ISL’s Doug Griffiths tries to remain perfect on his Big Ten picks
By DOUG GRIFFITHS
ISL Correspondent
“Head west, young fella!” is the motto for the Big Ten this week as three conference teams take their show on the road and travel a long way away from home.
Illinois, Nebraska and Wisconsin all have dates Saturday with Pac-12 teams and all will look to begin the 2012 season 2-0.
Huskers’ coach Bo Pelini says his team, which features 30 seniors, is ready for the challenge such a long road trip presents.
“Most of our guys have been there, done that,” said Pelini, whose team battles 1-0 UCLA Saturday. “They’ve had a chance to be on the road in some tough environments, and that experience always helps.
“We’ve had some good success on the road my first few years here so hopefully that will continue.”
A few years back, Wisconsin’s Bret Bielema took his Badgers to then-nationally ranked Fresno State and survived in overtime.
“It’s such a different environment to play on the road,” he said. “Road games, you have to accept them for what they are, wrap your arms around them and hug them.”
A total of seven Big Ten teams play in road venues this weekend after just two played true road games a week ago.
Speaking of Week No. 1, conference teams combined to go 10-2 last week, including 1-1 against ranked teams. The two lone defeats were Penn State falling at home to Ohio and Michigan getting blown out by defending national champion Alabama.
Below, IndySportsLegends.com helps you decide which Big Ten contests you’ll want to keep an eye on and which ones aren’t DVR worthy.
By the way, lets see if I can remain undefeated after a perfect 12-0 mark to start off the season.
(All times ET)
Game-Of-The-Week
Purdue @ #22 Notre Dame
Saturday
3:30 p.m.
NBC
Notre Dame, Indiana (Notre Dame Stadium, capacity 80,795)
Danny Hope believes he has his best Boilermaker team and Brian Kelly feels the same way about his club. History is on Notre Dame’s side as it has owned its instate rivals in its backyard, posting a 16-1 record since 1974. This one will come down to Notre Dame’s strength — its offensive line — against Purdue’s — its defensive line. Go with the Irish in what should be a good one, 31-21.
Must See TV
Iowa State @ Iowa
Saturday
3:30 p.m.
BTN
Iowa City, Iowa (Kinnick Stadium, 70,585)
Any college football fanatic should watch a good rivalry game and this is indeed that. Iowa was one of the lucky BCS teams in the opening week surviving a big scare from Northern Illinois. Last year’s game in this series was a triple-overtime classic with the Cyclones coming out on top. Iowa looks for revenge, but to get it will have to do a better job on QB Steele Jantz, who threw for 4 TDs and 279 yards last year against the Hawks. I’m shaky on this one, but I like Iowa 28-27.
May Be Worth A Look-See
Air Force @ #19 Michigan
Saturday
3:30 p.m.
ABC/ESPN2
Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Stadium, 109,901)
No doubt Michigan’s psyche is hurting after the beat down it received from Alabama. This game will be challenging for the reason that Michigan is coming off that blowout loss and only has a few days to prepare for Air Force’s triple-option attack. Air Force racked up 484 yards rushing last week against woeful Idaho State and the Wolverine D wasn’t exactly steller. Michigan rebounds though, 34-14.
Penn State @ Virginia
Saturday
Noon
ABC
Charlottesville, Va. (Doak A. Harrison Field at Scott Stadium, 61,500)
Now we’ll see if things are going to spiral out-of-control for Bill O’Brien and his Nittany Lions following their season-opening loss to Ohio. Not only is Penn State’s confidence shaken, but now it has to play at less than 100 percent as tailback Bill Belton is day-to-day with an ankle injury so Derek Day gets his chance. Count on the Lions starting 0-2 for the first time since 2001 in a game that will be dominated by the defenses. Virginia, 24-9.
#16 Nebraska @ UCLA
Saturday
7:30 p.m.
Fox
Pasadena, Calif. (Rose Bowl, 91,500)
Even if Cornhusker running back Rex Burkhead can’t play as he nurses a sprained MCL, look for the Big Red to move to 2-0 on the season. That’s because quarterback Taylor Martinez showed us in the opener how much he has improved in the passing game, which is bad news for opponents. As long as Nebraska holds Bruin running back Johnathan Franklin in check, it should have little trouble getting out of the Rose Bowl with a fairly easy victory. I like the Huskers, 30-17.
