JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
1. Ohio State: They seemed a bit disinterested after they got up big early against Illinois. The Illini got close then the Buckeyes hit the gas pedal again. I really don’t know how good Ohio State is at the moment.
2. Wisconsin: This team ran for over 550 yards against Indiana. That many yards is always impressive, even if it did come against a horrible defense. But the three points and sub-200 yards Indiana put up impresses me more. I’d like to see Wisconsin play against Ohio State again this year at a neutral site. The Badgers are a Top 10 team but since the nation hates the Big Ten, they are going to need help getting into the final Top 14 and qualify for a BCS bid. Dantonio continues to show his guts with another fake special teams play, this time a fake field goal and it converted….which led to a TD on the next play.
3. Michigan State: 41 points for that offense is a lot, but two TD’s were aided by short porches due to two of Nebraska’s five turnovers. They allowed just under 400 yards to Nebraska, a lot for them and nearly 200 yards rushing. But they won, on the raod and regardless of how pretty it was, the Spartans just clinched a share of the Legends Title.
4. Nebraska: Four teams could make a claim for this position and a decent claim. In the round robin that is head to head, Minnesota has beaten Nebraska and lost to Michigan and Iowa. Michigan lost to Nebraska but beat Minnesota. Iowa beat Minnesota and hasn’t played the other two yet. Nebraska beat Michigan and lost to Minnesota. I’ll go Huskers here by an eyelash.
5. Iowa: Minnesota? Iowa smoked them less than 60 days ago, but the Gophers are playing much better. The fact Iowa’s win was on the road matters to me.
6. Minnesota: Enjoyed a bye week before finishing against Wisconsin and Michigan State.
7. Michigan: Michigan smoked Minnesota in October, but that game was in Ann Arbor. They’ve looked pedestrian since then including yesterday against Northwestern, but credit them for winning in 3OT. The field goal conversion at the end of regulation is still mystifying…in a ‘how in the world did they get that field goal off’ sort of way. Devin Gardner should have throw four or five picks in this game had Northwestern’s defenders held onto the ball. This is about who is doing what now and what they look like and on a neutral field, I’d take Minnesota over Michigan.
8. Penn State: We’re really at the point of scraping the bottom of the barrel here. Here is why the Big Ten is in rough shape, as if the middle wasn’t weak enough. The bottom is real bad.
9. Indiana: At Ohio State this week. No Bowl for you.
10. Northwestern: Against Michigan State this week. No Bowl for You
11. Illinois: 20 straight Big Ten loss.
12: Purdue: Hey, they scored 21!
THE BOWLS
The BCS standings will be out later on Sunday evening but the early returns from those who do a good job of predicting what they will be will not make Ohio State fans happy. Baylor may jump the Bucks to #3 after being #5 last week. If they don’t do it this week, they will certainly do it with a win next week at Oklahoma State, although that may be the game of the week. If Baylor beats Okie State on Saturday night, they are at TCU then home against Texas to end the year and I think they’d win those two. Ohio State has Indiana and Michigan the rest of the way and likely a game against Michigan State in the Big Ten title game. A win over MSU in the title game would look as good as Baylor’s win over Oklahoma State to the computers, but Ohio State has to overcome human bias as the national folks just don’t like the Big Ten. I’m not saying they should, but in the case of Wisconsin, the Badgers are feeling the B1G hate.
In this projection, Wisconsin is still 22nd in the BCS standings. I think this is nuts as the Badgers are a Top 10 team. I write that through clenched teeth as I am not a Wisconsin fan, but real is real and they are real. Their defense is what does it for me and that group is great. Their offense is what it normally is. Michigan State is ranked 16th and I think the Spartans would lose to Ohio State in a Big Ten title game and finish outside the Top 14. I don’t know that Wisconsin is going to get inside the Top 14 after they win out to end the year.
