Standings:
1.) Hoying 10-3 (0-4 upset)2.) Draper 9-4 (1-3 upset)
3.) Schweinfurth 8-5 (1-3 upset)
Out in (temporary) ACC world, the nation's hottest team faces their toughest remaining hurdle on their way to a probable earth-shattering rematch on Championship Saturday. [Post-publish note: one day Steven will learn to read a calendar.]
3.) Schweinfurth 8-5 (1-3 upset)
It's finally arrived. After Wisconsin and Penn State each proved themselves unworthy last year by tripping up before they could enter Columbus undefeated, we finally have football armageddon in the Shoe with an unblemished, top 10 ranked visitor. And just as we all expected, it's...Indiana.
Meanwhile, supremacy in the B1G West is on the line as well, as the conference's other historically awful member (no, not you, Rutgers, you have the awful but not the history) hosts the juggernaut Wisconsin Badgers to determine whether this year's Big Ten Championship will look like 2018 or every other year in recent memory.
And speaking of Rutgers, a rivalry is renewed in Piscataway as the Big Ten's snootiest rudderless program comes to town.
Also I guess there's a game of consequence in the Big 12, to the extent that conference still has games of consequence this season.
Wisconsin Badgers @ Northwestern Wildcats
Draper: The Badgers are the flavor of the week after their drubbing of a hapless Michigan team last week. While Michigan is unbelievably bad, Wisconsin has shown to have some juice. It appears that a win here means that COVID will be the only thing keeping the Badgers from Indy (...if you're Minnesota, do you 'shut the facility down' right before the axe game to ruin your rival?). Northwestern is a surprising 4-0, but they are the traditional scrappy Wildcat team that no one really believes in...including me. I don't expect the Badgers to be world beaters all year, but they are clearly athletically superior. While the game is in Evanston, the Badgers are used to playing there with no fans, so that should prove no issue. UW: 31--NW: 17
Hoying: How good is Wisconsin, really? Graham Mertz looked nigh-untouchable against the Illini, but, they're the Illini. Even against Michigan's terrible secondary he could only squeeze out 12-22 for 127 yards. Granted, a couple of those incompletions were near-fumbles by the receivers, but that just leads to additional problems against a ball-hawking team like Northwestern. The Cats continue to get it done on defense, and they continue to give the Badgers fits every time they come to Evanston. Let's not forget, though, that Northwestern is fresh off of an atrocious season offensively. They got a nice shot in the arm stealing Peyton Ramsey away from Indiana, but I don't think they can keep up with a Wisconsin attack that's shown it can win the games through the air or on the ground. Yeah, Michigan is bad, but when your fullbacks are salting the game away in the third quarter, you've got something working. Weird Northwestern voodoo keeps it close, but no cigar this time. UW: 24--NW: 20
Hoying: How good is Wisconsin, really? Graham Mertz looked nigh-untouchable against the Illini, but, they're the Illini. Even against Michigan's terrible secondary he could only squeeze out 12-22 for 127 yards. Granted, a couple of those incompletions were near-fumbles by the receivers, but that just leads to additional problems against a ball-hawking team like Northwestern. The Cats continue to get it done on defense, and they continue to give the Badgers fits every time they come to Evanston. Let's not forget, though, that Northwestern is fresh off of an atrocious season offensively. They got a nice shot in the arm stealing Peyton Ramsey away from Indiana, but I don't think they can keep up with a Wisconsin attack that's shown it can win the games through the air or on the ground. Yeah, Michigan is bad, but when your fullbacks are salting the game away in the third quarter, you've got something working. Weird Northwestern voodoo keeps it close, but no cigar this time. UW: 24--NW: 20
Schweinfurth: First off, I got my B1G transfer QBs wrong and it should have been Peyton Ramsey for the Wildcats. With that out of the way, lets get to this game. From what I can tell, Wisconsin is the second best team in the B1G. The Badgers play tough defense and actually have a decent QB right now. The Wildcats are a tough out, but I just don't think they have the guns to pull this off. UW: 21--NW: 17
