Week 6 in the Big 10

Overview:

 This was a big weekend in the Big 10 as it was good to see some teams take charge of their spot in the pecking order.  Michigan State had a very good win against the higher ranked Wisconsin Badgers.  Michigan State looks to have a strong team that has hopes to make a run at a Big 10 title or at the very least a Rose Bowl bid if Ohio State makes it to the National Championship Game.  Iowa came out and did what they were expected to do against Penn State and you cannot count them out of the Big 10 race.  Penn State looked sluggish on offense and that has a lot to do with a inconsistent running game and a true freshman quarterback.  Northwestern and Michigan are undefeated but many will argue the neither has played a tough schedule, and that is probably true.  Michigan had another shootout win against Indiana giving up over 200 receiving yards to Indiana wideout Tandon Doss.  Ohio State had a dog fight of a game against Illinois and they looked terrible when Pryor went out briefly with an injury.  This is noteworthy because if he is unable to stay healthy, this Buckeye team could be in serious trouble.

Standout Players:

There is no way you mention Big 10’s top players without leading off with Denard Robinson.  This kid has himself positioned nicely for a Heisman trophy run and is stuffing the stat sheet every week.  He is such an electric player and is one of the most exciting players in College Football.  Iowa’s defensive end Adrian Clayborn showed up in a big way against Penn State recording 10 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 1 sack; a truly dominate performance.  You also have to give a lot of credit to Kirk Cousins because he led his team to a good victory while going for an efficient 8-10 118 yards in the second half.

Looking Ahead:

The top game on the schedule is the match-up between rivals Michigan and Michigan State, this will be an exciting one people.  Each team is ranked in the top 20 and are undefeated, this game will go a long way towards the final Big 10 standings.   It will be interesting to watch Denard Robinson go against a legitimate defense this week.  I like Michigan State in this game because I feel they will control the clock with their running game and slow down Robinson just enough. 

 Two other intriguing games to keep an eye on are Illinois vs Penn State and Ohio State vs Indiana.  The Penn State vs Illinois game pins two teams hoping to keep pace with the top part of the Big 10 and a loss for either team could be the beginning for a disappointing season.  The only reason I would give Indiana a chance against Ohio State is because I am a little unsure of the health of Pryor.  I feel if he misses any time due to injury the Indiana offense could make this game interesting.

Written by Jon Dove.  Check out his work at NFLMocks.com and on Twitter @NFLMocks

Big East and Indy Report: Week 6

This week, we have shifted responsibilities, but we are ready to continue to bring you the most comprehensive independent review of all the Division I games.

As for me, my newest responsibilities seem to make sense due to my own background.  I will be covering the Big East and the Independents going forward.

I actually have slight connections to both conferences.  The Holy Cross fathers from Notre Dame founded my undergraduate school in Pennsylvania.  My graduate school was originally a satellite campus for Syracuse University before it became part of the State University of New York system.

Enough about my background for one week, let’s get to the games:

 

Connecticut at Rutgers

Connecticut brings its 3-2 record to 2-2 Rutgers.

Rutgers is ranked 4^th in nation in points scoring defense and has the 7^th ranked rush defense.  Rutgers played tough in losses to Temple and North Carolina while Connecticut has beaten up on Buffalo, Vandy, and Texas Southern.

Connecticut is led by Junior RB Jordan Todman.  He comes into the game averaging 150 yards rushing per game in 4 appearances this year.  For his career, he has accumulated over 2,000 total yards.

Rutgers is a +5 underdog at home, most likely due to starting QB Tom Savage being knocked out of last week’s game against Tulane.  I believe Rutgers’ bend but don’t break defense should keep things competitive enough to cover if not win outright.

Syracuse at South Florida

Syracuse comes into South Florida with matching 3-1 records.

Syracuse has a ray of hope after many years of being the doormat of the division.  After the Greg Paulus experiment, the quarterback situation has been solidified by Junior Ryan Nassib who comes into this game with a 151 QB rating.  Granted, the 3 wins have come against weak competition. 

South Florida comes into the game with an air of confidence, knowing that they have handled Syracuse in all 5 previous meetings.  Quarterback B.J. Daniels will have to deal with pressure all game long after showing a susceptibility towards mistakes after throwing 4 INT’s against Florida in Week 2.

Syracuse is playing away from home and facing its first conference test of the season.  South Florida should hold its home field and come away with a hard fought victory.

Memphis at Louisville

Louisville is a heavy favorite against 1-3 Memphis.

Memphis ranks towards the bottom in both points for and points against.

Expect an easy win for Louisville this weekend.

Army @ Tulane

Army continues its surprising run at 3-2 when it travels to Tulane this weekend.  Trent Steelman leads a rushing attack ranked 9^th in the country.

This game is basically a pick ‘em, but Army will likely continue its march towards its first bowl game since 1996.

Pitt at Notre Dame

Notre Dame comes back home after getting back on track against Boston college.

Notre Dame looks better than its 2-3 record.  Both Michigan and Michigan State are ranked.  Stanford will still be in the Top 25 at the end of this year.

Pitt is led by Quarterback Tino Sunseri.  He’s completed 63% of passes this year, but looked more human against Miami and Utah.

Notre Dame should continue that positive momentum with a win this week.

 

Navy at Wake Forest

 

After a defeat last week at the hands of Air Force, Navy needs a great deal of help in order to keep the Commander-In-Chief  Trophy for this year.

Wake Forest comes into this game ranked 111^th in the country in scoring defense, giving up close to 37 points a game.  Uncertainty at quarterback for Wake Forest combined with Navy’s 11^th ranked rushing attack should mark a recovery for the service academy.

 

Miami (OH) at Cincinnati

Cincinnati is continuing its first season with coach Brian Kelly now coaching Notre Dame.

Quarterback Zach Collaros continues the rebuilding effort and should get back on track against Miami of Ohio.  Cincy gave Oklahoma all it could handle while Miami took a 51-3 trouncing from Mizzou.

Expect at least a 2 TD victory from Cincinnati.

West Virginia over UNLV

This game will likely get out of hand.  UNLV is without the services Phillip Payne as a result of a suspension for remarks made on Twitter.

Do you miss Virginia Tech, Boston College, and Miami as a part of the Big East?  Should Villanova and Georgetown finally step up and bring their football programs to a D-1 level?  Have you wrapped your heads around the possibility that the Army-Navy game will have legitimate bowl implications this year?  Let me know @prttimesouthpaw on Twitter

PGWU Podcast-Week 6

This week we spend a lot of time talking about big games and news in each conference, especially the ACC and SEC.  We also make our picks in the Pregame Warm-Up Pick ‘Em segment and break down a handful of potential pro prospects for the NFL Draft in the “World Famous” Prospect Quick Fire.  Enjoy!