Big Ten Bowl Review: Champs Sports

Let's take a ride around the MSM's Big Four to see what they have to say about the Big Ten's bowl debut last night: (I'll try to do this for every day the Big Ten plays a bowl)

• If the win over Miami is any indicator of what the Badgers are capable of, Wisconsin could be at the top of the Big Ten when 2010 ends, writes Andy Staples at SI.com and Adam Rittenberg at ESPN.com.

• SportingNews' Matt Hayes is confused: how could a speedy southern team actually lose to a slow northern team? Something must have been seriously wrong with Miami last night, according to Hayes; because you know, there's no way Wisconsin might actually have been a better team than the 'Canes.

• Of course, anyone with half a brain could see that Wisconsin not only came into the game better prepared, but was in fact the better overall team on the field, writes Rittenberg. Even Heather Dinich had to agree.

• I don't know why I even go to CBSSports.com. All we got on this game was the wire story and a bunch of message board whack jobs. Dennis Dodd must be waiting until all the Big Ten bowls are played, then he can pick out the few losses to argue that the Big Ten should drop football and the SEC should just become the NFC Southeast.

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PSU flops against Badgers

◊ Penn State lost to Wisconsin tonight in Happy Valley, 54-44. That's Penn State MENS basketball. The Lions showed little effort and even less intensity in the loss, frequently throwing up shots without any hope of a basket, while missing the ones that should have been made. But the biggest gag of the night was the failure to convert a single three-point basket.

You have to give Wisconsin's defense credit, as they held down Penn State's offense just enough to secure the win. All the while, the Badger offense played keep-away, holding on to the ball for seemingly the entire game. You would have thought this was an old-school BigTen football game, the way Wisconsin and Penn State tried to out-Time of Possession the other.

Penn State will have to play lights-out the rest of the way... good luck.

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Official Big Ten Bowl Selections

The Big Ten will send seven teams to the college football post season, with the marquee game in Pasadena between Penn State and Southern Cal. You could say it's important for the conference as a whole to have a strong showing, especially since every opponent will be from a BCS conference. But you could also argue that if Penn State loses to USC, no one in the main stream media will care what the rest of the Big Ten does. Here's a quick rundown of all the Big Ten bowl games:

Rose: Penn State vs. USC - "The Grand Daddy Of Them All" could earn its weight in TV ratings this New Years Day, especially if Penn State pulls the upset. Would it really be an upset? Anyone who watched Penn State closely this year will tell you, not really. USC is a bit overrated, but I wouldn't be at all shocked if the Trojans win another Rose Bowl. This could be the best bowl game of the season, outside of the national championship game.

Mark May opened his fat mouth again, saying he doesn't think it will be close. Lou Holtz is a Penn State (or at least, a geriatric for JoePa) homer and said Penn State should win. I don't think I've disliked an "analyst" as much as I do Mark May.

Fiesta : Ohio State vs. Texas - How great is this game? I love it. Texas is a monster, who I feel should have played for the national championship. Ohio State should come out ready, particularly since this isn't a national championship game against the SEC. I don't think the Buckeyes will win this game, but you have to remember just how good this Texas team is. The Longhorns could be the best team ever, not to play for the title.

Capital One: Michigan State vs. Georgia - Georgia will be out for blood, after coming into the season as the anointed national champion, only to lose three games. The Bulldogs are probably one of the most overrated teams in recent history. Michigan State couldn't be happier, emerging as a late contender for the Big Ten title after years of mediocrity. This game will probably come down to

Outback: Iowa vs. South Carolina - This won't be as good a game as ESPN would like it to be. South Carolina is not a very good team, in a vastly overrated conference this year. Did you think that should a game come down to quarterbacks, Iowa would have the edge over anyone? Well, the Hawkeyes have a much better offense, led by Shonn Greene, and a much better defensive front than the Gamecocks. It could get ugly in Tampa.

Alamo: Northwestern vs. Missouri - Missou doesn't deserve to be this low in the bowl pecking order, a victim of the best conference in college football this year. Northwestern had a great run this year, and deserved a good bowl game against a good opponent. The Tigers could prove to be too much for the Wildcats, but there's always hope.

Champs Sports: Wisconsin vs. Florida State - Two brand-name teams in an off-brand bowl game. I'll watch this bowl, just because I enjoy big-name teams facing off in the post season. I don't expect it to be good football, though. The Badgers might get caught in the "if only" mentality, after falling from their lofty preseason hype.

Insight: Minnesota vs. Kansas - The Golden Gophers are headed to a bowl game, but it probably feels like the national championship after going 1-11 last year. This year wasn't just a turnaround, it was a complete re-direction of the program, and could end with an exclamation point with a win over the Jayhawks.

*Ed- Every few days, I'll post a preview of all the Big Ten bowl games, in chronological order. Then I'll tackle the non-Big Ten BCS bowls. Also this week, I'll post the normal stuff, like my Top 25 tomorrow.

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Game of the Week :: Cal Poly at Wisconsin?!?

