Yardbarker: Tyrell Sutton

Northwestern Football 2009 Unit Preview: Offense

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:13:14 -0500

For all of the optimism swirling around the D, there is an equal amount of questions circling the offense at the start of the 2009 season. As any good Wildcats fan knows, NU lost EVERY starting skill position player off of last year's nine-win squad, including NU's second all-time rusher Tyrell Sutton and owner of multiple NU single-game passing records CJ Bacher. Oh, and don't forget a trio of receivers who have found themselves in NU's top ten lists for reception...

Reassessing Northwestern -- as a winner?

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:26:47 -0500

Part of the Doc's Big Ten Week. I did a guest spot on a Big Ten podcast not long ago, and the hosts asked what I thought of Northwestern's staying power after last year's nine-win campaign, which was one overtime away from becoming only the second ten-win campaign in school history. Will the Wildcats be able to compete at that clip on a consistent basis? I said, "No," and there was a long silence; I figured that's all there was to it. We are talking Northwestern. St...

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:32:00 -0500

Big Ten Football Previews – Part IIIEditor's Note: This is the third in a series of my annual summer Big Ten football previews. Check back often to see who’s next...Team: Northwestern WildcatsTidbits … The Wildcats won nine games in 2008 - the most since the 1996 team went 9-3. It was only the fifth time in school history that the team recorded nine wins. The others? 1898, 1903, 1995 and 1996.Past Predictions/Results:2008 Prediction/actual: 6-6, 2-6 (T-9th) - At Large Bid / 9-4, 5-3 (T-4t...

Notable Undrafted Free Agent Signings

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:57:52 -0500

A slew of notable names did not get drafted this weekend, but were quickly scooped up as free agents:

QB Nathan Brown, Central Arkansas, Jacksonville Jaguars

QB Hunter Cantwell, Louisville, Carolina Panthers

QB Chase Daniel, Missouri, Washington Redskins

QB Michael Desormeaux, Louisiana-Lafayette, Jacksonville Jaguars

QB Graham Harrell, Texas Tech, Cleveland Browns

QB Brian Hoyer, Michigan State, New England Patriots

QB Tyler Lorenzen, Connecticut, Jacksonville Jaguars

QB Mike Reilly, Central Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers

QB Drew Willy, Buffalo, Baltimore Ravens

QB John Parker Wilson, Alabama, Atlanta Falcons

RB Arian Foster, Tennessee, Houston Texans

RB Ian Johnson, Boise State, Minnesota Vikings

RB Jeremiah Johnson, Oregon, Houston Texans

RB Marlon Lucky, Nebraska, Cincinnati Bengals

RB Tyrell Sutton, Northwestern, Green Bay Packers

FB Brannan Sutherland, Georgia, New York Jets

WR D.J. Boldin, Wake Forest, Detroit Lions

WR Andy Brodell, Iowa, Green Bay Packers

WR Jeremy Childs, Boise State, San Diego Chargers

WR Quan Cosby, Texas, Cincinnati Bengals

WR Taurus Johnson, South Florida, Kansas City Chiefs

WR Aaron Kelly, Clemson, Atlanta Falcons

WR Jaison Williams, Oregon, Washington Redskins

TE Andrew Davie, Arkansas, New York Jets

OT Alex Boone, Ohio State, San Francisco 49ers

OT Phil Trautwein, Florida, St. Louis Rams

OT Jason Watkins, Florida, Houston Texans

OG Cedric Dockery, Texas, New Orleans Saints

OG Greg Isdaner, West Virginia, Dallas Cowboys

OG Andy Kemp, Wisconsin, Minnesota Vikings

DE Maurice Evans, Penn State, New York Giants

DE Tim Jamison, Michigan, Houston Texans

DE Mitch King, Iowa, Tennessee Titans

DT Everette Pedescleaux, Northern Iowa, Denver

ILB Darry Beckwith, LSU, San Diego Chargers

ILB Dannell Ellerbe, Georgia, Baltimore Ravens

OLB Jonathan Casillas, Wisconsin, New Orleans Saints

OLB Anthony Heygood, Purdue, Carolina Panthers

DB Michael Ray Garvin, Florida State, Arizona Cardinals

DB Anthony Scirrotto, Penn State, Carolina Panthers

SS Emanuel Cook, South Carolina, New York Jets

SS Reshard Langford, Vanderbilt, Philadelphia Eagles

K Graham Gano, Florida State, Baltimore Ravens

Offense Comes to Life in 2009 Spring Scrimmage

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:41:50 -0500

Photo Gallery (Buy Photos!)After losing running backs Tyrell Sutton and Omar Conteh from its 2008 football team, there were a lot of question marks about the Northwestern running game heading into the 2009 spring season. While not all the questions have been answered about the Wildcats' ground attack for this fall, NU fans are probably resting a little easier after watching Northwestern's annual spring game on Saturday at Ryan Field.

Week 8 Big Ten Preview

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:47:07 -0500

My answers to The Daily Gopher's questions went live this morning, so check them out. TDG does a great job promoting a rising team in this conference.

Depending on what happens this weekend, I may be turning my attention to basketball more and more beginning on Monday. This is clearly our final chance to salvage anything out of this season., I am one of the dwindling few that thinks it can happen, let alone believes that it will. It's a damn shame too, because the seniors and Tiller himself deserve better than this. They deserve better, but for the most part it is their own making.

Our own struggles aside, this is likely the weekend where the Big Ten title is decided. Barring some major upsets along the way, the winner of Saturday night's Ohio State-Penn State game will represent the conference in the Rose bowl (or more?). The loser also stands a good chance of going somewhere because of an excellent record and devoted fanbase. That is good for our own fading postseason hopes. I don't want to say they are on life support, but by kickoff of the Ohio State-Penn State game we'll either be in improved condition or they will be calling family members in asking to pull the plug.

#24 Minnesota (6-1, 2-1) at Purdue (2-5, 0-3) Noon, ESPN Classic

The Gophers cracked every top 25 near the bottom this week including the CBS Sports blogpoll. I even had them ranked on my final ballot. That factor along makes me want to pick them by at least a touchdown given our own 0-17 streak. If we win, we not only give ourselves a temporary reprieve on the season, but we finally get that elusive win over a ranked team. Sure, it would be viewed as one of the cheaper wins over ranked team, but none was cheaper than Notre Dame's 2005 win in Ross-Ade over us (yes, we were ranked at kickoff).

Since this game is being played on ESPN Classic it is only fair that we get to use Drew Brees. Brees lit up Minnesota for more than 1,000 yards in his three games against them. He was so dominant that Glen Mason almost personally drove him to New York for the Heisman ceremony as a senior just so he wouldn't have to face him again. Despite a 9-1 record against the Gophers under Tiller, a win would only even the overall series at 31-31-3. It has also been 18 years since the Gophers won in West Lafayette. Unfortunately, that won't be a worry. This will come down to what both teams do best. Minnesota has confidence and doesn't make mistakes. We are not confident, and we make mistakes. Minnesota 31, Purdue 20

#22 Northwestern (6-1, 2-1) at Indiana (2-5, 0-4) Noon, Big Ten Network

Indiana joins Purdue and Michigan as teams at the bottom seeking a final shot at redemption his week. Their game is almost a mirror image to own, but everyone is giving them less of a chance to win. The Hoosiers have been about the only team worse than Purdue this season, so hopefully we can manage to get the bucket back where it belongs on November 22nd. The Hoosier defense has been non-existent and the offense almost as bad. I have a hard time seeing them pull this off.

