Here it is folks, the final fortnight of the football season. This year will be famous for hosting the first tournament, the continued SEC love (despite the league falling apart), the lack of respect for the Pac 12 and Big 12, Melvin Gordon breaking a 15 year old record, Braxton Miller suddenly becoming irrelevant despite back to back league POY honors, countless Iowa fans debating weather or not to jump in a lake and countless coaches getting canned only to resurface elsewhere aka The Charlie Weis Mary-go-round of fun.
Game of the Week
Iowa vs Wisconsin
Sure the Nebraska-Minnesota tilt has both teams ranked but this one is more of a true semifinal because UW has the path of least resistance to Indy. If Wisconsin wins and Minnesota loses, they’re in. Simple as that. Of course after his record breaking game last week, the nation is curious what Melvin Gordon’s follow up act will be. Iowa is no slouch either. Despite three heart breaking losses (ISU for the lack of competency, Maryland for the lack of complete game finishing skills and Minnesota for the lack of effort) Iowa can still be dangerous when they actually show up in force. They have only done it once this year (against Northwestern) but if there was ever a time to rediscover that swagger it is now. Not only can they make the West insane by knocking off Wisconsin, but they can they can still win the division. Lots of moving parts in Iowa City this Saturday.
Saturday, 3:30 / 2:30, ABC / ESPN 2
Sleeper
Minnesota at Nebraska
So the importance of this game hinges on the outcome in Lincoln, the out come a few hours later in Iowa City and also carries over implications to next week. Here are the breakdowns of each team’s hopes to get to Indy:
Wisconsin:
- If they beat Iowa and Minnesota loses, they are in.
- If they beat Iowa and Minnesota wins, then next week becomes a play-in game.
- If they lose to Iowa and Minnesota loses, then they need to win next week AND have Iowa lose to Nebraska.
- If they lose to Iowa and Minnesota wins, then they need to win next week AND have Iowa lose to Nebraska.
Minnesota:
- If they beat Nebraska and Wisconsin loses, then next week becomes a play-in game.
- If they beat Nebraska and Wisconsin wins, then next week becomes a play-in game.
- A loss this week or next eliminates the Gophers.
Iowa:
- If they beat Wisconsin and Minnesota loses, they can clinch next week against Nebraska.
- If they beat Wisconsin and Minnesota wins, they need to win next week AND have Minnesota lose to Wisconsin.
- A loss this week or next eliminates the Hawkeyes.
Nebraska:
- They need to win out and have Wisconsin lose out.
- A loss this week or next eliminates the Cornhuskers.
- Any Wisconsin win eliminates the Cornhuskers.
Whew, now that we got the legal jargon out of the way, this game is still intriguing regardless of the title implications. First is Bo’s job status. Can you imagine if Minnesota’s tough running attack with David Cobb goes off? Things could get mighty interesting in Lincoln. For Minnesota it would validate their ranking, give them 8 wins and be yet another step in the right direction regardless of their performance in Madison.
Saturday, 12 / 11, ESPN / WatchESPN app
Don’t Ignore
Bowl hopes x 3 – whelp, this a cop out:
Illinois hosts Penn State and must win out to make a bowl. PSU has a great defense but that offense? Woof. It’s like Buzz’s girlfriend. PSU can also win out to get to 8 wins, spoil MSU’s top-10 season and make a nice little bowl game.
Saturday, 12 / 11, ESPN2 / WatchESPN app
Northwestern travels to Purdue and must win out to make a bowl. Purdue’s midseason improvement has not continued or been built upon with back-to-back stinkers. NU is riding a wave of emotion after stunning Notre Dame.
Saturday, 12 / 11, ESPNU / WatchESPN app
Michigan hosts Maryland and one more win will get them to a bowl. They have been playing better so maybe, just maybe, a beatdown of Maryland followed by a tight game with Ohio State and then killing a bowl opponent could convince the new AD (whoever it is) to not ruin a recruiting class and give Hoke one last crack. A lot of this hinges on when the new AD will be hired because I doubt Michigan wants to make a move without the administration set. Clearly this is a long shot but crazier things have happened. I mean OSU had a legendary coach in Woody Hayes get fired for punching a kid in a bowl game! Nothing will top that. For Maryland they are hoping to regain their swagger after a 4-1 start gave way to a 6-4 mark through 10 games.
Saturday, 3:30 / 2:30, BTN
Snoozer
Indiana at Ohio State
Umm, yeah…sadly this game has not been canceled out of respect for the last traces of the Hoosiers’ football dignity.
Saturday, 12 / 11, BTN – or go to a Civil War reenactment where they demonstrate the joys of dying in the war from Malaria. Actually, that sounds highly informative and a good way to spend an afternoon. See you all at the reenactment.
Upset Watch
Right End – Huskers currently sit at a 10 point favorite but is it just me or does Minnesota seem to be coming in as the hotter and hungrier team? They went toe to toe with Ohio State and didn’t blink. They would love to get that rematch and the only way they accomplish that is winning out. Factor in how badly Nebraska’s defense fared a week ago and the Gopher faithful have to feel a little better about their chances on the road.
Wrong End – Wisconsin is a 10 point favorite on the road right now but just when we think we have Iowa figured out they put together a gem or a bomb. If it is a gem, they could make the final weekend of football a fun one.
Elsewhere
Michigan State vs Rutgers, Sat, 12 / 11, BTN – MSU still has a lot to play for this week and next. They sit at 11th in the nation so winning out should put them back in the top-10 and get them to one of the off-rotation tournament sites. It doesn’t feel like it now, but the Orange Bowl is nothing to scoff at, especially for recruiting purposes by getting your brand of football seen in Florida. As for Rutgers, they have six wins already but their bowl slot is pretty dismal based on just two league wins. One way to improve their bowl pecking order placement would be to drop the Spartans on the road.
Random Musing
Ohio State leads their series against Indiana (no surprise) by a ghastly margin of 69-12-5. Since a 1991 tie, OSU has won 19 (counting 2010’s vacated game) times with six years out of rotation giving the Hoosiers a 24 year dry spell. They aren’t due yet for a win though. From Indiana’s 1951 win until the 1987 win, the Bucks ripped off 31 wins, had six off rotational years and one 0-0 tie in 1959. When the drought hits 38 years, that is when Indiana will be due. Just 14 more left Hoosiers!
Big Ten and Counting 