Week 13 Big Ten Wrap-up

We seemed to find out a little more each week about the Big Ten. Minnesota and Northwestern confused everyone with great starts, Wisconsin baffled onlookers with a dominant non-conference trio of wins, then tanked in conference play, and Penn State just wouldn't stop losing for most of the year. As the year went on, we figured out that Minnesota wasn't that good, Northwestern was for real, even without their star running back, Wisconsin was not nearly as good as everyone thought, and Penn State and Ohio State ruled the conference. All of these revelations left one team that we couldn't get a handle on.

Michigan State had a bit of an odd season. Sparty started off with a loss at Cal, then won 9 of 10 coming into the Penn State game and had a chance to share the Big Ten title with a win. On Saturday, Michigan State looked like a team that was happy to have that chance, not a team ready to take advantage of it. Penn State ran up 557 total yards and held Javon Ringer to 42 yards rushing en route to a blowout win. MSU put up some points late, but after losing 49-18, the Spartans lost to Ohio State and Penn State by a combined score of 94-25. Penn State is heading to the Rose Bowl to face either Oregon State or USC, while MSU will probably be in the Outback Bowl against an SEC opponent.

Early on it looked like Michigan may have been ready to make it a game against Ohio State. However, a stagnant offense and big plays from Ohio State turned this into the game many expected. Except the few times wide receivers ran wide open behind their safeties (Michigan should really think about renaming this position), UM shut Terrelle Pryor down. The freshman QB was 5-13 for 120 yards, but Chris Wells picked up the slack with big plays. Wells only rushed 15 times, but went for 134 yards and a score. Ohio State's defense held UM to just 198 yards and forced 12 punts. The 42-7 victory is the fifth win in a row for Ohio State, making it the longest streak for the Bucks in the history of the rivalry.

Northwestern had been more impressive than Illinois all season long, yet the Cats were still underdogs going into the match-up with the Illini at Ryan Field Saturday. The result was a 17 point win, denying Illinois a bowl berth, just a year removed from a Rose Bowl bid. The Wildcats will be pulling for Ohio State to get into a BCS bowl so they can grab a spot in a New Year's Day bowl. The 9-3 record makes this the fifth Northwestern team to finish with nine or more wins.

Wisconsin's disappointing season almost got a final kick to the face Saturday as the Badgers trailed almost the entire game and needed overtime and three missed extra points to beat Division I-AA Cal Poly Saturday. After a PJ Hill touchdown and a two point conversion run by Hill tied the game and Cal Poly missed a field goal, the game headed to OT, where the Mustangs scored on the first play, then missed the extra point. John Clay scored for UW from six yards and the extra point was good to win the game. We'll see where this performance lands Wisconsin for a bowl game. Probably Detroit.

Purdue blew out Indiana 62-10 and Iowa shut out Minnesota 55-0.

Week 12 Big Ten Wrap-up

This will be quick as my battle with my laptop and technology in general continues. Illinois couldn't get the job done against Ohio State Saturday, losing 30-20. Chris Wells ran for 143 yards, while Terrelle Pryor added 110 rushing yards of his own. Illinois bested Ohio State in total yards by more than 100, but special teams errors and, you guessed it, turnovers doomed the Illini.

Northwestern held off Michigan with a 21-14 win. It was the first win in Michigan Stadium for the Wildcats since 1995. Northwestern moves to 8-3 and can make a strong argument for a New Year's Day bowl game with a win this week when the Wildcats will host Illinois.

Wisconsin overcame a two touchdown halftime deficit to beat Minnesota 35-32. The Badgers are bowl eligible with the win and should pad on another W this week as they host Cal-Poly.

