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Dave Revsine's Bio: Our lead studio host crunches the numbers during football and basketball season. Got a question for Dave? Maybe a stat that caught your eye? Submit a comment below or e-mail Dave on the right. |
I'm back
| Jan 22 2010, 1:17 PM | Topic: Big Ten basketball |
| OK – let' just call it what it is. As a blogger, I make a pretty good broadcaster. I have failed. I'll try to be better. Making up for lost time, here are some quick thoughts on every Big Ten team to this point in the season. Illinois: No great secret here – the Illini have been maddeningly inconsistent. Their early Big Ten schedule gave them a great opportunity with eight of the first 10 games against teams that didn't make the NCAA tourney last year. They've done well against those teams, but have struggled in the other two, losing to MSU and Purdue. After speaking with Bruce Weber while I was in Champaign to do the Penn State game last week, it's pretty clear he's still struggling with the leadership issue. Defense has been a major issue for the Illini as well. They've given up 80 or more points four times this season. They only allowed 80 or more six times in Weber's first six seasons in Champaign. Those two issues (leadership and defense) convene in the person of Demetri McCamey. He has a world of talent, and, frankly, were it not for him, they would have lost to Penn State. But, when I asked Weber how he would characterize McCamey's defense, his response was, "It's awful." It's a little early in the season to have a "must-win" but Saturday's game against Northwestern is huge for the Illini. Indiana: I saw the Hoosiers at arguably their worst this season (a home loss to Loyola of Maryland), and, I have to admit I kind of thought they'd be past moments like that this year. But the truth is this is as difficult a rebuilding challenge as we've ever seen in college basketball. Add in the loss of the top-scoring freshman in the nation in Maurice Creek and one of the best outside shooters in the conference in Matt Roth, and defeats like that one become understandable. Still, I think 3-3 in the conference at this point is an incredible accomplishment. And how about the wins? They've now beaten two teams that are in the discussion for the NCAA Tourney in Minnesota and Michigan and one team that will almost certainly be in (Pitt). I continue to be impressed with how hard they play. Verdell Jones has turned into a much better player and leader than I thought he would be when I saw him early on last year – he was huge down the stretch in the Penn State win. Christian Watford is obviously going to be a big-time guy. It's tough to be patient when you've experienced as much success as IU has, but I do think this is clearly headed in the right direction. Iowa: The win over Penn State this weekend was a huge one. And, it wasn't just that the Hawks won, it was how they won. It would have been really easy to fold up the tent after that start – but they did just the opposite. I thought they also raised some eyebrows with a solid comeback on the road against MSU on Wednesday. I've been really impressed with the athleticism of Eric May as well as the sudden improvement of Aaron Fuller. Look, it would be disingenuous to say that everything is going according to plan in Iowa City. But when you add in a recruiting class that's ranked in the Top 30 in the nation for next season, it's far from a stretch to say that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Michigan: The Wolverines have been almost as maddening as Illinois. They have clearly dug themselves a hole, and have some work to do to get back to the NCAA tourney. The beauty of it is, they have ample opportunities to do so, including their next two games at Purdue and home against Michigan State. So, what do the Wolverines need to improve on? Two things – shooting and consistent defensive intensity. For a team that is so reliant on the 3, the Wolverines really don't shoot it well. They are hitting a Big Ten worst 29.6 percent from 3-point range. Yet, they are 10th in the nation in 3-pointers attempted – that's not a great combination. They are also 10th in the conference in field goal percentage defense and appear to give an inconsistent effort at times on that end of the court. On one hand, you could watch a game like the one against UConn and say, "That's the way I knew they could play." On the other hand, you could watch it and say, "Now where has that been?" They had a golden opportunity to build on that momentum at Wisconsin – a win that would have really looked good come March – but were unable to do so. Michigan State: Much like Bruce Weber, Tom Izzo emphasized leadership when I was in East Lansing to see the Spartans (I called their game