Bleacher Report - Articles by Kristofer Green

Bleacher Creature Top 25: The Time for a Playoff Is Now...Seriously!

Kristofer Green — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:30:30 -0500

Only a few weeks remain in the college football regular season, and the race for the BCS National Championship Game in Pasadena couldn't be any closer.

Though both SEC powers Alabama and Florida received the same number of votes for the top spot, the Crimson Tide edged the Gators in points to retain the No. 1 spot for the second consecutive week.

Texas and TCU, both receiving No. 1 votes, come in at No. 3 and No. 4, and Big East defending champion Cincinnati rounds out the top five.

With the possibility of six teams finishing the regular season undefeated, the BCS is sure to be interesting down the stretch.

But should there be six undefeated teams at the end of the regular season, there will be a strong debate about who actually deserves to play in the title game.

And rightfully so.

The BCS system, designed only to match the top two teams in the country to play for the championship, is flawed in many ways. The biggest problem is that two-thirds of the equation for who plays in the big game is based on the USA Today Coaches' Poll and the Harris Interactive Poll.

Both polls rely on the assumption that the voting members are knowledgeable of the teams they rank and that the rankings are based on this season's performance only. Yet both polls are voted on by members who have a vested interest in voting with an agenda.

The coaches who votes in the coaches' poll will most certainly give more support to their own team and the teams in their conference. The Harris Poll is much the same, only it is former coaches and players who share the same allegiances.

The third component in the equation is the computer polls, which supposedly are meant to take the human element out of the vote. Yet even these rankings are all over the place when you look at the eight or 10 "computers" adding their input.

In a year where the argument could be made that there are no truly great teams, but instead a handful of very good teams that would all be capable of beating the others on any given day, the BCS formula looks about as ridiculous as could be.

College football is the only major sport that doesn't have a playoff, and it is starting to hurt the sport.

Fan support for a playoff system is through the roof, and I'm sure the players would love to settle it on the field. But the fans have no voice, and the players are handcuffed to a system that doesn't allow a true champion to be crowned at the end of the season.

Change is needed, and this season's finish could serve as a catalyst for that change. Unfortunately, that change will only come if a Texas or a Florida or an Alabama is left out.

So sorry TCU, Cincinnati, and Boise State...going undefeated means nothing for you. You won't even get the opportunity to prove yourselves.

You will get the obligatory "BCS" nod in the Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, or Orange Bowl (maybe, if a two-loss team with a bigger fanbase isn't available), and that is that.

You're just happy with the invite, right?

I didn't think so.

The conference breakdown for Week 12 is as follows: Big Ten (4), Pac-10 (4), SEC (4), ACC (3), Big East (3), Mountain West (3), Big XII (2), Conference USA (1), WAC (1).

1. Alabama (8) 530

2. Florida (8) 521

3. Texas (3) 517

4. TCU (3) 495

5. Cincinnati 458

6. Georgia Tech 418

7. Boise State 417

8. Pitt 382

9. Ohio State 357

10. Oregon 349

11. LSU 337

12. Oklahoma State 271

13. Iowa 258

14. Penn State 250

15. Wisconsin 217

16. Stanford 215

17. Virginia Tech 166

18. Clemson 163

19. BYU 133

20. Oregon State 112

21. Utah 108

22. Miami 101

23. USC 80

24. Houston 58

25. Ole Miss 42

Others Receiving Votes: Rutgers 37, North Carolina 36, Idaho 21, Navy 20, Nebraska 19, Cal 14, Arizona 12, Northwestern 8, Nevada 7, West Virginia 3, Central Michigan 2, Georgia 1, Texas Tech 1, Temple 1

To see how each pollster voted, click here .

Bleacher Creature Pollsters: BabyTate, Brad Vipperman, Bret Feddern, Caleb M, Jameson Fleming, Joel Barker, Joseph Morgan, Justin Potts, Kevin McGrady, Kristofer Green, Mark Welling, Michael Collins, Michael Oleszek, Michael Shibley, Misthaufen, Mitchell Morse, Rick McMahan, Ron Clements, Ryan Jelley, Sportscaster007, Timothy Croley, Tyler Stimson.

Illinois and Ron Zook Understand Each Other, How To Lose

Kristofer Green — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:49:00 -0500

CHAMPAIGN, IL—Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald was three years old when Illinois coach Ron Zook began his coaching career at Murray State, five years old when Zook left Murray State for Cincinnati, and eight years old when Zook took over as defensive coordinator at Kansas.

Before Fitzgerald went on to be a two-time All-American linebacker for the Wildcats, Zook had also worked for Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, and Florida.

In 1997, when Fitzgerald was a rookie with the Dallas Cowboys and Zook was the special teams coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the two teams met at Three Rivers Stadium for the season opener.

Fitzgerald's team won that day, too.

The two men have lived most of their lives on the football field and are the leaders of the two biggest college football programs in the state of Illinois. They approach the game with the same voracity and enthusiasm and they both have excellent recruiting records.

Yet, the programs these men lead are heading in two different directions.

Further proof came on Saturday when Fitzgerald's Wildcats traveled to Champaign to take on the Illini in the first ever battle for the Land of Lincoln Trophy.

Northwestern, despite employing an ultra-conservative gameplan and a less than impressive performance by usually solid kicker Stefan Demos, won the game with defense. Just the way Fitzgerald likes it.

The win moves Northwestern to 7-4 and leave the Wildcats celebrating the thought of spending the holidays in the sun in Orlando, San Antonio, or Tempe.

The Illini and their leader have lost their fight.

Trailing by five points with under a minute to play, the Illini set up on their own 21. After three passing plays resulted in nine yards, back up quarterback Jacob Charest threw a controversial interception to seal the victory for the Wildcats.

Zook, briefly argued the call on the sidelines and half-heartily chased after the officials as the game clock expired, but it was clearly a show for the 60,000 booing Illini fans.

''I don't know what it looked like to me,'' Zook said after the game. ''There's no use getting into it. I'm tired of people pointing fingers. There's only one person to point the finger at, and it's me.

''We shouldn't have been in that situation. Everybody has bad games. Players have bad games. Coaches have bad games. And obviously officials have bad games. That's the way it is.''

But bad games have become common place under Zook, whose teams have consistently underachieved.

Zook apologists will argue that his team beat No. 1 Ohio State in Columbus and went to the Rose Bowl in 2007, but that season has proved to be a fluke sandwiched between four losing seasons and a whopping 12 victories.

Fitzgerald on the other hand, has led the Wildcats to back to back bowls for the first time since the 1996-'97 seasons and only the second time in school history.

Fitzgerald has worked wonders with the Northwestern football program despite it being the Big Ten's smallest and only private university, despite having no real football identity until Gary Barnett's success, with Fitzgerald as a player, in the mid-1990s, and despite having an aging stadium that is more empty than full on gamedays.

The truth about Northwestern and it's major athletic programs is that they will never be able to compete on a year in, year out basis with schools like Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

The money generated by those schools in football alone is enough to sustain the school's other athletic programs.

The tradition is richer, the resources are more plentiful, the facilities are better, the fan bases are bigger, and the boosters all have deeper pockets.

It shouldn't be able to compete on a year in, year out basis with Illinois either.

Illinois' great football legacy includes names like Bob Zuppke, Red Grange, George Halas, Ray Nitschke, Bobby Mitchell, Jack Trudeau, and Dick Butkus.

The Illini play in a newly renovated stadium that is full more often than not, despite the product on the field and have the facilities to lure big-time recruits to Champaign.

But under Fitzgerald the 'Cats are 3-1 against their in-state "rival" and have reached bowl eligibility more times in two seasons than Illinois has in eight.

Zook's response to Saturday's game, "If you want somebody to blame, blame me."

Illinois fans already do coach, the game on Saturday only added more ammunition.

Illinois Athletic Director Ron Guenther, who is to blame for giving a struggling Illinois team a seemingly endless schedule filled with teams that are fully capable of beating the Illini, has already announced that Zook will return for his sixth season as the Illini head coach.

"There will be some changes, but there won't be a change at the top," Guenther said three weeks ago. "There's a great deal of frustration obviously with the program at the moment. We're still going to evaluate (at the end of the season), but I think it's really unfair to start jumping at the end of the fifth year on a guy."

Guenther must be oblivious to Zook's 21-36 record with the Illini or his 12-27 record in Big Ten play or his 44-50 overall head coaching record.

"I'm not worried about me," Zook said. "I said this since (the) day I walked on this campus, (Guenther is) the best thing about this job because he understands."

That makes two of you.

So while Illinois' smaller and less attractive in-state, conference foe spends New Year's Day on the football field, in the sun and spotlight, Zook and Guenther will be at home in snowy Champaign, understanding each other.

Once again.

This article is featured on First and Big Ten , a blog dedicated to everything Big Ten.

Debating the Big Ten Title: Ohio State and Iowa Collide...Blogger Style

Kristofer Green — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:22:44 -0500

With the Big Ten game of the year right around the corner, two die hard fans got together to debate the merits of their two teams.

Bret Feddern, a self-admitted Hawkeye Nerd on IowaHawkeyes.net and Bleacher Report Iowa Featured Columnist , will argue for the Hawkeyes. Following Bret's tweets during an Iowa game is fun...give it a shot.

I will be arguing for the Buckeyes (as if they need the help).

The Hawkeyes and Buckeyes take the field on Saturday and the winner will be off to the Rose Bowl.

We can't match that drama here, but we'll give it a shot.

Kristofer Green: The biggest storyline heading into this week's de facto Big Ten Championship game is the absence of QB Ricky Stanzi and how the Hawkeyes' chances against the Buckeyes will rest on the shoulders of freshman QB James Vandenberg.

First, who is Vandenberg?

Bret Feddern: I am a die hard Hawkeye, and I will be the first to admit...I have no clue. Vandenberg set all kinds of high school football records in Iowa, and definitely has an arm, but due to all of Iowa's close games this year, JVB hasn't had a chance to demo his skills so no one really knows what he is capable of.

With as inconsistent as Stanzi was at times, most Hawkeye fans still never wavered in their faith in him and never really gave much thought to him not being QB. His injury was definitely a shock, and I am sure I wasn't the only one scrambling for recruiting highlights.

Is JVB USC's Matt Barkley? No. But he definitely isn't as bad as he looked in the NW game. No excuses on the loss, but that is a tough situation for a freshman to get thrown into and do well.

KG: Yeah, it was a tough position for sure. With a week of practice as the starter he should definitely be more prepared. But, coming into Ohio Stadium in a game of this magnitude will be an even stiffer test for Vandenberg. And I won't go to the old (and already tired) comparison to James Van Der Beek in Varsity Blues.

BF: I think we can both agree...the Varsity Blues analogies can stop anytime time now.

A lot of the Buckeye faithful on the blogs and the comments say this will be a blow out. Even though you are a die hard Buckeye fan, I have known your Big Ten writing to be fairly objective.

Do you think OSU will blowout Iowa like many of the the comments suggest?

KG: I, too, have noticed that a lot of Buckeye fans are now suddenly very confident about the team. These are the same fans that were calling for Jim Tressel's head and screaming for Joe Bauserman to start in place of Terrelle Pryor after the Purdue debacle.

My answer to your question is a resounding NO. I remember the OSU offense that turned the ball over five times against Purdue and the offense that sputtered to 10 offensive points against Wisconsin.

A couple of good games against Minnesota and New Mexico State and a blowout of Penn State don't change the fact that this offense could again stall.

The strength of this Iowa team has been its defense. The offense made the headlines because of their ability to make the big play and comeback so many times under Stanzi, but it has been the defense that has been spectacular for most of the season.

The best two defenses in the conference will be on the field for this game, so I can't see either team getting a blowout.

How will Ferentz approach this game offensively? Establishing the run against the Buckeyes has been a problem for most teams this season.

BF: The better question is...how will Ken O'Keefe call the game offensively? Ferentz is the man with the master plan, but O'Keefe runs the offense and usually the play calling. And conservative is his usual routine.

KG: That sounds familiar...

BF: O'Keefe is going to have to figure a way to get the pass play worked in or otherwise Iowa is dead in the water. The Buckeyes will prevent Iowa from much of a ground game, so getting some passes worked in is key. Luckily we have a lot of good people to throw to.

KG: Point taken there. Marvin McNutt, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, and Tony Moeaki are all dangerous weapons.

BF: I honestly look for a lot of play action and a lot of short passes to our tight ends. O'Keefe's normal style won't change with Vanderberg in the game, but he will likely add in more short/quick passing routes.

KG: Against an aggressive Ohio State front seven that is very logical. Even so, the offensive line will be put on notice.

BF: The Hawkeyes' offensive line is going to have to step it up, regardless of the play calling. They have yet to play to their potential, and they need to go give Vandenberg a little time to throw and they need to open holes for Brandon Wegher.

Same question back to you...How will Tressel approach this game offensively? Despite the last few games, the OSU offense has been a tad suspect and Iowa's front seven might be the best the Buckeyes have seen this year.

KG: Should we really expect anything less than Tressel-ball? The perfect game for Tressel would be to run the ball, control the clock and field position, and use defense to set up the offense.

I think part of that equation is entirely possible. Ohio State's defense has shown the ability to cause problems for a variety of offenses.

But in order for Tressel-ball to work, Terrelle Pryor cannot turn the ball over and the running game has got to be a factor.

Speaking of Pryor, what do you make of the sentiment that the Hawkeye defense may struggle (at least in the beginning) because they have yet to face Pryor?

BF: Honestly, I don’t think that will be an issue this week. There have been a few games where Iowa has come out looking asleep on their feet on the first drive, only to put on a brilliant performance late in the game. I think this week they will be consistent, because they know they have to be. Pryor is good. I am not one of those that will try to claim he isn’t, because it is obvious he has some talent. Norm Parker will have them ready.

The Hawkeyes secondary is one of the best in the country, and if Pryor tries to throw it could cause problems. It is Pryor’s scrambling that is of some concern, though. Iowa’s defensive line knows the weight is on their shoulders.

KG: Many players and coaches have admitted that they underestimated Pryor's strength and especially his speed. I was more referring to the fact that because the Hawkeye defense had only seen Pryor on film.

I wondered if Tressel tested the boundaries with some runs by Pryor early, maybe the defense would miss on some angles or tackles until they adjust to Pryor in 3D. Probably wishful thinking...

BF: Iowa players aren’t known for underestimating. You are right, they will see early how strong he is, though. Out of curiosity, who on the Iowa defense worries you the most?

KG : The whole unit is quite worrisome to be perfectly honest.

Adrian Clayborn is a beast and would be scary even if he didn't share the line with Broderick Binns and Karl Klug. Pat Angerer is crazy, Jeremiah Hunter can kill you, Amari Spievey will burn you, and Tyler Sash will rip your heart out, juggle it, then return it for a touchdown!

That interception Sash had against Indiana on the goal line was one of the crazy plays I have ever seen. That is the kind of play that football coaches, players, and fans all collectively have nightmares about.

These guys are for real and I have o doubt they will be out for blood. My biggest concern would be that the Ohio State line (which has been suspect at times this season) does not protect Pryor, the Pryor gets happy feet and starts lofting ball in the air for Sash to prance back to the end zone.

The line play is going to be crucial in this game...for both teams. Whoever can control the line of scrimmage more will probably win.

Any worries about the Ohio State Silver Bullets? (I must call them that at least 10 times a day, although it reminds me of Coors Light ...)

BF: I think the entire OSU defense worries me, but Cameron Heyward and Brian Rolle definitely give reasons to worry that we might have to replace another QB this weekend (knock on wood that doesn’t actually happen, although McNutt in a Wildcat offense might be fun to watch).

KG: I sort of picture a nice tug of war at the line of scrimmage for most of the game. Heyward, Doug Worthington, Thad Gibson, and the rest of the Buckeye rotation (Rob Rose and Lawrence Wilson especially) will have to have a big game. A pressured quarterback is a useless quarterback. (Both of our squads proved that with Darryl Clark.)

BF: Even though I can’t confirm it, I have been hearing Adam Robinson will be playing on Saturday from a few sources. Despite having been out for the past two games now, Robinson is still fourth in the Big Ten in rushing. If ARob is back, does that change the game plan for OSU?

KG: I don't think so. It may make it harder to execute, but the Buckeyes are always going to try and shut down the run game. It doesn't matter who is carrying the ball.

It would be a welcome surprise for Hawkeye fans, I'm sure. Even better if he was truly at 100 percent. That will be an interesting development to follow the next few days.

So, bottom line...How do you think the game will play out on Saturday?

BF: I think it will be ALL defense, but that’s why I like Big Ten football so I won’t complain. As crazy as it sounds, the team with the best punter will win this game.

KG: Care to give a prediction?

BF: I need to have faith in my Hawkeyes. 17-14, Iowa, and only because the defense scores for them. I cross my fingers for a DJK kickoff return for a touchdown, too.

KG: I think the game is close through three quarters, but the OSU defense will get a timely turnover or Ray Small will get a big return and the Buckeye's will take control in the fourth, prevailing with a 27-17 victory.

BF: If Iowa turns the ball over more than once, I think your prediction could be very accurate. Ohio State isn’t Indiana, so Iowa can’t give the Buckeyes the ball in good field position like they did in that game.

KG: Thanks Bret! It's been fun. May the best defense win!

BF: Thanks KG. It was fun...let’s do it again next year, when Iowa and Ohio State are playing for the Big Ten Championship in Kinnick.

This article is featured on First and Big Ten , a web site dedicated to everything Big Ten football. Follow me on twitter @kristofergreen .

Big Ten Power Rankings (Week 11): Buckeyes and Hawkeyes Battle for the Big Ten

Kristofer Green — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:03:28 -0500

The Big Ten Championship or at least the Rose Bowl participant will be decided when the Iowa Hawkeyes travel to Columbus to face the Ohio State Buckeyes. An Ohio State win would secure the Buckeyes fifth straight Big Ten title and mark Jim Tressel's first trip to the Rose Bowl. If the Buckeye's win the following week in Ann Arbor, Ohio State will claim it's third outright Big Ten Championship in five years. An Iowa win would give the Hawkeyes their first Rose Bowl game since Hayden Fry roamed the sidelines and a win over Minnestoa would give Iowa their first outright title since 1985. Penn State and Wisconsin are still in contention to share the title, but the Rose Bowl dreams for those teams is lost. The lobbying and jockeying for bowl position is starting to become common place and the Big Ten remains the only conference to have each of its member schools still mathematically in bowl consideration. For Indiana, Michigan, Purdue, and Illinois the margin of error is very slim to non-existant. While Minnesota and Michigan State most certainly should have the opportuity to win the one they still need. The Northwestern Wildcats, already bowl eligible, will try to strengthen their case and possible bowl location with two more winnable games. The 2009 roundtable members are J.A. Allen, Tim Cary, Bret Feddern, Kristofer Green, Ryan Jelley, and Tim Bielik. On to Week 11 Power Rankings...

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Bleacher Creature College Football Poll: Let the Lobbying Begin

Kristofer Green — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:59:46 -0500

It has become apparently clear, barring a minor miracle, that the winner of the SEC championship game featuring Florida and Alabama will meet the Big XII champion Texas Longhorns in Pasadena for the BCS National Championship Game.

In the Bleacher Creature Poll, each of those three teams have held the top spot and each has been the third choice. This week, 'Bama gets the nod, but the Gators and Longhorns are tied just three points behind.

Should one or more of those teams unexpectedly falter, there would be a mad scramble of unusual suspects clamoring for position.

The No. 4 Horned Frogs of TCU and No. 5 Bearcats of Cincinnati are proving their worth to the larger, more connected schools that share their states. No. 6 Boise State, no stranger to late season maneuvering, is once again in position to get to the BCS and No. 7 Georgia Tech has been turning heads and climbing the rankings all season.

The Big Ten will decide its champion this weekend when the suddenly-reeling No. 11 Iowa Hawkeyes meet the suddenly-surging No. 10 Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus. The conference has been chided in recent years for the lack of a true conference championship game, so seeing a game in the Big Ten that is actually for all the marbles is refreshing.

Meanwhile, the Rose Bowl opponent for the Iowa-Ohio State winner is still very much in question. No. 13 Oregon and No. 18 Arizona sit atop the standings, but the Wildcats have a chance to make a very strong statement down the stretch with games against Cal, Oregon, Arizona State and No. 14 USC (who currently sit in second).

The Big East will play with championship hopes on the line on Friday when No. 25 West Virginia takes on the Bearcats in Cincy. If Brian Kelly's squad hopes to keep it's National title hopes alive they'll need a big win over the Mountaineers.

Another week of great college football drama awaits...

Click here to see how each pollster voted.

The conference breakdown for Week 10 is as follows: ACC (4), Big East (4), Big Ten (4), Pac-10 (4), Mountain West (3), SEC (3), Big XII (2), Conference USA (1), WAC (1).

1. Alabama (8) 551

T2. Florida (7) 548

T2. Texas (6) 548

4. TCU (2) 499

5. Cincinnati 485

6. Boise State 445

7. Georgia Tech 432

8. Pittsburgh 381

9. LSU 351

10. Ohio State 323

11. Iowa 306

12. Houston 299

13. Oregon 295

14. USC 294

15. Utah 290

16. Miami 262

17. Oklahoma State 196

18. Arizona 184

19. Penn State 172

20. Wisconsin 128

21. Virginia Tech 98

22. BYU 96

23. South Florida 56

24. Clemson 52

25. West Virginia 40

Others Receiving Votes: Oregon State 35, Stanford 23, Auburn 15, Navy 15, Nebraska 14, Ole Miss 9, North Carolina 8, Cal 3, Duke 2, Tennessee 2, Kansas State 1

If you would like to become a pollster in the Bleacher Creature Poll, all you have to do is send your weekly rankings to kgreen.23@live.com . All polls must be received by 3:00 AM ET (12 AM PT) on each Monday (or by the end of the day Sunday). If you have questions, please contact Kristofer Green .

Bleacher Creature Pollsters : 78Lion, Allen Kenney, BabyTate, Brad Vipperman, Bret Feddern, Brooks Webb, Caleb M, Carl Stine, Dan Scofield, Dean Walker, Delane Kelley, Garrett Traggorth, GeorgiaDawg, HD Handshoe, James Crytzer, Jameson Fleming, Joe Guarr, Joel Barker, Joseph Morgan, Justin Potts, Keith Shelton, Kevin McGrady, Kevin Trahan, Kristofer Green, Les Adkins, Mark Welling, Michael Collins, Michael Foster, Michael Oleszek, Michael Shibley, Misthaufen, Mitch Wilson, Mitchell Morse, Paul Salman, Peter Rohman, Rick McMahan, Ron Clements, Ryan Jelley, Sportscaster007, Tiger Histalmos, Timothy Croley, Tyler Stimson.

Ohio State In Control of the Big Ten Title: A Topsy-Turvy Day In The Big Ten

Kristofer Green — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:38:57 -0500

The Big Ten's topsy-turvy day has come to an end.

