Recap Week 7 Picks

Alright so last weekend wasn't too bad as far as my picks were concerned as I went 4-2 which brings my season record to 24-10. However, I was extremely happy that this weekend came because it cleared up a lot as far as the Big Ten is concerned. So what exactly did I learn?

1) Minnesota is a much improved team and Ron Zook's prophecy that you shouldn't say the Illini are back after last year's amazing season came true as the Illini looked absolutely terrible at home against the Gophers.

2)Indiana and Michigan are by far the worst teams in the Big Ten. I expected it from Michigan as they try and learn Rich Rodriguez's spread offense while not having the players to run it. But Indiana has a veteran offense and should be able to do more with the explosive Kellen Lewis at quarterback. They look completely lost without James Hardy.

3) Penn State is hands down the best team in the Big Ten and perhaps the country. Of course they won't get the love they deserve because everyone views the Big Ten as this down conference that will never compete with the SEC or Big 12. But watch out because Penn State has been able to dominate everyone.

4) The conference as a whole is much more competitive. Northwestern struggled early against Michigan State but they still held tough and Michigan State looks like they are living up to the expectations they had coming into the season as a surprise contender for the conference title. Even Ohio State was barely able to escape Purdue at home.

But lets take a look back at my picks.....

First of is Toledo's upset over Michigan which I guess wouldn't have been a stretch considering how bad the Wolverines have looked this season. But I expected to see Michigan finally walk all over a much weaker opponent. Coach Rich Rodriguez called his team out by calling them soft and well that's just how they looked against Toledo.
My Pick: Michigan 28, Toledo 17 Score: Michigan 10, Toledo 13

Next up is my other loss of the week which was Illinois losing at home to Minnesota. I expected the Illini to continue improving and playing a complete game after they looked solid at Michigan. Instead Illinois turned the ball over 3 times and one decisive turnover came when the Gophers recovered a Juice Williams fumble and took it back for a touchdown. After this game it is obvious that no one should take the Gophers lightly and I know I won't when it comes to making my picks from now on.
My Pick: Illinois 35, Minnesota 21 Score: Illinois 20, Minnesota 27

On to my victories which I will start with Iowa at Indiana. I expected the Hawkeyes to play a complete game and beat a struggling Hoosiers team. The Hawkeyes dominated in every phase of the game but they still looked a little shaky in the red zone early on as Stanzi should have been picked off twice on back to back plays. Shonn Greene continued to look strong and he was complemented by freshman running back Jewel Hampton as they both rushed for over 100 yards each. Now a true test comes up as the Hawkeyes will see if they are back against a struggling Wisconsin team.
My Pick: Iowa 27, Indiana 14 Score: Iowa 45, Indiana 9

Next is Ohio State against Purdue. I figured there would be a little more offense in this game but the Boilermakers continue to struggle and Ohio State shows that it is going to have to rely on its defense to lead the way. The offense behind Pryor and Wells can be explosive but unless Pryor becomes more of a passing threat they will not be able to compete at a high level and will be in trouble come bowl season.
My Pick: Ohio State 37, Purdue 21 Score: Ohio State 16, Purdue 3

On to Michigan State and Northwestern which was a great match up as Northwestern surprised everyone after their 5-0 start but the nerves seemed to be a little too much for them early on as they fell behind and were never able to climb back. Javon Ringer had a solid day as he rushed for 124 yards and 2 TD's.
My Pick: Michigan State 38, NW 27 Score: Michigan State 37, NW 20

Finally there is the big game that had Penn State traveling to Wisconsin where the Nittany Lions looked to show they were for real. Boy did they ever as they completely dominated Wisconsin and forced 4 turnovers. The Badgers were never really in this game and they continued to struggle while Penn State continues to prove that it may be the best team in the country.
My Pick: Penn State 32, Wisconsin 21 Score: Penn State 48, Wisconsin 7

Come back later for my Week 8 picks