... that IOWA can still win the Graham-Cooper Cup ?
You betcha! Dig this ... if the
Hawkeyes can win out and Michigan
State beats PSU, Sarah
and I will be clearing space on the bookshelf for the storied, golden
chalice. Following the above scenario, both
teams will end the season owning 6-2 conference records, with the head-to-head
tie breaker in IOWA's
favor. First things first ... getting past
the schizophrenic Fighting Illini. Two
weeks ago they take no pity on a struggling Indiana team [putting up 55 points] but then
follow up the performance by surrendering to a hungry weasel named Bucky.
... that Penn State is beatable ?
Based on the first quarter of the Michigan game and the
recent contest with the Buckeyes, the answer is an unequivocal YES. While the season-ending, home game against Michigan State
may correctly be deemed a minor speed bump ...
the same can not be said of the game against IOWA.
Even so, the Hawkeyes will likely need a perfect game to beat the Lions
... we saw what Pryor's one miscue cost his team.
The November 8th contest will be in Iowa City, so we got that going for us. In PSU's favor is the extra prep time they
gain by virtue of being idle this week.
One must hope [that whether win or LOSE] the PSU student body is able to
control their excitement ... who riots after a 13-6 victory ?
For the sad details ... story & pics
... that Indiana will end the year with a winning record ?Uhhh ... NO. After celebrating homecoming in Bloomington by beating
Northwestern and recording their third win of the year, the
Hoosiers appear likely to split their last four games ... and that may be a
generous forecast. I am willing to give
them the Central Michigan contest but PSU ...
nuh-uh. That leaves Wisconsin and Purdue. If Indiana
does not win either of those, they will have the dubious honor of losing to
every G-CC eligible team! To be fair, Purdue
could likely achieve the same, if only they played Wisconsin this year. All this subtext can mean only one thing ...
that the season-concluding matchup between Indiana and Purdue will be an
instant classic ... a game that is sure to be replayed on the BigTen Network
for the delight of future generations!
... that Wisconsin is the team we thought they could be ?
The answer is NO. While they were
able to beat Illinois, notching their first conference win and springing from
the basement of the G-CC standings, methinks it is too little too late. Next week, the Badgers head to Michigan State and will most certainly reclaim
their losing ways. After that, the
likely wins against Indiana and Cal Poly [really?] will offer little solace for
the Mad-town faithful. At least their
coach has a Hawkeye tattoo. I think we
can all agree ... that is pretty darn cool.
... that Joe Tiller is doing it all for Hope ?
Yes ... Danny Hope that is. If I may be so bold as to judge the current
Purdue coach solely by the BigTen network commercials ... he seems like a cool
guy. So cool that he is fitting his
final squad with cement shoes and handing the jackhammer to his successor. I mean, he must be, right? The Boilermakers can't really just be that
bad?! With the likes of Michigan State
and IOWA
remaining on Purdue's schedule, Tiller could easily hand over the reigns and a
zero-conference-win record ... and there is only one way to go from there!
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