BCS Bowl Predictions- Week 10

BCS National Championship Game (1/10, Glendale)
TCU Horned Frogs- At Large
vs.
Oregon Ducks- Pac 10 Champs

Rose Bowl (1/1, Pasadena)
Wisconsin Badgers- Big Ten Champs
vs.
Boise State Broncos- At Large

Fiesta Bowl (1/1, Glendale)
Oklahoma Sooners- Big 12 Champs
vs.
Alabama Crimson Tide- At Large

Orange Bowl (1/3, Miami)
Florida State Seminoles- ACC Champs
vs.
Pitt Panthers- Big East Champs

Sugar Bowl (1/4, New Orleans)
Ohio State Buckeyes- At Large
vs.
Auburn Tigers- SEC Champs

I have a feeling that Oregon isn't going to lose this season, and the same can be said for TCU/Boise State. Henceforth, I will go ahead and say that a game between Oregon and a non-BCS school will unfortunately be the national championship game for this highly eventful season. Things change weekly and quite frankly I wouldn't be shocked to see a lot of other teams involved other than the Ducks or Horned Frogs/Broncos as the weeks go by.

Where do the Buckeyes end up? Right in their comfort zone: a game in SEC country against my projected SEC champion, the one-loss Auburn Tigers (obvious sarcasm). The hype for that game would be incredible.

Games of the Week/Big Ten Rundown 10

#6 Alabama (7-1) @ #10 LSU (7-1)
- Both teams have had a week off to get ready for this game, so it should be a very well fought game between these two SEC powerhouses. Bama is unscathed in the West division, while LSU lost to Auburn a few weeks ago meaning that the pressure is on LSU to win this game. If the Tigers lose, then they will basically be eliminated from playing for the SEC championship. It's in Death Valley, LSU has had a lot go their way this season and they have the only guy in the SEC in my opinion that can shut down WR Julio Jones. The issue: Alabama is simply better. I am rooting for Les Miles and the Tigers, but I think that the Tide will pull it off.

Bama- 24
LSU- 16

#3 TCU (9-0) @ #5 Utah (8-0)
- This may be the game of the week considering both of these teams are inside the BCS top five. If TCU wins, they are arguably in the drivers seat to be the next in line to play for the national championship if either Oregon or Auburn trips up. If Utah wins, then the debate will be on whether Boise or Utah is more worthy (and think of the publicity that will get for the Pac 12 heading into 2011). The Utes usually win at home in these situations, but I personally think that TCU could beat just about anyone in the country right now. Utah will have a chance to win in the end, but their comeback bid will fall just short.

TCU- 28
Utah- 27

Hawaii (7-2) @ #4 Boise State (7-0)
- No, I'm not kidding when I say that I believe Hawaii has some chance of knocking off the Broncos this weekend. I don't think they will pull it off, but they certainly have a chance and I'll tell you why. First, the Warriors lit up USC and almost beat them in the first game of the season (let's not talk about how bad the Trojan defense is though...). Secondly, despite another loss to a BCS school - Colorado - they went on to beat #19 Nevada and go on to beat the likes of Fresno State en route to an undefeated conference record and a 7-2 overall record. Finally, they only give up 20 points per game while scoring 40 points per game in addition to owning the top ranked passing offense in America. Boise will be shocked as the game is still in the balance in the second half, but Kellen Moore won't let the Broncos lose and rally the troops to beat Hawaii. If this game were being played in Hawaii then I would probably call for the upset.

Hawaii- 38
Boise St- 45

Big Ten Rundown

#9 Wisconsin (7-1, 3-1) @ Purdue (4-4, 2-2)
- If the Badgers are going to trip up again in 2010, it won't be against Purdue. The week off will serve well for Wisconsin as they go into West Lafayette rested and ready to roll Purdue to move to 8-1 on the year.

#16 Iowa (6-2, 3-1) @ Indiana (4-4, 0-4)
- Coming off a huge win over previously unbeaten Michigan State, Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes are probably breathing a huge sigh of relief that they get to play Indiana. It may be closer than the experts think, but Iowa will get the win.

Minnesota (1-8, 0-5) @ #14 Michigan State (8-1, 4-1)
- Yeah... Minnesota is really bad. MSU will win this game by a lot. Simple enough for you?

Illinois (5-3, 3-2) @ Michigan (5-3, 1-3)
- I really think that after coming back to almost beat Penn State that Michigan has some of its mojo back from its fast and furious start to the season. However, Illinois is playing extremely well and has been a handful for Michigan ever since Ron Zook arrived in Champaign. I'm going with the Illini by a small margin.

Northwestern (6-2, 2-2) @ Penn State (5-3, 2-2)
- PSU looked very good against Michigan (a lot of teams do lately) and hopes to get back on the winning track again as they look to victimize Northwestern in Happy Valley. I like Northwestern more than Penn State in all seriousness, but I will go ahead and say that PSU wins on a last second field goal to avoid a sub-.500 record in Big Ten play.

