Sports Then and Now

The Hawkeyes were upended by Michigan State in week 11.

This past Saturday the Big Z suffered the most humiliating defeat in the famed prognosticator’s history, going 5-5.

But many of you went right along with the all-seeing seer during the fiasco known as Week Eleven Upsets Galore.

Zultan packed up his new crystal ball along with a sassy assessment, returning both to the Overlook Brothers—demanding a full refund.

It was bad, very bad. Oregon unceremoniously threw Stanford down the Cardinal stairway to BCS heaven while Boise State succumbed to TCU in their own blue, blue haven. Both teams were favored, both played at home and both lost.

This was after the Big Ten self-destructed.

Zultan was reeling like a drunken sailor clinging to the mast during a hurricane. Purdue upset Ohio State, Penn State, of course, fell to Nebraska—the piece de resistance, however, was Iowa’s fall to Michigan State at home.

Mom is still in full denial, pretending that the game has not started. She sits in her little chair in front of the television watching the test pattern. It is an old, old TV. Sad, very sad.

So are you ready for week 12?  There are only a couple of weeks left in the regular season, so click here to make your picks.

A word of caution—whatever team you think is going to win in the Big Ten—pick the opposite.

Game 1: Minnesota Gophers at Northwestern Wildcats (Big Ten)

Northwestern (5-5, 2-4) needs one more win to become “bowl eligible.” You can bet the Wildcats believe that this game against Minnesota (2-8, 1-5) will give them that final push over the top. At this point in the season, Minnesota is just playing for pride and progress. Although the Gophers are improving, they will not overcome Northwestern in Evanston.

Pick Northwestern to win at home.

Game 2: Indiana Hoosiers at (15) Michigan State Spartans (Big Ten)

Michigan State just needs to win out to be playing in the Big Ten Championship game on December 3.

After defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes inside Kinnick Stadium, all Michigan State (8-2, 5-1) has to do is win out to find themselves in the first Big Ten Championship game on December 3.

That means no let down when Indiana (1-9, 0-6) comes calling on Saturday in East Lansing.

To say Indiana is struggling this year is a vast understatement. The Spartans should handle the Hoosiers handily. But then—will they?

Pick Michigan State to win at home.

Game 3: (16) Nebraska Cornhuskers at (18) Michigan Wolverines (Big Ten)

After escaping Penn State last Saturday, Nebraska (8-2, 4-2) must travel to Ann Arbor to face Michigan (8-2, 5-1). While the Cornhuskers got a good bounce last weekend, they probably will not be so lucky in week twelve. Michigan has improved exponentially on defense over last season—meaning that the Wolverines should be able to contain the Nebraska running game. Zultan going without the crystal ball crutch, feels strongly that the Wolverines will bite the Cornhuskers hard.

Pick Michigan to win at home.

Game 4: (17) Wisconsin Badgers at Illinois Fighting Illini (Big Ten)

Illinois needs to win at home to stop their losing streak.

Wisconsin (8-2, 4-2) seems to have righted their ship—which slipped off course during weeks eight and nine when the Badgers lost consecutively to Michigan State and Ohio State on the road.  Both were final-second losses. Last week, however, Wisconsin settled into their familiar scoring routine against Minnesota, winning easily 42-13.

This week the Badgers travel to Illinois to face the Fighting Illini (6-4, 2-4). Illinois is smarting after losing at home last weekend to Michigan 31-14. The Illini started the season undefeated ranked in the top 15 in the nation, but Illinois has lost their last four games and it looks like they will lose one more.

Pick Wisconsin to win on the road.

Game 5: Iowa Hawkeyes at Purdue Boilermakers (Big Ten)

Wouldn’t you know it? Iowa (6-4, 3-3) must travel to Purdue (5-5, 3-3) to play the Boilermakers on their home field just when Purdue is peaking. The Boilermakers upset Ohio State last weekend 26-23 in overtime. Who knew?

Normally, this game would be an easy check mark on the Hawkeyes’ schedule—but this is no longer the case because Danny Hope has his Boilers aiming for a bowl game for the first time since 2007. Purdue is good in 2011 and no longer a Big Ten patsy for any team.  Still, Iowa is the better team with much more offense to offer up.  Mom—this one’s for you.

Pick Iowa to win on the road.

Game 6: (21) Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio State Buckeyes (Big Ten)

It was a tension-filled game on Saturday in Happy Valley.

