What I'm Thankful for...Big Ten Football Edition

The day after stuffing my face with good food and spending quality time with family, I decided to compile a list of the things I'm most thankful for this Big Ten season.

I'm thankful for...

-Northwestern getting an eight win season: Pat Fitzgerald is a tremendous coach and sometimes doesn't get the respect or the media coverage he and the Wildcats deserve. But Fitzgerald has done a fantastic job, leading the Wildcats to 17 wins in the past two seasons, 10 of those wins coming in Big Ten play.

-Bill Lynch's tirades: He provided me entertainment throughout the season. Especially this one against Michigan.


-Illinois's Struggles: Maybe it's because I'm a Cubs fan and I'm sick of hearing White Sox fans talk about a World Series victory from four years ago. I feel the same way with Illinois. I'm tired of hearing about your Rose Bowl berth a couple years back.

-"In Kirk We Trust": Kirk Ferentz is just an absolutely amazing coach. He has been through player troubles and the media criticism a couple years ago to lead this team to back-to-back succesful seasons (9 wins last year and 10 so far this year). Despite not having any highly touted recruits out of High School, he makes the most of what he has. He led the Hawkeyes to a 9-0 start, their best start ever in school history.

-Purdue and Danny Hope: At the beginning of the season, I didn't think Purdue would get more than two wins. But with a new coach and a lot of new players, they surprised me a lot this year. Despite struggles and losing a lot of close games, they had a pretty damn good year. They knocked off Ohio State and the future looks bright for Danny Hope and the Boilers.

-Iowa's wild and crazy season: Two consecutive blocked Field Goals against Northern Iowa, a blocked punt by Adrian Clayborn in Happy Valley, Stanzi to McNutt against Michigan State, Tyler Sash's 90+yard interception that ricocheted off of five or 6 players, a redshirt freshman QB taking Ohio State down to the wire at the "Horseshoe." It's been an incredible ride and I am so thankful that I was able to experience it.

Stay off the Grass!

A brief message to fellow Hawkeye fans: When will you learn?

Once again, in front of the bright lights of ABC’s national audience, thousands of Iowa students poured over the stands and onto to the field to celebrate the 30-28 Homecoming victory over Michigan.

Are you kidding me?

There was absolutely no fathomable reason at all that Iowa fans should have stormed the field.

Let me remind you that the undefeated, then 12^th-ranked Hawkeyes were favored against the unranked Wolverines. But being favored hasn’t stopped fans in the past. I can recall in 2007 when a number of fans stormed historic Kinnick Stadium after a five-point victory against Minnesota.

Great, we won the Floyd of Rosedale, but here’s the catch. Minnesota had one win the entire season!

I understand that it’s exciting that the Hawkeyes are 7-0 for the first time since before most students we’re born and that the game was nationally televised , but if Iowa is going to be taken seriously as the No. 7 team in the country (No. 6 in the BCS) and as a Big Ten title contender, fans need to act like we’ve been here before. Storming the field every time Iowa wins a game is utterly unacceptable.

Storming the field makes our fans and our team look like we don’t compare to the upper-tier teams in the Big Ten and in other major conferences. It gives off the impression that we as fans weren’t expecting the win the game.

Think about how many times fans of USC, Florida, or Texas have stormed the field. Storming the field is meant for teams like Rutgers, Temple, Iowa State (gasp), and Florida International.

Let’s be associated with the former and not the latter.

So here you go Hawkeye fans, here’s the proper field storming etiquette. When you’re thinking about heading down to the turf, revert back to these three rules.

If it doesn’t fall under one of these categories, stay in the stands.

1) If you’re an underdog: Case and point the Penn State game in 2008. It’s fine to storm the field when you’re team is unranked and they knock off the No. 3 team in the country.

2) Last second victories: This one needs a little bit of explaining. This is for game winning plays against teams of equal or greater playing field. No storming the field when it takes an unprecedented play to save us from a major upset – i.e. Northern Iowa (at least we did that one right).