My Top Ten- Week 10

1. Auburn (9-0, vs UT Chattanooga)
2. Oregon (8-0, vs Washington)
3. Boise State (7-0, vs Hawaii)
4. TCU (9-0, @ Utah)
5. Alabama (7-1, @ LSU)
6. Wisconsin (7-1, @ Purdue)
7. Ohio State (8-1, Bye Week)
8. Utah (8-0, vs TCU) Just waiting to see how the TCU game goes...
9. Oklahoma (7-1, @ Texas A&M)
10. LSU (7-1, vs Alabama)

Outside Looking In...
Nebraska
Stanford
Missouri
Arizona
Michigan State

Iowa is creeping back into the national stream of consciousness. I fully expect them to be close to the top 10 by the time the Buckeyes travel to Kinnick Stadium on November 20th. Just as many predicted, both Michigan State and Missouri went down. In the case of the Oregon Ducks they live to see another day in the BCS championship race as they once again scored an excessive amount of points in beating another unworthy Pac 10 opponent. It doesn't matter who the opponents are, but rather if you can beat whoever is presented on your schedule. Winning is all that matters, no matter what. A couple top ten matchups are in store for November 6th, as Alabama travels to LSU and Utah faces off with TCU at the Utes home turf. With both lower ranked teams hosting the favorites, I'm guaranteeing at least one big upset in those games. This is turning out to be a hell of a season.

Game 9- #11 Ohio State (7-1, 3-1) @ Minnesota Golden Gophers (1-7, 0-4)

Where: TCF Bank Stadium (Minneapolis)
When: 8:00 PM EST
TV: ESPN

We all know I'm picking OSU to win and that it won't be much of a game at all, so I just wanted to take a minute or two to talk about the injuries on defense, what this team needs to do to become special and about Minnesota's new outdoor campus stadium.

Damn... the injuries continue to mount for the silver bullet defense as player after player has been ruled out since the season began. Here is a rough timeline that I have conducted with virtually no research, but rather based off my sometimes reliable memory: in Fall camp, injuries were sustained to starters Devon Torrence, Chimdi Chekwa, Jermale Hines and Ohrian Johnson. All were back for the season opener with the exception of OJ, who was replaced in the lineup by sophomore C.J. Barnett. The young safety then hurt his knee against Miami and was ruled out for the season. Johnson returned and all seemed well. Meanwhile, Tyler Moeller was having a sensational year coming back from a head injury in 2009 to be a Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week winner at his Star position (linebacker/safety hybrid). Little did we all know that Moeller had a ticking time bomb in his chest in the form of a not-fully-healed muscle that was torn against Illinois. In comes freshman Christian Bryant, who then was diagnosed with a foot infection and won't see the field until the bowl game (probably). Other injuries include players like Donnie Evege and Corey Brown as cornerback to NOT help matters in the defensive backfield. At least the front seven has remained healthy, right? Well, with the exception of captain, team leader and leading tackler in linebacker Ross Homan, who hurt his foot in the first half of the Wisconsin game and won't be back to playing until probably the Penn State game or worst-case scenario the Iowa game. Phew... these injuries are really starting to hurt the team.

I believe that the reason why this team isn't quite special yet has a lot to do with the injuries, but mainly to do with the lack of a true test before they played Wisconsin - they learned the hard way how tough life can be when you don't play Eastern Michigan- and also how they seemed to feel entitled to winning all of their games as the #1 ranked team in mid-October. Ohio State crushed Miami on national television and from then on out cruised to victories over Ohio, Eastern Michigan, Illinois and Indiana. No offense to Illinois who is playing really good football right now, but I think the cupcake schedule and the sense of entitlement that comes from being the top ranked team in America really threw the team's focus off course. When the main concern for a team heading into a showdown in Madison is the Jump Around session before the 4th quarter begins as opposed to focusing on the Wisconsin game plan, then you are going to have a lot of issues. The ego that had been non-existent at OSU all season long finally hit them going into Wisconsin, and they had their asses handed to them. I credit OSU's offense coming back and making it a game, but the defense simply couldn't make a stop.

Side note: of course special teams is involved in the whole mess... duh. Another note: I still believe that this team can be special. They really, really, really, really have to work on special teams heading into November, but aside from that all the pieces are there to win the remainder of their games and get back into the good graces of the top 5. Will they actually do what they are supposed to and win games in November? We shall see.

I want to end by saying that I love Minnesota's new stadium and that it beats the hell out of the Metrodome, yet I am saddened by the state of the program up in Minneapolis. A good program deserves a stadium of that caliber, and it's a shame that Gopher fans have to deal with an awful program and a team that is currently at the bottom of the Big Ten. If they had an average to above average team last year and this season, the outdoor facility would prove to be a true game changer. Instead, it is just something nice to look at while the inevitable happens, which in this case is a big time OSU beatdown. The Buckeyes will win this game handily. Now, off the much needed bye week.

