Immediately after, the Assembly Call crew will be here to provide instant analysis and a forum for fan reaction. So before you go out to ring in the new year, join us for one last (and hopefully victorious) Assembly Call before 2012 begins.

IU-Ohio State Game Info

• Date: Saturday, December, 31st
• Tip Time: 7:00 ET
• TV: ESPN2
• Announcers: Dave O’Brien and Dan Dakich (!!!)
• Point Spread: Ohio State -4
• Over Under: 139
• Other Gameday Info: Peegs.com
• KenPom: InstaGamePrep (subscriber only)
• First Postgame Show: The Assembly Call
• Second Postgame Show: Crimson Cast

IU-Ohio State Quick Preview

Simply put, we are going to learn a lot about our Hoosiers in this game. Coming off the first loss of the season, with one of the best teams in America invading the Assembly Hall, we will find out what kind of resolve and mental toughness, as well as talent, this year’s Hoosiers posses.

On that note, I was encouraged by these quotes from Verdell Jones, as tweeted just a few minutes ago by DustinDopirak:

We have the confidence to know that we can play with anybody.

We definitely got an edge. We’re hungrier more than ever. We really want to prove that the non-conference wasn’t a fluke.

If the team’s energy and focus match Verdell’s words we’ll be just fine. Now, let’s hope the team’s energy and focus does indeed match Verdell’s words.

As for Will Sheehey, there is no new news to report. Tom Crean continues to, smartly, play it close to the vest. Why give Ohio State any information to prepare with? Sheehey remains day-to-day, via Dopirak and InsideTheHall.

If you’re interested, here is Tom Crean’s press conference previewing the Ohio State game:

Saturday is a very big game for three people in particular.

First, it’s a huge game for Crean. This year’s Hoosiers have been riding high, higher than any of us expected. The Michigan State game was the first setback of the season, and in addition to poor performances from the next two people I’m about to discuss, I thought Crean made several strategic errors as well. He needs to bounce back with better judgment against Ohio State.

Second, it’s clearly a big game for Cody Zeller.

After breezing through the non-conference schedule (relatively speaking) and picking up multiple Big Ten Freshman of the Week awards, Zeller was exposed a bit by Michigan State as not quite being ready for the physical play of Big Ten basketball. It gets no easier against Ohio State. In fact, it gets much tougher.

Jared Sullinger is one of the best post players in the last 20-25 years of Big Ten basketball, and he was dominant as a freshman. If Zeller wants to prove he is an impact freshman anywhere close to Sullinger’s level, he needs to show it against Sullinger.

Third, Jordan Hulls needs to bounce back. No one will get upset at Hulls for having an off shooting night. It happens to even the best shooters, as Hulls proved against Michigan State. Missed shots can be forgiven, but poor decision-making in the halfcourt from your junior point guard cannot. I thought Hulls made a number of poor decisions directing the Hoosiers offense against Michigan State, and that can’t happen if we want to beat Ohio State. As for the shooting, we’re back at home. Hulls will shoot just fine.

Please don’t take me calling these three guys out as negatives. I think all three will step up to the challenge against Ohio State, and I foresee Indiana competing very well. I expect to win this game. I won’t be devastated if we don’t, considering the competition, but I will be very disappointed if we aren’t competitive for 40 minutes. That is what this team is capable of, and we should expect nothing less.

Let’s go Hoosiers. It feels damn good to have confidence again that we can defend The Hall against anyone. Now let’s do it.

IU-Ohio State Postgame Show

As soon as the final buzzer sounds, The Assembly Call begins. Listen here live on New Year’s Eve:

Call-in number: (858) 365-5571

Use this number to call in and provide your thoughts on-air or to listen on your phone.

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IU-Ohio State Chat

So settle down, relax, and get ready for another great weekend of college football. As always, here are some of the marquee games to pay attention to this week and then the entire college football TV schedule for Week 7.

And don’t forget to leverage your college football passion and knowledge over at Daily Joust, where they host weekly fantasy college football contests for free or for cash money prizes. Click and check ‘em out.

No. 11 Michigan at No. 23 Michigan State

• Michigan-Michigan State Date: Saturday, October 15th
• Michigan-Michigan State Kickoff Time: 12pm
• Michigan-Michigan State TV: ESPN
• Michigan-Michigan State Spread: Michigan State -2

Goodell crossing the line again – foxsports.com

Excerpt:

Power, privilege and exclusion are at the foundation of the NCAA and its outdated rule book. Intelligent, fair-minded sports fans should be celebrating its corruption-fueled collapse, the way women toasted the end of suffrage, blacks cheered the end of Jim Crow and Reagan welcomed the fall of communism in the Soviet Union.