3) Capping off a historic season: In 2002-2003, Iowa went into its final home game with a record of 9-1, competing for a spot in BCS. In the final home game, Iowa defeated Northwestern 62-10, and fans poured onto the field to celebrate with the team that eventually earned a bid to the Orange Bowl. If the Hawkeyes are undefeated or even a one-loss team heading into the final home game (knock on wood), feel free to join Pat Angerer, Ricky Stanzi, and Adrian Clayborn on the turf to celebrate the magnificent season.

If we want to be taken seriously as a year-in, year-out contender and not just a one-hit wonder, keep it in the stands fans, keep it in the stands.

The BIG Ten Video of the Week

Time for a another new middle of the week feature that I'd like to call the BIG TEN VIDEO OF THE WEEK!

Each week, I'll scour the internet in search of the best, craziest, hilarious, and occasionally insightful videos from the Big Ten within the past week. This one comes from right in my backyard, historic Kinnick Stadium, from last week's game against Arkansas State. I'm not sure what this guy was thinking, but he did get the crowds attention with his dazzling moves.

BTOC: Week 5

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (4-1)

2. Iowa Hawkeyes (5-0)

3. Penn State Nittany Lions (4-1)

4. Wisconsin Badgers (5-0)

5. Michigan Wolverines (4-1)

6. Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-2)

7. Northwestern Wildcats (3-2)

8. Michigan State Spartans (2-3)

9. Indiana Hoosiers (3-2)

10. Illinois Illini (1-3)

11. Purdue Boilermakers (1-4)

Pre-Game Tweets plus some Big Recruiting News

Time for some pre-game tweets to give you readers some insight into whats going on around the Big Ten...

Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema: " Here at the team hotel and the guys were focused in our team meetings. We are excited to be the first Big Ten game in the new stadium...."

Penn State assistant Jay Paterno: "Red Grange scored 6TDs-5 TD runs & 1 TD pass in Oct 1924 at Illinois' Memorial Stadium-In '05 M Rob matched it with 4 TD passes & 2 TD runs

Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald: "Just wrapped up our pre-game walk-thru. Getting a quick lunch and then heading to West Lafayette to take on the Boilermakers! GO CATS!"

In other news, the Iowa Hawkeyes landed one of the top recruits in the country today.

A.J. Derby (below) of Iowa City High School in Iowa City, IA verbally committed to the Hawkeyes today.

The 6-4, 218-pound QB received offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, and Michigan, among others.

According to Rivals.com, Derby is rated as the 16th best QB in the country and the 174th best overall player in the U.S.

Photo Credit: Rivals.com

Week 5 already!? Unbelievable

Its crazy how fast the season has flown by, we're already at week 5. Well here's my picks and predictions for this weeks games.
Lets see if I can continue to beat Adam Rittenberg

Arkansas State vs. Iowa
Game Time: 11 a.m. on ESPN2
What to watch for: Look to see if the Hawks can continue to roll. They've looked extremely impressive after that near slip-up against Northern Iowa. Offensive lineman Bryan Bulaga has been cleared to play after a thyroid condition kept him out for three weeks.
Prediction: On Iowa! Hawkeyes roll 27-7

Michigan vs. Michigan State
Game Time: 11 a.m. on Big Ten Network
What to watch for: A loss for Sparty would be absolutely detrimental. I think quarterback play and the turnover battle will be the key to this one.
Prediction: Tate is still a Forcier and the Wolverines remain atop the Big Ten after this one. Sparty's season looks to be coming to a close...Michigan wins 24-13

Northwestern vs. Purdue
Game Time: 11 a.m. on Big Ten Network
What to watch for: Purdue's has been horrific when it comes to penalties. Last week the Boilers committed 13 penalties for 103 yards against Notre Dame.
Prediction: Pat Fitzgerald will have his team fired up and the Wildcats will come away victorious, 24-17

Wisconsin vs. Minnesota
Game Time: 11 a.m. on ESPN
What to watch for: Badger QB Scott Tolzien has played just as good as any other QB in the Big Ten, if not better than any other QB. Look for him to have another good one, but this will be a tougher test for Wisconsin.
Prediction: Wisconsin continues to roll, but this one is going to be really close. Decker and Weber will keep the Gophers in it. Badgers win 17-14

There are your predictions for the early games, I'll be back later tonight or tomorrow with the afternoon and evening game picks.

