[NU Sports] Big Ten today ...

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

A wild race keeps getting more bizarre in the Big Ten.

But first, because it can't be said enough, some stats
from today's game for CJ Bacher.

* 13 of 19 on third down - and most of those were 5+
yards (in fact, most of the ones I remember not making
were the short ones). BTW, it wasn't all bad for the D
as MSU was 4 of 10.

* 612 total yards of offense - following 417 against
Michigan and 506 yards against Duke two weeks prior to
that. In fact, aside from that abysmal OSU game (how
good is that D looking now?), we're 400+ in every game
this year on offense.

* 522 yards passing on 38-49 accuracy. Nice.

* And to give the O-line a little love (and the OC
some credit in play calling), only two sacks for -4
yards, meaning they were more scrambles than real
sacks.

* Seven receivers had multiple catches, nine touched
it overall. 

All I can say is that I bet I know who the Big Ten's
offensive player of the week will be!:)

As for the league itself ...

* HUGE win for ILLINOIS today against a Bucky team
that finally played with fire and got burned. They
just out-physicalled the Badgers. If the Illini had
held on to the ball in the opener, they'd be 6-0 right
now. Everyone thought it would come down to the final
2-3 weeks in the Big Ten when OSU/UM and UW played
each other ... but now that Nov. 10 Illinois @ Ohio
State game is looking like the biggie.

* As for the Badgers, they can't sulk too long with a
visit to Happy Valley next. But after that it's NIU
and Indiana at home before those Michigan and OSU
games.

* Nice win for INDIANA as well to go to 5-1. If they
can catch MSU moping next week, they could have that
magical sixth win before mid-October and still have
Ball State and Purdue left at home along with a road
trip to Evanston.

* As for the Gophers, let's try and slam the bowl door
for good on them next week in Evanston.:)

* OHIO STATE still looks like the class of the league
- based largely on their defense being heads and
shoulders above anything else. If they can get by
tricky night games at Purdue and at PSU to begin and
end October, they could be a MNC sleeper with the
rugged SEC and Pac 10 slates taking tolls on the teams
above them. Their November is Wisky and the Illini in
the Shoe and then their usual Michigan game.

* Purdue gets a once-again vulnerable looking Michigan
at the Big House next week and then really only has a
visits to PSU and Indiana left as road blocks with the
Illini and Badgers off the schedule.

* PENN STATE needs to stop the bleeding this week as
the Nits have a brutal four-game stretch ahead with
visits from Bucky and Brutus with a trap road trip to
Indiana in between before a final visit from Purdue.

* As for Iowa, if they don't win today, they could be
out of any bowl hunt by November with the Illini and
Boilers coming up next.

Things have sure changed in a couple weeks. Michigan's
gone from flop to back to a contender ... to
questionable again. Wisky and PSU have dropped while
the young Bucks and Illini have risen. It looks like
everyone but the Gophers and Hawks should be in the
hunt to go bowling in November. But that could change
too.:)

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!


       
____________________________________________________________________________________
Looking for a deal? Find great prices on flights and hotels with Yahoo! FareChase.
http://farechase.yahoo.com/