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| Thursday, October 12 Surprise -- Northwestern the story in the Big Ten By Jeff Potrykus Special to ESPN.com | |||||
| So much for all that preseason talk about the Big Ten being the best in the country. While we reserve the right to get back on the bandwagon, here's a midseason progress report.
Biggest surprise When a handful of Northwestern players talked during preseason camp about winning the Big Ten championship, few people listened. Those who did listen probably laughed. And when they stopped laughing they probably wondered whether second-year coach Randy Walker might want to institute random drug testing. Three weeks into the Big Ten season, no one is laughing at the Wildcats. And the only medication that matters are the painkillers routinely administered to Northwestern's opponents. After winning just six games over the past two seasons, the Wildcats are 5-1 overall, alone in first place at 3-0 and ranked No. 18 in the ESPN/USA Today top 25 poll.
Let's test your knowledge with a quick quiz. Name the Big Ten team that was No. 5 in the coaches' preseason poll and No. 4 in the writers' preseason poll and is now unranked and 0-3 in the conference. When you say W-I-S-C-O-N-S-I-N, you've said it all. After consecutive losses to Northwestern, Michigan and Ohio State, the Badgers (3-3, 0-3) face the possibility of going from consecutive Rose Bowl appearances to no bowl. "I would never in my wildest dreams imagine losing three games, let alone three games in a row," Wisconsin junior defensive back Joey Boese said after the Badgers were manhandled by Ohio State, 23-7. "It's not something you think about. "We've got to regroup and I think every guy has got to look in the mirror and make that gut-check and see what they really want out of the rest of the season." The Badgers have lost in every way imaginable during their current three-week funk. Their defense imploded in the 47-44 loss to Northwestern; the offense faltered in a 13-10 loss to Michigan; and both units struggled in the loss to Ohio State. Although some fans might want to use the NCAA suspensions that affected the team during the first four weeks of the season, the bottom line is that this team isn't as talented or experienced as the 1999 team was. Personnel losses have left the team weaker at linebacker and in the secondary. Injuries and personnel losses have left the offensive line noticeably less effective. In addition, a team generally considered among the most fundamentally sound in the Big Ten has been hampered by mental blunders each week. "We've got to regroup with the guys who are healthy," Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez said. "We've got to patch things up and continue to get better. "We've got to try to salvage things and work to see if we can get ourselves in a bowl game someplace." What's next Northwestern has four teams on its trail. Ohio State is one-half game back, with Michigan, Minnesota and Purdue only a game back. The Wildcats, though, have the most favorable schedule among the contenders. Their two toughest remaining games, Saturday against Purdue and Nov. 4 against Michigan are both in Evanston. However, circle the Oct. 28 meeting at Minnesota on your calendar. The Gophers are tough at home and the Northwestern players just might be looking ahead to the showdown with Michigan. Ohio State, which is vastly improved from a year ago, might have the toughest road. The Buckeyes play host to Minnesota on Saturday but have road games against Purdue (Oct. 28) and Illinois (Nov. 11) and close the regular-season at home against Michigan on Nov. 18. And we don't need to remind Ohio State fans that John Cooper is 2-9-1 against Michigan since coming to Columbus in 1988. Michigan's title chances hinge on two games -- at Northwestern and at Ohio State. Purdue, which got back into the race by beating Michigan on Saturday, still faces three difficult games. Winning at Northwestern won't be easy. Ditto for the road trip to Wisconsin on Oct. 21. Yes, the Badgers are struggling, but they've beaten Drew Brees in each of the last two seasons. And the Boilermakers have won only five times in 30 tries in Columbus, the most recent coming in 1988. Can Minnesota surprise and win its first title since 1967? The Gophers already have one loss and face difficult road games against Ohio State and Wisconsin. Around the Big Ten Illinois Coming off a much needed bye, Illini coach Ron Turner and his players need to experience a case of déjà vu this week with a victory over Iowa. Last season, the Illini were 3-0 before losing three consecutive games. The third game in that streak was an ugly 37-7 loss to Minnesota. Illinois responded by stunning Michigan in Ann Arbor. The Illini lost only once more and destroyed Virginia in the Micronpc.com Bowl. This season, consecutive losses to Michigan (35-31) and Minnesota (44-10) have the Illini at 3-2 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten. "This is the adversity that every team has to go through," quarterback Kurt Kittner said. "You have to get over it." ... Iowa is improved over last season, as evidenced by the Hawkeyes' victory over Michigan State last week. However, the Hawkeyes will have a difficult time slowing Illinois' offense. When the teams met a year ago, Illinois rolled up 462 yards en route to a 40-24 victory. ... Was the bye week beneficial? Turner believes it was. "I don't know anybody in the country who is going to come and play 11 games at their emotional peak," Turner said, referring to the lackluster effort against Minnesota. "That's what separates the great teams." Indiana So just what transgression did Indiana