Michigan Wolverines @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Draper: Rivalry renewed! Not since Kyle Flood exited Piscataway have we seen a clash of these titans with such implications. I'm actually surprised that the Wolverines are an ASTOUNDING 10.5 point favorite. While Rutgers is still Rutgers, Michigan is not still Michigan. Joe Milton has the physique and form of a stud QB, but he has not shown the mental aspect as of yet. I have no idea how Michigan has looked this bad (cough...Don Brown...cough...Jim Harbaugh...). Schiano has rejuvenated the Scarlet Knights back to the Golden Era of 2006 with some belief and a whole lot of stupid trick plays. Expect another clown show (which will be hilarious when it's not happening vs. my team), but Michigan will steal one on the road. Rutgers may be a year away from taking control of the sun and blue. TTUN: 31--RU: 20
Hoying: Two fun facts occurred to me about halfway through seeing Wisconsin go through Michigan like something through a tin horn. First: the last time Michigan didn't have Harbaugh as coach, they lost to Rutgers. We'll need to wait a year to test that one. Its corollary, however, is that the last time Michigan lost to Rutgers, their coach got fired. Now we're talking. Don't talk yourself out of believing in the suck. Even though they blasted the Minnesota mirage a month ago, there really is no bottom for this Wolverine team. They're not turning out fluky losses like Penn State. They couldn't even put away Michigan State, a team that's looked like eleven wet farts in a bag against every other team they've faced. Add a little Piscataway magic, a few tight sphincters on the Michigan sideline as jobs hang in the balance, and you've got the makings of an upset. I hate to break my streak of being wrong about every Michigan game we've picked this year, but I can't deny Rutgers their time to shine. TTUN: 20--RSUNJ: 21
Hoying: Two fun facts occurred to me about halfway through seeing Wisconsin go through Michigan like something through a tin horn. First: the last time Michigan didn't have Harbaugh as coach, they lost to Rutgers. We'll need to wait a year to test that one. Its corollary, however, is that the last time Michigan lost to Rutgers, their coach got fired. Now we're talking. Don't talk yourself out of believing in the suck. Even though they blasted the Minnesota mirage a month ago, there really is no bottom for this Wolverine team. They're not turning out fluky losses like Penn State. They couldn't even put away Michigan State, a team that's looked like eleven wet farts in a bag against every other team they've faced. Add a little Piscataway magic, a few tight sphincters on the Michigan sideline as jobs hang in the balance, and you've got the makings of an upset. I hate to break my streak of being wrong about every Michigan game we've picked this year, but I can't deny Rutgers their time to shine. TTUN: 20--RSUNJ: 21
Schweinfurth: This game will be fun to watch. In so much that I will be laughing the whole time. Rutgers plays hard and doesn't quit. Michigan plays hard until adversity shows up and then they quit. Schiano is going to pull out all the stupid crap from the Buckeyes game again. I don't see Michigan losing, but this could come down to the last possession. TTUN: 28--RU: 24
Oklahoma State Cowboys @ Oklahoma Sooners
Draper: To be honest, I forgot the Big 12 was still playing football. After the Sooners have taken 2 losses, the conference is essentially eliminated from postseason contention. The Pokes have a shot to sneak in if they keep winning, but Mike Gundy has been atrocious in this game since he's been in Stillwater. Spencer Rattler has been solid all year, and I expect more of the same. Boomer! OkSt: 31--OU:45
Hoying: Last stop for the Big 12's playoff hopes. You want to know a secret? The Big 12 has been playing some great defense this year. Oklahoma State is the poster child, and the Sooners have been...OK, I guess? The Pokes have been playing with fire, with their last two wins coming by 2 and 3 points. Of course, those were over the two teams that beat Oklahoma, and Okie State contained both Iowa State and Kansas State in a way the Sooners just couldn't figure out. Can the Cowboys solve Spencer Rattler? He's not quite Mayfield-Murray-Hurts level, so there's always a chance. Gundy's overdue for a win in this series. Let's ride with Pistol Pete. OkSt: 31--OU: 30