No. 4 Iowa saw it's magical run come to an end at the hands of the Northwestern Wildcats; Illinois continued its renaissance by holding on to beat the Gophers on the road; Western Michigan was no match for the "oh so close" Spartans; Purdue became the only team to sweep both Ohio State and Michigan this season; and Wisconsin held off a scrappy Indiana team.

Then there was the big game in State College...

No. 16 Ohio State 24, No. 11 Penn State 7

The game of the day was a pseudo elimination game in the Big Ten title race. A hungry Ohio State traveled to Happy Valley to take on a Nittany Lion squad that was desperate to prove all doubters wrong.

Turns out the doubters were partially correct.

Penn State quarterback Darryl Clark, a two year starter, has not played well in big games for the Nits in his tenure.

In fact, Clark really had no signature win on his resume. It was Pat Devlin who lead Penn State to the victory at Ohio State last season after Clark left the game in the third quarter with a concussion with the Buckeyes up 6-3.

For the Buckeye signal caller, this game was about redemption.

Terrelle Pryor, a Pennsylvania native who spurned his home state university to play for the Buckeyes, failed his first test against Penn State in 2008.

It was Pryor's fumble on a 4th-and-1 that set up the Nittany Lions go ahead touchdown. And it was Pryor's last second interception in the endzone that sealed the loss.

The image of Pryor with his head in his hands on the Buckeye bench after the game is hard to forget and a Penn State marketing organization had even printed t-shirts commemorating the moment.

Terrelle Pryor got his redemption and in the process reminded Penn State fans why they wanted him to choose his home state college.

"This was my first time to lead the team and lead the offense and score some touchdowns against another big team," Pryor said. "It felt pretty good to lead the team."

Pryor finished the game with 125 yards passing with two touchdowns and rushed for another 50 yards, including a seven-yard scoring scamper to put the Buckeyes up 7-0 early.

Pryor was helped tremendously by an Ohio State offensive line that has been suspect at times this season. The line didn't allow the Penn State defense to get any pressure on Pryor, keeping him sack free for the first time all season and opened up some nice holes in the running game.

The Buckeyes had 228 yards rushing including good performances from both Brandon Saine, who led all backs with 58 yards and Daniel Herron, who broke off a nice 16-yard run before leaving the game with what appears to be re-aggravation of an ankle injury.

The Ohio State defense did not allow the Nittany Lions to get into any rhythm on offense, allowing Penn State only 201 yards of total offense.

The Buckeye front four got constant pressure on Clark and held running back Evan Royster to only 36 yards on the ground and smothered Clark's receivers (except for Graham Zug seven catches, 96 yards). Cameron Heyward was a beast finishing with two sacks and 11 tackles for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State is now in the drivers seat for their fifth consecutive Big Ten Championship and will "welcome" the Iowa Hawkeyes to the 'Shoe next week for the Big Ten "Championship Game."

Northwestern 17, No. 4 Iowa 10

The magic finally ran out for the Hawkeyes who not only drop their first game of the season, but also lose their quarterback (and 4th quarter comeback machine) Ricky Stanzi with a high ankle sprain.

Initial word out of Iowa City is that Stanzi will be out at least a week meaning the Hawkeyes will travel to Columbus and try to beat the Buckeyes with redshirt freshman quarterback James Vandenberg.

No. 21 Wisconsin 31, Indiana 28

John Clay rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown and Montee Ball added 115 yards and two more scores on the ground as the Badgers held off Hoosier team that hasn't yet learned to close the deal.

The loss was another big blow to Indiana's faint and fading bowl hopes. The Hoosiers have lost three conference games this season by a combined total of seven points and now must win their final two games, at Penn State and home against rival Purdue, to become bowl-eligible.

Purdue 38, Michigan 36

Joey Elliott has done something former NFL quarterbacks Drew Brees, Kyle Orton, and Curtis Painter never did in their careers at Purdue...beat the Wolverines in the Big House. In fact, no Purdue quarterback since Bob Griese in 1966 has accomplished the feat.

Elliott threw for a career-high 367 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another, leading Purdue to a 38-36 comeback win over the floundering Wolverines. Michigan is now in danger of missing a bowl game for the second straight season. The Wolverines must either beat Wisconsin in Madison or Ohio State at the Big house to get to the six win plateau.

Illinois 35, Minnesota 32

The Illini defense sacked Adam Weber seven times (including four by Clay Nurse) and Jacob Charest threw for 185 yards and a touchdown in relief of an injured Juice Williams to lift a surging Illinois past the hot and cold Gophers.

After throwing for 416 yards and five TDs in a breakout game against Michigan State last week, Weber completed just five of 17 passes for 74 yards with a fumble and a pick six in the first half. He finished 14 of 30 for 221 yards.

Michigan State 49, Western Michigan 14

The Spartans got huge games out of quarterback Kirk Cousins, who was 22 of 25 for 353 yards and two touchdowns and seldom used sophomore running back Ashton Leggett, who rushed for 110 yards and four touchdowns.

The win snapped a two-game losing skid and gave Michigan State some momentum heading into the season's final two games, at Purdue next week and then home against Penn State.

The Spartans need one more win to become bowl eligible.

Big Ten Power Rankings (Week 10): Gearing Up For The Battle for Second Place?

Kristofer Green — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:57:08 -0500

The stage is set for another epic showdown in the Big Ten between title contenders Ohio State and Penn State this weekend. Since 2005, the first year the two schools shared the Big Ten Championship, the teams have each won twice (once at home and once on the road). In both victories by the Lions, the Big Ten Championship was on the line and both times the Lions used a fumble by an Ohio State quarterback to propel them to victory. In 2005, the Buckeyes were driving late in the fourth quarter, down by seven when Troy Smith fumbled trying to escape a sack. The Nits would run out the clock to preserve a 17-10 lead and secure the league's automatic BCS berth. In 2008, the Buckeyes were clinging to a 6-3 lead in the fourth quarter and driving when Terrelle Pryor took a quarterback sneak to the edge and was stripped of the ball by a pouncing Nittany Lion defense. The Lions would go on to score 10 unanswered to win the game 13-6. Saturday's game in Happy Valley is setting up to be another intense, defensive battle. Joe Paterno's defense is eager to get after Pennsylvania native Terrelle Pryor and ready to prove that an easy schedule isn't the only reason why they are sitting at 8-1 and lead the conference in most defensive statistics. Jim Tressel's defense sits right behind the Lions on all of those defensive statistic lists and after posting their third shut-out of the season are eager to prove that they are indeed the Big Ten's best defensive unit. This important battle for position may just come down to another turnover... will the Buckeyes change history? The 2009 roundtable members are J.A. Allen , Tim Cary , Bret Feddern , Kristofer Green , Ryan Jelley, and Kevin Trahan. On to the Week Ten Power Rankings...

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Bleacher Creature College Football Poll: Remember the Longhorns

Kristofer Green — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:23:29 -0500

The top two teams in last week's poll (that played), Florida and Texas, both showed complete domination over their opponents on Saturday, winning by 24 and 27 points respectively.

Both teams displayed explosive offenses and suffocating defenses, both teams won away from their home fields, and both teams proved they deserved their lofty rankings.

Yet in the week 10 Bleacher Creature poll, the Longhorns have overtaken the top spot from the Gators and in the process have broken the stranglehold the SEC has held on the top spot this season.

Mack Brown's team has more wins against top 25 opponents (two to one), and neither team will face another top 25 opponent until their conference championship games, which is where Urban Meyer's team could earn that No. 1 ranking back. Beating Alabama or LSU would garner more praise than beating Kansas State or Nebraska.

The battle for the rest of the top five was quite interesting last week.

Iowa needed a miracle fourth quarter (and the help of some front-runner refs) to escape again with the win against lowly Indiana, USC was embarrassed at Oregon and fell out of the top 10, and Cincinnati did just enough to get the win at rebuilding Syracuse.

Seven teams will put their undefeated records and championship hopes on the line Saturday.

Survive and advance.

The conference breakdown for Week 10 is as follows: Big Ten (4), Pac-10 (4), ACC (3), Big XII (3), Big East (3), SEC (3), Mountain West (2), Conference USA (1), Independents (1), WAC (1).

Now, on to the Week 10 Bleacher Creature College Football Rankings...

1. Texas (10) 606 3

2. Florida (9) 598 1

3. Alabama (2) 574 2

4. Cincinnati 508 5

5. TCU (2) 506 7

6. Iowa (2) 503 4

7. Boise State 485 8

8. Oregon 482 9

9. LSU 423 10

10. Georgia Tech 397 11

11. Penn State 384 12

12. Pitt 311 15

T13. Houston 301 16

T13. USC 301 6

15. Utah 278 18

16. Ohio State 261 17

17. Miami 224 20

18. Arizona 157 22

19. Notre Dame 142 24

20. Oklahoma State 123 13

21. Wisconsin 113 NR

22. Cal 103 NR

23. Oklahoma 91 23

24. Virginia Tech 67 14

25. South Florida 57 NR

Others Receiving Votes: BYU 56, Clemson 21, West Virginia 18, Auburn 15, Oregon State 3, Rutgers 3, Texas Tech 3, Central Michigan 2, Minnesota 2, Ole Miss 2, Boston College 1, Nebraska 1, North Carolina 1, South Carolina 1, Temple 1

Big Ten Power Rankings: Hawks, Nits, and Bucks Push For the Title

Kristofer Green — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:10:11 -0400

The Hawkeyes got a touchdown with no time remaining to go 8-0 for the first time in school history.

The Nittany Lions, led by another brilliant performance from quarterback Darryl Clark, put the Wolverines in their place...in their place.

The Buckeyes rebounded from rock bottom with a stellar performance from embattled quarterback Terrelle Pryor and emerging star receiver DeVier Posey and still control their own destiny in the title hunt.

Barring some pretty spectacular upsets, the Big Ten race is down to three.

Who gets to Pasadena?

The B/R Big Ten Players of the Week:

Offensive Player of the Week: QB Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State

Defensive Player of the Week: DE Thaddeus Gibson, Ohio State

Special Teams Player of the Week: K Stefan Demos, Northwestern

The 2009 roundtable members are J.A. Allen , Tim Cary , Bret Feddern , Kristofer Green , Ryan Jelley , Jordan Krumrey , and Kevin Trahan

On to the rankings...

1. Iowa Hawkeyes (5) 55 points

TC: The undefeated Hawkeyes look more and more like the conference's last national champion (the 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes), finding ways to win close nail-biters, especially on the road. Iowa didn't even take a lead until the fourth quarter at Michigan State, but they were ahead when the clock showed 0:00, and that's all that matters. Great execution on the final drive, and obviously, the final play.

KT: The Hawkeyes keep finding ways to win and Ricky Stanzi's clutch performance in the closing 90 seconds in East Lansing helped prove Iowa to be a National Championship contender.

KG: Just when you thought a gutsy hook-and-lateral call by Mark Dantonio might ruin Iowa's perfect season the Hawkeyes, led by steady quarterback Ricky Stanzi, marched 70 yards down the field and capped the drive with a scoring pass to Marvin McNutt with no time remaining.

The Hawkeyes have lost leading rusher Adam Robinson for the season and now Kirk Ferentz must use upcoming games against Indiana and Northwestern to figure out a new running back rotation before traveling to Columbus for what could be a de facto Big Ten Championship game.

2. Penn State Nittany Lions 50 points

BF: Daryll Clark and his wide receivers are starting to turn up the heat on Big Ten defenses. Clark threw for four touchdowns against Michigan, proving he is on a mission.

TC: JoePa's team erased more than a decade of frustration at the Big House, thumping Michigan by 25 points on the road in a game that really wasn't that close. Iowa is the only team to come within 17 of the Nittany Lions all year, and Penn State's stellar defense has yielded a TOTAL of 13 points in the last three contests. Hard to lose when your D holds the other team to 4.3 ppg, right?

KG: Penn State fans have to be excited about next week's showdown in Happy Valley with Ohio State, but JoePa's team must not look ahead to next week when the Lions travel to Evanston to take on a scrappy, upset minded Northwestern squad. The Nits seem to be peaking at the right time and quarterback Darryl Clark should be in the Heisman conversation after several brilliant performances since the loss to Iowa.

3. Ohio State Buckeyes 45 points

JA: Ohio State made the Gophers pay 38-7 as Terrelle Pryor found the end zone twice with touchdown passes and once on foot. Minnesota’s turnovers aided the Buckeye cause adding 28 points to Ohio State’s coffers. Next weekend the Buckeyes host New Mexico State. They will need to concentrate hard on winning that contest and not worry about traveling to Happy Valley to face Penn State on November 7.

TC: The Bucks continue to control their own destiny for a fifth straight Big Ten championship, but they'll have to find some consistency if they want to knock off the league's best two teams back-to-back Saturdays in November. And no, Terrelle Pryor should not move to receiver. Next topic, please.

KG: The angst that hung around Buckeye Nation after another pitiful half of offensive football was quickly forgotten when Terrelle Pryor and the Buckeyes finally got it going against the Gophers in the second half. Pryor accounted for 343 yards of offense and three touchdowns in the win putting Buckeye fans at ease for the time being and the emergence of fullback-tailback hybrid Jermil Martin was a pleasant surprise. Martin gained 75 yards on only seven carries, including an impressive and bruising 39-yard touchdown run that reminded some old school fans of the great Keith Byars.

4. Wisconsin Badgers 39 points

KT: The Badgers grab the four spot by default after an off week and are still fighting for a January Bowl.

TC: Coming off their bye week, the 5-2 Badgers appear to be on track for a nice holiday destination. The remainder of the schedule is full of winnable games (Purdue, at Indiana, Michigan, at Northwestern, and at Hawaii), and realistically, the only question left for Wisconsin is if they'll be 6-6, 10-2, or somewhere in between.

KG: The bye week could not have come at a better time for the Badgers. After back-to-back losses to conference leaders Ohio State and Iowa, Bret Bielema's squad must regroup at home against a surging Boilermaker squad.

5. Michigan State Spartans 35 points

TC: The Spartans were one play away from a season-defining win, which would have been their fourth straight victory. Now Mark Dantonio's team finds itself sitting squarely at .500 and really needing to bounce back and play well in Minneapolis. Time to find out how if the 2009 edition of Michigan State is more mentally tough than the 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, and...well, you get the idea.

BF: I lost a lot of respect for Michigan State fans after this one. I don’t mind that they disagreed with the helmet to helmet call, but was there really a need to boo the downed player when he got up and was walked off the field? It’s sad, because Michigan State played a great game against Iowa.

KG: Turning a three game losing streak into a three game winning streak was not an easy feat for the Spartans, but recovering from such a disappointing loss to the Hawkeyes may be even more difficult. The Spartans used a suffocating defense to thwart the Hawkeyes for almost the entire game, but when it came down to one play for the game, the Spartans couldn't stand up.

6. Northwestern Wildcats 27 points

BF: The Northwestern Defense shut down the Indiana offense, allowing Northwestern to get back into the game. With a last second field goal, the Wildcats pulled off the victory in a dramatic fashion. This will provide some much needed momentum before Penn State comes to town.

TC: The Wildcats couldn't have played much worse than they did against Indiana in the first 23 minutes of their Homecoming game, as they fell behind 28-3. On the flip side, they probably couldn't play much better than they did in the last 37 minutes, when they used 26 unanswered points to shock the Hoosiers, 29-28.

My only complaint about Northwestern right now is the unofficial "Cardiac Cats" moniker; there has to be a better way to describe the exciting brand of football in Evanston so soon after the tragic loss of Randy Walker.

KG: The Wildcats have played their best when it seems that all hope is lost. Down 25 points midway through the second quarter to a streaky Indiana squad, the 'Cats rallied with 26 unanswered points for the win. Since Pat Fitzgerald called the Wildcats' inability to finish games "shocking" and called the defensive play "awful" the team has responded. But, a brutal final stretch that includes home games against Penn State and Wisconsin and a tough road game at Iowa will be difficult to manage.

7. Michigan Wolverines 24 points

TC: There were a lot of good vibes around the Wolverines' football program after a 4-0 start. Those are long gone, thanks to three straight losses to FBS programs. Rich Rodriguez's team got beaten soundly at home this weekend, and faces a dangerous trap game at Illinois next. Time to stop the bleeding...or else.

JA: When Michigan took the field against Penn State last Saturday, they marched down the field 70 yards and scored. After that, Penn State got very stingy and did not allow the Wolverines any more points except for a field goal late in the first half. The Penn State defense shut them down completely in the second half and the Michigan defense could not contain the Penn State offense.

Remarkably, Penn State had not won in Ann Arbor in 13 years until last Saturday.

Michigan plays at Illinois next weekend and should win that contest. But left on their schedule is a trip to Wisconsin and a visit by Ohio State for the last game of the season on November 21.

Football fortunes turn tortuous the last two weeks for the Wolverines.

KG: The Wolverines have gone from the "feel good surprise of the conference" to "not ready for prime time" in a matter of weeks. Rich Rodriguez's squad has dropped three of the last four games (the only win was over FCS Delaware State) and the luster has started to fade from Tate Forcier's magical first few games.

Games against Illinois and Purdue should give the Wolverines an opportunity to right the ship before the final two big games, a revenge match-up with the Badgers in Madison and the season closer with archrival Ohio State in the Big House.

8. Purdue Boilermakers 23 points

TC: Not sure which is more surprising, that the Boilermakers have a winning streak going or that they played a turnover-free football game. Purdue re-dedicated itself to the run with solid results against Illinois, and the Boilers can once again begin to dream of a bowl trip (although they will have to win in Madison or Ann Arbor to have a chance.)

JA: The Purdue Boilermakers followed up their fantastic upset over Ohio State with a win over Illinois. After triumphing big in front of the home town fans, traveling to Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium will be a true test of the fitness of this Purdue team to finish out the season in winning fashion. Against Illinois, quarterback Joey Elliot provided 228 yards of offense, 166 through the air and 62 on the ground. This team is finally beginning to jell.

KG: The Boilermakers will try to assume the persona of Spoilermakers for the rest of the season. Purdue needs three wins to become bowl eligible and a quick look at their schedule reveals how difficult that might be to obtain. Back to back road games in Madison and Ann Arbor, a home date with the Spartans, and yet another road game to rival Indiana make for a daunting slate, but the Spoilermakers do play for Coach Hope, after all.

9. Minnesota Golden Gophers 15 points

TC: The Gophers' defensive backfield had a great day in Columbus Saturday, except for a complete failure to cover receivers. Okay, I guess that's a bad day. With Eric Decker leaving in the first quarter due to injury, Minnesota didn't have a chance of outscoring Pryor and company, especially when Buckeye receivers got behind the secondary any time they wanted to.

BF: You can’t win football games without a consistent defense. In the first half, it looked like the Minnesota D was capable of anything. In the second half, they weren’t capable of much.

KG: Adam Weber has been great for the Gophers over the years, but he may not give Tim Brewster the best opportunity to win anymore. When Eric Decker left in the first quarter of the Ohio State game, Weber was visibly flustered and looked lost without his go to guy throughout the second half.

The spark (and the only score) on offense for the Gophers came with MarQueis Gray behind center. With an anemic running game, a shaky offensive line, and mediocre receivers Gray would give the Gophers an offensive weapon they desperately need.

10. Indiana Hoosiers 11 points

JA: Indiana had the game all sewn up against Northwestern and then pulled the wrong thread and let the victory unravel. It must be a bitter pill to swallow for the Hoosiers who led by 25 points and then let the Wildcats up off the floor and back into the contest. It was an excellent opportunity for Indiana to enhance their record in the 2009 season.

Next weekend the Hoosiers must travel to Iowa City to face the 8-0 Iowa Hawkeyes in Kinnick Stadium. That cannot be a pleasant prospect—although they surprised Iowa last season, they probably won't this year.

TC: There are meltdowns, and then there are MELTDOWNS...like what Indiana did in Evanston Saturday afternoon. After squandering a 28-3 lead, the Hoosiers have dropped four of five (only beating Illinois in that stretch), and may not win another game all season...which begs the question, did a 3-0 start for Bill Lynch actually hurt his 2010 job prospects because the season crumbled so fast?

KG: Bill Lynch should take Jim Tressel's class on coaching that we have been hearing so much about this season.

The several questionable decisions made by Lynch down the stretch were a big reason the Hoosiers squandered a four score lead in Evanston last week. That and the fact that after the midway point in the second quarter the Hoosier offense couldn't move the ball at all. Even when handed three second half interceptions, Indiana sputtered.

Getting to a bowl game now means having to upset Iowa, Penn State, or Wisconsin. Good luck with that Hoosier fans.

11. Illinois Fighting Illini 6 points

TC: Ron Zook has now seen Juice Williams, Eddie McGee, and Jacob Charest at quarterback, after all three completed passes against Purdue. With the Illini 1-6, is there a fourth-stringer available?

KG: Ron Zook now knows that his job is safe for at least one more season. What else is there to say about a team that has no wins against FBS competition this season? A team that had a plethora of returning offensive talent? A team that has regressed dramatically from a fluke 9-win season and Rose Bowl appearance? I guess, for the Illini Athletic Administration, the only thing to say is keep it up and we'll see you next year.

KT: Another week, another loss; this time to Purdue. If Ron Zook is still in Champaign next year, there is seriously something wrong with Illinois football.

Bleacher Creature College Football Poll: Gators Back On Top...Barely

Kristofer Green — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:01:13 -0400

Since the Gators hoisted the crystal football in Miami in January, Florida (and their Heisman winning quarterback) have been the odds on favorites of just about everyone to repeat as National Champions this season.

But as the season has progressed, the Gators have not quite lived up to being the dominant team everyone perceived them to be. Instead, Urban Meyer's squad has used a suffocating defense to win games.

Those wins may not always have the sparkle of a blowout. Winning 41-7 certainly looks better than winning 29-19 or 23-20, but only on the surface. Winning with defense may not be as flashy, but when it works it can be just as exciting.

The Iowa Hawkeyes have used a strong defense to reach 8-0 for the first time in school history, Alabama still controls its own National Title destiny thanks in large part to its defense led by Mount Cody, and Oregon has climbed back into the national picture (after a disastrous opening) thanks in large part to its surprisingly dominant defensive play.

Defense wins championships...so they say.

The conference breakdown for Week Nine is as follows: SEC (5), Big East (3), Big XII (3), Big Ten (3), ACC (3), Pac-10 (3), Mountain West (2), Conference-USA (1), WAC (1), Independents (1)

To view how each pollster voted click here .

Now, on to the Week Nine Bleacher Creature College Football Rankings...

