in the conference, Northwestern. The difference between the Wildcats and Illinois is that Illinois played Indiana close on Sunday, showing signs of life against the Big Ten's top team. The surprise is that the Orange Crush in Assembly Hall have witnessed four home losses this year. Still, Michigan hasn't won at Illinois since the 1994-95 season.
BTC Prediction: Illinois 64 Michigan 57

Tuesday Basketball

2008-01-15T12:12:00.000-06:00

Ohio State (12-4) at Michigan State (14-2) 7:00 ESPN
Michigan State got a "wakeup call" on Saturday with their 43-36 loss at Iowa. John Gasaway at Basketball Prospectus points out, in great detail, that the Spartan's problem, much like last year, is their high turnover rate. Ohio State freshman Kosta Koufos sees himself as more of a European style of player, but he is adjusting to the physical play of the Big Ten. Koufos was averaging 15.6 points per game before Big Ten play, and he has a 10.8 points per game average in OSU's four Big Ten games.
BTC Prediction: Michigan State 68 Ohio State 64

Wisconsin (13-2) at Penn State (10-5) 9:00 BTN
Wisconsin sits atop the Big Ten with a 3-0 conference record. The Badgers and Indiana are the only remaining undefeated teams in the conference. Wisconsin is holding opponents to just 54.3 points per game on the defensive end. Penn State suffered their first Big Ten loss last weekend at home against Minnesota. The Nittany Lions are led by Geary Claxton, whos is 2nd in the conference averaging 18.7 points per game. Jamelle Cornley is Penn State's only other player averaging double-digits.
BTC Prediction: Wisconsin 65 Penn State 58

Wolverine Exodus

2008-01-15T10:48:00.000-06:00

What has pretty much been known for the past few weeks was made official yesterday. Michigan WR Mario Manningham will skip his senior season and enter the NFL Draft:

"It was a hard decision, but after discussing it with my family it was the right one for me to make right now," Manningham said Monday in an interview with The Associated Press while driving home to Ohio. "I've heard I will be drafted in the first round because of the lack of depth at wide receiver."

Reports also had Freshman QB Ryan Mallett transferring to Arkansas. Mallett will certainly not be playing football in Ann Arbor next season, but according to his father a final decision has not yet been made:

"We haven't made a decision yet, but everybody and their dog is saying my son has done this or that," Jim Mallett said Monday in an interview with the Associated Press. "I can tell you, we visited Arkansas and we've talked to Texas A&M and Tennessee. But we're not sure what is going on at Tennessee because they hired an offensive coordinator that has run the spread."

BTC Power Rankings

2008-01-14T19:46:00.000-06:00

Some of my good friends in the Big Ten Bloggers group and myself are doing weekly Big Ten Power Rankings for this basketball season. Our rankings will be posted every Monday, and Tom over at Gopher Nation will count the ballots and release the Big Ten Bloggers Power Rankings each week.

"I HAVE THE POWER.....rankings."

1. Indiana Hoosiers 14-1 (3-0) (Previous #2)
This week: 1/17-at Minnesota, 1/20-vs Penn St
I had a tough time deciding on the top spot this week between Indiana and Wisconsin. The Hoosiers take it for now mostly because I believe they have the best player in the conference with Eric Gordon. Plus, his supporting cast is none to shabby either. However, Indiana had better not look past Minnesota on Thursday. That game has upset written all over it.

2. Wisconsin Badgers 13-2 (3-0) (Previous #3)
This week: 1/15-at Penn St, 1/19-vs N'western
Bo Ryan's Badgers are once again quietly moving to the front of the Big Ten race. Wisconsin may not have the marque name this season, but the Badgers are the most consistent team on both sides of the ball. A 5-0 start looks to be in reach with likely wins against Penn State and Northwestern up this week.

3. Michigan State Spartans 14-2 (2-1) (Previous #1)
This week: 1/15-vs Ohio State, 1/20-at Minnesota
Seriously, What in the world happened in Iowa City on Saturday night? Turnovers and cold shooting helped make the Spartans look more than mortal. If you missed it, the Spartans were held to 36 points in their loss to Iowa, the lowest point total in post-shot clock MSU history. MSU's upset loss is comparable to USC losing to Stanford in football this year. Now the question is how they can respond this week. I promise you practice wasn't fun for the Spartans on Sunday.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes 12-4 (3-1) (Previous #4)
This week: 1/15-at MSU, 1/19-at Tennessee
The Buckeyes saw their 8-game win streak snapped at Purdue over the weekend. This is a young Ohio State team that will take some hits this year, but I think they will be in the upper half of the standings come season's end. Up next is a tough game against an angry Spartan team, then a trip to Knoxville to face top-10 Tennessee out of conference.

5. Minnesota Golden Gophers 12-3 (2-1) (Previous #5)
This week: 1/17-vs Indiana, 1/20-vs MSU
I was tempted to jump Purdue ahead of Minnesota in this week's rankings, but in the end decided to keep the Gophers right where I had them. Minnesota's 76-73 win at Penn State on Saturday was more impressive then some may think. The Gophers proved they could win on the road and now it's time to show they can knock off a top-ranked team. They'll get two chances at home this week when Indiana and Michigan State come to town.

6. Purdue Boilermakers 11-5 (2-1) (Previous #6)
This week: 1/16-at Iowa, 1/19-vs Illinois
After going 1-1 last week against Michigan State and Ohio State, Purdue now gets to travel to offensive inept Iowa City. And I'll guarantee you that the Boilers post more than 36 against Iowa's defense.

7. Penn State Nittany Lions 10-5 (2-1) (Previous #7)
This week: 1/15-vs Wisconsin, 1/20-at Indiana
Penn State blew a good opportunity against Minnesota over the weekend to remain undefeated in conference. Now the schedule immediately gets tougher with Wisconsin and Indiana up this week. The Lions are better than last year, but it will take a lot for this year's team to finish above 7th in the conference.

8. Iowa Hawkeyes 8-9 (1-3) (Previous #9)
This week: 1/16-vs Purdue, 1/19-at Michigan
Iowa moves up a spot after their stunning victory against Michigan State. The Hawkeye's forced more turnovers (18) than made baskets for MSU (16). Iowa made only 11 shots themselves in the game, but that was enough to give Todd Lickliter his first Big Ten win. If the Hawk's keep playing team defense like that and Tony Freeman or Justin Johnson can get hot from the outside, this will be a tough out for anybody in the conference.

9. Illinois Fighting Illini 8-9 (0-4) (Previous #8)
This week: 1/16-vs Michigan, 1/19-at Purdue
The Illini continued to disappoint on Sunday with another loss at Indiana. The schedule starts to get softer in the coming weeks, but its looking more and more like a sub-.500 year in Chaimpaign.

10.Michigan Wolverines 5-11 (1-3) (Previous #10)
This week: 1/16-at Illinois, 1/19-vs Iowa
Michigan holds on to the 10-spot this week after a win at Northwestern on Saturday. I must admit that I did not see a minute of the game in Evanston this weekend, and if you were one of the few watching my sympathy goes out to you.

11.Northwestern Wildcats 5-8 (0-4) (Previous #11)
This week: 1/16-at Chicago St, 1/19-at Wisconsin
What is Northwestern doing playing at Chicago State in the middle of the conference schedule? Are they trying to create a cross-town rivalry? Better question, does anyone care?

Weekend Basketball Preview

2008-01-11T09:48:00.000-06:00

Minnesota (11-3) at Penn State (10-4) 2:00 BTN
In what is looking to be a three, maybe four team, race for the Big Ten crown this year, both Minnesota and Penn State want to establish themselves as "best of the rest". The Nittany Lions are off to a 2-0 start in conference play with road wins over Northwestern and Illinois. Senior Geary Claxton leads Penn State and is second in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 18.6 points per game. Minnesota is 1-1 in conference after an easy home win over Northwestern on Wednesday. The Gophers are ranked 3rd in the Big Ten in scoring offense and 1st in 3-point shooting, hitting on 38.5% of their threes.
BTC Prediction: Minnesota 70 Penn State 66

Ohio State (12-3) at Purdue (10-5) 4:00 BTN
Ohio State seems to be the forgotten team in this year's conference race. The Buckeyes have started 3-0 in Big Ten play after their complete domination of Iowa on Wednesday night. OSU has a young team led by veteran guard Jamar Butler. Butler is averaging 14 points per game and currently leads the Big Ten with 6.3 assists per game. Purdue proved they have the capabilities of being a very dangerous team in their 78-75 loss at Michigan State this week. The Boilermakers have a young team full of talent, but they have also been very inconsistent so far this season. This is the same team that dropped a home game to Wofford earlier in the year.
BTC Prediction: Ohio State 67 Purdue 60

Michigan (4-11) at Northwestern (5-7) 6:30 BTN
Michigan and Northwestern will both battle it out with Iowa this year for 9th in the Big Ten or tops of the bottom feeders. Both are 0-3 so far in conference play, and Michigan has lost five straight overall. This is the kind of high-flying action Comcast and other cable subscribers are missing without the Big Ten Network!
BTC Prediction: Michigan 66 Northwestern 64