Prediction:

Ohio State- 38
Minnesota- 7

Games of the Week/Big Ten Rundown 9

#5 Michigan State (8-0, 4-0) @ #18 Iowa (5-2, 2-1)
- There is something about this Spartan team that screams destiny all over them, and it is certainly hard to ignore. However that is exactly what a lot of people thought about Iowa around this time of the year last season, and they ended up losing two games in the conference. MSU's time is up, and it ends Saturday at Iowa. The Hawkeyes are hurting after a narrow loss to Wisconsin, but they will be up the task of fighting off a tough team in Kinnick Stadium. Sparty loses this one, but they go on to still have a fantastic season.

MSU- 23
Iowa- 24

#6 Missouri (7-0) @ #14 Nebraska (6-1)
- I liked the way that the Tigers played against Oklahoma, but they probably will fall short against the Cornhuskers. I have thought all year that while Nebraska is flawed they still possess a strong enough defense to get them through to the Big 12 championship game and an offense that when clicking is good enough to win it all for them. They lost their first big home game of the year in upset fashion to Texas, and they won't go 0 for two in Lincoln this early in the year versus big time teams. Missouri's unbeaten run will end.

Missouri- 27
Nebraska- 42

#2 Oregon (7-0) @ USC (5-2)
- I was dead on last week when I said that Oklahoma was going down, and I am now extremely confident in the fact that there really isn't a top ranked team in the country right now. Oregon sits on top of the human polls, and probably feels that they will thrash USC much like they did last season. I like the Trojans to get their first big win of the year en route to an upset over the Ducks. I'm telling you right now: this season is about to get even crazier.

UO- 31
USC- 35

Big Ten Rundown-

#11 Ohio State @ Minnesota- TBA

#5 Michigan State @ #18 Iowa- See Above

Michigan (5-2, 1-2) @ Penn State (4-3, 1-2)
- The Wolverines will have had two weeks to prepare for this game, so I am guessing that they will come out and execute better than they have in their last two Big Ten losses. The Nittany Lions, while not exactly a spectacle to watch, are coming off a win without their top QB. I think that confidence booster along with a strong running game will give PSU a close win over Michigan.

Northwestern (5-2, 1-2) @ Indiana (4-3, 0-3)
- The Wildcats feel they should be undefeated and they will play like it on Saturday. Indiana will surrender a lot of points and will feel the hurt after Northwestern becomes bowl eligible with a big win over the Hoosiers.

Purdue (4-3, 2-1) @ Illinois (4-3, 2-2)
- I have been saying all season long that I think Purdue is a bad team - albeit a scrappy one - and now I am saying that they have maybe slightly improved. That still won't be enough to beat Illinois in my opinion.

My Top Ten- Week 9

1. Oregon (7-0, @ USC)
2. Auburn (8-0, @ Ole Miss)
3. Boise State (6-0, vs Louisiana Tech)
4. TCU (8-0, @ UNLV)
5. Michigan State (8-0, @ Iowa)
6. Missouri (7-0, @ Nebraska)
7. Alabama (7-1, Bye Week)
8. Wisconsin (7-1, Bye Week)
9. Ohio State (7-1, @ Minnesota)
10. Utah (7-0, @ Air Force)

Outside Looking In...
Oklahoma
LSU
Nebraska
Stanford
Florida State

Oregon should be number one in my opinion, but are they really the top team in the nation? I don't think anyone is right now, but they will do for the time being. Auburn soars to number two after beating LSU yesterday, while Oklahoma takes the long tumble to outside the top ten after losing to the undefeated Missouri Tigers, who are now the number two team in the Big 12 and ranked number six in my poll. Wisconsin stays ranked ahead of the Buckeyes as they should be but are still behind the undefeated Spartans. Utah cracks the top ten, while Boise and TCU are still sitting pretty within the top five. Things are getting crazy and should remain that way the rest of the season.

Game 8- #10 Ohio State (6-1, 2-1) vs. Purdue Boilermakers (4-2, 2-0)

Where: Ohio Stadium
When: Noon EST
TV: Big Ten Network

There is a lot that can be said about the loss to Wisconsin, and at the same time there really isn't much to say. It happened, it's over, and this team can still win the Big Ten and hope for bigger and better things down the stretch. For now, it's on to revenge week for the Buckeyes.

"Get used to it"- Purdue Head Coach Danny Hope.

That was the quote from Purdue's head coach after the then-first year coach led Purdue to an upset over Ohio State last October. I bet that has been in the minds of OSU ever since they left West Lafayette that day.