Penn State rolled over Indiana to set up a showdown with Michigan State with BCS implications and Iowa squeaked by Purdue 22-17

Big Ten Week 11 Wrap-up

"It will be the last game away from Beaver Stadium and a possible trap game for Penn State." Sometimes I know what I'm talking about when I do these things. Of course, then I go against my gut and pick PSU to win. What a great win for the Hawkeyes, even though their fan base showed it learned nothing from the Texas Tech fans last week and rushed the field with time on the clock. Shonn Greene needed to be great and he had 117 yards and two scores; Stanzi had to come through and he did, leading the Hawkeyes down the field, setting up the game-winning kick with a pass to the Penn State 15 with under 20 seconds to play. The final drive started when Daryll Clark overthrew Derrick Williams for an interception at the Iowa 29 with 3:46 left in the game. After the 24-23 loss, the Nittany Lions dropped to 8th in the BCS and saw hopes of giving Joe Pa another national title fade into the Iowa night.

Another MAC team brought down a Big Ten foe as Western Michigan beat Illinois 23-17 at Ford Field Saturday in what might be the only win for the home team in Ford Field for years. The MAC's four wins against the Big Ten is the most ever. Illinois will need a win against either Ohio State or Northwestern to earn bowl eligibility. Ron Zook's thoughts: "We can fold our tent and put it away if that's what they want to do. Obviously, the coaches are going to preach and demand and push, but still, they're going to need to step up and play the way they're capable of playing." Pitch that tent and secure a return trip to Ford Field for the Motor City Bowl!

Michigan's 29-6 win against Minnesota has fans wondering where this team has been all season. Even with walk-on Nick Sheridan starting at quarterback, the Wolverines outgained the Gophers 435-188. Michigan retained the Little Brown Jug and since Minnesota will be moving out of the Metrodome, the Wolverines clinched a perfect 12-0 record in the rotten venue.

Michigan State kept its conference championship hopes alive with a 21-7 win over Purdue Saturday. The Spartans will have a week off before going to Happy Valley to take on Penn State in the final week to play for at least a share of the Big Ten Championship and a possible Rose Bowl berth. Ugh, please no.

Northwestern kept it close with Ohio State early, then Ohio State opened up a big lead and didn't slow down, winning 45-10. Wisconsin had three running backs top 100 yards Saturday as the Badgers beat Indiana 55-20.

Blackhawks Week in Review

Well I missed the last week in review, so we'll just focus on the three game winning streak the Hawks are on now. Ah, sure there was a loss to Minnesota in there, but who remembers? Positive thoughts!

The first victim on the streak was Dallas. The Hawks beat the Stars 5-2, behind three points from Patrick Kane. The penalty kill helped seal the win, denying Dallas on all five of its chances, including a 1-minute-plus 5 on 3. Quenneville pointed out that not scoring on a two man advantage usually leads to a loss. I don't know how good his research is on that, but I'm taking it as gospel at this point.

Columbus was next on the Blackhawk pain train, as Chicago prevailed in a shootout. Cristobal Huet made 48 saves, including eight in overtime and all three in the shootout. Quenneville called it a "goalie win," but everyone still wins, right? The Blue Jackets were 1 for 10 on the power play and their 51 shots...wait, 1 for 10 on the power play?!! Man, how do you lose with 10 power plays? You shouldn't even be able to call them "power" plays if you're 1 for 10. After the start of this season, it's good to see other teams struggle with the man advantage.

The latest win on the run came Monday against the Avs. The Hawks moved to 6-3-3 at home on the year, which is great news since the next four games will be in the United Center. Patrick Sharp and Andrew Ladd each had two goals and an assist, helping push the Blackhawks to their best start in seven years. Quenneville must feel good to get the win against his old team, as he moved to 5-1-2 as head coach.

Even if this thing ends at three games, these streaks are typical of playoff bound teams. You string wins together and take care of business at home, and you'll be growing healthy playoff beards in the Spring. Unless you're Patrick Kane.

Looking Ahead:

Three games coming up this week as Calgary, Boston, and St. Louis will all come to the United Center. The first two should be good tests against teams that should battle for their respective division titles. Then the Blackhawks had better beat St. Louis a week from today. You should never lose to St. Louis.