Northwestern, meanwhile, gets another week to tune up for what could be a huge game with Minnesota next week. Advertisers may not like a Gopher-Wildcat showdown meaning big news in the Big Ten, but fans of parity (like myself) do. Tyrell Sutton should have little trouble getting going here. Northwestern will only struggle if their turnover problems from earlier in the season appear. A healthier Kellen Lewis at least gives Indiana the marginal threat of a running game, but not enough. Northwestern 38, Indiana 17

Illinois (4-3, 2-2) at Wisconsin (3-4, 0-4) Noon, ESPN or ESPN2

As part of our fading postseason hopes, I say go Illini. Part of the formula for a bowl game is getting as many teams in the conference as possible with seven losses so one of the Big Ten bowls has no choice but to take us. Illinois can help in that regard by beating a demoralized Badger team that seems to have given up on its season. If Wisconsin wins, we can likely forget about a bowl no matter what we do anyway because they will get to six wins and be a much more attractive choice.

Unfortunately, Jekyl and Hyde Illinois is in line for a Hyde week. Two weeks ago turnovers cost them an unexpected loss to Minnesota. Last week the Illini could do no wrong against Indiana. It is a matter of which team will show up. Illinois has not been good, especially defensively, away from Champaign. They have gone 0-2 and have surrendered a ton of points. Those games were against Missouri and Penn State though. What Wisconsin does is anyone's guess. I say the Badger finally pull out a close one at home to stop the spiral. Wisconsin 20, Illinois 17

Michigan State (6-2, 3-1) at Michigan (2-5, 1-2) 3:30pm, ABC

This one could be quite delicious to watch. Michgian State is anxious to go into Ann arbor and silence the taunts of "Little Brother". Michigan is probably not going to a bowl game, but short of ruining Ohio State's title hopes at the end of the year they would love to have even more ammo in the "little Brother" debate by beating Michigan State. The Spartans also want to make amends for last week after Ohio State walked into their stadium, pulled their pants down, and spanked them in front of the most excite MSU crowd in years. It was worst than our blackout debacle against the Buckeyes a year ago.

On paper the Spartans should win handily. Crazy things happen in this rivalry though. Michigan State takes it more seriously than Michigan, and that is one of the reasons that "Little Brother" bugs Spartan fans so much. If Michigan pulls the upset I have hope that my tickets for the game up there in two weeks might be worth something. Basically, it is the annual "will Michigan state crumble" test. They passed it last year by crushing us in Ross-Ade, and I think they will pass it this year. Michigan State 30, Michigan 10.

#3 Penn State (8-0, 4-0) at #9 Ohio state (7-1, 4-0)

Abject terror are the words I would use to describe the thought of Terrelle Pryor playing in this conference for at least two more years. After what he did to a motivated Michigan State team in East Lansing last week I am sure I am not alone in thinking that. Ohio State has been at the top of the Big Ten mountain for several years now. If Penn State does not knock them off in Columbus Saturday night they will likely be on top for a long time to come. Even if they do, the Buckeyes won't need a long time to get back.

If this game were in State College I would probably go with Penn State more readily. They are probably playing for more because win also means a clear path to a national championship game. I won't even buy the argument a one loss Georgia team should get ahead of them. If Georgia was that interested in playing for the title ahead of another unbeaten team they should have beaten Alabama (of course, if they beat Alabama in the SEC title game that could be moot). I think Penn State has an edge because they are more balanced one both sides of the ball. I think that gives them an edge, but they won't crush skulls as they have in the eight games to this point. They have the defense to slow the running game and make Pryor throw. Penn State 17, Ohio State 16

Quickie national picks:

#6 Oklahoma State at #1 Texas - one team loses a shot at the national title until there are fewer than two unbeaten teams. Texas is at home, but if OK State pulls an upset it will be huge. Texas 31, Oklahoma State 24

#7 Georgia at #13 LSU - See above, only each team already has one loss and is done at this point. I always go with the home team in the SEC. LSU17, Georgia 13

#8 Texas Tech at #23 Kansas - The Red Raiders play a real team for once, and they get shocked on the road. Kansas 31, Texas Tech 30

Northwestern Preview

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:55:35 -0500

In response to my questions and answers on Tuesday with Lake the Posts, here are my answers to their questions over at LTP. Also, the guys from Boiled Sports chipped in with their own two cents. Or is it six cents since there are three of them? I don't know, my brain hurts.

Also, for what it's worth, here is this week's blogpoll. I guess it will be awhile before America realizes that our effort alone should have us in the top ten, since that is what we are measuring things by now. The only major change I had from my draft ballot was moving MIchigan State up to #15.

If Purdue is going to turn this season around and salvage something it must begin the journey Saturday afternoon in Evanston. Northwestern is our most common homecoming opponent, but the Wildcats are turning the tables on us by making the Boilers their homecoming this year. The Big Ten thinks this is a rivalry, as they join Indiana as the only opponents we are guaranteed to play every year. Joe Tiller has liked that as well. He is 9-2 against the Wildcats in his career, a mark matched only by his record against Indiana.

It's an unfortunate stigma, but everyone in the Big Ten looks at Northwestern as a winnable game whenever schedules are released. In the past 14 seasons they have more Big Ten championships (three) than teams like Iowa, Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Purdue, but they are continually disregarded as, "just Northwestern". Even at 5-1 this year, Purdue fans are looking at this game as a great chance to get a win and turn things around. We cannot take them for granted though. This is a good team. They are playing their homecoming game and need one more win to get bowl eligibility out of the way and dream of something bigger.

Northwestern offense

Perhaps the two biggest reasons that I have hope for a victory on Saturday lie on the Wildcats' offensive side of the ball. C.J. Bacher hasn't come close to putting up the senior-year numbers of his predecessors while star tailback Tyrell Sutton is battling injuries once again. Two years ago in Evanston was the one game in which Purdue was able to limit a team's running game and make them go to the air. The results was one of our better victories in a season full of bad ones. Northwestern is only averaging a modest 24 points per game, and they haven't faced a murderer's row of defenses in their schedule.

Even with the injuries, Sutton is a good one. He has a 5.5 yard per game average and 603 yards on the ground for the season with five scores. They aren't eye-popping numbers like some other backs we will face, but he is consistent enough to be a factor in every game. As Lake the Posts said earlier this week, he has done plenty of damage as a receiver (24-200-1). He is probably as versatile of a back as we will see the rest of the year in terms of running and catching the ball. He is helped out in the backfield by the capable Omar Conteh, (141 yards, 2TD) and Bacher who is mobile (139-1), but Sutton is easily the biggest running threat.

A similar defensive effort to last week should result in a win. If we can contain Sutton, or if he is not able to go as well as he has been, the Wildcats will become very one-dimensional. They have a better passing game than Ohio State, but Bacher hasn't been lighting up the scoreboard through the air. His numbers (138-236, 1325 yards) are decent, but not great. He also has a tendency to throw picks, having thrown eight against just seven touchdowns. Northwestern has been generous with the football, turning it over 11 times in six games. Since we haven't forced a turnover in the last three games we need to take advantage of this factor.