Michigan State (14-1) at Iowa (7-9) 8:30 BTN
Michigan State has won 11 straight contests and 2 straight to start the Big Ten schedule, but the Spartans have not played a true road game since their 66-61 win at Bradley in early December. MSU ranks 2nd in the conference in scoring offense, 1st in field goal percentage and 2nd in rebounding. Sophomore forward Raymar Morgan is having a breakout year leading the team with 18.1 points per game. Iowa was blown out by Ohio State on Wednesday after staying close in their first two conference losses with Indiana and Wisconsin. The Hawkeyes' Justin Johnson leads the Big Ten in three-pointers made and attempted, but shot just 3 of 13 from behind the arc in their loss at Ohio State.
BTC Prediction: Michigan State 68 Iowa 53

SUNDAY:
Illinois (8-8) at Indiana (13-1) 4:30 CBS
Illinois fell to 0-3 in conference play with their 70-60 loss last night at Wisconsin. The Illini defense is not what it has been in years past, while their offense has been inept for most of the season. Currently, Illinois ranks 10th(ahead of only Iowa) in the Big Ten scoring 65.8 points per game. Indiana leads the conference in scoring offense averaging 82.6 points per game this season. The Hoosiers are led by Eric Gordon (23.5 ppg) and D.J. White (16.7 ppg), who are both in the top 5 of Big Ten scoring leaders. Sunday will be Indiana's first home game in conference play.
BTC Prediction: Indiana 75 Illinois 62

Where are they now? Andre Woolridge

2008-01-10T09:25:00.000-06:00

Andre Woolridge played point guard for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 1994 to 1997. Woolridge started his college career at Nebraska before transferring to Iowa after his freshman year. Woolridge ended his career as Iowa's all-time assist leader, he has since been passed by Jeff Horner. In his senior season, Woolridge averaged 20.2 points and 6.0 assists per game and was the first player to ever lead the Big Ten in both scoring and assists in the same season. He was named first team All-Big Ten and third team All-American by the Associated Press.

Woolridge was passed up in the 1997 NBA Draft and decided to play professionally overseas in Turkey. He has since played professionally in France, Greece and Italy as well. Woolridge has been invited to some NBA training camps since his time in Turkey and also played for the Asheville Altitude of the NBDL in 2002 and 2003. The closest he has ever come to playing in the NBA was probably in 2000 when Andre was invited to participate in training camp for the Denver Nuggets. However, Woolridge was waived before the season started.

Currently, Woolridge is back playing in the Turkish Basketball League for Oyak Renault. They are currently 4-11 on the season and tied for 13th out of 16 teams in the league. Woolridge is leading the team in points and assists, averaging 15.2 points per game and 3.5 assists per game.

The "Butler Way" on display in Columbus tonight

2008-01-09T08:51:00.000-06:00

The "Butler Way" refers to the system used by the Butler University men's basketball team. The Butler Way was originated by legendary Butler Bulldogs coach Tony Hinkle, who coached at the university in the 1920's. More recently, the term and it's underlying attitudes were adopted by former coach and current athletic director Barry Collier.

Tonight two schools who have both adopted the Butler Way will face off in a Big Ten conference matchup when Iowa travels to Ohio State. Buckeye's coach Thad Matta took over the Butler program in 2000 when Collier left for a brief stint at Nebraska. Matta led the Bulldogs to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before leaving after just one year to accept the coaching position at Xavier. After Matta's departure, Butler hired current Iowa coach Todd Lickliter. Lickliter coached Butler from 2001 to 2007 reaching the Sweet 16 twice and earning National Coach of the Year honors last year. Lickliter was named head coach at Iowa after Steve Alford left to take over at New Mexico. Lickliter and Matta also both played as guards at Butler. Matta actually played for Lickliter when he was an assistant coach at Butler.

The "Butler Way" is described as denying selfishness, demanding commitment, accepting reality and yet seeking improvement every day. An emphasis is put on the good of the team over individual players. Butler has consistently been one of the most efficient teams in the nation this decade, showcasing a great defense and an offense that values possession of the ball. Last season, Butler led the nation with the fewest turnovers per game.

The blueprint of Butler basketball has proved to be very successful for Thad Matta. In his previous seven years as coach at Butler, Xavier and Ohio State, Matta's teams have missed the NCAA Tournament just once, the 2004-05 season(his first at OSU), when the Buckeyes were ineligible for postseason play due to NCAA sanctions. Lickliter is now trying to follow in the footsteps of his friend and predecessor Matta once again as he tries to implement the principles of the Butler Way at his new school Iowa. The Hawkeyes have struggled this season with a talent-strapped and inexperienced team left behind by Alford, but if history holds true, there will be brighter days ahead for the Iowa basketball program.

Tuesday night basketball

2008-01-08T13:43:00.000-06:00

Indiana (12-1) at Michigan (4-10) 7:00 ESPN
Indiana opened the season last week with a 3-point win at Iowa. The Hoosiers will be without guard Armon Bassett tonight against Michigan. Bassett played in only three minutes of IU's win over Iowa due to bone chips in his ankle. Freshman Eric Gordon leads the Hoosiers scoring 23.5 points per game. Gordon has scored over 20 points in 11 of his 12 games played this season. Michigan is 0-2 in conference play with losses last week to Wisconsin and at Purdue. The Wolverines have lost 4 straight, including three straight at home.
BTC Prediction: Indiana 80 Michigan 66

Purdue (10-4) at Michigan State (13-1) 9:00 BTN
Purdue won their Big Ten opener on Saturday against Michigan 65-58 at home. The Boilermaker's are led in scoring by freshman sixth-man Scott Martin. Purdue starts three freshman and two sophomores. Michigan State is off to their best start since the 1999 season, but Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year Drew Neitzel has been struggling. Neitzel scored just four points on 2 of 11 shooting in MSU's win over Minnesota on Saturday. The Spartans are led in scoring by sophomore Raymar Morgan who averages 18.4 points per game.
BTC Prediction: Michigan State 70 Purdue 58

The Big Ten is NOT weak

2008-01-08T12:39:00.000-06:00

Thanks to another subpar performance by Ohio State in the BCS Champsionship Game, all we will hear for the entire offseason is how weak/slow/unathletic the Big Ten Conference is. Ohio State at least showed up in this year's game, unlike the embarrassment that was last year's BCS Title Game, but in the end the Buckeyes were done in by mistakes and a great LSU team took advantage. LSU was obviously the best team Ohio State had played all year, but the Buckeyes were not as overmatched as some are making it sound. The game basically came down to turnovers, a blocked field goal, and a roughing the punter penalty on OSU in the 3rd quarter. With that being said, hats off to LSU. The Tigers took advantage of every Buckeye mistake and made OSU's nation-best defense look average. LSU was the best team on the field last night, and the SEC was the better overall conference this season. But the SEC vs Big Ten debate is not as one-sided as the media makes it seem. Let's take a look at recent bowl results between the two conferences to show how even both conference actually are.

This year the SEC finished with a 2-1 record against the Big Ten in bowl games. LSU defeated Ohio State 38-24 last night, Tennessee beat Wisconsin 21-17 in the Outback Bowl, and Michigan won the Capital One bowl over Florida 41-35. Last season the Big Ten won 2 of 3 from the SEC with Ohio State's loss to Florida being the SEC's only bowl victory over the Big Ten.

Every year Big Ten and SEC teams face off in two Florida bowl games, the Outback and the Capital One Bowls. The Outback Bowl puts the 3rd pick from the Big Ten against the 3rd or 4th pick from the SEC each year. Since 2002, the Big Ten has won 3 Outback Bowls and the SEC has won 3 including Tennessee's win this year.

2002: Michigan 38 Florida 30
2003: Iowa 37 Florida 17
2004: Georgia 24 Wisconsin 21
2005: Florida 31 Iowa 24
2006: Penn State 20 Tennessee 10
2007: Tennessee 21 Wisconsin 17

The Capital One Bowl gets the best team from each conference that is not invited to a BCS Bowl. The Big Ten has recently dominated the Capital One Bowl winning four straight.

2002: Auburn 13 Penn State 9
2003: Georgia 34 Purdue 27 (OT)
2004: Iowa 30 LSU 25
2005: Wisconsin 24 Auburn 10
2006: Wisconsin 17 Arkansas 14
2007: Michigan 41 Florida 35

After looking at those results, it's hard to see why so many have this preconceived notion that the SEC is the dominate conference in college football and how the Big Ten is annually looked at as a "weak" conference. The SEC has had the best team in the nation the past two years, that much is proven, but as a whole the Big Ten Conference has also proved that it is in fact one of the elite conferences in college football.

Big Ten Bloggers Power Rankings

2008-01-07T09:35:00.000-06:00

Some of my good friends in the Big Ten Bloggers group and myself are introducing weekly Big Ten Power Rankings for this basketball season. Our rankings will be posted every Monday, and Tom over at Gopher Nation will count the ballots and release the Big Ten Bloggers Power Rankings each week.

So without further ado, here is the Big Ten Chronicle's Power Ranking poll for this week:

1. Michigan State Spartans 13-1 (1-0)
This week: 1/8 - vs Purdue; 1/12 - at Iowa
Michigan State got off to a good start in conference play with a hard fought win over Minnesota on Saturday night. The Spartans played the toughest non-conference schedule of the Big Ten's "Big 3" (MSU, Indiana, & Wisconsin), therefore we ranked them at the top in our first poll. Drew Neitzel has yet to really dominate like he has shown the ability to do in years past, but Raymar Morgan and Goran Suton help make this year's Spartans more than just a one-man show.