10 Big Things from Week 4

Time for everyone's favorite segment...10 BIG THINGS!

10. Duane Bennett: The Gopher RB took some pressure off of QB Adam Weber and star wideout Eric Decker by rushing for 89 yards on 21 carries. The sophomore ran for three touchdowns.

9. Juice Williams: Will the real Juice Williams please stand up? Voted as the first team All-Big Ten quarterback this preseason, the senior had an awful performance against the Buckeyes. Williams threw for only 79 yards and tossed two interceptions

8. Michigan State struggles yet again: At this point, Sparty fans are probably counting down the days until the start of basketball season. Michigan State struggled for the third straight week, turning the ball over four times. Sparty has turned the ball over six times in the last two games.

7. Iowa has Big Ten Players of the Week...again: The streak continues. The Hawkeyes have had at least one Big Ten Player of the Week in each of the first four weeks. This week it was senior linebacker Pat Angerer and junior defensive lineman Adrian Clayborn. Binns was named defensive player of the week for recording a safety and Clayborn was named sp

ecial teams player of the week for returning a punt for a touchdown.

6. Bad Call in IU-Michigan game: It appeared that Hoosier receiver Demarlo Belcher and the Wolverine defender both had possession of the ball as they hit the ground, which would be ruled as dual possession, giving the ball to the Hoosiers. However, the call on the field was ruled an interception and the play stood even after an official review. This call cost the Hoosiers a chance to mount a comeback drive against Michigan.

5. John Clay: The Badger running back rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown in the

win over Michigan State

4. Bill Lynch's sideline tirade: The Hoosier head man (right) had a good one on Saturday. After the dual-possession/interception play occurred, Lynch sprinted down the sidelines, tossing his headset down and chucking his gum (the flavor was probably gone anyways...)

(Photo credit: espn.com)

3. Tate Forcier: The freshman QB lead the Wolverine comeback over the Hoosiers, throwing for 184 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a score.

2. Scott Tolzien: The Wisconsin signal caller is for real. The junior threw for 243 yards and four touchdowns in the 38-30 win over Michigan State.

1. Iowa Hawkeyes upset Joe Pa: The Hawkeyes defeated the Nittany Lions for the seventh time in the last eight meetings. The win moved Iowa into the top 25, putting them at 13th in the AP poll and 17th in the Coaches poll

1A. Football in the Heartland blogger beating ESPN Big Ten blogger in pick'em: That's right, I don't want to brag or anything, but I am up four games on ESPN Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg in picking Big Ten games.

BTOC: Big Team on Campus

Last Week's Rankings in parentheses after the win-loss record

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (3-1) - (2)

2. Iowa Hawkeyes (4-0) - (3)

3. Penn State Nittany Lions (3-1) - (1)

4. Michigan Wolverines (4-0) - (4)

5. Wisconsin Badgers (4-0) - (5)

6. Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-1) - (7)

7. Indiana Hoosiers (3-1) - (10)

8. Northwestern Wildcats (2-2) - (8)

9. Illinois Illini (1-2) - (9)

10. Michigan State Spartans (1-3) - (6)

11. Purdue Boilermakers (1-3) - (11)

Sizing up the triad of afternoon action

Illinois (1-1) vs. Ohio State (2-1)
Game Time: 2:30 p.m. on ABC
What to watch for: Let's see how Illinois plays coming off of their bye week. Haven't heard much from Juice Williams and "Rejus" Benn yet have we?
Prediction: It's a big game for the Illini, a big game I don't think they are ready for. Buckeyes win it at home, 24-10


Notre Dame (2-1) vs. Purdue (1-2)
Game Time: 7 p.m. on ESPN
What to watch for: Still can't quite figure out Purdue. They play tough on the road against Oregon and then they lose to Northern Illinois? Joey Elliott and Ralph Bolden need to have a good game if the Boilers are going to stay in this one.
Prediction: I think Purdue will keep it close, but Notre Dame is simply the better team. Irish win it 30-20