That’s what is so offensive about Roger Goodell’s sudden interest in protecting the sanctity of the NCAA’s amateurism scam. His decision to uphold the NCAA’s five-game suspension levied against marginal NFL prospect Terrelle Pryor reeks of stupidity, arrogance and immorality.

In the last few days we’ve been subjected to the University of Miami investigation, Terrelle Pryor’s admittance to the NFL supplemental draft and Goodell subsequently upholding his NCAA suspension, and Michael Vick’s admission that Goodell may have steered him to the Eagles instead of the lowly Bengals or Bills.

Most notable in Whitlock’s piece is the ending.  Goodell has been able to use the NFL’s financial standing as a means to bully everyone else into submission.  Whitlock doesn’t provide many solutions, but the first step to recovery from corruption in “amateur” and professional sports is to show that there is a problem.  This article does that about as blatantly as possible.

Many big name coaches from Ohio have been tossed around as possible candidates to replace Fickell as head football coach.  This once proud program is about to receive the harshest penalty from the NCAA since SMU got the death penalty in 1986.  This may have been one of the top jobs in college football in years past, but now it is a job that will have many premier coaches from the state of Ohio turning down.

Here is why these top coaches from Ohio will not replace Luke Fickell in 2012.

Urban Meyer

He is the top name that various media outlets are saying will replace Fickell.  This seems implausible because he left Florida due to stress-related health issues.  Florida would seem like a vacation compared to dealing with the mess at Ohio State and trying to turn that program around.  His daughter also sent out a tweet saying “Stop txting me abt my dad. HE IS NOT repeat NOT, GOING TO OHIO STATE. thanks.”

Bob Stoops

When he took over at Oklahoma in 1999, he had to take over a program that had been struggling in the years before he got there.  He quickly brought Oklahoma back to their glory days of being one of the best teams in all of college football.   Now they are contenders almost every year to win a national championship.  I can’t see him walking away from annually being the favorite to win the Big 12 for Ohio State.

Jon Gruden

He too has been named a potential candidate to replace Luke Fickell at Ohio State.  Gruden did start as an assistant coach in college football, but all of his head coaching experience has been done in the NFL.  Gruden seems like the kind of coach who is motivated to prove that he can still win Super Bowls in the NFL.  Ohio State would offer a lot of money to Gruden, but he does not seem like the kind of coach that would want to put up with the all the nonsense of the NCAA.

Mark Dantonio

He worked for Jim Tressel at Youngstown State and then as a defensive coordinator for Tressel at Ohio State.  His name has been tossed around as potential coach but I could not see Ohio State hiring any coach who has ties to Jim Tressel.

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* – Urban Meyer photo credit: Tim Casey via GatorCountry.com

Bax (pictured below), who played hockey for Ohio State, gives his take on Jim Tressel, the future of Ohio State football, the Thrashers’ move to Winnipeg, and Beavis and Butt-Head‘s return.

Click here to subscribe to Away From the Action on iTunes.

Music notes:

• The opening song is “Smooth Disturbance” by my old band, the National Biscuit Company.
• The closing song is “Numbers” by another of my old bands, Three Hit Combo.
• (I use my own music so that I don’t have to worry about rights and such.)

Not 10 minutes after I wrapped up my post on how the severe underrating of Derrick Williams as a prospect was a good reminder of how inexact a science recruiting can be, did I find the video below (h/t @thebiglead). It is a report by Bloomberg Sports that shows the annual recruiting budgets of Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Kentucky.

As the title says: mind = blown.

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In case you don’t want to watch the video, here is the basic comparison in terms of what each school spends per year on recruiting:

• Wisconsin: $57,000
• Ohio State: $153,000
• Kentucky: $434,000

Note: only state schools who have to disclose how much they spend were included. So I assume a school like Duke is not. I’d be interested to know what they spend.