Big Ten Week Ten Wrap-up

What a week in the Big Ten. Strange that the most exciting action of the season came the week that the only two good teams in the conference were idle. The result of every single game Saturday was uncertain until the final minutes of play. The average margin of victory was four points, with the two biggest differentials (six and seven) decided on touchdowns in the last 30 seconds.

Northwestern upset Minnesota when Brendan Smith returned an interception 48 yards for a score with 12 seconds remaining to give the Wildcats a 24-17 road win. Quarterback Mike Kafka did the job offensively, filling in for injured CJ Bacher with 217 rush yards, a record for a Northwestern quarterback. The junior from Chicago overcame two picks to lead the Wildcats to the win.

Michigan State looked like they were starting the late season meltdown against Wisconsin Saturday. Javon Ringer was bottled up, Brian Hoyer was overthrowing receivers, and when he wasn't overthrowing them, the receivers looked like they were trying to catch the ball with their knuckles. Down 11 in the fourth, the Spartans charged back and won the game on a 44 yard Brett Swenson field goal with seven seconds remaining. State's first touchdown drive in the comeback was helped along by a five yard penalty, followed immediately by a 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct call on UW coach Bret Bielema. MSU has a shot to share the Big Ten title if they can win against Purdue and upset Penn State.

Illinois did not look good against Iowa this week, but came through at the end when Matt Eller hit a 46 yard field goal with 24 seconds remaining to win by three. Illinois built a 24-9 lead before Iowa got a couple of fourth quarter touchdowns and tied the game. But Juice got his act together and led the Illini down the field to set up the game winner. Illinois moved to 5-4 and can become bowl eligible with a win over Western Michigan.

Speaking of bowl eligibility, any hopes Michigan had to extend its nation-leading 33 game bowl streak alive ended Saturday with a 48-42 loss at Purdue. Justin Siller filled in for the injured Curtis Painter at quarterback and tore up the Wolverines for 266 yards passing. Not bad for a guy who was a third string running back a few weeks ago. Purdue won the game on a hook and ladder with 26 seconds left.

Central Michigan came very close to getting a win against a Big Ten team against Purdue earlier in the season, but lost the game late. This week, the Chips got it done against Indiana. Backup QB Brian Brunner threw for 485 yards for CMU, filling in for the injured Dan LeFevour as the Chippewas became the second team this year from the MAC to beat Indiana.

Week Nine Big Ten Wrap-up

Before the season, no one knew who the starting quarterback for Penn State would be. When Anthony Morelli, one of the worst multi-season starters ever, graduated, most knew the job would fall to either Daryll Clark or Pat Devlin. But hardly anyone knew what to expect from either player. Clark won the job early in fall practice and led the Nittany Lions to eight straight wins to start the year. It was Devlin though who led Penn State to its best win of the year. Early in the fourth quarter with Ohio State up three, Terrelle Pryor fumbled and Penn State recovered. In came Devlin, leading Penn State down to the one, where he plunged in for a 10-6 lead. PSU would add a field goal and secure its first win at Ohio Stadium as a member of the Big Ten. Only a major stumble against a lesser opponent can stop Penn State from the conference title and a likely shot at a national championship.

Wisconsin finally tallied in the win column this week as the Badgers beat Illinois in Madison. Dustin Sherer made his first second start at quarterback, throwing for two scores and running for a third. Turnovers hurt the Illini, especially Juice Williams' three interceptions. Wisconsin took a 20-17 lead early in the fourth quarter after one of Juice's interceptions and added an insurance touchdown late.

Michigan State came into Ann Arbor as the favorite on Saturday and lived up to it. The Spartans won 35-21, getting the program's first win in Ann Arbor since 1990 and first against Michigan since 2001. Javon Ringer carried 37 times for 194 yards and two scores. Ringer broke a 21-all tie in the fourth quarter and Brian Hoyer threw his third touchdown pass later to seal the win.