1. Florida (12) 601

2. Alabama (6) 599

3. Texas (6) 591

4. Iowa 509

5. Cincinnati 500

6. USC 493

7. TCU (1) 488

8. Boise State 472

9. Oregon 421

10. LSU 399

11. Georgia Tech 369

12. Penn State 354

13. Oklahoma State 290

14. Virginia Tech 276

15. Pittsburgh 254

16. Houston 246

17. Ohio State 213

18. Utah 190

19. West Virginia 167

20. Miami (Fl) 154

21. South Carolina 130

22. Arizona 86

23. Oklahoma 73

24. Notre Dame 66

25. Ole Miss 41

Others Receiving Votes: BYU 28, Central Michigan 24, Cal 23, Wisconsin 23, Clemson 16, Kansas 4, Nebraska 3, Navy 1, South Florida 1

If you would like to become a pollster in the Bleacher Creature Poll all you have to do is send your weekly rankings to kgreen.23@live.com . All polls must be received by 3:00 AM ET (12 AM PT) on each Monday (or by the end of the day Sunday). If you have questions please contact Kristofer Green .

Bleacher Creature Pollsters: 78Lion, Allen Kenney, BabyTate, Brad Vipperman, Bret Feddern, Brooks Webb, Caleb M, Carl Stine, Dan Scofield, Dean Walker, Delane Kelley, Garrett Traggorth, GeorgiaDawg, HD Handshoe, James Crytzer, Jameson Fleming, Joe Guarr, Joel Barker, Joseph Morgan, Justin Potts, Keith Shelton, Kevin McGrady, Kevin Trahan, Kristofer Green, Les Adkins, Mark Welling, Michael Collins, Michael Foster, Michael Oleszek, Michael Shibley, Misthaufen, Mitch Wilson, Mitchell Morse, Paul Salman, Peter Rohman, Rick McMahan, Ron Clements, Ryan Jelley, Sportscaster007, Tiger Histalmos, Timothy Croley, Tyler Stimson.

Bleacher Creature College Football Poll: Iowa, Cincy On The Move

Kristofer Green — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:25:43 -0400

Last week we talked about the Saturday upset and about how it had become common this season. Then came yet another series of upsets.

Ohio State fell on the road for the first time in 16 games to lowly Purdue, a team that had won one game this season before Saturday. Virginia Tech lost to the Georgia Tech option, Nebraska fell victim to Taylor Potts and Texas tech, and Kansas dropped its first game of the season to a one win Colorado team.

Then there were the near misses that could have made for a real interesting Saturday. Florida needed a late field goal (and some help from the refs) to hold off Bobby Petrino's Razorbacks, Texas needed a comeback to get by rival Oklahoma, and USC stopped playing defense in the fourth, but managed to hold off a charging Notre Dame squad.

The Alabama Crimson Tide have been this season's most dominant team thus far and this week's poll reflects that. For the first time this season, the Tide are the clear cut number one.

Can Nick Saban's team avoid the upset bug that has plagued the rest of the college football world this season? Will Urban Meyer's Gators? Or Mack Brown's Longhorns?

Only time will tell. ... The race for Pasadena is heating up.

The conference breakdown for Week 8 is as follows: Big East (4), Big XII (4), SEC (4), Big Ten (3), ACC (3), Mountain West (3), Pac-10 (2), Conference-USA (1), WAC (1)

To view how each pollster voted click here .

Now, on to the Week 8 Bleacher Creature College Football Rankings ...

1. Alabama (20) 571

2. Florida (1) 542

3. Texas (2) 508

4. Iowa 475

5. USC 458

6. Cincinnati 455

7. Boise State 446

8. TCU 415

9. Oregon 376

10. Miami (FL) 369

11. LSU 339

12. Georgia Tech 308

13. Penn State 311

14. Oklahoma State 245

15. Virginia Tech 244

16. BYU 236

17. Houston 190

18. Ohio State 152

19. Utah 149

20. Pitt 131

21. West Virginia 109

22. Texas Tech 82

23. Kansas 70

24. South Carolina 54

25. South Florida 46

Others Receiving Votes: Nebraska 38, Arizona 18, Wisconsin 19, Ole Miss 15, Michigan 16, Idaho 13, Notre Dame 13, Central Michigan 12, Missouri 12, Oklahoma 10, Oregon State 3

Big Ten Power Rankings Week Eight: Iowa Has Its Eye on the Prize

Kristofer Green — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:49:32 -0400

In the first edition of the Big Ten Power Rankings, the members of the Big Ten roundtable forecasted a situation where five teams would battle to the end for the Big Ten crown.

Those five teams—Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan State—now all find themselves in position to do just that.

The Hawkeyes and Buckeyes control their own destiny and are marching toward a showdown on Nov. 14 in the 'Shoe, but both teams must also face another member of this quintet first.

Ohio State must travel to Happy Valley to face the Nittany Lions and their brutal home crowd, and Iowa faces Michigan State this week in a game that could put the Spartans in the driver's seat if they can pull of the upset.

Penn State must beat the Buckeyes at home and then root for the Buckeyes to beat the Hawkeyes in Columbus to get back in control, while the Badgers need help from Iowa and Ohio State.

The Big Ten title race is heating up, but the race for bowl contention is just as interesting.

Northwestern and Indiana are in must win situations heading into their showdown in Evanston, Ill. this week. A loss for either team would be a serious blow to their bowl hopes.

Minnesota finds itself at 4-3 with games at Ohio State and Iowa, as well as a home date with Michigan State still remaining. Bowl eligibility will rely on wins against Illinois and South Dakota State.

Michigan is the wild card. Sitting at 1-2 in the conference, the Wolverines aren't out of the title race just yet. If Tate Forcier and company can upset the Nittany Lions in Ann Arbor this weekend, Rich Rodriguez's squad will be right back in the mix.

The B/R Big Ten Players of the Week:

Offensive Player of the Week: QB Ben Chappell, Indiana

Defensive Player of the Week: DE Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue

Special Teams Player of the Week: K Carson Wiggs, Purdue

The 2009 roundtable members are J.A. Allen , Tim Bielik , Tim Cary , Bret Feddern , Kristofer Green , Ryan Jelley , Jordan Krumrey , Isaac Luber , Kevin Paul , and Kevin Trahan

On to the rankings...

1. Iowa Hawkeyes (6) 66 points

TC: Championship teams find a way to win every game, and that's what Iowa's looking like right now. Shutting out the Badgers in the second half at Camp Randall shows a lot about this team.

BF: For the sixth time this season, the Hawkeyes come from behind for the victory. Iowa put on a defensive performance again in the second half of this game, with Amari Spievey recording two interceptions. Ricky Stanzi had an all-around solid game too, going 17-of-23 for 218 yards and a touchdown.

JA: After a slow start on Saturday, the Iowa defense slammed the door hard on the Badger offense, completely shutting it down with eight minutes left in the first half. At the same time the Iowa offense found its footing as Iowa scored 20 unanswered points behind the leadership of quarterback Ricky Stanzi. Iowa won 20-10. At 7-0, Iowa is getting close to clicking on all cylinders.

KT: After a win in Madison, the Hawkeyes proved they are the team to beat in the Big Ten. The offense, especially Ricky Stanzi, stepped up and the defense made one of the Big Ten's best offenses look pretty bad, holding the Badgers to 75 yards rushing and recording three interceptions. If the offense keeps improving, 12-0 is a very attainable goal.

2. Penn State Nittany Lions 60 points

BF: The Nittany Lion defense held the typically high-scoring Gophers scoreless on Saturday. Every bit of Penn State looked good, with Clark tossing for almost 300 yards and Royster rushing for more than 135 yards.

RJ: The Nittany Lions defense looked dominant again but now they will get a real test as they will face their first offense that isn't ranked below 75th in the nation when they travel to Ann Arbor to face the Wolverines.

TC: I'm not sure the Titans or Buccaneers would score on this defense either. Impressive performance against the Gophers.

KG: Joe Paterno has to be pleased at how his team has progressed after the loss to Iowa, but the meat of the Penn State schedule is still in front of them. Road trips to Ann Arbor and East Lansing will be no picnic and then there is the showdown with Ohio State in Happy Valley.

3. Ohio State Buckeyes 48 points

TC: The sky's not falling yet, folks. Calm down and let Terrelle Pryor mature. The Buckeyes control their own destiny toward winning their fifth straight Big Ten title, but from the reaction in Ohio, you'd think they were 0-and-something.

JA: The Buckeyes were lucky against the Badgers when the Wisconsin team dropped the ball a few too many times two weeks ago. But against Purdue on Saturday luck did not help as a convincing Purdue offense took charge of the game. This week it was Ohio State miscues that cost them the victory 26-18. Their quarterback, Terrelle Pryor, seems to suffer from a confidence crisis. The question remains, can Ohio State repack the cargo and bring home the rest of the season intact?

KT: The Buckeyes have a great defense, but they need some offense. If the offense doesn't give the defense such bad field position to work with, Ohio State can win the rest of their games, but they need to get better production from the offensive side of the ball.

KG: Jim Tressel cold be facing his toughest challenge yet as the head coach of the Buckeyes. Terrelle Pryor is having some major growing pains, his offense has gone from mediocre to bad, and fans are calling for backup Joe Bauserman. The Buckeyes must get back on track the next two weeks in home games against Minnesota and New Mexico State before a brutal final stretch (at Penn State, Iowa, at Michigan).

T4. Michigan Wolverines 43 points

TC: RichRod's team has been better than people expected. That's step one. Step two is figuring out how to beat the Buckeyes, and they appear to have a shot later this year.

JA: Michigan stomped on Delaware State 63-6. Did anyone expect any less? Mainly we should be surprised that the Hornets scored at all. This game really did not help Michigan improve their standing this week—regardless of what poll you survey. Next week when Penn State comes calling—now that will be a rankings changer.

RJ: The Wolverines cruised last week as they should have, but the game should boost their confidence for their visit from Penn State this weekend, who the Wolverines have lost to only once to in the past 10 years.

KG: The Wolverines looked brilliant last week in their "scrimmage" against Delaware State, but can Rich Rodriguez's squad look that good against the Nittany Lions on Saturday? In Michigan's two biggest conference games of the year (Michigan State and Iowa) the offense struggled against powerful, fast defenses. Joe Paterno's squad is as good (or better) than those two defensive teams and could make it a long day for Tate Forcier.

T4. Michigan State Spartans 43 points

JA: The Spartans started slow but picked up speed in the second half to overtake the Northwestern Wildcats 24-14 on Saturday. After getting off to a rocky start in the Big Ten, the Spartans have climbed back into the conference race with some positive results the past two Saturdays. Michigan State faces Iowa at home this coming weekend and must ratchet up the gears to secure a win against the soaring Hawkeyes.

KT: A win over Northwestern is nice, but not overly impressive. The Spartans will face a huge test at home this week against Iowa.

TC: They're a long way from that loss to Central Michigan. Sparty's put together a nice winning streak and could contend for the Big Ten title if they can knock off the unbeaten Hawkeyes Saturday night. It remains to be seen if their rushing attack will survive long-term with Glenn Winston out. Larry Caper's been solid, but carrying the load is a lot to ask of a true freshman.

KG: Michigan State has followed up a three-game losing streak with a three-game winning streak and now find themselves sitting in a three way tie at second with Ohio State and Penn State. If the Spartans can upset the Hawkeyes on Saturday in Spartan Stadium, Mark Dantonio's squad will control its own destiny for at least a share of the Big Ten title.

6. Wisconsin Badgers 41 points

KT: Wisconsin needs to learn to play the whole game. They played a good first half against Iowa, but couldn't get anything going on the ground in the second half and suffered from Scott Tolzien's three interceptions. The defense was great in the first 30 minutes as well, but they were shut down in the second half, as Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi had a big day.

TC: The Badgers have lost two in a row, but there's no shame in dropping tough defeats at Ohio Stadium and to an unbeaten at home. The question is how Wisconsin responds to adversity.

BF: The first half looked like John Clay was going to have his way with the Hawkeyes, but after a slight ankle tweak, Wisconsin never could get any momentum going. The Iowa D proved to be too much for Tolzien, who threw three interceptions in the game.

KG: Wisconsin isn't out of it yet. With the toughest part of its schedule out of the way, there is a very real possibility that the Badgers could finish 10-2 and finish in the top three. The only real test on the schedule is a home date with Michigan and if the Badgers stay focused, a January bowl game awaits.

7. Minnesota Golden Gophers 27 points

TC: Teams are finally figuring out how to slow down the Gophers ... and even Eric Decker. At 4-3, Minnesota's in decent shape for a bowl berth, but they need to find their offense again.

RJ: The Badgers stumbled again this past weekend, this time at home against Iowa. Fortunately for the Badgers they now have a bye week to regroup before they get Purdue and Indiana.

JA: Simply put, Minnesota could not move the ball on offense against Penn State. Their running game fell short and Penn State had Eric Decker covered—so the passing game came up missing. Happy Valley is never generous to outsiders—and the temperatures were as chilly as the reception by the Nittany Lions—putting a real damper on the the Gophers chances in the Big Ten ... no warmer in Columbus we fear.

KT: Just when we thought the Gophers could be a top-five team in the Big Ten, they disappoint. The offense was non-existent against Penn State, and while the defense was good, the offense needs to step up if the Gophers want any chance at a good bowl game.

8. Purdue Boilermakers 26 points

TC: The Boilermakers showed what can happen when they don't beat themselves. The question now is if it was a fluke or if they've finally kicked the turnover bug. Still some winnable games down the stretch if they play well.

JA: The Boilers finally fulfilled their promise and took an important step in reclaiming their season by beating the Ohio State Buckeyes in West Lafayette 26-18 last Saturday. Joey Elliot, the Purdue quarterback, threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns. It was a fitting statement for a team so close to winning—yet inevitably coming up short—until last Saturday.

RJ: The Boilermakers pulled off the first big upset of the Big Ten season knocking off the Buckeyes and hope to use the momentum to help them through the rest of their schedule

KG: Danny Hope has done something that more veteran Big Ten coaches Bret Bielema, Tim Brewster, Bill Lynch, Rich Rodriguez, and Mark Dantonio haven't ... beat the Buckeyes. Purdue's unlikely victory against Ohio State in West Lafayette last week proved the Boilermakers are a highly capable team that can get the job done when it plays to its abilities.

9. Northwestern Wildcats 19 points

JA: Even though Mike Kafka threw for 291 yards and two touchdowns, the Wildcats failed to capitalize on a halftime lead over the Spartans of Michigan State. The 'Cats floundered in the second half to lose again, falling to 1-2 in Big Ten play. Next week the Wildcats host Indiana where they hope to improve their standings

RJ: The Wildcats fell again this week and now are facing a must win this weekend if they hope to be bowl eligible when they take on Indiana as they still have Penn State, Wisconsin, and Iowa on the schedule, which are likely losses.

TC: The Wildcats shut out Michigan State in East Lansing for 30 minutes, but ultimately faltered. Big game for Fitz against the Hoosiers this weekend in Evanston.

KG: The Wildcats will travel to Bloomington, Ind. this week for an important conference game for both squads that will be overlooked by the majority of Big Ten fans. Pat Fitzgerald's squad needs a victory against the Hoosiers to keep their bowl hopes alive. With Penn State, Iowa, and Wisconsin still on the schedule, wins against Indiana and Illinois are musts.

10. Indiana Hoosiers 17 points

KT: The Hooisers got what may be their last win of the season over Illinois at home, giving them enough credibility to crawl out of the cellar of the Big Ten.

TC: Hard to find a lot of possible wins for this team (4-3 now) outside of at Northwestern and Purdue at home in the season finale. If they want to go bowling, they need a win at Ryan Field.

JA: Finally out of the dungeon and into the light—Ben Chappell, Indiana’s quarterback, passed for 333 yards against a weak Illini defense, throwing for three touchdowns in an effort that might salvage the Hoosier season. The Indiana team benefited from critical Illini fumbles. Next week they travel to Purdue in another crucial contest.

KG: The Hoosiers are in must win mode. If Bill Lynch's squad hopes to make a return to post season play, it must at least get wins against comparable teams in Evanston against Northwestern and against rival Purdue.

11. Illinois Fighting Illini 6 points

TC: It keeps getting worse for the Zooker in Champaign. The funny thing is that the offense seems to move the ball exceptionally well in spurts. Maybe it's time to go no-huddle the entire time? At least something to change up this underachieving unit ... although it's probably too late now anyway.

KG: Down seven in the third quarter, with the Illini driving in the red zone, Juice Williams ran keeper and lumbered toward the goal line only to have the ball ripped away and recovered by the Hoosiers. Ron Zook could do nothing but laugh. Though his hot seat is completely warranted, the Zooker is not completely to blame for the Illini's downward spiral. Zook is trying to get this team back on track, but the team has to make it happen.

JA: The Illini are dead in the water. Next week they have to travel to play a renewed Purdue team that just upset Ohio State. Unless the Boilers are still sky high and oblivious, Purdue will win this game. It is time for Illinois to forget about bowls and postseason and start concentrating on fundamentals once again. There is something to be said for playing the game as it should be played whether you win or lose.

BF: Something tells me Zook's days at Illinois might be numbered.

Big Ten Power Rankings (Week Seven): Log Jam at the Top and Bottom

Kristofer Green — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:47:06 -0400

The Big Ten title race is starting to get interesting.

Despite spotting the Wolverines seven points less than a minute into the game, Iowa held off a pesky Michigan squad to go 6-0 on the season, and Ohio State once again proved that their defense is not only the Big Ten's best, but one of the best in the nation with an 18-point victory over the previously unbeaten Wisconsin, despite holding the ball on offense for only just over a quarter.

Those victories put the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes in control of their own destinies. But, both teams will have to get through a couple of tests before their Nov. 14 showdown in Columbus.

This week the Hawkeyes will travel to Madison to take on an angry group of Badgers who, despite leading in most every statical category (except the only one that matters), must regroup and get their league leading offense back on track.

The Buckeyes will have to travel to Happy Valley on Nov. 7 to take on a Penn State team that is still looking to defend their crown.

Then there are those wildcards from Michigan. Both the Wolverines and Spartans, despite having two conference losses, are teams capable of knocking off one of the favorites.

The Spartans will battle both Iowa and Penn State in East Lansing and the Wolverines must go on the road to take on the Badgers, but get Penn State and archrival Ohio State in the Big House.

The second half of the Big Ten season has shaped up rather nicely and the fight for the conference crown is heating up.

Which team will make it Pasadena?

The B/R Big Ten Players of the Week:

Offensive Player of the Week: TE Tony Moeaki, Iowa

Defensive Player of the Week: S Kurt Coleman, Ohio State

Special Teams Player of the Week: KR Ray Small, Ohio State

The 2009 roundtable members are J.A. Allen , Tim Bielik , Tim Cary , Bret Feddern , Kristofer Green , Ryan Jelley , Jordan Krumrey , Isaac Luber , Kevin Paul , and Kevin Trahan .

On to the rankings...

T1. Iowa Hawkeyes (four) 84 points

TC: The Hawkeyes did enough to defeat a solid Michigan team on Blackout Night at Kinnick Stadium and stay undefeated. Iowa still isn't getting enough respect nationally as an undefeated team with a ten-game winning streak, but they'll have a chance to prove the doubters wrong.

Finish the year without a loss, including a victory in Columbus, and the Hawkeyes should play for the BCS title (despite still looking in from outside the Top Ten).

TB: Is there any team more clutch in the Big Ten than the Hawkeyes? It seems like every time they need a big play, Ricky Stanzi and company simply deliver. They are still undefeated and closed out a tough, feisty Wolverines team in Iowa City.

RJ: The Hawkeyes survived a late surge to become the only undefeated team in the Big Ten but will have their hands full when they travel to Madison next week to take on the Wisconsin Badgers.

KG: Iowa beat Michigan for only the 11th time in school history on Saturday in yet another emotional, down to the wire game. After spotting the Wolverines seven points off a Ricky Stanzi pick-six on the second play of the game, the Hawkeye offense took off.

The return of tight end Tony Moeaki, who led all receivers with 105 yards on six catches and two touchdowns, enabled Stanzi and the passing game to take off on a night when the defense was stopping the run. The Hawkeye defense, as opportunistic as ever, forced five turnovers and limited the Michigan passing game to only 11 completions and 124 yards and two interceptions.

T1. Ohio State Buckeyes (four) 84 points

TB: The best defensive line in the Big Ten came up huge once again, sacking Scott Tolzien six times and forcing two Wisconsin turnovers, both of which were Pick-6s. The offense barely had the ball, but they really never needed it at all.

BF: The Buckeyes put on a great defensive performance against the Badgers. Ohio State’s offense…not so much.

TC: The Buckeyes disposed of previously undefeated Wisconsin in relatively easy fashion, thanks to a trio of non-offensive touchdowns. OSU should breeze through its next three games (at Purdue, Minnesota, New Mexico State) before the back-to-back battles with title contenders Penn State and Iowa.

KG: The Ohio State defense delivered a truly masterful performance against the Badgers. Led by a tremendous and incredibly deep defensive line who got constant pressure on Scott Tolzien, the Silver Bullets racked up six sacks, held John Clay to under 60 yards rushing and the entire team to a 2.7 yard per rush average, and had two interception returns for touchdowns. Considering the defense was on the field for just under three full quarters makes the performance all the more remarkable.

3. Penn State Nittany Lions 71 points

JA: The Nittany Lions truly are unknown because they keep scheduling these patsy teams and it is impossible to tell if they can really play tough when they must. They lost to the Iowa Hawkeyes in Happy Valley—but they have faced no other truly good team to date.

This week they must face a decent Minnesota team at home. They should win it but, at least, they will be tested again. They come in at number three, but only because no one else has stepped up to prove themselves better!

TC: The Nittany Lions did what they were supposed to against Eastern Illinois, posting a 52-3 victory and padding Daryll Clark's stats in the process. The guess here is that the Lions would win at least a piece of the conference crown by winning out (assuming an OSU win over Iowa).

BF: I think I can speak for the entire Hawkeye Nation when I say…thank you Penn State! PSU beat up on smack-talking former Iowa QB Jake Christensen, holding him to 137 passing yards. The Nittany Lions also sacked him five times, returned his fumble for a TD and picked off one of his passes.

KG: If you have a handle on this team, can you please tell me what you are looking at? The Lions have exactly one game against an opponent with comparable talent, coaching, and resources. That one game, against Iowa, the Nittany Lions lost and didn't look good doing it.

The schedule stiffens up in the next few weeks with Minnesota and Ohio State coming to Happy Valley and road games at Michigan and Michigan State. Finally we will learn a little more about what this team is made of.

4. Wisconsin Badgers 59 points

TC: When you gain twice as many yards as your opponent, you're supposed to win the game, right? The visiting Badgers rolled up 368 yards in offense, compared to only 184 for the Buckeyes, but Ohio State's three long returns (two interceptions and one kickoff) was enough to spoil Wisconsin's perfect start to 2009.

RJ: The Badgers offensively blew the Buckeyes out of the water but some costly turnovers and poor special teams play cost them the game, next week they have a shot at taking down another Big Ten favorite in Iowa.

TB: A rough day for the offense saw John Clay fail to produce and Scott Tolzien get battered all day long. That was their first true test all season long, and they will look to rebound against Iowa.

KG: The Badgers were on the receiving end of arguably one of the strangest losses in school history. Wisconsin had more yards, more opportunities, more offensive success, and controlled the time of possessions almost three to one.

