It’s the last regular season week in Big Ten play and there is still a ton at stake within the conference and beyond. Five teams remain alive in the division and conference races, and four of those have legitimate shots at the College Football Playoff. Here are five things to keep an eye on as we wind down a great B1G conference season.
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5. Can Michigan State put a B1G scare into Penn State’s hopes and dreams?
It’s no secret the Spartans have had a less-than-stellar season. The problems have been too numerous to name, but there have been signs of hope recently.
Michigan State was able to keep the score close against Michigan, totally white-washed Rutgers, and then put an extreme scare into Ohio State last week before succumbing by just one point. Can it repeat that performance in Happy Valley?
Despite the record, this Spartan team can still play with the best of them if it can take care of the ball, stop the run and then control the line of scrimmage with ball-control. That might be a tall order against James Franklin’s bunch, but you never know.
I say keep an eye on this one. If Michigan State is motivated, it could be a white-knuckler.
4. Will Wisconsin hold up the B1G axe?
#Badgers not taking Paul Bunyan's Axe for granted after winning 12 straight over Minnesota: https://t.co/j5MGm8c60k
— Jason Galloway (@Jason_Galloway) November 21, 2016
At stake Saturday when the Badgers host the Gophers is a very large and dangerous trophy, but also the Big Ten West championship. If Wisconsin can win yet again in this rivalry for the 12th time, it’ll at least clinch a share of the West Division, and will punch a ticket to Indianapolis for the whole ball of conference wax.
From there, it’s possible that bigger things will also be there for the taking. With the schedule that Wisconsin has played in combination with winning the championship of the best league in the country, a berth in the College Football Playoff could be waiting.
Minnesota has been very inconsistent this year, most notably in the passing game. It remains to be seen if relying solely on sound defense, special teams and the running game can spring the upset.
3. B1G decision at quarterback for Michigan
.@UMichFootball seems to be in no rush to announce its starting quarterback for Saturday's game. https://t.co/aJZCvzhNNg
— The Michigan Daily (@michigandaily) November 24, 2016
Perhaps nothing short of the country’s nuclear launch codes have been kept more secret than whether starting quarterback Wilton Speight is going to be healthy enough to go on Saturday for The Game.
Is it really a collarbone injury? Is Speight really day-to-day? How much does “he practiced Tuesday” mean from the lips of Jim Harbaugh?
Better yet, is North Korea close to performing another nuclear missile test? Is Bigfoot real? Is there really life beyond this world of ours? These are all questions we are dying to know.
My guess is that we get confirmation on only one of those, and it’ll come when the Maize and Blue trot out on offense for the first time. With Speight, Michigan has a much better chance to knock off its arch-rival. Without him, the game plan Jim Har-Tweet draws up will be much, much different.
2. Can Nebraska win a B1G West division crown?
Lost in all the hub-bub of who controls their own destiny and who’s still alive for the College Football Playoff is the fact that the Cornhuskers can win a share of the West crown with a win over Iowa at Kinnick Stadium Friday.
What? Surprised you say? Yes, it’s true. The Big Ten recognizes a tie for the division as a championship despite the tie-breaker. In fact, that tie-breaker is just a way of determining who goes to Inidanapolis to play for the conference championship. If you don’t believe me, check out the statement from the B1G when Michigan State went to Indy last year as a result of a tiebreaker:
As a reset for everyone; this is a statement from #B1G last year on East Division. Proof that OSU "won" division https://t.co/ayj7LbIll2
— Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) November 20, 2016
Now, it may be determined by how healthy quarterback Tommy Armstrong is, but a win will clinch a division title for the first time since 2012 nonetheless.
2. Will it be Ohio State or Michigan with a B1G win in The Game?
It’s the one question we’re all waiting for the answer to. Will the weekend be colored Scarlet and Gray, or will it be donned with Maize and Blue?
This appears to be the most competitive and level matchup between these two old rivals since 2006 when No. 1 OSU beat No. 2 Michigan in an all-time classic. It’s dripping with drama with the winner moving on for further consideration in the College Football Playoff.
The loser is likely out barring utter chaos across this great land of ours.
It’s talented youth versus experienced toughness. It’s current flag-bearer of the conference versus a resurgent Wolverine program. It’s Urban Meyer versus Jim Harbaugh. It’s the biggest game of the year in college football.
Enough said. Let’s get this thing kicked off already…
