SjT: Bowling

Well, even though our Big Two took the week off, we sure had some thrilling finishes in the league this week! Steve Truog returns to Purple Reign to tell us where they stand on November 1st...

* MSU and WISKY both tried to give the game away, with the Badgers making the final blunder (why call timeout when your opponent is rushing to snap a 45-yard field goal attempt?). Big win for Sparty to avoid the trap, another tough loss for Bucky.

* PURDUE wins one for ole' Joe with a wild shootout against Michigan. Is that seat feeling a bit warm already RichRod? Charlie Weis can schedule Navy, Army, Duke, Sacred Heart and Poly Slo to bounce back after crashing a once-great program into the wall. You have a Big Ten schedule to deal with.

* INDIANA's loss to CMU just amplifies our loss there last week. Thankfully we bounced back this week.

OK, now to the bowl picture ...

Northwestern:

I think we're hoping for the best but expecting the worst next week against the rested Buckeyes. (And if my former roommate wants to bring up picks - I'll be happy to be wrong picking against NU next week as well). So that puts us at 7-3 with two games left.

• @ Michigan: Glad the Wolverines will officially be out of a bowl so they won't have that motivation, but that could also be dangerous. Plus, they still play in the Big House with winged helmets and all that tradition surrounds you. Not an easy win to be sure.
•  Illinois: Another tough game. They may be playing for a bowl bid and they have tons of offensive talent. Like the Minny game, we'll need a heck of an effort from the D. Unlike the Minny game, we can't be so conservative on O. Hopefully Kafka either learns to pass by then or we work in a rotating QB system with a healthy CJ.
  

I still think we're headed to Arizona. I think we'll get passed over by any or all of the teams below us (Minny, Iowa, Wisky, Illini) depending on how much the rules allow bowls to pick someone else ahead of us.

IN - Plenty of wins to make a bowl...

• PSU - Pasadena for sure, but still could be Miami ... Go Tech!
• dOSU - I still think they get a second BCS berth, either in Pasadena or Arizona. A 10-2 mark with losses to PSU and USC ain't too shabby and the only bust to that would be Oregon State running the table or two busters.
• MSU - Book your flight to Florida now, but don't pick a Tampa or Orlando hotel yet.
• MINNY - Today ended the BCS dreams and hurt the Florida bid, but still have a chance to run the table, go 10-2 and head to Tampa ... but I think they drop one more and head to the Alamo
• NU - Yaaaa! :)

BUBBLERS - will be very interesting to see how these progress

• IOWA - Can play their way into Tampa, but gotta beat the Illini and Gophers on the road and play PSU close next week ... if thy lose today though, could finish 6-6
• WISKY - No more room for error, but luckily they end with Indiana, Cal Poly and the Gophers at home. Win out and they're an attractive team at 7-5 for the Alamo or Champs
• ILLINOIS - Again, depends on today's game. Beat Iowa and they should be 6-5 coming to Evanston and playing for the Alamo or Champs. Lose to the Hog-eyes and it's 5-6 and fighting for their life against the Cats.

OUT:

Michigan, Purdue, Indiana

But the bottom line is what they mentioned on the telecast today - Fitz has improved in wins each season, he has steadily built this into his program and he's got us in a bowl game again. Well done, coach!

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

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All Items Copyright 2008 byStephen J. Truog and PurpleWildcats/Purple Reign