against Oakland of Michigan). Izzo made it clear that he's looking for more from guys like Chris Allen and Kalin Lucas (a frustration that went public a few weeks later with his much-overblown decision to ask Lucas not to practice for a day). I've been impressed with the way the Spartans have played lately, though I still think there's plenty of room for improvement, as evidenced by the second half on Wednesday against Iowa. The truth is, in a program like this, you are often a victim of your own success. No other school in the nation has made it to five Final Fours in the last 11 years. Izzo has to occasionally remind MSU fans that, "The Final Four is not on our schedule." While MSU doesn't look like a Final Four team right now, that's the beauty of college hoops. You don't need to be a Final Four team until March. Draymond Green has been fantastic. He might just be their most valuable player – just a guy who does everything well. The biggest issue is the center position. I just don't see how that's going to improve all that much between now and March. But, teams can certainly win in March without a great center – particularly if you have the kind of talent MSU does at the power forward spot. I also like the balance of MSU. With five players averaging 9.8 points per game or more, they're not overly reliant on one guy. Minnesota: I'll see the Gophers in person next week against Northwestern, so I should have a better feel for them then. From what I've seen, though, this is a fairly-similar team to last year. When they can dictate the flow of a game with their defense and turn their opponent over, they're really tough to beat. The win over Ohio State is probably the best example. When they can't, they have problems, as their half-court offense remains fairly stagnant. Lawrence Westbrook remains the only guy who can consistently create his own shot (and make it). They'd clearly be much better with Royce White and Trevor Mbakwe. Tubby Smith told me recently, "It's tough to miss what you never had," but he had clearly planned his season around having those guys. Their absence tends to mitigate Minnesota's greatest strength – its depth and ability to come at you in waves. If Al Nolen is in fact done for the year, that further hampers the Gophers' ability to play the way they really like to. Northwestern: I think Northwestern has been a remarkable story. In the past, had NU lost a player like Kevin Coble (in the rare occasion that they had a player of his caliber to begin with) the season would have been over. So 7-21, 1-17 in conference. Seriously. It is a real testament to the job that Bill Carmody and his staff have done in recruiting that the 'Cats have had such a solid year after losing not just Coble, but also Jeff Ryan, who would have been a valuable contributor off the bench. Saturday's game against Illinois is huge for NU's NCAA tourney hopes, but even if the don't make it this year, they should be outstanding next season. A starting five of Coble, John Shurna, Juice Thompson, Drew Crawford and Luka Mirkovic will be one of the better groups in the conference, and incoming recruit Jershon Cobb should help add depth. Crawford has been the Big Ten Freshman of the Year to this point, and Mirkovic, though inconsistent, has shown signs of becoming a solid Princeton Offense center. I think the lack of depth may end up catching up to them this season, but the future seems bright in Evanston. Ohio State: I'll come out and say it – with Evan Turner healthy, I think this is the best team in the Big Ten right now. Their athleticism is just phenomenal – particularly with Turner, David Lighty and William Buford. It's impossible to overstate what a difference Turner makes. He can literally get to any spot on the floor with the ball. I asked Jon Diebler the other day how Turner's presence impacts the players on the court, and he laughed and said, "Where do you want me to start?" This is certainly not a perfect OSU team. They do lack a true point guard – something Minnesota exploited beautifully when they beat them. There is also no real low-post scoring presence. Now, Dallas Lauderdale will score some – but a lot of it is on put backs or scramble or fast break situations. They don't run a whole lot of stuff to just dump it to him in the post and let him operate. They are also a bit limited depth-wise. Still, I'm really impressed with the Buckeyes. Penn State: The Nittany Lions are struggling on the heels of one of the best seasons in school history. Talor Battle has been phenomenal, but, unfortunately, no one else has really stepped-up. In fact, the Nittany Lions are the only team from one of the six power conferences that has just one player averaging in double-figures. When I saw Ed DeChellis last week, he mentioned that this issue