Sorry, folks, but if you were to look at which game should scare the living hell out of every Big Ten fan, look no further than Cal Poly visiting Wisconsin Saturday.

Despite the one loss this year, Poly (8-1) has run roughshod over its opponents (including FBS's San Diego State), to the tune of 46.4 ppg to 23 ppg. The offense has been incredible, totalling 493 ypg, and 303 rush ypg. Six players have rushed for more than 277 yards, with two going for more than 526. Poly also is currently ranked No. 3 in the FCS polls. Their quarterback, Jonathan Dally, and safety, David Fullerton, were both named Great West Conference players of the week.

Now, I understand that the level of competition has been non-comparable. However, Wisconsin has not only been one of the most disappointing teams in FBS this year, it hasn't even been due to fluky plays or a bad call here or there. Wisconsin is averaging 28 ppg, to opponents 24.4 ppg. You could say that it started in Ann Arbor (don't worry Badger fans, I won't rehash that one), but looking at where this team was supposed to be in 2008, you could say it all started by struggling at then-No. 21 Fresno State, a team that we now know is very mediocre.

This isn't to say that Cal Poly has a great shot to beat Wisconsin in Madison. But what if they even come close? The SEC has done a fantastic job this season covering up their own poser-like season, by continuing to trash the Big Ten for losing to so many MAC/lesser teams. Imagine what we would hear from the rest of the nation, should Wisconsin fail to secure this win by halftime? Considering it's the last week of the Big Ten season, with no other games to make up for a poor performance, this is a huge game for the Big Ten. Wisconsin has the weight of a conference's reputation on its back this week.

Not to pressure you guys or anything...

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Big Ten Pick'em 2008: Week 12

Zombie Nation picks all the games.

(FYI: Each team name links to its respective official football site. I also used the BCS Poll for the team rankings.)

Minnesota at Wisconsin - The ZN pick: Wisconsin

Indiana at No. 8 Penn St - The ZN pick: Penn St

Purdue at Iowa - The ZN pick: Iowa

No. 11 Ohio St. at Illinois - The ZN pick: Ohio St

Northwestern at Michigan - The ZN pick: Michigan

No. 15Michigan St. - BYE

Standings, compiled by Gopher Nation:
1 Gopher Nation 108
1 Enlightened Spartan 108
3 Michigan SportsCenter 107
4 Paint the Town Orange 106
5 Maize'n Brew 105
6 Happy Hour Valley 104
7 Zombie Nation 103
7 Black Shoe Diaries 103
9 Off the Tracks ™ 102
10 Lake the Posts 100
11 Eleven Warriors 99
12 Maize & Blue Nation 96
13 Boiled Sports 95
13 Sparty MSU 95
13 Varsity Blue 95

*Ed.- From this point forward, I'll only includ the top-15, since those are all the blogs that have a chance to win.

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Big Ten Pick'em 2008: Week 11

Zombie Nation picks all the games.

(FYI: Each team name links to its respective official football site. I also used the BCS Poll for the team rankings.)

Wisconsin at Indiana - The ZN pick: Wisconsin

Purdue at No. 18 Michigan St. - The ZN pick: Michigan St.

No. 11 Ohio St. at No. 24 Northwestern- The ZN pick: Ohio St

Michigan at Minnesota - The ZN pick: Minnesota

Illinois at Western Michigan - (Game will be at Ford Field in Detroit) The ZN pick: Illnois

No. 3 Penn St ay Iowa - The ZN pick: Penn St


Standings, compiled by Gopher Nation:

1 Gopher Nation 99
2 Enlightened Spartan 96
3 Michigan SportsCenter 95
4 Black Shoes Diary 94
4 Paint the Town Orange 94
4 Ground Zero East Lansing 94
4 Maize'n Brew 93
8 Happy Hour Valley 92
8 Lake the Posts 91
10 Zombie Nation 91
11 Eleven Warriors 90
11 Off the Tracks ™ 90
13 The Buckeye Blog 89
13 Hoosier Report 88
15 Varsity Blue 86

I only included the top-15 this week, since that's all the blogs that have a chance to win. Although, it doesn't matter because Gopher Nation has this thing rigged.

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Big Ten Pick'em 2008: Week 10

Zombie Nation picks all the games.

(FYI: Each team name links to its respective official football site. I also used the BCS Poll for the team rankings.)

Central Michigan at Indiana - The ZN pick: Central Michigan

Wisconsin at No. 21 Michigan St. - The ZN pick: Michigan St.

No. 22 Northwestern at No. 17 Minnesota - The ZN pick: Minnesota

Iowa at Illinois at - The ZN pick: Illnois

Michigan at Purdue - The ZN pick: Michigan

No. 3 Penn St - BYE.

No. 12 Ohio St. - BYE.