I fully expect the Buckeyes to take care of it on Saturday afternoon, however not in the way that myself or many other fans would have envisioned it a week or so ago. Too many injuries have beleaguered this team on the defensive side of the ball and you have to think that it will eventually be tough for the team to continue their dominance week in and week out (and if you watched the game last week, the word dominant shouldn't even be associated with the Bucks anymore). Captain Ross Homan will miss the next few weeks due to an injured foot, starting nickelback Christian Bryant has an infection that will keep him out indefinitely, and two players that would provide linebacking depth missed last weeks game and will probably miss out on the Purdue game. Combine those issues with the loss of C.J. Barnett and Tyler Moeller for the season, and the current situation for Ohio State's defense isn't exactly golden. I still think they are an elite unit, but they will not be when they aren't at full strength such as now. The defensive line REALLY needs to step up for the first time since the Miami game in September. Their lack of a fight against Wisconsin was highly discouraging, and the secondary will need their help in order for this team to succeed in the long run.

I like Purdue to mount an early touchdown drive, and for the Buckeye offense to punt on two of their first three possessions... then the flood gates will open. This team is too talented to let a group like Purdue come in and step all over them once again. Get used to it Purdue, you aren't a very good program and your coach is full of it.

Pryor will account for three touchdowns while Boom Herron takes care of the rest in an exciting second half rout of the Boilermakers. Revenge is a dish best served at home, and OSU is salivating to get after it I'm sure.

By the way, the season isn't over yet. For anyone that thinks it is, please don't say a word until after the Michigan game. This team can still win the conference, and in all honesty it wouldn't be the craziest thing ever if they somehow found themselves back in the national championship picture.

Prediction:

Ohio State- 35
Purdue- 16

Games of the Week/Big Ten Rundown 8

(Note: Rankings now go by current BCS Standings)

#6 LSU (7-0) @ #4 Auburn (7-0)
- This is the start of the big time SEC gauntlet that is at hand the remainder of the season. LSU, Auburn and Alabama all play each other before the beginning of December and it should be a hell of a show to watch. First things first, LSU really hasn't done anything yet to truly impress me despite winning on the road at Florida - then again, the Gators lost to Mississippi State as well. I love the defense and I think that they should be able to give QB Cam Newton some trouble, but Auburn has a special feel about them. I am going to go with the home team here to pull out a huge conference victory. After this game the national champion talk will start to ring very loud throughout the nation and especially in the south.

LSU- 24
AU- 28

#13 Wisconsin (6-1, 2-1) @ #15 Iowa (5-1, 2-0)
- The Big Ten race has narrowed down to the following with each six weeks to play: Michigan State is undefeated, Iowa is in the driver's seat and controls their destiny despite MSU's record, Wisconsin is about third in line at this point, and the Buckeyes have fallen to the back of the pecking order. It is a four team competition, and this is when it starts to get interesting. I usually subscribe to the theory that after an upset, the team that delivered the win heard round the world usually falls a little short the next week. I will stick to my guns and say that Wisconsin plays well enough to win but the Hawkeyes will refuse to be pushed around like the Buckeyes were last Saturday. Iowa eliminates Wisconsin from the Big Ten conversation- for now - after a win in Kinnick Stadium.

Wisconsin- 20
Iowa- 27

#1 Oklahoma (6-0) @ #11 Missouri (6-0)
- This will be yet another upset in my opinion. Oklahoma is lacking something...not sure what, but they are missing a key component in what it takes to be a national champion. If it is not revealed this weekend, I believe that it will be sometime down the road. Missouri has the total package to manage to slow Oklahoma's offense down and ultimately steal a win from the Sooners. Missouri's Blane Gabbert needs to be healthy in order for this to come to fruition, though.

Oklahoma-31
Missouri- 33

Big Ten Rundown-

#10 Ohio State vs Purdue- TBA

#13 Wisconsin @ #15 Iowa- See Above

#7 Michigan State (7-0, 3-0) @ Northwestern (5-1, 1-1)
- This has trap game written all over it. While I think that Northwestern can make this a very interesting game, I don't believe that MSU will lose before their big game at Iowa next week. A very, very close win for the Spartans is what I see happening here.

Indiana (4-2, 0-2) @ Illinois (3-3, 1-2)
- Yawn. Illinois will play sound defense and capitalize off of two big turnovers from QB Ben Chappell on their way to sending the Hoosiers packing. Illinois is a very odd team to figure out, but I definitely know that their defense is legit.

Penn State (3-3, 0-2) @ Minnesota (1-6, 0-3)
- Um... I really don't know here. Penn State should win but they really aren't playing well at all this season. There are too many injuries to keep the Lions from being too competitive. However, at the end of the day, I guess it is Minnesota and they don't have to play to save Tim Brewster's job (not that they would want to in the first place). I'll go with Joe Pa in this one.