kind of perpetuates itself. The less Battle's teammates do, the less Talor trusts them down the stretch. As a result, he starts forcing shots. This is pretty evident when you look at the Nittany Lions' last five games where Battle is shooting just 36 percent, and only 24.2 percnet from behind the arc. DeChellis pointed specifically at Jeff Brooks and Andrew Jones, who just haven't upped their production the way he hoped they would. He does have to be encouraged with the recent play of Andrew Ott, though, who's giving the Nittany Lions a bit more of a low-post presence. Purdue: Despite their recent struggles, I still think this is a very good Purdue team. The issues in the losing streak were two-fold – they were poor defensively and got very limited production out of their bench. They still weren't great on defense in the win at Illinois, but the bench stepped-up, particularly little-used John Hart, and, any time you shoot better than 65 percent in the second half, as the Boilers did, you have to like your chances. JaJuan Johnson also came along nicely in the Illinois win. His inconsistency has been a bit of a head-scratcher. It was particularly glaring in the Northwestern game, where he seemed to get out-toughed by the Wildcats' big guys (not a trait they are typically known for). n fact, NU's 42-23 rebounding edge in that game may be the most shocking single-game stat in any conference game this season. Lewis Jackson may hold the key to the Boilers' long-term success. Jackson has been out all year with a foot injury, but is starting to work a bit more in practice. Now the issue is: When Jackson is healthy, should Purdue bring him back? I've spoken at length about this with Matt Painter, and it's evident he'd like to have Jackson. But he made it clear that the decision will ultimately be up to Lewis himself. Is it worth losing a season of eligibility for, say, eigh or 10 games? I'd say it is if you can help get your team to a Final Four, and, while his presence alone certainly wouldn't ensure that, the Boilers would be a much better team with Jackson out there. Wisconsin: The Badgers were shaping-up to be one of the conference's best stories until Jon Leuer went down with his wrist injury. Now, it's tough to know what to make of them. Without Leuer, the Badgers just don't have a low-post scoring presence, and it's shown up in their shooting. With Leuer, the Badgers shot 46 percent from the field. Without him, they're at 37.5 percent. Trevon Hughes has bailed them out in both of their wins without Leuer – he was phenomenal down the stretch in both the Northwestern and Michigan games. I'm really impressed with the way Jason Bohanon has played this year. He has such a great understanding of the game and knows where to be on the court at all times. And he's a much better athlete than people give him credit for. The Badgers are still phenomenal on defense, as they always are, having held a national-best nine teams to 50 points or fewer. Their home-court advantage is staggering as well. They are 131-10 at the Kohl Center under Bo Ryan. Crazy. Put all of that together, and they should be able to survive for a while without Leuer. But, to really be a factor in the NCAA Tournament, they'll need him back at full strength. |
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Final exams
| Nov 17 2009, 12:38 PM | Topic: College football |
| The final week of the Big Ten season usually means one thing – Michigan vs. Ohio State. It is the best rivalry in college football. It's a game people spend their entire year looking forward to. Except this year. I've got to be honest. In my mind, OSU vs. Michigan is probably the third-most interesting game in the Big Ten on Saturday. Now, of course, if Michigan were to somehow make a game of it, that would change in a heartbeat. But on paper, this looks like a mismatch. And mismatches generally aren't that much fun to watch. The numbers tell the story for the Wolverines: 1962: A loss will guarantee Michigan at best a tie for last place in the Big Ten. It would be the Wolverines' first last place finish in the conference since 1962. 1967: This is the second straight year that Michigan has entered the OSU game with a losing record. Before that, it hadn't done so since 1967. So what happened here? There are a lot of explanations, but, ultimately, it comes down to defense – or lack thereof. 1879: The Wolverines have given up 35 or more points in four straight games. It's the first time they've ever done that in a football playing history that dates back to 1879. In fact, they've only had two streaks longer than two games in a row of giving up 35 or more – a run of three straight last year and this year's streak of four in a row. 39: If Michigan allows 39 or more points to the Buckeyes, the Wolverines will set a new school record for points allowed in a season, breaking last year's mark of 347. Before that, Michigan had never given up more than 279 points in a season. While the Wolverines continue to struggle, Ohio State just chugs along. 