Standings, compiled by Gopher Nation:

1 Gopher Nation 95
2 Ground Zero East Lansing 91
3 Happy Hour Valley 88
4 Eleven Warriors 87
4 Lake the Posts 87
4 Black Shoe Diaries 87
4 Paint the Town Orange 87
8 Maize'n Brew 86
8 Michigan SportsCenter 86
10 Zombie Nation 84
11 Enlightened Spartan 83
11 Off the Tracks ™ 83
13 Hoosier Report 82
13 Varsity Blue 82
15 The Buckeye Blog 80
16 Maize & Blue Nation 78
17 Boiled Sports 76
18 Buckeye Battle Cry 75
19 The Only Game That Matters 74
20 Sparty MSU 73
21 Hawkeye Sports News 72
22 BHGP (HS) 61
23 The Nittany Line 60
24 Nittany White Out 35

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Aaaaand, there goes my Pick'em Standing

In the last 15 minutes or so, Iowa scored on a really amazing Shonn Greene touchdown run for a 14-0 lead over Wisconsin, Northwestern scored three times to go up 17-6 over Purdue, and my No. 7 standing in the Big Ten Bloggers Pick'em went right out the window.

I will admit though, that Greene run was fantastic. He broke about eight tackles–if you can even call them that–on his way to making the play of the game. Prior to that run, this was a close game that Wisconsin had a real shot at winning. Not anymore. I wouldn't be surprised if this one got out of hand for the Badgers, similar to last week.

Iowa is becoming a real, living, breathing team before our eyes. Do I think Penn State will lose in Iowa City? No, not really. But I wouldn't be surprised if Iowa lands themselves a nice Outback Bowl bid, or some other January game. But this game is not over, and I shouldn't get ahead of myself.

I just needed something to write about while counting down the seconds to the Penn State game.

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Blue & White Roundtable :: MICHIGAN

No. 3 Penn State hosts Michigan for Homecoming. Y.F. Yurasko thought some questions were appropriate.

The usually unusual suspects:
There is No Name on My Jersey
Tangled Up in White and Blue
Y. F. Yurasko
Happy Hour Valley
Black Shoe Diaries
The Nittany Line
We Want the Lion
Zombie Nation
Nittany Whiteout

Penn State is undefeated and ranked #3 in both major polls. Have they been tested yet?

ZN: If Penn State can go into Madison, in a night game, and demolish Wisconsin as they did, then yes, the test has been passed. I'm sure worried about going to Ohio State, and the final game hosting Michigan State. Even throw in there the trip to Iowa as one I'm slightly concerned about. But I really believe that this Penn State team is THAT GOOD, to come out undefeated. I don't think Penn State will be given any sort of "vote of confidence" from the media, like, for instance the one Texas got this week, or Alabama three weeks ago. Everyone's definition of "Test" seems to be, "can Penn State win a tough, close game?" Well, if Penn State does in fact blow out the rest
of its schedule, then will they pass this mythical "test?"

What unit or player is most responsible for the Nittany Lions success this season?

ZN: I should say Daryll Clark, but he's too obvious. I'll go with Aaron Maybin/Defensive Line. No team has been able to consistently run on Penn State, which forces the opposition to pass way more than they want to. Look at Wisconsin. They wanted, desperately, to run the ball, but couldn't. That allowed Penn State to rush only four and drop seven. If Penn State can end up doing that, there's no question about its defensive ability to win games.

How can Michigan beat Penn State on Saturday?

ZN: Turnovers. Force Daryll Clark to throw an interception. Rip the ball out of Evan Royster's hands. Block a kick. Michigan needs cheap points, and to get Penn State out of rhythm. They're not going to win on offense, and they won't win by stopping Penn State with defense. But they can for Penn State into mistakes. That will keep the crowd out of it (for a while, at least) and give Michigan a chance, however slim.

Bonus

Going up for Homecoming?

Nope. Want to, but... um... nope.

What do you think is going through Maurice Evans head these days?

"Sacks? Who needs freaking sacks? We could win the
national-freaking-championship!"

Where were you the last time Penn State beat Michigan?

Seventh Grade.

Will Joe Paterno be on the sidelines for any of the game?

I don't think he has to be, so... no.

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Review, Game 7: Penn State 48, Wisconsin 7

Today I'll go over a few of the ups and downs from Penn State's win over Wisconsin. We haven't seen a more complete performance out of Penn State--over a very decent team, never mind away from Beaver Stadium--since the 63-14 win over Ohio State in 1994. Yeah, Penn State looked that good in Madison. I said I would go over the ups and downs, but there really aren't any downs to go over this week. Sure, Daryll Clark threw a pick, but who cares, the game was well in hand at that point. But we'll get into all of this as I review how each unit performed Saturday, and what we could expect for next week's revenge-fest against Michigan.

OFFENSE :: A+

Line - The run blocking could have been a little better, but Wisconsin's game plan blatantly centered around stopping Evan Royster. The beauty of that was Clark's ability to stay upright in the passing game, as the line didn't surrender any real negative plays this week. Even though Penn State rushed for a season-low 106 yards, it was mostly due to the short fields Wisconsin gave the Lions. So I'd say this was another dominant performance by the PSU offensive line.

