Notre Dame, Big 10 and MAC Week 6 Preview

It has been a long time since a game this crucial has been played at Happy Valley. And just two months ago, not many Penn State fans had Oct. 8 circled on their calendar. But when powerful Ohio State comes calling this Saturday, all eyes will be on the precocious Nittany Lions, 5-0 on the season and 1-0 in the conference after demolishing previously unbeaten Minnesota last week. Smart money isn’t predicting an upset, but Joe Paterno has seen many such games in his long career at PSU and has won his share. But the Buckeyes likely have too much talent on both sides of the ball to stumble in the Pennsylvania mountains.

Elsewhere this weekend, there are not too many eye-popping matchups. Notre Dame is idle and awaiting a visit from Southern Cal (but the Trojans don’t like that name - they want to be called USC). Michigan State is idle, too, licking its wounds inflicted by Michigan a week ago. In the Mid-American Conference, Kent State is the only idle team, while Northern Illinois worked out some early-season frutstrations with a convincing 38-27 victory over Miami, Ohio, in action on Wednesday night. Let’s look at this week’s card in the Big Ten and MAC.

BIG TEN

OHIO STATE AT PENN STATE - While the rest of the Big Ten nation cheers for Penn State, the Buckeyes will be focused for this trip. Ohio State, without some red zone troubles in that collision with Texas earlier in the season, could be the nation’s No. 2 team. The Nittany Lions stopped Minnesota’s vaunted running game and dared the Golden Gophers to pass. They couldn’t. But Ohio State can - even if Penn State can stop the Buckeye runners. So, then, what is the key. Can you believe freshmen? If Penn State’s talented and speedy freshmen can run, catch passes and play like they did the last couple of weeks, the Lions could make a game of it - especially if quarterback Michael Robinson avoids the poison turnover pill. Long drives by Penn State have been helpful to the defense. In fact, 35 first downs against Minnesota were the second highest total in Paterno’s 40 years as a head coach. It will take that same kind of effort on Saturday.

IOWA AT PURDUE - This one may be dubbed the survivor bowl - because there is nothing but trouble ahead for the loser. Each has lost twice (Purdue has two losses in the league) and a third loss will see the victim wave goodbye to any lingering BCS hopes or conference title hopes. Both teams, Kirk Ferentz’s Hawkeyes and Joe Tiller’s Boilermakers have played below expectations this fall. Iowa lost to archrival Iowa State and badly to Ohio State. Purdue, similarly, lost a tough one to Minnesota and was drubbed by Notre Dame. The Boilers are limping both physically and mentally
Top running back Jerod Void hurt a shoulder against the Irish and is 50-50 at best. Linebacker Bobby Iwuchukwu remains questionable. He was hurt against Minnesota and didn’t play against Notre Dame. Finally, cornerback Bryan Hickman dislocated an elbow last Saturday and is gone for much of the season. The Boilers offense may have to carry the load. And, despite that 2-2 mark, Purdue is averaging 36 points a game, 23rd in the nation. Iowa looked like the Hawkeyes that drew so much preseason attention with an easy 35-7 drubbing of Illinois last Saturday. Purdue has covered 11 of its last 13 Big Ten games, but remember folks, this is not Kyle Ortons’ Boilers any more.

MINNESOTA AT MICHIGAN - Another Survivor Bowl? Each has one Big Ten loss already and a second doesn’t bode well for conference honors. Lloyd Carr got some of the heat off his back with an overtime victory at Michigan State last Saturday - the same day that Minnesota saw its running game grounded in a pounding absorbed at Penn State. Minnesota hasn’t beaten Michigan in its last 12 outings, and playing at the Big House makes it even tougher. Laurence Maroney, getting some Heisman mention early in the year, hurt his cause with only 48 yards on the ground against Penn State. Worse, he wouldn’t talk to the media afterward. Michigan needs to come off its high after beating the Spartans away, and must focus anew. A third regular season loss would boot the Wolverines from too much Jan. 1 bowl talk. The return of sophomore tailback Michael Hart seemed to rejuvenate the Wolverines. Sidelined since early in the Notre Dame game, Hart returned to gain 218 yards on 36 carries last weekend.