There is not much left to say about Penn State (8-2, 5-1) who lost their first Big Ten game last week to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The road is going to be a painful conclusion to what started as another solid Nittany Lion season.  Ohio State (6-4, 3-3) will not be in a forgiving mood after being outplayed and outscored by the Purdue Boilermakers last Saturday. The Buckeyes went down to defeat 23-26 in overtime. Ohio State will be looking to bounce back this week against a distracted Penn State squad.

Pick Ohio State to win at home.

Game 7: (13) Kansas State at (23) Texas (Big 12)

In this instance, the advantage of the higher ranked team, Kansas State (8-2, 5-2) over Texas (6-3, 3-3) is neutralized on the Longhorn’s home field. Last week, Kansas State hung on to win 53-50 in quadruple overtime in Manhattan. One thing Bill Snyder’s group never lost, however, was their poise.

Texas, on the other hand, was busy losing on the road to Missouri 5-17.  The Longhorns did not score a touchdown throughout the game and that has not happened since 2004.  But this week the game will be played in Austin, Texas at the Longhorn’s Memorial Stadium— their last home game of the season.  This one looks to be a defensive battle from start to finish and the team with the best offense will win by a touchdown.

Pick Kansas State to win on the road.

Game 8: (5) Oklahoma Sooners at (22) Baylor (Big 12)

Oklahoma cannot slip up against Baylor this weekend.

Things in the BCS got really interesting after this past weekend. The Big 12 matchup between Oklahoma (8-1, 5-1) and Baylor (6-3, 3-3) took on new significance because the Sooners certainly cannot afford another lapse before Oklahoma must face Oklahoma State on December 3.

Baylor will host the Sooners in Waco. The opportunity to knock off the No. 5 team in the nation would take some of the sting of disappointment out of a season which Baylor fans hoped would be considerably better for the Bears. The main problem for Baylor all year has been inconsistent play.  The Bears will play well this Saturday—but not well enough to overcome the powerful Sooners.

Pick Oklahoma to win on the road.

Game 9:  USC Trojans at (4) Oregon Ducks (PAC 12)

The Oregon Ducks (9-1, 7-0) took back the bragging rights of the PAC 12 as well as the BCS inside track by upending the Stanford Cardinal inside Stanford Stadium 53-30.This weekend, the Ducks will host USC (8-2, 5-2) at Autzen Stadium in Eugene Oregon. The Trojans are ranked No. 18 by the AP—banned from post-season play.

While Oregon was dismantling Stanford, USC was crushing Washington 40-17. Southern Cal will arrive with only one thought—defeating the Oregon Ducks and they should make it very interesting.  But unless the Duck’s heads won’t fit in their helmets, Oregon should attend to business and keep their BCS Championship hopes alive.

Pick Oregon to win at home.

Game 10: (10) Boise State Broncos at San Diego State Aztecs

Boise State stumbled against TCU, ending their BCS title game hopes.

As the kick sailed wide right, Boise State (8-1, 3-1) watched their BCS title hopes run inevitably down the drain. The efforts of quarterback Kellen Moore aside, the Broncos lost in the fading moments of the game Saturday, once again victims of an errant kick. Such is life in college football.

This weekend, Boise State travels to San Diego to face the Aztecs (6-3, 3-2) in a Mountain West Conference contest.  Under normal circumstances the Broncos would be sure-footed and determined winners of this game; but, after their loss last weekend, you must wonder how Boise will bounce back after such a loss.

Pick Boise State to win on the road.

The Results from Week 11 (or the Doomsday Hurrahs):

Despite his horrendous record in week eleven, only 17 of you did better than the Mighty Zultan. Still, it is hard to imagine anyone guessing that Boise State, Stanford and Ohio State would all lose—so those with only two losses are highly intelligent beings probably beamed in from another solar system.

Welcome to Earth, brothers.

To the rest of you, Kudos!!  You were better than the Big Z in week eleven.  Be sure to take part in week 12 because Zultan is going commando-less —without a crystal ball to back up his picks.

8-2
Scott Suntken – Minneapolis, MN
The Deto – Atlanta, GA
7-3
Patrick Elliott – Ottumwa, IA
Ryan Gott – Newton, IA
John Zortman – Phoenix, AZ
6-4
Jason Armstrong – Iowa City, IA
Jason Brown – Hampshire, IL
John Darland, Jr. – Cedar Falls, IA
John Fraenkel – San Francisco, CA
Michael Hall – Andrews, TX
Mike Lindsay – Fairfax, VA
John O’Deen – Cedar Rapids, IA
Ken Ripp – Eau Claire, WI
Chris Seberg – New Brighton, MN
Steve Stalhut – Red Oak, TX
Carl Stine – Kingman, AZ
Brett Wright – Monona, IA