Iowa (3-0) vs. Penn State (3-0)
Game Time: 7 p.m. on ABC
What to watch for: The Lions will be looking for revenge and will give Iowa a tough atmosphere at home (watch for the whiteout). The game will hinge on the Iowa defense and whether or not Hawkeye QB Ricky Stanzi is able to step up and play well.
Prediction: Call me biased but I really think the Hawkeyes are gonna win this one again. Penn State hasn't played anyone good thus far, and they haven't looked particularly good either. Sean Lee might miss this game which is a crucial blow for the Nittany Lions. I think the Hawkeye "D" plays extremely well and the offense does just enough to win this one. Hawkeyes win it, 20-17

BTOC: Big Team on Campus

We're heading for Week 4 of Big Ten play, and that means it time to toss around some rankings. Now I don't use any high tech mathematical formulas or computers to figure out the top teams in the Big Ten. Just my brain, and my mind...and I'm using my head too. So here we go, lets size up the Big Ten rankings thru three weeks of play. Who's the BIG TEAM ON CAMPUS?

1. Penn State Nittany Lions (3-0)

2. Ohio State Buckeyes (2-1)

3. Iowa Hawkeyes (3-0)

4. Michigan Wolverines (3-0)

5. Wisconsin Badgers (3-0)

6. Michigan State Spartans (1-2): I think they are much better team than how they've been playing

7. Minnesota Golden Gophers (2-1)

8. Northwestern Wildcats (2-1)

9. Illinois Illini (1-1)

10. Indiana Hoosiers (3-0): Lets see how they do in Big Ten play

11. Purdue Boilermakers (1-2)

Agree? Disagree? Discuss....

10 Big Things from Week 3

Another week, another 10 Big Things

10. Sean Lee injured: The Nittany Lions start linebacker sprained his knee in the first half of the game against Temple. He is curretly listed as "possible" on the depth chart for this weeks game against Iowa. If Lee is unable to play, it could be detrimental for the Lions (And great for my Hawkeyes!)

9. Big Ten loses to a MAC school for the second straight week: It was bad enough when Central Michigan defeated Sparty, now Northern Illinois dominated Purdue. Whats next?!

8. Tyler Sash (right): Making his second appearance on the 10 Big Things. Sash had another interception this past weekend, giving him four picks already this season.

(Photo Credit: Hawkeyesports.com)

7. Ralph Bolden: The sophomore runner caught four passes for 62 yards and ran for another 64 yards to continue his string of good play for the Boilers.

6. Wolverine center David Molk: The big fella suffered a broken bone in his foot on Saturday that will require surgery. The anchor of the Michigan line will be out for 4-6 weeks.

5. Greg Jones: The Sparty LB continues to show why he was named Big Ten preseason player of the year. Jones is 3rd in the NCAA in tackles with 38.

4. Hawkeyes continue streak of player of week winners: Iowa punter Ryan Donahue was named co-Big Ten special teams player of the week this week. Iowa has produced a player of the week in each of the first three weeks this season. Jeremiha Hunter was co-special teams player of the week in week 1 and Tyler Sash was co-defensive player of the week in week 2.

3. Indiana undefeated: I have to give Indiana a little bit of credit, they are a little bit better than I thought they would be. I figured they would slip up agaist at least one of these non-conference teams, so I give credit to Bill Lynch and the Hoosiers. However, this doesn't mean they will be sucessful in the Big Ten by any stretch of the imagination

2. Ohio State rights the ship: Great job by the Buckeyes to get back on track and easily defeat Toledo this past week. That's big for them going into the Big Ten schedule. Although Terelle Pryor did throw two picks, which is a bit disheartening.

1. ESPN College GameDay heading to Big Ten Country: College GameDay is going to Happy Valley this coming Saturday for the Iowa-Penn State game. Get fired up Big Ten Fans. I know I am. I'm hoping to see Corso throw on a Herky Hawkeye mask, but I won't count on it.

