Drew tries to draw Heisman looks against Penn State

For the second time this year, seven Big Ten teams find themselves ranked in the Associated Press' Top 25. That statistic probably won't stand for long, as six of them go at it on Saturday. Although the phrase has become repetitive this October, this week presents a slate of crucial games, and the merciless Big Ten schedule will continue to claim victims of its strength

No. 2 Penn State at No. 16 Purdue: Penn State faces its most formidable challenge yet this year in the form of Drew Brees and Purdue's offensive juggernaut. LaVar Arrington and the rest of the Big Ten's third-ranked defense look to clamp down o

DANA LINNANE/Daily Michigan State wide receiver Plaxico Burress was virtually a non-factor in last week's loss to Purdue. The Spartans will look rebound from the letdown when they visit No. 17 Wisconsin on Saturday.

n the conference's top offense and maintain its flawless record.

The Nittany Lions quelled any doubts that were beginning to fester by thouroughly dominating Ohio State on Saturday. Although the Lion offense continued to struggle in the red zone, the vaunted defense finally played to its potential in a classic example of good ol' smash-mouth football. LaVar and friends served brutal warnings to Purdue's receiving corps through their treatment of Ohio State's talented pass catchers, and Mr. Arrington himself turned in his best showing of the season in tripling his previous sack output and giving SportsCenter another installment of the "LaVar Leap" to run repeatedly.

But Drew Brees' mouth has been almost smash-proof, and he proved he could produce in the rain against the Spartans following two weather-induced losses which put a hurting on his stats. His record-setting afternoon vaulted him back to the top of the Heisman race. Purdue's defense even played well, surrendering only two offensive touchdowns. But any questions about Penn State's ground game and run-blocking were emphatically answered by Eric McCoo's 211 rushing yards, and despite having a banged-up offensive line leading the way, Purdue's defenders should expect more of the same.

Lion quarterback Kevin Thompson is questionable after suffering a separated shoulder last week, but Rashard Casey played serviceably in relief. Penn State needs to limit Purdue's receivers' yards-after-the-catch and keep Brees and wideout Chris Daniels from exploding again. If JoePa's troops can succeed in this task, as well as overcome their turnover problems and punch the ball in from inside the 20, they should leave West Lafayette unscathed in this battle of the Joes. And if Penn State can respond affirmatively to all of those if's, Paterno will move into third place all-time on the list of coaching wins.

Penn State 34, Purdue 28

No. 11 Michigan State at No. 17 Wisconsin: Everyone outside of East Lansing knows that Michigan State gets pumped for one game a year, and on the rare occasion that State wins that game, their season is a success because of it. Just like everybody outside of East Lansing predicted, the Spartans suffered an enormous post-Michigan letdown as they were scorched by Purdue, relinquishing fantasies of an undefeated season and national championship in the process.

At the other end of the spectrum, Wisconsin is rolling, earning three straight victories behind new quarterback Brooks Bollinger, including 42-17 and 59-0 massacres of Ohio State and Indiana, respectively. Bollinger's success last week showed that contrary to popular opinion, the Badgers can indeed pass. In addition, the overlooked defense silenced Indiana's top-ranked ground game in the Big Ten's first shutout of the season

Before last week's events, this matchup could have been hyped by Spartan supporters (the most ignorant and self-inflated of them, which doesn't exclude many) as a showcase for two Heisman candidates , but Bill Burke's plummet to reality eliminated that possibility. However, Ron Dayne keeps rumbling on his way to the career rushing record, putting up 167 yards, all in the first half, against Indiana.

Nestled in between the Badgers' two offensive shows lies an overtime win against Minnesota. Michigan State will try to shut down UW by adhering to the blueprints from that game.

But Wisconsin's defense will convince Bill Burke, beyond a doubt, that he is not Steve Young or any other left-handed slinger in the NFL. With their running mass of humanity nullified, the Badgers will find a way to manufacture enough points to prevail in a defensive struggle. If their outsized corners can control Plaxico Burress, they'll keep the Spartans' annual free-fall intact.

Wisconsin 17, Michigan State 14

No. 22 Ohio State at No. 24 Minnesota

Can Minnesota actually be favored against mighty Ohio State? Is it possible for the Golden Gophers to even be ranked? The last time Minnesota was good at anything, Bobby Jackson was their star point guard. Maybe their current success on the gridiron is somehow related to former basketball coach Clem Haskins and his unique approach to education - plagiarism equals less time on papers means more time for practice. Whatever the cause, Minnesota is 5-1 on the year, and has established itself as a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten.

Ohio State, on the other hand, is faced with the proposition of going 1-3 in the conference for the first time since 1988 - John Cooper's inaugural season. They have been effectively dropped from the BCS and Big Ten title picture and have trailed in every game this year. Last week, the Buckeyes were manhandled by Penn State, failing to score an offensive touchdown and managing only 143 total yards. The dominating defense of the past few seasons is hampered by poor tackling, and backs Michael Wiley, Jon Wells and Derek Combs are all having trouble holding onto the ball, resulting in 20 turnovers this season.

