20A The Michigan Daily - Thursday, November 4, 1999 Top teams may be caught looking ahead Penn State and Virginia Tech face tough competition in crucial week for standings is AP PHOTO Rashard Casey and the Nittany Lions hope to fend off the surprising Golden Gophers in Saturday's matchup in State College. si -4i g cciee hawde i - ° ___ . By Dan Williams Daily Sports Writer While college football fans furiously debate which unbeaten team deserves to currently be atop the BCS standings, it's likely that by the time a brutal November passes, a one-loss team will be playing in the Sugar Bowl. Florida State, Penn State, and Virginia Tech are all starting to show the signs of putting a full year's expec- tations on the line in every game. All three teams saw'uneasy victories last week as Illinois, Virginia, and Pittsburgh tried to play spoiler. This Saturday, Florida State gets the week off, but Virginia Tech and Penn State may find a tougher road than expected in their week-before-the-big- game match-ups. MINNESOTA AT No. 2 PENN STATE: There is an eerie parallel for Penn State fans between this year's team and the one that collapsed late in 1997. Two years ago, the Lion's narrow victory over a lowly Minnesota team foreshadowed their 34-8 debacle against Michigan a week later. The seniors on the Golden Gophers will undoubtedly be noting the similar- ities between the two years, and preparing for another chance at an upset. Seniors Thomas Hamner, Luke Leverson, and Tyrone Carter were there. Now Minnesota's upset hopes rest upon their leadership. So far this season, the Lion's defense has played championship-caliber foot- ball. While the biggest names compose the Lions' front seven, the secondary has quietly been one of the best in the nation. David Macklin is a blanketing cover man, and defensive backs James Boyd and Anthony King have been making bone crushing hits every week. The Lions will have to again rely on their physical talent to carry them to victory if their offense continues to sputter. Don't be surprised if Penn State's quality of play against Minnesota again foretells the outcome of the Michigan game. Penn State 20, Minnesota 17 No. 17 PURDUE AT No. 10 WIscoNsiN: Wisconsin's early back- to-back losses to Cincinnati and Michigan seem like they occurred years ago. Wisconsin has been the most steady team in the conference since then, handing embarrassing defeats to Ohio State, Michigan State, and Indiana. Ron Dayne's Heisman hopes as well as his pursuit of Ricky Williams' career rushing record will likely be decided this weekend. There's little 2ade4 d ioteISG#1yu94ite4 S HOW C AS doubt that Dayne will be able to get his 155+ yards Nov. 13 against Iowa, but if Purdue gets ahead early, Wisconsin may find themselves passing to catch up. Purdue has just gone through the toughest one-month schedule in col- lege football history. The Boilermakers came out of their games against Michigan, Ohio State, Michigan State, Penn State, and Minnesota with a 2-3 record. The Boilermakers have reason to be confident going into the contest. Purdue coach Joe Tiller has never lost to a Big Ten opponent other than Penn State in West Lafayette. Drew Brees has found three good receivers in speedy Vinny Sutherland, physical Randle Lane, and reliable Chris Daniels. The achilles' heel for Purdue has been its tackling, especially in the sec- ondary. If they don't change against Wisconsin, Dayne will run through arm tackles all day long. Still, Purdue's offense has been in high gear at Ross-Ade Stadium. Purdue 28, Wisconsin 21 No. 20 OHIO STATE AT No. 19 MICHIGAN STATE: A loss in this game for either team. and they can just about forget about anything more prestigious than the Outback Bowl. Michigan State had two weeks to think about its collapses against Purdue and Wisconsin. It returns to com'petition in East Lansing a bit more humble, with the possible exception of the great self promoter, Plaxico Burress. Despite two straight wins, the Buckeyes really don't have the person- nel to expect a return to glory days. Quarterback Steve Bellisari has shown elusiveness, which has been necessary considering Ohio State's offensive line is the worst the Buckeyes have had all decade. If Michigan State isn't moping around about its lost opportunities, the Spartans should be able to handle Ohio State because the physical ability just isn't there this year for the Buckeyes. The Spartans have a faster defense, better blocking, and more depth. Michigan State 35, Ohio State 17 ILLINOIS vs OwA: Iowa's first year coach, Kirk Farentz, inherited a talent- less team with a poor attitude from leg- end Hayden Fry. Despite the fact that Iowa has won just one game, Farentz should be given credit for bringing more discipline to the program. Next year, critics can start to judge Farentz for his ability to harness the talents of his football team. This year, Illinois has moved into the pool of teams Iowa can't realistically expect to beat. Illinois's pint-size running back, Rocky Harvey, racked up 143 yards last week against Penn State. The rest of the offense was anemic, but with lowa's defense replacing Penn State's, Illinois has reason to be opti- mistic. Expect much better statistics from Kurt Kittner and the Illinois