Big Ten Football: Ranking the 10 Most Intriguing Matchups of the 2011 Season
Which games this fall get the blood pumping already? Who could upset whom? Which new coach might upset the entire apple cart in just their first year on the sideline?
These are all questions that we ponder during the long layoff before the 2011 season officially kicks off.
The Big Ten has a new look and feel with the admission of Nebraska and advent of a conference championship game. New rivalries will undoubtedly be forged while old ones seem to fade away.
What will be the most intriguing match in the upcoming season?
This ranking will include only Big Ten conference games and will not include any of the out-of-conference games that these teams may play.
10. Michigan State Vs. Wisconsin
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When It's Played: October 22, 2011
Why It's Intriguing: These teams comprise two-thirds of last season's conference co-championship. Their meeting in 2010 represented the only loss Wisconsin would suffer on the year until they faced TCU in the Rose Bowl. At the time, they were both undefeated.
Both teams could be right back in the conference title hunt. Being in opposing divisions, this could well be a precursor to the conference title game.
The Badgers start their conference schedule at home against Nebraska, but have an off week immediately thereafter. They get another home date against an Indiana team that will be missing leader Ben Chappell. Nebaska aside, it's a fairly easy trail to East Lansing for the Badgers.
However, they do have a trip to Columbus coming directly after the showdown with the Spartans and could be looking a little ahead.
Michigan State will have had to travel to Ohio State in the opening week and will also be sitting the second week of conference play out. They follow their break with the annual rivalry against Michigan.
Following the showdown with the Badgers is a trip to Lincoln for a tough Divisional battle. The Spartans will be right in the middle of the toughest stretch of their conference season.
Why It Could Disappoint: Michigan State was humbled against Alabama in the Capital One Bowl last January. They were also beaten soundly by an Iowa team that ended the regular campaign with a mediocre 7-5 record and lost to the Badgers 31-30.
While the Spartans did defeat the Badgers, a true skeptic would have little trouble arguing that Michigan State was still the lesser of the two teams.
Missing key components from their defense (Greg Jones, Eric Gordon, Marcus Hyde and Chris L. Rucker, among others), Michigan State may not be anywhere near as effective as they were in 2010. What's more, they could conceivably coming into the match on a two-game losing streak with Nebraska waiting in the wings.
The whole thing could fall apart before we even get there.
9. Michigan State Vs. Michigan
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When It's Played: October 15. 2011
Why It's Intriguing: For one, it's an in-state rivalry, and those are always intense. Add to that the fact that neither of these teams has an obvious talent advantage (as had been the case for a number of years when Michigan was fighting for national titles), and both have the potential of making waves in the conference title race.
Michigan really doesn't like losing to the Spartans. For decades, they had ruled the state of Michigan with an iron fist. When Rich Rodriguez came to town, not only did the Spartans start finding consistent success on the playing field, they also started closing the gap in the recruiting field.
Rodriguez is out and Brady Hoke is in. Can Hoke reclaim the state for the Wolverines or will Mark Dantonio's boys continue to control the Great Lakes State?
Why It Might Disappoint: Just how good will Michigan be in it's first year under Hoke? They are keeping enough talent to be a threat to virtually anyone. Yet, they have to learn to use that talent in a new system with a new man at the helm.
Meanwhile, as noted before, Michigan State may not have been quite as good last year as their record indicated. What's more, they lose some of the leadership that helped that team rise to the level of success it enjoyed.
It's entirely possible that this could be a match between two mid-tier Big Ten teams that means very little outside of the state of Michigan and either side could be much better on the field than the other.
8. Penn State Vs. Iowa
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When It's Played: October 8, 2011
Why It's Intriguing: When this mini-rivalry is talked about, the 2008 match is usually at the forefront of the discussion. That year, Iowa handed the Nittany Lions their first loss of the season on a last-second field goal with national title implications.
While that was a fantastic game, it's only one in a long line of great contests between these two programs. It's a series that practically begs to be turned into an official rivalry.