News around the Big Ten

Time for some news, notes, and the occasional nugget from other newspapers and blogs

Ken Gordon of the Columbus Dispatch writes that Jim Tressel will continue his play-calling duties despite fan frustration.

Jeff Rabjohns of the Indianapolis Star writes about former Purdue linebacker Kevin Sumlin and how he has revived the Houston program

Terry Hutchens of the Indianapolis Star writes about Indiana's 2-0 start. But are they for real?

Kent Youngblood of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes that the Gophers need to be more consistent on offense if they want to upset #8 California.

Andrew Logue of the Des Moines Register writes about the Stoops family's return to Iowa City this weekend.

Adam Rittenberg of ESPN writes that Wisconsin is still struggling with the flu

Rich Rodriguez posted on his twitter: "Just launched our new football website, check it out @ http://insidemichiganfootball.com/. Let me know what you think"

Brian McLaughlin of the Sporting News writes that Penn State landed the top fullback recruit in the country.

10 Big Things from week 2

It's time for the second installment of 10 big things from the Big Ten. This week was another extremely exciting week, full of close games, big plays, and even an upset. After going 10-1 in week one, the Big Ten struggled slightly this week going 8-3, but it could have been much worse. So without further ado, lets take a look at those 10 things...

10. Eric Decker: The Gopher wideout had 10 catches for 113 yards on Saturdays win against Air Force. The senior is second in the NCAA in receptions with 19 and third in the NCAA in receiving yards with 296.

9. Gophers christen new stadium with a win: Minnesota's first game in sold-out TCF Bank stadium was a victory over the Air Force Falcons, 20-13. The Gophers played outdoors and on the campus for the first time in 27 years.

8. USC vs. Big Ten teams: I feel like I'm beating a dead (trojan) horse when I say this, but just in case you've been living under a rock for the past couple of years, USC has absolutely dominated Big Ten opponents. The Trojans are 10-0 in their last 10 games against Big Ten teams, nine of those wins are by double-digits. Pete Carroll is a pretty good coach, enough said.

7. Iowa RB's: After a pretty dismal efford against FCS opponent Northern Iowa, the Hawkeye rushers came to play against the Cyclones of Iowa State. The Hawkeyes may have found a new starting running back in freshman Brandon Wegher, who ran for 101 yards and a touchdown. Adam Robinson added another 69 yards as the Hawks rushed for a total of 191 yards. Not great, but getting better.

6. Purdue's PAT struggles: Purdue had a PAT blocked at the beginning of the 4th quarter that would have tied the game at 31-31. That missed PAT came back to haunt them when they scored with one minute to play in the game. Forced to go for two, Kyle Adams caught quarterback Joey Elliott's pass, unfortunately he caught it out of bounds and the Boilers lost 38-36.

5. Michigan in the Top 25: The Wolverines are in the top 25 for the first time in Rich Rod's tenure at UM after knocking off the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame on Saturday.

4. Ralph Bolden (right): Purdue's new running back showed that he certainly wasn't a one-hit wonder after rushing for 234 yards against Toledo in week 1. The sophomore ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns against a much tougher Oregon team, and currently leads the NCAA in rushing yards with 357. The Sporting News Dave Curtis wrote a bio about Bolden earlier last week.

Photo credit: www.sportingnews.com

3. Tyler Sash: The Hawkeye safety had three picks and a forced fumble against in-state rial Iowa State, earning him Big Ten co-defensive player of the week. The sophomore has five interceptions in his last five games, dating back to last season, including a crucial interception against last year against Penn State.

2. Big Ten vs. MAC: For some reason, the Big Ten continues to struggle against the Mid-American Conference. Michigan State lost to Central Michigan, Northwestern and Indiana barely snuck by Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan, respectively, and in week one Wisconsin nearly blew it at home against Northern Illinois. I don't know if the Big Ten teams overlook these squads or play down to their level or what, but they should be beating them by a lot more than three points and certainly should not be losing to these teams.

