B1G early look: Setting up Week 7
No, Nebraska and Michigan State can't play every week. But a few interesting storylines remain for the upcoming week.
Let's take a look:
Five things to watch in Week 7
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1. Where is rock bottom for Michigan?: The Wolverines hadn't started 0-2 in the Big Ten since 1967. They hadn't ever suffered three losses before October. In 127 years, they've never lost so badly to Notre Dame; in 37 years, they've never lost so badly to Minnesota. The list goes on, along with all the questions surrounding this program. It's just been Whack-a-Mole of problems: Michigan's offense finally took off and limited its turnovers, but then the defense allowed more than 400 passing yards to Rutgers. Fans keep waiting for Michigan to play up to its talent and spark a turnaround, but even a bowl game will soon be out of reach. If Michigan wants to stave off more embarrassment, it needs a win Saturday against Penn State.
2. Northwestern could be a serious contender in the West: Feel free to re-read that line again, because that sure seemed unlikely just two weeks ago. Pat Fitzgerald's Cardiac Cats rebounded with losses to Cal and Northern Illinois with back-to-back upsets of Penn State and Wisconsin. Now, Northwestern has a golden chance to prove itself even further against Minnesota on Saturday. A victory here would mean only the Wildcats and Hawkeyes (assuming they defeat Indiana) remain undefeated in B1G play in the West, and no one would be able to count Northwestern out of the conference title hunt. The Wildcats' defense has played great, but Trevor Siemian can't keep missing wide-open receivers.
3. Quarterback situations: Another week, another ride on the Big Ten quarterback carousel. At Wisconsin, it's Joel Stave- Tanner McEvoy. And at Iowa, it's C.J. Beathard- Jake Rudock. Both teams might have similar approaches Saturday because Kirk Ferentz and Gary Andersen plan to play both quarterbacks. Ferentz will likely ride the hot hand, while Andersen said McEvoy might also see time at receiver. Wisconsin's passing game has struggled this season, but it won't have an overly difficult test Saturday against the Illini. Their quarterback, Wes Lunt, is out for a few weeks so Reilly O'Toole will be taking over. Those aren't the only teams with interesting situations at quarterback, either. Purdue coach Darrell Hazell also hasn't yet named a starter -- although it would certainly be hard to bench Austin Appleby in favor of Danny Etling after such a successful first career start.
4. Michigan DL vs. Penn State OL: The Achilles' heel for Penn State is its offensive line. The Nittany Lions haven't averaged more than 2 yards a rush against any Power 5 opponent, and Christian Hackenberg has faced constant pressure. Michigan's weakness Saturday was the complete lack of a pass rush and a lax secondary as Gary Nova threw for a career-high 404 yards. Both of these units need to bounce back. Michigan's defensive line has more depth and talent than Penn State's offensive line. But Michigan has routinely found a way to lose or to disappoint. If Michigan can't generate a pass rush on Saturday, expect a similar result to the Rutgers game.
5. Chance for Indiana/Iowa to make noise: As the weeks go on, it sure seems as if that victory over then-No. 18 Missouri was just a flash in the pan for the Hoosiers. Still, they have a lot of talent at the skill positions (QB Nate Sudfeld, RB Tevin Coleman, WR Shane Wynn) and, for as bad as the defense it is, it still remains improved from last season. As for the Hawkeyes, they're fighting for respect after a slow start to the season. Four of their five games were decided by a single score, and the 24-10 victory over Purdue didn't exactly speak to Iowa dominance. An Iowa victory means it must be taken seriously in the West; an Indiana win means a bowl game is within reach.
Penn State/Big Ten reporter
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