Northwestern's receivers are very balanced with four guys having at least 23 receptions, but none more than 29. Rasheed Ward (29-278-2) leads in total catches, but Ross Lane (28-332-0) leads in yardage. As mentioned above, Sutton is a threat to catch passes, while Eric Peterman (23-269-2) can do damage as well. The longest reception of the season is for only 45 yards, so the Wildcats lack a true deep threat much like us. The possession game can get them down the field, but this isn't a team that hits a lot of home runs.

The real battle will come on the lines. Our own defensiveline played the game of its life last week, and if it can do it again this week we should have a good battle upfront. In Lake the Posts' own assessment, the Northwestern offensive line has played incredibly well this year. They have given up just three sacks on the season, so Bacher should have plenty of time. If we get into the backfield as much as we did last week we have accomplished something and the Northwestern offense should sputter.

Northwestern defense:

As good as the Northwestern offensive line is at protecting the quarterback, its defense may be even better at getting to the passer. The Wildcats have racked up 19 sacks from 10 different players over the course of 10 games. They define the term "Swarming unit". Corey Wootton is the main pass-rushing specialist with 4.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss. He easily tops the team's list in both categories. Vince Browne (3 sacks) and Quentin Davie (2.5 sacks) are also known to cause havoc in the backfield. John Gill can also cause problems with a pair of sacks and a pair of fumble recoveries.

Safety Brad Phillips is one of the main instigators on the defense. He leads the team with 52 tackles, a sack, an interception, and a pair of pass break ups. He's not as fearsome as Lauranaitis a week ago, but he still is someone we need to be aware of. The rest of the defense is a unit that plays very well together. Northwestern's offense hasn't been stellar even against weak competition, but the Wildcat defense has gotten the job done by simply allowing fewer points than the offense generates. Northwestern gives up a modest 114 yards on the ground and 201 through the air. Even last week they didn't give up a ton of yards, but costly turnovers and special teams play hurt them badly.

All Purdue really needs to do is gain some sort of an edge against this defense, whether it comes on the ground or through the air. Northwestern is prone to turning the ball over, so we must score when it does. Though the defense is good, it's not as good as what we have faced the last two weeks. There will be more space, and it is time for Curtis Painter to exploit that space.

Northwestern special teams:

Armando Villarreal has been a pleasant surprise for Northwestern fans, getting the Wildcats some much needed points at critical junctures. He had a four field goal game against Southern Illinois and is 11 for 13 on the season. He hasn't had much need to kick extra points on the year, but 14 of 15. He doesn't have a particularly big leg though, with just one attempt outside of 37 yards. Since a 37 yard field goal means the Wildcats got the ball to at least the 20, that's an awful lot of trips to the red zone without touchdowns.

Both return games haven't been great with no scores and only 8.3 yards per punt return and 21.6 yards per kickoff return. Northwestern can cover kicks well though, giving up just 18.3 yards per return. This is imperative as we have gotten next to nothing after Tardy gave us some big returns early on. Stefan Demos averages 38.1 yards per kick, but is pretty good at dropping them inside the 20 with 12 such punts in 29 attempts. He also has no touchbacks, so if Northwestern stalls at midfield we had better be prepared to dig our way out of a deep hole. Punting was an issue last week as a big return set up Michigan State's first score.

Final thoughts:

We need this game. Now is the time for us to go into must-win mode, because getting to the postseason from 3-4 is a lot easier than getting there from 2-5. Northwestern is a good team. They have plenty to play for on their own schedule as they can still be 8-1 before a difficult finishing kick. With just a little bit of help, they can be right there for the Big Ten title and at least have their own say at home against Ohio State.

That said, the offense is clearly struggling a little bit with a less than healthy Tyrell Sutton and a subpar C.J. Bacher. When Northwestern has had success offensively it has gotten above-average quarterback play and has had a dangerous running back that can both run and catch the ball. Both are doing what they need to do, but not as effectively as past Northwestern greats when the offense has been phenomenal.

In my conversation with Lake the Posts earlier this week he talked about how special teams, turnovers, and field position were major issues against Michigan State. The Wildcats outgained the Spartans by more than 160 yards, but a big punt return, a fumble on a kickoff, and an inability to turn red zone opportunities into touchdown made a huge difference. These issues were not new to the Michigan State game just because the Spartans were the first good opponent Northwestern has faced. We must take advantage of this.

That is really the key to Saturday. Northwestern is the first team we have faced since Notre Dame that has major issues. The Irish couldn't run the ball, but the fact that our run defense quit on us allowed them to overcome that issue for one game. If Northwestern is unable to overcome its issues, like the Irish did, I like our chances. Central Michigan's major issue was pass defense. It overcame that issue, and it nearly cost us the game. It is unfortunate at this point that we must rely on another team's screwups in order to win, but I'll take a win however we can get it.

Offensively, we have to take care of the ball, protect Painter, get Kory Sheets some space to run, and score points if we can get close. Defensively the Northwestern offensive line has had trouble opening running lanes, so we must make sure they continue to have trouble. If we can get to the quarterback and sack Bacher once we're already doing better than most anyone has done against the Wildcats all year. They are having issues with their playcalling as well, and the deep receiving threat is a myth for them. I don't want to say we should sit back and wait for them to make mistakes, but the mistakes will come if Northwestern continues to play as it has all year. If we contain Sutton (by contain I mean keep below 100 yards) and not allow the deep ball, we should be able to frustrate their offense.

Finally, we need better play from Painter. Curtis, stop screwing around and play like you're supposed to be able to play. Since this isn't a "big game" he may relax and finally have a breakout. We have to have him lead touchdown drives if we are going to win. In my mind, this is his last chance. If he can't get the offense going Saturday and get some point it is Joey Elliott time.

Blog takeover: Lake the Posts

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 21:24:56 -0500

This is a first for the Big Ten season, but the noted Big Ten blog Lake the Posts contacted me this week with some questions about the Boilers this week, so I responded in turn with some of my own. Those answers should be up either late tonight or early tomorrow over at LTP. Since there appears to be no Big Ten bloggers' roundtable this week and I am covering a game on Friday night, we get an all Northwestern week.

Before we get to the questions though, I wanted to post an opportunity out there for you Boiler fans. Thanks to a little extra income at the moment, I was able to secure some Purdue basketball tickets for the coming season. Because of time and other constraints, I can't go to all of them. I basically did it so I could pick up the games I really wanted to go to (i.e. Duke, Indiana, etc.), and a couple of others. Essentially, I am making the majority of my seats available if anyone is interested. Since most of the season is going to be sold out I am listing them on Ebay, but I am not marking them up as much as other auctions I have seen. The following are the games I have listed. Each has a Buy It Now but the regular auctions start at 99 cents.

Florida Southern

Northern State

Detroit Mercy

Eastern Michigan (NIT round one)

Georgia/Loyola-Chicago (NIT Round two)

Ideally, I want to give these seats up to other Purdue fans, so if you contact me with a decent offer via e-mail I can take down the listing for that game and work something out. Based on what I paid for similar seats for the Northwestern game last year, the tickets have a face value of about $54 per pair per game. According to GBI, they are about 1,000 tickets from selling out the place for the entire season, so there won't be a ton available through Purdue.

I am keeping both Duke and Indiana, so don't ask (I have to have some perks, after all!). If you're interested in Wisconsin or Michigan State though I might be willing to work something out and just take down another game. Again, just feel free to e-mail me and we'll talk.

Lake the Posts takeover

Off the Tracks: Northwestern has lived and died by the spread almost as much as Purdue has, but this year the defense seems to be setting the tone. How concerned are you that they struggled in their first big test of the season last week?