2. Indiana Hoosiers 12-1 (1-0)
This week: 1/8 - at Michigan; 1-13 - vs Illinois
The only thing that is separating Indiana from the Spartans so far is strength of schedule. The Hoosiers' only loss came to a very strong Xavier team, but Indiana's best win to date would probably be their home win against Kentucky, and we all know a win over UK this year does not mean what it used to. With that being said, Freshman phenom Eric Gordon and inside force D.J. White will keep IU near the top of this poll provided they can stay healthy.

3. Wisconsin Badgers 12-2 (2-0)
This week: 1/10 - vs Illinois
The Badgers used a thrilling road victory over Texas to jump back into the national rankings and spotlight. However, many have not forgotten about their 82-58 dud of a loss at Duke in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge earlier this year. Wisconsin has shown improvement in every game since then, and with Bo Ryan, possibly the best coach in a conference full of great leaders, they will be solid all year long.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes 11-3 (2-0)
This week: 1/9 - vs Iowa; 1/12 - at Purdue
Last years Big Ten Champs are off to a 2-0 start with wins at Illinois and against Northwestern at home. This years Buckeyes are led by veteran guard Jamar Butler and newcomer Kosta Koufus inside. Nobody expects OSU to win the conference again, but they seem to be the best early bet to finish in 4th behind the "Big 3" and have a good shot at an NCAA bid.

5. Minnesota Golden Gophers 10-3 (0-1)
This week: 1/9 - vs Northwestern; 1/12 - at Penn State
Minnesota hung tough in their 65-59 loss at Michigan State on Saturday night. It's hard to get too excited about a loss, but staying with a really good Spartan team in one of the toughest venues to play at in the Big Ten is something to make Gopher fans optimistic. Minnesota has an experienced squad and new coach Tubby Smith brings a winning attitude that will produce wins and keep them battling to reach the upper half of the Big Ten.

6. Purdue Boilermakers 10-4 (1-0)
This week: 1/8 - at Michigan State; 1/12 - vs Ohio State
The young Boilermakers have been all over the place so far this season. Purdue scored wins over Louisville in non-conference play and beat Michigan on Saturday to start Big Ten play. But the Boilers also lost to Wofford at home and to Iowa State in Las Vegas in December. The talent is there to make Purdue a very scary team, and one that should compete for a conference championship in the next few years. It may just be too early to expect that much from a very young and inconsistent squad.

7. Penn State Nittany Lions 10-4 (2-0)
This week: 1/12 - vs Minnesota
Say 'Hello' to your undefeated Penn State basketball team! The Lions notched back-to-back road wins against Northwestern and Illinois last week and have now won 7 straight overall. Saturday's home contest against Minnesota is a big game if Penn State wants to prove it's basketball team is no longer a conference cellar dweller.

8. Illinois Fighting Illini 8-7 (0-2)
This week: 1/10 - at Wisconsin; 1/13 - at Indiana
The Illini look to be the early favorite for most disappointing team in the Big Ten this season. Illinois struggled in non-conference and then started Big Ten play with 2 straight home losses to Ohio State and Penn State. Things will not get any easier this week with back-to-back road games against Wisconsin and Indiana. Shaun Pruitt has been strong inside for the Illini, but someone, anyone, needs to step up as a consistent contributor on the perimeter if Illinois is to finish above .500 in conference play.

9. Iowa Hawkeyes 7-8 (0-2)
This week: 1/9 - at Ohio State; 1/12 -vs Michigan State
The Hawkeyes entered Big Ten play with a non-conference record of 7-6 and a handful of bad losses. Iowa lost by only three to Indiana at home and stayed close on the road against Wisconsin last week. Iowa is strong defensively, but is one or two scorers away from being decent on offense. Their defense will keep them in games, and expect the Hawkeyes to pull off an upset or two this season, but overall they'll be lucky to win more than 5 conference games.

10. Michigan Wolverines 4-10 (0-2)
This week: 1/8 - vs Indiana; 1/12 - at Northwestern
In fairness, Michigan's overall record is uglier than it would be had they played a softer non-conference schedule. With that being said, the Wolverines are very bad. Saturday's game at Northwestern will prove which team deserves the 11-spot in next week's poll.

11. Northwestern Wildcats 5-6 (0-2)
This week: 1/9 - at Minnesota; 1/12 - vs Michigan
Saturday's game will also feature two Big Ten teams that lost to Ivy League schools. Michigan fell at Harvard and Northwestern lost at home to Brown earlier in the year. Northwestern does have homecourt advantage in the pillow fight this weekend, and I'm sure the 40+ NU students that show up will be rowdy!

Weekend Basketball Match-ups

2008-01-04T20:13:00.000-06:00

Saturday, January 5th:

Iowa (7-7) at Wisconsin (11-2) 12:00 BTN

Freshman guard Jake Kelly is expected to start for Iowa after suffering a sprained ankle in Iowa's loss to Indiana on Wednesday night. Wisconsin still holds one of the best home court advantages in the nation. The Badgers have lost only two home conference games in the past five seasons, both to Illinois the past two years.

BTC Prediction: Wisconsin 65 Iowa 50

Michigan (4-9) at Purdue (9-4) 2:00 ESPN

Michigan hits the road after a big loss at home on Wednesday to Wisconsin. Purdue will open Big Ten play on Saturday. The Boilermakers are a young talented team that have been up and down so far this season. Purdue should be able to notch a few upset wins at home but will struggle on the road with their lack of experience. However, they should expect a victory over the Wolverines.
BTC Prediction: Purdue 68 Michigan 62

Minnesota (10-2) at Michigan State (12-1) 8:00 BTN

Tubby Smith has brought instant enthusiasm to Minnesota's basketball program, and his team has responded with a strong 10-2 record, albeit against a pretty weak non-conference schedule. Tubby gets his first taste of Big Ten action Saturday at Michigan State. The Spartans look very much like the preseason favorite to win the conference. MSU has big time playmakers in Drew Neitzel, Raymar Morgan and Goran Suton.
BTC Prediction: Michigan State 72 Minnesota 62

Sunday, January 6th:

Northwestern (5-5) at Ohio State (10-3) 12:00 BTN

Northwestern took a tough loss at home on Wednesday night to Penn State. The Wildcats did get the return of big man Kevin Coble, but with or without Coble NU will struggle to finish any higher than 10th or 11th in the conference. The Buckeyes beat up on Illinois Wednesday night and should coast in their conference home opener this weekend.
BTC Prediction: Ohio State 73 Northwestern 52

Penn State (9-4) at Illinois (8-6) 2:00 BTN
Penn State was a favorite pick for the surprise team in the Big Ten this season. The Nittany Lions go for back to back wins in the state of Illinois on Sunday. The Illini may end up being the biggest surprise in the conference this year, surprisingly bad. If Illinois does not get more consistent play from their backcourt, this could end up being a very disappointing year in Champaign.
BTC Prediction: Illinois 62 Penn State 57

Where are they now? Evan Eschmeyer

2008-01-03T10:10:00.000-06:00

Evan Eschmeyer played center for the Northwestern Wildcats from 1995 to 1999. Eschmeyer finished his great career at #2 on the list of Northwestern's all-time leading scorers with 1,805 career points. He is also the only Wildcat basketball player to earn three first-team All Big Ten honors (1997, '98, and '99). During his senior season of 1999, Eschmeyer led Northwestern to an NIT berth and also earned All-American recognition.

Eschmeyer was drafted by the New Jersey Nets in the 2nd Round of the 1999 NBA Draft. Evan played for three teams during his four-year NBA career, including the Nets, Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks. Eschmeyer announced his retirement from the NBA in 2004 after a long bout with persistent knee problems.

Evan Eschmeyer is currently back at school in Evanston. Following his NBA career, Eschmeyer founded an online recruiting service and showed some interest in politics for the Democratic Party in his home state of Ohio, before deciding to come back to Northwestern and enroll in law school.

