Ruminations on Week 12

Sorry for the delay in getting this post up, I've been sick with a cold since Sunday. I wish I could say that I saw a bunch of the Big Ten games this weekend, but I really only saw 7/8ths of the Battle for the Axe in Madison. I spent my Saturday at the wine country bus tour of all bus tours, and have been paying the price since. It actually was a ton of fun, but it did cause me to miss most of the Saturday games. I did DVR the Badger game however, and I got to see most of it. But with all the injuries (thank the Lord that Kyle Jefferson is ok) and penalties, my DVR cut off the game with about 5 mins left on the clock. This frustrated me like crazy, because I purposely set the DVR to record for an extra 30 minutes...plus I didn't get to see if Bielema gave a repeat performance of last year. Anyways, here are some ruminations for the Big Ten this week...

1) Great Comeback for the Badgers. WildHawk (remember him?) texted me this while on my Bus Tour, so I knew the Bagers were doing something good on Saturday. Alas, their performance on Saturday was a great comeback, but it also signaled more than that. It solidified their comeback not just from a 21-7 halftime deficit, but from a season that looked lost just 4 weeks ago. The college football season really is a marathon, and it reminds us that all judgements on a season should be withheld until after the season. Four weeks ago, fans throughout the state were calling for Bielema's head. This week, they're feeling great about their Badgers and hoping that there's a way to get to the Alamo Bowl. Thank God I kept my pants on.

2) Penn State is in trouble if Daryll Clark doesn't shape up soon. I know that the Nittany Lions have more playmakers than VH1 does terrible reality shows, but Clark is the one that makes them click...and he hasn't been clicking for a few weeks now. In the beginning of the year, he was limiting mistakes and B'ing his L all over the competition's T's. Now, he's a turnover waiting to happen and taking the term "my own worst critic" to a whole new level in the press. The guy needs to calm down, let his playmakers make plays around him, and assert his leadership positively in the huddle. If he does, MSU is in for a sticky day in Happy Valley. If he doesn't and PSU falls behind, the hook could be quick this weekend.

3) How many times has Terrelle Pryor "established" himself this season? Yes, that is a serious question. I know that he was a crazy-famous recruit and was bound to live in the spotlight for most of his career, but this has really gotten ridiculous. Let me be clear, I think Terrelle Pryor has been great this year, and OSU wouldn't be as dangerous as they are without him. But this media lovefest is out of control. First, he proved that he "wasn't scared" in the USC game that was a blowout. Then, he proved how composed and "big-game" he could be in the comeback at Wisconsin. After his shaky performance against Penn State, he proved that he "can handle adversity" against MSU. This week, he had his "coming out" party against Illinois. Really? It's taken all season for his coming out party? I would argue that the UW game was his coming out party...and the rest has been a typical year for a college freshman quarterback. I think Pryor is ridiculous....but he's trumped by the media coverage that deifies him every week.

4) I'm not ready to say goodbye. Approaching week 13 means one thing...this season is almost over. For fans like me, this is always the hardest time of the year. On one hand, it it usually the most exciting. On the other, it means that my Saturdays will be empty for the next 7-8 months. And this year in the Big Ten, it means saying goodbye to the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Joe Tiller in West Lafayette, and possibly...though I sure as hell hope not...to Joe Pa in Happy Valley. The Metrodome is a shithole that most won't miss, but I had some great times there in college, they still served beer there during games, and my Badgers were crazy successful there. Tiller revolutionized the Big Ten by bringing back mustaches, introducing the Spread offense, and making Purdue relevant. And Joe Pa...well...we all know what he's done at Penn State. And it's not just Penn State, it's what he's done for the Big Ten, and more importantly, for College Football in general. We all can't thank him enough...and that's why I'm not ready to say goodbye. Here's to hoping JoePa gets a new hip and a new contract for 2009.

Ruminations on Week 8

Another week of Big Ten play, and the title picture is coming into more focus. It's looking like Penn State and Ohio State are the class of the league, and it's hard to argue for anyone else. Here's the thing about these two teams, they show up for the big games...every week. Think about it for a second. Every team gets jacked up to play Ohio State...it's their chance to prove that they belong in the elite of the Big Ten. Yet Ohio State has only lost one BT game in the past two years. That's quite the streak. Other teams in the Big Televen have done a decent job of making it to big games and getting themselves to the point where they are successful enough to have a big game, but they disappoint. Northwestern had a big game last week against MSU...lost. MSU had a big game this week against OSU...blown out. Wisconsin had a big game against...nevermind. Here are some other ruminations on Week 8 in the Big Ten:

1) Yeeeaaaahhh, about all those articles claiming that Sparty isn't going to have their October slide.... I hope you were holding on tight Spartan fans, because I'm pretty sure Ohio State just pushed you down that slide. Actually, they shot you out of a cannon down that slide. The Buckeyes came out to play in the Most Important Game of the Week in the BT, and put this one away early. Terrelle Pryor found his running legs early in this game and put the OSU offense on his back in the first few drives, and all of a sudden it was 28-0. It didn't get much prettier for Sparty, as Javon Ringer got robbed, or at least had his "money-makers" taken away on Saturday. We'll see how the Spartans respond this week with Big Brother up next. The Wolverines are just plain awful this year, but with Michigan State, you can never underestimate the mental midget factor, and that could play huge this Saturday.

2) Winning cures all evil. Just ask Iowa and Penn State. Both programs have had their share of off-the-field trouble in recent years, but as the victories pile up, the problems fall farther into the distance. Just think, a few months ago everyone was calling for Kirk Ferentz head as he was being investigated for inappropriate conduct in a sexual assault investigation. Now...the Hawkeyes are on a hot streak and are back in their offensive stride with a dominant O-line and bruising back in Shonn Greene. A few months ago ESPN was calling out JoePa for his lack of control of the Penn State program. Now...they're calling for him to have the right to decide when he should leave. Turns out the saying is true...winning cures all evil.

3) The wheels have officially come off. Indiana and Wisconsin seem to have hit a pothole greater than any of those you'll find on I-94 in the winter. Indiana has lost their last 5 games. Wisconsin their last 4. Worse yet, both teams have seemed to regress in the last few weeks. Neither coaching staff seems to know what is happening to their teams, as their once promising seasons are crumbling before them. This much is true, both head coaches are up against something that they have never experienced in their careers...and how they respond will largely determine their longevity at their respective schools.

4) You can have your Quarterbacks in the Big 12...the best Running Backs in the country are in the Big Ten. Beanie Wells. Javon Ringer. Shonn Greene. Tyrell Sutton. Evan Royster. Stephon Green. The conference may have gone to more spread systems in recent years, but the running back talent in the Big Televen is unmatched by any conference out there. And the youth at the position keeps the forecast positive for years to come. John Clay. Jewell Hampton. Sam McGuffie. Jason Ford. (**note: I purposely left PJ Hill off this list. If you disagree, or want to know why, email the blog and I'll you.)

Ruminations on Week 2

Frankly, Week 2 in the Big Televen wasn't exactly the most dificult slate of games. Considering the upsets that have happened in the last two years across college football, anytime a conference can go 11-0 on a Saturday, it's a good day. And it was a good day for most teams, here's a few things that stood out to me:

1) The "Spread HD" is legit. I thought Jay Paterno had jinxed his self-named offense when he came up with Spread HD. Yet after two weeks and 111 points, I'm a believer. Daryll Clark is Michael Robinson V2.0, the receivers have clearly established themselves as the best in the Big10, and Even Royster has been running untouched quite often. The Big Ten is on notice, JoePa has himself a team, and a great shot at being the lone all-time wins leader.

2) Minnesota has DOUBLED it's 2007 win total. Pop the sparkling wine Gophers, you have double the joy...and it's only week 2. This was no pushover either, Bowling Green had just upset ESPN darling Pittsburgh the week before and the game was on the road. I picked it for the Most Important Big10 Game last week, and Minny came through for the conference. I definitely don't like Minnesota to win many games inside the conference, but it's looking good for a non-conference sweep. Congrats Timmay! Let's see how you handle this unparralled success that two wins has brought you.

3) Indiana has bowl chances. Not bad Kellen, not bad at all good sir. But the Hoosiers haven't played anyone yet, and like many teams in the Big Televen, I still don't know what to make of them. Lewis does look like a stud, and I can't help but get the feeling that Indiana could be capable of pulling off some crazy offensive outputs like they did with a certain superhero named Randle El. Wait and see.

4) Fan bases are too quick to hype. Stop it people. Please, just stop it. P.J. Hill for Heisman? Try 18 carries for 57 yards against Marshall. Not a Heisman candidate, please shut up now. Martez Wilson on the Butkis Award Watchlist? He's not there yet, and hadn't started a game when he was put on that list. That's absurd. Stop it. That One Guy at Ohio State? Didn't play when the game was in doubt, and no, that is not a news story. He's a true freshman who isn't ready yet, that's not news. Please stop trying to make it news.