Lake the Posts: If you're implying the defense struggled then you may want to think again. The fact we gave up 37 points is really not a reflection of poor defense, but rather an absolute implosion by our special teams and several key turnovers in our end of the field. Consider this: here are the starting field positions for Michigan State's scoring drives with how they got there in parenthesis. The point is our "D" is legitimate, but our offense is sputtering to say the least. When you lose the field position battle this badly and 3-0 in turnover margin, you lose. Yes our scoring defense marks took a major hit, but this one is on everyone but the "D"

NU 42 - (MSU punt return to 50 leads to 7-0)
NU 25 - (NU fumbles kickoff, MSU FG 10-0)
NU 35 (Bacher throws terrible ball for INT, leads to MSU TD 17-0)
2nd Half
NU 32 (After NU scores to cut it to 24-14, 2 penalties on onside kick
then lead to MSU TD 31-14)

Ugggggggly.

OTT: Do you see Purdue being able to slow down Tyrell Sutton ala Beanie Wells last week, or will he go Armando Allen on us.

LTP: Sutton got dinged in week 4 and sat the second half of the Ohio game. He is clearly not 100%, yet has played like a warrior. He has been a huge part of the offense as he is getting a lot of touches as a receiver, but obviously his rushing production is down. The O-line has been nothing short of phenomenal (our big question mark going into the season) in pass protection, but less then spectacular from an 'opening of holes for Sutton' standpoint. I'm expecting a big game from him, yet your rushing defense has been schizophrenic - either really on (see Ohio State) or really off (see Oregon) (ed. note: It wasn't bad in the first half against Oregon, the more telling is Notre Dame where we turned a team that couldn't gain 2 yards if they fell forward from the line of scrimmage into Navy). So I'm not sure.

OTT: Through six games against lesser competition you had to expect better numbers from Bacher? Do you view him as in a similar funk to Painter? Can he bust out Saturday?

LTP: Bacher has been an enigma, but the Wildcat fandom is starting to squeal about OC Mick McCall. McCall came from Bowling Green this year with all the hype about being a QB guy (Ed. Note: If he was there in 2003 we know all about him). Well, Bacher has gone from Jesse James to game manager, but the 30-yard passes across the field for 3 yard gains are starting to get old. Bacher still makes poor decisions, yet shows flashes of complete rhythm.

The offense has been an unequivocal disappointment to date. If not for the 180-turnaround by Mike Hankwitz with our "D", we'd be 3-3. I can't explain it. ESPN2 commentator Ray Bentley hit the nail on the head by analyzing the inability for us to throw 10+ yards which is essential to opening up our short slant and screen games. A funk, yes. Don't know if he'll snap out of it though.

OTT: Historically Tiller has done very well against Northwestern, with only the windy 2004 game and our own 2005 debacle as blemishes. What is your reasoning behind this?

LTP: Amazing isn't it? The only team we have a losing record against since 1995 in conference aside from the "big three" of Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State is Purdue. I can give you two reasons. Drew Brees and Vinny Sutherland. I still haven't recovered from the 99 yard game winning TD that year. (Ed. note: my sophomore year, what a play!)

OTT: Finally, how do you see Purdue's offense moving the ball against your defense after struggling the last two weeks?

I love our pass rush. We've racked up more sacks already then all of last year. I'm more concerned about Kory Sheets than the pass offense as we can tee-up on passing so it seems. Despite Painter's funk, he is an incredible talent, but amazingly we have confidence in our "D". Don't have confidence we won't mess up on special teams or turn it over, but feel pretty good about our "D".

Week 7 Big Ten wrap with blogpoll

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 22:22:37 -0500

Yesterday was frustrating in more ways than one for Purdue fans. It was such a topsy-turvy day in the Big Ten that we were the only visiting team to a Big Ten Stadium that did not walk away with a victory. Now we find ourselves with the difficult, but not impossible, task of needing to win four of our last six games so we might sneak back to Detroit for the Motor City Bowl. At least we're past the hardest part of our schedule now. Before we get to the blogpoll ballot, let's rank the Big Ten again. Since we're at the midway point or further, we can also talk about bowl chances for each team as well.

11. (11) Indiana (2-4, 0-3) Result: Iowa 45, Indiana 9 a?" The Hoosier Report summed things up best on Saturday night in calling the loss to Iowa a season-ender. Though they currently sit at 2-4, the Hoosiers haven't been nearly as competitive as Purdue, nor does it look like they will be able to pull off four more wins on the season with Illinois, Wisconsin, and Penn State remaining. They are 2-4 after the easiest part of their schedule, while we are 2-4 after the hardest part.

Indiana's offense is stagnant and one-dimensional, while the defense cannot stop anyone. That is a recipe for failure. There is no running game to speak of. Opposing teams haven't had trouble either, especially since Shonn Greene and Indiana native Jewel Hampton both ran for more than 100 yards yesterday. At this point, Indiana will be lucky to win another game.

10. (8) Michigan (2-4, 1-1) Result: Toledo 13, Michigan 10 a?" The last time Michigan did not play in a bowl game was after the 1974 season. The only reason they missed a game that year was because it was the final season that the Big Ten allowed only its champion to play in a post-season game. Michigan has been a postseason regular for 33 consecutive seasons since. After losing to a godawful Toledo team yesterday, their first ever loss to a MAC quad, the streak is now in serious jeopardy.

The only Game that Matters joins the Hoosier Report and me from two weeks ago in saying that the sky is falling for our respective programs. Should the Big Ten indeed get both Penn State and Ohio State into the BCS it looks like Indiana, Purdue, and Michigan will be the three left at home at the moment. Sadly, Michigan's streak is the longest in the country, and three more losses would hand that honor over to Florida State, who will likely play in their 27th straight bowl.

9. (10) Purdue (2-4, 0-2) Result: Ohio State 16, Purdue 3 a?" Perhaps I am just overly delusional at this point. Michigan got the 10 spot because it has at least shown a pretty good defense even if its offense couldn't score in a women's prison with a fistful of pardons. Purdue is playing better at the moment, but that means very little.

I outlined our own bowl hopes yesterday, so there is no need to go over them again. If the Boilers can get a game in Evanston this weekend, things will likely calm down, at least somewhat, in West Lafayette. If not, I still think there is hope for next year. It's not going to be as bad as it seems, even if the GBI boards are in full meltdown mode.

8. (5) Wisconsin (3-3, 0-3) Result: Penn State 48, Wisconsin 7 a?" Three weeks ago I thought Wisconsin had a chance at the national championship. Now they may not even make a bowl game at this rate. Illinois and Michigan State are more than capable of beating the Badgers. If that happens, Wisconsin has little margin for error next week against Iowa or in the Big Ten finale against Minnesota.

The Badgers should be embarrassed with the crap game it turned in Saturday night at home. Penn State only outgained them by less than 70 yards, but did so much more with the ball when they had it. It is honestly hard to see where this one got away except for the punt return by Derrick Williams. The Iowa game this week will be important for both teams.

7. (9) Iowa (4-3, 1-2) Result: Iowa 45, Indiana 9 a?"After the past two seasons Saturday's win over Indiana had to be pretty sweet. Indiana had embarrassed them on consecutive occasions, but the Hawkeyes turned the tables. Now a bowl game looks like a better possibility, especially if they can take advantage of a down Wisconsin team this week. I'd give the edge to the Badgers, but the Purdue-Iowa game on November 15th could be an elimination game.