Conference Basketball begins tonight

2008-01-02T12:30:00.000-06:00

Wisconsin (10-2) at Michigan (4-8) 7:00 BTN
The Badgers are coming off a big 67-66 win at Texas on Saturday to close out non-conference play. With only two losses (at Duke, vs Marquette), Wisconsin has to be considered one of the favorites to win the Big Ten with Michigan State and Indiana. Michigan has struggled under first year coach John Beilein and hasn't played since their loss to UCLA on December 22nd.
BTC Prediction: Wisconsin 72 Michigan 54

Penn State (8-4) at Northwestern (5-4) 9:00 ESPN2
Tonight marks only Penn State's second true road game of the season. The Nittany Lions lost at St. Joseph's back on December 1st. Northwestern should look at this game as one of very few real opportunities for them to capture a conference win. Expect the Wildcats to be competitive, but why in the world is this game on ESPN2?
BTC Prediction: Penn State 68 Northwestern 63

Indiana (11-1) at Iowa (7-6) 9:00 BTN
The Hoosier's only non-conference loss came over the Thanksgiving weekend to a very solid Xavier team. If Indiana can stay healthy, they have as good a team as any in the Big Ten. Iowa has struggled tremendously thus far, especially on the offensive end, and things will only get worse with starting freshman forward Jarryd Cole's ACL injury that will force him to miss the remainder of the season.
BTC Prediction: Indiana 72 Iowa 52

Thursday, January 3rd:
Ohio State (9-3) at Illinois (8-5) 8:00 ESPN
Ohio State has rattled off five straight wins since their 19-point loss at Butler, including a 62-49 win over defending champ Florida. The Illini have struggled recently with stunning home losses to both Miami (Ohio) and Tennessee State on Sunday. Illinois needs to find someone other than Shaun Pruitt that can provide consistent scoring if they want to finish in the upper half of the conference.
BTC Prediction: Ohio State 57 Illinois 56

Note to Pete Carroll

2008-01-02T09:28:00.000-06:00

OK Pete, your team is good. Really good. Nobody is going to argue that. The Trojans have peaked at the right time and are obviously playing their best football to end the season. That was on display in the Rose Bowl as USC pummeled Illinois 49-17 on New Year's Day. But Pete, year after year it is also obvious that you must have no idea how the current college football season works. Frankly I'm getting tired of the annual pity party you like to throw for yourself and your football team at the end of each regular season and after your bowl victories. Let me just explain a couple of things for you.

Just to be clear, there is no playoff in Division 1 college football. That's not to say that there shouldn't be, but under the current system we play bowl games. That's just the way it is. Two teams are picked based on their entire body of work, all 12 games, and those two teams get to play for our National Championship. How your team starts and how they play during the heart of the schedule counts just as much as how they finish. Despite the fact USC looked really good in yesterday's Rose Bowl, this year your Trojans were not one of those teams. Probably mostly due to the fact that you lost to Stanford at home back in October. Remember that 4-8 team that came into your Coliseum as 40-point underdogs and left with a world-shocking upset win? So maybe when your thinking about how good your team looks and how it's a shame they didn't get the chance to play for a National Title you can look back at that loss and your loss to Oregon as the reasons instead of blaming it on the same Bowl system we've had in college football for decades.

Now I'm not saying that USC, and Georgia as well for that matter, aren't playing some of the best football in the nation right now. Without having seen Ohio State, LSU, Oklahoma and others to play in the next few days yet, USC and UGA most certainly look like "damn good football teams" to quote LSU coach Les Miles. But the point I am making here is that this is college football and college football does not have a playoff system and hasn't ever had a playoff system. Pete Carroll is a college football coach. He knows from week one how this works. He's been at it for many years now. When he was hoisting up those back-to-back BCS Championship Trophies, Pete Carroll didn't seem to have much of a problem with the system. So now that you are not on the field January 7th don't give me this "Would I love to still be playing right now? Sure would" junk. After all you are Rose Bowl Champion, and that was your team's goal from the outset, right?

Insight Bowl Preview

2007-12-30T11:00:00.000-06:00

Insight Bowl
Indiana Hoosiers (7-5) vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-6)
Monday, December 31st 5:30 PM, NFL Network

The Indiana Hoosiers and Oklahoma State Cowboys each bring high-powered offenses to Tempe, but the biggest story with both teams this season was found on the sidelines.

Bill Lynch took over as Indiana’s head coach after Terry Hoeppner lost his long battle with cancer in June. The players used the loss of their beloved former coach as motivation throughout the season, adopting Hoeppner’s dream of playing a 13th game as their creed.

Indiana accomplished its mission and reached that 13th game under Lynch, who had formerly been Hoeppner’s offensive coordinator. The Hoosiers finished 7-5 and ended the Big Ten’s longest bowl drought. This year's Insight Bowl marks Indiana’s first bowl game since 1993.

The Hoosiers capped their regular season by beating in-state rival Purdue to claim the Old Oaken Bucket for the first time since 2001. Lynch was recently signed to a four-year extension as a reward for leading the team to success under trying circumstances.

On the field, Indiana is led by quarterback Kellen Lewis and wide receiver James Hardy. Lewis led the Hoosiers in rushing and also threw for 25 touchdowns this year, 16 of which were caught by Hardy. The 6-foot-7 receiver caught a touchdown pass in 11 of 12 games this season and posted five multiple-touchdown games. Hardy, arguably the best receiver in the Big Ten, has 36 touchdowns over the last three seasons.

Indiana's high powered offense has had to outscore their opponents this year as the Hoosier defense struggled against quality teams. The Hoosiers didn’t hold a single Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) opponent under 20 points this season. In conference play, Big Ten schools scored more than 30 points per game against Indiana. One bright spot is defensive end Greg Middleton, who led the nation with 16 sacks, an Indiana school record. Middleton was the lone Hoosier defender to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors.

The special team edge goes to Indiana in Tempe. Starting tailback Marcus Thigpen is one of the most dangerous return men in the nation, and IU kicker Austin Starr connected on 19 of his 21 field goal attempts this year.

Oklahoma State might not have the special teams ability of Indiana but it does have something special roaming the sidelines. Head coach Mike Gundy inspired his team this year with an outburst the likes of which we haven't seen in college football. Gundy’s “Come after me! I’m a man! I’m 40!” rant in September was one of the most played video clips of the entire football season, and is arguably the funniest soundbite to ever come from a coach's press conference.

His tirade followed the Cowboys’ shootout with Texas Tech in which Okie State actually WON! That was the first win in a 4-1 stretch that propelled Oklahoma State to its second straight bowl berth under Gundy. The third-year coach was also rewarded with an extension at the end of the season.

The Cowboys finished the season with a 6-6 record after struggling in non-conference play. They lost their visits to Georgia (nearly a national championship game participant) and Troy (possibly the best team not playing a bowl game) in September. OSU went 4-4 in conference play coming within a couple of bounces of beating both Texas A&M and Texas.

Oklahoma State is coming off one of their worst performances of the year, where they were soundly trounced by the Sooners in the Bedlam rivalry. The Cowboys missed star receiver Adarius Bowman in that game and their aerial attack was accordingly held in check.

Bowman will suit up in Tempe, restoring the Cowboys’ stacked offense to full power. Quarterback Zac Robinson is a sprinter who threw only two interceptions in the second half of the season. The Cowboys' speedy running back Dantrell Savage ended his season with nine straight 100-yard games and tight end Brandon Pettirgrew was named first-team All-Big 12.

Like Indiana, Oklahoma State’s defense gives up points. The Cowboys play up-tempo, confident in their offense’s ability to reach the end zone more frequently than their opponents.

Oklahoma State is playing in its fifth bowl game in six seasons. The Cowboys beat Alabama in last year’s Independence Bowl 34-31 under Gundy with many of the same players currently on the roster. Indiana hasn't been to a bowl game in over a decade, but reaching any bowl game has been this team's dream from game one. The Hoosiers will undoubtedly be playing with as much passion as any team this entire bowl season. One thing is for certain, both teams will feature high octane offenses in what should be one of the more exciting and high scoring bowl games this year.

Alamo Bowl Preview

2007-12-28T13:12:00.000-06:00

Valero Alamo Bowl

Penn State Nittany Lions (8-4) vs. Texas A&M Aggies (7-5)

Saturday, December 29th, 8:00 PM ESPN

Two traditional college powerhouses with varying levels of sideline stability meet in this year’s Valero Alamo Bowl on Saturday night at 8 PM.

Joe Paterno leads the Penn State Nittany Lions to San Antonio for his 33rd bowl game as Penn State’s head coach. Texas A&M will be led by defensive coordinator Gary Darnell due to head coach Dennis Franchione’s resignation at season's end. Houston Texans assistant Mike Sherman will take over at A&M next season.

Franchione failed to meet expectations during his five-year tenure in College Station and was winless in the Aggie's two bowl game appearances. They lost 38-7 to Tennessee at the Cotton Bowl three seasons ago and suffered a 45-10 loss to Cal in last year’s Holiday Bowl.

It’s difficult to say which Aggies team will show up on Saturday night. Texas A&M blasted off to a 5-1 start thanks mostly to a weak non-conference schedule. A&M did top 260 yards rushing in four of their first six games. After that fast start, the Aggies slumped in conference play and lost 3 straight to Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri before upsetting in-state rival Texas to finish the season.

Texas A&M hooked the Horns with a more aggressive attack, focused on using the pass to set up the run. Quarterback Stephen McGee notched a career-high 362 passing yards in the win as A&M tallied 533 total yards of offense and 38 points against the Longhorns.

McGee led the Aggies in rushing this year ahead of speedy running back Mike Goodson and 275-pound goal line specialist Jorvorskie Lane. Tight end Martellus Bennett, a top NFL prospect, was McGee’s top target through the air.

Defensively the Aggies have been very good at stopping the run this season. They are more susceptible to the pass, something A&M’s late-season opponents exploited. The Aggies went 2-4 in the second half of the season against Big XII foes, letting opposing quarterbacks complete 67 percent of their passes and throw for 13 touchdowns against just one interception in their last 6 games.

It will be interesting to see whether Penn State quarterback Anthony Morelli can take advantage of Texas A&M’s weak secondary. Morelli threw 18 touchdowns this season, but 10 of those came against cupcakes Florida International, Buffalo and Temple.

