Last weekend, the war began in earnest. The battle between two Big Ten powerhouses resulted in one team limping home and the other striding to an impressive victory, which could eventually affect the Rose Bowl race. Penn State won a decisive victory over Ohio State.
The Big Ten picture cleared up at least a little bit. We now know that No. 1 Penn State is probably the strongest team in the conference. Ohio State, however, still is in the race; the Buckeyes did give the Lions a run for their money. Other games - while not on such a grand scale - also affected the standings.
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| AP PHOTO Michigan State running back Sedrick Irvin ran wild last week with 308 all-purpose yardage. The Spartans shouldn't have trouble improving their Big Ten record to 3-0 against Indiana, who has yet to win in the conference. |
While Penn State is the nation's top-ranked team, Wisconsin is on top locally. The Badgers have quietly taken over the top position in the conference without the hullabaloo surrounding the other teams. They also annihilated Big Ten cellar-dweller Illinois last weekend.
With the exception of Ohio State and Iowa, the other five top 25 Big Ten teams are still undefeated. The war will rage on until there is eventually one clear winner.
This week another round will be waged.
No. 12 Michigan State (2-0 Big Ten, 5-0 overall) at Northwestern (0-3, 2-5):
The way this season has been going so far, this game should prove to be no real contest. Michigan State looks solid, but the Wildcats look a little bit more like kittens after several weak outings.
Michigan State is playing a well-rounded game. Last week's Big Ten special teams player of the week, Sedrick Irvin, is running circles around opposing defenses.
If all goes according to plan, and the Wildcat's don't let out a surprising roar, then Michigan State should roll on without even hitting a bump in the road.
Michigan State 21, Northwestern 7
Minnesota (0-2, 2-4) at No. 1 Penn State (2-0, 5-0):
Unfortunately for the Golden Gophers, the Nittany Lions are coming off an emotionally thrilling victory over Ohio State. The Lions, following in the footsteps of superstar running back Curtis Enis, do not look like they will be tripped up soon.
Last weekend, Enis ran for 211 yards against a mighty Ohio State defense, which had long been feared throughout the nation. So, if Enis can poke holes in that brick wall, what will he do to a Minnesota defense that allowed 158 yards rushing to Purdue?
The Gophers are consequently huge underdogs. Can they upset the Lions? Probably not.
Penn State 45, Minnesota 7
No. 24 Wisconsin (3-0, 6-1) at Purdue (2-0, 4-1):
This year the Boilermakers are not quite the underdogs they once were. Maybe they're not quite one of the top six teams in the Big Ten, but they're off to a flying start after beating Notre Dame, Minnesota and Northwestern.
That's already as good as last season's measly 3-8 overall and 2-6 conference records. After Purdue quarterback BIlly Dicken's five-touchdown performance last week, Purdue looks somewhat impressive. This current four-game winning streak is its longest since 1980.
The Badgers are also a team on the rebound. Once again, on top of the Big Ten, the Badgers are 3-0 in the conference having won six straight.
This should be an interesting game. Once again, two undefeated teams will face off, and of course, someone will fall.
Wisconsin 35, Purdue 27
Indiana (0-3, 1-5) at No. Ohio State (1-1, 4-1):
If any game can serve to rebuild a team's confidence, it will be this one. Ohio State suffered a close and emotional defeat at the hands of mighty Penn State.
Those kind of victories can scar a team for a season. Just look at what happened to Michigan in 1994 after a loss to Colorado. Perhaps a tough loss can be redeemed with the annihilation of another team.
But all things considered, that's probably what will happen. In their last two games, the Hoosiers have scored a total of only nine points. Indiana still ranks at the bottom of most offensive and defensive categories.
The stats aren't good. In fact, they are pretty awful. Indiana's first-year coach Cameron is still trying to find his niche and, unfortunately for Hoosier fans, so is his team.
Even though they have been defeated, the Buckeyes still are sitting pretty behind the defensive wall they have created. They have only lost to the top-ranked team in the country, and not by much. A pretty impressive statistic.
The game is a huge mismatch. One of the best teams in the country taking on one of the worst. And, unless the gods are really smiling on Indiana, they've got an insurmountable task ahead of them.
Ohio State 56, Indiana 3
10-16-97
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