Iowa had a dual-headed running game from Hampton and Greene yesterday, but they have to get better play from the quarterback position if they are going to get the mandatory two wins needed. Andy Brodell did make the Hoosiers look silly though. As far as bowl hopes, they would get a huge boost by beating Wisconsin and hurting the Badgers even further.

6. (3) Illinois (3-3, 1-2) Result: Minnesota 27, Illinois 20 a?" After yesterday, my original comparison of Illinois this year to Purdue of 2002 look even better. Illinois can play with any team in the country, but they can lose to just about anyone as well. They are no longer a lock for a bowl game either with Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Northwestern left on the schedule. All three of those could easily be losses, and a dangerous trip to a pretty good Western Michigan team in November could trip them up. Just ask Iowa about November games against the Broncos. They need to take that seriously, unlike yesterday.

It is clear that Illinois needs a better running game. Minnesota never had to worry about it yesterday and sacked Juice Williams five times. It may have been the most wasted 462 yard performance since Brady Quinn threw for 400+ against Purdue in 2004.

5. (6) Northwestern (5-1, 1-1) Result: Michigan State 37, Northwestern 20 a?" I was actually a little disappointed that Northwestern lost yesterday, because a win would have given us a bonus chance at knocking off a ranked team. Sometimes college football is all about matchups. I feel we match up well with them, and I liked our chances had they been ranked to find a cheap way of ending our streak. Sadly, our only chance remaining will come at Michigan State, and it is not a good one. Northwestern will still get one more win for a bowl bid.

Tyrell Sutton is yet another impressive back we must contain his week. He went for 139 yards against a pretty good defense, but like Illinois on the day, Northwestern had finishing issues. Both teams from the state to the west of us grossly outgained their opponents while playing at home, yet it was the opponent that walked away with a win. We will need to be as efficient as Michigan State to get the win. They are disappointed, so we must take advantage.

4. (7) Minnesota (6-1, 2-1) Result: Minnesota 27, Illinois a?" Everything from this point forward is gravy. Minnesota will be playing somewhere in the postseason even if they collapse and lose the last five games. That isn't likely going to happen if they continue to play balanced, smart football. They get a week off to prepare for us, and they still have a weak Michigan team left.

Minnesota is not turning the ball over, moving it well, and now has a pretty good pass rush in order to cause disruptions with a much improved defense. The only cause for concern is the fact that the passing game is grossly skewed towards Eric Decker. He has almost half of the passing game's production. If we can slow him down in two weeks out chances at winning will greatly improve.

3. (2) Ohio State (6-1, 3-0) Result: Ohio State 16, Purdue 3 a?" I don't know if our defense played out of its minds or if Ohio State is just struggling right now, but I cannot believe we held one of the best backs in the country below 100 yards when we couldn't stop the worst rushing team in the country last year just two weeks ago. The Buckeye Battle Cry thinks they held back. Ohio State is too one-dimensional, but if they show up in East Lansing like they did in Madison they will be fine.

It is now a two game season for them. If they win the next two weeks they will clear their two largest hurdles for the Big Ten title. Northwestern and Illinois could be dangerous, but in reality Michigan State and Penn State are all that remain. If they don't get more of a passing game they will lose both.

2. (4) Michigan State (6-1, 3-0) Result: Michigan State 37, Northwestern 20 a?" This is the week we find out if Michigan State is real. If they can knock off Ohio State they will put themselves in line for a very special season. It would mean a potential season finally in Happy Valley where an unbeaten Penn State could end up losing the Rose Bowl to a one loss Michigan State team. I think the Spartans are that good.

Even the Cal loss isn't looking that bad at this point, as explained by the Spartan's Weblog. The more that Michigan State can prove it doesn't need Javon Ringer to go apeshit on teams to win the better. I actually like his chances after our own Kory Sheets had a decent game against a normally stout Buckeye run defense.

1. (1) Penn State (7-0, 3-0) Result: Penn State 48, Wisconsin 7 a?" It's not a gay thing, it's a dominance thing. Penn State raped and pillaged Madison on Saturday night, and now they have moved into the top 3 nationally. They are now the conference's only hope to win a national championship this season. Best of all, they will likely get there if they patiently take care of business. The odds are good that someone ahead of them will fall before the end of the season, especially since Texas still has games against Texas Tech, Missouri, and Oklahoma State.

Unfortunately, Penn State still must go to Ohio State where it has constantly struggled. Not only that, a season ending game against a very good Michigan State team could be trouble. That said, they have manhandled everyone so far in getting to 7-0. They are here at #1 until someone physically takes it from them. Your turn, Michigan.

CBS Sports Blogpoll ballot:

I was hoping that Missouri would have pulled off last night's game with Oklahoma State in order to immediately reward us with a #1 vs. #2 matchup this coming week. Instead, the Longhorns take my top spot. I also leapfrogged Penn State to #2 simply because of conference loyalty, Alabama not playing, and irrational dislike of Nick Saban. Ball State keeps on moving up at the bottom, and i think it will be interesting to see where BYU ends up playing if unbeaten teams from BCS conferences continue to fall. As usual, feel free to critique the draft ballot before Wednesday's final goes up.

RankTeamDelta 1 Texas 3 2 Penn State 4 3 Alabama 1 4 Texas Tech 3 5 Oklahoma State 12 6 Florida 5 7 Oklahoma 6 8 Brigham Young 2 9 Southern Cal -- 10 Georgia 2 11 Missouri 6 12 Ohio State 2 13 Utah 1 14 LSU 11 15 Boise State -- 16 North Carolina 9 17 South Florida 3 18 Kansas 3 19 Michigan State 3 20 Virginia Tech 1 21 Ball State 1 22 Tulsa 4 23 California 3 24 Wake Forest 2 25 Vanderbilt 12

Dropped Out: Auburn (#18), Wisconsin (#23), Northwestern (#24).

Season over

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 21:44:59 -0500

It's not even over as I write this, but this is the most embarrassing loss under Joe Tiller. The statistics tell the story.

Notre Dame came in as one of the worst rushing teams in the nation again, not even averaging 80 yards per game. We gave up 201 yards, including 134 to Armando Allen.

Jimmy Clausen had a career best 275 yards and three touchdowns. He had two picks in each game so far. We didn't get a pick, and rarely got defensive pressure. I'll give credit where credit is due. Jimmy Montana played a great game, but our defense showed no interest whatsoever in wanting to play the third quarter.

Notre Dame was susceptible to the run. After Kory Sheets' early touchdown run we completely went away from the running game. Once down 14 points, we went back to it for a few plays and Kory gashed them. It seems to me that is this is working,a nd has for four games now, we might want to go to it again.

Kickoff returns were a strength. On most returns it was a comedy of errors.

We couldn't afford empty trips into the red zone like two years ago. We missed a short field goal and went for it late when we probably shouldn't have. Three points there might have at least given us a small chance. Notre Dame Answered with a three point drive of its own and it was over.

The one play I alluded to in the preview happened. Painter's ugly pick six undid a lot of good for the senior quarterback. We were leading 7-0 at that point. We had missed a field goal, but survived an ND miss to even things out. The pick tied it, but after coming back down to retake the lead we were outscored 31-7 the rest of the way. We only slowed down the Irish when the game was well in hand at the end.