The Penn State offense relied heavily on the run against Big Ten conference opponents. The Lions ran the ball 40-plus times in six of its final seven games. The only exception in that span was Penn State's loss to Ohio State, in which Morelli was forced to throw more in an effort to comeback from their early deficit.

The Lion's running attack is led by Rodney Kinlaw, who stepped up after the dismissal of running back Austin Scott and proved himself worthy of being Penn State’s main man in his senior year. Kinlaw posted five 100-yard games on the ground in his 1,186-yard season.

As usual, the key to most of Penn State's victories was their stout defense. The Nittany Lions finished second in the nation with 45 quarterback sacks, led by defensive end Maurice Evans who recorded 12 1/2 sacks on the year. Middle linebacker Dan Connor is the star of Lion's defense. The Butkus Award finalist led the Big Ten with 136 tackles this year. Connor continued Penn State's tradition of great linebackers and marked the third straight season that a Nittany Lion was a finalist for the Butkus Award, given to the nation's best linebacker. Junior Sean Lee might be a contender for next year’s hardware after being involved in 124 tackles this season.

The Alamo Bowl will mark JoePa's 500th game as Penn State’s head coach, one of many incredible accomplishments in his coaching career. Paterno has won more than twice as many bowl games as he’s lost during his run at PSU, including last year's Outback Bowl and the 2006 Orange Bowl.

Penn State and Texas A&M also met in the 1999 Alamo Bowl. The Nittany Lions were victorious in that meeting beating the Aggies 24-0. Expect this year's contest to be a much closer game, the key will be whether Penn State can run the ball successfully against A&M's defensive front. If the Aggies defense can control the line of scrimmage and force Anthony Morelli to beat them with his arm things could get interesting. Morelli has the arm strength and ability to stretch the field, but as most Lion fans know he has been very inconsistent at times this season.

Champs Sports Bowl Preview

2007-12-28T08:15:00.000-06:00

Champs Sports Bowl
Michigan State Spartans (7-5) vs Boston College Eagles (10-3)
Friday, December 28th 5:00PM, ESPN

Yesterday we took an indepth look at the Boston College Eagles. That preview can be found here. Today let's take a glimpse at Michigan State and preview tonight's game.

The Spartans come to Orlando boasting one of the nation’s top running games. Javon Ringer and Jehuu Caulcrick, Michigan State's lightning-and-thunder duo, combined for 2,159 yards and 27 rushing touchdowns this season. Ringer finished the regular season with an impressive average of 6.0 yards per carry. Caulcrick is the bruiser of the two that does his best work near the goal line, scoring 21 touchdowns in 12 games.

MSU's new head coach Mark Dantonio rode Ringer and Caulcrick to an early-season 4-0 start. The Spartans then overcame their reputation for late-season collapses by shifting some of their offensive focus away from the run. Wide receiver Devin Thomas is as dangerous a player as you’ll find in the Big Ten.

The Spartans delivered a pair of upset wins to close the season 7-5 as quarterback Brian Hoyer connected with Thomas early and often. Thomas, who doubles as a kickoff return threat, caught 17 passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns in Michigan State's final two wins over Purdue and Penn State.

MSU will need all the offensive balance it can muster to keep up with Boston College. The Spartans’ defense was less than spectacular in conference play, allowing 33 points per game in Big Ten action.

One shining star on the MSU defense was Jonal Saint-Dic, a finalist for the Ted Hendricks award as the nation’s top defensive end. Saint-Dic was a disruptive force in opposing backfields, recording 10 quarterback sacks and setting a Big Ten single-season record by forcing eight fumbles. However, Saint-Dic was ruled academically ineligible for the bowl game. He and four other Spartans will sit out the Champs Sports Bowl from academic and other violations.

The absence of Saint-Dic and fellow defensive standout SirDarean Adams may be the key to the game. If their replacements on defense can find ways to hassle BC quarterback Matt Ryan, the Spartans could pull off the upset. If Ryan has time to set up and throw downfield, however, the Eagles will tack another win onto the nation's longest current bowl game winning streak.

Champs Sports Preview: Boston College

2007-12-27T10:52:00.000-06:00

Boston College Eagles
10-3 (ACC 6-2, 2nd)

Boston College and Michigan State meet Friday night in Orlando’s Champs Sports Bowl. Both schools showed improvement this season under first-year head coaches. Let's take an indepth look at the Spartan's opponent Friday night.

Boston College’s rise to claim the ACC Atlantic title under new head coach Jeff Jagodzinski may have been one of the bigger surprises in college football this year. Jagodzinski took over for former coach Tom O’Brien who left BC for division rival North Carolina State. O’Brien led the Eagles for 10 seasons and to a streak of seven straight bowl game victories, the nation’s longest current streak.

Jagodzinski’s first college head coaching job was aided by the presence of upperclassmen throughout the Eagles’ lineup. None was more important than senior quarterback and projected first-rounder Matt Ryan.

Ryan led the Eagles to an 8-0 start out of the gate. He became the Heisman frontrunner overnight after leading an amazing comeback at Virginia Tech at the end of October. The win also placed Boston College at No. 2 in the national rankings.

Eagles-fever died down in November and December, when Ryan threw more interceptions than touchdown passes and BC slumped to a 2-3 finish. Boston College still went on to win the Atlantic division of the ACC and had a shot at an Orange Bowl berth but lost their rematch with Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game.

The team’s offensive numbers are pass-heavy with an NFL-ready quarterback running the offense behind an experienced line that excels in pass protection. Boston College’s senior backfield duo can also make plays when needed. Andre Callender caught 72 passes out of the backfield on the year and also ran for nearly 1,000 yards.

One of the glaring problems for the Eagles is special teams play. Former walk-on kicker Steve Aponavicius hit only 65 percent of his field goal attempts and missed four extra points this season.

Defensively, the Eagles could use the healthy return of shutdown cornerback DeJean Tribble. The BC run defense will be tested against Michigan State; a defense that excelled all year at stuffing the run. Boston College was the top school in the nation against the ground game, allowing opponents only 68 rushing yards per game.

Motor City Bowl Preview

2007-12-26T08:16:00.000-06:00

The first bowl game featuring a Big Ten team will kick-off at 7:30 tonight at Ford Field in Detroit. The Purdue Boilermakers (7-5) and Central Michigan Chippewas (8-5) will face off in the Motor City Bowl on ESPN. The schools met earlier this season with Purdue notching a 45-22 win at home in Week 3. Since then, Purdue struggled in Big Ten conference play going just 3-5, while the Chippewas finished 6-1 and earned a 2nd straight MAC Championship.

We previewed Central Michigan last week and that preview can be found here. Now let's take a look at the Boilermakers.

Purdue lost five of their last seven games, all against Big Ten opponents. None of the losses hurt more than their season-ending defeat to in-state rival Indiana. Purdue had rallied from a 21-point deficit late in the second half, but lost the Old Oaken Bucket to the Hoosiers on a last-minute field goal.

The Boilermakers will still come to Detroit with some of best offensive talent the Big Ten has to offer. Quarterback Curtis Painter tossed 26 touchdown passes against only nine interceptions this year. Tight end Dustin Keller and running back Cory Sheets excel in the red zone, and Dorien Bryant might be the best receiver in the entire conference.

Purdue’s defense struggled for much of the season and especially against their other Michigan-based opponents. Both Michigan and Michigan State beat the Boilers scoring 48 points in the process. One bright spot on defense is Purdue's ability to cause turnovers, forcing 27 of them in its 12 games this year.

The Boilermakers are hungry to end their three-game bowl losing streak tonight in Detroit, while the Chippewas look to repeat as Motor City Bowl Champions. Central Michigan defeated Middle Tennessee State 31-14 to end last season.

Saturday Basketball Preview

2007-12-21T14:28:00.000-06:00

Eight Big Ten teams will be in action on Saturday including some big time matchups. The biggest game of the weekend proves to be Texas-Michigan State, where two top 10 teams will face off in East Lansing. It should be the best weekend of the season to date. Let's take a look at a few of the big games on the schedule for Saturday.

#8 UCLA at Michigan - 2:00PM CBS
This game sounds better than it will actually be. Maybe in a few years when Coach Beilein's system has been fully implemented at Michigan this will be a more exciting game. UCLA comes to town with a 10-1 record, the Bruin's only loss coming at the hands of #5 Texas by just 2 points. Michigan has been very inconsistent to date and it will take a miracle for the Wolverines to pull off an upset.

Florida at Ohio State - 4:00PM CBS
Oh how the mighty have fallen. Well, sort of. Neither team is as strong as last year in this rematch of last year's National Championship. Florida is 11-1, but lost their only game against a major conference team, a 65-51 home loss to Florida State. More recently, the Gators also struggled in a 52-49 win over Georgia Southern. Ohio State is 7-3 in their first ten, but those three losses have all come to very quality foes Texas A&M, North Carolina, and Butler.

#5 Texas at #10 Michigan State - 6:30PM ESPN2
Ex-Wonk John Gasaway previews this game over at Basketball Prospectus much better than we could. If you haven't visited Gasaway and tempo-free genius Ken Pomeroy's new Basketball Prospectus site, you should.