Receivers - When Derrick Williams dropped the first long pass of the game, I said "here we go again." But that was the only big screw up by this unit all night. Wisconsin had a ton of trouble keeping the PSU wide outs from getting open, climaxing with Deon Butler drawing a holding call on his 44-yard touchdown grab. He just ran by the defender. On the route-running side, this was the best performance all year by the receivers, in terms of getting open on broken plays. They came back to the ball, and gave Clark a great big target to hit.

Quarterbacks - The best thing that could have happened to Clark this week was that interception. I was giddy seeing him freak out on the sideline, obviously livid at himself. That's the kind of attitude that wins championships. Clark hasn't pulled the ball down to run like Mike Robinson would have, but Clark is head-and-shoulders above M-Rob's passing abilities. He never takes his eyes off the receivers, yet somehow knows when the pressure's coming. The option pitch on the goal line was a work of art. I was pleasantly surprised to see Pat Devlin get some good throws in, but I'd like to see him get in earlier in blowouts. But that's just being picky.

Rushers - Penn State didn't need a big day from Evan Royster & Co. All he had to do was keep Wisconsin honest, and the Badgers took the bait. As I said above, Wisconsin went all out and committed to stopping the run. It worked, but not as well as we think. Royster was still able to get nice holes, and regularly pounded out five yards or more. Stephfon Green was effective, but again, didn't have to be anything more. This was a quiet week for the Penn State ground game.

DEFENSE :: A+

Line - Aaron Maybin is, right now, a First-Team All-America selection. The rest of the line just stuffed P.J. Hill and supposed-phenom John Clay, but it was Maybin's timely sack and forced fumble that closed any window Wisconsin had for a comeback. After losing so many linemen this year, we were all worried about this unit being the weakest link. Not by a long shot, now. Who would have thought, if you said Maurice Evans would have only one sack at this point, that Penn State would be this dominant up front? Not me. One of the most over-looked aspects of the line's play is in pass defense. There were two to three instances where Wisconsin's quarterbacks had an open receiver, only to have Jared Odrick or another lineman bat down the pass.

Linebackers - Sometimes a no-name unit plays harder, and this season's linebackers are the embodiment of that theory. Josh Hull, following weeks of sketchy play, has elevated his game to new heights. He was on that lose fumble like itch on a mosquito bite. Those are the plays Penn State needs to win games. Navorro Bowman led the team, again, in tackles. Tyrell Sales should have had that interception, but we're not complaining. I really like where this unit is heading, especially with guys like Nate Stupar (more on him in a minute), Chris Colasanti and Mike Mauti waiting in the wings.

Secondary - Does any team in America have a better rotation of cornerbacks than Penn State? I think not at this point. Lydell Sargeant enjoyed his first interception so much, he decided to pick off another. But those passes weren't just bad throws, Sargeant actually baited the passer on at least one of them. And I can't say enough about Penn State's safeties. (Wow, I'm getting way to gushy this week!) Anthony Scirrotto didn't come up with the interception, after pleading with Tom Bradley to challenge, but it was a good play. I thought Mark Rubin would have made the play of the game if his interception stood. He looked like a wide receiver on that play. Oh wait, he used to be one.

SPECIAL TEAMS :: A+

Kickers - Kevin Kelly is the best kicker in the Big Ten. His nagging injuries are apparently gone, and it's showing. I'll admit I thought he wouldn't nail that 50-yarder. But he proved to me that he can make the big ones. Jeremy Boone recovered from a very "meh" week at Purdue, booting punts for almost 45 yards per. I'm extremely confident with the Penn State kicking game, should we need it against Ohio State or Michigan State.

Returners - Do they give awards for the best return man anymore? I'm going to find out, and when I do, Derrick Williams gets it this season, hands down.

Coverage - This week was night-and-day better than earlier this year, never mind last season. Stupar was a monster at getting to the ball carrier, but the unit as a whole really clamped down on Wisconsin's return games. Looked like someone beat up these guys in practice the past few weeks, because they were out for blood.

COACHES :: A+

This is officially the Galen Hall & Jay Paterno show on offense. The "Spread HD" is sexier than sex itself. I wonder, when the coordinator of the year awards come out, who gets it? Galen or Jay? This wasn't old Penn State, conservative on the road, playing it safe. And I think Joe likes it, a lot. If I'm Ohio State, I'm getting very worried now that the prospect of a tight-assed Penn State gameplan is out the window. But this week we shouldn't overlook at the defense. Tom Bradley should get more respect for what he does with his group. With so many guys lost, from Sean Lee to the defensive tackles, to the injuries of Jerome Hayes and Devon Still, Bradley has done more with nothing than anyone in the nation. This is the first week I've given A+ to all four units.

*Ed-Later today, I'll post my top 25.

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Clark and Maybin, Big Ten Players of the Week

No. 3 Penn State grabbed both offensive and co-defensive players of the week honors, following the blowout win at Wisconsin.

From BigTen.org:

Daryll Clark, Penn State
JR, QB, Youngstown, Ohio/Ursuline
Clark compiled a career-best 244 passing yards and drove his offense past 40 points for the fifth time this season in a 48-7 triumph at Wisconsin. The junior quarterback completed 16-of-25 passes with one touchdown and also tallied two rushing scores for the first time in his career. After the Badgers pulled within 17-7 in the second quarter, Clark guided PSU to touchdowns on its next three drives. The scoring streak started with his two rushing scores and was capped by a 44-yard strike to give the visitors a 38-7 third quarter lead. Clark picks up his first career weekly accolade.