I would have expected Kentucky to top the list, no question. But to spend almost $400,000 more than a perennial top 25 team from a big conference like Wisconsin? That is absolutely shocking to me.*

For the record, the Badgers spend the least on recruiting of any public university in a BCS conference. Clearly they are getting a nice bang for their buck, but perhaps they should budget just a bit more to expand their recruiting base. As inexact a science as recruiting may be, you still need the horses to go deep in March, which Wisconsin has struggled to do in relation to their consistent regular season success.

I’d love to see a complete breakdown of all team’s budgets. Have to run now, but if anyone can find it please post a link in the comment section. Also, are you as shocked by this as I am? Would love some reaction.

Update: Here is some additional context that I ran across after posting this article.

As expected, no one spends more overall on basketball than Duke, which had a whopping $13.87 million basketball budget (total, not just recruiting as above) during the 2008-09 season. Kentucky came in 5th on the overall list behind Marquette, Michigan State, and Louisville.

If you want to see the budgets for all the big conferences, click here. This table also provides what percent of its football budget is represented by the basketball budget, which is quite interesting especially when you see which schools obviously value basketball more than others (i.e. Indiana) and which schools are football focused (i.e. Auburn, Alabama).

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* – It took all my willpower, but I will refrain from making the obvious joke about how much of that budget goes to pay for SAT sit-ins, cars, “campus hosts”, and other benefits.**

** – Oops, just did. Oh well. You know were thinking it.

Of course, where this year’s Buckeye team ends up in the annals of Ohio State basketball history remains to be seen. But we figured since we’re currently working with Erica, why not try and rank the ten best Ohio State basketball teams ever, starting with this year’s team at number 10.

Now, a disclaimer for you Buckeye fans and/or Big Ten basketball historians: this list is merely a starting point for a conversation. I would never claim to be an expert on anything, especially OSU basketball, so take what I start here and make it right in the common section if you disagree. Considering the season they’re currently having, it’s a worthwhile conversation, but it’ll probably sound a lot better coming from you.

Alright, let’s go.

But wait! Here is our Morganette Erica with her thoughts on OSU basketball and her favorite squad of them all:

“I may be biased, but my favorite Ohio State team was 2006-07. I was a junior at The Ohio State University and that year was epic for sports. A football National Championship visit and a basketball National Championship visit both against Florida. Some great players came through, guys like Greg Oden and Jamar Butler, and it was an exciting year. To this day I despise SEC teams and the Gator chomp because of that year…”

I don’t think anyone outside of Gainesville appreciates the Gator chomp.

And now onto the list:

#10. 2010-11 (currently 26-2, 13-2) We’ll start with the here and now. A deep squad led by freshman Jared Sullinger and upperclassmen Jon Diebler, William Buford, and David Lighty, this squad’s eventual landing spot on this list will be determined come March.

9. 1990-91 (27-4, 15-3, Sweet 16 appearance). Jim Jackson’s stellar sophomore campaign was only a prelude of things to come.

8. 2009-10 (29-8, 14-4, Sweet 16 appearance). Otherwise known as the Year of Evan Turner, who did everything for the Buckeyes in that season.

7. 1991-92 (26-6, 15-3, Elite Eight appearance). Legendary Buckeye Jim Jackson’s best year saw OSU lose to Michigan’s Fab Five in the NCAA tournament. I’m sure there’s no controversy around this ending at all.

6. 1967-68 (21-8, 10-4, Final Four appearance). This would be the final time Fred Taylor, one of the NCAA’s most winningest coaches, brought his team to a Final Four.

5. 1998-99 (27-9, 11-4, Final Four appearance). Led by Michael Redd and Scoonie Penn, coach Jim O’Brien’s first season, since vacated by the NCAA, was a memorable turnaround.

4. 1961-62 (26-2, 13-1, National runner-up). The third straight trip to a National championship game is quite consistent for this team led by John Havlicek and Jerry Lucas and coached by the great Taylor.

3. 2006-07 (34-4, 15-1, National runner-up). Greg Oden’s one season as a Buckeye will be remembered as a team that was one of, if not the best, for most of the season, and probably the best recent Ohio State squad. Only a legendary Florida Gators team stopped them from ultimate glory.

2. 1960-61 (27-1, 14-0, National runner-up). Going undefeated until the National title game is a brutal way to end. Still a great overall body of work, to sound like Jay Bilas.

1. 1959-60 (25-3, 13-1, National champions). The only national title in Buckeye basketball history should probably take the cake, I think.

So there’s a list. Let me know where I went wrong in the comments, and vote for our Morganette if you’ve got the time!