Illinois vs Missouri (at St Louis) - 8:30PM ESPN2
The annual border war for Busch Braggin' Rights continues Saturday night in St. Louis. Illinois comes into this season's tilt fresh off an overtime home loss to Miami (OH) Thursday night. Missouri has won three straight home contests to improve their record to 8-3 on the year with losses to Michigan State, Arkansas and California. The Illini will need more production out of their backcourt to have any chance against a fast paced Mizzou squad. Illinois point guard Chester Frazier has made just one of his last 18 shot attempts over the past couple games.

Illini fall to Miami(OH)

2007-12-21T08:27:00.000-06:00

Miami (OH) 61 Illinois 58 OT
(Box Score)

Illinois shot just 35% from the floor including a dismal 2 of 15 from the 3-point line in last nights overtime loss to Redhawks of Miami (Ohio). Shaun Pruitt scored a career-high 24 points on 9-16 shooting and also pulled in 15 rebounds for the Illini. Forward Brian Randall was the only other Illini in double digits with 14. Chester Frazier continues to disappoint for Illinois scoring just 2 points in 42 minutes. Frazier missed all five of his shots last night and was 0 for 3 from behind the arc. Take away Pruitt and Randall, and the rest of the Illini shot just 16% against the Redhawks defense. Coach Bruce Weber told the team it would be a "gut-check game" and his team could not find a way to win at home.

The Redhawks were paced by the play of Tim Pollitz who had his way inside scoring 17 points on 8 of 14 shooting and pulling in 13 boards. Junior guard Michael Bramos provided 19 points off the bench on 7-13 shooting and went 3 of 7 from the 3-point line.

With the win, Miami improved to 6-4 on the season while the loss drops Illinois to 6-4. Up next for the Illini is the Busch Braggin' Rights game against Missouri on Saturday in St. Louis. One of the many quality games on tap for Big Ten teams tomorrow. It should be a fun weekend of basketball with the conference season just around the corner.

Two Buckeyes suspended for Title Game

2007-12-20T10:14:00.000-06:00

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Top-ranked Ohio State will be without two cornerbacks -- one a starter and the other a top reserve -- who have been suspended for the Allstate BCS Championship Game against LSU, according to media reports.

Donald Washington, a sophomore who has started every game this season for the Buckeyes (11-1), and backup Eugene Clifford were suspended for violating team rules, WCMH-TV and The Columbus Dispatch reported Wednesday.

Athletic director Gene Smith declined Thursday to confirm the suspensions and said there was "work to be done" before he could confirm them.

Washington, in particular, played a key role in an Ohio State defense ranked among the best in the nation. He had 34 tackles, tied for seventh-best on the team with second-team All-American lineman Vernon Gholston, and also had two tackles for minus yardage, one sack, one interception and one fumble recovery.

Washington, 21, started at nickel back a year ago and moved into the starting spot at field corner this spring. In a 48-3 win over Kent State on Oct. 13, the Indianapolis native returned an interception 70 yards for a touchdown and recorded his first career sack.

With him out of the lineup, redshirt freshman Chimdi Chekwa will most likely move into the starting position.

Clifford was a prized recruit last spring after receiving all-state and several national honors during his days at Colerain High School.

He was listed as Malcolm Jenkins' backup at border corner on the Buckeyes' latest two-deep chart.

Clifford had played in four games, totaling eight tackles.

The Buckeyes' final workout before the holidays was on Wednesday. They will be off until returning on Dec. 26, then will practice for a week before flying to New Orleans on Jan. 2.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

Motor City Preview: Central Michigan

2007-12-20T09:13:00.000-06:00

With the first bowl featuring a Big Ten team less than one week away, The Chronicle has decided to roll out our first in many previews to come for this year's bowl season. The Motor City Bowl is played on Wednesday, December 26th at 7:30PM and will feature the Big Ten's Purdue Boilermakers and the MAC Champion Central Michigan Chippewas. Here is a closer look at Purdue's opponent:

Central Michigan Chippewas
8-5 (MAC 6-1, 1st)

Central Michigan earned another Motor City Bowl berth by repeating as Mid-American Conference champions. The Chippewas were Champions of the MAC last year under Brian Kelly, now the coach at Cincinnati, then did it again under new head coach Butch Jones this season. CMU led the MAC in scoring in 2007, with sophomore quarterback Dan LeFevour leading the way.

LeFevour joined current NFL QB Vince Young as the only Division 1 college quarterbacks to throw for more than 3,000 yards and run for another 1,000 in the same season. LeFevour was named 2007 MAC Offensive Player of the Year and is surrounded by talent at the skill positions, especially wide receivers Bryan Anderson and Antonio Brown.

For as fast as the CMU offense can score points, its defense is just as good at giving them up.

Central Michigan allowed opponents 36 points a game this season, a number inflated by the Chippewas’ appearances against BCS-conference opponents. They conceded 52 points to Kansas, 70 to Clemson, and 45 to the Boilermakers in their previous meeting on September 15th of this year. The low point for this year's defense may have been allowing 44 points in a loss to Division 1-AA (FCS) school North Dakota State.

Where are they now? Shawn Respert

2007-12-19T08:38:00.000-06:00

Shawn Respert played shooting guard for the Michigan State Spartans from 1990 to 1995. During his senior season, coach Jud Heathcote's final year at MSU, Respert averaged 25.6 points per game and was named the 1995 Big Ten Player of the Year. Respert was also a unanimous first team All-American for the 1994-95 season. Michigan State entered the 1995 NCAA Tournament as a 3-seed but was upset in the first round by 14-seed Weber State 79-72.

Respert was selected with the 8th overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland then traded Respert to the Milwaukee Bucks for Gary Trent and a first-round pick. Respert played for four NBA teams (Milwaukee, Toronto, Dallas and Phoenix) from 1995 to 1999. After being waived in 1999, Respert played professionally for overseas in Italy, Greece, and Poland before retiring in 2003.

In 2005, Shawn Respert admitted that he was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1996 at the age of 23. He kept his battle with cancer a secret because he didn't want people feeling sorry for him or using it as an excuse as to why his NBA career never took off.

Respert has worked as Director of Basketball Operations for Rice University, and is now currently the Director of Player Development for the NBDL, the NBA's Development League.

Big Ten Basketball Newsstand

2007-12-13T09:43:00.000-06:00

Penn State 61 Princeton 38 (Box)
Slower tempo has no effect on PSU's face paced offense - Daily Collegian
Penn State pounces on Princeton - Centre Daily News

Michigan 103 Oakland 87 (Box)
Michigan's Udoh, Gibson swat Grizzlies - Detroit Free-Press
Michigan finds itself vs. Oakland - Detroit News
UM win over Oakland a work of art - Ann Arbor News

Wisconsin 61 UW-Milwaukee 39 (Box)
UW forges scrap mettle - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
Badgers get big win over I-94 rivals - Hudson Star-Observer
Hughes gets point, takes step forward - Wisconsin State Journal

Minnesota 78 South Dakota State 72 (Box)
Gophers hang on vs Jackrabbits - Minn-St Paul Star Tribune
U struggles to lackluster victory - Twin Cities Pioneer Press

FRIDAY: Drake at Iowa
Freeman will give it a go vs. Drake - Quad City Times
An empty feeling at Carver-Hawkeye - Des Moines Register
Keno, Tom Davis work together - Iowa City Press-Citizen

Somebody doesn't like Bobby Petrino

2007-12-12T12:37:00.000-06:00

Ouch! ESPN's Pat Forde has an intersting write up today on Bobby Petrino's sudden arrival at Arkansas as the Razorback's new head coach. Forde remembers Petrino at Louisville from his days as a reporter for the Louisville Courier-Journal and has some harsh words on Petrino's annual changes of scenery. It's hard to argue with the fact that Petrino seems to be looking to upgrade his status and paycheck every offseason while continuing to profess his "happiness" with his current job/school. I don't disagree that Petrino's stay in Fayetteville will probably be brief, but on the other hand who can really blame the guy for wanted to get the H out of Atlanta?

Where are they now? Joe Crispin

2007-12-12T08:47:00.000-06:00

Joe Crispin played guard for the Penn State Nittany Lions from 1997 to 2001 alongside his younger brother Jon Crispin. Crispin was named First Team All Big Ten as a senior in 2001 averaging 19.5 points per game and shooting 35.6% from the 3-point line. The Nittany Lions finished that season with a record of 21-12 and earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament as a 7-seed. Penn State reached the Sweet 16 after a win over Providence in the 1st round and a 2nd round 82-74 upset of 1-seed North Carolina. Crispin led all scorers with 21 points in the upset win. The Lions would lose to 11-seed Temple in the Sweet 16 ending their season and Crispin's career.

Crispin was not drafted, but he signed a free agent contract with the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 2001. He was cut after playing in only 6 games for LA and later picked up by the Phoenix Suns. Joe played in 15 games for the Suns averaging 8.6 minutes per game in the 2001-02 NBA season. Crispin was waived in 2002 and has since played all over the world in the CBA, ABA, and many European basketball leagues. In 2004 while playing with the Kansas City Knights, Crispin was named the MVP of the ABA.

