Week 9 Big Ten Predictions...

[buckeyefan78]

Michigan 26 Northwestern 6
Wisconsin 35 Illinois 3
Michigan State 22 Indiana 21
Northern Illinois 24 Iowa 21
Purdue 15 Penn State 12
Ohio State 38 Minnesota 3

[Alex]

Michigan 35 Northwestern 14
Wisconsin 21 Illinois 17
Michigan State 34 Indiana 28
Iowa 31 Northern Illinois 21
Penn State 28 Purdue 10
Ohio State 42 Minnesota 7

Trying to relinquish the lead there, buckeye? ;) Purdue I can understand, but Northern Illinois?

[bama4256]

Michigan 33 Northwestern 7
Wisconsin 39 Illinois 13
Michigan State 24 Indiana 17
Iowa 35 Northern Illinois 23
Purdue 23 Penn State 21
Ohio State 37 Minnesota 10

[HibachiDG]

Poor Juice.

[Alex]

Is Wisconsin still the number three team in the nation? Hell, after next week they might not be the number three team in the conference. If the Badgers decide noon is too early for them again, Penn State will pull the rug out from under them.

I'm really amped for the PSU-Wisconsin game. It's Penn State's last chance to pick up a notable regular season victory and a win would likely secure a New Year's Day bowl bid. It's Wisconsin's second chance to pick up a decent victory after failing miserably at Michigan. It will be interesting to see what Stocco is able to do against the PSU defense that now has three impressive performances against three of the top QB's in the Big Ten. How hurt is P.J. Hill? Seeing the PSU defense certainly isn't going to be pleasant if he's playing hurt.

If Penn State's offense could ever finish off long drives with TD's, I'd say there's a decent chance that PSU could run away with this one. I really don't think Wisconsin's offense is going to do much against Penn State's D. The only teams that have really put a hurting on PSU's D this season, Notre Dame and Minnesota, both did it through the air. I'm betting on a big time defensive battle and doubt either team scores more than 21.

[buckeyefan78]

Both of us are now 59-11. Damn Penn State. :P And yes Wisconsin is still #3 in the nation. :thumbup:

[Alex]

Both of us are now 59-11. Damn Penn State. :P And yes Wisconsin is still #3 in the nation. :thumbup:

Being such a fan of defense and running the football, I'm surprised you didn't pick PSU. They won that one the "buckeyefan78" way.

[buckeyefan78]

Well...if I woulda known the outcome before the game was played I woulda picked PSU.

This team is really starting to remind me of the 2004 squad with their defense coming along but the offense struggling to find an identity.

[Alex]

I think the offense found an identity with Tony Hunt. The offensive line looked much better against Purdue. Morelli actually had to make good throws and while he didn't have his most impressive performance of the season, it looked like the passing game was opened up a bit more. The wind really hurt the passing game as did the receivers dropping some very key passes. Derrick Williams alone might have cost PSU two TD's. He dropped a pass early on that would have given the offense 1st and Goal at the Purdue 5 and then in the second when he drew a formation penalty and negated a play that would've set up 1st and Goal again. Penn State ended both of those drives with FG attempts, making one and missing one from 50.

This offense is nowhere near as bad as 2004's. This one can move the football consistently, they just can't score consistently. 2004's was just bad all around. This team has "something" that 2003 and 2004 lacked. The 2004 team lost games similiar to the Minnesota and Illinois games this year. Once they were down, that was it. But this team has become pretty good at fighting back. Trailing early is no longer a death knell.

Beating Purdue was the difference between a good season and a bad season. The Wisconsin game will be the difference between a good season and a really good season.