pass- ing attack. Illinois 34, Iowa 13 No. 3 VIRGINIA TECH AT WEST VIRGINIA: The Hokies were never real- ly in danger of losing last week to Pittsburgh, but the game was still hum- bling for Virginia Tech as its heralded defense surrendered over 400 passing yards to Pittsburgh. Part of the credit should go to Pittsburgh's great wide receivers, but Virginia Tech is also finally feeling the pressure that goes with national con- tention. They can expect to be the "circled game" for every opponent for the rest of the season. While the Panthers are a better team than West Virginia, Morgantown is a tougher place to play than Pittsburgh for road teams. West Virginia fans are some of the loudest and most opposing in the coun- try, and they will fight to get under the skin of freshman quarterback Michael Vick. Virginia Tech has to be careful that they don't overlook the Mountaineers while looking ahead to Miami on Nov. 13, the toughest foe the Hokies will face all season. The skill gap should propel the Hokies to victory, but if West Virginia gets a quick start, Marc Bulger and Avon Cobourne could lead the Mountaineers to the upset of the year. Virginia Tech 31, West Virginia 20 Notre Dame at No. 5 Tennessee: The Fighting Irish haven't cheated their fans of any excitement this year, whether their opponent was Michigan or Navy. Notre Dame's team may not be filled with future NFL-ers, but Jarious Jackson and Co.'s second-half poise makes this a game worth tuning in to. Tennessee seemed to be headed towards a down year after they lost to Florida and slipped by Memphis, but Tennessee's defense has carried them back to the nation's top five. Solid victories over Georgia and Alabama have many of the Volunteer's - former naysayers back on the band- wagon. If Jamal Lewis runs all over Notre Dame in the first half, don't worry about the second. But if the Irish defense keeps the game close down the wire, don't count out crafty Jarious Jackson. Tennessee 24, Notre Dame 16 No. 21 TEXAS A&M AT No. 9 NEBRASKA The Cornhuskers may not be on the road to another four-loss season, but they are vulnerable. Their defense is still one of the best in the country, but their offense isn't nearly as effective as it once was. A loss to Texas and a squeakei- against league doormat Kansas is fur- ther evidence of the Nebraska pro- gram's decline. Three weeks ago, many analysts penciled the Cornhuskers in for the Sugar Bowl, but now Nebraska is fighting to avoid their second straight year in a December bowl. The best thing going for the Nebraska offense is their athletic quar- terback, Eric Crouch, and their former quarterback, Bobby Newcombe, who'sdoing a little of everything now. But tailback Correll Buckhalter and fullback Dan Alexander do not have the physical tools' of a Laurence Phillips or a Cory Schleisinger. Texas A&M is a program in question as well, as they've lost two games, and are in poor shape to get back to the Big 12 title game. Fullback Jamar Toombs, a produc- tive runner and blocker will play at the next level. But tailback Dante Ha ll, the Aggies' main weapon a year ago, has nearly disappeared from the national scene this year. Two good defenses with overrated offenses will meet in Lincoln. The loser will not only likely be relegated to the Holiday Bowl, but their coach, either R.C. Slocum or Frank Solich. will have serious job insecurity. Texas A&M 20, Nebraska 17 COLORADO Ar No.6 KANSAS STMrE Fresh off a surprise victory in which it manhandled Oklahoma, Colorado looks to take down one of the nation's last six undefeateds. Mike Moschetti had his best game of the year last week, passing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. Colorado has two of the most under- rated wide receivers in the nation in Marcus Stiggers and Javon Green. Ben Kelly could be voted an All-American as either a cornerback or a kick return- er. Kansas State should be given some credit for not packing it in the year after their national championship hopes soured in the final two games. But until Bill Snyder starts schedul- ing real out-of-conference games, the Wildcats won't be considered a nation- al power. This year, Kansas State has shown a propensity to rebound from large deficits. It has come back against Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Texas. Still, these games have been a sign of vulnerably as much as tenacity. But this game is in Manhattan, Kans., where Kansas State has been nearly unbeatable the last two years. Kansas State 24, Colorado 13 E 4e TAUSIG iae R E IL LY ada WOLFSON W4i, ine PETTERSEN ereml GEL TMAN FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5 a.30 PM @ LEAGUE UNDERGROUND LEAGUE SPONSORED BY MICHIGAN LEAGUE PROGRAMMING: DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL 734-763-4652. THIS WEEK IN ICHIGAN ATHLETICS Presented by: e FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5 .... ... #9 Men's Swimming/Diving vs. #8 Georgia 4 p.m. Volleyball . vs. Purdue 7 p.m. .............Women's Basketball vs. Athletes in Action 7 p.m. Hockey ............................. vs. Ohio State 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6 ........e................ Football vs. Northwestern 12:10 p.m. MICHIGAN MEN'S BASKETBALL MAIZE AND BLUE SCRIMMAGE