And Michigan has a much needed bye week. Denard getting hurt, you say? Who could see that coming? Who could also predict that once good teams arrived on the schedule Michigan would suffer on both sides of the ball? Well, I guess you should give Michigan props for coming back against Iowa, but who was at quarterback? Man, things are weird up in Ann Arbor. I'll guarantee a win against Purdue, but outside of that who knows. Penn State isn't good, so there is a chance for a win on the road there, and Illinois just doesn't have the greatest offense around. Three Big Ten wins should be the cap on what the Wolverines will do, but even then that would be a great success. 8 wins would be light years ahead of what the team has done the past two seasons.

The Writing on the Wall

I didn't see this coming, yet the facts/signs were there.

I wrote on Thursday that it was evident that if there was a game that this team would lose this season it would be @ Wisconsin, historically and factually speaking. The Badgers just seem to have whatever makes OSU vulnerable to a loss, and Saturday was no exception.

Seriously, why do some people think Wisconsin is a joke? My question is do these people watch football? They play hard nosed, physical football and are 9 to 10 win candidates every single year.
They may not be elite - I certainly don't believe that - but they are a tough team to deal with. If Wisconsin had better overall talent then they would look like a lot of OSU teams of the past.

I was afraid that this type of game might happen, either on the road at Wisconsin or at Iowa, but not like this. UW absolutely destroyed the Buckeyes up front on the offensive line and ran the ball down their throats like no other team I have seen in years. It was an unbelievable thing to witness, and I guess you have to give Wisconsin credit for that.

I give credit to Wisconsin being the better prepared and more prepared team that night and having a raucous crowd on hand to witness the beatdown. What I do not give them credit for is the fact that the Buckeyes came in not ready for the challenge at hand and immediately felt the sting as David Gilreath returned a kickoff return to the house on the very first play of the game, and the momentum never really seemed to trail off. Well, the only instance I suppose would be when Ohio State ran off 18 straight points to make it a field goal game. That was the only time I was proud of the Buckeyes that night, because the defense that is supposed to be one of the best in the nation decided to sit back and take it all night long in Madison.

Too bad, because I really thought this team was special. The Buckeyes are still very good in my opinion, but they aren't special. They have two weeks to get wins against Purdue and Minnesota before they have a bye week, which much like last season should give the team time to focus and realize that the season isn't over and the Big Ten is still at hand.

I really don't want to say this now, but a national championship appearance still isn't out of the realm of possibility.

Let's see if this team can become special between now and November 27th.

Top Ten- Week 8

1. Oregon (6-0, vs UCLA)
2. Boise State (6-0, Bye Week)
3. Oklahoma (6-0, @ Missouri)
4. TCU (7-0, vs Air Force)
5. Auburn (7-0, vs LSU)
6. LSU (7-0, vs Auburn)
7. Michigan State (7-0, @ Northwestern)
8. Alabama (6-1, @ Tennessee)
9. Wisconsin (6-1, @ Iowa)
10. Ohio State (6-1, vs Purdue)

Outside Looking In...
Utah (6-0)
Nebraska (5-1)
Iowa (5-1)
Stanford (5-1)
Florida State (6-1)

Yep... the championship race (both nationally and within several conferences) has become very, very interesting.

Game 7- #1 Ohio State (6-0, 2-0) @ #16/18 Wisconsin Badgers (5-1, 1-1)

Where: Camp Randall Stadium (Madison, WI)
When: 7:15 PM EST
TV: ESPN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO6aUNpPYco&p=E24E4AB463E01AEB&playnext=1&index=58

That clip always reminds me of the crazy atmosphere that encompasses a trip to Madison, as well as how loose our team has become in big games.

Make no mistake about it: this will be, in my opinion, our toughest all around test of the season. Why do I think that? Here are the following reasons: it is the first legitimate road game of the year, it just so happens to be in Camp Randall Stadium, it is at night, Wisconsin tends to be OSU's kryptonite every now and then, and September/October is when the Buckeyes are most vulnerable. Flukes happen, but Ohio State has only lost four regular season games in November under Jim Tressel, two of which came in seasons where Ohio State had seven regular season wins. The other two: Jim's only loss to Michigan since he took the job in Columbus, and a shocking upset loss to Illinois on Senior Day in 2007. In other words, facts are facts and OSU is generally going to lose before November rolls around and the team is at full go.

An October night game at Wisconsin should sound familiar to Buckeye fans, as the team has played in two of those since the 2003 season. They are 1-1 in those games, losing 17-10 in 2003 (which snapped the nations longest winning streak at 19 games) and coming back to win in 2008 under freshman Terrelle Pryor, 20-17. Wisconsin has made a modest living out of beating Ohio State as of late, going 4-4 vs the Buckeyes in the past decade. Also, Wisconsin has ALWAYS moved the ball, even against some of the best OSU defenses in the Tressel era. If Wisconsin doesn't run the ball the way that they want to, then the play-action pass opens up. Last season alone Wisconsin had 368 yards of total offense - 250 of which came through the air (mostly off play-action), 22 first downs and managed to total over 100 yards running the ball as a team. The Badgers don't have the talent across the board like more elite programs, nor do they have special players at key positions such as quarterback, but they are a tough, hard-nosed and physical football team that brings it to every opponent each and every week. There is the problem right there, though. You can bring it all you want, but without the special talent you will never be a consistent threat to win the Big Ten. Wisconsin is a nice team that I still think can win nine or ten games and represent the conference very nicely during bowl season, but they are nowhere near the caliber of Ohio State in 2010.

