Only two real story lines stick out....

Can Joe Pa win 400? and Can the Illini continue their movement up the Big Ten and win at the Big House?

Here's the games:

Iowa @ Indiana: A week after whipping the Spartans, the Hawkeyes are headed to Bloomington to face the Hoosiers who are coming off a tough loss to the Wildcats this past weekend. Indiana will go to the air to beat the Hawkeyes. If the Hawkeyes front 3 or 4 can get pressure on Chappell, it will be a long day for the Hoosiers. Else, it could be a typical Iowa/Indiana game that is much closer than expected.

Illinois @ Michigan: The Michigan swoon is in full effect. Losers of their last 3, they will present an interesting challenge for the Illini with the super mobile Shoelaces running and passing on the Illini defense. Good thing for the Illini that Michigan's defense is Horrible (with a capital H) Can the Illini take it to the next level and get bowl eligible? Signs point to yes.

Minnesota @ Michigan State: I actually feel bad for the Golden Gophers. This team is bad. Brewster set them back for a few years now and this weekend when they head to East Lansing, they are going to get pounded. Ass raped. Prison bitched. The Spartans will be pissed.

Northwestern @ Penn State: It's Happy Valley. Joe Pa is going for 400. The troops are fired up. Penn State's offense showed up last week. Northwestern struggled against IU but still got the win. Penn State is a different animal who gets after it on D.

Wisconsin @ Purdue: Wisconsin is well rested and Purdue is banged up. Wisconsin will likely grind this one out with Clay and win handily.

Iowa wins a close one and totally demoralizes the Hoosiers in "we were so close but couldn't get it done" style.
Michigan wins.
Michigan State sleepwalks to an easy victory.
Penn State wins.
Purdue keeps it closer than the past few weeks and has a better effort but the lack of offense means they never really are a threat to win the game.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

All I have to say is... Dan Persa

Michigan lost one of their starting corners for the season Tuesday with torn ligaments in
his ankle. An already bad D gets even worse for the Wolverines.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

I will say Michigan State, Iowa, and Wisconsin all roll, and we will see what happens with the other 2, a good chance for upsets there.

For Non Big 10 this week, we have 2 good Saturday night games in Arkanas vs South Carolina, probably Mallet's last chance to make a big statement and Arizona vs Stanford, winner keeps hope alive for a BCS bowl.

This looks to be the story of the game so far. A defensive struggle so far with the first TD coming late in the 3rd Q. But gotta figure Stanzi and the Hawkeyes put a stake in the Hoosiers heart in the 4th.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Just got the laptop open - what a suck fest in Bloomington. I never can figure out what it is with IU that gives Iowa fits, but damn.

this illinois/michigan game is goofy as shit. i started watching it and the first play is a bomb to put michigan up 7-0. after that, it seemed like michigan didn't have any sort of desire to hold on to the football and it's up and back and up and back.

so once the pancakes settled in to fight off some of the hangover i go to do the triple S routine with illinois down 38-31, and when i come back to the TV ~15 mins later, boom, it's 45-38 illinois.

is rich rod's dick in a vice up there in ann arbor yet?

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Well here we go, Iowa wins it on this drive.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Huge tuddy for Iowa.

3 fucking plays and they score. SON OF A BITCH!

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

that white DB for indiana should try to charge the iowa WR with a racial hate crime for that play. that was the definition of a torching.

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HAHAH! Indiana is pathetic.

wtf is this? illinois up 45-38 has a fourth and one. i believe they take a timeout they go to commercial, come back illinois is going for it. then after like 5 seconds under center scheelhause walks away and takes ANOTHER TIMEOUT as the whole point was a clever ruse to try and pull michigan offsides. has the zooker been studying the works of lovie smith in the pro game?

btw illinois sucks at tackling. my god this is awful.

edit: eh it was only one timeout. still it was retarded... you ran a play that was 95% likely to burn a timeout hoping you could hard count michigan offsides? wtf is that? now tate forcier is running the option and gashing illinois for ~6-8 yard runs.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

First was a TO. Second was delay of game.

Ball bounces Mich way there to send it to a 3rd ot.

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Two separate dumb fucks from ILL get personal fouls on the same play.

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Heismanzi.

Freshman mistake there. You have to get rid of that ball to have a chance to tie it up.

And Michigan wins the National Championship! They did it! The team rushes the field! Crowd goes crazy!




Oh wait, they beat a turrible Illini team?



Oh.

They are now Bowl Eligible.

Phoenix will love seeing them for the Insight Bowl.

Wow. What an unbelievable finish this was. That was or should be Lynch's job. Win that game and he's got a chance to make a bowl. It's now going to take a miracle.

It's interesting to do a 1 to 1 comparison on Bill Lynch and Tim Brewster in terms of Big Ten results. I guess it's not that interesting if you are Bill Lynch though.
They played great in the first half but it all fell apart in the second. I am liking the potential of Sean Robinson but he really isn't ready to play. Hopefully he can redshirt next year instead of being relied on. I could see him stepping in right away when Marve leaves who I assume is still the starter next year.

A case could be made for a coaching change though. The last 3 weeks have been brutal. Michigan is the biggest game in Danny Hope's career. You have to keep it close with them at least.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

As I have said many times Lynch is a complete boob and the sooner he is off the sidelines at IU the better.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

I would think that this is the end of the road for him. I don't know how it isn't.

Even if he somehow beats Purdue this year, he'll be 3-21 the last 3 years in the Big Ten. Tim Brewster has 6 wins over that same time period and didn't even last the season. Danny Hope is on the hot seat and he's 6-7 in the Big Ten.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

The AD likes him. The administration likes him. That's how he stays. Plus, I am not trying to be a dick about this comment, but who cares about IU football? It's all about the hardwood, not the field turf.

The AD "supposedly" cares about the football program. He has done a lot to improve the facilities and stadium. But the truth will be known in how he deals with Lynch after this year. If he truly cares about the football program, then he will fire him and bring in a guy that actually knows what he is doing.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

IU was also paying a lot of fired former coaches. I think most of that is off the books now. I may be wrong but I think even Mike Davis was collecting paychecks from IU fairly recently. They also gave Crean a huge contract extension.

I think they've done a good job of turning around the finances and every basketball school knows that you won't survive in the modern era if you suck at football.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

If IU decides to change and I think they will and the name I will go with Bill Cubit from Western Michigan.