coach Cam Cameron commit to anger the college football gods? First Cameron is forced to watch his turnstile defense give up 52 points in a loss to Northwestern. This week, he gets to travel to Ann Arbor to play Michigan, which is coming off a last-second loss to Purdue. Think the Michigan players and coaches might need a punching bag this weekend? ... Indiana's offense continues to put up impressive offensive numbers despite the losses. The Hoosiers are 11th nationally in scoring (38.4 points) and have scored at least 30 points in all five games this season. Virginia Tech, Clemson, Oklahoma and Boise State are the only other Division I-A teams to score at least 30 points in every game this season. ... Junior quarterback Antwaan Randle El needs 105 passing yards to become the second player in Division I-A history to rush for 2,000 yards and pass for 5,000 in his career. Brian Mitchell accomplished that feat at Southwestern Louisiana from 1986-'89. ... What are the odds the Hoosiers will upset the Wolverines? Not good. Michigan has won the last 10 meetings between the teams and 24 of the last 25. Indiana's last victory in the series was in 1987. Iowa Before we consider the odds Iowa will be able to upset Illinois, let's take a few moments to reflect on how the Hawkeyes ended their school-record 13-game losing streak by rallying to beat Michigan State. Iowa's offense managed only 231 total yards and allowed 248 rushing yards to T.J. Duckett. However, the Hawkeyes stunned the Spartans with a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and a 43-yard scoring pass in the final minutes and forced two key turnovers. The victory was Iowa's first in the conference since a 26-24 triumph over Northwestern on Oct. 10, 1998. "There were some plays that weren't that pretty," said Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, who broke into tears after the game when his players presented him with the game ball. "But the whole game was a Mona Lisa to me." ... Can anyone remember the last time the Hawkeyes won consecutive games? That was Nov. 1, 1997, when the Hawkeyes beat Purdue to improve their record to 6-2. Since that game, they have gone 6-26, including this season's 1-5 mark. ... A crowd of only 63,290 saw Iowa break its losing streak. That was the smallest Homecoming crowd since 59,750 saw the Hawkeyes beat Northwestern in 1982. Michigan Lloyd Carr is grumpy. You'd be in a sour mood, too, if your team fell apart in the second half, blew an 28-10-point lead and left its national title hopes sitting in West Lafayette, Ind. "I don't like the way we played," Carr said. "I don't like the way I coached. I don't like anything about it." ... Michigan's defense, which allowed a school-record 530 yards in the 32-31 loss to Purdue, could face similar problems against Indiana's Randle El. When the teams met last season, Randle El passed for 290 yards and four touchdowns. The Wolverines built a 17-0- lead but eventually needed a field goal with 18 seconds left to escape with a 34-31 victory. ... The battle between Randle El and Michigan quarterback Drew Henson should be as intriguing as the game itself. Henson, making his second start, completed 26 of 35 passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns. The bad news for the Wolverines was that Henson led his team to only a field goal after halftime. ... Senior defensive end Jake Frysinger, who has been sidelined for most of the season with a foot injury, will not return this season. However, he is expected to return for his fifth year in 2001. Michigan State When Bobby Williams guided the Spartans to a victory over Florida in the Citrus Bowl after Nick Saban left for LSU, he was hailed a hero. Now after consecutive Big Ten losses to Northwestern and Iowa, Williams is viewed in some circles as the villain. The Spartans appear to be struggling as they prepare to play host to Wisconsin on Saturday. Quarterback Ryan Van Dyke was rusty against Iowa in his first action since suffering a bruised thumb on his throwing hand in the opener. The offense, with the exception of sophomore tailback T.J. Duckett, is struggling to establish any consistency. And the special teams were an absolute disaster against Iowa. "I have to show a tremendous amount of confidence in my ability to coach," Williams said. "And all of the assistant coaches have to do the same because players feed off of us. If we're walking around here with our heads hanging, they're going to do the same.". ... Playing Wisconsin in East Lansing should provide the Spartans the boost they need. If you discount a loss by forfeit in 1994, the Spartans are 4-0 at home against the Badgers since Alvarez took over the program. And the games haven't been close, with Michigan State winning by an average score of 24.8-10.5. Michigan State hasn't lost at home to Wisconsin since the 1984 season. ... Duckett is No. 5 nationally in rushing at 162.0 yards per game. Considering Wisconsin is allowing 139.5 rushing yards per game, tied for 51st nationally, expect Duckett to carry the ball at least 30 times against the Badgers. Minnesota No one wants to beat Ohio State more than Minnesota coach Glen Mason, who graduated from Ohio State and was a member of the Buckeyes' Big Ten championship team in 1970. Mason is 0-3 against the Buckeyes since coming to Minnesota, with Gophers falling by only three points, 20-17, last season. Minnesota has won just six of 41 games against the Buckeyes, with the last victory in the series coming in 1981. The Gophers won, 35-31, on a late touchdown pass. The loss dropped the Buckeyes into a first-place tie with Iowa and knocked them out of the Rose Bowl. Mason, by the way, was in his second season