It may sound like I've been gushing over Wisconsin for months now, but let's get one thing clear: I've presented facts. Not biased opinions, but facts. Factually speaking, Wisconsin is always a tough game and have been in every game they have played against the Buckeyes since renewing the series in 2007 (before then they would just win as opposed to simply competing)... but they won't win on Saturday night.

College Gameday will be in Madison and the rabid Badger fans will be chomping at the bit to take on the #1 team in America, but the talent gap is too wide this season. Terrelle Pryor will have a good game, and while it may not be a truly Heisman-worthy performance it will still be a very nice, efficient day at the ball park for him. The running game will mostly rely on the legs of Pryor and a key fourth quarter touchdown by Boom Herron to ice the game as the pass-heavy Buckeyes beat the Badgers by a couple of touchdowns. Look for DeVier Posey to have a very big game, along with Dane Sanzenbacher and TE Jake Stoneburner who has returned from injury.

It will be loud, crazy and often times may seem like Wisconsin has all the momentum, but don't believe for a second that Wisconsin will win this game.

I'm just stating facts (hopefully I'm not eating crow on Sunday).

Prediction:

Ohio State- 31
Wisconsin- 17

Games of the Week/Big Ten Rundown 7

#12/13 Arkansas (4-1) @ #7 Auburn (6-0)
- The Auburn Tigers have the feel of a team that will be in the SEC and national championship picture until the very end, as both their play and their ability to pull out close victories has shown this season. They simply have the feel of a winner. HOWEVER --- Arkansas is due for a big win as they had Alabama on the ropes and haven't beaten a very good team so far this year with Ryan Mallett under center (@ Georgia and @ Texas A&M don't count for me). The Razorbacks will upset Auburn this weekend in Jordan Hare Stadium and take some momentum away from the first half of the season.

Arkansas- 34
Auburn- 31

#14/15 Iowa (4-1, 1-0) @ #24/NR Michigan (5-1, 1-1)
- Iowa is a very good team and any fan of college football an attest to that, however all good - not great - teams can have the occasional pitfall. Michigan may be that very game, as it is on the road and the Wolverines believe that they can take on anyone in the conference (despite losing to their "little brothers" big time). Denard Robinson should have a better game than he did last week, but don't expect a monumental leap. We can all see Michigan's true colors now and they don't permeate dominance evidently. Iowa will seize control early and often en route to a nice road win before taking on Michigan State.

Iowa- 35
Michigan- 20

That's it... those are your games of the week. Not too many marquee match ups, but these are the type of weeks that you need to watch out for because they usually surprise the hell out of you.

Big Ten Rundown-
#1 Ohio State @ # Wisconsin- TBD

#14/15 Iowa @ #24/NR Michigan- See Above

Illinois (3-2, 1-1) @ #11/13 Michigan State (6-0, 2-0)
- I am torn on this game, and it is not because I think that Illinois is better than Michigan State. Aside from Ohio State, these two teams have certainly been playing as well as anyone in the conference. The Spartans are fresh off convincing wins over Wisconsin and Michigan, while Illinois took OSU to the wire and beat Penn State on the road. The Illini are really starting to gel and it is certainly showing. I think that Ron Zook and his latest staff will keep MSU's offense from doing too much in the first half and keep it very close heading into the fourth....but I can't pick against Sparty right now. Michigan State wins a low scoring, close affair.

Minnesota (1-5, 0-2) @ Purdue (3-2, 1-0)
- I'm calling for the upset here over Purdue- again. Purdue just beat Northwestern which is something that can catapult them to a potential bowl berth, but I doubt it. The Boilermakers are too beat up and Minnesota is desperate for a win. The fighting Tim Brewster's live long enough to see their coach get a Big Ten win in 2010 with an upset on Saturday.

Arkansas State @ Indiana (3-2, 0-2)
- I fail to mention what Arkansas State's record is because I really don't think it matters at all in this situation. Indiana's offense will shred them for 500 plus yards of offense en route to a big win over a lackluster Sun Belt team. Good for IU... good for them.