Aaron Maybin, Penn State
SO, DE, Ellicott City, Md./Mount Hebron
Maybin filled the stat sheet with six tackles, a career-best 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two forced fumbles and a pass breakup to spearhead a Penn State defensive effort which forced four turnovers and held Wisconsin to one touchdown. The sophomore defensive end picked up his eighth solo sack on the year, which tops the Big Ten and is tied for the national lead. Maybin’s first forced fumble was recovered just 16 yards from the endzone and led to a touchdown and a 24-7 lead while his second forced fumble occurred on a fourth quarter sack. He collects his first career weekly laurel.

*The other defensive player of the week was Willie VanDeSteeg, a fantastic defensive end from Minnesota.

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Penn State wins, 48-7!

Penn State just blasted Wisconsin tonight in Madison. Here's some initial thoughts. I'll have the full review tomorrow.

The Good: The defense really showed up tonight. In a hostile environment like Camp Randall, you have to keep the opposing offense out of synch. Penn State did that tonight with a great pass rush, and the help of guys like Lydell Sargeant (2 picks). Aaron Maybin established himself as a First Team Big Ten selection, and if he keeps this pace, should be All America. On the offensive side, there were no big mistakes after the first possession. Evan Royster, the line, and the receivers all played great. But Daryll Clark IS Penn State right now. The first drive of the second half really defined this game for Penn State, driving down the field like a machine for a TD. Derrick Williams could just be the best return man Penn State’s ever had. Oh, and who is that No. 23 kicker kid? Can’t be Kevin Kelly, right?

The Bad: The first drive of the game, Penn State looked very shaky. That can’t happen at Ohio State. Derrick Williams dropped an almost sure TD, and Clark fumbled the snap on the next play. On defense, I wasn’t at all happy with the 85-yard drive Wisconsin put together in the second quarter. Allen Evridge should escape the pocket and get so many yards against PSU, but he did. Think Terrelle Pryor will have much trouble doing that?

Overall: This was a great win on the road in one of the toughest places to play. The offense looked like a championship-caliber unit, while the defense looked even better. Penn State hasn’t been this impressive through the first seven games since 1994. I’m not exaggerating. 1999, 1997, 1986 and the rest can’t compare to the complete dominance Penn State has exercised over its first seven opponents in 2008. I know there are a lot more games to play, but I’m getting really excited.

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Poll Results: PSU over Wisconsin

The numbers speak for themselves. Voters picked Penn State over Wisconsin by a wide margin. No, not margin of victory, but the odd of victory itself. I'm still a bit nervous with an hour left before kickoff, but confident.

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Preview: No. 6 Penn State at No. 24 Wisconsin

Kickoff: Sat., Oct. 11. 8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN

Weather Forecast: Mild, Cloudy.

Host: Wisconsin Badgers
Record: 4-2 (0-2 Big Ten)
Last Game: Lost vs No. 14 Ohio State, 20-17
Injuries: LT Gabe Carimi (knee - doubtful), TE Garrett Graham (foot - probable), WR Maurice Moore (groin - probable)
Key Players: (offense) RB P.J. Hill, QB Allan Evridge; (defense) LB DeAndre Levy, DL Matt Shaughnessy
Head Coach: Bret Bielema, 3rd season at Wisconsin, 25-7 overall
Season Statistics:
Offense - 210.6 rush/185.4 pass/28.8 points per game
Defense - 123.6 rush/186.2 pass/17.6 points per game
TO Margin - (+3)

Why Wisconsin will win -- Camp Randall Stadium will be rocking. It's one of the most raucous environments in sports, and that's just in the daytime. The Wisconsin fans will be well-oiled and ready to roll come game time, and the Badger defense could feed off it. On top of all that, if the Wisconsin band is allowed to play--they were suspended for "partying" too much--the fans should be even louder. Penn State has been horrible on the road since 1999, and hasn't won in Madison since 2002, by only a field goal. Wisconsin's running backs can move the pile. If either P.J. Hill or budding star John Clay get hot, expect Bielema to keep going to them. It will be up to the Wisconsin running game to keep the ball away from Penn State. The offensive line isn't quite as good as past Badger fronts, but they're still pretty damn good.