But, the Badgers offensive line couldn't handle the Ohio State front and the Buckeyes made three games changing plays to break the game open. Now the Badgers must refocus for a visit from undefeated Iowa.

5. Michigan Wolverines 56 points

RJ: The Wolverines lost in a nail biter to Iowa despite turning over the ball five times. The Wolverines need to find some consistency if they hope to not fold before the end of season like Minnesota did in 2008.

JK: Defense is getting better and showing signs of life. Offense needs consistency but hey, they are the youngest team in FBS. Five turnovers, with a young team, in a hostile environment, against a top Big 10 team...yet only lose by two?! That shows how scary Michigan's potential is when things actually get clicking.

TC: Occasionally, star freshman quarterbacks will play like...well...freshman quarterbacks. Rich Rodriguez found that out Saturday after Tate Forcier's less-than-stellar performance. Watching Denard Robinson try and run an eight-minute offense in a two-minute drill situation was painful as well.

KG: Another tough loss for the Wolverines will test the mettle of this young team. The Wolverines did turn in another excellent game on the ground with Brandon Minor leading the way with 95 tough yards and two touchdowns.

With Penn State looming and games with Wisconsin and Ohio State to close the season, the Wolverines must find a little of that early season offensive magic and continue to get better on defense. It could be mean the difference between a New Year's Day Bowl or a trip to Detroit.

6. Minnesota Golden Gophers 48 points

TB: Tim Brewster the last two years has been able to fly under the radar a little bit, after scoring 35 of 38 points to take down the Boilermakers. The cold weather forced more of a running attack, the Gophers took care of business and should be back in the bowls again this year.

TC: The Gophers finally proved there's more to Minnesota football than Eric Decker, rushing for 207 yards in an easy win over turnover-prone Purdue. Decker finished with only three catches, and coach Tim Brewster's team only attempted ten passes all afternoon in the 35-13 triumph.

JA: The Purdue Boilermakers started out fine in their game at Minnesota. They led 10-0 at the end of the first quarter. Minnesota was not firing on all cylinders. But miscues and turnovers cost the Boilers, eventually allowing the Gophers to go ahead 14-10 as the first half concluded.

The third quarter proved to be a disaster as myriad miscues cost the Purdue team three touchdowns. The score ended up at 35-20 in favor of Minnesota who rebounded and found their game in the late going. It’s going to be a long season in Purdue. It has already been long enough...

KG: The continued improvement of the Gopher running game only makes this Minnesota team more dangerous. Eric Decker, the team's best player and entire offense for much of the season, was only needed to catch three balls on Saturday.

7. Michigan State Spartans 45 points

TB: Sparty is working hard to get past their bad start to the season. Big wins over Michigan and a weak Illinois team have Dantonio's squad back at .500, and Larry Caper has been very solid for the Spartans lately.

TC: The Spartans played without starting quarterback Kirk Cousins, lost leading running back Glenn Winston before halftime, and still thoroughly manhandled a sinking Illini squad in Champaign. Give Coach Mark Dantonio credit for rallying his team after a 1-3 start.

KT: The Spartans have definitely improved on their 1-3 start, but a 24-14 win over Illinois isn't that impressive, and Michigan State needs to turn it up a notch if they want to move up the Big Ten rankings.

KG: Two weeks in a row, the Spartans have looked like the team many expected to see this season. With Kirk Cousins sidelined with an injury, Keith Nichol took over and provided a decent performance steering the offense. The play of running backs Larry Capers and Glen Winston allowed the offense to control the tempo of the game and take the pressure of Nichol.

8. Northwestern Wildcats 33 points

KT: Northwestern may be the worst 4-2 team in the country. A 16-6 win over Miami (Ohio) is far from impressive and the Wildcats will be in trouble if they play like they have been for the rest of the season.

JA: The Wildcats stopped the winless Miami of Ohio team with an impressive defense, capitalizing on turnovers to provide scoring opportunities. In the meantime their own offense was flat and ineffective.

The Northwestern team may have been over-confident; but the Cats could have reinforced some better habits than those they displayed on Saturday afternoon. Next weekend they have to travel to East Lansing to take on the Michigan State Spartans and they will need to do far
better than this.

TC: There's no such thing as an ugly win, right? That's what fans in Evanston are thinking after sliding by winless Miami (Ohio), 16-6, thanks to four RedHawks turnovers.

KG: The Wildcats are walking a fine line. Though the 'Cats sit at 4-2 through six weeks, those four wins (Towson, Eastern Michigan, Purdue, Miami-OH) are less than impressive and of their two losses (Syracuse and Minnesota) only the Gophers loss is remotely acceptable. The back half of the schedule isn't so manageable with game at Michigan State and Iowa on the road and home dates with Penn State and Wisconsin.

9. Purdue Boilermakers 20 points

TC: If there was an award for "Worst Head Case in Football", the Boilermakers would be preparing an acceptance speech right now. Purdue has led in every game of the year en route to choking the last five away in spectacular fashion.

Hard to point out just one unit, but the Boilermakers' "special teams" should be renamed the "worse-than-ordinary teams". A seven-yard punt, yet another kickoff fumble, and a blocked field goal that Minnesota returned for a touchdown were the latest lowlights in the comedy of errors.

KT: The Boilermakers move up a spot after a loss, mainly because Indiana got embarrassed and they didn't lose as badly. If Purdue can learn to finish games, they could move up down the stretch.

TB: It doesn't look good for the Boilermakers, giving up 35 of 38 after a strong start against the Gophers in a conference game they had to win. It doesn't get easier with the red-hot Buckeyes coming into West Lafayette this weekend.

KG: Once again the Boilers choked away a two possession lead. This broken record is starting to get tiresome and perhaps Danny Hope has more to worry about than just the X's and O's. Fundamentals are severely lacking and a more back to basics approach could do the Boilers some good. First step, give every player who has fumbled this season a football and make them carry that thing 24/7!

T11. Illinois Fighting Illini 14 points

JA: It is difficult to understand the total impotence of the Illinois team. They seem to have enough talent to be decent but nothing has unified this team and made them a cohesive whole.

The disparate parts defy the team concept and to win, the Illini have to work as a team. Next week they travel to Indiana where they must win one or their season deteriorates into a complete casualty.

TB: Ron Zook looks like he has one foot out the door in Champaign. Illinois just cannot get on track and they are not playing up to their talent level, which is much higher than they are showing this year.

TC: Is there a third option at quarterback? Backup Eddie McGee looked worse than benched starter Juice Williams at the helm of the Illini attack, and Ron Zook's seat is easily the hottest in the Big Ten. Williams relieved McGee in the second half, but the spark was too little, too late.

KG: Another team with some issues between the ears. There is something wrong in Champaign and it seems like we aren't getting the whole story. How could this team have regressed so much?

What has Zook done, other than bench Juice Williams for two quarters, to fix the problem? Is Zook even capable of fixing this problem? Questions abound and the answers are few and far between.

T11. Indiana Hoosiers 14 points

TB: The early season winning streak seems like a distant memory. 47 points to a Virginia team that lost to William & Mary is a sign that the Hoosiers just don't have the horses that they showed against Michigan.

TC: Some teams manage to do more than their fair share of damage to the Big Ten's national reputation, and this week, that would be the Indiana Hoosiers. Losing by 40 points to anyone anywhere is a shame and embarrassment, but losing by 40 points to a previously 1-3 team that dropped a 12-point decision to William and Mary earlier this year is nearly unthinkable.

At 3-3, it would stand to reason that Lynch needs to figure out how to split his last six games and take the Hoosiers to a bowl to save his job.

KG: Wow! Did I misjudge this Hoosier team! After starting 3-0 and playing Michigan down to the wire many believed Bill Lynch and Indiana had turned a corner. Turns out, they only peeked around the corner, then retreated to the safety of playing horrendous football. It's hard when people expect things out of you, isn't it?

RJ: The Hoosiers were blown out and a team that looked like they were likely headed to a bowl now look like they will struggle to make one.

The Bleacher Creature College Football Poll: The Hokies Stalk the Big Three

Kristofer Green — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:08:34 -0400

The Saturday upset has become a weekly tradition so far this season.

The state of Oklahoma is the home of the first two victims. First, the Sooners stumbled at Jerry's World against the Cougars of Brigham Young. Then another set of Cougars, this time from Houston, took down the Cowboys of Oklahoma State.

USC's annual meltdown happened in Seattle at the hands of former Trojan Steve Sarkisian and his Washington Huskies.

BYU was humbled by a 26-point loss to unranked Florida State.

SEC darling Ole Miss couldn't get by the Ole Ball Coach and his ferocious Gamecocks.

Even the White House couldn't help Penn State get by unranked Iowa.

The second chance Sooners coudn't overcome the Hurricanes in Miami.

This week unranked Arkansas tamed the previously unbeaten Tigers of Auburn.

But perhaps more impressive is an "upset" that has been happening all season long. In Moscow, a group of Vandals have reached the midway point with a 5-1 record. Considering Idaho hasn't won five games in a single season since 2000 and that four of the six games were on the road, this is no small feat.

Parity has arrived in college football. Year after year, teams that no one thought could compete with the "big boys" are stepping up in a big way.

That parity shows in the Bleacher Creature poll with 10 conferences represented, including the Mountain West, WAC, and Conference-USA.

The conference breakdown for Week Six is as follows: Big XII: Five, SEC: Four, Big Ten: Four, ACC: Three, Big East: Two, Mountain West: Two, Pac-10: Two, Conference-USA: One, Independent: One, WAC: One

To view how each pollster voted click here.

Now, on to the Week Seven Bleacher Creature College Football Rankings...

1. Alabama 6-0 (19) 858 Next: No. 21 South Carolina

2. Florida 5-0 (15) 847 Next: Arkansas

3. Texas 5-0 (1) 781 Next: vs. No. 22 Oklahoma (at Dallas)

4. Virginia Tech 5-1 731 Next: at No. 20 Georgia Tech

T5. Boise State 5-0 675 Next: at Tulsa

T5. USC 4-1 675 Next: at No. 24 Notre Dame

7. Ohio State 5-1 613 Next: at Purdue

8. Cincinnati 5-0 602 Next: at No. 17 South Florida

9. Iowa 6-0 595 Next: at No. 25 Wisconsin

10. Miami (FL) 4-1 535 Next: at Central Florida

11. TCU 5-0 529 Next: Colorado State

12. LSU 5-1 514 Next: idle

13. Oregon 5-1 488 Next: idle

14. Penn State 5-1 363 Next: Minnesota

15. Kansas 5-0 361 Next: at Colorado

16. Nebraska 4-1 344 Next: Texas Tech

17. South Florida 5-0 316 Next: at No. 8 Cincinnati

18. Oklahoma State 4-1 251 Next: Missouri

19. BYU 4-1 245 Next: at San Diego State

20. Georgia Tech 5-1 225 Next: at No. 4 Virginia Tech

21. South Carolina 5-1 180 Next: at No. 1 Alabama

22. Oklahoma 3-2 167 Next: vs. No. 3 Texas (vs. Dallas)

23. Houston 4-1 86 Next: at Tulane

24. Notre Dame 4-1 81 Next: No. 5 USC

25. Wisconsin 5-1 63 Next: at No. 9 Iowa

Others Receiving Votes: Auburn 61, Utah 56, Pitt 32, West Virginia 30, Missouri 27, Ole Miss 9, Arizona 6, Central Michigan 5, Arkansas 3, Michigan 2, Idaho 1

If you would like to become a pollster in the Bleacher Creature Poll all you have to do is send your weekly rankings to kgreen.23@live.com. All polls must be received by 3:00 AM ET (12 AM PT) on each Monday (or by the end of the day Sunday). If you have questions please contact Kristofer Green.

Wisconsin at a Crossroads: Can the Badgers Bounce Back?

Kristofer Green — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:28:37 -0400

COLUMBUS, Ohio — This wasn't how Bret Bielema imagined his Saturday afternoon would go.

Bielema's Badgers came into the Horseshoe on Saturday confident, sporting a 5-0 record, and expecting to go 6-0 for the first time since Barry Alvarez roamed the sidelines in 2004.

Wisconsin, under Alvarez, enjoyed tremendous success on the field and other than Michigan, no team has beaten the Buckeyes more often in that time frame (1990-2005) than the Badgers.

Bielema was the defensive coordinator for Alvarez's 2004 team and knows what it takes to beat Ohio State. He also knows that the underdog Badgers were victorious against the mighty Buckeyes four times in six attempts from 1999-2004.

The message to his team was clear; relish the underdog role, have confidence in your teammates, and play Wisconsin football.

"As a player in the Big Ten, I was a walk-on," Bielema said. "I was told I couldn't play at this level. I kind of like to motivate myself off people telling me I can't do something. One of our mottos we've used this season is, 'We're a team that's looking to gain respect, rather than lose respect.' That's what we're trying to do step by step."

Saturday, the Badgers out-gained Ohio State by nearly 200 yards, had 22 first downs to the Buckeyes' eight, and held the ball on offense for nearly three quarters (42:47). Yet, none of it mattered in the end.

Bielema, like in his previous two attempts against Ohio State, would leave the field with a loss after arguably outplaying the Buckeyes for most of the game.

In 2007, it was Beanie Wells who had touchdown runs of 31, 30, 23 yards in the final 17 minutes to erase a Wisconsin seven point lead and in 2008 it was Terrelle Pryor's 11-yard touchdown scamper with 1:08 remaining that sealed the victory for the Buckeyes.

This season, it was the Buckeyes' defense and special teams that spoiled the day and soiled the Badgers' perfect record.

Ohio State safeties Kurt Coleman and Jermale Hines had interception returns for touchdowns and Ray Small sunk the dagger with a 96-yard kick-off return for a touchdown with 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter.

"I hate losing to these guys," Bielema said. "Absolutely, it's something I can't stand for whatever reason."

But Bielema did know the reason and later expounded on the topic saying he hates losing to Ohio State more than any other Big Ten team.

"Because they've been in four straight Big Ten championships," Bielema continued. "If you want to be considered a player in this league you've got to beat Ohio State. That's something I'll definitely be able to personally think about for another year and have our players be ingrained with that as well."

For the Badgers, putting this kind of loss behind them is something they have struggled with in the past. Just last season, Wisconsin faced a similar situation when a 19-0 halftime lead turned into a 27-25 loss to Michigan.

The loss came after starting the season 3-0 and the Badgers, who would lose four of their next five games, never fully recovered from it. The 2008 Badger squad would finish the season 7-6, including a blowout loss to Florida State in the Citrus Bowl.

"This is disappointing for our guys," Bielema said. "At this point it's important we know what we did today. I'm glad to be heading back home to Wisconsin. It's a minor setback for us and now we just have to respond."

But, how will this Badger team respond?

Will it go into the toilet à la the 2008 squad or the way of those strong Badger teams of the past, including Bielema's first Badger squad which lost a heart breaker to Michigan in week four, then finished the season 12-1.

If the reactions of tight end Garrett Graham and linebacker Culmer St. Jean are any indication, the Badgers plan on the latter.

As the Badgers walked off the Ohio Stadium field, the players passed by a group of Wisconsin fans who, despite the disappointing outcome, shouted well wishes to the forlorn players.

One fan picked out Graham in particular.

"Garrett," the Badger fan shouted. "Keep your head up and beat the Hawkeyes next week."

Graham, turned his head in the direction of the comment and without really knowing who it had come from, nodded his head and flashed a thumbs up.

St. John, in the post-game interview room, simply said, "We expected to win and it was a tough loss. Now we have to gather ourselves. We will be ready for next week."

I have a feeling all of Madison will be ready as well.

This article is featured on First and Big Ten, a Bleacher Report Blog dedicated to everything Big Ten Football.

Big Ten Previews and Predictions: Buckeyes and Hawkeyes on Upset Alert?

Kristofer Green — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 23:11:09 -0400

Big Ten conference play continued last week offering a slew of exciting match-ups.

The Spartans won bragging rights over in-state rival Michigan for the second consecutive year, Minnesota battled to the end but failed to take Paul Bunyan's Axe from Wisconsin for the sixth consecutive year, Northwestern spotted Purdue 18 points who then gave the game away for their fourth consecutive loss, and Ohio State extended its conference road game win streak to 16 while beating the Hoosiers for the 15th consecutive time.

I went 5-1 for the week. I did predict the Spartans would upset the Wolverines in the annual slugfest for state bragging rights, but underestimated the mighty Badgers who took it to rival Minnesota (in a game that wasn't as close as the score might indicate) to keep Paul Bunyan's Axe in Madison for the sixth straight year.

Big Ten conference play continues this week with most teams facing conference foes.

Two key games to the conference title race take place this week. Wisconsin will travel to Columbus to battle the Buckeyes and Michigan goes on the road again to take on Iowa.

In other conference action, Purdue visits "The Bank" to take on the angry Gophers and Michigan State will try to extend its win streak to two against the hapless Illini who have benched star quarterback Juice Williams.

As for the Nittany Lions, Wildcats, and Hoosiers... Penn State will once again feast on a cupcake when they welcome former Iowa quarterback Jake Christensen and Eastern Illinois to Happy Valley, Northwestern is at home against the winless Miami Redhawks, and Indiana goes on the road to face the Cavaliers of Virginia.

On to this week's previews and picks...

Eastern Illinois at No. 14 Penn State--12:00 PM ET ESPN Classic (Dave Lamont and JC Pearson)

Penn State got its first Big Ten win of the season last week over the hapless Illini. But this week, after a grueling two game stretch (by PSU standards) the Nittany Lions return to the comfort of the land of cupcakes when they welcome (with open arms) the Eastern Illinois Panthers to Beaver Stadium.

The Lions will look to build on its best rushing performance of the season. The run game (and offensive-line play) has been a real concern for Joe Paterno, but the icon's mind was put to ease for the moment by a completely dominating performance from the offensive front and the 100-yard performances of backs Evan Royster and Stephfon Green.

Eastern Illinois, a top 25 FCS team, has been stout against the run allowing just 2.7 yards per carry and 94 yards per game.

The Panthers shouldn't have the depth to sustain Penn State's attack for four quarters, but finding yards on the ground could be tough going for the Lions to begin the game.

The Panthers' quarterback has faced the Nittany Lions in Happy Valley before. Former Iowa quarterback Jake Christensen led the Hawkeyes into Beaver Stadium in 2007. That game was the last time the Nittany Lions beat the Hawkeyes.

Fast Facts: This is the first meeting between Penn State and Eastern Illinois; The Nittany Lions are appearing on television for the 183rd time in their last 185 games; The Nittany Lions have won 19 straight non-conference home games; Penn State LB Josh Hull recorded double-figure tackles last week for the fourth consecutive contest with 11; Green (13-120-1) and Royster (17-105-1) eclipsed 100 rushing yards, giving Penn State its first 100-yard tandem since Tony Hunt (151) and Michael Robinson (125) did so in a 2005 win over Wisconsin.

Prediction: Penn State 34, Eastern Illinois 14

Miami (OH) at Northwestern--12:00 PM ET Big Ten Network (Ari Wolfe, Glen Mason, and Anthony Herron)

Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald should send Purdue coach Danny Hope a thank-you card. The Wildcats, down 21-3 with 3:04 remaining in the second quarter, intercepted Purdue quarterback Joey Elliott and scored to cut the deficit to 21-10. That interception was the beginning of a mind boggling series of Purdue turnovers and penalties.

The Wildcats should be commended for their ability to stay focused. After allowing 21 points in the first 20 minutes, Fitzgerald's defense and special teams units played flawlessly. The defense pitched a shut out and kicker Stefan Demos was clutch, connecting on all four field-goal attempts.

The offense, which has been the strength of team this season, was disappointing. Arby Fields fumbled on the first play from scrimmage and although the offense did convert five of Purdue's six turnovers in to points, only two were for touchdowns.

Mike Kafka and company will have an opportunity this week to get back in form. The 0-5 Miami Redhawks are in serious rebuilding mode and may put up an early fight, but shouldn't be able to hang around.

The again, the same thing could have been said about the 'Cats week two opponent Eastern Michigan (who are currently 0-4 and in serious rebuilding mode, yet hung with Northwestern until the end in a 27-24 win for the 'Cats).

Fast Facts: Miami (OH) leads the all-time series 6-2; Northwestern held Purdue to 62 rushing yards (a single-game season best) to lower its season defensive rushing figure to 118.0 ypg; Miami is one of the most successful all-time FBS programs, tallying 649 games (23rd all-time) and posting 82 winning seasons; The Redhawks are 0-5, but they have played a demanding schedule, including games against Kentucky, Boise State and Cincinnati; Northwestern wide receiver Zeke Markshausen hauled in a career-high 10 passes last week, giving him 25 receptions in the past three games.

Prediction: Northwestern 31, Miami (OH) 17

Purdue at Minnesota--12:00 PM ET ESPN2 (Pam Ward and Ray Bentley)

The Gophers must regroup after an emotional battle with rival Wisconsin. Though Minnesota was in the game until the end, the game was never really in doubt following an Adam Weber interception and subsequent Badger touchdown that gave Wisconsin the lead (for good) midway through the third quarter.

The Gophers run defense has been fairly solid this season, except in the two game it has faced an elite running back; Cal's Jahvid Best rushed for five touchdowns and Wisconsin's John Clay rushed for 184 yards and three touchdowns.

The Boilers do have solid backs in Jaycen Tayler and Ralph Bolden, but neither is ready to be put in the same category as Best and Clay.

For Purdue the key this week should be ball security. The offense has enough playmakers and quarterback Joey Elliott leads the conference in total passing yards and in total yards per game.

The Boilermakers have been not lost a game this season by more than a touchdown and lost two games against superior teams (Notre Dame and Oregon) by a combined five points.

It has been the turnovers, stupid mistakes, and silly penalties that have killed this team. Those are all fixable mistakes and should be teaching lessons for coach Danny Hope, but there is some question as to whether Hope can teach and motivate.

The Boilers have no time to recover. After facing a hungry and angry Minnesota squad, they must face Ohio State and Illinois in West Lafayette before a brutal four-game stretch to close the season (road trips to Wisconsin, Michigan, and rival Indiana and a home date with Michigan State).

Fast Facts: Minnesota leads the all-time series 32-30-3; Minnesota has only won two of the last 11 meetings with the Boilermakers, although it did win last year's meeting; Minnesota has trailed in the fourth quarter of every game it has played this season; Thanks to a minus-8 turnover ration, Purdue has had 73 less total offensive touches than its five opponents this season; The Gophers have performed in front of three straight sellout crowds of 50,805 in the first three games at the new TCF Bank Stadium.

Prediction: Minnesota 31, Purdue 21

Michigan State at Illinois--12:00 PM ET Big Ten Network (Wayne Larrivee and Chris Martin)

Michigan State got its spark last week when the Spartans took down hated rival Michigan in an overtime thriller that probably shouldn't have been. Mark Dantonio's disdain for the Wolverines had been well documented through the week and that intensity was picked up by his team.