8th: Last week's win over Iowa clinched OSU its eighth BCS bowl appearance. That's the most of any team in the nation in the BCS era – breaking a tie with USC and Oklahoma, both of whom are headed for lesser bowls this season. Iowa hopes to join the Buckeyes in the BCS, though they'd be bucking a trend if they do so. 3: Since the BCS era began in 1998, only three teams nationally have ever made a BCS bowl after losing two or more games after October 31 (as the Hawkeyes have done). Those three teams were Oklahoma in 2002, Miami in 2003 and Florida State in 2005. 0: Of those three teams, zero got at-large invitations. They all got automatic bids. So, if the Hawks get an at-large invite, they'd be the first school ever to do so after losing two games in November or later. Their opponent this week, Minnesota, is also fighting history. 0-8: The Gophers are 0-8 in their four trophy games (Iowa, Penn State, Michigan and Wisconsin) under Tim Brewster. For Minnesota to finally get that elusive win this week, they'll need to get the offense going. 502/505: Minnesota has gained just 502 yards of total offense over the last two weeks in a loss to Illinois and a win over South Dakota State. This after the Gophers rolled up 505 yards the previous week against Michigan State. Their 231 yards against the Jackrabbits last week have to be particularly disturbing to the Gophers. It stands in stark contrast to the 236 all-purpose yards that Michigan State's Keshawn Martin gained all by himself last week. Granted, that total includes return yards, so it's an imperfect comparison, but, bear with me – I needed a transition. 80+: Martin has recorded scoring plays of 80-plus yards in three different ways this year - a run, a reception and a kickoff return. He's the only player in Division I-A that has done that. Martin and the Spartans trying to continue an impressive trend as they take on Penn State. 6-2/2-11: MSU is 6-2 in November under Mark Dantonio. They Spartans were 2-11 in the final month of the regular season in the four seasons before he arrived. Speaking of impressive runs, MSU's opponent this week has a good one going as well. 1994: With a win, the Nittany Lions would finish a perfect 4-0 on the road. It would be their first perfect road campaign since the Rose Bowl season of 1994. You have to go back a lot further to find a run of success like the one Northwestern is experiencing. 1940s/1930s: NU is 60-60 since the start of the 2000 season. A win against Wisconsin or in their bowl game would keep the 'Cats from finishing below .500 this decade (and don't give me the whole "The decade starts in 2001" thing like someone did last time I did a decade stat). If they pull that off, it would be their first non-losing decade since the 1940s when the 'Cats finished 42-42-2. Were they to win both, the 'Cats could finish the decade with a winning record for the first time since the 1930s when they went 43-30-8. Everyone else in the Big Ten has found it tough going up against a really solid Badgers' defense, and Northwestern figures to be no exception. 100: No conference team has reached the 100-yard rushing mark against the Badgers this year. If they can hold NU under 100, they'd be the first Big Ten team to go through the conference without allowing any opponent to reach 100 rushing yards on them since Ohio States' defense did this in 1998. Purdue fans will be keeping their eyes on both the rushing and passing totals this week as the Boilers look to reach an impressive milestone. 1,000/1,000/3,000: Purdue needs 69 rushing yards from Ralph Bolden and 179 passing yards from Joey Elliott to become the first Purdue team ever to boast a 1,000-yard rusher, a 1,000- yard receiver and a 3,000-yard passer in the same season. Keith Smith has already hit the 1,000-yard mark receiving with 1,015 yards on the season. Not bad for a team that lost every starting offensive skill player from last season. As for the Boilers' opponent this week, the Hoosiers will finish off a season that could have been so much more had they been able to hold a lead. 62: Indiana has lost five leads of a collective 62 points in its six conference losses. The Ohio State game was the only Big Ten game that the Hoosiers have not led this year. The Battle for the Old Oaken Bucket is one of two games we have for you on the Big Ten Network on Saturday, along with that intriguing battle between Wisconsin and Northwestern. Remember – both those games start at 3:30 p.m. ET but we'll be on the air with the "Auto Owners Insurance Pre-Game Show" at 10:30 a.m. ET to get you ready for the entire day in the Big Ten. We'll see you then. |