Northwestern overlooked Indiana and paid for it. Indiana had two big scores through the air. One was a play-action fake of a reverse and the other an actual reverse with receiver Mitchell Evans throwing for the touchdown. Even with Kellen Lewis out with an ankle injury, the Wildcats couldn't overcome five turnovers.

Minnesota continued its improbable turnaround with a 17-6 win. That's five straight losses for Purdue and in three of the last four games the Boilermakers have scored six points or less.

Week Eight Big Ten Wrap-up

It was blowout week in the Big Ten. The closest games were both 22 point shellackings that weren't even really that close.

Ohio State went into East Lansing and dominated from the start. Well, not really the start, as they fumbled the opening kickoff and had to start inside their own ten. This game was never in doubt as Ohio State answered most of the questions as to their status as a real contender. The only question remaining is whether Terrelle Pryor can get the job done through the air if he needs to. The freshman threw the ball only eleven times, completing seven for 116 yards, but one of those completions was a jump ball that probably should have been intercepted that accounted for half of his passing yards. Still, the kid's a freak and probably gives the Bucks their best shot at the Big Ten Championship.

Penn State continued its thrashing of the competition this year with a 46-17 win over Michigan. The Wolverines came out strong, going up 17-7 in the second quarter. When Penn State charged back to tie the score, the Nittany Lions got the game winner when back-up quarterback Nick Sheridan was sacked in the end zone. Penn State made excellent adjustments in the second half and Michigan failed to counter those and what looked like an upset bid turned into a blowout.

Illinois and Northwestern both took care of business also. With Kellen Lewis out with an injury, Indiana had little chance of keeping up with the Illini as freshman running back Jason Ford went for three touchdowns and 172 yards. Juice threw for three scores and this one was never in doubt as Illinois won 55-13. Northwestern rebounded from its only loss of the year, beating Purdue 48-26. After struggling with turnovers last week, the Wildcats forced five this week and C.J. Bacher had three touchdown passes.

Iowa ran away from Wisconsin at home 38-16 as running back Shonn Greene went for 217 yards and four scores.

Week Seven Big Ten Wrap-up

Penn State continued its great season with a blowout win at Wisconsin. Moving the ball well on offense and taking advantage of turnovers, Penn State rolled to a 48-7 win. It was Wisconsin's worst loss since 1989. Penn State moves to 7-0, with Ohio State the only real obstacle left to a Big Ten title.

Just when Illinois looked like a Big Ten title contender, the Illini went out and lost to Minnesota at home. The game was supposed to be the soft homecoming win on the schedule, but Minnesota came in to Memorial Stadium and shocked Juice Williams and Illinois. Williams totaled 503 yards in the game, but came up short on the play of the game for Minnesota. On 4th and goal from the one yard line, Juice bootlegged to his right and after the play was called a touchdown, the replay showed he was short and the play was reversed. Minnesota is now 6-1 on the year with its only loss coming to Ohio State on the road.

Michigan State got a big win at Northwestern this weekend, moving to 3-0 in the conference and 6-1 overall. The Spartans jumped out to a 17-0 lead and avoided the type of meltdown they've experienced against the Wildcats in the past. Javon Ringer carried the ball over 30 times again, this time racking up 124 yards and two scores. Turnovers really killed Northwestern, as they gave the ball away three times, often killing what looked like scoring drives and setting up the Spartans for easy points.

Toledo was the latest team to take advantage of a poor Michigan squad this year. The Rockets went into Michigan Stadium and came out with a 13-10 win. Toledo's only touchdown came on a 100 yard interception return and when KC Lopata missed a 31 yard field goal with less than 20 seconds to go, Toledo became the first MAC team to ever beat the Wolverines. Michigan's hopes of extending their nation-best 33 game bowl streak look to be gone.

Ohio State got an ugly 16-3 win over Purdue and Iowa smoked Indiana 45-9.