| The Big Ten Conference has become a two-team | | | | Badger fans will be worried if Stocco cannot |
| race and we are now just one week away from | | | | return to action next week in Iowa City. |
| the dream match-up between Michigan and Ohio | | | | But the biggest story of this game was the |
| State. These two teams were looking ahead last | | | | broken leg suffered by 79-year-old coach Joe |
| weekend and both survived single-digit victories | | | | Paterno. He was knocked over on a pass play |
| over bad teams. After these two programs, | | | | that went to the sidelines and one could easily tell |
| there is a clear-cut No. 3 team that plays just 25 | | | | that he was in pain. He was holding his leg for |
| minutes away from our main office in Wisconsin. | | | | several minutes before doctors finally convinced |
| I stated a couple of weeks ago that Wisconsin | | | | him to sit down. He eventually agreed to a leg |
| and Iowa would be vying for the third spot and a | | | | brace before being carted off the field and flew |
| berth in the Capitol One Bowl when the two | | | | back to State College ahead of the team. My |
| teams met on Nov. 11. But since then Iowa has | | | | guess is that Joe Pa will be back next week when |
| fallen apart and it will be interesting to see what | | | | his team host Temple in some capacity. That |
| kind of effort they give this week. Coach Ferentz | | | | being said, State is favored by 35 points against |
| has won the last four meetings in this series and | | | | the in-state rival and I could easily coach this |
| it well be interesting to see if he can get his team | | | | team to a victory, so a week of rest may not |
| up for this border rivalry after such a | | | | be that bad of an idea. |
| disappointing 2006 season. The following will recap | | | | Finally, Purdue moved within one triumph of a |
| some of the highlights from last weekend and | | | | bowl game with a victory in East Lansing, 17-15. |
| preview a very important week ahead: | | | | The Boilermakers led throughout this contest until |
| Iowa hosted Northwestern and it appeared that | | | | early in the fourth quarter when T.J. Williams |
| they would have no problem notching their | | | | caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from QB Drew |
| seventh victory on the season. They entered as | | | | Stanton. Sparty went up by one point, but like so |
| a 20-point favorite and another sports service | | | | many games this season they could not hold the |
| released them as the Midwest Game of the Year. | | | | lead. The loss was disheartening for Coach John L. |
| This was too much weight to put on the | | | | Smith, who learned last week that his remaining |
| shoulders of QB Drew Tate, as his team came | | | | two years on his contract would be bought out. |
| out flat and was dominated by the Cats. | | | | Purdue drove down the field late in the fourth and |
| Northwestern controlled the first half, scoring two | | | | with 4:49 remaining in the game Casey Welch |
| touchdowns and picking up a key interception in | | | | kicked a 19-yard field goal to give them the lead |
| the endzone to thwart a Hawkeye drive. This | | | | for good by two points. |
| score could have been much worse than 14-0, as | | | | The statistics in this game were even with both |
| the Cats came away empty on two other trips | | | | teams having more than 300 total yards, but |
| into the red zone. | | | | Michigan State was much more balanced as they |
| The second half was much like the first. Neither | | | | rushed for 145 yards. This team seems to find |
| team was able to generate much offense, and | | | | ways to lose football games and that is a |
| each team managed just a touchdown apiece. | | | | nightmare when trying to handicap. Nobody knows |
| The Cats did not luck their way into this victory, | | | | what type of effort to expect from them and |
| as they dominated the total yardage, 445-266. | | | | thus they are a team to stay away from when |
| They had great balance going for more than 200 | | | | gambling. |
| yards in rushing and passing and this reminded me | | | | This is a nice victory for Purdue, who will now |
| of the days when Randy Walker was at the helm. | | | | take on two bottom feeders to close out |
| This was their first conference win on the season | | | | conference play. Both of these games are |
| and I would expect them to play well for the | | | | winnable before their season ends with a trip to |
| remainder of this campaign. They have another | | | | Hawaii. It's very possible this team could record |
| winnable game in two weeks when they host | | | | nine wins. They will enter Champaign next |
| Illinois. | | | | weekend as a two-point underdog and I would |
| As for Iowa, this was their second embarrassing | | | | take a serious look at the road team. Michigan |
| loss on the season. They suffered a loss to | | | | State will host Minnesota and the line in this game |
| Indiana as well and now may struggle to win | | | | is even. But like I said, State is a team that |
| another game this season. They will host | | | | cannot be trusted and I would expect a |
| Wisconsin this weekend and currently the line is | | | | double-digit winner in this game whichever side |
| off the board because of the status of Badger | | | | that it may be. |
| QB John Stocco. The Badgers will never get a | | | | As it stands now, just six of the eleven teams in |
| more favorable situation to end their current | | | | the conference will be going bowling. The |
| losing streak against the Hawkeyes. Iowa has | | | | conference could receive a seventh bid if Indiana |
| already qualified for a bowl game but it will be one | | | | could pull an upset in one of their last two games, |
| taking place before New Year's Day. | | | | but they will be a big underdog in both of these |
| Northwestern will host Ohio State next weekend | | | | contests (Michigan +19, at Purdue). The |
| and currently enter as a 23-point dog. Unlike last | | | | conference should receive two BCS bids with the |
| week, I do not expect Ohio State to be looking | | | | loser of the Ohio State-Michigan game going to |
| ahead in this one. | | | | the Rose Bowl and the winner going to Glendale. |
| The Wisconsin Badgers all but wrapped up a trip | | | | Final Thoughts from Around College Football |
| to Orlando with their victory against Penn State | | | | 1) Arkansas continues to win football games, but |
| last weekend. We had the ‘under' in this game | | | | fails to impress people in the standings. They have |
| and everything worked out perfectly with only 16 | | | | three tough games ahead and I expect them to |
| points being tallied. State did move the ball | | | | lose at least two of them because of the lack of |
| between the thirties, but their drives seemed to | | | | a passing game. |
| stall once they got near the red zone. The Lions | | | | 2) The Louisville/West Virginia game lived up to |
| did force two turnovers but that could have easily | | | | expectations and I feel that if Louisville can run |
| been more were it not for some dropped | | | | the table, they will be in Glendale playing for the |
| interceptions by the secondary. Wisconsin broke a | | | | National Championship. This will not be a cakewalk |
| 3-3 tie late in the second quarter when Paul | | | | game either since this team can put points on the |
| Hubbard caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from | | | | scoreboard and may be worth a look as an |
| Stocco. This would be the only touchdown scored | | | | underdog. |
| in the game and Stocco would go out with a | | | | 3) I still believe Florida will win the SEC having |
| shoulder injury in the fourth. | | | | played a brutal schedule and will defeat Arkansas |
| The Badgers went up by two scores early in the | | | | easily if the two teams would happen to meet in |
| fourth quarter when Taylor Melhaff kicked a chip | | | | Atlanta. If a one-loss team would emerge into the |
| shot field goal to give Wisconsin the lead, 13-3. | | | | title game, I would suspect it would be them. |
| This scoring drive was set up when a punt | | | | This week we will be going with our, "College |
| bounced off a Lion player deep inside the red | | | | Game of the Year" after our one in September |
| zone. The Badgers looked bad all day on offense | | | | pushed. We will earn the victory with this game |
| and did not ask back-up QB Donovan to light up | | | | and would like you to jump aboard, as we have |
| the scoreboard. He threw just one pass and | | | | had three remarkable weekends in football. |