Week four, and we had four really good games this weekend. Indiana took Michigan down to the wire before the Big Ten officials referees botched yet another call. Minnesota secured a come from behind victory over Northwestern. Iowa scored 16 points in the fourth quarter to defeat Penn State for the second straight year. And Purdue was just seconds away from a victory over the Irish, but it just wasn’t meant to be. Meanwhile, it was a pretty bad week for me, as I was just 3-3 on my predictions for the week, bringing me to 30-8 (78%) on the season.
Indiana at No. 23 Michigan
Line: Michigan -20
Prediction: Michigan wins, 34-10
Result: Michigan wins 36-33
So much for scheduling the cream puff for homecoming. Indiana, who hadn’t won in Ann Arbor since LBJ was rocking it in the White House, gave the Wolverines a run for their money by putting up 33 points. The Michigan defense was exposed against the Hoosiers, and secured the victory only after a questionable call as Hoosier wide receiver Damarlo Belcher and Michigan’s Donovan Warren seemingly came down with dual possession. The play was called an interception, and by rule could not be overturned as dual possession once it went to the video booth.
Minnesota at Northwestern
Line: Minnesota -1
Prediction: Northwestern wins 31-28
Result: Minnesota wins 35-24
I was skeptical on the Gophers when the season started, but after a solid performance in a loss against Cal and a hard-fought victory against the Wildcats, I’m starting to see these team as a middle-of-the-pack Big Ten squad. Wide receiver Eric Decker has been a beast this year, averaging 125 yards per game, 31 YPG more than his nearest competitor.
Michigan State at Wisconsin
Line: Wisconsin -3
Prediction: Michigan State wins 34-24
Result: Wisconsin wins 38-30
This one wasn’t as close as the score would lead you to believe. It was 38-17 until MSU scored a touchdown with 2:07 left to play in the game. State would score again with :15 left, but it would be too little too late against the Badgers. The Spartans turned the ball over 4 times, with Wisconsin scoring 21 points off of turnovers.
Illinois at No. 13 Ohio State
Line: Ohio State -14
Prediction: Ohio State wins 38-24
Result: Ohio State wins 30-0
If there is one team that should be mashing the panic button more than us, it’s Illinois. The Fighting Illini got throttled by Missouri 37-9 to open the season, followed by a 45-17 victory over Illinois State. After a bye week, the Zooksters were taken to the woodshed by Ohio State 30-0. In a game that was played through a downpour, the Buckeyes rushing game was able to carry the load, carrying the ball 236 yards for Illinois’ 82 yards.
Iowa at Penn State
Line: Penn State -9
Prediction: Penn State wins 24-13
Result: Iowa wins 21-10
Leave it to Iowa to score 21 points through a safety, two field goals, a rushing touchdown and a touchdown off of a blocked punt. It was the type of gritty performance that Iowa teams have been known for, as they defeated Penn State for the second consecutive year. Penn State jumped out to an early 7-0 lead as Daryll Clack threw a 79-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the game, and added a field goal later in the 1st quarter to make it 10-0. But Iowa would score 21 unanswered points to take the lead, and the game, and go 4-0 on the season.
Notre Dame at Purdue
Line: Notre Dame -7
Prediction: Notre Dame wins 28-20
Result: Notre Dame wins 24-21
It was an instant classic in just the sixth night game ever in Ross-Ade Stadium, but the Boilers were unable to stop the Irish on fourth down with :25 seconds left as Notre Dame look the lead 24-21. Notre Dame was third and goal at the Purdue 2 yard line after a two yard rush by Robert Hughes. The Irish were motioning for a spike ball play which would have put the Irish into a fourth down situation, but Purdue called a perplexing timeout with :36. The Irish were stopped on third down, but Jimmy Clausen found Kyle Rudolph on fourth down and the Irish secured the victory.
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