Hoge: Week 11 Big Ten Football Report
By Adam Hoge -
No audio this week because Laurence didn't have a show Thursday night, but we'll do it in similar fashion in print:
Game of the Week
Ohio State hosts Penn State Saturday afternoon and this one could either be a blowout or put the Buckeyes on upset alert. Either way, we are going to find out if the Nittany Lions' recent offensive explosion is for real. Was it a result of playing Michigan's and Northwestern's suspect pass defenses or is Matt McGloin really the answer at quarterback? If the Lions are suddenly for real, then this could be a trap game for the Buckeyes who head to Iowa next weekend.
Matchup to Watch
How about Fitz vs. the Hawks? Apparently freshman running back Adonis Smith told the Chicago Tribune this week that head coach Pat Fitzgerald "hates Iowa ... I know that for a fact." Fitz is 3-1 against Iowa so he doesn't have much reason to hate the Hawkeyes, but he might after Saturday's game. Dan Persa has been running for his life all season long and the sight of Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn might make him run a little faster.
BCS Impact
If the Buckeyes can beat Penn State soundly, they will likely close the gap between them and Wisconsin. The Badgers must blowout the Hoosiers at home to maintain distance over Ohio State in the all-important BCS tiebreaker.
This week's picks:
Illinois 35, Minnesota 17: The Illini defense should have a much better week against Minnesota, but the Gophers will still get a couple of touchdowns with MarQueis Gray getting some reps at quarterback. This should be a comfortable win for Illinois though.
Iowa 24, Northwestern 17: The Wildcats usually fare well against the Hawkeyes, but the road team has won the last four games in this series. More importantly, this isn't a great matchup for Northwestern. Their offensive line will struggle against Iowa's front seven and NU has not fared well against play-action this season. With running back Adam Robinson back in the fold, Iowa should be able to keep the 'Cats D on its heels.
Wisconsin 38, Indiana 20: The Badgers return home for the first time in nearly a month and that will be enough to avoid a similar first half as they had last week at Purdue. The Badgers will jump out to a big lead before the Hoosiers add a late touchdown against UW's backups.
Purdue 35, Michigan 31: The Wolverines' offense will slow a bit on the road -- it has all season -- and the Boilers showed flashes of getting things going on offense last week against Wisconsin. That, plus Michigan's horrible defense, will lead to an upset in West Lafayette.
Ohio State 31, Penn State 23: The Lions keep it close early and might even have a lead at halftime before the Buckeyes finally put Penn State away late. Ohio State's bye week might be the difference in the game.
For more college football coverage, follow Adam Hoge on Twitter @AdamHoge670.
