Weekend Wrap Up

Posting very late this "morning," "Hello, noon!" But, that's just what happens when you spend your Sunday helping a friend move, trying to finish an article (didn't happen) and sneaking in a bbq/game of "Celebrities." For the minority of suddenlystruttin readership that actually cares about college football, I suggest reading Orson Swindle's take on this madcap weekend that was. To recap the Big Ten weekend stay tuned right here, because here's the the Big Ten recap:

Michigan 28 Northwestern 16 Michigan is still very much alive for a BCS berth and a Big Ten crown, which begs the question, "Does a team that lost to a D-1AA team deserve a BCS berth?" But that's neither here nor there, for now. Northwestern, meanwhile, after a few modest seasons of success earlier in the decade seems to be reacquainting itself with it's favored status as "slumpbuster" to the rest of college football. Heck, even, resident-ACC slumpbuster, Duke, got in on the hot Northwestern action earlier this year. Fret not NW fans you've still got academics and haughtiness to hold over the rest of us, lesser, Big Ten creatures.

Paterno State 20 Illinois 27 Mad props to myself for correctly predicting both the winning team and winning margin of victory in this one, woot! I was playfully chided, via text message, from a PSU backing friend of mine on Saturday morning with something along the lines of:

I can't believer u r picking Ron Zook & a QB named Juice to win!

Hours later and from the same PSU fan:

Shit fuck cock

Awwww, the powers of Anthony Morreli really must do wonders to PSU fans blood pressure levels.

Indiana 38 Iowa 20 Mad props to myself, again, for correctly predicting that Monsieurs Hardy and Lewis of Indiana's offense would burn up the air space directly above Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City as the Hoosies dropped 38! on a heretofore impressive Hawkeye defense. The Hawkeye offense, well, it still needs "a little bit of tweaking."

Ohio State 30 Minnesota 7 The Buckeye's defense is beginning to resemble more and more the constrictor-esque, life strangling capabilities of 2005 and 2002 editions of tOSU defensive squads. Tressel's boys are yielding the third fewest points per game and second fewest yards per game, in the nation. Minnesota, predictably, continues to go through a ton of growing pains in year one of their regime change from Mason to their current spread-happy coach.

Wisconsin 37 Michigan State 34 Thanks to some foolish and fortuitous Spartan penalties, the Badgers maintained the nation's longest winning streak. But, of their past six victories only one has been marginally inspiring and/or borderline dominant. Other than that, UW's wins have all been of the ugly and or lucky variety and sooner or later this is going to bite them in the ass. Right now, Wisconsin is the shakiest top ten team in all the land. As for Michigan State, well, they've got the Northwestern Slumpbusters this weekend, so, they're gonna be just fine.