Schweinfurth: The Big 12 is a mess, but I'm not sure OU is as bad as we think. They can put up some points, and will. OK State will try to slow this down with Chubba, but I think the Sooners win it late. OkSt: 38--OU: 42
Hoying: Last stop for the Big 12's playoff hopes. You want to know a secret? The Big 12 has been playing some great defense this year. Oklahoma State is the poster child, and the Sooners have been...OK, I guess? The Pokes have been playing with fire, with their last two wins coming by 2 and 3 points. Of course, those were over the two teams that beat Oklahoma, and Okie State contained both Iowa State and Kansas State in a way the Sooners just couldn't figure out. Can the Cowboys solve Spencer Rattler? He's not quite Mayfield-Murray-Hurts level, so there's always a chance. Gundy's overdue for a win in this series. Let's ride with Pistol Pete. OkSt: 31--OU: 30
Schweinfurth: The Big 12 is a mess, but I'm not sure OU is as bad as we think. They can put up some points, and will. OK State will try to slow this down with Chubba, but I think the Sooners win it late. OkSt: 38--OU: 42
Indiana Hoosiers @ THE Ohio State University Buckeyes
Draper: And we're back. Here's hoping for no more COVID surprises (thanks a lot 2020). The return is to Indiana....whee....wait, top TEN Indiana? I didn't know it was a game on the hardwood this week. All low-hanging fruit jokes aside, this is one of, if not the, best Indiana teams of the modern era. Are they a top 10 talent team? No. Are they a serious competitor to Ohio State? No. Are they capable of derailing the Buckeyes' season? Absolutely. This is one of the reasons why I love Coach Day. There is NO WAY he will let the team look past the Hoosiers. This team is laser-focused on the objective, and the successes of Indiana of late have prevented any deviance from the grind. Justin Fields lost a week of 'wowing' the Heisman voters, so he'll try to take center stage once again. I'm a little concerned about the Indiana defense, but is their success due to overrated opponents (hello Wolverines and Lions) or more talent (of likely both). The Ohio State secondary will be tested by Michael Penix so we'll learn much concerning the development of the back 7. Marcus Hooker needs to up the game a bit. We need to mention the phenomenal play of Baron Browning as he's not getting enough pub. Penix and Co. will come out on fire and will put up a few points (perhaps take a lead), but the Fields to Olave/Wilson connection will not be stopped. Here's hoping the Teague/Sermon tandem ground game gets a little more juice. IU: 27--OSU: 48
Hoying: I don't think it's an understatement to call this Indiana's biggest game since the 1968 Rose Bowl (maybe 1987 Michigan State). Win this and the Hoosiers are, barring a disaster, on a collision course with their first East division championship. There's just one problem. Throughout Indiana's storied history of Big Ten membership, which includes all of two conference titles, the Hoosiers have never won a Big Ten championship in a year in which they've played Ohio State. (Rather unlucky, then, that the Big Ten split into divisions in 2011. Now that Indiana plays Ohio State every single year, they may never win a conference crown again.) This year's version of Indiana has the look of a very good team that is improving week-to-week on a diet of bad opponents. They needed everything in the bag to accept a gifted win in week one against Penn State but have looked fairly dominant since then. Kind of reminds me of the trajectory Minnesota took last year, which peaked at knocking off Penn State before coming back to Earth during the rest of November. So, yeah, I would say Indiana is good enough right now to snakebite a 2019-level Penn State team. Unfortunately for them, while I still don't think this year's Buckeyes are as good as last year's (yet), they're still much better than 2019 Penn State. Here's a nasty little secret: Indiana can't run the ball. You thought the Buckeyes were having problems coping with the loss of J.K. Dobbins? Indiana is averaging 95.3 yards a game. Now, much like the Buckeyes, Indiana copes with this by leaning on their effective passing game. And that's fine if you can trot out otherworldly talents like Justin Fields, Chris Olave, and Garrett Wilson to fuel a blatantly unfair air attack. But while Michael Penix, Whop Philyor, and Ty Fryfogle are certainly no slouches, you're not going to beat Ohio State being one-dimensional. Whatever problems the Ohio State secondary has this year, they're not running anything resembling Michigan's "Zone Minus One" atrocity. Also, unlike Justin Fields, Penix isn't a run threat, especially since Indiana can't afford to lose him to a season-ending injury for the second year in a row. With last year's backup QB, Peyton Ramsey, gone to purpler pastures (see above), the loss of their star QB would dramatically diminish the potency of the Indiana offense. IU: 27--OSU: 55
