Showdown in Columbus

With the Big Ten Title on the line and a possible berth in the BCS Championship at stake how does it get any bigger than Penn State at Ohio State?

5 Reasons this game's huge...

1. College Gameday will be there.
2. Chris "Beanie" Wells and Terrelle Pryor vs. Daryll Clark and Evan Royster
3. Joe Pa vs. The Vest
4. Night game at the shoe.
5. Big Ten Title and berth in the BCS Championship at stake.

Granted Ohio State has struggled in the spotlight but they have constantly been the king of the Big Ten. Now there is the resurgence of the Penn State Nittany Lions and they are looking to show that Ohio State isn't the only powerhouse in the Big Ten.

Lets take a look at both sides.

Ohio State
I'll start with the Ohio State Buckeyes. They have a lot to prove in this game because each year they believe they are a top team in the nation but they continue to get blown out on the biggest stages. If the Buckeyes want to make a case for themselves then they have to win this game. If not the doubters will continue to grow and the Buckeyes will continue to lose respect. So what do the Buckeyes have to do to win?

For starters they need to continue to play defense because Penn State's offense has been rolling all season as they have been able to put up 45 points per game. The Buckeyes need to limit the Penn State offense because the Buckeyes offense hasn't really been consistent. They had a breakout performance this past weekend at Michigan State but offense won't come as easily against the Nittany Lions defense.

The game will be decided by Chris Wells' ability to run the football and control the clock and Terrelle Pryor will have to continue to improve and limit mistakes. If Terrelle Pryor is able to play the way he did against Michigan State it could be big day for the Buckeyes. But ultimately this game is on Laurinaitis and the defense to stop Penn States explosive attack.

Penn State
Penn State in this game just has to continue doing what it has done all year long. They have been able to dominate every opponent they have faced because they have an explosive offense and a dominant defense that has only given up 12 points per game. Penn State also has an edge on offense because they have so many different weapons. It all starts with quarterback Daryll Clark who can run as well as pass. Then they have a running back in Evan Royster that ran for 174 yards against Michigan this past weekend. Also lets not forget the wideout position where Deon Butler, Derrick Williams and Jordan Norwood all have game changing capabilities.

In my opinion this game is on the defense of Penn State just like Ohio State. I say that because the offense will be there but the Nittany Lions defense needs to find a way to shut down Chris Wells. If they allow him to run free then Penn State will be in trouble. I also believe that Penn State is capable of forcing some mistakes out of Terrelle Pryor as they are the toughest defense Ohio State will face since USC.

-This game could go either way and wait until later this week when I post my Week 9 Picks to see who I think will win this showdown.

Greene for Heisman

After watching Shonn Greene and having him continue to amaze me it got me thinking why Javon Ringer is solely getting all the talk of the Big Ten. Sure he is the leading rusher but in my opinion Greene deserves some love.

Earlier this morning ESPN's Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg responded to an email asking the same question as I have. Rittenberg responded by saying that Ringer is the best player on a 6-1 team and Greene is on a 4-3 team. He also went on to say that Greene hurts his case because he hasn't found the end zone enough.

Well, after today I'll make my case for Greene. For one the Hawkeyes now have a convincing win under their belts. Greene also answered the call by scoring 4 touchdowns. He also rushed for 217 yards today and averaged 8.7 yards per carry. The 217 yards brought Greene's season total to 1,154 yards rushing. Lets also not forget that Greene is the only running back in the country that has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of his first 8 games. After today's performance Greene should be getting recognition. If not then it is because the Big Ten isn't getting enough love due to the lack of national respect it receives. In my opinion, the Big Ten is a much stronger league than the past and it deserves more recognition. Javon Ringer isn't the only top notch player in the Big Ten. I'll argue that Greene is the best running back in the Big Ten right now and the fact that he was out of football for an entire year makes the numbers look even better. So someone give Greene some love as he has been the most consistent player in the Big Ten week in and week out.

Week 8 Picks

Week 7 brought some clarity to the Big Ten picture but what will Week 8 bring? Will there be an upset that completely throws things out of whack or will things go as predicted and things will continue to be clearer? As is every weekend this should be a great weekend for football in the Big Ten as their are plenty of story lines going in.

1. Javon Ringer vs. Beanie Wells
2. Wisconsin's quarterback situation and whether or not they can get back on track.
3. Can Northwestern rebound and keep their Big Ten hopes alive?
4. Will Illinois be able to get things together and rebound after a loss to Minnesota?
5. Will Penn State continue to roll or does Michigan have a surprise for the country?

Well lets get to my picks.........