Vanderbilt @ Northwestern
Saturday
8 p.m.
BTN
Evanston, Ill. (Ryan Field, 47,130)
Vandy gave No. 9 South Carolina all it could handle, while Northwestern was fortunate to get out of the Carrier Dome with a victory in a shootout. Tough one to call here, but look for Pat Fitzgerald’s bunch to win again as the Commodores may still be reeling from their near upset win. Remember NU wins the close ones under Fitz (22 of its 41 wins in his tenure have been decided by seven points or less). Go ‘Cats! 28-24.
Illinois @ Arizona State
Saturday
10:30 p.m.
ESPN
Tempe, Ariz. (Sun Devil Stadium, 71,706)
This game is truly a toss-up, especially since Illini QB Nathan Scheelhaase’s status is questionable due to the ankle injury he suffered last week. Even if Scheelhaase is on the shelf, I like the visitors because of their defense and they’ll be facing a young team, including ASU sophomore signal caller Taylor Kelly. Go with the Illini, 20-14.
Blowout City
New Hampshire @ Minnesota
Saturday
Noon
BTN
Minneapolis, Minn. (TCF Bank Stadium 50,805)
The Gophers survived triple overtime to beat UNLV and now will have to slow down a New Hampshire offense that gained 531 yards against mighty Holy Cross. Jerry Kill’s bunch finds a way to get it done, 30-13.
Indiana @ Massachusetts
Saturday
3:30 p.m.
ESPN3
Foxboro, Mass. (Gillette Stadium, 68,756)
The Hoosiers are looking for their first win over a FBS team in the Kevin Wilson Era and should get over UMass, which is in its inaugural year in the FBS. IU was less than impressive in its 24-17 win over FCS opponent Indiana State, while UMass was blanked at UConn 37-0. The Minutemen gained just 59 yards against the Huskies. Thank goodness this one isn’t televised, unless you’re in front of your computer. Break out the champagne, IU’s 2-0 after a 33-20 win.
#13 Wisconsin @ Oregon State
Saturday
4 p.m.
FX
Corvallis, Ore. (Reser Stadium, 45,674)
You would think a Big Ten-Pac-12 matchup would be anything but a lopsided affair, however, this one has all the makings of a blowout. The Beavers are supposed to be one of the worst teams in their conference and of course the Badgers are one of the Big Ten’s best (although you couldn’t decipher that after last week’s lackluster effort against Northern Iowa). Look for Wisconsin to look more like a top-15 team this week. Bucky Badger in a romp, 38-14.
#11 Michigan State @ Central Michigan
Saturday
3:30 p.m.
ESPNU
Mount Pleasant, Mich. (Kelly/Shorts Stadium, 30,255)
It’s strange to see the Spartans play a lesser instate opponent away from East Lansing, but playing about 60 miles from home won’t feel too awkward. MSU flexes its muscle, as Le’Veon Bell proves way too tough for one of the MAC’s worst teams to handle. At 240 pounds, he’s the same size or bigger than all of Central’s linebackers. MSU’s defense, which allowed Boise State a mere 206 total yards, could pitch a shutout, but likely won’t. All Spartans, 44-7.
Central Florida @ No. 14 Ohio State
Saturday
Noon
ESPN2
Columbus, Ohio (Ohio Stadium, 102,329)
The Buckeyes should continue to roll through their nonconference schedule, but this week won’t be as easy as last week. The Knights, who have never beaten a ranked team from a FBS conference, are favored to win the East Division of Conference USA (they move to the Big East next season). This game could be called the NCAA sanction bowl since both programs are ineligible for the post-season this year. OSU is just too talented and deep for UCF. 41-17.
So, what do you think? Are these picks good? Are they crazy? What are your picks? Let us know in the comments section!
What is ISL and who is Doug Griffiths? How did I stumble on this site?
Doug Griffiths is former editor of Gold and Black Illustrated. IndySportsLegends is a new sports website.