Big Ten title will be decided today (and probably by some computers tomorrow)
After Friday’s games, today might be a little anti-climactic, but there’s still plenty to be determined on college football’s more traditional day.
The Big Ten title is still up for grabs, with three teams — Wisconsin, Ohio State and Michigan State — all tied at the top with one loss. If all three win, the BCS standings will decide who goes to the Rose Bowl. That will likely be Wisconsin, which has that edge going into today. If Wisconsin loses and the other two win, the BCS will again decide who goes to the Rose Bowl, as Ohio State and Michigan State did not play each other. It’s a problem the Big Ten will have solved next year when there’s a title game (two title contenders not playing each other, that is. As the Big 12 showed us two years ago, the BCS can still decide a divisional race if all hell breaks loose).
If Wisconsin wins, however, and either Ohio State or Michigan State lose, it will be a lot more clear cut. The Spartans get the bid with an Ohio State loss as they have the head-to-head edge over Wisconsin. The Badgers get it if Michigan State loses, because they hold that same edge over Ohio State.
So those are your scenarios (sure, there’s the “all three lose” scenario, as well, where Iowa is back in the mix, but I don’t want to force that upon you before noon). Here’s how it will play out.
I went 1-2 Friday, which is awful when picking straight up. But I don’t think I’m alone after the shocking results from one of the more impactful days of college football I can ever remember.
Michigan at No. 8 Ohio State, noon: Just four years ago, people were arguing whether or not this was the biggest rivalry in all of sports. But after six straight Buckeye wins in the series, it’s lost a lot of its luster outside of the Midwest. Ohio State should have its way with Michigan, as scoring shouldn’t be an issue, and it has the athletes up front to contain Denard Robinson. The big question here is how much Michigan can lose by and save Rich Rodriguez’s job. If they’re blown out, there are a lot of people in the state that think he’ll be gone within the week. If it’s close, some still think he’s gone. If he wins, there’s no way he goes. But he’s not winning. Pick: Ohio State 34-21.
No. 10 Michigan State at Penn State, noon: Had this game been played in Week 6, I would have called it a no-brainer. The Spartans were rolling and Penn State was reeling. Now, with a banged up Kirk Cousins and suddenly struggling run game, the Spartans don’t look nearly as powerful as they did when they defeated Wisconsin and Michigan in consecutive weeks. Penn State, meanwhile, doesn’t look near as bad as it did early in the season. Have they come all the way to meet in the middle? Yes, but I don’t think they’ve overlapped. Pick: MSU 21-20.
Northwestern at No. 7 Wisconsin, 3:30 p.m.: The Wildcats have proven to be pesky at times this season, but if you watched the one-way madness at Wrigley last week, you saw that they can be run on. If Mikel Leshoure can run for 300-plus yards against Northwestern, what can Wisconsin do at home with a Big Ten title on the line? Probably quite a bit. Enjoy Pasadena, Badgers. Pick: Wisconsin 48-20.
No. 5 LSU at No. 12 Arkansas, 3:30 p.m.: This game could very well be for the second SEC BCS berth. The Tigers would certainly head to the Sugar Bowl — assuming Auburn wins next week in the SEC title game — with a win, and there’s a decent chance that the Sugar would opt for Arkansas with a win, as well. I’ve had serious doubts about LSU all season, as it plays way too close to its competition way too often. But when the Tigers need to turn it up, they do. That should be the case today. Pick: LSU 27-24.
No. 13 Oklahoma at No. 9 Oklahoma State, 8 p.m.: A win sends the Cowboys to the Big 12 championship, while a loss causes some Big-Ten-like confusion at the top of the Big 12 South. I don’t really know what to think of this Jekyll and Hyde Oklahoma team, other than I know it’s more than capable of pulling this off today. But I have a real tough time going against that Oklahoma State offense and Justin Blackmon. Kid’s a creature, and I mean that as compliment. Pick: Oklahoma State 35-31.
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Posted in: College Football
Tags: Arkansas Razorbacks, BCS, Big Ten scenarios, Big Ten standings, LSU Tigers, Michigan State Spartans, Northwestern Wildcats, Ohio State Buckeyes, Oklahoma Sooners, Penn State Nittany Lions, Wisconsin Badgers