Brock Spack needs to be fired. Don't even wait to get back to West Lafayette, just fire him in the post game press conference. The offense once again played well enough to win. His defense, however, continued its maddening tendency to not make adjustments or exploit weaknesses. It's like he felt we didn't need to play run defense because they were so bad. Why not play overwhelming run defense and force Clausen to throw 60 times per game? The game has passed Spack by. If he will not make any in game adjustments or even try make other teams adjust to his defenses it is time for him to go.

This season is now for all intents and purposes, over. We will not beat Penn State. We will not beat Ohio State. In two weeks, we will be 2-4 needing to go 5-1 in the second half just to assure a bowl game. That will not happen. Michigan will run wild on us after shocking Wisconsin today. Tyrell Sutton will gash us because we won't adjust to Northwestern's running game. Javon Ringer could possibly break LaDanian Tomlinson's single game rushing record against us. That is 406 yards for those of you scoring at home. Even Indiana will run for over 200 yards.

It is not even the fact that we lost to Notre Dame. I can accept that as the Irish played a nearly perfect game offensively. It is the method in which it happened. There is absolutely no excuse for things that have been glaring weaknesses for at least 15 consecutive games to become overwhelming strengths. More examples:

We knew Notre Dame was vulnerable against the run. We ran 17 times and passed 55 times. That was with the game being within reach for the majority of time. It's not like we fell behind early and had to pass, pass, pass to catch up. Kory Sheets ran for almost 7 yards a carry, yet he only rushed the ball 13 times and less than 10 in the first half when we led most of the way? WTF?

It led to only three points, but we got absolutely hosed on a play that even the receiver didn't think he came up with the catch. At that point there was still the smallest of chances. A stop there meant it was a two possession game. With the way the offense was moving we still had time for two scores. The catch let Notre Dame get enough for a field goal, and it was game over from there.

The fact the Irish even made a field goal is the final insult. It was Notre Dame's first made field goal of the year.

Now, matters are worse. We lost one of best defensive players in Frank Duong to a knee injury that certainly did not sound good. We also may have lost Kory Sheets for awhile too. When he went off the field late in the game favoring his shoulder it looked like he could be out for an extensive amount of time.

Sheets, Tardy, and Painter (if you take away the interception) played very well. Painter was spreading the ball around as he should. Sheets was elusive when we gave him the ball (which wasn't enough) and Tardy was fantastic after the catch. Those are the only positive from this game.

Still, this coaching staff needs a drastic attitude adjustment. The "good" rushing team should never have 17 attempts when the "abysmal" rushing team has 40. That is what happened today. That lies strictly on the shoulders of the coaching staff. It is like they are trying to force Painter's Heisman candidacy and record breaking attempts instead of doing what will help this team win football games. Against Oregon we ran a freaking no-huddle instead of running clock with the lead against a ranked team. These coaching decisions aren't even questionable anymore. They are downright absurd.

Barring a drastic turnaround defensively, this season is all but over. We cannot stop even the worst rushing teams from running the ball down our throats. We are not generating a pass rush even against a team that doesn't have a strong offensive line. We should be absolutely embarrassed with our second half effort this week after being able to play good second halves in all three games before this. We succeeded only in making Jimmy Clausen looks like Joe Montana and Armando Allen look like Marcus Allen.

We might find two or three wins the rest of the way, but five in order to assure a bowl game? I don't think so.

Big Ten Week 4 Preview

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:32:58 -0500

This is the last full week of non-conference action. As a result, there are not a ton of good games out there. In recent years, the Big Ten has been a conference where most teams have played it safe in the non-conference portion of the schedule. Since the schedule officially went to 12 games, more and more teams have tried to set up four easy wins to make the postseason easy to reach. Should teams get those four wins, they then only need two in conference play to get to eligibility. We saw this last year when a record 10 teams were eligible for the postseason.

We could see a similar cluster again this year. Long time residents of the bottom of the conference such as Indiana, Minnesota, and Northwestern have excellent chances to win their four non-conference games. Iowa, a team I picked to be the worst in the Big Ten this year, is a game away from doing the same. Wisconsin, Penn State, Michigan State, and Ohio State are all good enough to go to bowls even though two of them have chalked up a loss already. Illinois is likely in the same boat. That puts us and Michigan in severe danger of missing the postseason, especially if we drop a second non-conference game at Notre Dame.

That makes this week a must-win for almost everyone. Since the Big Ten looks to be highly competitive once the conference season starts, no one can afford to have a late non-conference loss if they want to make the postseason. The conference needs to go 8-0 in order to save some face, but that is unlikely to happen.

Central Michigan (2-1) at Purdue (1-1) noon, Big Ten Network

Purdue is a team that has the most to lose with a loss this weekend. They are facing a very good team that is more than capable of pulling the upset if the Boilers aren't focused. A loss virtually eliminates any postseason dreams in coach Tiller's final season. If Purdue is focused though, I don't think it will have much trouble at all. Curtis Painter loves playing against the Chippewas. Shoot, the entire Purdue offense loves playing against the Chippewas as it has averaged more than 50 points per game in the four meetings between the schools.

Coach Tiller should have notched win #85 last week to officially become the Boilers' all-time wins leader as head coach. Of course, it should have happened sometime late last year but a late three game losing streak delayed it a few months. If Purdue plays like it can, the delay will be over around 3:30 Saturday afternoon. Another Boilermaker record should fall as well, as Kory Sheets needs one touchdown to tie Mike Alstott's school career record of 42. Alstott had 39 rushing TD's against three receiving scores, so the rushing TD record is forthcoming later in the year (Kory has 36 rushing, 4 receiving, and 1 return of a blocked punt). I predict both the coaching and overall TD records will fall Saturday, and I'll be wearing my #24 jersey to honor Mr. Sheets. Purdue 45, Central Michigan 21

Ball State (3-0) at Indiana (2-0) 7pm, Big Ten Network

This is the first semifinal of the 2008 Indiana state Division 1 football championship. The Hoosiers will look to defend their title from last season after they beat the Cardinals, Purdue beat Notre Dame, then Indiana beat us in the bucket game. The Indianapolis Star on Wednesday was trying to make the argument that Ball State may be the best team in the state, and they may be right. Nate Davis heads a very powerful balanced offense. The Cardinals have never beaten a BCS conference foe, but Saturday is an excellent shot for them to end that streak.

People have ripped on Indiana's weak non-conference schedule, but a loss to the Cardinals would be far from a bad one. Ball State could possibly go undefeated if they win this game. They've also played Indiana tough the past two seasons. Indiana's defense has yet to be tested by a living, breathing offense either. The Cardinal defense isn't great, but this could easily become a fun shootout. Ball State 38, Indiana 32

Ohio (0-3) at Northwestern (3-0) Noon, Big Ten Network

One more step. That's what Northwestern has to be thinking. Even their great teams in the mid-90's had unexplainable non-conference gaffes. For some reason, Northwestern has been unable to put together a perfect non-conference record in decades. That should end this Saturday, but Ohio is a team that could be much more difficult than expected. The MAC hasn't gotten its Big Ten pelt for the year, but this game (as well as the two above it) is a strong chance for that conference to grab one.

Northwestern has a good chance here simply because they have the better offense. The Bobcat offense couldn't do enough last week against a porous Central Michigan defense to get the win. It also surrendered a big punt return for a touchdown. The Wildcats can move the ball a bit, but their offense hasn't been as explosive as expected yet. Northwestern is more than good enough to win a pair of conference games, so a win here probably gets them in a bowl. Northwestern 24, Ohio 14

Florida Atlantic (1-2) at Minnesota (3-0) Noon, Big Ten Network

I don't know what to think about the Gophers so far. Obviously, they have improved from last year. Last year's team would probably be no better than 1-2 at this point. Saturday should provide a good test as the owls have a pretty good quarterback in Rusty Smith. Last year he torched the Gopher secondary in a 42-39 win in Miami. Minnesota helped matters along with a boatload of turnovers in that game.