**Sullinger thumbnail courtesy of the AP.

ESPN made a huge deal of the fact that the Badgers ended the perfect seasons of both the Ohio State football and basketball teams. One key side-note is that both losses came in Wisconsin. Also, both Wisconsin teams were ranked and among the top teams in the nation, so it’s not like OSU had lost to a Western Kentucky-caliber team.

Luckily for the Buckeyes basketball team, unlike the football team, one loss will not at all hurt their chances for a national championship.

Assuming the Bucks don’t lose more than two or three games from here on out, they will be a #1 or #2 seed in the NCAA tourney. As of today, the only teams in the Top 25 with one loss are Ohio State, Kansas, and San Diego State. The Bucks should not drop below 5th when the new rankings are released on Monday.

Ohio State’s next game is against the struggling Michigan State Spartans, who are 14-10 on the year. They then play Purdue on Sunday. A win against both of these teams should move OSU up in the rankings given that at least one of the teams ahead of them will probably lose.

I truly believe that it can be a good thing that the Buckeyes lost a game when they did. The loss can bring them back to reality and increase their focus on winning a Big Ten and National Championship. Too much pressure is put on a team that is trying to stay undefeated. Even though the players and coaches say a perfect record doesn’t matter, of course we know it really does.

One fan had a particularly funny sign that was shown on ESPN several times. It read “24-1″. I don’t see how this Wisconsin fan gets so much excitement over Ohio State being 24-1. They are still two games ahead of Wisconsin in the Big Ten. The loss still leaves OSU in the driver’s seat for the Big Ten championship, and among the top contenders for the National Championship as well.

Most of America, including myself, have a tough time watching the FOX pregame show for one hour; 4+ hours of nonsense and laughter is just too much. That is why I found a few other shows to watch before the big game starts at precisely 6:29 pm EST.

Puppy Bowl VII

Animal Planet has been hyping the 7th Puppy Bowl for weeks. It is a once-a-year event that features America’s best puppies. The pups battle in a slow-paced game of ball, which is accompanied by slow paced music. I don’t really understand how scoring works for the Puppy Bowl, but I don’t think it makes sense. The game lasts a total of two whole hours and will be shown all day.

There are some positives to the Puppy Bowl compared to the actual Super Bowl. I do not know of any puppies that have been accused of sexual assault playing in this years Puppy Bowl. There were some complaints about a 3-4 defense, but it was settled after the puppy was given one hundred million bones.

Jersey Shore Marathon

It’s a proven fact that everyone has watched at least a part of Jersey Shore during their life. [Editor's note: Not me!] It is a great show that features the future of this country.

MTV is treating football fans to a six hour marathon from noon to six, or whenever you cannot take another minute of Sam and Ronnie fighting. That leaves 29 quality minutes to prepare for the game. It is a great alternative to the Puppy Bowl; unless you would rather watch puppies wander aimlessly instead of Ronnie exhibiting characteristics of someone with multiple personality disorder.

SportsNation

The fantastic Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd will host a two hour SportsNation in Dallas leading up to the game. The show is always a fun one to watch with the random voices always yelling from the background. Beadle and Cowherd are sure to have some great things planned for their Super Bowl Sunday Special.

Ohio State vs. Minnesota

This game should be a great one to get any sports fan warmed up for the Super Bowl. It features the unanimous #1 team in Ohio State and the #20 team in Minnesota playing at The Barn. Ohio State will try to defend their undefeated record, which is in large part due to the great play of freshman phenom Jared Sullinger. As long as Jimmer Ferdette doesn’t score 50 every game, Sullinger has a great chance to win National Player of the Year.

After taking in all of these shows, the game will finally arrive at exactly 6:29 pm. Halftime might even be a great time to catch up on any missed action in the Puppy Bowl.

Case in point, this ostensibly correct t-shirt photographed in Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday:

Image credit: Imgur via Reddit

I have to say though, some of the details of this picture make me wonder if it really was taken in Madison. I don’t know about you, but skinny people in Buddy Holly glasses and jugs of Carlo Rossi isn’t what I picture when I think “Wisconsin student”. I’m thinking 220+ pounds, a beard, and a dark German beer.

Either way, nice shirt. I’d imagine most people outside of Columbus (and Stillwater) agree.

This post and all of our weekly Ohio State previews are made possible by Steamatic by Carrara Companies, which proudly provides restoration, cleaning, and construction services to all of Central and Northeast Ohio including Columbus, Cleveland, Akron and the surrounding areas.

