The Big Ten Begins

I am excited for another great Saturday of college football. There are a lot of intriguing games and several teams are beginning a long stretch of conference play. I have several questions that need answers: Is Purdue the team that drilled Toledo and should have beaten Oregon or the team that got dominated by Northern Illinois? Will USC struggle for a second straight week (I know they won't lose to Washington State but will they have a hard time)? Can Ole Miss live up to their ranking? Will Penn State be able to get revenge on Iowa? Does Houston beat their second Big 12 team and stay undefeated? Can't wait!

Five Games To Watch
5. Notre Dame at Purdue (8:00 on ESPN)
Notre Dame was shocked by Michigan and they should have lost to Michigan State. A loss to Purdue would pretty much seal Charlie Weis' fate. Weis needs to finish at least 9-3 to keep his job and he can't afford a 2-2 start. They will be playing without their top receiver because Michael Floyd is out for the regular season with a broken collarbone. I don't think Weis deserves the axe. His offense has been really good. The problem is Jon Tenuta's defense which has given up over 30 points each of the past two weeks. Purdue needs to bounce back after a very disappointing loss to Northern Illinois. This is a night game at Ross-Ade Stadium and the fans should be excited. However, at last check, there were still 8,000 tickets available. I think this will be a very tense game but ND should pull out another one.

4. The Big Ten Slate
These games don't stand out on their own but they are all pretty interesting so I have lumped

 them together. Obviously, Purdue is not starting Big Ten play yet but everyone else gets going this Saturday. Minnesota plays at Northwestern in what should be a high scoring contest. Eric Decker is the best wide receiver in the Big Ten and Northwestern gave up over 300 yards to Greg Paulus and the Cuse. I think the Gophers have a huge passing day and win 38-31. Michigan State is at Wisconsin. The Badgers are 3-0 with wins over Northern Illinois and Fresno State. Michigan State is 1-2 with close losses to Notre Dame and Central Michigan. I can't get a read on this game but I will take the home team, Badgers win in Madison. Illinois travels to Columbus to take on the Buckeyes. The last time they were in the Horseshoe, Illinois shocked the Buckeyes for a big win in 2007. This version of the Illini got absolutely blasted by Missouri and I don't think they are capable of winning at OSU. IU is at Michigan, more on this tomorrow. Iowa is at Penn State as the Nittany Lions try to get revenge and stay in the title hunt. It is really tough to win in Happy Valley and this is a nightgame. I think Penn State will win but it will be close, they are not the fifth best team in the country.

3. Texas Tech at Houston (9:15 on ESPN2)

The Houston Cougars shocked the Oklahoma State Cowboys two weeks ago and vaulted into the Top 25. Texas Tech played admirably at Texas last Saturday night and had chances to make things very interesting in Austin. I thought the defense for the Red Raiders looked a lot better than it has in the past but their offensive line broke down late and Taylor Potts was forced into some early throws. Potts is a good quarterback and Tech can still score. I really like this Houston team though. Case Keenum is a very good quarterback and Kevin Sumlin has coached against Mike Leach's system several times while at Oklahoma. I think Houston stays undefeated with a 45-42 win.

2. Ole Miss at South Carolina (Thursday, 7:30 on ESPN)
Ole Miss is ranked fourth in the country. I think this is largely based on a strong finish last season and the fact that they have most of their personnel back. Archie Manning was asked this week if this was as simple as Ed Orgeron's recruiting plus Houston Nutt's coaching. His response, "Absolutely." There is no question, Houston Nutt is a very good coach and he has a very good team. Greg Hardy is an outstanding defensive end but he is not completely healthy. Jevon Snead is a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate and his stock could improve or drop dramatically based on his performance in Thursday's game.  The South Carolina Gamecocks have the makings of a good offense and they are tough to beat at home.  USC's defense is banged up though and I think Ole Miss could put up a lot of points.  If the Rebels defense can force Stephen Garcia into a few mistakes, the Rebels will start their quest for an SEC title on a positive note.  

Miami at Virginia Tech (3:30 on ABC)

This game has gotten incredibly interesting over the past ten days.  Miami has beaten two good football teams in Georgia Tech and Florida State to move into the top ten.  Virginia Tech beat Nebraska in a thriller last Saturday.  The Hurricanes QB, Jacory Harris, has vaulted himself into Heisman Trophy discussions with his guidance of Mark Whipple's explosive offense.  Virginia Tech appears to have found a star in freshman running back David Williams.  This game has ACC title implications and, as crazy as it sounds, national title implications.  If Miami wins this week, they will probably move into the top five with a game against Oklahoma on the horizon.  Can the Canes continue their march back to prominence?  I think the answer is yes, Miami wins 28-17.

Okay, a preview of the IU-Michigan game in the Big House will be up tomorrow.  Until then, stay vigilant and God Bless America.