The MAC Challenge

I am not going to complain about the out of conference games this weekend for the Big Ten. This year there were definitely some bigger games and bigger wins than in past years. I can understand 8 teams scheduling a MAC team the week before conference play begins. The match ups are:

Temple @ PSU -13 1/2 The marquee game on the slate. Temple looked good beating UConn and PSU is definitely not as good as they have been the last 2 years.

NIU @ MIN -4 night game. It is not a good sign when teams like MTSU and NIU are scary. They were not scheduled to be a test of how good the program is.

Ball St @ Iowa -28 I heard Iowa is looking for RBs. They only have 2 for this weekend. The Ox, Jan, can you come of retirement? I promise no one will intentionally hit you in the sports goggles like in Kenwood Park.

C Mich @ NU -6 1/2 CMU is not a scary as they have been. 3 of the last 4 years NU has dumped one they should win (Syracuse 2009, Duke 2007, New Hampshire 2006). Hopefully that is not the case here.

E Mich @ OSU -44 EMU has lost 15 straight. I would like to see Swoop, the EMU Eagle, go after Brutus like Rufus the Bobcat did. Beating up Brutus should become a weekly tradition in my book.

Toledo @ Purdue -11 1/2 We used to eat at the Bob Evans in Toledo when I was a kid driving to Cleveland to visit my grandparents.

Akron @ Indiana -22 1/2 Indiana completes a rigorous stretch of Towson, a bye, Western Kentucky and now Akron. They play Arkansas St later in the year. Assuming they go 4-0 out of conference, are there 2 wins in the Big Ten to put them in a bowl game? Minnesota is not on their schedule.

Bowling Green @ Mich -25 1/2 More of the Denard Robinson show. I am really glad Iowa faces Michigan the week after Michigan plays Michigan State and Iowa will be coming off a bye.

Unlined- Northern Colorado @ MSU and Austin Peay @ Wisco. Off- Illinois

Next week Gamblor will most likely be off as the Gamblor family is packing up the family truckster and driving down to Wally World.