Iowa’s chances at a ‘better’ bowl game reside in their hands and Wisconsin’s hope of getting inside the Top 14. Let’s chart that path. Here are the teams rated ahead of Wisconsin in this BCS projection:
Arizona State: They are at UCLA this week and if they win that, they will face Oregon in the Pac 12 title game. If they do, they will lose that game.
LSU: They host Texas A&M and play Arkansas. I think they lose to Johnny Football
Louisville: Talk about a team who doesn’t deserve to be ranked ahead of Wisconsin..this is just one of several. I could see them losing at Cincy to end the season after just beating Houston 20-13 Saturday
Oklahoma: They are at Kansas State and Oklahoma State to end the year. They won’t win both of those games.
Central Florida: vs Rutgers, South Florid and at SMU to end the year. They will be favored in all of those games.
Northern Illinois: At Toledo, then home against Western Michigan, then the title game.
Fresno State: V New Mexico and at San Jose State. They have a road game at Colorado to make up that was postponed earlier this season, too.
That’s the primary road for Wisconsin. This is going to come down to the last weekend of the college football season before we know their fate and the one up or two up fate of the Big Ten. I’d wager one up right now but we’ll go through both scenarios here:
ONE UP: Meaning just one team to the BCS
BCS: Ohio State. I think they win out, including a win against MSU
Cap One: Wisconsin
Outback: Michigan State
Buffalo Wild Wings: Nebraska
Gator: Iowa. I think Iowa beats Michigan and Wolverines wind up losing four of their last five
Texas: Michigan
Dallas: Minnesota
TWO UP: Meaning two teams get into the Big Ten, which would be Ohio State and Wisconsin according to my projections of OSU beating MSU in the Big Ten title game.
BCS: Ohio State
BCS: Wisconsin
Cap One: Michigan State
Outback: Nebraska
Buffalo Wild Wings: Iowa
Gator: Michigan
Texas: Minnesota
If Michigan State beats Ohio State in the Big Ten title game, then the Two Up happens that way. I just don’t think it will happen. If Iowa loses to Michigan this week, they likely flip slots with Michigan in these projections. If Iowa wins its next two games they’d be looking at the BWW in the One Up and the Outback in the Two Up.
2. Wisconsin: This team ran for over 550 yards against Indiana. That many yards is always impressive, even if it did come against a horrible defense. But the three points and sub-200 yards Indiana put up impresses me more. I’d like to see Wisconsin play against Ohio State again this year at a neutral site. The Badgers are a Top 10 team but since the nation hates the Big Ten, they are going to need help getting into the final Top 14 and qualify for a BCS bid. Dantonio continues to show his guts with another fake special teams play, this time a fake field goal and it converted….which led to a TD on the next play.
3. Michigan State: 41 points for that offense is a lot, but two TD’s were aided by short porches due to two of Nebraska’s five turnovers. They allowed just under 400 yards to Nebraska, a lot for them and nearly 200 yards rushing. But they won, on the raod and regardless of how pretty it was, the Spartans just clinched a share of the Legends Title.
4. Nebraska: Four teams could make a claim for this position and a decent claim. In the round robin that is head to head, Minnesota has beaten Nebraska and lost to Michigan and Iowa. Michigan lost to Nebraska but beat Minnesota. Iowa beat Minnesota and hasn’t played the other two yet. Nebraska beat Michigan and lost to Minnesota. I’ll go Huskers here by an eyelash.
5. Iowa: Minnesota? Iowa smoked them less than 60 days ago, but the Gophers are playing much better. The fact Iowa’s win was on the road matters to me.
6. Minnesota: Enjoyed a bye week before finishing against Wisconsin and Michigan State.
7. Michigan: Michigan smoked Minnesota in October, but that game was in Ann Arbor. They’ve looked pedestrian since then including yesterday against Northwestern, but credit them for winning in 3OT. The field goal conversion at the end of regulation is still mystifying…in a ‘how in the world did they get that field goal off’ sort of way. Devin Gardner should have throw four or five picks in this game had Northwestern’s defenders held onto the ball. This is about who is doing what now and what they look like and on a neutral field, I’d take Minnesota over Michigan.