Visitor: Penn State Nittany Lions
Record: 6-0 (2-0, Big Ten)
Last Game: Won at Purdue, 20-6
Injuries: Jerome Hayes (ACL - out season), LB Sean Lee (ACL - out season), DE Devon Still (ankle - out), S Nick Sukay (foot - out season), DL Mike Lucian (ankle - probable), Doug Klopacz (ankle - probable), TE Mickey Shuler (ankle - probable), WR Jordan Norwood (leg - probable)
Key Players: (offense) RB Evan Royster, QBs Daryll Clark; (defense) LB Josh Hull, DT Jared Odrick
Head Coach: Joe Paterno, 43rd season, 378-125-3
Season Statistics:
Offense - 256.7 rush/243 pass/44.8 points per game
Defense - 80.2 rush/170.2 pass/11.7 points per game
TO Margin - (+5)

Why PSU will win -- It hasn't rocked like this since 1994. Penn State's offense is just steamrolling every team they face. And the scary part about last week's 20-6 score at Purdue, is that the only thing to slow PSU was the field. Daryll Clark has been scary accurate, and the running game with Royster and Stephfon Green has been unstoppable. Couple that with three of the best wide receivers ever to play at PSU--oh yeah, and Jordan Norwood is expected to return this week--and Wisconsin fans are having nightmares all week. The mental factor will play strongly in this game. Wisconsin is lower than sludge right now, and Penn State has to take advantage of that. If Penn State gets the ball first and scores a touchdown, or the defense forces Wisconsin to punt on the first drive, it could be all over for the Badgers.

What will happen -- You'll see a much better showing out of Wisconsin than the pundits--myself included--have been saying. It will really depend on the crowd. Penn State fans know what a good fan base can do for a team in a big game, and the Lions are expecting the worst this week. Wisconsin will come out and hang tight with Penn State through the first half, but Clark and Royster will take over in the third quarter. If you want to beat Penn State, you have to match every score, and get a few cheap points. It won't happen this week. Penn State will give up a few scores to Wisconsin, but the Badgers won't be able to keep pace.

Prediction: No. 6 Penn State, 34 - No. 24 Wisconsin, 20

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Blue & White Roundtable :: Wisconsin week

Wisconsin hosts Penn State. Tangled Up in White and Blue
thought some questions were appropriate.

The usually unusual suspects:
There is No Name on My Jersey
Tangled Up in White and Blue
Y. F. Yurasko
Happy Hour Valley
Black Shoe Diaries
The Nittany Line
We Want the Lion
Zombie Nation
Nittany Whiteout

1. What must Penn State do or not do to come out of Madison victorious?

ZN: Penn State needs to get out to an early lead, say 10-14 points. But it doesn't stop there. The biggest problem I see with Penn State is if they DO get out to that kind of lead. I greatly fear that Penn State will tighten up and play to keep that lead, rather than expand that lead. The coaches have to attack Wisconsin from the first kickoff to the last knee.

2. The Badgers are really down after dropping out of the rankings and losing their grip on a Big Ten title and a BCS Bowl. There is concern that the Badgers are emotionally spent and could collapse. Does Wisconsin bounce back and beat Penn State or do they collapse? Is there reason for panic in Madison?

ZN: There is absolutely reason for panic in cheese land. If Wisconsin loses to Penn State, the season is doomed. I don't mean no-BCS doomed, more like Alamo Bowl doomed. (Yes, we PSU fans want to forget that same feeling) I think Wisconsin plays hard this game, but won't have the firepower to keep up.

3. The Big Ten has a good crop of running backs this year including Wisconsin true freshman John Clay who is averaging 6.7 yards per carry. How much playing time does Clay see this week compared to P.J. Hill? How does our defense fare against them?

ZN: Wisconsin has never been a multi-back attack, and will have trouble coming up with an emergency plan to get Clay out there against the conference's best run defense. I would imagine Wisconsin will get some good runs in there, but not enough to set up the pass game. Hill is good, but he's not Evan Royster. Clay is good, but he's not Stephfon Green.

4. Between the third and fourth quarters the Wisconsin students do the "jump around", which shakes the stadium. How do you think the loud, jumping, night atmosphere will affect Penn State?

ZN: This used to be THE best night game atmosphere in the Big Ten. Until Penn State started winning in 2005. The Penn State players will be fine in this venue, especially knowing they can win, and should win this game.

Lightning Round
Predict the play calling. Do Galen and JayPa open up the offense or do they get conservative on the road?

ZN: Open Up. Pray, pray, they open up.

What are the odds Wisconsin loses two consecutive games at home?

ZN: 80 percent.

Does the Wisconsin band play this week?

ZN: Yup.

How many quarters does JoePa spend in the coaches box?

ZN: The game. No chances taken.

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Big Ten Pick'em 2008: Week 7

Zombie Nation picks all the games.

(FYI: Each team name links to its respective official football site. I also used the USA Today Coaches Poll for the team rankings.)

Toledo at Michigan - The ZN pick: Michigan

Minnesota at Illinois - The ZN pick: Illinois

Purdue at No. 11 Ohio St. - The ZN pick: Ohio St.

Iowa at Indiana - The ZN pick: Iowa

No. 6 Penn St at No. 24 Wisconsin - The ZN pick: Penn St.

