Big Ten Football: Picking The Winners In Opening Week Of Conference Play
Big Ten football has been semi-interesting through non-conference play, from Miami being manhandled by Ohio State, to Iowa losing at Arizona.
Now, it's time to separate contenders from pretenders, to lay to rest the dreams of Big Ten champion hopefuls, and to solidify the legitimacy of other teams in their quest for a BCS bowl game.
It's time for conference play.
This week, two dark horses for the conference championship battle each other, while rivals play for bragging rights in Kinnick Stadium.
This season, there are at least four teams that have a legitimate shot at the conference title, and they all start their quest for the championship this week...
Here are your predictions for this first week of conference play.
All times are Eastern.
Bye: Purdue Boilermakers
#2 Ohio State Buckeyes(4-0) @ Illinois Fighting Illini(2-1): 12PM BTN
1 of 5
The Illini will have their hands full on defense, as the Buckeyes are coming off of their highest scoring offensive performance since 1950.
Key Match-Up - The biggest match-up in this game will be the Illini linebacking corps, trying to slow down Terrelle Pryor. If the linebackers can contain TP on broken plays, they will give their team a chance to stay in this game.
Key Players - Illinois middle linebacker Martez Wilson, Buckeyes wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher
Wilson needs to stop Pryor; Sanzenbacher needs to get open. It's that simple.
Key Stat - Turnover margin...Illinois is -3 on the season while the Buckeyes are +10
Prediction - Illinois keeps it close in the first half before the Buckeyes pull away 31-20
Northwestern Wildcats(4-0) @ Minnesota Golden Gophers(1-3): 12PM ESPN/ESPN2
2 of 5
The Wildcats are 4-0. The Gophers are 1-3, at home. Not good, Gophers...with three losses in a row, the Gophers' only hope for snapping this losing streak in the next two weeks, seems to be against NU. The Gophers take on bitter rival Wisconsin next week.
Key Match-Up - Minnesota is allowing 200 yards passing per game, NU is throwing for 270 per contest. Can Minnesota's secondary contain Northwestern receiver Jeremy Ebert and quarterback Dan Persa?
Key Players - Minnesota quarterback Adam Weber, Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa
Pretty obvious, but neither one of these teams plays much by the way of defense, and this will end up being a shoot-out.
Key Stat - 78.4% Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa has completed almost 79% of his passes this season.
Prediction - This one is tricky, Minnesota has been in the game at times this season but they seem to make too many mental errors to finish. NU - 34 Minnesota - 27
#21 Michigan Wolverines(4-0) @ Indiana Hoosiers(3-0): 3:30PM ESPNU
3 of 5
What will Denard Robinson do next? This has become the most asked question among college football fans...so what will "Shoelace" do against an Indiana defense that looks remarkably like Swiss cheese?
Key Match-Up - Michigan's secondary vs. Tandon Doss, Damarlo Belcher and Ben Chappell.
There have been some nagging questions about the Wolverine secondary, if anyone is going to expose their Achilles' Heel, it will be this trio.
Key Players - Michigan running back Michael Shaw, Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell
The best way to prevent your opponent from scoring is to keep them off of the field, and if Michael Shaw can have success against the Hoosier front seven, Indiana is toast.
Key Stat- 331 yards per game. Michigan is averaging 331 yards rushing per game to lead the conference.
Prediction - The Wolverines win this one emphatically, unlike last year's nail-biter. UM - 34 IU - 21
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
#11 Wisconsin Badgers(4-0) @ #25 Michigan State Spartans(4-0): 3:30PM ABC/ESPN2
4 of 5
Sparty is lookin' for revenge after the Badgers took them out last season, but can they stop the Badgers' prolific offense?
Key Match-Up - The Badgers secondary vs. MSU's passing attack.
The Badgers are going to be on the road against a ranked team for the first time this season. Their secondary has been, shall we say, porous for lack of a better term.
Key Players - MSU running back Le'Veon Bell, Badger's defensive tackle David Gilbert
The Badgers have been inconsistent against the run this season, sometimes forming an impenetrable wall, and at other times performing like the Berlin Wall does currently. (For those who don't know, it doesn't exist anymore...)
Key Stat - 27.5 The Badgers have allowed opponents to convert third downs on only 27.5% of their attempts.
Prediction - A see-saw battle culminates in the Badger run game asserting itself in the third and fourth quarter. UW - 37 MSU - 28
#23 Penn State Nittany Lions(3-1) @ #18 Iowa Hawkeyes(3-1): 8PM ABC/ESPN2
5 of 5
The Hawkeyes rebounded from their first loss with a big win, while PSU struggled to put away Temple.
Key Match-up - Kirk Ferentz vs. Joe Paterno The Hawkeyes are looking to reestablish themselves as contenders for a BCS game, while Penn State is trying to cling to it's spot in the rankings. These two head coaches will play a phenomenal game of chess all evening.
Key Players - PSU quarterback Robert Bolden, Iowa secondary
Make this a secondary key match-up, if you like, but the way Bolden performs against this stingy Iowa secondary determines the outcome of this game.
Key Stat - Penn State leads the conference in third down defense...
Prediction - In a closer than expected battle, the Hawkeyes, led by quarterback Ricky Stanzi emerge with the "w". Iowa - 28 PSU - 24
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