The Spartans hit harder, ran faster, blocked better, and tackled more soundly (for 55 minutes). Now if Dantonio can get the Spartans to repeat that performance for a second consecutive week (and against a team not named Michigan), Michigan State will be in good shape.

The Illini are a team in search of its spark. Ron Zook is hoping that benching senior quarterback and four-year starter Juice Williams in favor of veteran back-up Eddie McGee will do the trick. But Illinois' troubles are much deeper than Juice Williams.

In its three games against BCS competition, the Illini have scored a paltry 26 points (14 of which came in mop-up time in last week's blow out loss to Penn State) while giving up 102 points.

Granted, those teams (MIssouri, Ohio State, and Penn State) are all ranked. But, three blow out losses to teams with comparable talent speaks to a coaching issue and not just a player issue.

Fast Facts: Michigan State leads the all-time series 27-17-2; The Spartans have won eight of the last nine meetings outscoring the Illini 35.4-15.1 in those contests; Kirk Cousins' 70-percent completion percentage on first down leads the Big Ten; The Illini offense ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 43rd in the nation in rushing yards per game (176.5); This game will mark Illinois' 99th Homecoming celebration, games in which the Illini are 42-54-2.

Prediction: Michigan State 34, Illinois 24

Wisconsin at No. 9 Ohio State--3:30 PM ET ABC (Sean McDonough, Matt Millen, and Holly Rowe)

Wisconsin, led by steady handed quarterback Scott Tolzien, hasn't blown anyone away (save FCS Wofford), but Bret Bielema's squad has been a hard hitting team that can never be counted as down and out (ask Fresno State).

The Badgers could become just that much more dangerous when they bring a chip on their shoulder and a 5-0 record into Ohio Stadium and with maybe just a few thoughts of revenge in their minds.

The Big Ten's most balanced offensive attack (217 yards per game rushing and 216 yards per game passing) will face its biggest test of the season in Ohio State's suffocating defense.

Running back John Clay has been stellar since reclaiming the starting job and is the key to solving the Buckeyes defensive attack.

The Buckeyes offense has been inconsistent, but still very productive in three straight wins since the loss to USC. Terrelle Pryor has had some breakdowns, but has been improving in each performance.

The offense has scored at least 30 points in those games and last week against Indiana, Pryor accounted for three touchdowns through the air and rushed for another.

The Badger defense and safety Jay Valai will surely be keyed in on trying to contain Pryor. But, that is everyone's goal and more times than not, Pryor's elusiveness and speed take some time to get used to.

This game, like many in the series before it, will be won by the team that makes fewer mistakes and runs the ball better.

The Ohio State defense has allowed a paltry 37.4 yards per game on the ground its last three outings and only 83.7 yards per game this season while Wisconsin has rushed with authority racking up 217 yards per game. Somethings got to give.

Fast Facts: Ohio State leads the all-time series 52-17-5; Ohio State's defense has allowed an average of 37.7 rushing yards in its past three games; The Badger rank first in the Big Ten in rushing yards with an average of 217 yards per game; The Buckeyes have forced 12 opponent turnovers through the first five games, an average of 2.4 per contest; Wisconsin's +1.00 turnover margin leads the Big Ten and is tied for 17th in the country; The Badgers are averaging 35 points per game while the Buckeyes are giving up 11.8 points per game and the Ohio State is averaging 29.4 points per game while Wisconsin is giving up 24.6 points per game.

Prediction: Ohio State 27, Wisconsin 17

Indiana at Virginia--3:30 PM ET ESPN 360 (Frank Giardina and Sonny Randle)

After getting off to a surprising 3-1 start (including a hard fought, toe to toe loss to Michigan), the Hoosiers fell back to earth on Saturday. Many were calling the match-up with Ohio State in the Indiana's favor (BTN's Chris Martin for instance), but the Buckeyes proved to much for the upstart Hoosier squad.

The simple fact that there were people on the planet that thought Indiana could upset the mighty Buckeyes speaks volumes as to how far the program has come in four short games.

The installation of the pistol offense and Bill Lynch's commitment to making it work has something do with that success.

In this new system, IU quarterback Ben Chappell has thrived and wide receiver Tandon Doss has been steady all season, including a remarkable performance in the Hoosier's first scoring drive against the Buckeyes.

But, no one else offensively has been effective consistently for the Hoosiers and that must change for the Hoosiers to be competitive on a consistent basis in conference play.

But Indiana doesn't play a Big Ten team this week. Instead, the Hoosiers will go on the road to face a Virginia team that until last week, only had losses to William & Mary, Southern Miss, and TCU on its resume.

Last week, the Cavaliers did get a win over North Carolina, but it could be argued the win had more to do with the Tar Heels horrific offensive performance than it did with anything the Cavaliers were throwing at them defensively.

This is a winnable game for the Hoosiers and Chappell and company must find a way to get it done. With a schedule that still includes trips to Iowa City and Happy Valley as well as a home date with Wisconsin, winnable games could be few and far between.

Fast Facts: This is the first meeting between Indiana and Virginia; Indiana defensive ends Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton, both All-America candidates, own 43 career combined sacks (Middleton-23, Kirlew-20), the highest total for any tandem in the country; Indiana is 5-10 all-time against the ACC. The Hoosiers last meeting against an ACC foe came on Sept. 6, 2001, at North Carolina State (L, 35-14).

Prediction: Indiana 28, Virginia 20

Michigan at No. 12 Iowa--8:05 PM ET ABC (Brent Musberger, Kirk Herbstreit, and Lisa Salters)

Five games into the season it has become abundantly clear that Rich Rodriguez has something special in quarterback Tate Forcier.

Young Forcier has been brilliant this season, but his performance in the final five minutes against the Spartans are what legends are made out of and may have permanently endeared him Wolverine fans everywhere.

It is unfortunate, however that the true freshman quarterback must carry such a weight on his injured shoulder. The offense has been steady, but inconsistent and the Wolverines have needed fourth quarter comebacks in all three games against BCS opponents this season.

That being said, the offense is the heart and strength of this young Wolverine squad and has covered for a disappointing defense.

The Hawkeyes are a team that is built around its hard hitting defense. The Iowa defensive front seven could be the best in the conference and swarm to the ball with ferocity. The defense has been buoyed by the outstanding play of defensive leaders Adrian Clayborn, Pat Angerer, and Tyler Sash.

The Hawkeyes inconsistent offensive play starts with quarterback Ricky Stanzi and his erratic, sometimes brilliant-sometimes terrible play this season.

The Iowa defense is so good that it will keep the Hawkeyes in every game. But unless the mistakes on offense are fixed, the offense could be a liability when facing a similarly dominating defense.

Fast Facts: Michigan leads the all-time series 40-10-4; This game marks Iowa's 98th Homecoming game; the Hawkeyes are 51-41-5 in such contests; Iowa has won 41 of its last 49 games (.830) in Kinnick Stadium, dating back to the 2002 season; This will be the 400th time a Michigan football game will be televised (most in the nation); Michigan has won eight of the last 10 games in the series, including six of eight at Kinnick Stadium; This is the seventh night game in Kinnick Stadium history, with Iowa holding a 3-3 record in the six previous games.

Prediction: Michigan 27, Iowa 24

My record through five weeks: 33-11 (.750)

Big Ten Power Rankings (Week 6): Buckeyes and Badgers and Hawkeyes, Oh My!

Kristofer Green — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:27:02 -0400

After five weeks, the Big Ten title race is starting to take shape and the games that will decide the 2009 champion are beginning to become more and more clear.

Ohio State and Penn State, the preseason favorites, are both still in the hunt (though the Nittany Lions chances now hinge on the performance of others.)

The darkhorse Iowa Hawkeyes have already taken down one preseason favorite en route to a 5-0 record and the surprising 5-0 Wisconsin Badgers will try to take down the other this week.

Then there are the wildcard Wolverines. With one Big Ten loss already on their resume, Michigan will be fighting to keep their title hopes alive in Iowa City this week.

The fact that this ranking has had four different number one teams in as many weeks speaks volumes about how competitive it is at the top of the conference right now. And many of those top teams are facing each other in the next few weeks.

Notable matchups in Big Ten play this week include 5-0 Wisconsin trying to stay alive against the suffocating Buckeyes in Columbus, Michigan hoping to bounce back after a close loss at No. 12 Iowa, and Indiana representing the conference against ACC foe Virginia.

Which team will be eliminated from the title race this week?

The B/R Big Ten Players of the Week:

Offensive Player of the Week: RB John Clay, Wisconsin

Defensive Player of the Week: DL O'Brien Schofield, Wisconsin

Special Teams Player of the Week: K Jeremy Boone, Penn State

The 2009 roundtable members are J.A. Allen, Tim Bielik, Tim Cary, Bret Feddern, Kristofer Green, Ryan Jelley, Jordan Krumrey, Isaac Luber, Kevin Paul, and Kevin Trahan.

On to the rankings...

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (4) 74 points

BF: Despite being 4-for-12 on third down conversions against Indiana, Ohio State is definitely the team to beat in the Big Ten.

TC: The Buckeyes took care of business on the road, setting up a monster showdown with undefeated Wisconsin. With Dan Herron banged up, Brandon Saine performed well with a 100-yard game on the ground.

JA: As we suspected Ohio State was too much for the Indiana Hoosiers to handle. The Buckeyes scored early and led 10-0 at the midpoint of the first quarter. Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State’s quarterback, threw three touchdown passes and rushed for another—he seemed unstoppable.

KG: The Buckeyes, picked by some as primed for the upset against the Hoosiers, showed why they are still the team to beat in the Big Ten with another dominating performance. Terrelle Pryor spread the ball around to eight different receivers.

2. Iowa Hawkeyes (3) 72 points

RJ: The Hawkeyes didn't look great in their win over Arkansas St. this weekend, but if they take Michigan down next week then the Hawkeyes should be the clear favorite for the Big Ten.

TC: The Hawkeyes are this year's candidate for "plays to the level of their competition each week." The good news for Iowa fans is their team's still unbeaten...the bad news is the closest games have come against Northern Iowa and Arkansas State.

KT: The Hawkeyes will once again get to prove their legitimacy to the nation with a win over Michigan.

KG: The Hawkeyes defense is as solid as it gets. The defensive front is excellent, linebacker play has been outstanding, and the secondary has been solid.

But offensively, there are more signs of trouble than there are flashes of greatness. Ricky Stanzi is erratic and turns the ball over too much, the wide receivers are talented, but inconsistent, and the running game has been solid but not outstanding.

3. Wisconsin Badgers 63 points

JK: They have a W on their helmet and got a W on the field versus rival Minnesota to go along with it. Closer than Wisconsin would have liked, but it's a rivalry so they get the benefit of the doubt.

TC: After playing their first four games at home, Wisconsin showed their 4-0 start was no fluke by disposing of the Gophers in Minneapolis. John Clay has responded to his preseason benching by posting some big numbers. He'll have to step it up even more for Bielema's crew to win in Columbus.

RJ: At the beginning of the season nobody could've expected the Wisconsin-Ohio State game could play a pivotal role in deciding the Big Ten. Now it looks like it will. If the Badgers win, the Big Ten should look out.

KG: The steady Badgers started the season without much hype and have quietly built their record to 5-0. Badger quarterback Scott Tolzien has taken a backseat to Pryor, Clark, and Forcier. But Tolzien has been nearly flawless in leading the Big Ten's best offense. The Wisconsin defense has been steady, but not spectacular.

4. Penn State Nittany Lions 57 points

BF: Penn State got over its loss to Iowa. In fact, their offensive line learned a lot from their loss and came out with a dominating performance. Penn State put up 513 yards of offense, with 338 of those on the ground. Impressive.

TC: Lions can be declared state champions of Illinois in a few days after defeating the Illini and (most likely) Eastern Illinois this coming weekend. Penn State looked good in Champaign, but who hasn't looked good playing the Orange and Blue?

RJ: The Nittany Lions bounced back nicely and shouldn't be challenged again until they visit Ann Arbor later this month.

KG: The Penn State offensive line finally showed up for a game and tailbacks Evan Royster and Stephfon Green can thank them for the 100 yard games each had. But let's not forget this was accomplished against an Illini defense that had allowed 84 points and 1,158 total yards in its previous three outings.

5. Michigan Wolverines 47 points

BF: Michigan fans are real quick to defend the loss to Michigan State. But the loss did show a few weak spots in the Michigan offense that the Wolverines will need to work on before facing a defense like Iowa’s.

TC: Down 20-6 with less than five minutes to play, the Wolverines shouldn't have made it to overtime. But Tate Forcier is a big-time quarterback. Michigan needs to be more consistent moving the ball if they have championship hopes in 2009. They can't wait until crunch time every week.

JK: Looked bad and couldn't find their rhythm vs. rival MSU. Considering the team's youth, they played rather well, especially in the fourth quarter when freshman QB Tate Forcier led yet another remarkable comeback that fell just short in OT.

KG: Tate Forcier has more than proven worthy of any praise that comes his way. His performance in the last five minutes against the rival Spartans last weekend was awe inspiring. It's too bad that his final pass was the interception that sealed. Wolverine fans should be concerned about this Wolverine defense.

T6. Michigan State Spartans 38 points

JA: After their overtime victory over in-state rival Michigan, the Spartans may move forward with some renewed confidence. This week they travel to Illinois to meet a team that has been rocked to its foundation.

Michigan State played the Wolverines tough and persisted, refusing to give up the victory to Big Blue, as is their custom. They need to carry that motivation forward for their remaining games and finish strong in the Big 10, as preseason hype predicted.

KT: The Spartans are still 2-3, but got back on the right track with a win over in-state rival Michigan.

TC: The Spartans got a win they desperately needed after trying exceptionally hard in the last five minutes of regulation to give it away. MSU could get back on the road to a bowl game and even their record at .500 with a win in Champaign this Saturday.

KG: The Spartans turned in their best performance of the season for 55 minutes on Saturday. But, the game is 60 minutes.

The Spartans may have gotten just a little too confident during those last five minutes, and Tate Forcier made them pay. Winning the toss in overtime was the lucky break the Spartans needed because it kept an exhausted Forcier on the field.

T6. Minnesota Golden Gophers 38 points

TC: The Gophers haven't quit in any of their games, their new home-field advantage is a big asset, and they may have the best player in the conference in Eric Decker. That's about all.

KT: A loss to Wisconsin isn't bad, but it shows the Gophers aren't the great team they thought they were.

JK: Played tough vs. rival Wisconsin but fell short at home. Adam Weber needs to be more consistent at QB if this team expects to win during Big 10 play. A 53 percent completion rate isn't going to cut it.

KG: The Gophers are good enough to beat the lower half of the conference, but not good enough to beat the upper half. Bad news for a Minnesota team that must travel to Happy Valley and Columbus in consecutive weeks and must travel to Iowa City to close the season.

The Halloween showdown with the Spartans could decide whether the Gophers go bowling this season.

8. Northwestern Wildcats 29 points

TC: After getting down 21-3 in the first half to one of the conference's worst teams, the Wildcats don't have a ton to smile about this week. Well, except a win. Somebody had to be on the receiving end for the half dozen Purdue turnovers, and Pat Fitzgerald will take it.

BF: The come from behind win was impressive, but it was a come from behind win against a 1-3 Purdue. The Wildcats are better than their record states, but I am not impressed.

KT: The Wildcats should have lost to Purdue and they haven't shown any reason to be taken seriously in the Big Ten.

KG: The Wildcats got enough help from the Boilermakers that they should have won the game going away. As it was, it took every one of Purdue's six turnovers and a couple of gutsy plays by Mike Kafka for the 'Cats to get the win.

Pat Fitzgerald's defense stepped up big after a poor first quarter.

9. Indiana Hoosiers 22 points

BF: They ended the Ohio State D’s shutout streak. But 18 yards rushing? Really?

JA: There was not much the Indiana Hoosiers could have done against the Ohio State Buckeyes, but they certainly would have improved their lot had they held onto the ball and not turned it over three times.

Those kinds of mistakes are nails in the coffin against a powerful team like the Buckeyes.

Indiana travels this week to Virginia to take on the Cavaliers. It is a game they definitely have a chance to win if they do not shoot themselves in the foot.

TC: Hoosiers have come back down to earth with losses to Michigan and Ohio State. Then again, most of the league usually loses to Michigan and Ohio State. If IU can rebound and right the ship, they've got a shot at a rare (for Hoosiers, anyway) bowl game.

KG: After dropping games to Michigan and Ohio State the Hoosiers could pack it in. but, something tells me that isn't what this Hoosier squad will do.

Bill Lynch has his team playing hard and other than a run in with the Buckeye defense, his team has steadily improved from week to week.

The next test will come this weekend when the Hoosiers go on the road to face ACC foe Virginia.

10. Purdue Boilermakers 13 points

TC: Danny Hope's team has overachieved enough to be in every game so far this year. Then again, the Boilermakers have self-destructed enough to lose most of them.

Ball security was laughable against Northwestern in a 27-21 defeat, and the new special teams coordinator won't be worth his money until the punt returners learn how to catch.

KT: The Boilermakers could be in the top five in the Big Ten if they just learned how to close games. Instead they're 1-4.

JA: The hapless Boilermakers continue to stir up misery for themselves. This week they led early in their contest with Northwestern then let the Cats off the hook by self-destructing.

They have yet to put together all the ingredients of their game and come up with a whole product that allows them to win.

KG: The Boilermakers came within a field goal of beating Oregon and Notre Dame. But, the Boilers got punched in the mouth by a Northern Illinois team that led the entire way, and turned the ball over six times to a Northwestern team that trailed 21-3 after the first quarter.

The schedule only gets more difficult with road games against Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and rival Indiana still remaining.

11. Illinois Fighting Illini 8 points

JA: Illinois has yet to cause anything really good happen on the football field. Their defense has proven AWOL and their offense has failed to jell. They need a win in the conference to establish some positive momentum.

Otherwise we will see the end of the Illini chances to go bowling and more than likely the end of Ron Zook as their coach.

BF: This team has played some tough teams, but they haven’t really been in the game for any of their loses. Michigan State won’t be an easy game for them this week, either.

TC: If there's any good news for Ron Zook and his anemic offensive team, it's that the new quarterback can't be much worse. The runaway candidate for "2009 Disappointing Team of the Year" is spiraling the wrong direction.

KG: Will Eddie McGee be the difference? The offense did show some improvement last week against a pretty solid Penn State defense. But Ron Zook has to find a spark on offense, and changing signal callers may be what ignites this group.

The Bleacher Creature College Football Poll, Week Six: The Tide Is High

Kristofer Green — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:52:01 -0400

The first edition of the 2009 Bleacher Creature College Football Poll offers some twists on the recognized college football polls.

Like the AP, Coaches, and Harris Interactive polls, the top three teams in the country are clearly out in front of the rest of the pack. Florida, Texas, and Alabama all received first place votes and are the only teams to break the 900 point mark in this week's poll.

The Bleacher Creature poll, in it's second season, purposefully waits until after the fifth week of the season to begin polling in order to better evaluate on-field results rather than preseason notions.

Though, there will always be some forshadowing involved in ranking teams, it is the duty of every pollster to vote on where they believe each team should be ranked at this moment and to vote without an agenda or bias that would blind objectivity.

The conference breakdown for week six are as follows: Big XII 6, SEC 5, Big Ten 4, ACC 3, Big East 2, Mountain West 2, Pac-10 2, WAC 1

To view how each pollster voted click here.

On to the Week Six Bleacher Creature College Football Rankings...

1. Alabama 5-0 (18) 967 Next: at No. 23 Mississippi

2. Florida 4-0 (19) 953 Next: at No. 4 LSU

3. Texas 4-0 (3) 909 Next: Colorado

4. LSU 5-0 818 Next: No. 2 Florida

5. Boise State 5-0 779 Next: idle

6. Virginia Tech 4-1 742 Next: Boston College

7. USC 4-1 716 Next: idle

8. Cincinnati 5-0 694 Next: idle

9. Ohio State 4-1 631 Next: No. 20 Wisconsin

10. Iowa 5-0 618 Next: Michigan

11. TCU 4-0 597 Next: at Air Force

12. Miami (FL) 3-1 554 Next: Florida A&M

13. Auburn 5-0 485 Next: at Arkansas

14. Oregon 4-1 475 Next: at UCLA

15. Penn State 4-1 392 Next: Eastern Illinois

16. Kansas 4-0 349 Next: Iowa State

17. Oklahoma State 3-1 290 Next: at Texas A&M

18. South Florida 5-0 269 Next: idle

19. Nebraska 3-1 262 Next: at No. 21 Missouri

20. Wisconsin 5-0 235 Next: at No. 9 Ohio State

21. Missouri 4-0 232 Next: at No. 19 Nebraska

22. BYU 4-1 192 Next: at UNLV

23. Mississippi 3-1 153 Next: No. 1 Alabama

24. Georgia Tech 4-1 150 Next: at Florida State

25. Oklahoma 2-2 144 Next: Baylor

Others Receiving Votes: South Carolina 142, Stanford 36, Michigan 31, Notre Dame 27, Georgia 22, Houston 18, West Virginia 15, Pitt 9, Arizona 6, Utah 6, Rutgers 3, Texas Tech 1

If you would like to become a pollster in the Bleacher Creature Poll all you have to do is send your weekly rankings to kgreen.23@live.com. All polls must be received by 3:00 AM ET (12 AM PT) on each Monday (or by the end of the day Sunday). If you have questions please contact Kristofer Green.

Bleacher Creature Pollsters: 78Lion, Allen Kenney, BabyTate, Brad Vipperman, Bret Feddern, Brooks Webb, Carl Stine, Dan Scofield, Dean Walker, Delane Kelley, Garrett Traggorth, HD Handshoe, James Crytzer, Jameson Fleming, Joe Guarr, Joel Barker, Joseph Morgan, Justin Potts, Keith Shelton, Kevin McGrady, Kevin Trahan, Kristofer Green, Les Adkins, Mark welling, Michael Collins, Michael Foster, Michael Oleszek, Michael Shibley, Misthaufen, Mitch Wilson, Mitchell Morse, Paul Salman, Peter Rohman, Rick McMahan, Ron Clements, Ryan Jelley, Sportscaster007, Tiger Histalmos, Timothy Croley, Tyler Stimson.

The Triumphant Return Of The Bleacher Creature College Football Poll

Kristofer Green — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 10:50:15 -0400

The Bleacher Creature College Football Poll is back!

The major college football polls have all seemingly lost their minds when it comes to ranking college football's top teams. Each poll has had shocking and somewhat embarrassing lapses in judgment.

The AP poll has on a few occasions this season punished teams for winning. Not winning close, but in one case for winning 38-0.

While both the Coaches poll and the Harris Interactive poll—which account for 2/3 of the BCS formula—have done things like rank an Iowa team four spots below the Penn State team it had just dominated head to head.

Or rank an Oregon team six spots below the Cal team it just beat 42-3 or rank a Houston team three spots below the Oklahoma State team that was beat in its own stadium.

