Challenges remain for Big Ten best

By Chris Duprey

Daily Sports Editor

Iowa City and East Lansing are unlikely venues for competitive football this weekend, given the home teams' position in the Big Ten standings.

Interest is in the air because the Big Ten's co-leaders each face a road test this weekend. Purdue travels to Michigan State and Northwestern faces Iowa.

Michigan State and Iowa are buried in the conference standings. The Hawkeyes will not be playing in a bowl game, and Michigan State would need wins this week and next to become bowl-eligible.

But Saturday is Senior Day for both teams, and with the quality of the opponent serving as motivation, no victory is guaranteed - no matter who's favored.

Both Purdue and Northwestern have second-tier opponents in their final games. Purdue draws Indiana in the Old Oaken Bucket game in West Lafayette on Nov. 18, while Northwestern returns home to face rival Illinois.

"I'm so strong and so adamant with our team about avoiding looking ahead that I guess I've convinced myself not to do it too," Purdue coach Joe Tiller said.

As for this weekend, the Spartans are ranked second in the nation in pass defense, making them the best group Purdue has gone against so far this season.

"Michigan State is a big concern to Purdue because of the way they play pass defense," Tiller said. "It's no secret to anyone - if we have a choice of how we're going to move the football, we would prefer to move it throwing the ball."

Over in Evanston, Northwestern coach Randy Walker said that he woke up at 5 a.m. this past Sunday - not to reflect on his shootout victory over Michigan, but to think about Iowa.

"They're making pretty good progress," Walker said of second-year coach Kirk Ferentz's work at Iowa. "I think they're playing their best football right now.

"I've always said there's not a lot of difference anymore between teams in any conference, let alone the Big Ten. I believe Iowa's real close to being right there."

Don't forget Antwaan: Lost in the football netherworld that is Bloomington, Indiana quarterback Antwaan Randle El has occasionally suffered from a lack of appreciation for his efforts.

The Hoosiers (2-4 Big Ten, 3-6 overall) will miss out on the bowl season again after another lackluster year. The lack of television interest in Indiana football has affected Randle El's

exposure throughout his three-year career.

Indiana coach Cam Cameron addressed the inclusion of Randle El in the Heisman Trophy race, giving him resounding support.

"What is the Heisman Trophy? Is it a team award, an individual award? Is it to go to the best college football player? Cameron said. "If it goes to the best college football player, without question he should be mentioned with those other guys.

"I've coached quarterbacks and receivers that were All-Big Ten, I've been around quarterbacks that have been All-American, I've been around a quarterback that played in the Pro Bowl. I was the position coach of a Heisman Trophy winner, Desmond Howard. All those guys were great players. This guy is as good or better than all of them."