Top Ten- Week 7

1. Ohio State (6-0, @ Wisconsin)
2. Oregon (6-0, Bye Week)
3. Boise State (5-0, @ San Jose State)
4. TCU (6-0, vs BYU)
5. Oklahoma (5-0, vs Iowa State)
6. Nebraska (5-0, vs Texas)
7. Auburn (6-0, vs Arkansas)
8. LSU (6-0, vs McNeese State)
9. Alabama (5-1, vs Ole Miss)
10. Michigan State (6-0, vs Illinois)

Utah (5-0)
South Carolina (4-1)
Arkansas (4-1)
Iowa (4-1)
Stanford (5-1)

Wow... what a shake up in college football. It is always the weeks where you wake up and say "this will be a boring day of football" that the craziness happens and the upsets ensue. Obviously the headlining loss featured Alabama, who had their secondary FINALLY exposed by South Carolina. All the credit in the world goes to the Gamecocks who refused to let their lead slip even though there were plenty of opportunities for Bama to strike back. Arizona, who had struggled the past few weeks to win games, lost to a scrappy Oregon State team to fall out of the top ten and ultimately my top 15. Which teams helped their cause the most? For starters LSU certainly did by beating Florida in the Swamp (how many lives does Les Miles have??) and seizing control of the SEC West -- but wait! Auburn also benefits by the Alabama loss, meaning that Auburn and LSU are tops in the division, with Alabama and Arkansas keeping chase. The East is a mess at this point with South Carolina the top team at this point. Oregon benefits along with the undefeated Big 12 teams in Oklahoma and Nebraska. Boise and TCU believe just a little bit more that they can somehow sneak their way into the championship game. Last, but not least, the Ohio State Buckeyes are now the #1 team in college football.

Half of the season is over, so most of this means absolutely nothing. Stay tuned for the rest of the season to see where things are heading going into the bowl season.

Game 6- #2 Ohio State (5-0,1-0) vs. Indiana Hoosiers (3-1,0-1)

Where: Ohio Stadium
When: Noon EST
TV: ESPN

There isn't too much to say because it is Indiana and OSU does not lose to Indiana. However, there are a few things to talk about that don't surround the game itself. It seems as if a lot of Buckeye fans are starting to think that this isn't as good of a team as most people originally thought early on in the year. Why? Because they had one rough game? That isn't a reason to throw away your high hopes. The offense was missing Stoneburner and simply was out of their element in a conservative offense, while the wind heavily contributed to the lack of points. Plus Illinois played some good football - let's not forget that part. I still think that this is a top two team and it should stay that was for the rest of the season. Losing safety Tyler Moeller for the year hurts but if there is one thing that the Bucks are good at it is finding guys to step in and contribute. That player should be true freshman Christian Bryant, who played significantly last week vs the Illini in relief of Moeller. Oh and about the running game: it will get better. All Tressel teams improve as the year goes on, and as the progression goes so will the improvement of the running attack. I am hoping that sophomore Jordan Hall gets more carries, but I digress.

In my opinion, this will be a very pesky Hoosier team in the Shoe tomorrow and OSU won't just step onto the field and obliterate them. It will take time but the passing attack will take its course, with Pryor hitting Sanzenbacher and Posey for two big touchdowns, while the defense, running game and special team (I'm calling for a special teams score!) will take care of business. Indiana gets in the endzone twice, but it won't matter as the home team moves on to Wisconsin week after a substantial victory in the friendly confines of Ohio Stadium.

Prediction:

Ohio State- 45
Indiana- 14

Games of the Week/Big Ten Rundown 6

#1 Alabama (5-0) @ #19/20 South Carolina (3-1)
- I am fully confident that Alabama will win every game on their schedule as long as they do not beat themselves. After seeing them play against Florida I am very certain of that, meaning that they should beat South Carolina. It will be a hostile environment, but I think that the Tide will slip away and hold on to beat the Gamecocks.

Alabama- 27
S. Carolina- 17

#9/12 LSU (5-0) @ #12/14 Florida (4-1)
- If you saw how LSU beat Tennessee this past weekend and your heart didn't break for the UT players then I do not think that you have a soul (unless you hate Tennessee). That being said, I haven't been a fan of Les Miles' boys all season long. They beat a North Carolina team missing half of their starters and still almost let them comeback and have a shot at winning, then proceeded to have three straight games where QB Jordan Jefferson failed to throw for over 100 yards. They are not a top ten team, although they are a very talented and solid team. Florida needs a win and I think they'll get it in the Swamp. It won't be because of the offense either; as a matter of fact, I think that both offenses will play very poorly, but LSU's is more inept at this juncture. The Tigers go into Gainesville and lose a very sloppy, close game.

LSU- 10
Florida- 16

#23/24 Florida State (4-1) @ #13/14 Miami, FL (3-1)
- Miami has been a very impressive team to watch since they lost to Ohio State, but the QB play has been simply abysmal at times. Multiple interceptions won't get you anywhere in life, Jacory... just a tip. Florida State had their chance in the spotlight against Oklahoma and got crushed (as did Miami against OSU after putting up only 10 offensive points). Who wins: an FSU team that blew a golden opportunity to prove its back, or a Miami team that blew its big opportunity to prove that they are back? I am going to go with Florida State in this one, although I think that Miami is the better team. Christian Ponder will provide better QB play for the Noles, and that will be the X-factor.

