Big Ten Bowl Pick'em

With all of the bowls announced I figured I'd take my picks on all of the bowl games where Big Ten teams will be present. Let's get it started because I'm sure I'll be one of the first if not the first to pick these games.

I'll start at the Insight Bowl and work my way up to the Rose Bowl.

Insight- Minnesota vs. Kansas

Minnesota really struggled to end the season. At one point they were looking to fight for a New Years Day bowl game and now they fall all the way back to the bowl that picked the last eligible Big Ten team. I don't know if Minnesota exceeded expectations early in the year and fell back to where they belong or what. Adam Weber and Eric Decker are a dangerous duo but they have lost their last four games and Kansas has an offense that can put up a lot of points however, they give up a lot as well. The big thing for Kansas is that they are coming off a big win against Missouri to finish the season and could be back on track after being ranked earlier in the year.

Pick: Kansas 38, Minnesota 21

Champs Sports Bowl- Wisconsin vs. Florida State

Wisconsin has been the biggest disappointment in the Big Ten this season. Besides a 3-0 start Wisconsin had nothing to cheer about. They lost to anyone good they played and they almost lost to Cal Poly to end the year. In fact they should have lost and because Cal Poly couldn't make extra points they lost. Florida State on the other hand has played in a relatively weak ACC conference and is led by sophomore quarterback Christian Ponder. The issue for him is keeping the ball as he has thrown 13 INT's to his 12 TD's this season. As is the case for most of the Big Ten's bowl games this is practically a home game for Florida State. I believe the toughness of the Big Ten and the disappointment Wisconsin has gone through this year will lead to a very hungry team coming into Orlando.

Pick: Wisconsin 24, Florida State 21

Alamo Bowl- Northwestern vs. Missouri

This one could be a tough draw for the Big Ten. Northwestern had a great year but Missouri is a very tough team and dangerous offense. Northwestern's defense has improved but I don't think they are good enough to stop Missouri's offense. Chase Daniel is too good of a quarterback and will be the best quarterback Northwestern has seen all year. The only way Northwestern can win this game is by forcing turnovers.

Pick: Missouri 42, Northwestern 17

Outback Bowl- Iowa vs. South Carolina

South Carolina is a very beatable team because they lack an offense. However, they do boast the 11th rated defense in the nation. Therefore the Hawkeye's offense will have to be on top of their game. If they play like they did in their 4 losses there is no way they win. Shonn Greene has been everything for the Hawks this year and he will have to have a 100 yard performance again to open up the play action pass. The Hawks defense should force a few turnovers as the Gamecocks offense has been extremely inconsistent. This game will rely on Ricky Stanzi's ability to throw the ball and make plays with his legs because they cannot be one dimensional against South Carolina's defense. The Hawks are on a roll and that will continue once they get to Tampa.

Pick: Iowa 28, South Carolina 13

Capital One Bowl- Michigan State vs. Georgia

Alright Michigan State had a great year in the Big Ten. However, they have only beaten two teams worth mentioning and that's Iowa and Northwestern. I believe Iowa is a better team than Northwestern but Northwestern is ranked so they are still worth mentioning. Georgia was expected to compete for a national championship and were the pre-season #1. However, they have not looked very strong this year. They finished at a solid 9-3 but they were suppose to be much better. Michigan State can win this game by running the football. Georgia Tech was able to win their rivalry game with Georgia to end the year and they rushed for 409 yards. Georgia has a good offense that could be tough on Michigan State but the Spartans rushing attack runs all over Georgia and keeps the Bulldogs offense of the field.

Pick: Michigan State 37, Georgia 30

Fiesta Bowl- Ohio State vs. Texas

This is a great opportunity for the Big Ten and I will only discuss briefly as I went into more depth in my previous post. The Buckeyes have a lot to prove as they have not beaten an elite team in two opportunities this season. Colt McCoy is a Heisman trophy candidate and is tough for anyone to stop. The issue is whether or not Ohio State's defense can hold the Texas' offense down enough.

Pick: Texas 38, Ohio State 21

Rose Bowl- Penn State vs. USC

In what is a home game for USC this won't come easy for Penn State. However, Penn State has something USC hasn't seen most of this year. That is a balanced team. The Nittany Lions have a solid offense that can put up big numbers and a stellar defense that can limit USC's offense. This game could go either way and Penn State's offense has to be on top of its game like it was earlier in the year to have success against this USC defense. I believe this game will be low scoring as both defenses are outstanding and both offenses are inconsistent. If Penn State doesn't turn the ball over I believe they win because USC's offense doesn't have the explosiveness that everyone is used to.