Minnesota also appeared to find a replacement for Duane Bennett last week with Deleon Eskridge (114 yards, 3 TD's) He needs to continue playing well because historically few teams have done well in the Big Ten without a premier running back. The same appears to be true this year with P.J. Hill, Javon Ringer, Beanie Wells, Tyrell Sutton, Shonn Greene, and Kory Sheets all having very productive years so far. I think Minnesota gets through this game in the dome. Minnesota 27, Florida Atlantic 21

Iowa (3-0) at Pittsburgh (1-1) Noon, ESPN2

So far I have been wrong about Iowa. They haven't played anyone yet though. Iowa State isn't that good and both FIU and Maine are terrible. It's no wonder that the Hawkeye defense looks like the 1985 Bears against a slate like that. Next they get a Dave Wannstedt Pitt team that is about as up and down as they come. Will the Panthers be the same team that stopped the seemingly unstoppable Rich Rodriguez last year with a national title berth on the line, or the one that got owned at home by Bowling Green. That's the same Bowling Green that then went home and got destroyed by Minnesota.

At least we can finally learn something about the Hawkeyes. The defense does look to be pretty good. The offense is getting hard yards on the ground from Shonn Greene and quarterback play isn't killing them. They should be able to beat Pittsburgh, but a loss would raise all kinds of questions. Pittsburgh struggle with perennial doormat last week, but this could be the week things turn around. Iowa 20, Pittsburgh 17

Notre Dame (2-0) at Michigan State (2-1) 3:30pm ABC

I have one plea for you Michigan State. Please, please beat the Irish this week. I ask not as a Purdue fan that hates the Irish, but as a college football fan that doesn't want to put up with a week of Return to Glory rhetoric coming from the media. If you lose to the Irish, you give them an actual credible win to base this return on. I don't trust us to stem the tide next weekend in South Bend based on our history. Therefore, I am trusting you to please save us all before it gets out of hand. A loss means people start looking at Notre Dame's weak schedule after the Purdue game and everyone will think, "Hey, they can be 11-0 before going to USC." It's up to you Michigan State, as well as Purdue, North Carolina, and Boston College to insure they don't get another undeserved BCS bid. USC will destroy this Irish team, but if they reach 11-0 going into that game I may have to stick my head in a deep fryer in order to end the misery of hype. You can end it right here, right now Michigan State. Please don't blow another home game to them. Give the ball to Jevon Ringer and let him run all day long. We're all counting on you. Michigan State 24, Notre Dame 10.

Troy (2-0) at #13 Ohio State (2-1) Noon, Big Ten Network

If the Buckeyes struggle in this one it is time to have serious concerns about them. Should they somehow lose, I will no longer take them seriously as a threat to win the Big Ten. Michigan has obviously fallen off and I openly question why it is a guarantee that RichRod will turn them into a juggernaut. Have the past two weeks shown us that Ohio State may be stepping back too?

What I don't get is why the Big Ten is perceived as down if Michigan and Ohio State happen to lose a game or two, but the SEC can be dead even and beat the living tar out of each other, yet is considered to be the greatest conference God ever created. I understand Ohio State has lost the last two title games to SEC teams, but it is not like the SEC is blowing the Big Ten out every year in the Capitol One and Outback bowls. What does this have to do with Ohio State-Troy? Nothing, actually. I just wanted to rant a bit. Ohio State 35, Troy 7

Temple (1-2) at #16 Penn State (3-0) Noon, Big Ten Network

The Nittany Lions get a final tune up before heading into the Big Ten season. JoePa should have little trouble adding to his record this week, as the real race is to see how many Florida State will lose this year. That record won't be decided until Bowden or Paterno retires first. It is still fun to watch. Penn State, in the meantime, is reaching the point where I may be more afraid of them than Ohio State. We might scare them at Ross-Ade if we come out like we did against Oregon, but I fear we will start the conference season 0-2. Penn State 45, Temple 7.

Quick national picks:

Arizona State over Georgia ? I just have a feeling here.
Wake Forest over Florida State ? The Seminoles apparently couldn't schedule Butler this week.
Oregon over Boise State ? This one could be as fun as last week for the Ducks
Auburn over LSU ? and the black and blue SEC begins
Florida over Tennessee ? Florida is a damn good team

Big Ten Week 2 preview

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:10:06 -0500

I was going to do a more in depth preview, but my look at Northern Colorado from the summer should suffice. We have a decided advantage in every aspect of the game. It will simply be nice to head to West Lafayette on Saturday and be back in Ross-Ade Stadium for what should be a gorgeous afternoon. Other than that, it is the type of game that can only raise questions instead of find answers.

The rest of the Big Ten is in action against a rather mediocre slate of games. The conference didn't do itself any favors by losing its only difficult games last week, and nearly dropping another one it shouldn't have when Minnesota struggled with Northern Illinois. We could have an 11-0 week this week, as the only difficult game should be Minnesota at a confidant Bowling Green team. That is far from a guarantee since the Falcons beat the Gophers last season in an overtime thriller at the Metrodome. It is the only time a Big Ten team visits a MAC team this year.

Northern Colorado (0-0) at Purdue (0-0)

Big Ten week 1 wrap-up

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 23:27:01 -0500

After seeing yesterday's college football results I realize that I should probably stick to covering the Big Ten. At the end of the week's preview I went on a diatribe about Alabama, and specifically coach Nick Saban, being overrated. The Crimson Tide crushed Clemson, and officially shut me up from saying anything about the man again.

As far as the Big Ten goes, Things went almost exactly as planned. Only Michigan, Michigan State, and Illinois went down to defeat. Those were defeats that were somewhat expected, even mildly in Michigan's case. The other seven games were the blowouts that we expected.Teams that weren't supposed to have problems with their opponents did not. Teams that were expected to have some problems did. The glaring exception was Minnesota, which pulled out its game, but will likely continue to have defensive issues. Perhaps the worst thing is that The Big Ten went 0-2 in its biggest games this week, further weakening the stature of the conference at large.

There's no real change in the power rankings this week. This is mostly because there isn't enough evidence yet to necessitate a change. There will be after next week when there are some better games and Purdue finally joins the party. What follows is a quick wrap up of each team in order of its original ranking.

Ohio State 43, Youngstown State 0 ? The goal of these games is obviously just to keep everyone healthy. Ohio State probably was not going to lose unless it committed about 15 turnovers and generally played the worst game in its history. As a result, they simply wanted to avoid injury. Since the story of the game was Beanie Wells getting hurt that is a fail.

Wells looked impressive from what little he played, but if it is indeed turf toe/Lisfranc/a sprain it is the kind of nagging injury that can derail a season. The Buckeyes face another near certain win this week, so it may be best to rest him before the showdown with USC (which looked awfully good on the road against a team with a pulse). Like many games yesterday, this one simply went as expected aside from Wells' injury.

Wisconsin 38, Akron 17 ? This was likely a little too close for comfort with it only being 17-10 at the half. As we were driving toward Wrigley Field yesterday (a small benefit of Purdue not playing, I must say) my wife was checking scores and I was surprised to see it so close in the fourth quarter. Wisconsin's depth, experience, and talent took over in this one and made it the expected margin by the end.