No. 19 Mich St at No. 22 Northwestern - The ZN pick: MSU


Standings, compiled by Gopher Nation:

1 Gopher Nation 65
2 Paint the Town Orange 60
3 Off the Tracks ™ 59
4 Michigan SportsCenter 59
5 Ground Zero East Lansing 58
5 Happy Hour Valley 58
5 Eleven Warriors 57
5 Lake the Posts 57
9 Zombie Nation 57
9 Enlightened Spartan 56
9 Maize'n Brew 56
12 The Only Game That Matters 56
12 The Buckeye Blog 55
12 Hoosier Report 55
15 Black Shoes Diary 54
15 Buckeye Battle Cry 54
15 BHGP (HS) 52
18 Varsity Blue 52
18 Boiled Sports 49
18 Hawkeye Sports News 48
21 The Nittany Line 48
22 Sparty MSU 46
23 Maize & Blue Nation 39
24 Nittany White Out 26

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The Only Game That Matters talks PSU vs. Wisconsin

All the Wisconsin bloggers are passed out drunk in a ditch somewhere, so The Only Game That Matters was kind enough to fill in for those belligerent Badger bloggers.

1. Penn State has been great against the run so far. From what you've seen, does Wisconsin have the ground game to keep their attack balanced this week? Can Wisconsin just run it up the gut the way they love to?

TOGTM: I think the first thing to do here is throw some numbers into the mix so that we have a baseline of what "great against the run" really means. Additionally, it will help us determine what Wisconsin wants to do with their rushing attack - what is "normal" for them. Penn State hasn't just been great against the run, they've been stellar. Through 6 games, they've allowed an average of only 80 yards/game on the ground - good enough for 11th nationally. Meanwhile, Wisconsin is averaging just above 200 yards/game on the ground - good enough for 20th nationally.

Your question - can Wisconsin just run it up the gut - is the question that will likely determine the outcome of this game. Whenever you get one of these "rock vs. hard place" matchups, you've identified one of the key swinging points. I think that Penn State is going to see a lot of PJ Hill; whether Hill moves the chains in 4 yard chunks, or is hit at the line of scrimmage will likely determine the amount of success that the Wisconsin offense has.

Another aspect to keep in mind is that Wisconsin can't go on those long, suffocating offensive drives if they're down by 21. Wisky's not built to play from behind - so if Penn State gets a lead early, it will largely nuetralize the rushing attack. Conversely, if Wisconsin gets a lead, they're perfectly capable of taking the entire 3rd
quarter away from you by going on a 9 minute 80 yard drive.

2. Where is Wisconsin right now, after losing two straight heart-breakers? Do the Badgers show up flat, or come out roaring?

TOGTM: They're saying all the right things, but the pressure is on given that an 0-3 start to the Big Ten is like, death. Just like any game, I expect the Badgers to come out as roaring as they can, given that they're Wisconsin and have goofy dairy-fed white guys running the show. The first drive, no matter who has the ball, is going to be very, very important. Wisconsin had better establish momentum early, or it will be very easy to fall into "Michigan Collapse" mode and fold against the physicality of Penn State.

3. Which back is more likely to gain 100 yards rushing this week: Evan
Royster, or PJ Hill? Why?

TOGTM: Royster, whithout a doubt. Penn State can do so many things offensively that will keep Wisconsin unbalanced. That's the main reason why I think Wisconsin's best defense is long, sustained drives on offense. They need to keep Penn State's offense off the field as much as possible. Hill has a good chance of getting his 100, it's just that they will come on 4 yard dives up the middle.

4. If Wisconsin pulls this one out, what could it do for their season?

TOGTM: Wisconsin is in dire straights. They need this win to keep their B10 season afloat. Win here, and the Rose Bowl is still in the picture, albeit fuzzy and out of focus. A loss puts a New Years Day bowl game in jeopardy. Wisconsin has proved that they can run with the big boys of the conference. They should have beat Michigan (not a big boy, to be sure), and took Ohio State to the brink. They've come up on the short end of the stick, but still have to be somewhat confident that they're a good football team. A loss to Penn State crushes that confidence, and will likely send them into a "Michigan State" tailspin that ends in Detroit playing the MAC runner up.

5. Final Score?

TOGTM: 27-14, Penn State. I think PSU jumps to an early lead, forces
Evridge to throw the ball more than he'd like to, and skates home with a win.

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Penn State favored at Wisconsin

According to CollegeFootballPoll.com (-1.69) and VegasInsider.com (-5), Penn State should win at Camp Randall Stadium this Saturday night. I'm not exactly sure if I feel comfortable with those lines. Ohio State was considered the best team in college football this year, and is now starting the best quarterback in the galaxy (oh ok, just a little sarcasm there). So it's not all that odd for Ohio State to beat Wisconsin. Although the Michigan game was a complete embarrassment to the Badgers, don't bet they'll come out flat against Penn State. I expect this game to be a real toss up.

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Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable :: Reflections on week one; Heisman talk

The Big Ten schedule enters it second week, and the conference title race hasn't gotten any clearer. Where do we go from here? Who's the real Heisman contender in the Big Ten? Well, Our Honor Defend pops off a few of those questions in this week's edition of the Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable.

01. We're all basically in conference play now, sans Purdue who played
visitor to Notre Dame over the weekend. What did you see in the
conference opener that you liked? What did you see that sucked
noodles? If you're one of the Purdue blogs, what did you see against
Notre Dame that has you nervous (or even optimistic) for your
conference opener against Penn State this Saturday? Oh, and, have fun
with that game, by the way.