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Well, that was strange
| Nov 10 2009, 4:40 PM | Topic: College football |
| A bizarre and unpredictable Saturday has yielded some clarity in the conference race – at least in one sense: The winner of Saturday's Iowa-OSU game clinches a BCS berth. Aside from that, the Big Ten is quite jumbled with all eleven teams, amazingly, still mathematically in the bowl hunt. It definitely gives us some intrigue as we head into the penultimate week of conference play, so let's get right to it. 9-0: With the win over Penn State last week, Jim Tressel continued a remarkable trend. Tress is 9-0 as OSU's coach against Big Ten teams that went to BCS bowls the previous season. Even more amazingly, all but one of those wins has been decided by a touchdown or more. That goes a long way towards explaining why the Buckeyes can join an elite group this weekend. 5th/3rd: A victory would give them their fifth straight Big Ten title, either shared or outright. They'd become just the third team ever to pull that off, joining Michigan from 1988-1992 and Woody Hayes' Buckeyes, who won six straight from 1972-1977. Though there are many explanations for the Buckeyes' success, defense remains the cornerstone: 6: OSU is averaging six "three and outs" per game. That is the most in the nation. That formidable defense would pose problems for the Hawkeyes even with Ricky Stanzi. Without him, it's tough to envisioning the Hawkeyes' floundering offense getting much of anything going on Saturday. 10/11: The Hawkeyes have committed 10 turnovers in the last two weeks. They had 11 in the first eight games of the season. Their best chance, obviously, is to try to keep it close with their outstanding defense and hope a few big breaks go their way. That defense has truly been remarkable, as evidenced by this number: 46: The Hawkeyes have won their last six games away from Iowa City – allowing a grand total of 46 points in the process. That's just over a touchdown per game. If they do somehow pull it out, Iowa would join an elite fraternity. 2nd: With a win, the Hawkeyes would be just the second Big Ten team to beat Penn State, Ohio State, and Michigan in the same season since Penn State started Big Ten play in 1993. The only team that's ever done it? Michigan State in 1999. 1962: The Hawkeyes would also give themselves wins over Ohio State and Michigan in the same season for just the second time ever – and the first time since 1962. With all due respect to the Wolverines, though, wins over Michigan aren't quite what they used to be: 14: The Wolverines have lost 14 games over the last two seasons. That's the most losses in a two-season span in school history. While Michigan sets historic lows, this week's opponent for the Wolverines, Wisconsin, is making history in a much more positive sense. 1896-1901: The Badgers have now won at least seven games in eight straight seasons. They continue to build on their own school record, which last year eclipsed the previous streak of six straight set between 1896 and 1901. 1971-'76: The Badgers are averaging nearly 206 rushing yards per game. If they can manage to keep that number over 200, it would be the third straight season that they've done so. Amazingly, when you consider how many great running backs they've had in the Barry Alvarez/Bret Bielema era, that hasn't been done at Wisconsin since a span of six straight seasons between 1971 and 1976. While far less effective than Wisconsin's run game, Northwestern's run game has also been an important factor in its success (or lack thereof). 6-0, 0-4: The Wildcats are 6-0 when outrushing their opponent this year. They're 0-4 when they don't. Might not bode so well against an Illinois team that runs the ball far better than the 'Cats do. The 130 rushing yards NU scratched out last week helped them to a truly historic win against Iowa. 1949: At 9-0, the Hawkeyes had the best record of any team Northwestern has beaten since the 'Cats knocked off 10-0 Cal in the 1949 Rose Bowl – a win which remains the schools' only bowl victory. NU is bowl-eligible again this year. If they are invited to a bowl game, it will be their seventh since 1995. History tells us, this is not good news for the Illini. 0: The Wildcats and Illini have both played in bowl games in the same season zero times in their history. They were both bowl-eligible in 2007, but NU was not selected for a post-season game. A bowl game seemed like quite a stretch for the Illini when they were sitting at 1-6 two weeks ago, but it's suddenly not that far-fetched, thanks in large part to a rejuvenated offense. 