Schweinfurth: Can anyone stop Ohio State's offense outside of Ohio State or a COVID shutdown? I really don't think so. Yes, the run game doesn't look like it did with Dobbins and Weber, but Teague falls forward and keeps the Bucks on schedule. Penn State and Kyle Clifford moved the ball at will on this Indiana defense, they just turned it over all day. Justin Fields should have a day here. I would bet on Olave and Wilson both going over 100 yards again. Teague should get his yards once the Hoosiers are forced to back off. Indiana has Ohio State's full attention and Day & Co. were given an extra 4 days to prepare for this one. Indiana may be the second best team in the B1G East, but OSU has lapped the field. IU: 21--OSU: 49
Hoying: I don't think it's an understatement to call this Indiana's biggest game since the 1968 Rose Bowl (maybe 1987 Michigan State). Win this and the Hoosiers are, barring a disaster, on a collision course with their first East division championship. There's just one problem. Throughout Indiana's storied history of Big Ten membership, which includes all of two conference titles, the Hoosiers have never won a Big Ten championship in a year in which they've played Ohio State. (Rather unlucky, then, that the Big Ten split into divisions in 2011. Now that Indiana plays Ohio State every single year, they may never win a conference crown again.) This year's version of Indiana has the look of a very good team that is improving week-to-week on a diet of bad opponents. They needed everything in the bag to accept a gifted win in week one against Penn State but have looked fairly dominant since then. Kind of reminds me of the trajectory Minnesota took last year, which peaked at knocking off Penn State before coming back to Earth during the rest of November. So, yeah, I would say Indiana is good enough right now to snakebite a 2019-level Penn State team. Unfortunately for them, while I still don't think this year's Buckeyes are as good as last year's (yet), they're still much better than 2019 Penn State. Here's a nasty little secret: Indiana can't run the ball. You thought the Buckeyes were having problems coping with the loss of J.K. Dobbins? Indiana is averaging 95.3 yards a game. Now, much like the Buckeyes, Indiana copes with this by leaning on their effective passing game. And that's fine if you can trot out otherworldly talents like Justin Fields, Chris Olave, and Garrett Wilson to fuel a blatantly unfair air attack. But while Michael Penix, Whop Philyor, and Ty Fryfogle are certainly no slouches, you're not going to beat Ohio State being one-dimensional. Whatever problems the Ohio State secondary has this year, they're not running anything resembling Michigan's "Zone Minus One" atrocity. Also, unlike Justin Fields, Penix isn't a run threat, especially since Indiana can't afford to lose him to a season-ending injury for the second year in a row. With last year's backup QB, Peyton Ramsey, gone to purpler pastures (see above), the loss of their star QB would dramatically diminish the potency of the Indiana offense. IU: 27--OSU: 55
Schweinfurth: Can anyone stop Ohio State's offense outside of Ohio State or a COVID shutdown? I really don't think so. Yes, the run game doesn't look like it did with Dobbins and Weber, but Teague falls forward and keeps the Bucks on schedule. Penn State and Kyle Clifford moved the ball at will on this Indiana defense, they just turned it over all day. Justin Fields should have a day here. I would bet on Olave and Wilson both going over 100 yards again. Teague should get his yards once the Hoosiers are forced to back off. Indiana has Ohio State's full attention and Day & Co. were given an extra 4 days to prepare for this one. Indiana may be the second best team in the B1G East, but OSU has lapped the field. IU: 21--OSU: 49
Upset Special
Draper: FSU over Clemson
Draper: FSU over Clemson
Hoying: UCF over Cincinnati
Schweinfurth: App St. over Coastal Carolina
Schweinfurth: App St. over Coastal Carolina