8. Penn State: We’re really at the point of scraping the bottom of the barrel here. Here is why the Big Ten is in rough shape, as if the middle wasn’t weak enough. The bottom is real bad.
9. Indiana: At Ohio State this week. No Bowl for you.
10. Northwestern: Against Michigan State this week. No Bowl for You
11. Illinois: 20 straight Big Ten loss.
12: Purdue: Hey, they scored 21!
THE BOWLS
The BCS standings will be out later on Sunday evening but the early returns from those who do a good job of predicting what they will be will not make Ohio State fans happy. Baylor may jump the Bucks to #3 after being #5 last week. If they don’t do it this week, they will certainly do it with a win next week at Oklahoma State, although that may be the game of the week. If Baylor beats Okie State on Saturday night, they are at TCU then home against Texas to end the year and I think they’d win those two. Ohio State has Indiana and Michigan the rest of the way and likely a game against Michigan State in the Big Ten title game. A win over MSU in the title game would look as good as Baylor’s win over Oklahoma State to the computers, but Ohio State has to overcome human bias as the national folks just don’t like the Big Ten. I’m not saying they should, but in the case of Wisconsin, the Badgers are feeling the B1G hate.
In this projection, Wisconsin is still 22nd in the BCS standings. I think this is nuts as the Badgers are a Top 10 team. I write that through clenched teeth as I am not a Wisconsin fan, but real is real and they are real. Their defense is what does it for me and that group is great. Their offense is what it normally is. Michigan State is ranked 16th and I think the Spartans would lose to Ohio State in a Big Ten title game and finish outside the Top 14. I don’t know that Wisconsin is going to get inside the Top 14 after they win out to end the year.
Iowa’s chances at a ‘better’ bowl game reside in their hands and Wisconsin’s hope of getting inside the Top 14. Let’s chart that path. Here are the teams rated ahead of Wisconsin in this BCS projection:
Arizona State: They are at UCLA this week and if they win that, they will face Oregon in the Pac 12 title game. If they do, they will lose that game.
LSU: They host Texas A&M and play Arkansas. I think they lose to Johnny Football
Louisville: Talk about a team who doesn’t deserve to be ranked ahead of Wisconsin..this is just one of several. I could see them losing at Cincy to end the season after just beating Houston 20-13 Saturday
Oklahoma: They are at Kansas State and Oklahoma State to end the year. They won’t win both of those games.
Central Florida: vs Rutgers, South Florid and at SMU to end the year. They will be favored in all of those games.
Northern Illinois: At Toledo, then home against Western Michigan, then the title game.
Fresno State: V New Mexico and at San Jose State. They have a road game at Colorado to make up that was postponed earlier this season, too.
That’s the primary road for Wisconsin. This is going to come down to the last weekend of the college football season before we know their fate and the one up or two up fate of the Big Ten. I’d wager one up right now but we’ll go through both scenarios here:
ONE UP: Meaning just one team to the BCS
BCS: Ohio State. I think they win out, including a win against MSU
Cap One: Wisconsin
Outback: Michigan State
Buffalo Wild Wings: Nebraska
Gator: Iowa. I think Iowa beats Michigan and Wolverines wind up losing four of their last five
Texas: Michigan
Dallas: Minnesota
TWO UP: Meaning two teams get into the Big Ten, which would be Ohio State and Wisconsin according to my projections of OSU beating MSU in the Big Ten title game.
BCS: Ohio State
BCS: Wisconsin
Cap One: Michigan State
Outback: Nebraska
Buffalo Wild Wings: Iowa
Gator: Michigan
Texas: Minnesota
If Michigan State beats Ohio State in the Big Ten title game, then the Two Up happens that way. I just don’t think it will happen. If Iowa loses to Michigan this week, they likely flip slots with Michigan in these projections. If Iowa wins its next two games they’d be looking at the BWW in the One Up and the Outback in the Two Up.
