Amazing, we are coming up on week twelve already. It feels like the season just started yesterday. Penn State was a major letdown over the weekend and all we heard was how the Big Ten sucks. No other conference gets beat on as hard as the Big Ten but then again if we weren't great no one would feel the need to constantly bash us. On to the predictions!

 

Purdue @ Iowa

Purdue one again gets beatdown and sent packing. I don't think this team has a chance in hell of getting their ship righted. The coach doesn't care about anything but his house in Wyoming. If I have to hear about this house one more damn time by these idiot announcers I'm going to burn that mother fucker down. Anyways Purdue does have a chance to beat Iowa because there is a good possibility that the Hawkeyes will have a hangover after such a big win. This could have been the case but let's be honest. Purdue is just really bad, so it ain' happening.

Notable Quote- "You never want to be home for Christmas." -- Joe Tiller, on his team's failure this season to qualify for a bowl game. Sure you do jackass, if you have a new house being built in Wyoming!

Iowa is coming off of a huge win over Penn State and normally this would be the time you call for a hangover loss. Well, there won't be one. Not becuase Iowa is great but because Purdue is terrible. I am not taking anything away from Iowa either, they are a good team and way better than Purdue so this one should actually be an easy win if they protect the ball. Another thing is they are playing at home and everyone is always tougher at home. Iowa continues to celebrate with another win. They are already bowl eligible but this win puts them well into the bowl talks.

Notable Quote- "I had my eyes shut, I was just listening to the crowd to see if we made it or not." -- defensive tackle Mitch King, on Iowa's game-winning field goal in the game's final seconds. Are you a man or a woman LOL!

Purdue 13 Iowa 27         Actual Score: Purdue 17 Iowa 22

This was a close one and it shows Purdue is not as bad as people think but also that the Hawkeyes are not as good as people think either. I'm really not sure why the score was this close. Iowa should have won this one in a more convincing manner but oh well, right now for Iowa a win is a win.

 

Ohio State @ Illinois

Ohio State was blamed for running up the score last week at Northwestern. Well, fuck. The Buckeyes are damned if they do and damned if they don't. If they won this one close everyone would continue to say what a shitty team they are. They score more than enough for a lopsided win and everyone says they are assholes for running up the score when the game was over. It's tough being a Bucknut. Ohio State remembers the bullshit missed call last year of the fumble in the endzone and will be looking for blood. Tressel is finally starting to open things up just a bit but it seems more like the players are doing it and not the playcalling. I think this one gets ugly with the Buckeyes wanting revenge for last year.

Notable Quote- "Every time he's out there, he's going to get better. He obviously has good confidence when they're playing man coverage and he breaks out of the pocket. That can be dangerous for us. I think he's coming (along)." -- coach Jim Tressel, on QB Terrelle Pryor. I would say Terrelle Pryor has a great chance of winning the Heisman next year and quite possibly being a 3 time winner. Yeah, I said three time winner.

Illinois looked like absolute garbage last week against a MAC opponent. Juice was standing around like it was no big deal and really didn't look like he gave a crap. Well, this week he better. Also I don't think this year's Illinois team is as good as last year's. Illinois better show up for this one or it's back to the bottom of the Big Ten for them. Zook really needs to work on his recruiting for this not to happen next year.

Notable Quote- "It's difficult when you let opportunity go to waste. Now we have to win both of these games to get to a bowl." -- Illinois quarterback Juice Williams, sizing up upcoming games with Ohio State and Northwestern in the Chicago Tribune. Well, I'm going to say you go 1-1 in the next two so say bye bye to the bowl game.

Ohio State 33 Illinois 23        Actual Score: Ohio State 30 Illinois 20

Well, it was a bitter sweet revenge win for Ohio State. At this point in the season most people would have been talking about the NCG game instead we are wondering if they will finish 1st, 2nd or 3rd,  in the Big Ten. Illinois scored a late touchdown to make the score look good but this one was over at about midway through the 3rd quarter.

 

Indiana @ Penn State

Indiana I really wish I had positives to say for you but you have a really pissed off Penn State that is playing at home. I'll just be nice and say you're going to get you drawers pulled down.

Notable Quote- : "I can't tell you how proud I am of some of those kids out there and how beat up they are. Mitchell Evans wasn't going to play the football game, and for him to go out and do what he did is unbelievable?. I know what the score is, but I know what the guys in that locker room have gone through." -- Head coach Bill Lynch on the fact he's impressed by his team's toughness despite the blowout loss to Wisconsin. Really? They're tough? Could have fooled me and the rest of the country.

