Big Ten Week 7 preview: Are Northwestern and Minnesota for real?

By Chris Preston  |   Tuesday, October 07, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
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Finally the week has arrived when we find out if Northwestern (5-0) and Minnesota (5-1) are for real.

The combined 10-1 record at almost the halfway point of the season looks glossy enough, but when you take into account that the unbeaten Wildcats' biggest win came at Duke (albeit a significantly improved Blue Devil outfit under new head coach David Cutcliffe), and Minnesota's came against 2-3 Indiana ... well, let's just say both teams still have a lot to prove. This week they'll each get their chance.

The Gophers travel to Champaign to take on the football version of the Flyin' Illini (3-2), which just dropped a 45 spot in The Big House on the artists formerly known as Michigan last Saturday. Illinois' two losses came away from home against top six opponents in Missouri and Penn State. With dual-threat quarterback Juice Williams again running the show, the Illini are averaging better than 35 points per game -- second in the Big Ten. That is not good news for a Minnesota defense that surrendered 27 and 23 points to the likes of Northern Illinois and Montana State, respectively.

Northwestern's defense is considerably better than the Gophers', allowing just 12.4 points per game (third in the Big Ten). The Wildcats will need to fall back on that against Michigan State's Javon Ringer -- far and away the Big Ten's leading rusher with 988 yards in just six games -- this Saturday in Evanston. At 5-1, the Spartans are the newly anointed 23rd-ranked team in all the land according to The Associated Press, and with a convincing win over Notre Dame and 2-0 Big Ten record to their credit, the Spartans have proven they are legit. Northwestern has an opportunity to do the same this Saturday.

While the Minnesota-Illinois and Michigan State-Northwestern games should be compelling little tussles this weekend, the Wisconsin (3-2) vs. Penn State (6-0) showdown at Camp Randall Stadium is one of the games of the year in the Big Ten. On paper the Nittany Lions -- who at this point appear to be the cream of the crop in the conference and a bona-fide national title contender -- should beat the Badgers. After all, no one else has come within 14 points of Joe Paterno's pupils -- not even USC-conquering Oregon State, subject of a 45-14 Penn State beatdown back in September. But Wisconsin is an awfully proud program that is coming off back-to-back losses by a total of five points. Furthermore, the Badgers will be playing at home, at night, and for the second week in a row in front of a national TV audience (this time on ESPN). They will be up for this game, and looking to finish the job after failing to do so against Ohio State last Saturday.
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