The Michigan Daily - Thursday, November 13, 1997 - 15A
AROUND THE Hio b1
CONFERENCE
Now that Judgment Day is over, the
fight for seeding, bowl bids begins
tUm a Subramanian
aily Sports %riter
At the start of each season, every team
dreams of playing in a game around New Year's
Day. In the Big Ten, the dreams are rosy. Now
that the season is almost over, and only a few
teams are left in contention for the Rose Bowl,
the teams with winning seasons are looking to
finish strong with the hopes of playing some-
wherein December.
The conference is one of the most prestigious
*ferences in all of college football., As a
resultit usually sends five or six teams to post-
season games.
This year, an amazing thing has happened. In
mid-November, the Big Ten still has six teams
ranked in the top 25 in the nation. The bowl race
is still wide open in the conference. These last
three weeks of conference play will impact in
which sunny state the various teams will land.
While Judgment Day has passed for
Michigan, several other teams face the most
porant matches of their seasons this week.
No. 6 PENN STATE (4-1 BIG TEN 7-1
OVERALL) AT NO.20 PURDUE (5-1, 7-2)
This game should be an interesting contest
between two teams still in contention for the
Rose Bowl. The formerly high-and-mighty
Nittany Lions were knocked off their pedestal
last weekend, while Purdue beat Michigan State.
Trailing, 21-10, with two minutes to go, the
Boilermakers came back to win. That kind of a
victory says something about Purdue. The
ilermakers have drive and the will to win.
Purdue is facing a Penn State team that is
coming off its most embarrassing loss under
coach Joe Paterno. Perhaps tight end Brad Scioli
said it best: "To lose in this fashion just hurts."
So,,the Boilermakers are on an emotional
high and Lions are just trying to regain theirI
footing. In an intense emotional battle, chances
are Purdue could come out on top.
But, the fact is this is still Penn State. One of
the most storied programs in college football
der one of the most legendary coaches is1
bA ably not likely to roll over and play dead.
If the Lions' offensive line can recover from
the five sacks it allowed, if Mike McQueary can
return to the old days of passing for more than a
measly 68 yards and if Paterno can rally his
troops, then the game will most likely go the
Lions' way. But, it'll be close.
Since Michigan's Rose Bowl chances could
depend on the Lions winning out, folks around
Ann Arbor are hoping that's what happens.
Penn State 24, Purdue 22
ILLINOIS (0-6, 0-9) AT No. 4 OHIo STATE (5-
1,9-1)
It's true that Illinois hasn't won a game all
season. It's also true that the Illini are currently
riding a 15-game losing streak.
Ohio State, on the other hand, has only lost to
Penn State, and is moseying along comfortably
behind it's talented tandem of quarterbacks -
Joe Germaine and Stanley Jackson.
Last Saturday, Ohio State blew out a
Minnesota team that also hadn't won a Big Ten
game.
Wouldn't it be interesting if in a last ditch, all
out effort to break its horrible streak, the Illinois
offense behind freshman quarterback Tim
Lavery were to finally find its footing.
And, what if under the sudden shock of see-
ing an Illinois offense, Ohio State's heralded
defense behind All-America linebacker Andy
Katzenmoyer were to crumble.
if Illinois were to win this game, Michigan
would definitely be able to breathe a little more
easily under the knowledge it'd be going to the
Rose Bowl. Can this happen? Not a chance.
The most probable scenario is that the
Buckeyes will have an easy warm-up before
they head to Ann Arbor.
Ohio State 42, Illinois 6
No. 22 iowA (3-3, 6-3) AT NORTHWESTERN
(2-5, 4-7)
Iowa came into the season ranked among the
nation's top 25. Nine games later, the Hawkeyes
are still there. But Iowa is coming off a loss to a
previously unranked Wisconsin. The
Boilermakers were the Badgers' first ranked
victim all season.
The interesting thing about Iowa is that at 6-
3, it has the worst record of all the teams in the
AlP Top 25. But it is important to remember that
Iowa's other two losses came against No. I
Michigan and No. 4 Ohio State.
The Hawkeyes are not a bad football team. In
fact for a while, the Boilermakers were consid-
ered one of the top teams in the conference.
The problem last week was that the
Hawkeyes were playing without quarterback
Matt Sherman, and star running back Tavian
Banks was slowed with a sprained ankle.
Two years ago, Northwestern stunned the
nation by changing from perennial conference
doormats into a Cinderella team.
Last year, the fairy tale continued. But now it
seems as though the Wildcats have returned to
reality.
Although Northwestern has only two wins in
the Big Ten, it did upset a previously ranked
Michigan State team.
If the Hawkeyes are not at full strength by this
Saturday, it's possible they may be able to do it
again.