Minnesota posted a breakthrough win in beating Illinois, 37-7, following a heart-breaking overtime loss to the same Wisconsin team that thrashed Ohio State. Their defense and exceptional special teams have given them great field position, and the offensive line's play resulted in three players rushing for the century mark last week.

Defensive end Karon Riley lead the Big Ten's best pass rush against the same Buckeye unit that was ravaged in their last outing, allowing quarterback Steve Bellisari to be knocked out of the game. Ron Dayne couldn't go anywhere on the Gophers defense, and as evidenced by his 18 yards last week, Michael Wiley doesn't figure to do much better. Despite all of these weaknesses, Ohio State still has a chance to come out with the victory behind the defensive leadership of Na'il Diggs, Ahmed Plummer and Damon Berry and attempt to salvage what is left of a lost season.

But Minnesota will be motivated to reach the six-win plateau needed to earn an appearance in its first bowl game since 1986 at home, and OSU's faulty rush defense will enable them to do so. If they keep on doing what they've been doing, somehow, the maroon and gold will defeat the scarlet and gray for the first time in the last 16 games.

Minnesota 24, Ohio State 20

Indiana at Iowa

There is no way that this game will arouse enough interest to warrant its inclusion on this page. But irrevelance aside, Indiana and Iowa will still play this Saturday, and somebody needs to analyze them.

Indiana had its confidence and momentum at a peak coming off of impressive wins againt Illinois and Northwestern. Then they played Wisconsin. Their confidence and momentum is no longer at a peak. IU surrendered the second-highest amount of yardage in a Big Ten game, 705, in losing 59-0. Antwaan Randle-El, one of the nation's most exciting players, was held to 1.6 yards per carry and 28 overall. And there are more negative stats where those came from.

Iowa is enjoying its worst start since 1978 and squandered its best chance of the year for a conference win in falling short to Northwestern after a furious comeback. Running back Ladell Betts has been the closest thing this team has had to a bright spot, gaining 103 yards last week (there's the obligatory mention of at least one player's name).

Indiana hasn't won a road game in the Big Ten since 1996, but opportunity knocks against the Hawkeyes. Iowa is last in the conference in total offense, total defense, passing offense, rushing defense, rushing offense, etc., etc.; the list is endless. Indiana was first in rushing offense prior to last week, so it can put up some numbers, and playing Iowa should inflate their ranking at least a little bit.

The Hoosiers have struggled against the pass all year, but that shouldn't be a problem because Iowa can't pass, or do much of anything well. Randle-El is good and he's fun to watch, and Iowa appears to be lacking players that fit into either category, so Indiana wins.

Indiana 31, Iowa 13

No. 5 Tennessee at No. 10 Alabama

After faltering against Florida early in the season, Tennesse has fought back with a vengeance to regain a spot in the top five. Alabama, on the other hand, has surprised everybody in earning a top-10 ranking. In a way, the Vounteers are indebted to 'Bama for knocking off the same Gators and leaving the SEC East race wide open. Don't expect them to show any gratitude on the field, however.

A shaky start for the Vols included the loss to Florida, and a close win over Memphis. Since then, Tennessee convincingly defeated then-No. 9 Georgia to rebound and hold on to hopes for a repeat trip to the national championship game.

Alabama has surpassed all expectations, defeating two top-fifteen teams in Florida and Arkansas. They have done so on the shoulders of tailback Alexander, who has emerged as a dark horse in the quest for the Heisman. Alexander has been consistent, multi-faceted, and he has stepped up in the most important games. Andrew Zow has improved his game this year as well, proving to be solid and steady at the helm.

Tennessee's own preseason Heisman candidate running back, Jamal Lewis, has been somewhat of a disappointment, and backup Travis Henry has done a lot with the carries he's received. Tee Martin has bounced back from a poor start, and against Georgia two weeks ago, the Vols of old finally came through, with Tee making plays and Deon Grant leading a spirited defense.

Both of these teams can light up the scoreboard, and Alexander will get his share of yards and move closer to the national spotlight. If Zow can overcome Grant and the rest of the UT secondary, Alabama could squeak one out, but its more probable that Tennessee continues its run.

Tennessee 30, Alabama 24

No. 3 Nebraska at No. 18 Texas

The 'Huskers are 0-2 against Texas since joining the Big 12 in 1996, and the rest of the conference has beaten them the same number of times.

This is a new year, and with Eric Crouch leading the way, Nebraska has been unstoppable lately. The offense is rolling over the competition once again, and the defense has been stifling, allowing less than ten points a game. Their offense is still mind-numbingly simple, but that's beside the point.

But the Longhorns can't be counted out just because they're the underdog going in. Major Applewhite stepped in as a freshman last season and left hostile Memorial Stadium with a victory, ending Nebraska's 47-game home winning streak in the process.

Again, this is a new year, and nothing short of Ricky Williams' return to don the 'Horns' uniforms will keep Nebraska from achieving the revenge they thirst for.

Nebraska 37, Texas 21

10-21-99