*Purdue at Northwestern- Purdue continues to struggle to put points on the board even though they have the potential to be explosive. Led by veteran quarterback Curtis Painter this offense has no excuse for performing the way they have early on. Northwestern on the other hand was tripped up by Michigan State last weekend but have been quite the surprise as they stand at 5-1 on the season. This game could be a shootout or it could be a blow out if Purdue can't get things together but they have had success against Northwestern.
Northwestern 28, Purdue 17

* Wisconsin at Iowa- This game could be the most interesting match up of the weekend as there are two different story lines going in. Can Iowa continue to show they are better after they dominated Indiana last weekend and can Wisconsin get back on track after a 3 game skid that completely destroyed their BCS hopes. This game will be decided on the ground and I see Shonn Greene having another breakout day. The Iowa defense will hold their own as they stop PJ Hill forcing Wisconsin to go to the air. Iowa gets a couple INT's and keeps Wisconsin from getting back on track.
Iowa 27, Wisconsin 13

*Ohio State at Michigan State- This game looks like the best on paper as both teams come in ranked and looking to take the Big Ten Title. A loss basically puts all hopes of a Conference Championship out the window while the other one continues the journey. If the Buckeyes want to prove they are still the face of the Big Ten then they need a big day against Michigan State. I see Ohio State Terrelle Pryor struggling on the road and Javon Ringer having a break out day for Michigan State. Michigan State knocks off the Buckeyes.
Michigan State 24, Ohio State 17

*Michigan at Penn State- The Michigan Wolverines are probably hoping to get a bounce back game but it's just not going to happen this weekend. Penn State has too strong of a defense and will force a lot of turnovers against a struggling Michigan offense. This game may not get too out of hand if the Michigan defense can hold its own but Penn State should dominate this game.
Penn State 38, Michigan 10

*Indiana at Illinois- This game features two teams looking for their identity. One week Illinois looks great the next they look terrible. I thought after their game against Michigan the Illini would be back on track and make a run at the Big Ten. But after last weekends loss to Minnesota they proved that their play is too inconsistent and they still have a ways to go. On the other hand Indiana has been terrible all year. They can't get things going although they have the potential of offense with Kellen Lewis who can have a break out game anytime. Juice Williams will continue putting up stellar numbers and will lead the Illini past Indiana even if the rest of the team doesn't show up to play.
Illinois 38, Indiana 17

Season Record: 24-10

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

Mid-season firing the thing to do?

So after the recent resignation of Tommy Bowden from Clemson it got me thinking about all of the other coaches that have been fired lately like first year offensive coordinator of Auburn Tony Franklin and how there are so many college coaches that are on the hot seat. So is the NCAA becoming too much like the NFL with the coaching carousels? I think the NFL is a little over the top with the whole thing as well but the NCAA should take my advice and don't look towards the NFL for a role model on how to handle your program.

I mean is it really a good thing for a program to let go of a coach in mid-season? In my opinion sure it can be justified but in the college game the coaches take more heat than is necessary. Granted the players are student-athletes and shouldn't have to deal with the media like the pro's but there should be more responsibility put on the players than putting the blame solely on the coaches. Yes the coaches tell the media to put everything on them in order to protect their players but when it comes to job security lets be realistic, the coaches can't really control what their players do on the field.

So lets take a look at some college coaches that are on the hot seat.

1. I'd like to start right at home with Iowa's Kirk Ferentz who seems to have been on the hot seat since 2006 and hasn't gone anywhere. Granted Ferentz got on a roll by getting to the Orange Bowl in 2003 and winning the Capital One Bowl in 2005. But lets look at this realistically. Although Iowa fans nationwide expect great things from the Hawkeyes, they can't get it done without getting the talent on a consistent basis. Sure the Hawkeyes are based on outworking everyone but that just won't prove to be enough against the likings of Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State to lead to successful seasons year after year. In my opinion the Hawkeyes are lucky to have a high caliber coach like Ferentz and for those that are out for his job should just be realistic about what the Hawkeyes are capable of doing. Certainly the Hawkeyes will get their Big Ten Championships but not at the high rate everyone hopes for.

2. Next I'd like to look at Ty Willingham at the University of Washington. The Huskies have been absolutely terrible under Willingham as they have 11-30 record through his four years. This is in a relatively easy Pac 10 Conference where I believe Willingham should have been expected to at least make a bowl appearance. Nothing major but get to the 6 win mark and make yourself Bowl Eligible and it would look like he's turning the team around. But after an 0-5 start I believe it is justified that he gets fired because things just aren't working. But at least wait until after the season is over.

3. Then there is the Phil Fulmer situation at Tennessee where it seems like they went from a national powerhouse to the biggest disappointment in the SEC. A lot of it goes to the point I made with Iowa which is the fact that for the past few years their recruiting has gone downhill significantly. Last year they had 19 commits and only 1 ESPN top 150 recruit which will not get it done in the SEC with aggressive recruiters like Urban Meyer of Florida and Nick Saban of Alabama. The recruiting does look better for next season as they rank as the 10th best recruiting class on ESPN.com's latest recruiting rankings. The 2-4 start doesn't look good but Fulmer has been able to dig himself out of a hole in the past. With signs of a good recruiting class coming in does Fulmer get more time to turn things around?

4. Lastly I will look into the situation at Clemson with the resignation of Tommy Bowden. Did he deserve to more then likely be forced to resign or get fired? Yes. But was it the right time? No. Sure anytime a coach completely bad mouths a player he should be fired. But why not wait until the end of the season? A lot of the issue here was the fact that Bowden never delivered the hardware. With a team that was expected to win the ACC this season he has struggled to a 3-3 record. But it's not the end of the world. He still could have made a bowl appearance and gone out after a complete season. Who knows with the way the ACC is he still could have possibly won an ACC Title.