1. Tate Forcier (below): The freshman had an outstanding game for the Wolverines, leading them to victory over the 18th ranked Fighting Irish. The freshman signal caller threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns, earning him Big Ten co-offensive player of the week.

Photo Credit: www.mlive.com

Star Hawkeye O-lineman out for Cy-Hawk game this weekend. Plus other Big Ten nuggets

Iowa offensive lineman Bryan Bulaga (right, #79) will miss this weekends game at Iowa State due to a mysterious ailment or illness.

Twitter and several message boards were buzzing yesterday with rumors of the ailment. The rumors ranged from an ailment that would keep him out this week to a condition that could possibly be career-threatening.

But hold the phone, here's what we know so far. ESPN blogger Adam Rittenberg reports that he will miss the Iowa State game.

"Bryan Bulaga was hospitalized with an illness this past week and will not be available to play [Saturday]," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said in a statement. "Bryan is doing much better, has been released and will accompany the team this weekend. We expect Bryan to return to his normal activities soon."

The junior O-lineman earned second team All-Big Ten honors last season and was voted as a preseason second team all-american by Phil Steele's College Football. He is considered to be a legitimate NFL prospect and Sports Illustrated predicted Bulaga to be an All-American this season in their College Football Preview edition.

(Photo Credit: www.nationalchamps.net)


Other Big Ten nuggets...

-Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free press writes that Rich Rod and Jim Tressel will be rooting for each other this weekend
-Mike Carmin of the Indiapolis Star writes about the energy that new Boiler coach Danny Hope brings to Purdue.
-ESPN blogger Adam Rittenberg writes about the wild atmosphere the Hawkeyes will face in Ames, IA when they take on the Cyclones this weekend.
-Herb Gould of the Chicago Sun-Times writes about how Big Ten pride hangs on the shoulders of Ohio State this weekend.

Big Weekend for Big Ten: My Week 2 Picks for the 11 a.m. games

It's time for another week of picks. Last week the Big Ten went 10-1 and I went 11-0 with my picks. I plan to stay undefeated this week with my picks, but if I do, then the Big Ten certainly will not have a 10-1 record this week. Lets take a look at the games...

Western Michigan (0-1) vs. Indiana (1-0)
Game Time: 11 a.m. on the Big Ten Network
Who to watch For: Western Michigan QB Tim Hiller completed 22 passes for 259 yards against Michigan last week, throwing one touchdown and two interceptions. Hiller ranks 13th all time in MAC history in career passing yards and 6th in career passing touchdowns.
Prediction: Indiana will pick up win number two, which is good because wins are going to be hard to come by for the Hoosiers as the season progresses. Indiana 17, Western Michigan 10

Central Michigan (0-1) vs. Michigan St. (1-0)
Game Time: 11 a.m. on ESPN2
Who to watch for: CMU QB Dan LeFevour has passed for 9,575 yards, thrown 74 touchdowns, and rushed for 2,253 in his career as a Chippewa.
Prediction: Michigan St. will continue to use both Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol at QB, and the MSU defense will be too much for the Chippewas. Michigan State 30, Central Michigan 14

Eastern Michigan (0-1) vs. Northwestern (1-0)
Game Time: 11 a.m. on the Big Ten Network
Who to watch for: Northwestern's Corey Wootton is on the watch list for several defensive awards this season. The defensive end only played a quarter in week 1 vs. Towson after sitting out much of spring practice nursing the Torn ACL he suffered in the Alamo Bowl last season. Look to see if he gets more time this weekend.
Prediction: Wildcats QB Mike Kafka has a big day and Northwestern trounces EMU, 40-10.

Syracuse (0-1) vs. Penn St (1-0)
Game Time: 11 a.m. on the Big Ten Network
Who to watch for: Daryll Clark and Greg Paulus. Look for Clark to have another big day at QB for the Lions, but I expect Paulus to have a pretty good game in his second career start with the Orange.
Prediction: This will be a close game for one or two quarters, but the Lions pull away in the second half. Penn State 37, Syracuse 17.

