[NU Sports] Big Ten today ...

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

How quickly things change ... probably not good for
the league (if we were the SEC, though, and a Miss
State team that just got trounced in Big East land
beat the east division co-leader, it'd be another sign
of great depth, I guess), but fun for fans.

Suddenly our next two games seem to have swapped
roles. Iowa's coming in off a big momentum win and
Indiana is looking to be in another late-season
tailspin (they'd be the new Sparty if Sparty wasn't
busy being the same old Sparty in late season).

So what does that mean for bowl hopes? Well ...


IN
==
* OHIO STATE - Four huge games remaining, but tonight
is the toughest, in a Happy Valley White Out. Should
be a heck of a showdown and fans who love defense may
finally get their classic game. January lock - BCS
title game if they win out.

* MICHIGAN - A bowl lock and they control their BCS
destiny if they can win out. Still, running the table
up to the OSU game makes a nice case for a Florida
destination.

* WISCONSIN - Suddenly the ship is righted (for home
games at least, where they can apparently play players
ineligible for road games) and Buckyball is back. Two
big games against the Big Two up next could move them
up in the rankings and bowl pecking order, but still
probably headed to Florida because of their fans.

* PENN STATE - A lot rides on tonight. A win vaults
them into the top 15 and they likely finish the year
on a 7-game win streak at 10-2 and in the thick of the
BCS hunt. A loss could mean San Antonio.

* PURDUE - They likely struggle next week in Happy
Valley, but otherwise they should finish the year
strong unless Indiana rebounds and head to San Antonio
or Orlando's second-tier bowl.

* ILLINOIS - It wasn't pretty today, but they got that
much-needed win and should get another next week to go
to 7 wins. Then it's the showdown in Columbus and
Sweet Sioux game - also probably being eyed by Texas
as well as Tampa.

BUBBLE
======
* IOWA - They looked down and out a couple weeks ago,
but big home wins over Illinois and MSU have turned it
around. With a road game at NU and two home games
against Minny and Western Michigan left, Iowa looks to
get six wins and the game in Evanston next week may be
the seventh to lock down a spot.

* NORTHWESTERN - It'd really be a shame if that Duke
loss comes back to hurt us, but with the fourth
quarter collapse at Purdue now, NU has little room for
error left. Iowa and Indiana visit Evanston next and
Illinois on the road is the finale. The Cats likely
need 2 of 3 to assure a bowl bid, but just getting #6
against the Hawks next week is looking mighty tough.

* INDIANA - Looked like a lock a couple weeks ago, but
some big losses to MSU and UW have shaken the
Hoosiers. They should get win #6 next week (though
Ball State is no gimme, as the Illini found out), but
they may need one of the last two at NU and home
against Purdue to assure a 13th game.

* MICHIGAN STATE - The good news for Sparty is that if
it comes down to a tie, the Motor City Bowl will
almost surely select MSU over anyone else. They also
get two of the last three at home. The bad news? Those
two games are PSU and Michigan and the other one's at
Purdue. Given MSU's late-season track record, 5-4
could turn into 5-7 real fast.

OUT = MINNESOTA
===============

So you have 10 teams fighting for 7 (possibly 8) slots
with three weeks remaining and a lot of them play each
other. Defending home turf and beating Iowa and
Indiana the next couple weeks would really help our
chances not just in getting 7 wins, but beating two of
our competitors for those remaining slots (and we
already beat MSU).

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

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

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