Joe Crispin is currently playing professional basketball in Spain. He signed with CAI Zaragoza of Spain's LEB Gold League in January of 2007. In the 2007 playoffs, Zaragoza reached the Spanish LEB Gold Semifinals.

The Return of the Bye Week

2007-12-11T13:53:00.000-06:00

All Big Ten conference teams will now be allowed to play a game after Thanksgiving. Schools will be allowed to shift 2008 games to the last weekend in November, and the conference will start scheduling later games starting in 2009. This means that teams will once again be able to schedule a Bye Week to give athletes extra rest during the season. The Bye Week was initially lost when the NCAA expanded the regular season to 12 games.

This is a move that the Big Ten needed to make and it will help conference teams in two ways. First, the obvious advantage will be the extra week for players to rehab injuries and get rested. The other major benefit this change will have is the fact all other conferences continue to play regular season games and championship games after the Thanksgiving break. Big Ten schools will now be able to move their week of rivalries back to compete with the end of the regular season in other conferences. Playing later will also greatly affect a team's chance at moving up the polls in order to get into the BCS. Generally a big win late in the season helps a team get a much needed boost in the rankings when it is needed most, unlike this year where all the late upsets helped Ohio State climb back into the National Title picture. Finally, the added week also means Big Ten team's will no longer be able to use the long layoff between their final season game and bowl game as an excuse for any lackluster performance. The playing field is now equal in terms of a team's downtime before the bowl season.

Power Rankings

2007-12-10T15:16:00.000-06:00

1. Michigan State 8-1

The Spartans top the first edition of BTC's basketball Power Rankings after showing they can win away from home this week. Michigan State recently defeated a tough Bradley team on the road and toppled BYU on Saturday in Salt Lake City. The Spartans only loss came in a very close contest against then #1 ranked UCLA in a game played at Kansas City. Through 9 games, MSU has had one of the ten most efficient offenses in the nation with Drew Neitzel and Raymar Morgan leading the way. It also comes as no surprise that the Spartans are once again one of the nation's best rebounding teams, and right now the best in Offensive Rebounding %. Morgan and Goran Suton have been absolute monsters on the offensive glass to this point.

2. Indiana 8-1

Indiana defeated Kentucky at home on Saturday without guards Eric Gordon (day-to-day) and Armon Bassett (team rule). The 70-51 victory over the rival Wildcats was IU's 23rd straight home victory, and coach Kelvin Sampson improved his record to 21-0 at Assembly Hall since becoming the Hoosier's head coach. Indiana may be the Big Ten's most balanced team with an offense led by Gordon and the inside play of D.J. White and Lance Stemler to go along with Coach Sampson's pressure defense. The Hoosier's only blemish came earlier this year to a 7-1 Xavier team that has one of the nation's most efficient offensives to date.

3. Wisconsin 6-2

Bo Ryan's Badgers once again have one of the best defenses in all of college basketball, which should come as a surprise to no one. Wisconsin is actually the nation's best defense right now by "tempo-free" efficiency standards. What makes that stat even more impressive is the fact that one of the Badger's two losses came in the 82-58 slaughter at the hands of Duke. Wisconsin's other loss was this Saturday at home against a very good Marquette team. The Badgers will again this year be one of the toughest teams in the nation to score against and should compete for the conference crown.

4. Illinois 5-3

Saturday's overtime loss to Arizona at the United Center in Chicago dropped Illinois' record to 5-3 on the year. The Illini have played the toughest non-conference schedule to date of any Big Ten team and have faired decently well considering the quality of their competition. Illinois' three losses have come to Arizona, Duke and at Maryland. Bruce Weber's team will be a force when the Big Ten schedule opens up.

5. Purdue 5-2

Purdue has an extremely young team that has been pretty impressive on the defensive end to this point in the season. The Boilermakers have lost their only two road games to date, Saturday at Missouri and at Clemson in last week's Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The talent is obviously there for this to be a good squad, and with more experience look for the Boiler's to continue showing improvement throughout the year. This will be a very tough team to beat come conference games.

6. Minnesota 6-1

Tubby Smith's tenure with the Golden Gopher's has started better than any of the other first year coaches in the conference (more on those later), but most of those wins have come against weak competition. Minnesota has an experienced bunch this year with senior's Lawrence McKenzie, Spencer Tollackson, and Dan Coleman logging the most minutes. The Gopher's do have a road win over Iowa State, but did lose by double digits at Florida State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. It will be interesting to see how the team performs when the quality of their opponents increases (NOTE: The cupcakes continue for Minnesota until their Big Ten opener at Michigan State).

7. Ohio State 4-3

Ohio State will host Coppin State tonight as they should no doubt end their current 2-game losing streak. The Buckeye's three losses have come to quality teams, but the margin of defeat has to be more than a little concerning. OSU lost 70-47 to Texas A&M in New York earlier in the year, and more recently dropped a game at Butler 65-46, in which they were completely dominated in the 2nd half. A lot has been made early of freshman big man Kosta Koufus who is averaging 16.1 points per game. However, it should be pointed out that Koufus is currently taking 35.5% of Ohio State's total shots on the offensive end. Koufus is certainly a promising talent, but he can certainly become a much more efficient scorer and was more than disappointing against North Carolina, scoring just 4 points on 1 of 10 shooting.

8. Penn State 4-4

Penn State's first eight games has been a story of two teams. The Nittany Lions are 4-0 at home and 0-4 away from Happy Valley. Penn State's 66-61 win over Virginia Tech in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge was impressive, but losses to Rider and Central Florida away from home are equally as disappointing.

9. Iowa 6-5

Who else is wondering whether Todd Lickliter regrets his move from ranked Butler to this year's Hawkeyes? Lickliter inherited an Iowa team which had lost their two leading scorers in Tyler Smith and Adam Haluska. Then leading returner Tony Freeman went down with an ankle injury and has missed all but 1 of Iowa's games this season. The Hawkeye's did show some promise in their win at Northern Iowa last week thanks in large part to the return of Freeman. With a healthy ballclub Iowa will be better than they have shown so far but still don't expect much more than 5 conference wins from this bunch.

10. Northwestern 4-4

Northwestern started the year 1-4 before their recent three-game win streak. Of course those wins have been against Savannah State, Arkansas State, and Western Michigan. Not exactly NCAA powerhouse programs. The Wildcats have a legitimate scoring threat in guard Craig Moore, but they just don't have the depth to finish anywhere of the bottom of the league again this year.

11. Michigan 3-6

Name one thing more embarrassing than Michigan's search for a new football coach? This year's Michigan basketball squad. The Wolverines have had quite a past 10 days, losing to former coach Tommy Amaker's Harvard ballclub, and followed that up with a 95-67 bloodbath loss at Duke on Saturday. Coach John Beilien's system will eventually work at Michigan, but it sure is going to be an uphill climb.

Wednesday BBall Results

2007-12-06T10:21:00.000-06:00

Purdue 70 Ball State 57
(Box Score)
The Boilermakers improved to 5-1 win their victory over winless Ball State. Purdue struggled at times with the Cardinals and actually trailed with 15:47 left in the second half. A 17-2 Boilermaker run followed to secure victory and help Purdue avoid the upset. Sophomore Keaton Grant led all scorers with 15 points on just six shots. Grant was 4 of 6 from the three-point line and added 3 free throws. Tarrance Crump added 13 off the bench on 5 of 8 shooting, and making all three of his 3-pointers attempted. Up next for Purdue is a road test at Missouri on Saturday.

Newsstand:
Boilers stumble, recover in victory - Indianapolis Star
Grant leads Purdue to 70-57 win over in-state rival Ball State - International Herald Tribune

Iowa 62 Northern Iowa 55
(Box Score)
Iowa saw the return of junior guard Tony Freeman and got a big game out of freshman Jake Kelly en route to a 62-55 road win over UNI. The Hawkeyes had lost two straight to UNI and hadn't won on the Panther's homecourt since 1999. Iowa shot 50% for the game and was 10 of 17 from the 3-point line as a team. The Hawkeyes also dominated the boards, outrebounding UNI 37 to 16. Freeman did not start, but played 24 minutes off the bench and scored 15 points on 5 of 7 shooting, including 3 for 3 from beyond the arc. Kelly was the games leading scorer with 19 points on 6 of 13 shooting. Iowa improved to 6-4 with the win and faces another in-state foe on Saturday at Iowa State.

Newsstand:
Freshman, Freeman lead Hawks over Panthers - Des Moines Register
Freeman returns, carries Hawks past UNI - Quad City Times

Where are they now? Ray Jackson

2007-12-05T09:15:00.000-06:00

Ray Jackson was a guard for the Michigan Wolverines from 1991 to 1995. Jackson was part of the famed "Fab Five" freshman with Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard and Jimmy King. The Wolverines reached the NCAA Tournament Finals in both 1992 and 1993, Jackson's freshman and sophomore season. In his senior year of 1995, Jackson averaged 15.8 points per game for Michigan.

Jackson was the only member of the "Fab Five" to never make it to the NBA. He was picked up by the Knicks as an undrafted free agent in 1995, but was cut prior to the start of the season. Jackson was drafted by the Grand Rapids Hoops of the CBA and earned the 1995-96 CBA Rookie of the Year.