as the Buckeyes' offensive coordinator at the time. "That was the last time I was up in old Memorial Stadium," he said. "I remember the quarterback throwing a ball that could have been intercepted in the end zone and the ball going through the linebacker's hands. It was just one of those things." ... Junior wide receiver Ron Johnson caught a pass in his 29th consecutive game against Penn State and moved into a tie with Tutu Atwell for the No. 1 spot on the school's all-time touchdown reception list with 17. Ohio State After humbling Wisconsin last week, the Buckeyes (5-0 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) have their sights set on Big Ten and national titles. Oddly enough, they could secure the latter without winning the former outright. Ohio State, which plays host to Minnesota on Saturday, could wind up sharing the title with Northwestern. The Wildcats hold the Rose Bowl tiebreaker because Ohio State played in the game more recently (1996). But if the Buckeyes, ranked No. 5 in the coaches' poll and No. 6 in the writers' poll, finish the regular season unbeaten, they could end up in the Orange Bowl. Ohio State coach John Cooper, who saw his unbeaten teams stumble late in the regular season in 1995, '96 and '98, has warned his players not to start thinking about polls and bowls. "When you start looking at rankings you start thinking about what is going to take place in the next three or four weeks. That takes the focus off your next challenge and we don't want that to happen here." ... Ohio State's fortunes Saturday against Minnesota and over the course of the season will rest in the hands of its defense. That unit dominated Wisconsin with nine quarterback sacks and 17 tackles for loss. ... Junior cornerback Nate Clements was the best defensive back on the field, better than Wisconsin's Jamar Fletcher. Clements had a key interception and four passes broken up. "I'm better than him," Clements said afterward. "His interception was questionable. Mine was a hell of a play." Penn State Joe Paterno and his players have a bye this week before playing Illinois on Oct. 21. The Nittany Lions need the break. One week after an uplifting victory over Purdue, the Nittany Lions reverted to their 2000 form in a loss to Minnesota. In short, that included penalties, mental errors, blown coverages and generally ugly play. In the first half, the Nittany Lions had 12 penalties, 88 total yards, three first downs and a field goal. "We were horrible in the first half," Paterno said. "We had a bunch of guys out there who played terrible. You can't play much worse than we did in the first half offensively -- offside penalties, holding, dropped pass." ... Since losing to Minnesota last November, the Nittany Lions have gone 3-8. ... At 2-5 overall, the Nittany Lions have lost five games for just the 12th time in the 114-year history of the program. ... For those of you still counting, Penn State must win its final five games to become eligible for a bowl game and allow Paterno to pass Bear Bryant and become the winningest major-college coach in history. Purdue Earlier this season, Purdue coach Joe Tiller applauded Northwestern's ability to use the spread offense to rise to the top of the traditionally conservative Big Ten. We'll see if Tiller has such kind words for the Wildcats after the teams' meeting Saturday in Evanston. If there is any defense that seems properly equipped to match up with Northwestern's offense, it should be Purdue's. First, remember that the Boilermakers practice every day against a spread offense so the adjustment period should be minimal. "I think it could help them to some degree because we see similar formations," Tiller said. "But believe me, the Northwestern running game is significantly different than the running game at Purdue." Still, the Boilermakers have put together their most athletic defense ever under Tiller. Just ask Michigan's players. After allowing 351 yards and 28 points in the first half against Michigan, the Boilermakers limited the Wolverines to 79 yards and three points after halftime. ... No one deserved to make a game-winning kick more than junior Travis Dorsch. Last season, Dorsch missed key field-goal attempts in losses to Wisconsin and Georgia and saw another blocked in a loss to Ohio State. He missed a 46-yard attempt in the loss two weeks ago at Penn State; and then missed a 32-yard attempt with 2:11 left against Michigan before kicking the game-winner with 4 seconds left. "It's not too often you get a second chance like that," Dorsch said after the game. "I was lucky enough that I was able to come through." Jeff Potrykus covers the Big Ten for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. | AUDIO/VIDEO   Purdue's Travis Dorsch redeems himself by hitting a 33-yard field goal to beat Michigan.avi: 1959 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 Purdue's Montrell Lowe streaks 16 yards for the touchdown.avi: 1712 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 Michigan's Anthony Thomas sprints 61 yards for the TD.avi: 1426 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 Michael Bennett's 35-yard touchdown puts Wisconsin on the board.avi: 1019 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 Steve Bellisari finds a wide-open Darnell Sanders for the touchdown.avi: 776 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 Derek Combs score his second TD of the game on a 21-yard run.avi: 666 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 Michigan State's T.J. Duckett sets up a touchdown with a 50-yard run.avi: 1131 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 | ||||
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