Penn State lost a close one saturday and I don't think there is a person alive in the world who didn't hear about it. Well, Penn State bounces back against Indiana and whips them good so that they can at least get to the Rose Bowl. I personally was really cheering for Penn State once they had beaten the Buckeyes because I thought it would have been great to have another team from the Big Ten go to the title game. It wasn't to be but they will go on to represent us well in the bowl game. You can be sure of that.

Notable Quote- "We gotta keep our heads up. We can still have a heck of a year. But we can't start moaning about this one. Maybe go home and cry on Sunday, but Monday we've got to come out ready to work." -- Penn State coach Joe Paterno, on his team's first loss of the season. Geez, an 82 year old man talking about crying. I think I am going to cry now too.

Indiana 6 Penn State 52         Actual Score: Indiana 7 Penn State 34

Penn State should have scored way more but I think their hearts have been ripped out. They need to refocus and be excited about having a chance to go to the Rose Bowl. Good chance though that they lose to MSU. I would put it at a 50/50 chance. Indiana it just keeps getting uglier and uglier with no end in sight. Well, okay there is an end, it's called the season is over next week.

 

Northwestern @ Michigan

Northwestern was pummeled by Ohio State last week and will lose again this week. Not because they aren't better than Michigan but because every team that has played Ohio State has gone on to lose their next game with twio exceptions. Also Northwestern really reminds me of Minnesota. They are good teams but they aren't great and won't respond well to this loss.

Notable Quote-  "You've got to tackle. I mean, ABCs of football. When we've got people in position there to make a play, you've got to wrap up, run your feet and finish the play." -- Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald trying to explain in the Daily Herald why his Wildcats missed so many tackles that led to so many big Ohio State plays. Yeah, and when you have a team at 3rd and long you need to stop them from getting the first down. Also keep them from scoring over and over and over. That would help too.

Michigan is coming off a good win over Minnesota but I still couldn't tell if Michigan was playing that good or if Minnesota was playing that bad. This week they get Northwestern and they will beat them because they are coming off a huge loss to Ohio State. Michigan will then be on the upswing so when they play ohio State they can then get crushed by the GREAT scarlet and grey team! LOL, I just had to mess with you Michigan fans.

Notable Quote- "You could tell they didn't take us seriously. They weren't expecting us to smack them in the mouth. They questioned our toughness. They must have thought that we just stopped caring about playing." -- DE Brandon Graham, on Minnesota's players' attitudes. I don't take you seriously.

Northwestern 21 Michigan 24          Actual Score: Northwestern 21 Michigan 14

Well Nortwestern bucked the trend of losing after playing OSU by defeating Michigan. Great season for Northwestern and they should end up in a decent bowl game. Michigan do you really think you can beat Ohio State after al the crap showings you guys have had? Yes, it's a rivalry game but with OSU having a chance to share the Big Ten title they will show up for this one. Also it has been something close to 1500 days since Michigan last beat OSU! I lost my counter that had a running tally it was awesome.

 

Minnesota @ Wisconsin

Minnesota is coming off a beatdown at the hands of Michigan. That's got to be disheartening to this team. They thought they were good and they went out and lost to a terrible Michigan team. This is what happens when you under estimate your opponents. i know they won't underestimate Wisconsin but they still won't have what it takes to beat them. Minnesota is going to have a rough 2 weeks coming.

Notable Quote- "Obviously, there is no way to put a prettier dress or more positive spin on the ballgame. We just didn't play well. Give Michigan credit. They came in here and did a nice job. They were more physical than we were. We never got anything going offensively." -- Gophers coach Tim Brewster. Why do you want to put on a pretty dress? You some kind of cross dressing weirdo?

Wisconsin obliterated Indiana and are positioning themselves to do the same to Minnesota. This game means a lot to the Badgers as a win this week gives them bowl eligiblity. This is going to be a huge carrot on a stick and will fire these guys up. Look for another huge game by Wisconsin on an unsuspecting Minnesota team.

Notable quote- "We felt during the course of the week, based off what we'd seen on film, we should be able to get in here and run the football." -- Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Really? That's it? Your great quote after a huge win like that. Man, you're boring.

Minnesota 26 Wisconsin 31      Actual Score: Minneota 32 Wisconsin 35

What a fun game to watch. It pretty much went the way that I expected. This gets Wisconsin into a bowl game and Minnesota was already there. Now we as fans of the Big Ten just have to hope Minnesota and Wiscy show up for their bowl games.

 

Well that's it for week 12 hope everyone enjoyed it. I will be linking the playoff game, Ihawk's blog, and PSPknine's also below. Let's hope my predictions are better this week.

 

That's it for this week. 4-1 for a total of 61-23. Man, I hope I added right because that is an amazing stat. Hey, what's my batting average for that?

IHAWK08

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