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The Ohio State University is 53-17-5 all-time versus the Wisconsin Badgers. With Ohio State’s lack of schedule strength getting press this week with a 5^th place BCS projection, that all changes this weekend.

Wisconsin is 40-4 at home since 2004. During that time the Buckeyes only went to Madison once and won the 2008 night game 20-17 on the legs of Terrelle Pryor during a clutch last minute touchdown drive.

Ohio State-Wisconsin Game Info

• Ohio State-Wisconsin Location: Camp Randall Stadium – Madison, WI
• Ohio State-Wisconsin Kickoff Time: Saturday October 16th, 2010 – 7:00pm EST
• Ohio State-Wisconsin TV: ESPN
• Ohio State-Wisconsin Announcers: Brent Musberger, Kirk Herbstreit and Erin Andrews
• Ohio State-Wisconsin Odds: Ohio State -3.5, Over/under 49 (via Betus.com)

Ohio State-Wisconsin Game Preview

#18 WISCONSIN (5-1, 1-1 in the Big Ten)

• Bret Bielema (43-15 career, 5^th year)
• Last Week: 41-23 win over Minnesota

Let me first review before I preview. Minnesota’s head coach Tim Brewster was a bitch last weekend.

He runs a terrible football program and cries when Wisconsin goes for two in the fourth quarter. He preceded to not shake anyone’s hand after the game. Worry about improving your declining football team, not the things that you cannot control Coach Brewster. You are currently a disgrace to the Big Ten and your athletic department. And this is after they built you a new awesome outdoor stadium for you.

On to Wisconsin…

Not only are they looking to be spoilers to Ohio State’s new #1 ranking, but also they could win out and be co-Big Ten champs if Michigan State falters once before the season ends. I am going to be glad to never have to say “Co-Big Ten Champs” after this year, but that is motivation for the Badgers. As if that and playing at night in Madison against the Buckeyes was not enough motivation, Coach Bielema is looking for his first victory over Ohio State (0-3).

Losing LB Chris Borland to injury hurts them a lot defensively, so it is a must to control the clock on offense. They did that last year in Columbus with 43 minutes in time of possession but still lost 31-13. If they duplicate that this year and limit mistakes ,they will win this time.

It is easy to predict what Wisconsin will do on offense. The two-headed monster in the backfield of James White and John Clay have combined for 17 touchdowns and over 6 yards a carry on the ground this year. That’s just it; you know what they do, but they are not easy to stop. Ohio State’s 29-game streak without giving up a 100 yard rusher is definitely on the line this weekend. Michigan State is the only team to hold John Clay under the century mark this year with 80 yards.

#2 OHIO STATE (6-0, 2-0 in the Big Ten)

• Jim Tressel (235-78-2 career, 100-21 at Ohio State, 10^th year)
• Last Week: 38-10 win over Indiana

Ohio State had a bye week–er, I mean a dominant victory over IU last week and they should be ready to go on only their second road game of the season this weekend. Last year the defense only gave up 59 yards rushing to John Clay, which was the Big Ten offensive player of the year’s 2^nd lowest total in 2009. The defensive backfield will have to be ready to help tackle against the run and play one-on-one coverage against the pass most of the game.

Expect Pryor to do whatever he has to do on offense to lead Ohio State to victory. He will make the decisions (similar to the Miami FL game) that will make or break the outcome no matter if it is typical Tresselball or a wide-open attack that we have seen glimpses of. But this is the biggest road test of the year by far since the game is at night and the hype has College Gameday coming to town.

So the motivation is there on both sides of the ball, meaning taking the crowd out of the game with an early lead might be a key to victory. If not, Wisconsin may have a lot of reason to jump around during and after the game.

Ohio State-Wisconsin Prediction

Ohio State is 4-2 against the spread vs. Wisconsin in their last six meetings. The total score has been UNDER in Ohio State’s last five road games and UNDER 5 of the last 7 against Wisconsin.

Ohio State-Wisconsin Pick: Ohio State 21 Wisconsin 17.

Ohio State-Wisconsin Spread Pick: Ohio State -3.5

Ohio State-Wisconsin Over-Under: Under

KVB is 5-0 straight up and 1-4 against the spread on Ohio State this year.