No poll can be flawless, there are too many opinions and the results can vary so greatly from pollster to pollster. But these are glaring problems that don't seem to be an issue to any one but us... the fans.

That is why the Bleacher Creature Poll was created. To give the fans a voice in deciding (even if it is only between us) who the best team in college football is.

So, here is your chance!

The guidelines for the Bleacher Creature Poll are simple. It consists of only two rules...DO vote for your top 25 teams as of that particular moment without forecasting how you believe they will finish and DO NOT vote with an agenda or with bias that blinds your objectivity.

That's it...and this is how it works.

Every Sunday through the end of the college football season you will rank the top 25 teams in the country and e-mail your rankings to me. I will then tabulate the rankings the same way the USA Today Coaches Poll and the AP Media Poll are tabulated.

For example, each vote for No. 1 equals 25 points, No. 2 equals 24 points, No. 3 equals 23 points and so on.

The Bleacher Creature College Football Poll will be released every Monday afternoon continuing through the end of the college football season. The final poll will be released the day after the National Championship Game.

For this week only, the deadline for ballots will be Tuesday, Oct. 6 and the poll will be released on Wednesday, Oct. 7.

If you are interested, just send your ballot to kgreen.23@live.com. Make sure you leave your Bleacher Report name, if it is different than your real name, so I can include your name as a pollster each week.

Big Ten Previews and Predictions: Week Five

Kristofer Green — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:00:45 -0400

The Big Ten began conference play last week. Iowa got a huge win in State College, the Buckeyes got their second consecutive shut-out against a supposed high powered offense, Wisconsin looked solid in victory, and Michigan outpaced the Hoosiers in a shoot-out in the Big House.

I went 3-3 for the week. I did predict the Hawkeyes would "upset" the Nittany Lions, but missed on Northwestern, who forgot how to tackle in a loss to Minnesota, Michigan State's continuing fall and loss to Wisconsin, and the Boilermakers defeat in the final seconds to Notre Dame.

Big Ten conference play continues this week with every team but Iowa facing conference foes.

Two very big rivalry games take place this week in conference action. Wisconsin will travel to Minneapolis to battle the Gophers for Paul Bunyan's Axe and the annual contest for bragging rights in the state of Michigan takes place in East Lansing this season.

In other conference action, Purdue begins league play when Northwestern travels to West Lafayette and Indiana will try to break a 14-game losing streak to Ohio State when the Buckeyes and Hoosiers meet under the lights for the firs conference game in newly renovated Memorial Stadium.

As for the Hawkeyes...they play host to Arkansas State, a team from the Sun Belt conference. Sort of a let-down from the hype that surrounded Iowa in the days leading up to last weeks media circus.

On to this weeks previews and picks...

No. 22 Michigan at Michigan State--12:00 PM ET Big Ten Network

The Wolverines go on the road for the first time this season when they travel an hour west to East Lansing. Coming off an emotional victory over Indiana, it will be interesting to see how Rich Rodriguez's young team performs in a hostile confines of Spartan Stadium. Michigan will need a big day from Carlos Brown and Brandon Minor (if available).

The Spartans, coming off another tough loss, hope to use home-field advantage and the natural excitement of its biggest rivalry game to try to right the ship. The Spartans have been very good at passing the ball, but need to show more consistency and ability on the ground in conference play and the defense must start playing to potential.

Fast Facts: Michigan leads the all-time series 67-29-5; Michigan sports a 19-10-2 all-time record against Michigan State in East Lansing, including a 17-10-1 mark at Spartan Stadium; in this series, the school that has won the running game battle has claimed wins in 37 of the last 41 contests; Rich Rodriguez owns a 2-1 record against Mark Dantonio led teams, both wins coming over Dantonio's Cincinnati team when Rodriguez was at West Virginia.

Prediction: Michigan State 38, Michigan 31

Wisconsin at Minnesota--12:00 PM ET ESPN

The Badgers have quietly become one of the teams to beat in the Big Ten championship race. Behind the very strong play of quarterback Scott Tolzien, the Badger offense clicked on all cylinders last week. John Clay, Nick Toon, and Garrett Graham are all offensive weapons that can give defenses fits.

Minnesota is riding high after another strong performance last week. The Gophers, who have arguably the best wide receiver in the country in Eric Decker, just became that more dangerous on offense with the emergence of running back Duane Bennett.

Defensively, the Gophers are an underrated bunch who, led by linebacker Nate Triplett, have played very well this season.

Fast Facts: Minnesota leads the all-time series 59-51-8; the 118 games played to date vs. the Badgers make the Minnesota-Wisconsin series the most-played series in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) history.

Minnesota is 14-of-15 scoring when in the red zone this season; Wisconsin, which has not been sacked in three of its four games this season, is tied for the NCAA lead for fewest sacks allowed (2); Wisconsin's 1.25 turnover margin leads the Big Ten and is tied for 13th in the country.

Prediction: Minnesota 24, Wisconsin 20

Northwestern at Purdue--12:00 PM ET Big Ten Network

After Northwestern's disappointing performance last week, coach Pat Fitzgerald called his team's effort "shocking" and his defense's ability to tackle "awful." The coach vowed that the issues would be fixed immediately. The Wildcats must show that improvement on the field Saturday against a Purdue offense that can put some points on the board.

The Boilermakers have lost three games this season by a combined 12 points and two of those losses came in the final seconds at the hands of top 25 teams. This Purdue team will eventually get over the hump and win one of these games, but first Purdue must correct the silly mistakes (13 penalties for 103 yards against the Irish) and cut way back on the turnovers (11 through four weeks).

Fast Facts: Purdue leads the all-time series 48-26; for the second straight week, Mike Kafka threw for more than 300 yards, completing 32-of-47 passes for 309 yards and tossing a pair of touchdowns last week against Minnesota; Northwestern has won three of the last five meetings with the Boilermakers, including last year's meeting in Evanston, 48-26.

Purdue, with head coach Danny Hope, will be Northwestern's fourth opponent in five games this season to have a first-year coach; Purdue is riding a three-game losing streak, but the losses have come by a combined 12 points.

Prediction: Northwestern 27, Purdue 24

Arkansas State at No. 13 Iowa--12:05 PM ET ESPN2

The Hawkeyes are riding an eight game winning streak and coming off a huge, emotional victory over a top 5 team must guard against a let down in week five.

Arkansas State, a 1-2 team from the Sun Belt conference should pose no threat for the Iowa squad we saw on Saturday. That Iowa squad sported a suffocating, turnover forcing defense, a powerful running game, and a special teams unit that made a couple brilliant plays.

Fast Facts: This is the first meeting between Arkansas State and Iowa; with a win over Arkansas State, the Hawkeyes would capture their first 5-0 start since 1995; Iowa has won 40 of its last 48 games (.830) in Kinnick Stadium, dating back to the 2002 season; Iowa's eight-game winning streak is currently tied for second best in the nation with Texas and behind Florida (14).

Prediction: Iowa 34, Arkansas State 17

No. 15 Penn State at Illinois--3:30 PM ET ABC

The Nittany Lions must put the heartbreak of last week behind them to go on the road to face an Illinois team that has been utterly embarrassed in the two games they've played this season against BCS competition. The Lions will test their weak offensive line again this week against a fairly athletic Illini front.

Illinois has got to be sick of losing. Not only that, but Juice Williams and Arrelius Benn have got to be sick of not putting points on the board. The biggest surprise this season has been Illinois inability to move the football considering the amount of talent on that side of the ball.

The challenge doesn't get any easier against a sound and stingy Penn State defense that will be out to prove something.

Fast Facts: Penn State leads the all-time series 13-3; Illinois quarterback Juice Williams can break the Illinois career total offense record with 76 yards against the Nittany Lioins. In doing so, he also would crack the top-10 on the Big Ten's career total offensive yardage list.

The Illini are 3-7 vs. top-25 opponents over the past three seasons, including a win over No. 19 Penn State in 2007; in his first full game this season, junior linebacker Navorro Bowman recorded a career-high 13 tackles; Penn State has a 23-6 record against teams from the state of Illinois, including a 13-3 clip against the Illini.

Prediction: Penn State 27, Illinois 10

No. 9 Ohio State at Indiana--7:00 PM ET Big Ten Network

Ohio State has turned a corner since a heartbreaking three-point loss at home to USC three weeks ago. The Buckeyes have not allowed a single point since that game, the offense and especially the running game have improved, and the Buckeyes (and their coach) are playing with swagger and a killer instinct, something fans in Columbus have not seen in quite some time.

Bill Lynch acknowledged this week that though he still feels the wrong call was made in last week's Michigan game, his team had to move on to the next challenge. The Hoosier's have been a good story this season, but Lynch just doesn't have to players to compete with an Ohio State team with more playmakers and depth.

Fast Facts: Ohio State leads the all-time series 65-12-5; Ohio State dropped Indiana, 41-10, the last time the teams faced off in Bloomington on Oct. 22, 2005; Ohio State is riding a 15-game Big Ten road winning streak.

The Hoosiers' defense is solid, ranking second in the Big Ten in rushing defense, giving up just 94.7 yards per game; the Buckeyes have forced nine turnovers (six interceptions, three fumble recoveries) through the first four games, an average of 2.2 per contest; Darius Willis' 154 yards against Michigan were the most by an Indiana running back since Chris Taylor put up 176 against Kentucky in 2005.

Prediction: Ohio State 38, Indiana 6

My record: 28-10 (.737)

This article is featured on First and Big Ten, a Bleacher Report and Chicago Now blog dedicated to everything Big Ten Football! Stop by and visit Kristofer, as well as other BR writers Tim Cary and Kevin Paul.

Big Ten Power Rankings, Week Five: Iowa Hawkeyes Make Statement Nation Can See

Kristofer Green — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:01:00 -0400

For the third time in as many weeks, the BR Big Ten Pollsters have named a new number one team.

After quieting the "White House" in State College, the Iowa Hawkeyes vault up the rankings, supplanting Ohio State and Penn State as the top dog.

The Hawkeyes, down 10-0 at the end of the first quarter would rally behind a suffocating defense, powerful running game, and brilliant special teams to score 21 unanswered points (16 of which came in the fourth quarter).

The Wisconsin Badgers are another team that made a big jump in the rankings this week. The Badgers haven't always won pretty, but there is something to say about a team that consistently finds a way to win.

The biggest disappointments this season are without question Michigan State and Illinois.

The Spartan pass offense is clicking behind the strong arm of Keith Nichol, but the Spartans have failed to run the football with any consistency and the defense is just not playing to its capabilities.

The Illini have scored exactly nine points against FBS schools this season and were completely dominated in both games and the defense has allowed 67 points in those two losses.

Week five will be make or break time for a few teams.

The intensity level rises.

The B/R Big Ten Players of the Week:

Offensive Player of the Week: QB Scott Tolzien, Wisconsin

Defensive Player of the Week: LB Pat Angerer, Iowa

Special Teams Player of the Week: DE Adrian Clayborn, Iowa

The 2009 roundtable members are J.A. Allen, Tim Bielik, Tim Cary, Bret Feddern, Kristofer Green, Ryan Jelley, Jordan Krumrey, Isaac Luber, Kevin Paul, and Kevin Trahan.

On to the rankings...

1. Iowa Hawkeyes (6) 86 points

Krumrey: Physically dominated a top 5 PSU team in Happy Valley...nuff said. Iowa really is who we thought they were.

Jelley: The Hawkeyes were my preseason pick to win the Big Ten and if someone on the offense steps up to complement their dominating defense they very well could.

Cary: The Hawkeyes impressed me...okay, they shocked me with a statement win in Happy Valley. Best win by any team so far this year.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes (2) 82 points

Allen: The Buckeyes simply took Juice Williams and company out of their game plan and never let them get started. The Illini played poorly, enduring penalties and turnovers and Williams called the game a “nightmare.”

Jelley: The Buckeyes defense has looked fantastic but they must develop a better passing game if they want to get through their Big Ten schedule.

Cary: If the Buckeyes go the rest of the year without giving up a point...well...they'll be pretty good. This is a big-time defense.

3. Michigan Wolverines 66 points

Feddern: Michigan’s offense looked great. Michigan’s defense…not so much. Giving up 467 yards to Indiana at home is unacceptable.

Trahan: The Notre Dame win isn't looking as good anymore and the Wolverines needed a blown call to get by Indiana. They have to start playing defense if they want to compete with Iowa, Ohio State, and Penn State.

Allen: Indiana did everything better than Michigan except win the game. They moved the ball better. They had a better game plan. They were more inspired, more confident and more committed. They just could not score when they got down into the red zone and that cost them the game.

4. Wisconsin Badgers 64 points

Allen: So far they have not left the friendly confines of Camp Randall stadium. Next weekend, however, they will be on the road playing in Gopher territory. The Spartans self-destructed committing four turnovers which the Badgers converted into three touchdowns.

Krumrey: Dominated Michigan State until a late rally by the Spartans when the game was already over. Even though the scoreboard read 38-30 the game wasn't anywhere near that close. That Wisconsin offense is surprisingly consistent and dare I say...good!

Jelley: The Badgers have been one of the biggest surprises of the Big Ten and if the good QB play continues the Badgers could be a contender.

5. Penn State Nittany Lions 59 points

Feddern: The offensive line and special teams for the Nittany Lions need to figure a few things out. The offense has potential, but not if Clark is scrambling for his life all the time.

Krumrey: A bad loss at home to Iowa gains the Lions a deserved drop in the ranks...can that offensive line be any worse?

Jelley: The Nittany Lions looked sloppy and unmotivated Saturday and will need to bounce back strong if they hope to stay a contender in the Big Ten.

6. Minnesota Golden Gophers 49 points

Trahan: Minnesota has been somewhat of a pleasant surprise this year. They beat Air Force and played tough against Cal. Plus, they opened the Big Ten season with a win against Northwestern.

Krumrey: Avenged their loss to Northwestern last year by beating the Wildcats 35-34 mainly on the arm of Adam Webber who tossed for only 186 yards but had a pair of TD's to get his team the edge.

Cary: Double-team Eric Decker. Or let Minnesota beat you. Your choice, coaches. Easiest team to figure out in the entire conference.

7. Indiana Hoosiers 41 points

Trahan: They way the Hoosier offense was playing and the way the Michigan defense was playing, they easily could have scored and won in the Big House for the first time since 1967.

Allen: Indiana is so much better than we imagined they would be during preseason estimations. They played Michigan down to the wire and with a bit of luck here or there could have upset the Wolverines at home.

Cary: Hoosiers played Michigan tough in Ann Arbor. They say close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, though, right?

8. Northwestern Wildcats 26 points

Krumrey: Kafka had an impressive day throwing two TD's and over 300 yards passing, but his team still lost to the Gophers. Need to learn how to play that one thing called DEFENSE!

Cary: Wildcats get a hungry Purdue team in West Lafayette this weekend. Surprised the 'Cats are 'dogs on the road...very intriguing matchup.

Trahan: After a promising start, the Wildcats had to fight of Towson and lost to Syracuse and Minnesota. They need to find a consistent running game and get better on defense. Mike Kafka can't do everything himself.

9. Michigan State Spartans 22 points

Trahan: I think it's safe to say that Michigan State was one of the country's most overrated teams at the start of the season. The running game isn't clicking and the defense isn't all that it was hyped up to be.

Feddern: MSU gave it their best, but it was too little too late at Camp Randall. Michigan State definitely has a passing game, but the turnovers and lack of defense keep killing them.

Jelley: The Spartans have been the most disappointing team in the Big Ten so far. With in-state rival Michigan coming to town this weekend they can turn it around.

10. Purdue Boilermakers 20 points

Jelley: The Boilermakers' defense must improve if they hope to have any chance in conference play as they've given up three or more touchdowns each game so far.

Cary: Boilermakers let a golden opportunity to make a national statement slip away in the final moments against Notre Dame. Will Purdue rebound or fold heading into Big Ten play?

Thais: Granted, they have had some impressive losses (if there is such a thing), but then again they are 1-3 and lost to Northern Illinois, sorry Boilermakers.

11. Illinois Fighting Illini 13 points

Krumrey: The Illini are B-A-D! Did Illinois and Indiana do some sort of body switch in the offseason. What is wrong with this team? Could it possibly get any worse?

Jelley: The Fighting Illini offense has not been what everyone expected and with a young defense it looks to be a long season.

Cary: I apologize for every article I ever wrote that sang the praises of the Illini high-powered offense. Especially after they got shutout in Columbus Saturday.

Big Ten Catechism: Four Pressing Questions After Four Weeks

Kristofer Green — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:19:33 -0400

It is hard to believe that the college football season is in its fifth week.

It seems like just yesterday we were prognosticating about the out come of the season before it had even began.

Four weeks of games have passed us by and there have been plenty of surprises, a few disappointments and one rather humorous gum throwing incident.

Now, as we re-evaluate our preseason notions and take stock in actual results, there are a few questions that need to be asked.

These are my answers...

1. Who is the fraud: Michigan or Indiana?

The short answer is neither.

Michigan fans may find this hard to swallow, but the Hoosiers and the Wolverines are in fairly similar boats. (Other than one is college football's most winningest program that has legions of fans who live and die for their team and the other...well the other has basketball.)

Here me out. Both teams finished the 2008 season at 3-9, both were dismally below .500 in conference play in 2008, both have new coaches who are trying to build their programs, both have new or young players on offense, and both have stars on the defensive (Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton for IU and Brandon Graham for UM).

The truth is that Michigan and Indiana are pretty evenly matched. The evidence is the 33-36 score from the Big House on Saturday. Both teams were in the game the entire time, both teams fought to the end, both teams had monster plays, and both teams performed to their abilities.

The easy answer for some would be that mighty Michigan played down to Indiana. That isn't true. The answer for others would be that lowly Indiana played out of its mind. Not true either.

Michigan and Indiana are teams that have improved the quality of its athletes, its record, and its coaching from last season. And both teams will have good, but not spectacular Big Ten seasons.

2. Has Mark Dantonio lost his mind?

When Mark Dantonio announced at the end of spring practice that the heated quarterback competition that had developed between Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol would carry over into the summer and fall, it was commonly presumed that would be a good thing for the Spartans.

After all both quarterbacks showed flashes of real potential in the spring and both seemed adequately equipped to lead the Michigan State football team into the 2009 season.

When the rotation continued into the few games, all was fine. Both quarterbacks performed well and the coaching staff seemed to have a handle on a rotation that would best suit the team.

Now, four games into the season and with the conference season underway, Dantonio refuses to name a full time starter, instead going with a quarterback rotation that boggles the mind and makes even the most timid fan howl with frustration.

The quarterback spot has clearly been won by Cousins. I know it, he knows it, Nichol knows it, and anyone that follows Spartan football knows it.

Yet, Dantonio can't see it and it is staring him right in the face. This quarterback rotation is killing any offensive rhythm the team can muster (and when it works, it works well) and it gives the Spartans no advantage over opposing defenses.

So why persist? The old adage "if you have two quarterbacks, you have none" doesn't apply to this team. The Spartans clearly have a quarterback and his name is Kirk Cousins.

3. Should Big Ten teams be worried about Wisconsin?

Beware Big Ten fans because the Wisconsin Badgers are no pushover.

Bret Bielema caught some heat in the offseason after the Badgers, who at one time last season were a top 10 team, finished a 7-5 and needed a comeback win in overtime to beat FCS Cal-Poly just to get bowl eligible.

This season, Wisconsin has quietly become a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten title race posting a 4-0 record over the first weeks of the season. Each week building confidence and momentum to not suffer the same fate they did in 2008.

Leading the way is quarterback Scott Tolzien. The junior is smart, accurate and rarely makes mistakes. His field vision is possibly the best in the Big Ten and he always seems to know exactly where to throw the ball.

Backing him up is running back John Clay, a tough back who can power his way through the line in short yardage situations or bust a 72 yarder and run untouched to the endzone. He has done both this season.

The Badgers also have a big play receiver in Nick Toon, a big time tight end in Garrett Graham, a more than decent offensive line, and an opportunistic defense that can force turnovers.

Wisconsin may not always win pretty, but so far this season they have found a way to get it done no matter the adversity facing them.

Whether the Badgers can run the table remains to be seen. But Big Ten fans, including those residing in Columbus, Iowa City, State College, and Ann Arbor, should not count the Badgers as an automatic win or they could break your heart.

4. Can Iowa go undefeated and get to the National Championship game?

You better believe it.

With a smothering defense, a grinding offense, and a playmaking special teams unit, the Hawkeyes are starting to look more and more like the real deal. And after a thorough beatdown of previously top five ranked Penn State on Saturday, the Hawkeyes are starting to make believers of those in the Big Ten.

Nationally, the Hawkeyes are still fighting for respect. But don't fret Iowa faithful, if the men in gold and black can navigate through the Big Ten unbeaten, the Hawkeyes will have quality wins over Penn State, Ohio State, and Wisconsin on the road and Michigan at home, as well as impressive non-conference victories over the Big XII (Iowa State) and the Pac-10 (Arizona).

A resume like that, coupled with Iowa's bowl successes over the years will be enough to vault the Hawkeyes in to the National Championship game. The only way it doesn't is if Florida and Texas both run the table.

Patience is a virtue and like the Hawkeyes themselves, the Iowa Nation must stay the course.

This article is featured on First and Big Ten, a Bleacher Report Blog dedicated to everything Big Ten Football.

Ohio State's Coleman Suspended, No Punishment for Illinois' Sanni After Punch

Kristofer Green — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:16:40 -0400

The Big Ten Conference office today suspended Ohio State senior safety and captain Kurt Coleman for one game. Coleman will not travel with the Buckeyes to Bloomington to face Indiana on Saturday.

The suspension is a result of a helmet-to-helmet hit on Illinois quarterback Eddie McGee in the final minutes of Saturday's 30-0 Ohio State victory over the Illini in Ohio Stadium. In its announcement the Big Ten cited a new NCAA rule requiring conferences to review flagrant personal fouls, especially those involving helmet-to-helmet contact and those that target an opponent.

The hit was absolutely late and deserved the 15-yard personal foul penalty that followed. Ohio State coaches recognized the situation and Coleman was immediately removed from the game. However, the conference felt further punishment was in order.

Ohio State officials and coach Jim Tressel couldn't agree less with the ruling.

Shortly after the decision from the office came down, Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith and Tressel released a joint statement strongly disagreeing with the suspension which they called "poor judgement" by the Big Ten office.

"Obviously, we will abide by the one-game suspension from the Big Ten Conference, but we feel as if there was poor judgment throughout," Ohio State's statement reads.

"We concur that Kurt's hit was late and a result of poor judgment; he was thus penalized and removed from the game by his coaches. We do not agree that it was 'premeditated' or that he was 'targeting a defenseless' player.

"The decision to suspend points to the conference office's feeling as if there was poor judgment by the game officials for their decision not to eject at the time. In our estimation, the final 'poor judgment' is in levying a one-game suspension in this particular case. We will abide by the decision, learn from it, and move forward."

The Buckeyes' statement leaves little room for interpretation. They obviously feel that if the hit was so bad to warrant a suspension that Coleman should have been ejected on the spot. And they have a point.

