1) Seeberg 41-14 (1-10 upset)
2) Draper 40-15 (5-6 upset)
3) Schweinfurth 36-19 (2-9 upset)
3) Hoying 36-19 (1-10 upset)
We're ten games into the season, and the mission for the B1G East's elite remains the same as it was in August: win out and you're going to Indianapolis to (probably) play Iowa.
Meanwhile, the Big 12 season has finally arrived in earnest. Get ready for a sprint to the finish as Oklahoma State desperately tries to carry the BXII flag into the playoff for the first time.
#11 Michigan Wolverines @ Penn State Nittany Lions
Draper: Michigan survives another nail biter against a mediocre to bad team. Everyone talks about Michigan as being super unlucky after the UM/MSU ridiculousness, but look at the last few games in which they COMPLETELY fell backwards into wins. Here's the secret, Michigan's defense can handle a good running game. Leidner played well, but Jordan Howard completely destroyed the myth of a stout UM defense. Enter Saquan Barkley who is really really good. PSU has the Hackenburg suckiness, but if Franklin hands the ball off 30 times, PSU wins a big one. The Lion defense shouldn't have too much of a problem with Jake Rudock (you know, because they don't suck like IU). Lions knock the Wolverines out of the BEast race backing them into a corner for the The Game. UM: 20--PSU: 27
Hoying: Did any of you actually think that Indiana would be able to hold a 4th quarter lead against a team with a pulse? OK, so last week taught us nothing new about the Hoosiers, but the last two weeks have revealed a disturbing trend regarding what was once the nation's hottest team: Harbaugh's defense has suddenly disappeared. Granted, Jordan Howard is very good and Mitch Leidner was very lucky, but 3 consecutive shutouts feels like an eternity ago. And here comes Saquan I-ran-for-194-yards-against-an-actual-elite-defense Barkley. Fortunately for that school up north, Jake Rudock seems to have become what Hackenberg was at his peak, and UM will need him against a stout Penn State D. This is a terrible trap game for the Corn and Blue, and they drop a big one at the most inopportune time. We'll find out how stern their stuff is next week. UM: 23--PSU: 24
Schweinfurth: Penn St. gets Michigan at a good time, right before playing the Buckeyes and in a good place, Happy Valley. After watching Jordan Howard run crazy and tenderize the scUM front seven, Saquan Barkley is set up for a BIG day. I expect lots of running and not so much passing. UM: 13--PSU: 17
Seeberg: Unfortunately, scUM avoided a collapse against Indiana last week, and in the process won a borderline shootout- something the Wolverines didn't appear capable of doing. This game is likely to feature a helluva lot fewer points, which is right in their wheelhouse. With Sackenburg sitting in the pocket like one of those targets at the county fair that just moves back and forth every time you hit it with the pop gun, the Nittany Lions are likely to be in a lot of 3rd and longs which means the maize and blue defense will tee off on the immobile QB. Crowd keeps them in it for a half or so, but (We Are) Penn State wears down late. UM: 24--PSU: 13
#15 Louisiana State Tigers @ #21 Ole Miss Rebels
Draper: I don't know what to make of these teams. LSU looked beastly until Bama destroyed them, then even Bert could take em down. Ole Miss has been up and down all year but Nkemdiche is questionable and the best player on the field wear's purple and gold. Are Miles and the Tigers going to go quietly into that goodnight? I don't think so. Leonard Fournette restates his Heisman hopes (albeit a little too late). The Grove will be rocking but the Taigahs will geaux. LSU: 27--Miss: 20
Hoying: LSU loses to Arkansas in another installment of the world's wackiest rivalry and the fans instantly complain that the wheels are falling off in Baton Rouge. I'm glad our fans are more patient and never freak out over a loss...But however bad it's been, it's about to get worse. Alabama drafted the blueprint for stopping Fournette, and the Landsharks aren't going to be to be any easier of a puzzle for the Tigers to solve. Maybe LSU can win by throwing over the top. Heh. Heheheheh. HeeheeeheeheeheehahahahaHAHAHAHAHAH! LSU: 17--Miss: 20
Schweinfurth: There is no way LSU loses three in a row right? Yes, Alabama gave the blueprint to stop Fournette (and really all you had to do was load the box because the Tigers don't have a QB). With that said, I just don't think Ole' Miss has the horses on defense, mostly becuase it's Ole' Miss. Fournette does just enough to win this for the Tigers. LSU: 20--Miss: 14
Seeberg: Seriously, Tiger fans? Les Miles is coaching for his job? If there is even a shred of truth in that Miles should just bolt out the back door and never return. In any event, LSU will likely be okay either way. Bama put 37 on the Landsharks with an offense that has serious trouble throwing the ball. Sound familiar? I wouldn't expect any explosion quite like that, but the Tigers will Rag on that Ole Miss O (see what I did there??) and make just enough plays on offense to get back on track. LSU: 24--Miss: 20
#17 Northwestern Wildcats @ #21 Wisconsin Badgers