So, I'd like to just make a point of emphasis that the athletic programs of the NCAA should not try to be Al Davis. Just let the season ride out and then make your future plans. Also, as a fan to other fans don't put everything on the coaches even though they ask you to. They can't really control what happens on the field and in some cases be happy with what you have because things could be worse than an average finish in the Big Ten.

What to make of the Michigan Wolverines season

So, Michigan once again showed that they are a team in deep trouble. They have to depend on their defense to win every game and they continue to lose at home as they are 2-3 in the Big House this season. After this past weekends failure against Toledo 13-10 we continued to see why Michigan can't win. Their offense can't move the ball and they don't have a quarterback that can limit their mistakes. After a 2-4 start what is there to take from Michigan season and their image.

From a Big Ten point of view it can be taken as a good and a bad thing. The image of the Big Ten could be damaged because when everyone talks about how good the conference is they look towards its two storied programs Michigan and Ohio State. Ohio State can't win the big games and Michigan looks to be in trouble as they may miss out on a bowl game and they might finish last in the Big Ten. From this standpoint the image of the Big Ten is ruined because those that don't follow the Big Ten will just look at Michigan and be like man they are in trouble.

But what about the other side of the coin? Is it possible that Michigan's struggles are good for the Big Ten? Perhaps this shows that the Big Ten is a much stronger conference overall as anywhere from the 2nd spot down in the Big Ten is up for grabs. It is also good in my opinion because I feel like it gets tiring to see the same teams being at the top all the time. I enjoy seeing Minnesota surprise teams and a team like Penn State dominating everyone.

In my opinion Michigan's failures are better for the Big Ten because it shows that anyone can be beaten. The only way I believe it is bad for the Big Ten's image is for those fans that don't really watch the games or know anything about Michigan this season. In that case Michigan will be purely judged on its reputation rather than the team they put on the field this season. Therefore I think that it is a good thing for the Big Ten's image because it shows how the powerhouses like Michigan and Ohio State are slowly not too far ahead of everyone else which for the future means a much more balanced conference that will be good for the fans to watch.

So lets have my first poll question on my blog.

I'd like your opinion, on whether you believe Michigan's failures this season good or bad for the Big Ten's image?

Week 7 Picks

Alright so six games are on slate this weekend with one non conference match up featuring Michigan and Toledo. My biggest question this week is will Minnesota continue its Cinderella run against an Illini team that dominated Michigan last weekend? Also which team will continue to improve and prove themselves in the matchup between Michigan State and Northwestern? Another exciting weekend of football to be seen and lets get to the picks.

I'll start with the non conference match up of Michigan and Toledo. Michigan hasn't looked very strong this year but they did beat Wisconsin and Toledo looks pretty week. So I guess I'm going with Michigan over Toledo especially since they will be looking to respond to the loss last weekend to the Illini.
Michigan 28, Toledo 17

Second is the game that I view as a must win for both teams. This is the match up of Iowa at Indiana. The Hawkeyes continually struggle to hold on to the football and Indiana has just looked terrible through the early going. If either team hopes to make a bowl game I believe this is a must win. I believe the Hawkeyes will finally get over the hump as the passing game excels against a weak Indiana secondary and Shonn Greene just continues to do his thing. The biggest issue for the Hawkeyes will be can the defense stop quarterback Kellen Lewis from running around the football field.
Iowa 27, Indiana 14

Next is Illinois vs Minnesota. Will Minnesota continue its run and surprise the nation by beating the Illini? Or will the Illini continue to improve and completely dominate the Gophers? I believe Juice Williams will continue to show himself as a better quarterback and they will prove to tall a task for the Gophers.
Illinois 35, Minnesota 21

Then there is the Ohio State Buckeyes against Purdue. This game could end up closer than expected because Chris "Beanie" Wells felt soreness after carrying the load last weekend at Wisconsin. If he's limited we could see the Buckeyes struggle like they did without him and Purdue could pull off the upset. However, I believe that Terrelle Pryor continues to develop at the quarterback position and the Buckeyes have too much skill for the struggling Boilermakers.
Ohio State 37, Purdue 21

Then the toughest game to pick of the week is between Michigan State and Northwestern. Is Northwestern for real? We will find out this weekend as they take on a Michigan State team that looks like it could contend for a Big Ten Title. After last weekends performance I believe Javon Ringer will have a big day and carry the Spartans past the Wildcats.
Michigan State 38, Northwestern 27

Lastly is Penn State traveling to Camp Randall Stadium to play the Wisconsin Badgers. Wisconsin played Ohio State tough last weekend will they prove a tough test to the Nittany Lions who look to be the team battling Ohio State for the Big Ten Title this year. I believe Penn State is too strong and Wisconsin will not be able to move the ball successfully because of the quarterback play of Allan Evridge. The Nittany Lions continue rolling.
Penn State 32, Wisconsin 21

Season Record: 22-8