Griffiths back for Big Ten picks after 4-2 effort last week
By DOUG GRIFFITHS
ISL Correspondent
So the opening week of Big Ten play has come and gone. What did we learn?
Well, for starters, Nebraska looks to be awfully good, especially at home. Ohio State is good, too, but what else is new?
Michigan State looks like it will have to rely on defense to win games until its offense figures out a way to get teams from thinking about something other than stopping Le’Veon Bell.
Purdue’s offense, on the other hand, doesn’t have trouble finding the end zone and the Boilermakers have more playmakers on the defensive side of the ball than just Kawann Short.
Penn State’s defense should keep them in most every game this season.
Despite losing at Nebraska, Wisconsin looks like it is getting things corrected and could easily end up in Indianapolis come December once again.
Iowa, who will enjoy a bye this week, made Minnesota (who has a bye this weekend) look silly and brought Jerry Kill’s program quickly down to Earth. Whether the Hawkeyes will have enough offensive firepower to be a force in the Legends Division against the favorites remains to be seen.
Michigan will be one of those contenders in that division. Look for Brady Hoke’s bunch to look better coming out of their bye, especially since they won’t have to play anyone like Alabama or Notre Dame the rest of the way.
Northwestern is another team that could contend in the Legends. We’ll find a lot more about the ˜Cats Saturday at Penn State.
And then there are those teams that are destined to fight it out for the cellar. Illinois looks like it is disinterested in the sport and already has tuned Tim Beckman out. Indiana is simply awfully, particularly on defense, which has been the Hoosiers’ problem forever.
Per usual, IndySportsLegends.com helps you decide which of those Big Ten contests you’ll want to keep an eye on and which ones aren’t DVR worthy.
(I wasn’t overly impressive in Week #1 of Big Ten play, going just 4-2 as I had way too much faith in Minnesota and Ohio State’s narrow victory in East Lansing tripped me up, too. Nonetheless, I’m still a very respectable 43-9 on the season.)
Game-Of-The-Week
– #21 Nebraska (4-1) @ #12 Ohio State (5-0)
Saturday
8 p.m.
ABC
Columbus, Ohio (Ohio Stadium 102,329)
The Cornhuskers’ second-half rally last week against Wisconsin was one of the most impressive comebacks of the college football season. As a result, Nebraska has positioned itself as one of the favorites to not only make the Big Ten Championship game, but to head to Pasadena. Taylor Martinez will have to be on his game to win in Columbus. The problem the Huskers have is on defense. When they play teams that spread them out (i.e. UCLA), they struggle. The Buckeyes will try and get Nebraska in plenty of space so how well the Huskers can match up with some of OSU’s playmakers will go a long way in determining the outcome of this one. Ohio State continues to excel on defense, but hasn’t been tested like it will be Saturday night in Columbus. If the Buckeyes are to remain unbeaten, they’ll have to handle Martinez and Rex Burkhead and the Huskers’ ground attack, but also Martinez in the passing game as he has some of the most underrated receivers to throw to in the Big Ten. It’s Braxton Miller vs. Martinez. Whoever gets the better of it, will be celebrating in the ˜Shoe. Huskers in a classic, 20-17.
Must-See TV
– Michigan (2-2) @ Purdue (3-1)
Saturday
4 p.m.
BTN
West Lafayette, Ind. (Ross-Ade Stadium 62,500)
The Boilermakers have won some big games in West Lafayette in the Danny Hope Era. Just ask Ohio State. But none to date have been bigger than this one. The Wolverines had a bye week to prepare for Purdue and need to find a way to be less one-dimensional on offense. Denard Robinson (one TD pass and seven interceptions in his last three games away from Michigan Stadium – Notre Dame, Alabama, Virginia Tech) is a very good player, but he can’t do it alone. If the Boilermakers are to win, they need to pressure Robinson much like Notre Dame did, containing him, yet collapsing the pocket. When he gets out of rhythm and thinks he has to throw quickly and has a tendency to throw the ball up for grabs as was the case in South Bend a few weeks ago when the Irish had an interception party. Purdue needs to put a spy on Robinson and have the mindset that someone else is going to beat us. With that said, I’m going to go with Robinson and Co., thinking Purdue will have a costly special teams’ blunder. Maize and Blue in a close one, 27-21.
May Be Worth A Look-see
– #24 Northwestern (5-0) @ Penn State (3-2)
Saturday
Noon
ESPN
University Park, Pa. (Beaver Stadium 106,572)
Could the Wildcats start a season 6-0? Definitely. And if they do, it would be their best start since the early 1960s. A couple obstacles lie in the way, however, as Penn State will be the best defense Pat Fitzgerald’s club has seen this season and the fact that this is easily the ˜Cats’ toughest road test to date. In addition, the Nittany Lions have reeled off three straight wins and now look like they may be a tough team to beat, at the very least at home. As long as Penn State keeps quarterback/receiver Kain Colter, one of the Big Ten’s most versatile players, in check, the Lions will continue their winning ways. Definitely tune into this one. We Are Penn State! 28-21.
Blowout City
– Michigan State (3-2) @ Indiana (2-2)
Saturday
Noon
BTN
Bloomington, Ind. (Memorial Stadium 52,929)
Look for Michigan State to be an angry bunch when it takes the Memorial Stadium gridiron. The Spartans are somewhat reeling after two home losses to a pair of nationally ranked teams in Notre Dame and Ohio State. The problem for Indiana (who now has the distinction of being the losingest program in college football history with 633 defeats after falling at Northwestern) continues to be on defense. It simply can’t stop anybody. Last week Northwestern rolled up a school record in total yards, eclipsing the 700-yard mark. Now, the Hoosiers will face the best defense they’ve seen this season so IU won’t be able to outscore the Green and White to have any chance at pulling off the upset. Sorry Hoosier fans, IU falls for the 10th straight time in conference play and don’t be surprised if it gets blown out on Homecoming. All Spartans, 42-10.
– Illinois (2-3, 0-1) @ Wisconsin (3-2, 0-1)
Saturday
3:30 p.m.
ABC/ESPN2
Madison, Wis. (Camp Randall Stadium 80,321)
If the Badgers play like they did last week in Lincoln, the Illini are in deep trouble. The last two weeks against Louisiana Tech and Penn State, Illinois has looked like it has no interesting in competing, losing both games in lopsided fashion. The Illini are turning the ball over with regularity and committing costly penalties. If that trend continues, Wisconsin will have a laugher in the Madhouse. The Badgers will show why they’re a contender in the Leaders Division as Montee Ball and Co. roll big time. On Wisconsin, 44-14.
(All times ET)
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