This post and all of our March Madness coverage this year is sponsored by Armorex Exterior Coating, the company that helps keep you inside watching sports went you want to be…not outside re-painting your house. Do it right the first time, for a lifetime.

Update 3/13/10: This post was originally published on February 28th, 2010. The table below has been updated with all results leading up to Sunday’s title game between #1 Ohio State and #6 Minnesota.

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Prior to the season, the Big Ten was expected to be a Michigan State-Purdue battle for the top, and aside from Ohio State’s stellar play, it has been.

On Feb. 9, the Boilers demolished the Spartans in East Lansing, making the top of the conference a veritable log jam (pardon the cliché). But Feb. 28, while most of the naton focused on a classic gold medal hockey game, Purdue laid (perhaps an expected) egg in a disheartening, sloppy payback loss to “Sparty.”

Earlier in 2010, the Spartans were rolling along undefeated, with a huge conference lead through January, but an injury to a star player (Kalin Lucas) and three early February losses in a row opened the door for defending tourney champ Purdue, as well as the red-hot Buckeyes, Wisconsin, and the erstwhile surprising Illini of Illinois — to join them among the conference’s upper echelon.

Update: Now the question is how will the injury to Robbie Hummel affect the end of the regular season and the Big Ten Tournament?

The Big Ten’s top five teams may be good as any group in the nation, setting up what should be a thrilling 2010 Big Ten Tournament.

Here is the TV schedule and matchups for this year’s Big Ten Tournament, along with links for great deals on Big Ten Tournament tickets.

Big Ten Tournament Tickets and TV Schedule

• StubHub: Big Ten Tournament Tickets – All Session Pass
• StubHub: Individual Big Ten Tournament Tickets
• TicketMaster: Big Ten Mens Basketball Tournament Tickets – All Session Pass
• TicketMaster: Individual Big Ten Mens Basketball Tournament Tickets

2010 Big Ten Mens Basketball Tournament Bracket and TV Schedule

Of course Purdue, the defending Big Ten Tournament champion, is now without star forward Robbie Hummel. But don’t forget, the Boilers can still play with anyone. They were undefeated and impressive non-conference, ranked as highly as fourth nationally then, before losing three of their first five Big Ten games.

Prior to Sunday’s setback inside Mackey Arena, the Boilers had rebounded quite nicely over six weeks, winning at Champaign, Bloomington, Columbus, and beating the Badgers in West Lafayette. They capped their run off with the aforementioned win at East Lansing. After beating Penn State Saturday afternoon in State College, Purdue finished tied with MSU and OSU for a share of the regular season conference crown.

The Boilermakers, winners of 10 straight between mid-January and February’s final evening, will happily play in front of partisan crowds with the conference tourney at Conseco Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis, 65 miles from their campus. They would love to return a few weeks later for the Final Four across town at Lucas Oil Stadium.

We’ll find out next month whether or not Purdue can overcome adversity and add their name to the following table one more time. Here is the complete (though brief) history of the Big Ten Tournament: champions, runners-up, and Most Outstanding Players.

Big Ten Tournament History: Past Champions, Runners-Up, MOPs, and Sites

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* – Matt Painter photo credit: Darron Cummings / Associated Press via CourierPress.com

Midwest Sports Fans (MSF) Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means that MSF makes a small percentage of anything purchased upon a click-through. That said, MSF only writes about stories that we believe will interest our readers, and we only link to and endorse sites and services that we would use or have used ourselves. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

This post was written a few weeks ago, and included the wishful thinking of an Ohio State fan who wanted the Buckeyes to make it to the Rose Bowl. Follow the link to view the 2008 college football schedule, which will be filled in with all the matchups once they are set.  You can also view the updated BCS Bowl projections, with Ohio State likely going to the Fiesta Bowl.

We are down to the final two weeks of Big Ten football play and I am pretty sure every fan believes their team underachieved this year. This probably doesn’t include Michigan State, Northwestern and Minnesota but all three got destroyed by Ohio State (30 plus point losses). All three teams probably lost a lot of their fan base before this year. Speaking of losing a fan base, I look at Indiana and Purdue in last place and Notre Dame barely bowl eligible and Ball State is the only exciting team in Indiana.

Anyway, moving on to the top of the Big Ten we virtually have a three way tie for first. Michigan State sits atop at 6-1 and they have a bye this week to prepare to go to Happy Valley for the Penn State rivalry game November 22nd.