Jackson currently resides in Austin, Texas. He runs a moving company and is President of R.I.S.E. Up Inc. RISE Up is a non-profit organization that stressed the need for today's youth. The program provides social, educational, and recreational opportunities for children through the use of basketball.

The BCS Got it Right

2007-12-04T12:33:00.000-06:00

Since the creation of the BCS, we have had our fair share of controversy and the annual cries for some kind of a playoff system. The BCS was formed as a way to have the #1 and #2 teams in the nation play each other for the National Championship at the end of each year. And I think in 2007 it did exactly that. Ohio State and LSU both deserve their chance to play for this year's National Title.

On the last day of the season we saw the top two teams get beat, Missouri lost to Oklahoma and West Virginia was upset by Pittsburgh. With both #1 and #2 going down so late in the season, a BCS "mess" was created. Why? Did people honestly think before the Big XII Championship that Missouri was the best team in the country? Would we have been satisfied with a BCS Championship Game of Missouri vs. West Virginia just because they were #1 and #2 on the last weekend? Probably the biggest point to keep in mind when analyzing the BCS is the fact it is meant to compare teams at the END of the season. Once ALL games have been played, the BCS calculates which teams are the best two. Every year this fact gets lost as ESPN and other media outlets prematurely look ahead at what Championship Games we MAY have if teams ranked 1 and 2 win out. Of course this is meaningless because the BCS is not meant to create the Championship matchup until all games have been played.

Some argue (Pete Carroll) that this is a flaw in the system since it doesn't reward teams that are playing their best at the end of the season, but rather rewards teams based on their entire season. This is exactly one thing I love about the current BCS system. It evaluates teams based on the entire body of work. You have to be great for all 12 games and not just get hot at the end of the season. This year the BCS determined Ohio State and LSU were the best two teams based on their entire body of work and I agree. I haven't heard too many complaints about the Buckeyes reaching the Championship, but some are saying other teams were more deserving than LSU. Let's take a look at the Tigers and some of those other teams that were competing for the #2 spot once West Virginia went down.

LSU Tigers
LSU finished the season with 2 losses, both of those in triple overtime and was the champion of the toughest conference in the nation, the SEC. The Tigers deserve their shot at the National Title.

Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia is a very good football team and one of those squads that peaked at the end of the year. However, although it is not written anywhere that a team has to be a conference champ to play in the BCS Championship, it needs to be noted that not only did Georgia not win the SEC, they didn't even play in the SEC Championship Game.

USC Trojans
Pete Carroll will tell you that his Trojans are the best team in the nation right now. They are playing as good as any team right now, but the system we have measures every game equally. Whether that game was back in September or right now. And USC lost at home to Stanford! I know they were hurt and banged up, but under no system should a team be able to lose at home to Stanford this year and still have any chance at playing for the National Title. Sorry Trojans.

Oklahoma Sooners
If not LSU, Oklahoma would be the one team I would have been okay with jumping up to #2. They have two losses, both on the road, and the last to Texas Tech when QB Sam Bradford left the game with an injury. But injuries are part of the game and part of each season.

Virginia Tech Hookies
Virginia Tech won the ACC Championship avenging their loss earlier to Boston College. But in this case we can actually look at what happened on the field. Va Tech played LSU this season, and even though it was played in early September, LSU won that game 48 to 7. Enough said.

Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas is the other one loss team from a BCS Conference, but the Jayhawks beat exactly ZERO teams that are currently receiving votes in the AP Poll. Missouri was the one ranked team they played all season, and Kansas lost 28-36 on a neutral field. Nice season KU, but you really didn't beat anybody of substance.

So we are left with the best two teams ALL SEASON playing each other in New Orleans, Ohio State and LSU. The system is not perfect and no system will be, but this year the BCS did its job and got it right.

Big Ten Bowl Schedule

2007-12-02T21:00:00.000-06:00

BCS National Championship
LSU Tigers 38
Ohio State Buckeyes 24

Rose Bowl
USC Trojans 49
Illinois Fighting Illini 17

Capital One Bowl
Michigan Wolverines 41
Florida Gators 35

Outback Bowl
Tennessee Volunteers 21
Wisconsin Badgers 17

Insight Bowl
Oklahoma State Cowboys 49
Indiana Hoosiers 33

Alamo Bowl
Penn State Nittany Lions 24
Texas A&M Aggies 17

Champs Sports Bowl
Boston College Eagles 24
Michigan State Spartans 21

Motor City Bowl
Purdue Boilermakers 51
Central Michigan Chippewas 48

Les Miles Aftermath

2007-12-02T00:36:00.000-06:00

Now that Les Miles has made it clear that he plans to stay at LSU instead of bolting to Michigan, let's look back at what caused all the craziness on Saturday. Terry Foster of the Detroit News is standing by the early reports that a deal was made for Miles to come to Michigan. His sources confirmed that Miles was indeed coming to Ann Arbor, and Foster was setting up a meeting with Miles for next week.

Then there is the Big Ten Network's Gerry DiNardo who is reporting that Miles to Michigan ended up falling through for two reasons. Number one, Michigan AD Bill Martin would not meet with Miles until after LSU played in the SEC Championship game. Secondly, LSU offered Les Miles three different contracts. The best one, which it appears he ended up accepting, would only be on the table if he agreed to it before the SEC Title game. The other two were different and depended on whether the Tigers won or lost against Tennessee on Saturday. Obviously Miles decided to take the best contract and the guaranteed money LSU was offering.

It should also be noted that ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit sorta stood by his initial report Saturday during the telecast of the Oklahoma-Missouri game. Herbstreit basically said he would not have gone on the air with breaking news had he not had numerous sources at Michigan confirming to him that Miles would accept the position with UM. He also would not rule out the possibility of Miles still going to Michigan, as we have learned anything can happen in this day and age.

So whats to make of all of this? Who knows what actually happened. Probably nobody ever will except for Les Miles. It appears that Miles had at least told some associated with Michigan that he would be leaving for Ann Arbor. Whether he changed his mind when LSU offered more money, when ESPN prematurely broke the news, or for other reasons, only he knows. However, it should be noted that Miles is certainly no "victim" because of all of this. Whatever the case may be, it has been reported the LSU coach's new contract is worth $3 million next season. In conclusion, if we take Miles for his word now he will be the head coach at LSU next season, and Michigan is left to Plan C, or worse.

Check that, Miles to stay at LSU

2007-12-01T13:03:00.000-06:00

After a morning report by ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit had LSU coach Les Miles being named head coach at Michigan next week, now comes news from Baton Rogue that Miles and LSU have reached an agreement on a contract extension. LSU AD Skip Bertman has confirmed with various news sources that the deal has not yet been signed, but the two parties have reached an agreement.

This comes as a shock after hearing Herbstreit's report on College GameDay this morning and obviously serves as a major hit to Kirk Herbstreit's credibility.

Breaking: Miles to Michigan

2007-12-01T09:07:00.000-06:00

ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit is now reporting that LSU head coach Les Miles will be named head coach at Michigan early next week after the Tigers play in the SEC Championship game Saturday night. Herbstreit has learned from a source at Michigan that not only will Miles be announced as head coach, but Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Joe Tenuta will also be joining Miles on the staff at Michigan.

Miles of course played at Michigan and served as assistant coach on the Wolverine's staff in 1980 and 1981. After leaving for Colorado, Miles returned to Michigan to coach from 1987 to 1994 for both coaches Bo Schembechler and Gary Moeller.

Where are they now? Tom Coverdale

2007-11-29T07:27:00.000-06:00

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

2007-11-28T08:44:00.000-06:00

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

2007-11-27T14:17:00.000-06:00

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

2007-11-26T11:58:00.000-06:00

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?

2007-11-26T09:04:00.000-06:00

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

2007-11-20T10:09:00.000-06:00

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

2007-11-16T00:45:00.000-06:00

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

2007-11-15T10:14:00.000-06:00

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

2007-11-14T09:29:00.000-06:00

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

2007-11-13T10:43:00.000-06:00

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

2007-11-12T09:25:00.000-06:00

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

2007-11-09T08:24:00.000-06:00

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

2007-11-08T17:01:00.000-06:00

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

2007-11-08T08:53:00.000-06:00

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

2007-11-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

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

2007-11-06T15:34:00.000-06:00

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

2007-11-05T07:45:00.001-06:00

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

2007-11-04T10:13:00.000-06:00

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 1^st quarter, Iowa QB Jake Christensen connected with WR Trey Stross for an Iowa TD just before half. The Hawkeyes carried that momentum into the 2^nd 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 3^rd 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 6^th 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 1^st half and took a 14-3 lead into the locker room, but it was the Spartans who came out and took control of the 2^nd 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 2^nd 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 17^th. 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

2007-11-02T09:29:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-01T09:33:00.000-05:00

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

Where are they now? Taylor Stubblefield

2007-10-31T08:59:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-30T15:56:00.001-05:00

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

2007-10-29T13:15:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-26T08:21:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-25T07:30:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-24T20:28:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-24T08:14:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-22T10:26:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-19T07:25:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-18T09:26:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-17T11:21:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-15T12:46:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-12T08:06:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-11T09:27:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-10T08:21:00.000-05:00

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?

2007-10-09T15:52:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-08T11:03:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-10-06T11:42:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-05T09:12:00.000-05:00

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