Draper: Another toughie. Wisconsin has floated around the periphery after dropping the only two games of consequence. Bama destroyed them and Iowa killed football with their 10-6 crapfest win (see Bengals on MNF). Northwestern has the win over Stanford and....yeah. I think the Badgers may be able to finally squeeze some life out of Camp Randall for a 'bigger than anyone will give them credit for' win. The game should be competitive...but that doesn't mean good. NW: 14--Wisc: 17
Hoying: How good is Wisconsin? The Badgers played 2 elite teams, lost to them both, and played NOBODY else. Northwestern's rebounded a bit from their midseason skid, claiming a nice victory over Penn State, but moving the ball against the nation's top scoring defense (!) might bring out the old Northwestern we know and love. However, even if Northwestern can't move the ball, Wisconsin has offensive struggles of their own, completely losing their identity without a viable running threat. Ehhh...I'm feeling the battle-tested NW defense to outshine a Badger D that's been feasting on cupcake row. NW: 13--UW: 10
Schweinfurth: If this game was in the "mighty" SEC it would be touted as a clash of two great defenses. There will be almost no points scored in this one. Northwestern's offense does just enough to win and Wisconsin is a shell of what they have been the past few years. First team to score a TD wins. NW: 10--UW: 9
Seeberg: Another B1G clash with points at a premium. Sadly for Iowa, the loser is likely out of the top 25, hurting their quality win status. Iowa's hideous 10-6 win over the Badgers earlier in the year was against an extremely shorthanded Wisconsin squad. The Badgers are marginally healthier now, and I expect them to completely shut down NW. Will they score enough points to win? Not in most cases- but this is the exception. NW: 6--UW: 10
#16 Baylor Bears @ #4 Oklahoma State Cowboys
Draper: Shootouts continue in the Big 12. Baylor faltered under the lights this week, but they get an immediate shot at redemption. The Pokes came back from another late deficit, but keep winning. While Baylor shrunk on the big stage, OSU tends to rise up. Stillwater is always rocking so lean on the Cowboys. Baylor had their hopes and dreams crushed last week, and I don't think this team has the intestinal fortitude to come back from disappointment. Baylor: 49--OSU: 59
Hoying; Good news for the Big 12: the Pac 12 isn't churning out a champion with fewer than 2 losses, all but eliminating them from the playoff picture. Bad news for the Big 12: Notre Dame is still sitting at the 4 spot and only Oklahoma State has a chance to escape the conference unblemished. Considering Baylor's craptastic schedule, Bob Bowlsby's dreamcatcher is probably chock full of trogglehumpers of Baylor recovering from last week's loss to run the table. Fortunately for him, the Cowboys are a legitimate title contender who fight until the final pistol. The Force is with young Jarrett Stidham, but he's not a Big 12 contender yet. Baylor: 45--OSU: 56
Schweinfurth: That vaunted Baylor offense sure looked great last week...or not. Baylor just doesn't have it when they play top competition. Oklahoma State on the other hand has looked good lately and is climbing up the standings. Take the Pokes at home. Baylor: 42--OSU: 63
Seeberg: I'll be honest, it'd be nice to see Baylor lose again so we can finally stop hearing from Art it's-un-American-to-leave-us-out-of-the-playoff Briles. Fortunately, that's likely to come to fruition. On the road with a backup QB whose only games thus far are a narrow win at KSU and a loss at home against the Sooners. They'll score points as always, but that steel-sieve defense will be their undoing again. Bay: 35--OSU: 45
UCLA Bruins @ #18 Utah Utes
Draper: Both of these teams are...I have no clue. Utah had it all in front of them, and crapped themselves vs. Arizona. UCLA has been a Jekyll and Hyde team all year. Rosen, Wilson, who will emerge. No clue. I do know that Salt Lake is a pretty intense environment. Utah has crashed after flying too close to the sun, but UCLA has been middling all year. With the Utes fight back for a chance and the title or will good UCLA grab control of their Pac 12 South destiny. No clue. The loss of Booker for the year tips the scales slightly to the visitors. UCLA: 27--Utah: 24
Hoying: Oh yeah, the Pac-12 is still playing football. I forgot how boring a conference race becomes when it's not likely to end with a playoff berth. Remember how many conferences suffered this fate back in the BCS era, when only 2 teams got to move on to the championship? They dragged me kicking and screaming into the brave new world of playoffs, but I think I've been proven dead wrong. I genuinely care about all the other games on this list because of the playoff implications they carry. In contrast, I can't come up with anything to say about this one. Really. Got nothing. UCLA: 27--Utah: 20
Schweinfurth: I really have no clue here. I did see that Booker may be questionable for Utah. That will be a huge difference in this one. UCLA: 24--Utah: 17