Akron had no answer for P.J. Hill. That's not a surprise considering that few teams will have an answer for him this season. The running game as a whole generated 404 yards. That's just a staggering number. 75 passing yards from Allan Evridge is far from a concern if they can keep putting up numbers like that, but more balance will be necessary. Still, if a team can find a way to slow down Wisconsin on the ground they have a chance. I am incredibly thankful that is a question we won't have to answer until 2009.

California 38, Michigan State 31 ? I am not surprised that Michigan State lost. It's hard to begin the season with such a long road trip. Traditionally Big Ten teams struggle when they go on the road to face the Pac-10 early in the season. The last time I think a Big Ten team won such a game was our win at Arizona in 2005 and Ohio State at Washington last year. What is a concern is that Javon Ringer and the vaunted running game did so little. Ringer did find the end zone twice, but had to work hard for his 81 yards with 27 carries.

Brian Hoyer also had the type of game that fans hate to see: a ton of passing yards but not a lot of production. Of course, two of those drives were ended by Ringer TD runs, so it wasn't a total wash. Spartan fans have to be concerned that the defense gave up a lead early and just couldn't quite get the one stop it needed to turn things around. Cal did a good job of keeping the lead comfortable throughout. Michigan State is one of the conference's best teams, but they still have a couple of steps to go.

Penn State 66, Coastal Carolina 10 ? Everyone expected a blowout, but probably not of this caliber. Everyone got in on the act for the Nittany Lions, including a peanut vendor, a Make-a-Wish Foundation kid, and four cheerleaders if you look at the box score. Like Ohio State's win, it's hard to take much else from this one because of the margin. At least for a week Paterno pulls even with Bowden in the battle to see who blinks first. Since Florida State has not one, but two 1-AA opponents this year I think it is an unfair advantage.

Purdue 457, Dreaded Bye Week 3 ? We had another good scrimmage on Friday afternoon. Coach Tiller also seems to think the defense will be very good. I agree with him, but because Northern Colorado is quite punchless I don't expect to find out for myself for another two weeks when Oregon comes to town.

Speaking of Oregon, once we got settled into our hotel last night I was able to watch a good portion of their game against Washington. The first thing of note was that Justin Roper did not play much at all after getting banged up in the first half. Washington had it close for awhile, but they were unable to offer any protection for Jake Locker against Oregon's pass rush. Three quarterbacks ended up playing, and all three are dangerous on the ground. Running back Jeremiah Johnson looked especially imposing with 124 yards and two scores.

This was a close game (14-10 at the half) that Washington let get away late with 30 unanswered points in the second half. I don't know if it was a case of Oregon being that good, or Washington's defense being that bad. Honestly, it was probably a little of both. The Duck defense did a very good job of containing Locker, but he doesn't have as many weapons as Painter. They face a meek Utah State team next week, so they won't have another good opponent until they face us. We'll need to be ready to face multiple speedy quarterbacks.

Northwestern 30, Syracuse 10 ? The Wildcats passed their toughest test of the non-conference season, but that is not saying much. Their preseason schedule makes Indiana's seem rough. At least the Hoosiers are playing two really good MAC teams. Northwestern has four godawful teams to open against. The Wildcats actually trailed in the second half of this one, but went to the ground game like Wisconsin to dominate behind Tyrell Sutton.

Getting Sutton to the 100 yard mark in each game will be critical to Northwestern's success. If he does that, the Wildcats have the balance that good teams need in order to win. Look at Michigan State this week. They had over 300 yards passing but didn't hit 100 yards rushing and lost. If you can generate about even numbers in each phase of the game it makes things much easier. Northwestern did that yesterday and won comfortably.

Missouri 52, Illinois 42 ? The Illini are clearly not ready, at least nationally. They have an offense that can do a little bit of everything, but their much talked-about defense didn't even slow down Chase Daniel. If you have a good defense you should at least be able to force a Heisman candidate like Daniel work for his yardage. Illinois did not do so. For good measure they also surrendered a kickoff and interception returns for scores.

Missouri achieved the balance mentioned above and won going away. Illinois only gained 17 fewer yards, but barely gained anything on the ground by comparison. A ton of passing yards don't equal wins. Just ask Drew Brees in against Wisconsin in 1998 and Brady Quinn against Purdue in 2004. Illinois' defense failed it on this day.

Utah 25, Michigan 23 ? I found this very interesting perspective on the Utah-Michigan game through CFN. Essentially, it states that Most of Michigan's points came off of mistakes that Utah made. They are the types of mistakes that Michigan won't get, at least in terms of total volume, the rest of the year. Teams will play sharper as the season goes on. The Big Ten is also better than the Mountain West, meaning better athletes will also factor in.

I still like Michigan to win their other three non-conference games. Despite everything, the Wolverines do not lose games against the MAC. That means Toledo and Miami should be wins. I still also favor them against Notre Dame, though it could be as big of a cripple fight as last year. I can't help but think the Wolverines will have trouble, however, when they meet the better defenses of the Big Ten.

Indiana 31, Western Kentucky 13 ? I know it was only a game against a team that's not quite Division 1-A, but Kellen Lewis looked awfully good yesterday. Like Antwaan Randle El a few years ago, the Hoosiers are a much better, and more dangerous, team than they have been in a long time. I refuse to join my Purdue brethren that continues to cut them down. This is a good football team that can use this season to springboard into a very promising future. If we're not careful, they will pass us.

Indiana has taken that critical next step where it is learning to dominate the games they should win. It used to be they would struggle somewhat, but still beat these types of opponents. Now they are learning to take care of business early, which is a very necessary skill if you're going to become a good football team. They still must develop a ground game outside of Lewis, but if they do they will be dangerous.

Minnesota 31, Northern Illinois 27 ? I was surprised that Minnesota had so much trouble with the Huskies, but the 10 game losing streak is at least officially history. They cannot be happy that Bowling Green took out a ranked Pittsburgh team on the road, but I am sure Gopher fans are happy to have any win after last season.

Still, the story was the same. The defense gave up an alarming number of big plays to an opponent that is nowhere near the talent level that the Gophers will face the rest of the year. Northern Illinois scored three touchdowns from farther than 50 yards. Two of those came as Minnesota already held a lead, a rarity in itself from last year. This is not a good sign for the future of the season.

Iowa 46, Maine 3 ? This is another incomplete game, as any marginally good Big Ten team should beat a 1-AA opponent by a similar margin. Iowa continues to do what I hate, and that is not settle on a quarterback and stick with him. The dual quarterback system, unless you're Florida, NEVER works. You might win a few games with it, but in the end it is more likely that you won't have a ton of success. Nothing really stands out from this one.

Since this is another team that has the perfect schedule to build some confidence. Florida International will provide better competition next week, but not a lot better. We likely won't have a full handle on iow until the end of the non-conference season.

Camp Notes From Around The Big Ten

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 09:19:21 -0500

While everyone in the Buckeye State is concentrating on OSU football camp, here are some notes from camps around the conference: Illinois- The Illini camp did not open pleasantly as 4 players, including Ohio native Brian Gamble (WR), were missing from camp

College Fantasy Bowl - Comeback Kids - Tyrell Sutton

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 21:27:22 -0500

College Fantasy Bowl's Comeback Kids series continues with Tyrell Sutton.