Iowa (1-0) vs. Iowa State (1-0)
Game Time: 11 a.m. on FSN (Mediacom in Iowa)
Who to watch for: Derrell Johnson-Koulianos was almost non-existent in Iowa's near stumble against FCS foe Northern Iowa. Last year, "DJK" was one of Ricky Stanzi's go-to receivers, having 44 catches for 639 yards. But last week, he made only one catch for 22 yards and only saw the field for a couple of plays.
Prediction: First Rivalry game of the season, the Battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy. Although the Hawkeyes never seem to play well at Iowa State, I see Iowa winning a close one to get them to 2-0. Hawkeyes win this one 24-17.

Fresno State (1-0) vs. Wisconsin (1-0)
Game Time: 11 a.m. on ESPN
Who to watch for: Fresno State running back Ryan Matthews ran for 106 yards last week against UC-Davis. The junior has run for over 1,500 yards in his career.
Prediction: *UPSET ALERT* Wisconsin almost blew it last week at home against Northern Illinois, look for Fresno State to pull off the upset at Camp Randall this week. Fresno State wins it on the road, 36-27

Week 1 Picks - Part Deux

Ok, here's the second exciting installment of my week one picks. All game times are in central time.

Minnesota vs. Syracuse
Game Time: 11 a.m. on ESPN2
What to watch for: Definitely Orange quarterback Greg Paulus (right). The Duke point guard turned QB is definitely going to be interesting to watch this season. The good news is I don't think he can make Syracuse much worse...

Prediction: Golden Gophers win it 30-10

(Photo credit: http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast)

Northern Iowa vs. Iowa
Game Time: 11 a.m.
What to watch for: The Iowa running backs. With Shonn Greene in the NFL and Jewel Hampton done for the season with a knee injury, Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes will more than likely be looking to use a running back by committee. The only experienced back is Paki O'Meara, who has 62 rushing yards in his career.

Prediciton: Hawkeyes pummel Panthers, 31-9, and I will sing "In Heaven there is No Beer" with the other 70,000 screaming Hawk fans.

Akron vs. Penn State
Game Time: 11 a.m. on the Big Ten Network
What to watch for: Joe Paterno, he will be back on the sidelines for the Nittany Lions for the first time in quite a while.

Prediction: Penn State might have the biggest cupcake non-conference schedule ever. Penn State wins REALLY REALLY BIG, 55-7

Toledo vs. Purdue
Game Time: 11 a.m.
What to watch for: Joey Elliot takes over at quarterback after Curtis Painter set almost every Big Ten passing record possible. That being said, its going to be a rough first season for new head coach Danny Hope.

Prediction: Joe Tiller is glad he is fishing back in Wyoming, because it's going to be a long year. Purdue will win this one though, 21-10

Western Michigan vs. Michigan
Game Time: 2:30 p.m. on ABC
What to watch for: The Michigan quarterbacks. True freshman Tate Forcier will start the game but Nick Sheridan and Denard Robinson will also see action.

Prediction: Team Rich Rod wins this one 28-10

Missouri vs. Illinois
Game Time: 2:40 on ESPN
What to watch for: Illinois has a tough game right from the start. Let's see if Juice Williams can live up to being the preseason 1st team All-Big Ten Quarterback. I frankly don't see think he will.

Prediction: This game will be a back and forth shootout. Last team with the ball will probably win this one. Mizzou takes down the Fighting Zooks, 38-31

Northern Illinois vs. Wisconsin
Game Time: 6 p.m. on the Big Ten Network
What to watch for: Once again, the quarterbacks. Scott Tolzien will get the start for the Badgers, a 4th year junior who hasn't seen much action, completing only five passes in his college career.

Prediction: Camp Randall crowd will be too much for the Huskies. Badgers win this one 27-9

Well that wraps up my week 1 picks. I'm done with class for the week and I'm ready to get up bright and early and head over to beautiful and historic Kinnick Stadium to kickoff the collge football season right. After that you can find me glued to my TV, watching as much college football as humanly possible. Stay tuned though, because although I probably won't do any homework until Monday night. I will be blogging a couple times during the weekend.