The football gods give us blessings but also take from us. This week they take from us as the Big Ten has zero ranked versus ranked match-ups. Worse, two of the more fun teams to watch – Michigan and Illinois – are both off. Even the circus of Nebraska is gone for the week. We will have to do with Brian Ferentz coaching ’em up against….Ohio State. Uh-oh. All times are central.
Game of the Week:
- Purdue at Wisconsin
Neither team is ranked and their combined records are 8-6…so what gives? This is the GOTW for two reasons: #1 Purdue needs to win to keep pace with Illinois. Basically the Illini seem on a track for going about 7-2 (their strange Indiana loss early in the year, and losing to Michigan). Purdue only has one league loss (Penn State) so if Purdue wins out, they’re in Indy. If Purdue loses to Illinois they obviously are down in the tiebreaker. But what if Purdue beats Illinois but flubs up elsewhere? Then the division race becomes something insane and I can’t even wrap my head around all those scenarios. So long story short, Purdue needs to keep on winning. Reason #2 is Wisconsin needs this game. They owned Northwestern in Jimmy Leonhard’s coaching debut. But then all the issues with this team came bursting back out against Michigan State, a really bad team at the moment. So what is Wisconsin? Are they the club that bashed around NU for sixty minutes or the team that couldn’t do diddly squat against MSU? If they turn in two straight diddly squat games, that puts their 20 year bowl streak in mortal danger AND puts Jimmy getting the job talk into a whispered tone. To prevent running even more into the ditch, Wisconsin needs to find a way to win a game against somebody…and they really need to do that at home because of their four losses, TWO of them are home games. That home crowd needs to help drag this team over the finish line in one of these games. So from a narrative standpoint, a ton on the line despite no sexy rankings or incredible combined record.
- Saturday, 2:30 PM, ESPN
Sleeper:
- Minnesota at Penn State
Gophers looked dreadful against Purdue. Had a week to think about it. Then somehow came out worse against Illinois. At 4-2 (1-2) this game is critical for their slim division title hopes. Their remaining slate is super easy (Rutgers, at Nebraska, Northwestern, Iowa, at Wisconsin) but falling to three league losses will probably be too big a hole to climb out of. Thankfully they take on Penn State after a loss. Penn State under Franklin loves to lose consecutive games. It is their M.O. Start out 5-0 or 6-0, get a massive ranking, get destroyed by Michigan or Ohio State (or sometimes even Iowa), then lose their very next game…like last year…to Illinois. For two teams desperate to turn around their season, one of them will enjoy the result. The other will be left with even more bitter unpleasantness for the 2022 season.
- Saturday, 6:30, ABC
Don’t Forget:
- Indiana at Rutgers
Two teams that have three wins square off. The 3-4 Hoosiers and the 3-3 Knights each have bowl hopes in mind. To keep those hopes afloat this is a must win. For Indiana they need to win this one, take care of MSU, then upset either OSU, PSU, or Purdue. For Rutgers they need to win this one, then find at least two more wins out of at Minnesota, at MSU, at Maryland, or upset Michigan and/or Penn State. Rutgers does have one extra out so a loss doesn’t completely doom them but for Indiana, I don’t see any path to a bowl without this victory. Sometimes two hungry teams make for the best game.
- Saturday, 11:00 AM, BTN
Snoozer:
- Iowa at Ohio State
Brian Ferentz’s offense versus Ohio State. Need I say more?
- Saturday, 11:00 AM, Fox…Honestly, watch the Syracuse-Clemson game. That’ll be way more fun than this piece of crap.
Upset Alert:
- Northwestern at Maryland
The Terps are 5-2 and essentially a lock for a bowl. But their quarterback is day-to-day and a game time decision while Northwestern has had an extra week to prepare for this one. Perhaps the worst team in the league spoils Maryland’s bowl clinch party with a surprising W.
- Saturday, 2:30 PM, BTN
Elsewhere (Alphabetical Order):
We did it! All five games this week have been previewed.
Bye Week:
Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, and Nebraska
Random Musing:
Which outcome do I want more? A stunning Iowa win that guarantees the smug Ferentz brain trust changes nothing and we get embarrassed at home by Northwestern OR the Bucks drop the hammer and put up a 50 burger on us with a 56-0 drubbing that FORCES some real change by this program? Hmmmmm….it is always fun upsetting Ohio State but god this program needs a wake up call.
Big Ten and Counting 