These types of hits occur all the time in football. Are they dangerous? Yes. But so is 11 men running at full speed toward 11 other men with the intention of hitting each other. That is the game of football, like it or not.

The hit was late, but it didn't look like a premeditated attack as the conference suggests by saying Coleman targeted McGee for the hit. It looked like any number of plays that happen on college football fields across the country.

The Big Ten has become a suspension-happy league over the last couple of weeks, but Coleman's suspension is the first that was actually flagged on the field.

The conference suspended Michigan linebacker Jonas Mouton for punching Notre Dame's Eric Olsen, and Purdue offensive lineman Zach Reckman was suspended for Saturday's game against the Irish after a late hit at the end of the Boilermakers' loss to Northern Illinois.

Purdue coach Danny Hope suspended Reckman for a quarter but the conference overruled his decision saying the more appropriate punishment would be a full game because the hit "could have triggered a larger incident."

"I don't think Zach Reckman should've jumped in there on that guy at the end of the play but maybe he was hoping the ball would come out," Hope said Sunday. "He was trying to find a way to win."

Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez, who wasn't going to suspend Mouton before the conference stepped in, said he would be watching every Big Ten game closely this season to find similar instances of non-football acts.

If coach Rodriguez was watching closely then he surely saw Illinois cornerback Supo Sanni throw a punch at Ohio State offensive lineman Scott Sika after Sanni tackled quarterback Terrelle Pryor at least four yards out of bounds.

The conference had nothing to say about that.

This article is featured on First and Big Ten, a Bleacher Report Blog dedicated to everything Big Ten Football.

Pat Fitzgerald Taking Northwestern Wildcats To Finishing School

Kristofer Green — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:13:58 -0400

Evanston, Illinois—Once again the Wildcats were in position to win the game.

Northwestern, led by quarterback Mike Kafka battled in the third quarter to come back from an 11 point deficit to lead 24-21 at the end of third quarter.

But the Wildcat's couldn't hang on, allowing Adam Weber to connect four two fourth quarter touchdowns. The first coming off a 13 play, 83 yard drive that lasted over ssix minutes and the other coming off another late game Kafka turnover.

"I've got to give Minnesota credit," Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said after the game. "We had the lead going into the fourth quarter, you've got the game at home, and you've got to put it away, obviously we didn't do that and there'll be a lot we look back on in that fourth quarter where we had a chance to get the job done."

Getting the job done is something Fitzgerald emphasizes, but something the 'Cats have not been able to accomplish. For the second week in a row, the mental toughness and conditioning that Northwestern prides itself on, broke down in the fourth quarter.

Fitzgerald, who isn't afraid to mince words decribed his feeling as "shocked" when asked about how his team has closed the last two weeks.

"I don't have a magic pill or a magic call or a magic formula," he said. "It's trust and confidence and staying together. If you do that, you have a chance to get the job done. And we will. I believe that. I really do."

Senior wide reciever Zeke Markshausen who caught a team high six passes for 70 yards said the team's ability to finish games the last two week's has been a problem and the players are well aware of it.

So where do the Wildcats go from here?

"We look at ourselves," Markshausen said. "We come back tomorrow and we look at the film and we see where we can improve."

One area that will certainley be addressed in the coming weeks by Fitzgerald is defensive tackling.

Fitzgerald, a former All-American linebacker at Northwestern, had one word to described the Wildcat's tackling in the fourth quarter especially.

"Awful," the coach said without hesitation. "Completely out of our character. I give credit to Minnesota, I guess they either put grease on their shoulder pads and their jerseys or we just decided not to tackle with our chests on our feet and play Big Ten football. It is something we will address and fix immediately."

Senior cornerback Sherrick McManis concurred with Fitzgerald when asked about the defense's poor tackling performance. "It was awful," he added. "It can be a lot better and that's what we're going to work on. It's not like we can't do it."

Fitzgerald said he places an emphasis on finishing and that he preaches it everyday in practice.

"Finishing is a way of life and when you don't accomplish that and that's something that you value, obviously our message, the way we're working, more than anything we just keep course and keep pounding at it.

"We've got to find a way to finish games, and that's on us as coaches. When we do then we'll give ourselves an opportunity to win, and the hardest thing to do is to win a Big Ten football game."

One or two plays is all that separates Northwestern from being 4-0 and on top of the Big Ten conference. Instead the Wildcats now sit at 2-2 and must regroup.

Big Ten play continues next week in West Lafayette against a Purdue team that could be problematic if they actually decide to show up to play, then a home date with Miami (OH) before getting into the thick of the conference schedule.

"We have to find that killer instinct as a team," Kafka said. "Smell blood and get after it."

It all comes down to finishing.

This article is also featured on FirstandBigTen.com, a Bleacher Report blog dedicated to Big Ten football.

Big Ten Previews and Predictions: Week Four

Kristofer Green — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:57:34 -0400

Last week, the Big Ten posted a 7-3 record including a marquee win for Iowa, who knocked off former Hawkeye Mike Stoops and the Arizona Wildcats.

I did slightly better picking, going 8-2 missing the Northwestern's gut wrenching loss to Syracuse, Michigan State's heartbreaking defeat to the Irish.

Big Ten conference play begins this week with every team but Purdue facing conference foes.

Illinois will try to make it eight wins in 11 tries at Ohio Stadium, Iowa is looking for their seventh win in eight tries against the Nittany Lions, Michigan will try to continue their early season success against an ever improving Indiana squad, a desperate Michigan State visits Wisconsin for a must win and Minnesota will travel to Evanston to take on the Wildcats with revenge in mind.

As for the Boilermakers... they play host to Notre Dame in primetime under the lights at Ross-Ade Stadium. FBT's own Tim Cary will be in West Lafayette to document the "Blackout" madness from the press box.

On to this week's previews and picks...

Indiana at No. 23 Michigan—12:00 PM ET ESPN2

The Wolverines have put the disappointment of 2008 behind them so fast that the "Practice-gate" scandal even seems like a distant memory. Behind a resurgent running game and a freshman phenom quarterback, the Wolverines are feeling as confident as college football's most winningest program should feel.

Indiana is riding a wave of momentum themselves. Behind a sometimes mind-numbing commitment to the pistol offensive, the Hoosiers have started to click. If the Hoosiers can get a monster effort from the ever improving defense, Bill Lynch's squad could pull the upset.

Fast Facts: Michigan leads the all-time series 50-9; Indiana last downed Michigan on Oct. 24, 1987, (14-10 in Bloomington) and last won in Ann Arbor on Oct. 21, 1967 (27-20); The Hoosiers defense is in for a tough task, as Michigan leads the Big Ten in scoring offense (38) and rush offense (270.7) and ranks second in total offense (439.0); Michigan has won 23 straight conference openers at Michigan Stadium, with its last loss coming 34-0 to Michigan State in 1967.

Prediction: Michigan 33, Indiana 20

Minnesota at Northwestern—12:00 PM ET Big Ten Network

The Wildcats are coming off a heartbreaking loss to Syracuse, but should take solace in how well first year quarterback Mike Kafka performed. Kafka, who began the game with a school-record 16 straight completions, set a single-game completion record by hitting 83.3 percent of his passes for a career-best 390 yards.

The Gophers, coming off a tough loss of their own, will have revenge in mind when the take Ryan Field on Saturday. Last season, the Gopher lost a tough one at home when Northwestern got a miraculous pick six with time expiring. Minnesota has played tough on defense this season, but will need to find some more weapons on offense.

Fast Facts: Minnesota leads the all-time series 49-30-3; In the last six years, the Wildcats own the sixth-best Big Ten record at 24-24 (.500). The 'Cats are bunched with Penn State and Purdue in the middle of the standings; The Gophers have lost three consecutive Big Ten openers, with their last win coming in 2005, a 42-35 double-overtime win over Purdue; Minnesota is 9-of-9 in the red zone this season, having scored five touchdowns and kicked four field goals, making them one of 16 teams in the nation to score on every trip inside the opponent's 20.

Prediction: Northwestern 27, Minnesota 24

Michigan State at Wisconsin—12:00 PM ET ESPN

Wisconsin has been challenged by Northern Illinois and Fresno State this season at home and need to get off to a fast start in the Big Ten this season. The offense has shown moments of greatness behind the performances quarterback Scott Tolzien and running back John Clay, but consistency on both sides of the ball has been an issue for the Badgers.

Michigan State has dropped two consecutive close, hard fought battles. A win is a necessity for the Spartans who still have an opportunity to challenge for the Big Ten title, which is a goal the team and coach Mark Dantonio has made public on numerous occasions. The underachieving defense must step up and help an offense that can ove the ball very well.

Fast Facts: Michigan State leads the all-time series 27-20; The Spartans lead the Big Ten and rank 14th in the NCAA in passing offense, averaging 295.7 yards per game; Sophomore quarterback Kirk Cousins leads the Big Ten and ranks 14th in the NCAA in passing efficiency with his 164.3 rating; The Badgers are tied for the Big Ten lead and tied for 14th in the country with eight turnovers gained this season (four fumbles, four interceptions).

Prediction: Michigan State 28, Wisconsin 24

Illinois at No. 13 Ohio State—3:30PM ET ABC

The Buckeyes, coming off a much needed show of domination against Toledo, will try to shake the Illini bug on Saturday. Illinois has won in Ohio Stadium seven of the last 10 times it played there, including a stunning victory over the No. 1 Buckeyes in 2007. The Buckeye defense has been outstanding, the offense showed real improvement last week and the Buckeyes under Jim Tressel have typically kicked it up a notch once big Ten play begins.

The Illini are coming off a much needed bye week that made time for Ron Zook's superstars Juice Williams and Regis Benn get healthy. Also returning to the line-up is running back Jason Ford, but middle linebacker Martez Wilson, who is out for the season, will be missed. Can the Illini defense keep Terrelle Pryor in check? That is the key to Illinois' success.

Fast Facts: Ohio State leads the all-time series 61-30-4; Illini quarterback Juice Williams can break the Illinois career total offense record with 171 yards against the Buckeyes; Illinois coach Ron Zook was the defensive backs coach on the Ohio State coaching staff from 1988-90 under John Cooper; Saturday's game will mark Jim Tressel's 300th career game as a head coach. Tressel is 85-20 in nine seasons at Ohio State and 220-77-2 in his 24th season overall.

Prediction: Ohio State 34, Illinois 24

Iowa at No. 5 Penn State—8:00 PM ET ABC

The exhibition season is over for the Nittany Lions who now are forced to face an opponent that has the players to challenge them. Three straight flat, unimpressive wins over inferior teams is not so reassuring for JoePa and company who must get better play from their offensive line if they have a chance at that elusive perfect season.

The Hawkeyes understand what is at stake and they know what they are in store for in Happy Valley. College GameDay, national primetime Game of the Week, Nittany White-out in full effect and the famous Penn State student section could be mighty intimidating. Add in a sprinkle of revenge and things look pretty grim for the Hawkeyes. Except that Kirk Ferentz knows how to beat the Nittany Lions and has proved it six of the last seven times the two teams have met.

Fast Facts: Penn State leads the all-time series 11-10; Iowa has won four of the last five games at Beaver Stadium; Iowa's seven-game winning streak is currently tied for fourth best in the nation with Texas; The Nittany Lions have won 30 of their last 32 (93.7 pct.) games in Beaver Stadium, dating to a 37-13 win over Michigan State on Senior Day on Nov. 20, 2004; Penn State has a 6-10 record in Big Ten opening games.

Prediction: Iowa 24, Penn State 21

Notre Dame at Purdue —8:00 PM ET ESPN

The Boilermakers, coming off a dismal performance and loss last week to Northern Illinois, are hoping to rebound against longtime in-state rival Notre Dame under the lights in West Lafayette. The Boilers, planning a "Blackout", must reestablish their early season offensive success against an Irish defense that is spotty at best.

Notre Dame is coming off a hard fought, emotional battle with Michigan State in which Irish receiver and superstar Michael Floyd was injured and lost for the season. Can the Irish offense enjoy the same level of success without arguably the team's best player? There are still weapons, but the up and down Irish could find themselves in another tough battle with a team from the Big Ten.

Fast Facts: Notre Dame leads the all-time series 52-26-2; Purdue is 3-6 all-time on Sept. 26, and it's fitting that the Fighting Irish are the opponent, as they have been the Boilermakers' opponent the last five times a Saturday has fallen on the date; Sophomore Ralph Bolden's 435 yards rushing on 62 carries this season not only leads the Big Ten and is second in the Football Bowl Subdivision, it also marks the best start to a year by any Boiler running back in school history.

Prediction: Purdue 31, Notre Dame 27

My record: 25-7 (.781)

This article is also featured on FirstandBigTen.com, a Bleacher Report blog dedicated to Big Ten football.

Big Ten Power Rankings, Week Four: Buckeyes Join the Lions at the Top

Kristofer Green — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:08:44 -0400

The 2009 college football season is a quarter gone, and now our attention will be turned inward.

Conference play is always exciting.

It is the time when pretenders are exposed, contenders step to the forefront, and future superstars are made or broken.

The Big Ten seems about as close as it has ever been this season, and the B/R Big Ten Pollsters have reflected that in their ballots. For the first time this season, there is a tie at the top.

The Buckeyes, who were the preseason favorites, fell after a close call with Navy in Week One. But Jim Tressel's squad has been inching its way closer to the Nittany Lions.

The Buckeyes caught Penn State in this week's poll after a completely dominating performance last week against a Toledo team than was ranked in the top five nationally for offensive production and whose quarterback led the nation in total yards through the first two weeks.

The Lions did receive more first-place votes, but some pollsters felt less than enthused about a Penn State squad that has looked good but not great against far inferior competition.

The race for the Big Ten Championship begins Saturday. Notable games include Illinois at Ohio State, Michigan State at Wisconsin, Minnesota at Northwestern, and Iowa at Penn State.

The B/R Roundtable Big Ten Players of the Week:

Offensive Player of the Week: RB Carlos Brown, Michigan

Defensive Player of the Week: DE Adrian Claybourne, Iowa

Special Teams Player of the Week: MLB Chris Borland, Wisconsin

The 2009 roundtable members are J.A. Allen, Tim Bielik, Tim Cary, Bret Feddern, Kristofer Green, Ryan Jelley, Jordan Krumrey, Isaac Luber, Kevin Paul, and Kevin Trahan.

On to the rankings...

T1. Ohio State Buckeyes (2) 71 points

Feddern: Terrelle Pryor put on a great performance and the OSU defense held Toledo scoreless. All-around good show by the Buckeyes, who should have no problem with Illinois this week.

Cary: The Buckeyes surprised me by rebounding from the USC disappointment with a dominating performance against Toledo Saturday. Credit the coaching staff for having their team ready to play in Cleveland.

Trahan: Ohio State 38, Toledo 0. Wow! Who saw that coming?

T1. Penn State Nittany Lions (4) 71 points

Cary: We've learned almost nothing about the Lions due to their horrible non-conference schedule. That will change Saturday, when the Hawkeyes and the College GameDay crew come to town.

Bielik: After breezing through an easy OOC schedule, the Lions get their chance at redemption Saturday night in Happy Valley. If they can run the football more consistently, Penn State will have an upper hand against Ohio State and Michigan in the coming weeks.

Jelley: The Nittany Lions have looked good so far but will finally face their first test this Saturday; if they come out victorious, they will remain atop the Big Ten.

3. Michigan Wolverines (1) 64 points

Feddern: Carlos Brown’s 90-yard run was impressive as were the Wolverine’s 380 total rushing yards. The passing game was a different story with Forcier having a lackluster day, to say the least.

Bielik: The offense seems to be flowing once again, and Carlos Brown adds a second running threat to go with Brandon Minor. The defense will have to be more stingy if they want to compete with Penn State and Ohio State.

Cary: The Wolverines took care of business against in-state foe EMU this weekend. Carlos Brown had a breakout game on the ground, and a solid rushing attack will certainly help young freshman quarterbacks Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson.

4. Iowa Hawkeyes 60 points

Jelley: The Hawkeyes have bounced back well for their Week One troubles and should provide a difficult challenge for Penn State this weekend.

Trahan: A 27-17 win over Arizona is impressive, and the defense looked like one of the best in the country, but Ricky Stanzi will need to improve during the first half of games to come out with a win in Happy Valley.

Allen: Iowa’s defense won this game. It suffocated Arizona’s chances to advance the ball on the ground or in the air, holding the Wildcats to eight first downs on the afternoon. If Iowa is peaking, it is at just the right moment with the Nittany Lions up next.

5. Wisconsin Badgers 47 points

Trahan: Northern Illinois played them pretty close, Fresno State took them to two overtimes, and they blew out Wofford. Now those are some quality wins.

Cary: The Badgers' foe Saturday presented about the same quality of ferociousness as one would expect a team called the Terriers to display. The final margin was 30, but it really wasn't that close, as Wisconsin led 31-0 at the break.

Allen: The Wofford Terriers showed up at Camp Randall in Madison to bark at the bashful Badgers and worry them some the first quarter. In the end, the Badgers muzzled the Terriers 44-14 and compiled a perfect season record to date. But so far the Badgers have not played anyone of substance, and they have been very shaky on offense.

6. Minnesota Golden Gophers 41 points

Feddern: The Gophers looked decent in their effort against California. They lost, but they played better than I thought they would. Decker is a stud, but they might want to work on their run defense.

Trahan: A loss is a loss, but Minnesota really impressed me against Cal. The defense, especially the run defense needs some work, but they were facing Jahvid Best, the nation's best running back. Adam Weber got a little flustered late, but Eric Decker is the real deal.

Cary: The Eric Decker Show rolls on. Decker caught two touchdowns and threw for another in the Gophers' tough loss to nationally-ranked Cal. If only Minnesota hadn't let Jahvid Best rush for 29 touchdowns in the game (or something like that).

T7. Indiana Hoosiers 29 points

Trahan: While it probably won't last, Indiana is finally out of the Big Ten cellar with a 3-0 record.

Cary: This is why the games aren't played on paper. Despite not having the most difficult of non-conference schedules, almost nobody expected the Hoosiers to be 3-0 at this point of the season. Coach Bill Lynch needs to get his team into a bowl game in 2009.

Jelley: The Hoosiers perfect start is the biggest surprise in the Big Ten so far but should end this week with their trip to Ann Arbor.

T7. Northwestern Wildcats 29 points

Trahan: The Wildcats have played two awful games in a row and haven't lived up to the expectations that they set after last season. A loss to Syracuse and a last second field goal to beat Eastern Illinois are inexcusable for this team.

Cary: Greg Paulus has had his way with Big Ten teams for years as a Duke point guard, and I figured he would get the better of at least one as a Syracuse quarterback. The Wildcats were the unfortunate victim, coming up just short in a road thriller. Strong performance by Kafka in a losing effort.

Jelley: The emergence of Mike Kafka on Saturday should boost the Wildcats' confidence heading into conference play, but the defense will need to step up if they hope to compete.

9. Michigan State Spartans 23 points

Trahan: A 1-2 record entering Big Ten play isn't exactly what Spartan fans had in mind at the beginning of the season and it looks like their Big Ten Championship sleeper hopes are all but over.

Allen: When the Chippewas of Central Michigan upset Michigan State in Week Two, it was hard to expect the Spartans to bounce back in week three against a hungry and desperate Notre Dame team. But, the Spartans rose to the occasion, almost. Michigan State has the game to beat Wisconsin on the road, but do they have the will?

Cary: In the past, disappointing performances have snowballed into ugly seasons for the Spartans. It's up to Coach Dantonio and the seniors on this team to turn things around; a bowl game is still a likely possibility.

10. Illinois Fighting Illini 20 points

Trahan: Not playing actually helped Illinois, as they move up because everyone else underneath them sucked.

Bielik: The bye week was not great to the Illini, who lost Martez Wilson for the season with a neck injury. It doesn't get any easier this Saturday when they come to Columbus against an Ohio State team bent on revenge.

Allen: With the worst past defense in the league plus the most penalties it would be hard to get too excited about the Illini bouncing back to win their Big 10 opener at Ohio State. It just will not happen.

11. Purdue Boilermakers 7 points

Bielik: The Boilermaker defense has gone ole' and a home loss to Northern Illinois makes West Lafayette feel uneasy as they welcome Notre Dame on Saturday. On the positive side, Ralph Bolden might be the biggest breakout star of the Big Ten.

Jelley: The Boilermakers looked dreadful against Northern Illinois and Ralph Bolden will have to bounce back if he hopes to remain the Big Ten's top back.

Allen: After fighting so hard and coming up short against the Oregon, Purdue looked a little flat against Northern Illinois last Saturday. But they had an opportunity to produce an end of the game scoring drive trailing 28-21. Except the Huskies pulled a fake punt and killed the clock. Next week they get to host Notre Dame. Will their luck change against the Irish?

Big Ten First Quarter Review: Four Conference Coaches Feeling the Heat This Fall

Kristofer Green — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:06:58 -0400

Big Ten conference play will kick off on Saturday.

For many teams the start of conference play offers an opportunity to start anew after a hiccup or two in non-conference action. For others, the start of conference play has much more serious connotations.

For some coaches, the way their team performs this season in Big Ten play will go a long way to determining how secure their job will be once the season comes to an end.

For some coaches, another poor showing in a wide open Big Ten title race will only solidify the opinion of those who doubt and strengthen a case for dismissal.

These are the coaches who find themselves on the hot seat heading into the weekend's "new" season.

The coaches who must win or face the consequences.

1. Mark Dantonio, Michigan State

Yes, the Spartans did lose a tremendous running back in Javon Ringer. And yes, the team also had to find a new signal caller when Brian Hoyer left for the New England Patriots.

Those are not the reasons Michigan State currently sits at 1-2 in the Big Ten standings after two consecutive and avoidable losses to Central Michigan and Notre Dame.

Just a year after being praised for taking the Spartans to back-to-back bowl games, Mark Dantonio now finds himself squarely on the hot seat. In this moment and because of questionable coaching and even more questionable play calling.

Suddenly the impossible has happened. Dantonio's "change the culture" attitude seems hollow now after two performances where the Spartans looked more like John L. Smith's teams than the gritty, but sound bunch that took the field last season or the overachievers that played in 2007.

The good news for Dantonio's bunch is that there is time to right the ship this season. The team's goals are not tarnished and with the start of the Big Ten season comes a new opportunity to prove that the culture has indeed changed.

The schedule doesn't do the Spartans any favors though. The next five games—at Wisconsin, Michigan, at Illinois, Northwestern and Iowa—will tell the tale on this group of Spartans.

And while Dantonio's job is most likely safe, unless the Spartans get past their silly mistakes and compete in Big Ten play, it will be safe to say that the honeymoon will be over for Dantonio in East Lansing.

2. Bill Lynch, Indiana

To the surprise of most, the Hoosiers currently sit atop the Big Ten standings, undefeated heading into Big Ten play on Saturday. A closer look at the three teams the Hoosiers have defeated reveals just how much further the Indiana football program has to go.