Iowa holds a slim 12-11 lead on the series, but have had to come from way behind to make that happen. The Hawkeyes have won eight of the last ten meetings, dating back to 1999. The 1990's and 1970's though, belonged solidly to the Nittany Lions (they only played once in the 80's).
This go-round could be very interesting. Penn State hosts Iowa after a road trip to Indiana that shouldn't throw them off the conference title trail. After Iowa, the Lions have Purdue, @ Northwestern and Illinois before a break.
Iowa will have some questions to answer, but tends to do well when the spotlight is off. They have their off week just before facing the Nittany Lions. After this game, they have Northwestern, Indiana and @ Michigan.
Believe it or not, both teams could be in the hunt for their respective division titles. Much of the attention in the Legends Division will be on Nebraska and the Michigan teams while the Leaders Division will be paying strict attention to Wisconsin and Ohio State. The setting is ripe for both teams to sneak in and become front-runners in their respective races.
The winner of this match could very well be undefeated in conference play (if not overall) heading into the final month of the 2011 season.
This match could set the tone for the rest of both programs' conference races.
Why It Could Disappoint: Both teams sputtered in 2010. Also, as mentioned above, they both have some big holes to fill.
Iowa loses household names like Ricky Stanzi, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Adrian Clayborn and Tyler Sash (just to name a few). Penn State loses Chris Colasanti, Bani Gbadyu, Ollie Ogbu, Evan Royster and Graham Zug (just to name a few). It won't be easy to replace that kind of talent for either team.
Right now, both programs are flying under the pundits' radars. While Joe Paterno and Penn State will always get some measure of media exposure, it has very little to do at this point with winning the Big Ten title. The only press Iowa has gotten lately has been negative reports and opinions involving off-field issues that have plagued the program.
While the game will showcase two interesting names, it could very well also showcase two fairly mediocre teams that are battling for shots at decent bowl games come season's end.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Wisconsin Vs. Nebraska
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When It's Played: October 1, 2011
Why It's Intriguing: It was very tempting to just lay out Nebraska's Big Ten schedule and rank the games accordingly. After all, the Big Red Machine is the newest face in the Big Ten stables. Everyone is chomping at the bit to see just how well they'll do in their new home.
That would be a huge disservice to the rest of the conference, though. Seriously, there are better games out there than Nebraska at Minnesota, right?
This game definitely deserves a spot on the list, though.
Wisconsin represented the conference in the Rose Bowl last January and should be right back in title contention this year. They bring back a ton of talent on offense and a defense that should be stout enough to keep them in virtually every contest.
Nebraska will find out right away where they stand in the conference pecking order. If they come out of Madison with a victory—or at least a very narrow defeat—then it will confirm that they are the team to beat in Legends Division.
Why It Could Disappoint: Regardless of what happens on the field, there's little chance of this game being a disappointment. It's Nebraska's first conference opponent, they're playing on the road and it's against a very respectable Badger team. How can it possibly be disappointing?
For that reason alone, I readily admit that this game should maybe rank higher on the list.
6. Nebraska Vs. Iowa
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When It's Played: November 26, 2011
Why It's Intriguing: Meet Nebraska's new annual "rival". While "The Game" is going on in either Columbus or Ann Arbor, the Missouri River Rivalry (oh please let that be the new name for this game) will be taking place in Iowa City or Lincoln.
These two teams started playing each other back in 1891 and faced each other on a nearly continuous basis until 1919. They took a break through the 1920's, but returned the rivalry through the 1930's and early 40's. There was a very long break from 1946 until 1979.
From '79 - '82 they squared off again with Nebraska winning three of the four matches. Again, they took a break until 1999 and 2000. That was the last time they faced off.
This meeting will resume a rivalry that is over 100 years old and used to be a staple of Midwestern football.