28, 51: The Illini scored 28 first-half points in last week's win over Minnesota. They had 51 first-half points in eight games before that. The positive for the Illini is that they were able to finish off that victory, unlike an Indiana team that has been solid for much of the season in the opening two quarters, but doesn't have a whole lot to show for it: 1994: Indiana has led at the half of all three of its conference road games, but lost all three of them. It's the first time the Hoosiers have led at halftime in three Big Ten away games in the same season since 1994. While that number might suggest the Hoosiers have a shot at making a game of it in State College on Saturday, this one suggests is might not end well. 2-27: The Hoosiers are just 2-27 in their last 29 road games against Top 25 teams. They face a Nittany Lions team that had an uncharacteristic defensive breakdown last week against Ohio State: 228: The Nittany Lions allowed 228 rushing yards against the Buckeyes. That was the most they've allowed in a game since their 2004 loss to Minnesota. 3/2: Penn State gave up three touchdowns against the Buckeyes after allowing just two combined in the previous four games. 2/3: The Nittany Lions gave up two passing TDs against OSU. They had allowed just three all season entering the game. While Penn State's defense had been solid up until last week, Michigan State's has had problems all season. 11th/1st: The Spartans are 11th in the Big Ten in red zone defense. Their opponents have scored on 26 of 28 trips inside the MSU 20-yard line with 18 touchdowns. This, in stark contrast to last season, when Michigan State was tops in the Big Ten in Red Zone "D.". They'll face a Purdue team that, by at least one measure, is coming off one of its best offensive performances in memory. 38/367: The 38 points that the Boilers scored last week were the most they have ever tallied at Michigan Stadium. Joey Elliott's 367 passing yards were the most ever for a Boilers QB against the Wolverines in any stadium. Purdue and MSU - two of the five conference teams that are within two wins of bowl eligiblity. Minnesota needs just one more win, and the odds would seem to be with them against South Dakota State. If they do pull it off, it would end this ugly trend: 0-9: The Gophers are 0-9 in November and beyond under Tim Brewster. That battle with the Jackrabbits, one of three games we have for you Saturday on the Big Ten Network, with Michigan and Wisconsin and Indiana and Penn State also kicking off at Noon ET. Like last week, we strongly encourage you to take a moment during the week to log onto the Big Ten Network's GameFinder. We'll see you at 10:30 am ET on Saturday for the Auto Owners Insurance Pre-Game. |
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Basketball, meet football. Football, this is basketball ...
| Nov 5 2009, 1:21 PM | Topic: College football |
| Worlds are colliding, and this has nothing to do with trying to kill "Independent George." It's been a busy week, with football coming down the home stretch and hoops starting up. In some ways, it's the best time of the year here. In others, like, just as a random example, trying to get one's Internet column done on time, it's a bit of a challenge. A round-about way of saying that we're running a bit behind here – so let's get right to it. The craziest thing to come out of last week from a numerical point-of-view was the seemingly out of nowhere reawakening of the dormant offenses at Illinois and Minnesota, who, in an interesting coincidence, go head to head this weekend. 7,8: The Illini had seven rushes of 20 or more yards against Michigan. They had eight rushes of that length all season coming in. 6, 8: The Gophers had six pass plays of 30 or more yards against Michigan State. They had eight pass plays of that length all season coming in. 416: Minnesota threw for 416 yards in that game. It was the first time they've gone over 400 in a game since 1995. While they haven't received the same amount of publicity for it, the Gophers' win put them in some elite company. 4: Minnesota and Iowa have both won four games this season that they trailed after the third quarter. Not only is that the most in the country, but no other team aside from those two has more than two such wins. 6, 5: The Hawkeyes' win over Indiana was particularly remarkable given their six turnovers, including five interceptions. Both those numbers are far and away the most in a game for any of the remaining undefeated teams this year. None of the other unbeatens have had more than four turnovers or thrown more than two picks in a game all season. 2 of 8: This week, Iowa faces a Northwestern team that, at least relatively speaking, has had good success against them recently. The Wildcats have handed Iowa two of its last eight home losses. They're the only team to beat the Hawkeyes twice at Kinnick Stadium in that stretch, which encompasses 51 home games. 