League play is here! Sadly though the fifth week is more of a whimper than a triumphant start to Big Ten showdowns. For starters four teams don’t even play conference games this week. The 5 in-league games, while important, are mostly lacking sex appeal. Thankfully when a game or week looks bad it usually turns out to be some of the most exciting action. Hopefully we get rewarded with that.
Game of the Week:
Maryland at Indiana
With Michigan looking lifeless and Penn State beatable with good defense (Rutgers proved that) a lot of Eastern teams have to feel like if they can get hot and upset either OSU or MSU they will have an outside shot at the title game or at least make a pretty nice bowl game. Two of those teams square off this week in Bloomington. Maryland enters 3-1 but just a couple of plays away from 4-0. Indiana is in a similar boat. Few bounces their way against Bowling Green, they would be 3-0. IU of course just scored that massive upset at Missouri. After defining wins like that the encore becomes critically important. Kevin Wilson has been preaching that all week. Each team can score so a track meet looks likely. For a little “oh by the way” spice for this game, it is the league debut for the Terps. Only get one chance to make a first impression.
Saturday, 1:30 / 12:30 central, Big Ten Network
Sleeper:
Cincinnati at Ohio State
Yes, yes we all know OSU hasn’t lost to a team from Ohio since the dawn of time…but this isn’t your typical MAC fodder of Kent State, Akron, etc. UC is a bigger challenge. The two have only played each other 15 times and only four of those since World War 2. The last meeting was eight seasons ago. Since that time UC has turned into a steady performer, always a factor in the Big East and AAC. I’m sure some of you are scoffing but those leagues weren’t terrible. Their champions routinely played well in the BCS and as a conference they did well the entire bowl season. Cinci also boasts a legit gunslinger at quarter back – the highly touted Gunner Kiel. They are also coached by a proven winner – Tommy Tubberville. This might be the best chance to end that streak Buckeye fans have enjoyed for centuries.
Saturday, 6 / 5 central, Big Ten Network
Don’t Ignore:
Minnesota at Michigan
Ahhh, the Little Brown Jug. One of the worst rivalries around. Michigan leads 73-24-3 and has only dropped the game three times since Watergate. Michigan has no offense this year though and the Gopher defense has been fairly strong. This will be a grind-it out affair and could see Minnesota get a huge early conference win and turn Hoke’s seat that much hotter. Of course it is equally likely for Minnesota, which has very little offense, to get shut down. Michigan gets a huge early conference win and yadda, yadda, yadda. Curiously, of Minnesota’s 24 wins, exactly half of them have come in Ann Arbor, including last two (2005, 1986).
Saturday, 3:30 / 2:30 central, ABC / ESPN
Snoozer:
Wyoming at Michigan State
The ‘pokes offense is 121st and their defense is 53rd. MSU just dropped 73 on a cupcake. Can we please see the Spartans play someone good again? Side note, Wyoming took on Oregon last week. You think they saved time and only watched tape of the UO-MSU game?
Saturday, 12 / 11 central, ESPN2 / WatchESPN app…or go to a child’s recital and listen to the screeching. Either option will give you a splitting headache.
Upset Watch:
Right End – Purdue hosts Iowa and find themselves 9 point dogs. Considering Iowa can barely score nine points (averaging a paltry 22.3 – barely in the top 100) the Boilermaker faithful have to be excited about a potentially game changing victory for the program’s fortunes. Their last league win came in the season finale…2012.
Iowa at Purdue, Saturday, 12 / 11 central, Big Ten Network
Wrong End – Have to go back to the Hoosier game. They are slight 5 point favorites as I write this but this is Indiana football. It has felt like for every step forward they take two steps back. A road win over a ranked opponent was a big step in the right direction for them. They have to win this game to maintain that momentum and gain credibility. Upsets are called that for a reason. IU needs to sustain success.
Elsewhere:
South Florida at Wisconsin, Sat, 12 / 11, ESPNU / WatchESPN – Bulls are a slightly improved product with a win during monsoon conditions over league-mate UConn and pushing Maryland to the brink but this one should be wrapped by halftime if UW performs to expectations.
Tulane at Rutgers, Sat, 12 / 11, ESPNews / WatchESPN – Green Wave are struggling out of the gate. Slight potential of a trap game as RU gets Michigan in a week but I expect Kyle Flood’s crew to navigate this one easily.
Northwestern at Penn State, Sat, 12 / 11, BTN – A must win for NU, sadly though they will most likely drop it and be 1-3 and with Nebraska, Wisconsin and Notre Dame remaining. That’s six losses, forcing an unblemished mark to make a bowl game in the other six games. I don’t see it. PSU puts another nail in NU’s coffin.
Illinois at Nebraska, Sat, 9 / 8, BTN – Illini have been playing a little better ball this year but I don’t see them managing an upset in Lincoln against a red hot Husker club.
Random Musing
Despite never being in the same league, having a fair bit of travel and the randomness of facing each other, our game of the week is the third matchup between Maryland and Indiana. Back during the depression, the two schools provided a little relief for their fans as they put on two good games. Indiana prevailed in both 1934 and 1935, each game decided but a single score. Even more interesting both teams were pretty good. Maryland went a combined 14-5-2 those two season and would win their conference a few years later in 1937. Indiana had just hired Bo McMillin for the ’34 season…he would go on to be Indiana’s best coach and lead them to their only undefeated season (1945). Perhaps we’ve gone full circle and this meeting will kick off good times again for both programs…who knows.
Big Ten and Counting 