Pick: Penn State 17, USC 14

Reviewing Week 1 in the Big Ten

Intro About Me

My name is Kyle Prieboy and I am just interested in sports all together. I am senior at The University of Iowa and a double major in English and Journalism. I hope to be a sports reporter in the future and being in the middle of Big Ten country I thought it would be fitting to look into one of the most exciting parts of the year Big Ten Football. Hope you enjoy.

The Recap

Iowa 46, Maine 3

Coming into this season the Hawkeyes' offense was a big question mark. The rushing attack proved to be up for the challenge as Shonn Greene rushed for 109 yards and a TD and freshman Jewel Hampton added 68 yards and 2 TD's. This can be attributed to the much improved offensive line play which allowed only 1 sack on the Saturday. However, the quarterback situation is still in question as both Jake Christensen and Ricky Stanzi played equal minutes.

Northwestern 30, Syracuse 10

The Northwestern offense struggled early on but got things going once the first game jitters were out of the way as two seniors led the way for the Wildcats. Running Back Tyrell Sutton rushed for 144 yards and Quarterback C.J. Bacher threw for 3 TD's as Northwestern recorded a solid victory over the Orange.

Minnesota 31, Northern Illinois 27

Minnesota struggled in its opener but were able to come out on top. Down 27-24 Minnesota faced a 4th and 1 on the 3 yard line after calling their final timeout with 38 seconds remaining. Running Back Duane Bennett charged forward for two yards. On the next play Bennett muscled his way into the endzone for the game winner.

Ohio State 43, Youngstown State 0

Ohio State looked like the #2 team in the country Saturday afternoon as they jumped all over Youngstown State. The Buckeyes held Youngstown State to -11 yards rushing and 74 total yards for the game. Highly rated quarterback Terrelle Pryor played as advertised as he showed off his legs in the 4th quarter as he rushed for an 18 yard touchdown The biggest note from this game would have to be the foot injury to star Running Back Chris Wells in the third quarter.

Utah 25, Michigan 23

For the second year in a row the Michigan Wolverines begin the season being upset in the "Big House." Michigan couldn't get Coach Rodriquez's new spread offense going in this game as they could only pile up 203 yards of total offense. Down 25-10 going into the 4th quarter it didn't look like Michigan had a chance. However, the defense stepped up its play and Michigan tried to gain the momentum but it was all too late.

Wisconsin 38, Akron 17

The Wisconsin Badgers stuck to pounding the football as they were able to take it to their weaker Mid-American Conference opponent. Running Back PJ Hill ran for 210 yards and 2 scores as he powered Wisconsin to victory.

Missouri 52, Illinois 42

In a Saturday game under the lights both offenses shined while both defenses looked almost non existent. Both teams were able to pile up more than 500 yards of total offense. Both offenses had an answer for eachother early on but the game changer came after the Illini took a 13-10 lead. On the following kickoff Missouri return man Jeremy Maclin raced 99 yards for a touchdown putting the Tigers up 17-13 and they never looked back.

California 38, Michigan State 31

The scrappy play of the Spartans couldn't keep up with the Cal offense. However, Michigan State did show promise on offense as QB Brian Hoyer passed for 321 yards while connecting with wide receiver Mark Dell for nine catches and 202 yards. With 4:21 to go in the game Cal running back Shane Vereen broke an 81 yard touchdown run putting the Golden Bears up 38-24. Michigan State responded with a quick score to make it 38-31. The Spartans later got one last chance but Hoyer threw 4 straight incomplete passes at midfield ending their chances at a comeback.

Indiana 31, Western Kentucky 13

Indiana scored a first victory as quarterback Kellen Lewis showed off his arm and his legs as he rushed for 185 yards and 2 touchdowns and threw for 144 yards and 2 TD's. The defense did enough as defensive end Jammie Kirlew had two sacks.

Penn State 66, Coastal Carolina 10

This one was all Nittany Lions as they were up 38-7 at the half. They never let up in the second half as the soared to a 66-10 victory while compiling 594 yards of total offense. The win gives Coach Joe Paterno win number 373 which puts him in a tie with Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden for the most career wins among major college football coaches.

Week 1 Surprises

-Illini quarterback Juice Williams known for his legs showed off a much improved arm in the game versus Missouri. Williams showed a good pocket presence as he passed for 451 yards and 5 TD's.

-A big question mark coming into this season was the Iowa rushing attack after losing the two headed monster of Albert Young and Damian Sims. However, the Hawkeyes were able to compile 245 yards rushing led by Shonn Greene who rushed for 109 yards.

- Michigan being upset in the "Big House" two years in a row. Need I say more?

This was a look into Week 1 of Big Ten football. Some surprises but there is still a long ways to go in what should be another exciting Big Ten season.