[NU Sports] Are two races better than one?

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

Forget the Big XII Computer Sham and their biased rankings ... we've got a pretty darn good November on tap in the Big Ten! Maybe this division thing was a good idea (despite the stupid names!) ... and you gotta love that it will all be settled ON THE FIELD!

The home stretch to Indy begins next week and we have eight bowl teams, two in need of a big win to get there and two thinking about next year.

NORTHWEST DIVISION

* The frontrunner: Nebraska. The big win over Sparty puts the Huskers back in the driver's seat ... but the road is rough ahead. After the real NU visits Lincoln next week, UNL heads to Happy Valley to face a PSU team coming off a bye and still hungry for some national respect ... then they visit the Big House and upstart Michigan. But they get Iowa at home to finish.

* The darkhorse: Iowa. Much like PSU, Iowa's been dismissed for an early season loss -- which if you follow football, is not all that unusual for a Ferentz team. What else is typical of Iowa under Kirk Ferentz? Strong finishes. The Bumblebees are the only team left that has all of their competitors on the table - Michigan and MSU visit Kinnick Stadium in the next two weeks. Defend home turf and suddenly the Hogeyes are in control of their own destiny when they visit Lincoln in the finale. Don't count Iowa out yet!

* Down but not out: Michigan State. You knew looking at the schedule that it was a brutal stretch. Visiting Columbus, facing rival Michigan, facing the Big Bad Badgers and then visiting Lincoln is a stretch that few teams (even in the mighty SEC) will ever face. The good news is that the home stretch is better for Sparty, aside from a visit to Iowa. But if they can conquer Kinnick, they may be playing for a berth in Indy when they visit Evanston to close the year.

* About to fade?: Michigan. Yeah the Wolverines are 7-1, but it's a soft 7-1. Their best win is Notre Dame and their closing quartet is brutal. They visit Iowa, then an Illinois team in desperate need of a win, then host the Huskers and finish with their nemesis from Columbus. A 2-2 split down that stretch would be a success with a chance for a 10-win season in the New Year's bowl game. But it will take more than that to head to Indy.

SOUTHEAST DIVISION

* The frontrunner: Penn State. You can't argue with perfection, and the Nits will be the only team to have an unblemished league mark if they defend snow turf today against the Illini. Their only loss overall was to Alabama (in the Tide's toughest test to date), so it's baffling why the Lions aren't even ranked in the top 20. Part of that is the schedule, but that's about to change. After a bye week, JoePa State hosts Nebraska on Senior Day for a huge test of whether they're for real and then end on the road with Ohio State and Wisconsin. A strong D and running game give you a chance in Big Ten road games -- so PSU should definitely not be underestimated.

* The darkhorse: Wisconsin. The Badgers should have enough to win in Columbus tonight. If they do, they'll be coming up fast behind the Lions and have inside position. They get Purdue and Minnesota, along with a fading-fast Illini squad, to feast on before the Turkey Day weekend showdown with Penn State. Since the game's in Madison, this darkhorse definitely looks more like a favorite here.

* Down and out?: Illinois. Call it knee-to-the-groin karma, but ever since the Illini started 6-0, they've started tanking. Unless they win in Happy Valley today, they'll head to the bye week with three losses in a row. The good news is that their next two games are at home. The bad news is that the foes are one-loss Michigan and one-loss Wisconsin. Unless they turn in around in a hurry, 6-0 could turn into 6-5 heading into the finale in Minneapolis with only a glimmer of hope that they escape Houston for the bowl game again. Ain't that a kick to the groin?

* Fading fast: Ohio State. The Bucks are a much better team now than they were in September, and should continue to grow as they finish the year (as the Illinois game domination showed) ... but unless they pull an upset of Bucky tonight, they're 4-4 heading down the stretch. That means that the next two games against Indiana and at Purdue are must wins to get to that six-win mark. Because after that, PSU visits the Shoe and the Buckeyes visit the Big House ... and you really don't want your postseason hopes hanging in the balance on the home turf of your bitter rival when you're in a down year and they're in an up year.

As for those two teams living on a prayer, Purdue (Iowa, Ohio State) and Northwestern (@UNL, MSU) both need a season-best showing to beat one of those two teams each has left AND can't slip up anywhere else along the way. Will the promise of Christmas in Detroit be enough to get the big W? And Minny and Indiana? Their fans have already moved on to hockey and basketball season.

So a four-team mad scramble on one side and a two-team photo finish on the other - gonna be a fun November for football fans!

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

 
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STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!! GEAUX SAINTS!!!
Super Bowl XLIV Champions!
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