The Big Ten season, which began way back in August when Illinois visited Michigan Stadium, ends Saturday with five games.
While this season has been about as suspenseful as a Scooby-Doo cartoon, this weekend gives us the chance to see whether or not four teams will send their departing coaches off as winners. Can't you just sense the excitement?
Michigan State (5-2 Big Ten, 6-4 Overall) at Penn State (5-2, 9-2):
Aside from the relatively good matchup on the field, this game is interesting for another reason - the coaching matchup.
This college football season has seen four rather established Big Ten coaches and Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz announce their intent to resign at the end of the season. By next fall, all of them will probably see their old jobs filled by young, energetic coaches in the mold of Northwestern's Gary Barnett.
The Michigan State-Penn State game is a battle, literally and figuratively, between a newcomer and the old guard. Nick Saban has made great strides in his short time in Lansing, while Joe Paterno is an establishment in State College.
Unfortunately for Saban and his team, the old man's boys are on too much of a roll to be stopped now.
For the Spartans to have a chance in Happy Valley, they must protect the ball. Penn State forced five turnovers last week at Michigan and could be gunning for the talented, but inexperienced, Spartan tailback Sedrick Irvin.
Penn State enters the game allowing a stingy 14.5 points per game, and will need its defense to continue its outstanding play against a Michigan State offense that ranks second in the conference.
While all of the statistics are nice, this game will come down to intangibles, and Penn State has an edge in that category.
The Nittany Lions are coming off of two huge wins against Northwestern and Michigan, and are streaking straight to the Fiesta Bowl. In addition, they are playing at home in front of fans who have renewed faith in their team after a mid-season slump.
If all else fails, Penn State can simply annoy the Spartans right off the field with the repeated playing of the lion growling over the public address system.
Penn State 38, Michigan State 24
Iowa (5-2, 7-3) at Minnesota (1-6, 4-6):
Minnesota's Jim Wacker is one of the coaches who will not return next season. Unfortunately for him, the Golden Gophers face a bowl-bound Iowa team in his final game. Good luck, Jim.
The Gophers received great play out of quarterback Cory Sauter last weekend, albeit against a horrible Illinois squad. He was 23 of 37 for 285 yards and two touchdowns in the 23-21 victory, earning him Big Ten offensive player of the week honors.
Sauter has a couple of talented targets in Ryan Thelwell and Tutu Atwell, both of whom are in the top five in receiving yards in the conference.
Iowa's defense, however, shut Wisconsin out last weekend behind defensive end Bill Ennis-Inge's two forced fumbles. The Hawkeyes also have Damien Robinson (five interceptions) and Tom Knight (four interceptions) in the defensive backfield to defend the hot Sauter sufficiently.
Too bad for the Gophers.
Iowa 31, Minnesota 17
Indiana (0-7, 2-8) at Purdue (2-5, 3-7):
Here it is, the one we've all been waiting for - The Lame Duck Bowl.
No, that's not a reference to the way each team's quarterback throws the ball. Instead, neither team's coach is returning next season. Two powerhouses in a fierce battle for the state of Indiana. What more could you ask for?
In all fairness to the two teams, both have stepped up their play since their coaches decided to quit. Bill Mallory's Hoosiers played a tight game with Ohio State last weekend, but fell in the end.
Jim Colletto's Boilermakers beat Michigan two weeks ago and were tied with Northwestern going into the final minute of their game last week.
The bottom line in this game, however, is that Indiana has the most anemic offense in the Big Ten. Even with tailback Alex Smith averaging more than 100 yards a game, Indiana has had trouble moving the ball all season.
Purdue's defense, which has played better in the past few weeks, should contain Indiana.
Nevertheless, it should be a thriller in front of upwards of 3,000 in West Lafayette.
Purdue 3, Indiana 2
Wisconsin (2-5, 5-5) at Illinois (1-6, 2-8):
Wisconsin began the season with narrow but encouraging losses to Penn State and Ohio State. Since then, the Badgers have not been able to play consistently and have fallen to mediocrity.
One constant in Barry Alvarez's lineup is running back Ron Dayne, who is averaging almost 124 yards per game on the ground per game as a freshman. He is certain to have a big game against Illinois' defense, the worst in the Big Ten.
Illinois, on the other hand, is another team with a coach on his way out. Lou Tepper, a man known to stick up for his players, bridge the racial gaps on his teams, and keep a high percentage of his players in school until graduation, will not return to Champaign in 1997.
Perhaps, as Tepper bows out, his players will perform beyond their known capabilities in honor of their coach. For it would be comforting to think that, at least for one week out of the Big Ten season, a nice guy can finish first.
Wisconsin 23, Illinois 17
Kristen Schaefer/Daily
Junior tailback Chris Eberly and the Nittany Lion offense will face a stingy Michigan State rush defense on Saturday. Eberly and Curtis Enis ran wild in Ann Arbor.