ZN: I loved that Penn State was able to come back from two different seven-point deficits in the first quarter. PSU's ability to make a big play, and answer every score with a touchdown, will go far when it's time to face Wisky and OSU. I was a bit disturbed by the 120+ yards PSU gave up to ILL in the first quarter. But as we all know by now, PSU is the best team in the conference for a reason, and showed it by clamping down on ILL the remaining 3 quarters.

02. Ole Miss punked #4 Florida in Gainesville. #1 USC got punked by
Oregon State on national television? What's the underlying theme
behind these bizarre upsets? You guessed it: magic. Some kind of
hocus-y pocus-y sorcery in the form of "familiarity". The idea being
pitched around is that these upsets come in conference games because
the underdog has played the heavily favored team before, and thus
isn't afraid of them nor surprised by anything they do. Should I buy
this idea? Or are these upsets more likely the combination of
something more conventional, like great/horrendous gameplanning,
preparation and execution by the underdog/favorite team respectively?

ZN: The upset fairies came down from college football heaven to rain their pixie dust upon USC, Florida and others. Beware, however, as those deceivingly cute angels of football death will return. Watch out, they're coming for your team next!

03. Entering the season, Beanie was the Big Ten's Heisman favorite.
After a few games, Javon Ringer had put up the Heisman stats, though I
don't think anyone could've believed that Ringer would have the hype
machine necessary to get him to New York. Yet, after this week, I see
his name mentioned more and more in the Heisman race. Do you think
Ringer, at this pace, gets to New York on something more than a
courtesy visit (on courtesy visit, see: everyone last year not named
Tim Tebow; everyone in 2006 not named Troy Smith)? How about Daryll
Clark? Is Daryll Clark of Penn State legitimately in the Heisman race
after week 5?

ZN: Javon Ringer is a great workhorse, but won't win the Heisman. He'll be lucky to get an invite to NYC, but only if they invite the top-5 contenders. Daryll Clark has a much better opportunity to win the award. He's a quarterback (7 of the last 8 winners were QBs), and plays on a potential BCS team. If PSU is undefeated at regular season's end, and he has even similar numbers to what he's at now, he's in NYC.

04. With the nonconference schedule basically over, do you think the
Big Ten collectively bettered its standing from the maligned position
it was in before the season began? For every Wisconsin victory over
Fresno State and Penn State thrashing of Oregon State, there's
Michigan's turnover bonanza against the Irish and Ohio State's
neutering by USC. Long question short, what sticks out more: the
positives or the negatives for the conference?

ZN: Positives. More people are talking about Ohio State coming back under Terrelle Pryor, Penn State and Northwestern at 5-0, and Michigan State's darkhorse Heisman contender. And if Michigan wins 8 games, only losing to bowl-bound ND and Utah teams, the loss to Wisconsin won't look nearly as bad.

05. As I'm sure you may have seen on your moving pictures box, the
Ernie Davis movie has been getting a lot of publicity for its imminent
release to theatres. The story, of course, centers around the first
African-American Heisman winner and some of the trials that come from
being a black athlete, playing before the Civil Rights movement and
playing in the Cotton Bowl. Does your football program have an
uplifting story that you think is movie-worthy? If so, please share
it.

ZN: Already done. Something For Joey, the story of John Cappelletti and his dying brother Joey.

(*Ed-I didn't correct any spelling by TOGTM. I think he does it purposely. Umm, yeah...)

Coming tomorrow: Guest blogger Boiled Sports; JoePa's presser rundown.

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Reviews: ND-PU, UW chokes at UM

Games I watched from 3:30-7 p.m.:
Notre Dame-Purdue (NBC)
Michigan-Wisconsin (ESPN)

Michigan 27, No. 8 Wisconsin 25
Badger head coach Bret Bielema never lost with a half-time lead--until today. Michigan stormed back from 19 points down, scoring 27 unanswered second-half points. This Wolverines team totaled 21 total yards--yes, total yards--threw the first two periods. But I'm not sure which team came out of the locker room for the third quarter. The UM defense was decent, but really came on late, including a pick-six to put the Wolves up by one in the fourth. Let's be realistic about all this, though. Wisconsin stopped playing, just as much as Michigan woke up. The Badgers settled in on their lead and fell asleep. Sure, they had a good run at the end, but there was no excuse for blowing a 19-7 lead after three quarters. Expect this game to be replayed years from now as a Big Ten's Greatest Games, and really shakes things up in the Big Ten.

Notre Dame 38, Purdue 21
The Irish win today could signal the turning point this program needed under Charlie Weis. I'm not completely sold on Notre Dame yet, but they really took it to Purdue, especially in the second half. Curtis Painter had a good day statistically, but the offense as a whole never got into a good rhythm. That was partly due to John Tenuta's blitzing ND defense, but the Boilermakers should be better than that. Last week's win over Central Michigan looks more like a stroke of luck now.

*Late tonight: No. 12 Penn State vs. No. 21 Illinois.

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