246: NU looked good offensively last week – at least for a half. The Wildcats put up 246 yards against Penn State in the first half. The Nittany Lions came in allowing 240.2 yards per game, meaning NU exceeded the full-game average against Penn State in the first 30 minutes. That production fell apart in the second half with Mike Kafka on the sidelines nursing an injury. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, that has become a familiar theme in their season. 20, 9: NU has had twenty different players start on defense this season, including nine in the secondary alone. Speaking of defensive problems, things got downright ugly for Michigan last week against Illinois. 38, 20: The Wolverines gave up 38 points last week to an Illinois team that hadn't scored more than 20 against a I-A opponent in 364 days. Truth be told, defense hasn't been the only issue for the maize and blue. 11th, T10th: In conference games, the Wolverines are 11th in the Big Ten in total offense, and tied for 10th in total defense. Those struggles give Purdue a chance to end a substantial drought against the Wolverines. 1965-66: Purdue hasn't beaten Michigan in consecutive seasons since 1965-66 – the last two victories in what was actually a five-game win streak against the Wolverines. The Boilers won 48-42 last year. That's not the only streak on the line for Purdue. 11: The Boilers have lost 11 straight road games. That is tied with Utah State for the longest active streak in the nation. 37, 33: Purdue lost by 37 points to Wisconsin last week. That exceeded the Boilers' combined margin of defeat from their other five losses – which was 33 points. 141: Purdue was held to 141 yards in that game – their fewest in a single game since 1995. They're not the only conference team that has had trouble moving the ball against the Badgers (or stopping them from moving it, for that matter). 1951: Wisconsin is leading the Big Ten in rushing offense and rushing defense in conference games. The Badgers haven't finished the season leading the conference in both categories since 1951. The last team to pull that off, by the way, was Ohio State in 1996. That, not the only part of Wisconsin's game that is evoking a bygone era. 1955: Wisconsin's shut-out of Purdue was their first against the Boilers since 1955. Indiana also pulled off a rare defensive accomplishment last week. 5, 6: The Hoosiers picked off five passes against Iowa. For some perspective on that accomplishment, consider this – Indiana had six interceptions all of last season. 1969: Those five IU picks against Iowa were their most in a game since 1969 against Kentucky. Despite the interceptions, the Hoosiers still lost another heartbreaker. But they're not the only Big Ten team that has made a habit of losing close games. 12th: Michigan State's 8-point loss to Minnesota was its 12th loss by eight points or fewer since the start of the 2007 season. That's the second most in the nation behind only Northern Illinois, which has lost 13 by 8 or fewer. 4-3, 7-0: The Spartans are 4-3 when leading after three quarters this season. They were 7-0 last year. While there are many factors you could point to for those late-game collapses, defense has been the most obvious weakness. That is in sharp contrast to the two teams we'll see in action on Saturday in State College. 3rd: Ohio State's shut-out of New Mexico State was its third of the year – the first time they've blanked three teams in the same season since 1996. For what it's worth, they last had four in a season in 1977. 62: The 62 total yards allowed against the Aggies were the fewest in the Tressel era. 3: As for the Nittany Lions, they have given up just three passing TDs all year – that is tied for the fewest in the nation. 1st: The Nittany Lions are No. 1 in the Big Ten in rush defense, total defense, scoring defense, sacks and tackles for loss. Penn State is hoping to ride that defense to a rare double: 1965, 1966: With a win on Saturday, the Nittany Lions would complete their second straight season sweep of Michigan and Ohio State. They'd be the first team to accomplish that since Michigan State did it in 1965 and 1966. We'll have a complete preview of that game and the rest of the day's Big Ten action on Saturday starting at 10:30 a.m. ET on the Auto Owners Insurance Pre-Game Show. After that, we have four games on the Big Ten Network. That's right – four games. Please, please, please – do yourself a favor and use our Game Finder to see which channels the games are in in your area: It will save you a headache on Saturday. We'll see you then! |
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Quite a day of football
| Oct 28 2009, 11:49 AM | Topic: College football | ||||