Penn State is playing at home against IU this weekend and it could get ugly since they are coming off the last second FG loss at Iowa. The sports media world took a collective sigh of relief because they were not ready to cover a national championship game where a Big Ten champ gets their asses handed to them for a third straight year. Plus one model should be the motto for the future of the Big Ten conference so they can have a championship game.

THE Ohio State University Buckeyes go to Illinois for a noon game (ESPN) and they have revenge on their minds after last year’s 28-21 loss in Columbus. The Illibuck Trophy is up for grabs in Champaign which will be playing in freezing temperatures, maybe some flurries, before they get the Wolverines at home in The Game November 22nd. Now on to Bowl projections:

ROSE BOWL (Jan 1st) – Ohio State v. USC - The Buckeyes have a not so outside shot at a rematch against USC with a Michigan State win at Penn State. If the Spartans do win, Ohio State couldn’t be happier going to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1997 when they beat Jake “The Snake” Plummer’s Arizona State team 20-17. If Penn State wins out look for the Buckeyes to be in the BCS at-large game (Fiesta or Sugar) against maybe Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Utah, or even Ball State.

CAPITAL ONE BOWL (Jan 1st) – Michigan State v. Georgia - The Spartan faithful would enjoy a trip to the Capital One Bowl with a win at Happy Valley. Javon Ringer would go pro after this game if can run wild on the recently porous Georgia defense. The last four #2 Big Ten v. #2 SEC match ups have gone to the Big Ten squad in this January 1st Bowl game. Michigan, Wisconsin, Wisconsin, and Iowa over Florida, Arkansas, Auburn, and LSU respectively.

OUTBACK BOWL (Jan 1st) – Penn State v. South Carolina – Joe Pa versus the Ol’ Ball Coach. Sounds ironic considering Spurrier is about 30 years younger right? Anyway, who knows who will show up in this 11am New Years Day bowl. Then again it is premature to discuss this potential game two weeks before the season is over and since I am probably underestimating Penn State who could get their starting QB back for the MSU game.

ALAMO BOWL (Dec 29th) – Iowa v. Missouri - Most would look at the QB match up here and would check the spread for Chase Daniel’s Tigers, bet their savings, and laugh all the way home. But Kirk Ferentz’s Hawkeyes always stay competitive (or win) in these Bowl games that they are supposed to be over matched. They almost beat Texas last year, came close to Florida before that, and beat LSU and Florida respectively the previous years before the close losses.

CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL (Dec 29th) – Northwestern v. Miami (FL) - Two private schools, North versus South (or Thugs vs. Dorks whichever you prefer). Both programs are young and on the rise so if they meet here, the winner could build off the momentum and be pretty tough next year. The loser could as well.

INSIGHT BOWL (Dec 31st) – Illinois v. Nebraska - This is a coin flip between Minnesota and Illinois but I think Illinois will get the nod based off of fan base. It is unbelievable to me that the Fighting Zooks even have a chance to make a bowl after tanking it against WESTERN Michigan last weekend. Illinois has to beat Ohio State or Northwestern to even become eligible.

MOTOR CITY BOWL (Dec 27th) – Minnesota v. Ball State - The Gophers had a pretty good year but a lot of their Bowl eligibility has to do with a horrible non-conference schedule. Ball State is probably better than their non-conference and half of their Big Ten schedule. If Ball State runs the table while Utah and Texas Tech lose, then you would see Ball U in a BCS game and Central Michigan here against Minnesota.

Purdue was picked to finish first and the recently punched-in-the-balls by Kelvin Sampson IU program was selected to finish dead last in the Big Ten.

Here are the results (first place votes are in parenthesis):

1. Purdue (10)

2. Michigan State (5)

3. Wisconsin

4. Ohio State

5. Minnesota

6. Illinois

7. Penn State

8. Michigan

T9. Iowa

T9. Northwestern

11. Indiana

The Pre-season all Big Ten team is:

Robbie Hummel (Purdue)

E’ Twaun Moore (Purdue)

Marcus Landry (Wisconsin)

Manny Harris (Michigan State)

Raymar Morgan (Michigan State)

Hummel was also selected as the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year. He is the first Purdue player to be selected since Chad Austin in 1997. Purdue was also selected to win the women’s Big Ten title as well if you are interested in Jump Balls, falling down and traveling violations.