Northwestern 21, Iowa 17
INDIANA (1-5, 2-7) AT MINNESOTA (0-6, 2-
8)
A few weeks ago, Indiana proved it was not
the worst team in the conference when it
knocked off winless Illinois. Now, the Hoosiers
are once again facing a winless opponent.
When it comes to strength of schedule,
Indiana has it pretty easy.
For the fans warmly roasting inside the
Metrodome, the game could have huge impor-
tance. It's one of the last chances their Gophers
will have to salvage at least one victory from
this Big Ten season.
The problem with this season is there are so
many great teams in the conference that the
weaker teams simply have no chance.
Since Indiana already has a win in the con-
ference, it has the mental edge saying they can
at least win in the conference. The game should
be close since neither team is very good.
Indiana 10, Minnesota 7
FILE PHOTO
Curtis Enis and his Penn State Nittany LUons hope to rebound from a disappoIntIng loss at the hands of:
Michigan by gaining revenge this Saturday at Purdue. Other Big Ten teams in contention also are active
this weekend.
'M' women's basketball ready to tip off
season with exhibition against Slovakians
uevara curious about freshmen, team leadership and defensive play
F U
By Josh Kleinbaum
Daily Sports Writer
The biggest challenge in the
Michigan women's basketball game
Saturday just might be left to the
public address announcer.
When the Sporitelna (Slovakia)
basketball club comes to Crisier
ena for a 4:30 p.m. exhibition
ine. it will be sporting an 1-
woman roster. The names - eight of
which end in "ova" - are a public
address announcer's nightmare.
Sporitelna, a member of the
Slovak Basketball League, is in the
middle of an American tour in which
it plays 10 major college basketball
teams.in just two weeks.
. The game against the Wolverines
will be Sporitelna's fifth in as many
s,
Michigan coach Sue Guevara is
looking to get her first glance at the
revamped Wolverines in a game sit-
uation.
Michigan graduated five seniors
but returns most of its scoring and
rebounding punch.
"Right now we're just itching to
play," Guevara said. "But we've
picked up defensively. We put in a
gople little wrinkles here and there,
-Ad 1'm anxious to see how it works
'out."
But don't think Guevara's going to
pull out all the stops with her first
regular-season game just six days
after Saturday's contest.
"St. John's is going to get a tape of
this game," Guevara said of her first
real opponent. "I don't want to show
a whole lot yet. We'll put in another
zone and another press after this
game."
Guevara is looking to get several
things out of this exhibition game.
First and foremost, Guevara wants
to find a team leader. The five grad-
uates has left a gaping hole in that
department, and no one has yet to
step up and claim the role in prac-
tice.
She also wants to see the
Wolverines' defense. A weakness
last year, Michigan has been work-
ing on it all preseason and it could
prove to be a key to the season.
Guevara is also looking to get
some consistency, particularly from
her three freshmen.
She has been pleased with the
freshmen in practice, especially for-
ward Mandy Stowe, who she said
"has improved quite a bit and is very
coachable."
Anne Thorius should also see
plenty of playing time. The fresh-
man guard is very experienced,
thanks to international play in
Denmark before coming to
"Right now we're
just itching to
play... I'M
anxious to see
how it works out"
- Sue Guevara
Michigan women's basketball coach
are ahead of where I thought they'd
be," Guevara said. "But they're pret-
ty typical freshmen. They're really
up and down in practice."
Pollyanna Johns, a preseason all-
Big Ten selection, will get her first
chance to showcase her new-found
range.
The only true center on the
Michigan roster has worked all sum-
nier improving her outside game,
which could present a double-threat
to opponents..
But don't expect her to shy away
from the basket. either.
"I'm not sure they're going to play
someone as strong as Pollyanna
Johns," Guevara said. "She's pretty
physical ."
But most importantly, Guevara
just wants to see how her team
responds in game-action.
"I don't think it's going to be an
easy game at all," Guevara said. "It's
an exhibition game, and there's
going to be some kinks.
"We're just going to have to
straighten those out prior to out first
game against St. John's."
Last year's exhibition experinece
was a little bit shakier than Guevara
would have liked. It wasn't a
Slovakian team so Guevara hopes
the game will be much smoother.
"When we played a Hungarian
team~last year, we were down at half
by one," Guevara said. "Do I antici-
pate that this year? No."
After 27 years in Chinese Labor camps and a
lifetime as a freedom fighter
Ama Adhe
"The Voice That Remembers"
Reception and Booksigning
Thursday Nov 13 7:30 PM
videos-refreshments
Tibetan
Thangka
Paintings
Tibetan
Handmade
Carpets
Ritual
objects
statues.
Buddhist Books
& Meditation
Supplies
Tibetan Antiquities
Himalayan Handicrafts
Incense
Zafus
JEWEL
HEA RT J
STORE AND READINGS'
GALLERY
Michigan.
"We have;
a couple freshmen who
I
ONE MORE GAME
AT THE BIG HOUSE.
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