On top of that, it's a border war. The fans of the two programs share mutual respect, but that doesn't mean that it'll be a quiet, polite rivalry. Both fan bases are rabid about their teams and the honeymoon will end very early between these two schools.
Why It Could Disappoint: If Iowa plays anywhere near the level they did in 2009, this could be as big as "The Game". The Legends Division title could be on the line and both squads could be fighting for a shot at Pasadena or at least a second BCS bowl.
On the other hand, if Iowa plays more like they did in 2010, this game could be completely ho-hum. The Hawks could be out of the conference title picture and fighting just to get a decent bowl game.
A game this historic deserves better than that, especially in Nebraska's inaugural season with the Big Ten. Realistically though, their first "rivalry week" in the conference could be about as exciting as a trip to Bloomington (no offense Hoosier fans).
5. Michigan Vs. Ohio State
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When It's Played: November 26, 2011
Why It's Intriguing: It's "The Game"! Come on! Of course it's on the list.
Historically, this is the single biggest game of the Big Ten season. Michigan is the winningest team in college football history while Ohio State is the dominant force of the Big Ten. It's made-for-movies goodness.
Now, toss in the Brady Hoke factor. Michigan has two basic goals for Hoke to achieve in a relatively short fashion. One, start winning conference titles. Two, beat Ohio State. They don't have to be in that order. They just both need to happen.
Rich Rodriguez wasn't able to do either. He wasn't able to even get close. What about Hoke? He could make an instant name for himself as the savior of Ann Arbor if he could beat the Buckeyes in his first year on the sidelines.
Why It Could Disappoint: I'm sure some Michigan fans are disappointed to see this game listed so low in the rankings. There's a reason for it.
History can only carry you so far. It's still good enough to keep solid recruiting classes coming to Ann Arbor. It's still good enough to keep the media talking about the Wolverines. It's not good enough to keep fans outside of Columbus and Ann Arbor interested in "The Game", though.
Through the RichRod era, it was an all-Buckeye showcase. The Wolverines never even threatened to unseat the Ohio State. Their records under Rodriguez were 3-8, 5-6 and 7-4 coming into the big game.
If Michigan doesn't at least have eight or nine checks in the win column, people really aren't going to care that much. It might be historically significant, but it won't be relevant on the national or conference scene.
Let's face it, college football today is a world of "what have you done for me lately."
4. Ohio State Vs. Michigan State
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When It's Played: October 1, 2011
Why It's Intriguing: Well, if you thought Michigan fans were a little disappointed to see "The Game" listed so low on ranking, how do you suppose they feel about State's game against the Buckeyes trumping them?
Regardless of the Spartans' embarrassing performance against the Crimson Tide on the national stage, they did finish the 2010 regular season with an 11-1 record. That's an identical record to that of Ohio State.
The Buckeyes lost to Wisconsin. The Spartans beat Wisconsin. Ohio State beat Iowa. Michigan State lost to Iowa. Michigan State and Ohio State didn't play each other.
So, who was really better?
This is the opportunity to lay the whole thing to rest. Unfortunately, neither squad will get to field the exact same players they had available last year. Thems the breaks, folks.
It's still interesting to pit two co-champions against each other, especially when they didn't have the opportunity to settle it on the field last year.
Why It Could Disappoint: Were the Spartans really as good as their 11-1 record would suggest? I know several analysts who believe firmly in the mantra "you are your record." I respectfully disagree.
Michigan State put together some quality wins in 2010, including their 34-24 victory over Wisconsin. However, they also barely scraped by Purdue (35-31), weren't impressive in their win over Penn State (28-22) and needed last-second heroics to defeat Notre Dame (34-31).
What's more, they were exposed by Iowa (37-6) and were embarrassed by Alabama (49-7). They didn't look so much like an 11-1 team as they did an 8-4 team that caught some lucky breaks.
The Spartans are losing some really big players like Greg Jones and Eric Gordon. Ohio State meanwhile, is likely just "retooling" the few key losses they sustained.