I think this is pretty fair considering that it is a Preseason poll and it is pretty much based on last years results. Obviously Indiana was hurt by the mass exodus that occured last spring summer from their much maligned basketball program. I still think Tom Crean is a good enough coach to get them out of the basement of the Big Ten this year.

With first place in the Big Ten within striking distance, the heat is high. We are halfway through the year and fans are waiting for this thing to really shake out. Something will certainly shake out this weekend, who it is will likely determine the winner because despite all the high stakes anxiety, it won’t be a high flying shootout. It’s going to be a slugfest won on the ground. The battle between the two best running backs in the Big Ten, Beanie Wells and Javon Ringer. Who shakes out into open space more often, will likely determine the winner. The two are huge leaders on their team. They want the ball and are consistent.

Beanie has not gotten the action and touches people expected due to a foot injury he suffered in week one and a Freshman QB who runs the ball as much as he does. He has only seen the ball 71 times but that has brought his team 479 yards and 2 TDs. While the numbers won’t win him a Heisman, he is clearly the go-to man this week with Pryor’s passing game struggling. He could break it open on Michigan State’s defense, they are ninth in total offense allowed in the Big Ten. He may have to, though, if Dantonio’s defensive fundamentals prove strong enough to shake up Pryor. If the Spartans can prevent any bleeding on 1^st and 2^nd down and force Tressel to drop Pryor back on 3^rd, then they will be where they want come the 4^th quarter.

The MSU secondary must step up, though, and contain any clear lanes for Pryor. As a freshman, who knows he’s on the ropes, he will only take the chances he knows he can get down the field. The biggest wins State has seen are ND and Northwestern, in both of those the Spartans grabbed two picks. Those were game changers, despite giving up yards on paper, they made plays to get the offense back on the field. And, frankly, if you are a Spartan that’s who you want on the field.

Javon Ringer is getting Heisman press with his 1112 yards and 14 TDs and rightfully so, his shifty feet, lateral capability and insane durability have brought his team this far. They will need him to bring them any farther, too. The Spartans will see a very stingy Ohio State defense on Saturday. While Tressel’s offense was not convincing against Purdue, the defense was called to prove themselves and stepped up big only allowing 3 points for the Boilermakers. The news of Ringer’s Heisman run have certainly reached this defense’s ears. They will be looking for him and with Ringer as Michigan State’s only real back, he won’t be hard to find. When Javon is in the game, he is getting the ball. The biggest problem with the State’s offense is that they have no other looks. When the red and white see number 23 in the backfield, safeties will start cheating, linebackers finding gaps to line up in and defensive linemen know they just have to stop any holes.

If the Buckeyes defense does step up, then we will see how good the Michigan State quarterback, Brian Hoyer, really is. He’s not bad so far, but with no one able to stop Javon, his job is easy – handoffs, fake handoffs, then throw to a tight end and the occasional 3^rd down. He looked better as of late, though. Against Northwestern, he threw two TDs and connected 70 percent of his passes. The Cats tried to stack the box and stop Ringer. Dantonio adjusted his gameplan and Hoyer found some openings. When those openings come for Hoyer, the running game comes back. Ringer finished with 124 and 2 TDs in the win (I’m fairly sure this writer called that…roughly.)

The game really just waits to be played. It’s tough to call it either way, it’s too close. I mean it’s almost family, seriously, Tressel actually referred to Dantonio as family this week. Each team has something to prove, but Ohio State has more to lose and Michigan State much more to gain. I say it’s adrenaline that wins. Whoever tries harder. (There’s some crack journalism, huh?)

“Hustle wins? C’mon, Kaner, there’s more to college football than a good ready position and grit.” I respond with a single word….Rudy. I digress, and Notre Dame sucks.

I think it’s true, though. If the Michigan State defense gets aggressive enough for Buckeye fans to start chanting “Boeckmen”, than Dantonio’s offense will get enough chances to outscore Ohio State. Ringer and Hoyer want it, too. Ringer was supposed to go to the Ohio State University after growing up in Dayton, but they said his grades wouldn’t cut it. Now, he’s got his chance to prove this nation’s true colors and remind us that college isn’t about school, it’s about wining huge home games on Saturday.

I can’t deny the home team in this one, and I love to see Tressel frown. (It clashes with the tie and vest that make him appear so put together.) Spartans win a squeaker 30-28.

Don’t buy it? Did I mention that Javon Ringer is a black belt? Now you see my point.