A quick glance at the slate leads one to conclude that anything that momentous this week would be shocking – but sometimes it's the most innocuous-looking Saturdays in college football that create the most excitement. Anyway, as any discussion of the Big Ten should these days, we'll start with Iowa. The Hawks' 15-13 win over MSU continued an interesting trend: 5, 9, 5: Iowa has now won its last five games decided by three points or fewer. This win streak comes on the heels of a three-plus year span where they lost nine in a row decided by three points or fewer. And that came on the heels of a three-year span where they won five in a row decided by three points or fewer. How to explain it all? I haven't the faintest idea. I spoke with Kirk Ferentz about it this week, and he mentioned attention to detail and faith in one another as being the keys. Whatever the explanation, it's an interesting trend and one that shows just how slim the margin for error is with this Iowa team. 1st: Along the same lines, the Hawkeyes have now won four games by three points or fewer in the same season for the first time ever. While this might seem like a classic "letdown" game, Indiana's recent history doesn't necessarily reflect a team in position to take advantage. 2-29: The Hoosiers are just 2-29 in their last 31 conference road games. They have lost 11 straight away from home against teams from the six automatic BCS qualifying conferences. The Hoosiers, of course, are coming off that devastating loss to Northwestern. While the 'Cats were able to recover last week after digging a significant hole, it will be far tougher to pull off this week against Penn State. 183/108: NU has the most first downs in the Big Ten with 183. But Penn State has allowed the fewest first downs in the conference with 108. 3: The Nittany Lions have given up just three passing touchdowns all season. Florida is the only team in the nation that has allowed fewer. While Penn State has been tough to throw it on, the same cannot be said of Illinois. 3: The Illini have intercepted just three passes this season. Only three teams in the nation have picked off fewer. That will be a welcome sight for a Michigan offense that has struggled recently against everyone not named Delaware State. 273: The Wolverines are averaging just 273 yards of total offense in their last three games against Big Ten teams. Purdue faced that Illini defense last week, and fared quite well against it. 6 of 7: The Boilers rushed for 171 yards in the first half against Illinois. That exceeded their total for the entire game in six of their previous seven outings. 77.2: That success may end this week against Wisconsin. The Badgers have allowed just 77.2 rushing yards per game in conference play – best in the Big Ten. No conference team has gone over 100 yards on them. While the Badgers' defense has been excelling, Minnesota's has been struggling. 440.4: The Gophers have allowed 440.4 yards per game in conference play. That is far and away the worst in the Big Ten. But defense is far from Minnesota's only concern heading into this week's game against Michigan State. The Gophers' Eric Decker is likely out for the rest of the regular season with a foot injury. With Decker out, it's worth revisiting a number we originally looked at back in September: 50.7 %: Decker has accounted for 50.7 percent of Minnesota's receiving yards this year. Not only is that the highest percentage in the Big Ten but it's the highest in the nation for any player who doesn't play in an option-based scheme. Only Georgia Tech's Demarius Thomas (72.2 percent) and Army's Ali Villanueva (52.8 percent) account for a higher percentage of their team's receiving yards than Decker. The Decker-less Gophers face an MSU team that continues to get stung by close losses. 15: Michigan State's four losses have come by a total of 15 points. That is the smallest combined margin of defeat for any four-loss team in the nation (Tennessee and Air Force are the closest, having lost their four games by a combined 20 points). In an interesting side note, Ohio State is tied with Notre Dame for the smallest combined margin of defeat for any two-loss team in the nation (11 points). But this week's game against New Mexico State doesn't figure to be a nail-biter, particularly given that the Aggies are dead last nationally in total offense. Instead, look for OSU to extend this number: 52-0: The Buckeyes are 52-0 when scoring at least 30 points since 2001 That's our early game on the Big Ten Network Saturday at noon ET. We get things started at 10:30 a.m. ET with the Auto Owners Insurance Pre-Game. Don't forget: we also have Michigan State in Minnesota in primetime. Should be a great day. We'll see you then. |
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