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Hey friends! I've spent most of this week bouncing off of various walls because NORTHWESTERN PLAYS OHIO STATE TOMORROW NORTHWESTERN PLAYS OHIO STATE TOMORROW NORTHWESTERN PLAYS OHIO STATE TOMORROW AHHHHHHHHH AHHHH AHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Even if I wanted to sleep, I probably couldn't at this point.
So, with that in mind, let's ask people questions and see what they had to say. Northwestern plays Ohio State tomorrow. I'm dying. I'm going to die.
1. With a win against Wisconsin, is there any conceivable way Ohio State doesn't end up in Indianapolis?
I know, we sorta already asked this question. But times have changed! And now Ohio State is 1-0 in conference, and that one win is against the team that might have possibly maybe knocked them off in the Leaders Division. So can they fall out of the front seat?
I mean, Ohio State could technically still lose to Northwestern and Michigan, so Wisconsin could sneak back in...ahh, what am I saying. Yeah, Ohio State is in. Too bad, since Wisconsin may be better than Northwestern, Michigan and Nebraska.-- Matt Brown, LGHL
Yeah, but that's the Ohio State blogger. Surely everybody else has differe-
Conceivable, yes. Likely? No. The Buckeyes would now have to lose twice to lose the division and while I can see them possibly tripping up somewhere along the way, I don't see it happening twice. -- Tom Fornelli, The Champaign Room
Yeah, but what about the Michigan guy -- oh
No. Ohio State will be one of the two participants in the BTCG. I totally hate this, but even if Indiana, Illinois, and Purdue merged to form a (kinda)super-team, I still think it loses to Ohio State by a touchdown. Northwestern and Michigan could still spoil things for Ohio State, but the Buckeyes losing both those games is unlikely, and that combined with Wisconsin winning out is really the only way I see Ohio State losing its spot in Indy. No, I do not take Penn State seriously as an OSU opponent. The biggest question remaining is whether Ohio State's schedule is enough to get the Buckeyes a title shot against a one-loss Pac 12 or SEC team. It would be a major screwjob if OSU got the nod in that case, but it wouldn't be the first time the Buckeyes were the beneficiaries of a choice bowl invite that another team deserved more (/Michigan State fans nod vigorously). -- Zach, Maize N Brew
Yeah but what about me
No.
Okay!
2. USC and UConn have already axed their coaches and Texas seems inevitable. Fast forward to next year: are all 12 Big Ten coaches still in place?
Well, first off:
There will be 14 Big Ten coaches next year. GET YOUR HEAD IN THE EXPANSION GAME, SON. -- Tom
Aww, dagnabbit.
The general consensus, though, still from Tom:
At the moment, the only real coach in any kind of hot water would be Bo Pelini, and I think that's quieted down quite a bit over the last few weeks.
Looking at other guys:
I think it takes outright collapse for even Ferentz to seriously be on the chopping block (that man must kiss his buyout clause daily). The other two are new guys. Andersen is winning, Hazell is losing. Even with as god-awful as Purdue has looked, I can't imagine Hazell getting the ax after year one if Beckman survived last year. So yes, every Big Ten coach is on the same sideline in the start of 2014 as he was at the end of 2013. The most likely to be canned is Ferentz, but until the Iowa athletic department gets its hands on the keys to Fort Knox, I think he is safe. -- Zach
Let's ask a Purdue blogger!
Kirk Ferentz has at least performed well and the pig is still in Iowa City. No one else is under performing and it is too early for someone like Hazell at Purdue to get fired, so no one is really on the hot seat. -- Travis, Hammer and Rails
3. You're locked in a cabin in the middle of the woods. There's a TV that doesn't have cable, satellite, or pick up terrestrial TV signals. There's a DVD player, and two DVD's: A copy of this week's Michigan State-Iowa game, or _________. What does _______ have to be for you to watch MSU-Iowa?
ONE person is excited for this game. Guess who?
We can joke all we want, but I will gladly watch this game. The chance to see Michigan State's offense continue to stagnate while Iowa tries its damnedest to top out at mediocre is just too much to pass up. This game is going to end something like 6-3 with 32 punts and less yards of total offense. It is the prefect storm of defensive strength, offensive ineptitude, and coaches that never saw a punt in the other team's territory that their reptile brains thought was anything other than a sound football decision. I will not only watch, I will soak up every bit of schadenfreude and self-loathing that there is to be had on twitter. I don't know about you guys, but I'm excited for this crapfest.
Guesses?
-- Zach, Maize N Brew
Tom is too, but less emphatically so.
If given the option of a football game or anything else I'm watching the football game unless it's The Godfather trilogy.
Really? Even The Godfather III makes you Forza, Tom?
That's it for now, but, my point is, GO CATS.
/runs through wall
/falls three stories
/keeps running
/runs through other wall
/lifts car over head
/throws car at ohio state fan