Chicago Sports Then and Now

Frankly, it was Big 10 football as it was always meant to be played.  Vintage – 3 yards and a cloud of dust.  Iowa goes to  8-0 and undefeated in Big 10 play.

(2) Penn State - The Penn State defense shut down Minnesota two weekends ago. Last Saturday, the Nittany Lions traveled to Ann Arbor to face the Michigan Wolverines.  PSU Quarterback Daryll Clark threw 4
touchdown passes as Penn State won the game 35-10.

After opening with a 70 yard drive, Michigan found it impossible to move the ball against the Nittany Lions.  It was another impressive defensive display for Penn State who has taken its season seriously after being upset by
Iowa in September.  The Penn State offense also revealed gaping holes in the Michigan defense.  With Penn State traveling to Northwestern next week, no doubt the Lions will notch another win and sit waiting for Ohio State to come calling on November 7.

(3) Ohio State - Poor Minnesota – first they met Penn State on the road where the Gophers were shut out, followed by a trip to Columbus to face the angrier-than-a-hornet’s-nest Ohio State Buckeyes.  The Buckeyes were reeling after falling to Purdue 26-18 the previous weekend.

Ohio State made the Gophers pay 38-7 as Terrelle Pryor found the end zone twice with touchdown passes and once on foot. Minnesota’s turnovers aided the Buckeye cause adding 28 points to Ohio State’s coffers. Next weekend the Buckeyes host New Mexico State.

They will need to concentrate hard on winning that contest and not worry about traveling to Happy Valley to face Penn State on November 7.

(4) Michigan State - The Spartans were within 2 seconds of upsetting the number 6 ranked and undefeated Iowa Hawkeyes.  In a game as tension-packed as any fan could stand, the Spartans played the Hawkeyes eye to eye and toe to toe.  It was a defensive battle from start to finish with as much cat and mouse as a Tom and Jerry cartoon.

Michigan State found its promise after floundering early in the season.  This week they travel to Minnesota where they should continue to find positive results if they take the same standard of play with them on the road.

(5) Wisconsin - Wisconsin was idle last week.  After losing their last two games against Ohio State and Iowa, Wisconsin gets to welcome a red-hot Purdue team who upset Ohio State and followed that up by defeating Illinois.  Wisconsin needs to win this game to keep their
season moving forward.  Playing at home gives them an obvious edge.

Hopefully they will take the advantage and run with it.

(6) Purdue - The Purdue Boilermakers followed up their fantastic upset over Ohio State with a win over Illinois.

After triumphing big in front of the home town fans, traveling to Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium will be a true test of the fitness of this Purdue team to finish out the season in winning fashion.  Against Illinois, quarterback Joey Elliot provided 228 yards of offense, 166 through the air and 62 on the ground. This team is finally beginning to jell.

(7) Northwestern - The Northwestern Wildcats win the title of the “Cardiac Kids” even though the Iowa-Michigan State finale was equally as heart-stopping.  Northwestern overcame a 25 point deficit to come back and steal the victory from the Indiana Hoosiers.  It ended up with Stefan Demos kicking a 19-yard field goal with a mere 21 seconds left on the clock – enough time to win the game.

Next week the Wildcats host Penn State.  The Nittany Lions will do their best to quell any uprising – so the Wildcats should make a point to come out of the gates firing on all cylinders.  You just don’t come back
against Penn State.

(8) Michigan – When Michigan took the field against Penn State last Saturday, they marched down the field 70 yards and scored.  After that, Penn State got very stingy and did not allow the Wolverines any more points except for a field goal late in the first half.  The Penn State defense shut them down completely in the second half and the Michigan defense could not contain the Penn State offense.

Remarkably, Penn State had not won in Ann Arbor in 13 years until last Saturday.  Michigan plays at Illinois next weekend and should win that contest.  But left on their schedule is a trip to Wisconsin and a visit by Ohio State for the last game of the season on November 21.

Football fortunes turn tortuous the last two weeks for the Wolverines.

(9) Indiana - Indiana had the game all sewn up against Northwestern and then pulled the wrong thread and let the victory unravel.  It must a bitter pill to swallow for the Hoosiers who led by 25 points and then let the Wildcats up off the floor and back into the contest.  It was an excellent opportunity for Indiana to enhance their record in the 2009 season.

Next weekend the Hoosiers must travel to Iowa City to face the 8-0 Iowa Hawkeyes in Kinnick Stadium.  That cannot be a pleasant prospect – although they surprised Iowa last season – but probably not this year.

(10) Minnesota - Minnesota had back to back road trips to Happy Valley to play Penn State and then this past weekend to Columbus to meet the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Two suffocating defenses shut down the Minnesota
passing game especially with the injury to Eric Decker.

Next week the Gophers play host to the Michigan State Spartans.  They still have their work cut out for them because the Spartan defense is as tough as any the Gophers have faced to date.

(11) Illinois - The Illinois team continues to struggle and they definitely need a win to stabilize the season.  This week they welcome the Michigan Wolverines to Memorial Stadium in Champaign.  They can pray the Wolverines are flat and uninspired after falling hard to Penn State.

Regardless the team, time is running out on the Illini.