WISCONSIN AT NORTHWESTERN - It’s awfully hard to ignore the Badgers these days. Sailing along at 5-0 and sharing the Big Ten lead with Penn State at 2-0, coach Barry Alvarez seems to be working some magic in his last season on the sideline. The Badgers are doing outstanding work on the defensive side of the football and all-purpose back Brian Calhoun has been superb offensively. Quarterback John Stocco doesn’t rank atop anybody’s All-American list, but he ran in the winning touchdown against Michigan and last week against Indiana threw for three touchdowns and 274 yards. Northwestern at 2-2, 0-1, knows it can score points. Quarterback Brett Basanez is having a career season, but the Wildcats can’t stop anyone. Wisconsin needs a victory to stay in the Big Ten’s driver seat - and not too many riders see the Badgers giving up the wheel in this one.

ILLINOIS AT INDIANA - Two new coaches, Ron Zook at Illinois and Terry Hoeppner at Illlinois and I.U., respectively, know this is a huge game for each program - even though a victory won’t mean too much toward postseason hopes. Hoeppner created some excitement when he took the Hoosiers to a 3-0 non-conference record, including a huge victory over Kentucky. But Wisconsin brought the Hoosiers back to reality last Saturday. Illinois, meanwhile, was buried two straight weeks - against Michigan State and Iowa. Neither is expected to post too many W’s the rest of the way, so Saturday indeed is important. Illinois freshman and sophomore-studded defense just has to improve, while Indiana has to do better on the same side of the ball.

MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE

Four conference games fill Saturday’s schedule, along with a visit from Central Michigan to Army. Here’s a look at this week’s MAC action.

Eastern Michigan at Toledo - This matchup is one pitting two teams still unbeaten in the league. Toledo is expected to challenge for the league crown and, at 3-1, 1-0 can put some distance between themselves and upstart EMU, 3-2 and a surprising 2-0 in league play. The Rockets are 8-2 ATS after a bye week and should be ready to go. It could be an offensive explosion - the two teams have averaged a combined 72 points in their last 3 meetings.

Ohio at Bowling Green - After a rocky non-conference start, the Falcons are 1-0 in the league and still among the MAC powers. Bowling Green has won nine of the last 13 meetings, but Frank Solich is hoping he can turn things around at Ohio. A big victory over Pittsburgh helped as did the conference opener against Kent State. Ohio will have the twofold task of stopping BG’s Omar Jacobs, who threw for 326 yards and four touchdowns a week ago, and the Falcons strong running game, which helped notch 30 first downs against Temple.

Ball State at Western Michigan - Does it sound strange that both teams are happy? Ball State is thankful that its tests against Iowa, Auburn and Boston College are over. And the Cardinals also lost their league opener to strong Bowling Green. It was the toughest first four games of any MAC team. But if BSU thinks life gets too easy, it better be careful. Western Michigan is 3-2, 1-1, and riding a three-game winning streak. Greg Jennings, who now has caught 30 touchdowns for Western, may be the man to stop for Ball State.

Akron at Buffalo - The Zips have been up and down - Buffalo just down. Akron, at 2-2, 1-1, can’t afford to be the Bulls first victim. Buffalo is 0-4 and 0-1 in league play. Buffalo is coming off a bye week, while Akron is looking to rebound from a surprising 31-17 loss to Central Michigan.

Central Michigan at Army - Central can keep its 2-1 conference mark safe for a week when it goes outside the league to meet Army. Quarterback Kent Smith and the Chippewas amassed 461 yards of total offense against Akron, with Smith throwing for 224 yards and two touchdowns. Central returns to conference wars next week with a matchup at home against Ohio U.

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