Wins over FCS Eastern Kentucky and MAC schools Western Michigan and Akron are not exactly praiseworthy for a Big Ten school.

Unlike Dantonio, Indiana coach Bill Lynch entered the season on the hot seat and though it may have cooled a bit after a fast start, Lynch must show that he can compete in the Big Ten to survive.

Easier said than done. The Hoosiers must travel to Michigan, Virginia, Iowa, Northwestern and Penn State and face Ohio State, Illinois, Wisconsin and Purdue at home to close the season.

A 3-9 season seems very possible for this team. For Lynch's sake, the Hoosiers must overachieve and steal a couple wins when no one is looking.

3. Bret Bielema, Wisconsin

The Badgers are another team that is currently sitting atop the conference with a deceptive 3-0 record.

Wisconsin has been taken to the wire by two of the three teams they have played. The Northern Illinois Huskies mounted a furious comeback that fell just short, and a double overtime thriller against Fresno State showed the Badger's weaknesses.

In fact, if it weren't for two spectacular interceptions by safety Chris Maragos, the Badgers could very well be sitting at 1-2.

Bret Bielema, though apparently fully supported by athletic director and Wisconsin coaching legend Barry Alvarez, began his career with a flurry of wins that had Badger fans convinced that their new coach would continue the legacy left by Alvarez.

Instead, the Badgers' record and on-field play has dramatically slipped over the years that Bielema has been in charge. This season is crucial to Bielema's future as the head Badger.

With the talent in place to at least be slightly more than competitive in Big Ten play, Bielema must improve from last season's abysmal slip from Top Ten to oblivion. The next four games should give us an idea of where this team is.

With home dates against Michigan State and Iowa, as well as road games at Minnesota and Ohio State, the Badgers will have the opportunity to challenge out of the gate. But will the coaching get in the way?

4. Ron Zook, Illinois

After a brutal first season in Champaign, Ron Zook's Illini rose from the ashes to defeat No. 1 Ohio State in the Horseshoe on their way to a 9-3 season and a Rose Bowl appearance in 2007.

In 2008, the Illini fell back to earth. Many, including myself, called the drop-off an aberration, but after a dismal showing in the 2009 season opener it became clear that maybe 2008 wasn't the aberration.

Maybe, just maybe the 2007 Rose Bowl team was the aberration.

The knock on Zook has never been his ability to recruit. The Zooker is one of the best recruiters in the country. Just ask Urban Meyer.

Instead, Zook's ability to coach those talented players has come under fire more than once. With the talent he has assembled in Champaign (especially on the offensive side of the ball), the Illini should be winning more games.

So why can't they do it? Perhaps coaching is the problem, and 2009 could be Zook's last chance to prove himself worthy of the preseason hype his teams have received year after year.

If it is going to happen for the Illini this season, it must begin now. The next three games—at Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan State—offer no refuge, and a 0-3 Big Ten start could spell disaster for the Zooker.

This article is also featured on FirstandBigTen.com, a Bleacher Report blog dedicated to Big Ten football.

Big Ten Previews and Predictions: Week Three

Kristofer Green — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:50:28 -0400

Last week, the Big Ten posted a 8-3 record including a marquee win for then unranked Michigan, who knocked off No. 18 Notre Dame in thrilling fashion in the Big House.

I did slightly worse picking, going 7-4 and missing the Buckeyes heartbreaking loss to USC, Michigan State's meltdown against Central Michigan, Minnesota's come from behind victory over Air Force, and Indiana's win over Western Michigan.

This week the Big Ten once again has a few marquee games on tap. Minnesota will host No. 8 Cal, the Spartans travel to South Bend to take on the Irish, and Iowa will host Pac-10 foe Arizona for a "Black-Out" at Kinnick.

On to this weeks previews and picks...

Temple at No. 5 Penn State—12:00 PM ET Big Ten Network

The Nittany Lions will use this opportunity to try to solidify an offensive line that has been mediocre at best through the first two games. Creating running lanes for backs Evan Royster and Stephfon Green is a must for an offense that has become pretty one dimensional.

Fast Facts: Penn State leads the all-time series 34-3-1; Evan Royster and Stephfon Green have combined for only 138 rushing yards in the first two games; Daryll Clark has thrown at least two touchdown passes in his last five games dating back to last season, including their Rose Bowl loss to USC, the nation's third-best such streak.

Prediction: Penn State 42, Temple 6

No. 8 California at Minnesota—12:00 PM ET ESPN

California has won nine in a row at home by an average of 20.5 points. The good news for Gopher fans is that this game is in Minneapolis and the Bears have dropped four straight and eight of nine on the road. If the Gophers hope to make it five straight road losses for the Bears, the offense must find some new playmakers to take the pressure off Adam Weber and Eric Decker.

Fast Facts: California leads the all-time series 3-2; Senior linebacker Nate Triplett has had back-to-back career-high tackle marks in the first two games of the season; Junior placekicker Eric Ellestad scored the first points in TCF Bank Stadium history last week with a 35-yard field goal.

Prediction: California 31, Minnesota 23

No. 11 Ohio State vs. Toledo (at Cleveland)—12:00 PM ET ESPN360/ESPN Regional

Many, including FBT's own Tim Cary, are putting the Buckeyes on upset alert this week against the high powered offense of the Toledo Rockets. The Rockets did score 85 points in its first two games, but against two pretty awful defenses from Purdue and Colorado. The Buckeyes offense will rebound nicely against a porous Toledo defense that has allowed 90 points in two games this season.

Fast Facts: Ohio State leads the all-time series 1-0; Ohio State's defensive squads have held opponents to fewer than 21 points 40 times since 2006, the best among FBS teams; Toledo coach Tim Beckman was an Ohio State assistant in 2005-06.

Prediction: Ohio State 41, Toledo 23

Eastern Michigan at No. 25 Michigan—12:00 PM ET Big Ten Network

The Wolverines will try to match their win total from a year ago only three games into the 2009 season. Many are talking about the Wolverines having a bit of a hangover after a thrilling victory over Notre Dame last weekend, but Michigan has found a rhythm and former Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English's Eagles could be in for a long day in the Big House.

Fast Facts: Michigan leads the all-time series 8-0; Brandon Minor rushed for 106 yards against Notre Dame last week, marking a Big Ten-best 28th 100-yard rushing performance by a Wolverine since 2006; Michigan is throwing for 299.5 yards per game after compiling just 143.2 yards per game through the air last season.

Prediction: Michigan 49, Eastern Michigan 17

Wofford at Wisconsin—12:00 PM ET Big Ten Network

The Badgers found themselves trailing at home in the fourth quarter against Fresno State last week. John Clay took a hand-off from Scott Tolzien and rushed 72 yards to the endzone, providing a much needed spark to his team and the Camp Randall crowd. This week, Clay returns to the starting line-up after backing up junior Zach Brown for the first two games of the season.

Fast Facts: This is the first meeting between Wisconsin and Wofford; Wisconsin's 22-game winning streak in non-conference games ranks second-best in the nation, trailing only Southern Cal (24); John Clay's four career 100-yard rushing games are fourth-best among current Big Ten players.

Prediction: Wisconsin 42, Wofford 13

Northern Illinois at Purdue—12:00 PM ET Big Ten Network

The Boilermakers—coming off their second heartbreaking loss to Oregon in as many seasons—hope to rebound this week against a talented Northern Illinois team that took the Badgers down to the wire in week one. The Purdue offense has found its catalyst in sophomore running back Ralph Bolden who leads the nation in rushing yards with an average of 178.5 yards per game.

Fast Facts: This is the first meeting between Purdue and Northern Illinois; Ralph Bolden has set a school record for the most rushing yards (357) in the first two games of a season. The mark ranks fourth all-time in Big Ten history; Northern Illinois gave up the fewest total yards in the MAC last season, allowing just 297.7 net yards per game.

Prediction: Purdue 38, Northern Illinois 24

Michigan State at Notre Dame—3:30 PM ET NBC

This game features two teams who are coming off last second, heart breaking losses to lower ranked opponents. Michigan State has had great success in South Bend over the years, but the Irish know back-to-back losses will likely spoil any chance their team has of making it back to the BCS this season. The way the Spartans struggled to defend the pass last week does not bode well when facing Jimmy Clausen, Golden Tate, and Michael Floyd.

Fast Facts: Notre Dame leads the all-time series 44-27-1; Eight of the last 10 games in the series have been decided by 10 points or less; Sophomore quarterback Kirk Cousins leads the Big Ten and ranks sixth in the NCAA in passing efficiency with his 186.7 rating. In two starts, Cousins has completed 23-of-35 throws (.657) for 347 yards and four touchdowns.

Prediction: Notre Dame 31, Michigan State 28

Indiana at Akron—3:30 PM ET ESPNU

The Hoosiers have started 2-0 the last six seasons and Bill Lynch is the first Indiana coach to start his career with three consecutive 2-0 starts. If there is any hope of entering the Big Ten season unbeaten, the Hoosiers must solve their road woes. Indiana has not won on the road since September 2007 and the Zips are hosting only their second game in its new InfoCision Stadium.

Fast Facts: Indiana leads the all-time series 1-0; Indiana offensive line coach Bobby Johnson is an Akron native and he spent four years at Akron as a graduate assistant (1995-96) and defensive line coach (1997-98); The Hoosiers are 33-6-1 all-time against the MAC following last week's close win over Western Michigan.

Prediction: Indiana 24, Akron 17

Arizona at Iowa—3:35 PM ET ABC

The strength of both teams is the defense and this match-up will almost certainly come down to ball control, field position, and special teams. That favors the Hawkeyes, who have been fairly spectacular on special teams this season. Hawkeye punter Ryan Donahue could be the best in the nation and kicker Daniel Murray is perfect on the season.

Fast Facts: Arizona leads the all-time series 6-5; Seven of the series' previous 11 games have been decided by seven points or less, with Iowa's last three wins in the series coming by a combined five points; Iowa defensive back Tyler Sash's three interceptions last week against Iowa State tied the school's single-game interception mark.

Prediction: Iowa 20, Arizona 17

Northwestern at Syracuse—7:00 PM ET ESPN360

The Wildcats have looked nearly flawless in the first half of its first two games, but erratic play and silly mistakes in the second half of those games have marred the 'Cats perfect record. Pat Fitzgerald has implored his team to give 60 minutes of effort and to play with a killer instinct when they travel to the Carrier Dome to take on a Syracuse team that is hungry for its first win under new head coach Doug Marrone.

Fast Facts: The all-time series is tied 4-4; The Wildcats have not lost a road non-conference game since Sept. 22, 2006, when they fell at Nevada, 31-21; Northwestern is seeking its eighth straight regular-season non-conference victory and its seventh straight September win.

Prediction: Northwestern 28, Syracuse 24

My record: 17-5 (.773)

Bye: Illinois

Big Ten Power Rankings-Week Three: Michigan Makes Its Move, MSU Tumbles

Kristofer Green — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:03:29 -0400

We are just two weeks into the 2009 Big Ten season, and already there have been plenty of surprises, plenty of suspense, and plenty of heartache.

In Ann Arbor, the Wolverine faithful are celebrating a huge win over the Irish. Time will tell if this is a turning point in the Rich Rodriguez era at Michigan.

But just a short drive west to East Lansing, there is a decidedly different feeling. Confidence has given way to doubt after a difficult loss, and Spartan fans are hoping this isn't a return to the days of old.

Fans in Bloomington are celebrating a 2-0 start when nothing was expected, while just a few hours east on Interstate 70, Buckeye fans are left wondering what could have been.

On the Big Ten's western boundary, Hawkeye fans saw the improvement in their team that they wanted to see from week one to week two. But on the conference's eastern boundary, the Penn State faithful, though still confident, are left wanting more after six so-so quarters of football against subpar competition.

Those Nittany Lions remain No. 1 in the B/R Big Ten Power Rankings, but their margin over No. 2 Ohio State has closed slightly. The Buckeyes, after losing a heartbreaker to Southern California, still received two first place votes—a testament to the way the Buckeyes performed against the Trojans.

It is becoming more and more evident that the Big Ten race is going to be an exciting one, and there are several teams that could challenge.

This week Big Ten teams will once again take on some marquee non-conference opponents in nationally televised games. Michigan State will travel to Notre Dame, while Minnesota welcomes No. 5 Cal and Iowa will host Arizona.

The B/R Roundtable Big Ten Players of the Week:

Offensive Player of the Week: QB Tate Forcier, Michigan

Defensive Player of the Week: S Tyler Sash, Iowa

Special Teams Player of the Week: WR Darryl Stonum, Michigan

The 2009 roundtable members are J.A. Allen, Tim Bielik, Tim Cary, Bret Feddern, Kristofer Green, Ryan Jelley, Jordan Krumrey, Isaac Luber, Kevin Paul, and Kevin Trahan.

On to the rankings...

1. Penn State (6) 93 points Last Week: 1

Allen: Basically the Nittany Lions treaded water, facing an impotent Syracuse team whose season is referred to as “rebuilding.”

Krumrey: Not as strong as one would like to see, but PSU has done nothing to get themselves dropped from the No. 1 spot. Daryll Clark looks great as expected.

Bielik: The Nittany Lions have not allowed a first half point at all, though not much is known about this team yet. The schedule stays extremely soft with Temple until Big Ten play picks up.

2. Ohio State (2) 89 points LW: 2

Feddern: They put up a good fight against USC and proved they were a quality team, but they should have won. The OSU defense is as tough as they come, but Terrelle Pryor can’t win games by himself on offense. Not yet, anyway.

Cary: While many fans in Columbus act like the sky is falling, losing a heartbreaker against the decade's most dominant team isn't reason to move the Bucks down this list...or throw in the towel on 2009.

Bielik: Ohio State seemed to outplay the Trojans on both lines, to the surprise of everyone in the country. Now if they can figure out how to coach an offense properly, they will be in great shape.

3. Michigan (1) 83 points LW: 4

Luber: Impressive win against Notre Dame. Forcier looks good; he may be a threat to Big Ten secondaries everywhere, and watch out, this boy can run!

Feddern: I am not drinking the Wolverine Kool-Aid just yet. Well, not completely. It is hard to deny that they have looked good the last two weeks, and they are a lot better than people thought. But I hesitate to even put them this high, as I have a hunch we haven’t seen the real Michigan yet.

Cary: Every contender for "Big Ten's third-best team" has disappointed in one of the first two weeks (Hawkeyes and Spartans, I'm looking at you), so Michigan gets the nod based on a big win over the Irish.

4. Iowa 73 points LW: T5

Jelley: The Hawkeyes bounced back well, and if they put on a good show against Arizona, they could find themselves among the top 25 again.

Allen: Iowa rebounded well after squeaking out a miracle win over Northern Iowa in week one. The offensive and defensive units played extremely well after a shaky first quarter, and there were signs of a burgeoning running game.

Cary: The good news is the Hawks are 2-0, and they're hoping to get Bryan Bulaga back sooner rather than later. And hey, for as bad as they looked against Northern Iowa, things got better against Iowa State. If Kirk Ferentz's crew only had to play in-state teams all year, they could be national champs.

5. Northwestern 50 points LW: T5

Feddern: The Wildcats need to make a lot of movement if they want to compete in the Big Ten this year. While they are 2-0, their defense has left some wondering.

Allen: Is there is a pattern starting to repeat of letting leads slip away? Northwestern held a 21-point advantage and allowed Eastern Michigan back into the game just to make things interesting. In the end Stefan Demos kicked a 49-yard field goal to secure a win in the closing seconds.

Cary: Another of the "lucky to be 2-0" teams. The Wildcats didn't have any trouble with Eastern Michigan in the first half but seemed to forget the games last 60 minutes now.

6. Wisconsin 49 points LW: 7

Feddern: John Clay could end up being the best running back in the Big Ten this year, but the Wisconsin defense needs to step it up a bit, or all of Clay’s hard work will be for nothing.

Cary: The Badgers got down early to Fresno State but rallied late to stay undefeated. With how much flu's been going around, credit Bret Bielema and company for handling adversity.

Bielik: The Badgers battled a huge flu epidemic to a gritty 2OT win over Fresno State to stay undefeated. Scott Tolzien looks like a legitimate starting QB, something the Badgers truly lacked in 2008.

7. Minnesota 45 points LW: 9

Jelley: The Gophers managed to knock off Air Force thanks to an impressive fourth quarter, but they must establish a run game if they hope to contend in the Big Ten.

Trahan: After a sloppy game against Syracuse, the Gophers rebounded to beat Air Force at home. A win is a win, but Minnesota needs to play much better next week against Cal.

Bielik: Minnesota needed a big fourth quarter to win their first game in TCF Bank Stadium. Neither of their wins this season has been glamorous, and the offense will need to be more consistent as the year goes on to make consecutive bowl trips.

8. Michigan State 36 points LW: 3

Jelley: Central Michigan is one of the better MAC teams, but the Spartans looked much like the Spartans of old as they gave the game away.

Trahan: The Spartans suffer a huge drop in this week's power rankings after losing to Central Michigan. The defense underachieved, and the inexperience at quarterback and running back definitely showed.

Bielik: A home loss to a MAC team is simply an embarrassment, especially leading late into the game. The schedule does not get easier as they face the Irish, who come off a disappointing loss of their own.

9. Purdue 35 points LW: 8

Luber: Props to them for playing a close one in Oregon, where it is tough to play. They aren't as talented as Oregon, yet hung in there and showed they are not a team to mess around with.

Cary: I really want to put the Boilers higher, but I'm not buying into the idea that losing a close game at Oregon is a moral victory. If Purdue really takes confidence out of Eugene, they'll prove it in the upcoming three-game home stand (NIU, Notre Dame, Northwestern), and that will be enough to get noticed.

Bielik: They came within two points of pulling a huge road upset in Autzen, something not easily accomplished. Ralph Bolden is one of the best RBs in the Big Ten, and an unexpected running game could help Purdue be a surprise this season.

10. Illinois 26 points LW: 10

Allen: The Illini bounced back from their defeat last week and in the process lost their vaunted quarterback Juice Williams, who went down on the first drive of the afternoon. Illinois State was not much of a challenge for this team and luckily proved to be compliant patsies.

Trahan: A win against Illinois State doesn't mean much, and the Illini should be concerned about the health status of quarterback Juice Williams. Plus, the defense needs to get better after a horrible game against Mizzou and a so-so game against Illinois State.

Krumrey: Lost the Juice but didn't lose the game. Eddie McGee was solid as one would expect in relief of Williams. Maybe McGee getting in could be a blessing in disguise for Illinois.

11. Indiana 15 points LW: 11

Trahan: A win against Western Michigan is decently impressive, especially for the Hoosiers. They're 2-0, and while they probably won't keep up the winning streak, they have already achieved more than most of the conference thought they would for the whole season.

Krumrey: The Hoosiers are actually 2-0. Who would have thought they would win even one? A win over a solid Western team has the Hoosiers looking much better in the ranks of the Big Ten.

Cary: I thought they were the worst team in the Big Ten when the year started, and two close wins haven't changed my mind (yet). What does it say about the conference that the Hoosiers are an underdog at a MAC team (Akron) this weekend anyway?

Wisconsin Badgers Come Together In Sickness and Laughter

Kristofer Green — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:12:04 -0400

MADISON, Wis. — Last week in Madison, the Wisconsin football team made the most of a sick situation. As many as 40 players were sick forcing coach Bret Bielema and his staff to make significant changes to their practice schedule.

“You know we don’t usually practice on Fridays and I told the guys Thursday night because of the work we didn’t get Tuesday we need to go out and practice and they didn’t bat an eye," Bielema said Saturday.

The Badgers didn't complain, but instead went to work, the best they could, under less than ideal conditions.

"There were a few times you'd walk into the locker room and you'd hear some guy chucking into one of the garbage cans," said quarterback Scott Tolzien, who was ill early in the week. "You're just like, 'Well, looks like we've got one more on the flu list.' I saw it twice."

The "outbreak" was an blessing in disguise for many players who used the miserable experience to bond with teammates. Pulling together in sickness and laughing through the agony.

"We were running from people," running back John Clay said. "If anybody coughed, everybody turned around and looked at them like, 'You ain't supposed to be coughing over here,' and (tried) to kick them out. But it was all in fun."

"If you throw up, you feel better,"Tolzien added with a huge grin. "You can joke with those guys when they toss it up; they were feeling great at the moment, so they were laughing too."

Though many players were feeling better by the time the Badgers kicked off Saturday against Fresno State in Camp Randall Stadium, some key players were still feeling ill.

"That's the part we were really scared about today, just guys that were sick and dehydrated," Bielema said Saturday. "I think we had a half-dozen guys getting IVs before the game even started."

Including cornerback Aaron Henry, who called the team trainer around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday complaining of nausea.

"(He) came down this morning, tried to eat and threw it up again," Bielema said. "We IV'd him, he tried to get up and take the field, but his body wasn't reacting."

And it showed. Henry tried to take the field, but was clearly a step slow and not at 100 percent. Bielema took notice and pulled Henry fairly quickly.

"I wasn't as comfortable as I would like to be," Henry said. "But they wanted to see what I was able to do that first series, and I wasn't really able to play to my ability."

Still, the Badgers pressed on and in the process showed an ability to overcome adversity that eluded them much of the 2008 season.

The tough Badgers, making no excuses, fought back from a 14 point deficit to finish the first half down by only four. Then intercepted Fresno State quarterback Ryan Colburn three times after the half to seal the victory.

Safety Chris Maragos, whose interception in the end zone on Fresno State's second overtime possession put Wisconsin in position to win the game, said the victory showed that the Badgers are maturing.

"It just shows our resiliency," Maragos said. "I think when you look at what we're trying to do and what we're trying to accomplish, we have a bunch of tough guys and guys who are willing to work.

"That's what I love about this team. We may not be the most talented—I mean, we're extremely talented, but we may not be the best—but we have guys that are willing to work."

Asked if he had been ill this week, Maragos shook his head sheepishly before giving credit to a bottle of hand sanitizer that had been emptied through the week.

"I was hitting that thing all week," he said. "Every time I touched a door around here, I was just thinking that thing was my best friend all week."

Truer words have never been uttered.

This article is also featured on FirstandBigTen.com, a Bleacher Report blog dedicated to Big Ten football on ChicagoNow.com

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Bleacher Report - Articles by Kristofer Green

Bleacher Creature Top 25: The Time for a Playoff Is Now...Seriously!

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Debating the Big Ten Title: Ohio State and Iowa Collide...Blogger Style

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Vote Now! - Author Poll

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Florida

Alabama

Texas

Iowa

Cincinnati

They all finish undefeated!

Big Ten Power Rankings: Hawks, Nits, and Bucks Push For the Title

Bleacher Creature College Football Poll: Gators Back On Top...Barely

Bleacher Creature College Football Poll: Iowa, Cincy On The Move

Big Ten Power Rankings Week Eight: Iowa Has Its Eye on the Prize

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The Bleacher Creature College Football Poll: The Hokies Stalk the Big Three

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