Big Ten Weekend Preview, Week 9

Wow, nine weeks sure do fly bye when you're having fun.   When I previewed the season, I got a couple of picks right like Iowa losing at Arizona and Wisconsin beating Ohio State.  I also got a lot wrong like saying that Michigan State would go .500 this year.   I thought they would lose to Michigan and Wisconsin, but they have gotten through both games. How will they do this week?

Big Ten Game of Week:

Michigan State at Iowa:  The Hawkeyes had their table set for a Big Ten Championship with a win in Ann Arbor and home games against Wisconsin, MSU, and Ohio State.  Well something strange happened on the way to the dinner table and Kirk Ferentz went Les Miles and mismanaged the clock, costing his team at least a shot in overtime.  After the game against Michigan, MSU struggled against Illinois and Northwestern before pulling both games out late.  The BCS has MSU ranked No. 5, but some folks are still not buying the Spartans.  You can put Vegas oddsmakers in that category who have the Spartans as almost a touchdown underdog (6.5) in this game.    This is a put up or shut up game for the Spartans.  If they win this game they will win the Big Ten and go undefeated this year.  Could Sparty really play for the BCS Championship?  Nope.   Iowa 31 - MSU 21


The other games:

Northwestern at Indiana:  I think Northwestern is a decent Big Ten football team and should have had a win over Sparty last week.  Every year Michigan makes IU look really good and then they fall apart.  I was very surprised at how they laid down at Illinois last week.  I am getting off the IU band wagon. NW is a 3 point favorite.  Northwestern 42 - IU 28

Purdue at Illinois:  At the beginning of the year, I expected Purdue to be playing pretty good football by now and for Illinois to be heading for a last place finish in the Big Ten.  Well, they have reversed roles. Purdue doesn't have any healthy QBs while Ron Zook is saving his job at Illinois, a team that has been the surprise of the Big Ten this year (outside of Sparty).  Ron's boys are a 17 point favorite in this game.   It won't be close either.  Illinois 28 - Purdue 7

Ohio State at Minnesota:  How is this a prime time game?  The TV executives whiffed on this one.   This is a matchup between the most talented team in the Big Ten versus the least talented team in the Big Ten.  It won't be close.  OSU is favored by 25 points.   OSU 42 - Minnesota 10


Wisconsin has a bye week.

I will preview the Michigan at Penn State game on Friday.