--_ _ _ _The Michigan Daily - Thursday, October 2, 1997 - 11A
AROUND THE fIlN
Which Big
Ten teams will stand after the dust clears?
dy Chris Duprey
For the Daily
After weeks of anticipation, the first full
t of Big Ten games kicks off this Saturday.
W he Big Ten's play in the early part of the
season has marked it as one of the premier
conferences in the nation.
Big Ten teams were very successful in pre-
conference matches, with an overall record
of 26-11.
Even more impressive were the five ranked
teams that went undefeated, accounting for
12 of those wins.
But now's the time for the Big Ten's big
boys to start fighting each other.
ho will survive the battles, and who will
emain standing after the dust has cleared?
No. 2 PENN STATE AT ILLINOIS:
'Boy, things don't look like they're getting
any better for first-year Illinois coach Ron
Turner.
First, Turner and his Fighting Illini were
utiable to pick up any victories in a mediocre
non-conference schedule. Then they traveled
to: Iowa and dropped their conference opener
by four touchdowns.
ut do they get a break? There's no rest for
the weary, and that includes the Illini.
Now they must play the No. 2 team in the
nation, which is coming off a bye week, con-
tinuing their streak of thrashings.
The Illini's offense is cause for concern,
scoring only 13.3 points each contest, but
that's not their biggest problem.
The defense has more leaks than generic
paper towel, and it's showed. Its best outing
was their season opener, when they surren-
dered only 24 points to Southern
Mississippi.
Turner is quickly learning he's going to
have to build from scratch after former coach
Lou Tepper left the program.
What' s worse for the Illini, the Penn State
offense is just starting to heat up. New start-
ing quarterback Mike McQueary is finding
his favorite target, Joe Jurevicius, more
often, and Curtis Enis is starting to perform
up to potential.
It looks like the offense is hitting on all
cylinders. In their first three games, the
Nittany Lions have averaged 47.7-points per
game, and the starters have been able to rest
for most of the second half.
They might be able to do that in this one,
too.
Penn State 45, Illinois 10
No. 11 IowA AT No. 7 OHIo STATE:
The game of the week takes place in
Columbus, where two sets of expectations
clash.
Both Iowa and Ohio State have jacked up
their statistics with big wins over lesser com-
petition, but now is the moment of truth.
Who will draw first blood in the Big Ten
season?
Iowa's Tavian Banks has been making his
case for Heisman Trophy recognition so far,
and he's got statistics to back it up. Banks
has run rampant over Iowa's not-so-grueling
first four opponents: Northern Iowa, Tulsa, a
Troy Davis-less Iowa State and conference
foe Illinois.
But now the real test comes for Banks and
the Iowa offensive line.
Can they go down to Buckeyes country
and silence their critics?
Aging Iowa head coach Hayden Fry may
have his best chance ever to make a return
trip to Pasadena.
Obviously, the Buckeyes are pleased to be
undefeated heading into the Big Ten gauntlet
but admit their performances were less than
impressive.
Specifically, they did not look sharp in
their opener against Wyoming, and they gave
Arizona a chance to win after supposedly
putting the game away.
Ohio State coach John Cooper is still
fighting Michigan ghosts after last year, and
his team hasn't been able to settle into a
groove yet.
One of these teams is a fake - let's find
out who.
Ohio State 30, Iowa 24
MINNESOTA AT No. 12 MICHIGAN STATE:
The Golden Gophers stride into East
Lansing a week after losing a shootout to
Conference USA's Houston Cougars, 45-43.
The Gophers gave the Cougars their first win
of the season. Minnesota turned the ball over
three times, and Houston was able to capital-
ize.
The Spartans have cleaned up, going 3-0 in
this young season, and they have done it in a
high-powered fashion.
Just when Michigan State was starting to
be criticized for playing a weak schedule, the
Spartans went down to South Bend and
played Notre Dame to perfection.
They feature a solid running game, star-
ring super sophomore Sedrick Irvin, with a
solid, experienced offensive line in front of
him.
The Spartans' defense has also risen to the
occasion when needed, allowing only 12.7
points per game.
On the Minnesota side of the ball, the
Gophers feature an exciting pass attack.
NFL quarterback prospect Cory Sauter
hasn't had many victories to show for his
career, but the Gopher has a ton of yards.
Tutu Atwell is the record holder for most
receptions at Minnesota, and Sauter's
FILE PHOTO
So far this season, Michigan State has dominated its opponents behind a stellar offense and Pa
defense that has only allowed :2.5 points per game. The Spartans look to continue the trend thin
week against Minnesota.
favorite target.
Look for those two to hook up if the
Gophers are to have any success Saturday.
Minnesota's only chance of winning this
one lies in the Gophers' defensive line.
If they can gain penetration on Irvin, they
have an outside shot.
But if the Spartans' running game is suc-
cessful, it's doubtful you'll see Michigan
State quarterback Todd Schultz throw more
than 10 passes all day.
Michigan State 44, Minnesota 20
WISCONSIN AT NORTHWESTERN:
Both Wisconsin and Northwestern had
high expectations entering the season, but
only one of them has delivered.
Northwestern coach Gary Barnett turned
down potential NFL job offers, and now he
may be regretting it.
Barnett's Wildcats have looked awful,
compiling a 2-3 mark.
Northwestern earned a solid win in its first
game against Oklahoma, showing signs of
possible contention in 1997.
But things turned sour quickly.
The Wildcats lost on the road to Wake
Forest, at home against Rice and then in their
Big Ten opener at Purdue.
Perhaps Northwestern's problems stem
from the quarterback controversy that
Barnett has had to deal with.
Both of his fifth-year seniors, Chris
Hamdorf and Tim Hughes, have performed
inadequately.
Adrian Autry is trying hard to fill the
shoes of the NFL-departed Darnell Autry (ho
relation) at running back.
But without blocking help from his offets,
sive line, Autry won't get far against the
Badgers.
Wisconsin opened up 1997 with a blowout
loss to Donovan McNabb and Syracuse, 34
0.
But after beating Wisconsin, the
Orangemen have lost three out of their past
four, causing criticism to be heaped upon the
Badgers.
The Badgers' best solution to prove the
critics wrong was to rack up some wins. And
the Badgers did just that - but not against
the the most prestigious of competition, beat-
ing up on three smaller schools before the
Big Ten season.
But then the Badgers looked rattled in
defeating Indiana by a single point in Big Ten
play.
This week will be their first road test of the
season.
Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez has lost
confidence in quarterback Mike Samuel, so
look for sophomore running back Ron Dayne
to eat up the ball on offense. Dayne, a big,
beefy back, has amassed three 100-yard
games already in 1997.
If Dayne has any success, so should the
Badgers. Get ready to, hear the jeers in
Evanston.
Wisconsin 27, Northwestern 17
FILE PHOTO
Ohio State has helped the Big Ten to one of its best starts in history. This week, the Buckeyes host
Iowa in the conference's premier matchup.
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1997
Can you be a hero? Can you make a difference? NIKE P.L.A.Y.CORPS trains
college students to coach in local youth leagues. After the season, coaches receive
$500 towards their tuition. Email me at jen.linder@nike.com to find out more.
PIAYCORPS
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IN CREATiNG SPORTSI1/2PAGE, NIKE MAKES EVERY EFFORT TO BE ACCURATE. WE REGRET ANY ERRORS.
IF YOUR TEAM WASN'T COVERED, LET YOUR NIKE STUDENT REP KNOW AND WE'LL TRY NEXT ISSUE.
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