This could be a really exciting contest. It could also be one of those games where we turn the channel at halftime to something more interesting—like the Wisconsin-Nebraska game.
3. Ohio State Vs. Wisconsin
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When It's Played: October 29, 2011
Why It's Intriguing: These are the two BCS bowl teams from a year ago. Wisconsin narrowly lost to TCU (19-21) in the Rose Bowl while Ohio State narrowly defeated Arkansas (31-26) in the Sugar Bowl.
They did face on the field last year. Wisconsin came away with a dominant 31-18 victory. Could they have done it a second time, though?
It's a new year with some new faces, but the Badgers should still be one of the favorites in the Leaders Division to return to Pasadena. Ohio State is Ohio State. They've won or shared the last six consecutive conference titles.
Both teams will have faced Nebraska and Michigan State on their way to this match, so there will be some comparisons that can be drawn before kickoff.
It'll be a big game with both conference and national implications a possibility.
Why It Could Disappoint: Both teams bring back a ton of talent. Wisconsin should still have a strong O-line and will have Montee Ball and James White splitting carries. Their defense should be good enough to at least make Ohio State work for it.
The Buckeyes bring back Terrelle Pryor and a very dangerous offense that will compliment an always-deep-and-dangerous defense.
Penn State might be a historical name and any time Joe Paterno is calling the shots, there's a chance that they'll be a threat. However, they're about the only team in the Leaders Division that can pose a threat.
Does anyone really think that Illinois, Indiana or Purdue will be a contender this year in the conference title race?
So, there's virtually no way this game can be a disappointment except to the fans of the losing team. Whoever wins this match is likely the front-runner to represent the Leaders Division in the conference title game.
2. Nebraska Vs. Ohio State
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When It's Played: October 8, 2011
Why It's Intriguing: We can speculate until the stars fall from the sky, but we don't really know how Nebraska will stack up against Big Ten competition. In their first conference game they face Wisconsin.
This is their second Big Ten game and they're facing the six-time defending conference (co)champions. When the dust settles on this match, there will be no doubt where Nebraska rates among the conference elite.
By mid-October, Nebraska could be the new Top Dawg (a shout out to Randy Jackson there) in the Big Ten. Ohio State meanwhile, will have the opportunity to show "Nebbie the Newbie" just what it takes to be a champion in this conference.
Why It Could Disappoint: It won't. It can't.
This game is too early in the season for either team to have collapsed. Other than a rematch against Washington—who Nebraska destroyed during the 2010 regular season, but lost to in their bowl game—the Huskers don't have anyone until Wisconsin that should even challenge them.
Ohio State has to travel to Miami (FL) on September 17th, but otherwise they don't have anyone that should give them any pause until they take on Michigan State. An absolute worst-case-scenario might see one or both teams coming into the game with two losses already on their record.
That's highly unlikely though. Realistically, neither team should have more than one loss and it would be very reasonable to expect at least one of them to be undefeated.
Regardless, this is arguably the best team from the Legends Division against arguably the best team from the Leaders Division. It just can't be a disappointment.
1. Big Ten Championship Game
10 of 10
When It's Played: December 3, 2011
Where It's Played: Lucas Oil Field, Indianapolis, Indiana
Why It's Intriguing: Are you kidding me? This conference has been around since 1896 and in all of the time since then, there has never been an official conference title game in football.
This is history. Many decades of tie-breaker rules and speculative scenarios lend way to a single game that will decide who is the champion of the oldest conference in America.
No more three-way ties. No more "we could have decided this if these two teams had only played each other this year." It'll all be decided on the field of play.
Why It Could Disappoint: There's only one way this thing could even remotely be considered a disappointment. If one team comes in with a 12-0 or 11-1 record while the other comes in with a 7-5 or 8-4 record, then it would be disappointing.
No other scenario that I can think of could tarnish this game. Even that scenario wouldn't necessarily ruin the occasion. It's still an amazing thing and I hope to be there in person.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