FSU- 31
Da U- 28


Big Ten Rundown-
Indiana @ #2 Ohio State- TBA

#16/17 Michigan State (5-0, 1-0) @ #17/18 Michigan (5-0, 1-0)
- It should be extremely interesting to see how this game plays out. It is a rivalry game, so I would throw everything the two teams have done this season out the window. What will win this game: solid all around play defensively and on offense, or the Heisman frontrunner single handily taking over the game? Common sense would say that Sparty will win, but my gut it telling me otherwise. I'm going with Denard Robinson and the Wolverines to win and catapult themselves to 6-0. Michigan keeps winning games despite having one of the worst defenses in the nation, and the world keeps spinning round and round. Scary.

Minnesota (1-4, 0-1) @ #19/20 Wisconsin (4-1, 0-1)
- When the Badgers lose, it is usually because they are unable to run the ball effectively forcing their defense into undesirable situations. That is exactly what happened to them against MSU and ultimately they lost. I like them to get back on track in the Battle for the Ax and stick it to the Gophers.

Purdue (2-2) @ #25/NR Northwestern (5-0, 1-0)
- I am just not a fan of Purdue this season. I called for them to lose to Toledo, and they looked pathetic in doing so. They have lost their starting quarterback for the season, and simply don't have nearly as much energy as they did last season. Considering they won five games last season, that speaks volumes about Danny Hope's team in his second year as head coach. Northwestern creeps closer to being ranked in both polls en route to a win over Purdue.

Illinois (2-2, 0-1) @ Penn State (3-2, 0-1)
- I think that the Illini will come out and play a strong game defensively, however a few costly turnovers will spark two touchdowns from RB Evan Royster and Penn State will ultimately win this game by a few scores. It should be a close one due to two young, ineffective quarterbacks.

Buckeye Fans: CALM DOWN!!!!

Here is a question for OSU fans: have you ever seen the team "struggle" but still win before in your lifetime? If you answered no, then you are an idiot.

I have been watching Buckeye football for many years now, and under Tressel you'll see at least one game per season where the team looks lethargic, disinterested and plays ultra-ultra-ultra conservative. Illinois was a prime example of this, yet Buckeye fans are quick to say that we have HUGE problems, that our coaching staff sucks and that Ohio State doesn't look like a championship team.
But what about the previous four games? I'd say that aside from special teams issues -- which appear to have been straightened up -- the team played extremely well defensively and looked very in sync offensively through the first four games, especially against the Hurricanes.

Bad games happen. Games where the opponent plays up to the talent level of the other team happens all the time. Conservative game plans due to strong winds are common under Tressel. I was wrong to think that they would kill Illinois, but I'm not panicking and saying that this team is in trouble. There is no identity crisis to speak of and there is no reason to get worried. If there is cause for concern, we will find out when the team travels to Wisconsin in a week and a half.

I love Ohio State and all the fans and everything about the football program, but sometimes we as fans can be a joke when it comes to understanding what happens during a game. Learn more about the game, don't jump to quick conclusions and actually take time to absorb what has happened, and calm down!!!!

That is all...

Top Ten- Week 6

1. Alabama (5-0, @ South Carolina)
2. Ohio State (5-0, vs Indiana)
3. Oregon (5-0, @ Washington State)
4. Boise State (4-0, vs Toledo)
5. Oklahoma (5-0, Bye Week)
6. TCU (5-0, vs Wyoming)
7. Nebraksa (4-0, @ Kansas State)
8. Auburn (5-0, @ Kentucky)
9. Arizona (4-0, vs Oregon State)
10. LSU (5-0, @ Florida)

Outside Looking In...

Utah
Miami, FL
Michigan State
Arkansas
Iowa

Alabama is the #1 team in the nation. It is official. There is no debate. Until they lose or start looking pathetic winning football games then I have no right to keep them behind OSU. As evidenced yesterday, and for the first time all season long, the Crimson Tide are the superior team.

There was quite a shake up in the polls for me yesterday, with Florida, Stanford and Wisconsin all losing. To replace them, Auburn, Arizona and LSU move into the top ten.

The top seven is pretty fairly ranked in my opinion. Boise State may not be the #4 ranked team in the nation (according to my rankings) but they certainly have two wins that are worth noting...to an extent. Whatever, I don't really know how to justify ranking them that high, nor do I even want to have them there in the first place. It is just something that I am going to do for now until a team below them proves to be vastly superior.

I want to talk about LSU for a moment here, because I haven't felt as if they are top ten worthy since the beginning of the season. As of now they are in my top ten due to the team that they have beaten, however that can all change in a heart beat. I am not sold on the Tigers and need to see that offense prove a lot to me. The defense is good, but not great; all great defenses earn my respect, and they don't have it quite yet from me. Let's see what happens when LSU visits the Gators. A win in the Swamp would justify a few things for me, but let's not get too excited over a team that will certainly not be in the championship race.