Seeberg: I have been whiffing on PAC-12 games left and right all year and this one is no easier to prognosticate. Both teams are coming off bad losses, UCLA is having an expected mercurial season with a true frosh QB, and Utah is just good enough to get your hopes up before falling flat. I expect Rosen to play an inspired game after a lackluster performance last week, so I'll take the Bruins in an I-wouldn't-be-at-all-surprised-if-it-went-the-other-way contest. UCLA: 31--Utah: 23
#12 Texas Christian Horned Frogs @ #8 Oklahoma Sooners
Draper: OU is flying up everyone's charts, but their one win may not be that impressive if Baylor takes a dive. That being said, no one has fallen quicker than TCU. After losing to the Pokes, the near miss vs. one of the worst teams in the country is a major worry. TCU is falling fast and OU is rising quickly. While I'm not completely on the Sooner Schooner, I like what I'm seeing out of Norman. The game's also in Norman? BOOMER!! TCU: 17--OU: 38
Hoying: Remember the 2010 national championship? Texas finally made it back to the big show after being controversially left out the previous year in favor of Oklahoma, a team they beat (although any Big 12 selection for the title game that year would've been controversial). They came out firing on their first drive...and lost Colt McCoy for the game to a shoulder injury. The Alabama-Texas clash of the titans never came to be and the Tide cruised to victory. I feel like we were robbed of a possible matchup of that level here. No Boykin, no Doctson, no chance for TCU to stop what's become the nation's most frightening juggernaut since That School Up North in early October. Bedlam next week will have never been Bedlammier. TCU: 27--OU: 42
Schweinfurth: Boykin and Doctson may be out for this one and that is most definitely not a good thing for TCU. Add the porous TCU defense this year and you have the perfect storm for a Sooner win. TCU: 21--OU: 38
Seeberg: TCU's defense has gotten moderately healthier in the last few weeks; however, their offense has gotten much more ill. Both Trevone Boykin and Josh Doctson are questionable for the game with nagging injuries, meaning if both can give it a go they won't be at full strength. Meanwhile, the Sooners are riding high after dethroning the Briles Bears last week. TCU is too good for the Sooners to look past like they did against Texas for their annual Bob Stoops Inexplicable Loss of the Year Award (TM). Onto Bedlam as a potential playoff play-in game. TCU: 28--OU: 42
#8 Michigan State Spartans @ #2 THE Ohio State University Buckeyes
Draper: Is MSU good? They have the fluky win over the Wolverines and a lot of near misses against subpar to bad competition. The Bucks finally get their first test, but I'm not totally sure if this is the test that we thought it would be in August. Cook is hurt (no matter what the Spartans say) which pretty much removes the offense. LJ Scott is a nice back and the receivers are alright, but without the signal caller, there's not much there. Oh yeah, the Buckeye defense has been fantastic of late. The Bucks, on the other side of the ball, need to emerge from the cocoon as they did in the MSU game last year. JT needs to take control and rebound after last weeks' 'eh' performance. More importantly, the O-line needs to slow Shilique Calhoun. I think they will and the Bucks make a statement before facing the fighting Harbaughs. MSU: 17--OSU: 42
Hoying: Did you know that Penn State can still win the B1G East? All they need is to win their final two games and hope that the Buckeyes lose out. I hate Penn State more than any other team (except one), so it's very important that our boys slam the door on any Rose Bowl hopes for the Lions with a big win over Sparty. Back in September, these teams were #1 and #2 for a brief period before Michigan State went all 2002 Ohio State and started struggling against poor opponents. This is not the same Sparty that terrorized the B1G for a couple years with a dominating defense, but that might make Buckeye fans more nervous. No one scores consequential upsets over Ohio State like That Other School Up North. From wins over Archie and the gang back in the early 70's to ending the Bucks' title hopes in the BCS's opening and closing seasons, there are plenty of reasons not to take this team lightly. The good news is that Urban has had this game marked on his calendar since last season ended, so Buckeye fans should expect to see the best performance from the Silver Bullets and a fully armed and operational JT Barrett-led offense (don't expect any field goals, though). A Penn State win over Meatchicken (see above) and the Buckeyes clinch a spot in the B1G championship a week ahead of THE GAME. MSU: 17--OSU: 35
Seeberg: Anybody see/believe the betting line on this? We are a 2-touchdown favorite. That terrifies the heck out of me. As we know the offense has been sputtering for much of the year, but a pleasant surprise, at least to me, has been the Silver Bullet D. They seemed to embrace The Grind a bit more than the O, and are already playing at CFP-level form. I do believe the offense will begin to round into shape, but not fully against a tough Sparty D. Regardless, bettors should take Sparty, but the Bucks take the game. MSU: 17--OSU: 28
Upset Special
Draper: Virginia Tech over North Carolina
Hoying: Tulsa over Navy
Schweinfurth: Boston College over Notre Dame
Seeberg: Indiana over Maryland (seriously, MD is a 2-point favorite)
