Sports Then and Now

Upcoming Week 8 is a nightmare for college football prognosticators––as was the previous week. No team can claim invincibility.

Upsets abounded in Week 7 as ranked teams tumbled and fell.

Nebraska stumbled and died at home.  Ohio State blundered on the road.

The Big 12 teams rolled over Mighty Zultan en masse, crushing his chances to come out on top in Week 7.

Hordes of you [22] out-guessed Zultan who may have to go in for rehab very soon. Be sure to click here to make your selections for Week 8 against your weakened Master Soothsayer.

Zultan shall be seeking one of you to fill in for him in Week 10. Details of this aberration as well as a list of those who outguessed the Mighty One will follow at the end of this forecast.

Game #1: (7) Michigan State Spartans at Northwestern Wildcats

Michigan State overcame Illinois in Week 7.

Michigan State, (7-0, 3-0, Big 10) facing Illinois last week, did not swoon after their big upset in Ann Arbor of instate rival Michigan during Week 6.

Early on, it looked like Illinois might have the Spartan’s number, but the Michigan State squad regained their equilibrium and came back strong in the second half to seize the victory 26-6.

Next Saturday No. 7 Michigan State travels to Northwestern (5-1, 1-1, Big 10).

Make no mistake––the Wildcats love to upset highly ranked teams and they are capable of rising up to do just that. Coming off a bye week Northwestern last lost to Purdue 20-17 at home.

Can the Cats do it on Saturday?

No way. The Spartans will continue to climb, remaining undefeated going into Week 9.

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Part Two: The Final Four Fantastic Finishes

Running back Fred Russell carries the ball for Iowa.

When Iowa travels to Ann Arbor on Saturday, they will face this season’s most impressive offensive force to date, all packed into one player—Michigan’s Denard Robinson.

Even in defeat against Michigan State last weekend, Wolverine quarterback Robinson still managed to generate more than 300 yards of offense. This was billed as “containing him.”

Michigan’s offensive prowess will be pitted against the Hawkeyes’ highly ranked defense in what promises to be an intense struggle on the front lines.

The difference in the game could come be the ability of the Wolverine defense to stop Iowa on offense.

It will hopefully be another fascinating game to add more sizzle to the historical football rivalry between Iowa and Michigan as we look back over the past 30 years.

Which down-to-the-wire games have provided the most excitement during these eight gridiron classics––as the game clock ticked down while one team was making a last second charge to score for the ultimate win? You be the judge.

1990: Iowa Wins 24-23 in Ann Arbor on October 20

Iowa place-kicker Jeff Skillett helped Iowa win in 1990.

Iowa was coming off a losing season in 1989, as the bloom was definitely off the rose and the earlier glory days of the 1980s seemed to fade.

Yet Iowa was beginning to climb out of their recent funk and into the limelight, coming into Michigan with a 4-1 record and a ranking of No. 23.

Hope blossoms eternally for Hawkeyes and their fans.

No. 10 Michigan was waiting to fulfill their own destiny, which for them necessitated putting down the Iowa Hawkeyes.

It did not look good early for the Iowa faithful as Michigan built a 14-7 halftime lead.

When Michigan, led by quarterback Elvis Grbac, seemed to be cruising, taking a 20-10 lead in the third quarter, Iowa roared back, putting on their defensive brakes.

The Hawkeyes shut down the Michigan offense—holding them to three first downs in the second half.

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The Iowa Hawkeyes are seldom winners against the Michigan Wolverines on the football field.Part One: The 1980s

Part I: The 1980s

Michigan seldom loses to Iowa.

Since 1900 the Hawkeye record stands at 11-40-4 against the Wolverines.

This is not good news if you are a Hawkeye or a Hawkeye fan heading into Wolverine territory for another showdown in Week 7.

Iowa won contests in 1900, 1924, 1958, 1962, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1990, 2002, 2003, and 2009.

Six of the eleven wins have been on the road––over half.

This is somewhat good news since Iowa will be playing Saturday in Ann Arbor.

During the rivalry, Iowa and Michigan also played for four ties––in 1929 (0-0); in 1957 (21-21); in 1963 (21-21) and in 1988 (17-17)––which marked the only tie with Michigan in a game played at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.

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Zultan forecasts Week 7 in college football.

For the first time in his brief career as a college football prognosticator, the Mighty Zultan took a bath in Week 6, dipping under .500.

It was a bad week to pick the supposed favorites. New dogs are barking at the gate––well, some old dogs, too, with new teeth and a gruesome bite. It does not, however, get any easier for your self-proclaimed seer in Week 7.

Needless to say, many people who entered the contest fared better than the befuddled Zultan.

It might prove simpler to list those of you who did worse than the Mighty One––but then, that would not be according to Hoyle.

Those who bested Zultan will be listed at the end of this article. But “down” does not mean “out,” so jump into the fray and make your own picks for Week 7 by clicking here. Zultan, from his less lofty perch, challenges you to try to outguess him again. Here are this week’s games:

Game 1: Arkansas State Red Wolves (2-4) at Indiana Hoosiers (3-2) 12 p.m., ET

Indiana had a bad day Saturday. Welcome to the Club, Hoosiers. We all suffered. Take it in stride and move on! The Hoosiers, whose football prowess typically sparkles on offense met a very good defense when they played Ohio State last Saturday. The best the Hoosiers have met all season.

The Buckeye defense rushed and harassed Indiana QB Ben Chappell into mistakes, causing the Hoosiers to lose big-time on Saturday, 38-10.  But, then, we expected as much.  This Saturday, the Hoosiers will be able to run their offense without so much opposition against the Arkansas State Red Wolves, who sit in the middle of the pack in the Sun Belt Conference.

The Hoosiers will bounce back, winning this game at home in Bloomington.

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Week 6 of College Football - pick the winners of the best match-ups...

Zultan missed two calls during Week 5.

He failed to predict that the Washington Huskies would kick a field goal with no time left on the clock to defeat USC at home in LA Coliseum.

His crystal ball shut down at the end of regulation.

The All-Seeing One also failed to place enough weight on home-field advantage for the Michigan State Spartans who rose up to defeat the Wisconsin Badgers while their coach watched from his hospital bed.

Still Zultan picked 8 of 10 for 80 percent for you math-challenged folks.  There were eight of you who did better at 90 percent––listed at the end of this article.

As we enter Week 6, the contest grows increasingly complex as we head deep into conference play.

Are you ready to throw caution to the wind and challenge Zultan’s predictions for Week 6?

All you have to do is click here to select your own slate of winners and have your name included in next week’s article––as well as being eligible for prizes if you can outguess the Mighty One.

Give the wheel a spin and take your chances––you’ve got nothing to lose.

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Iowa vs. Penn State in Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.

Hawkeye fans sense there is something not quite copacetic about the upcoming game with the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday night in Kinnick Stadium before a sellout crowd.

The truth is that being favored over the Lions just does not seem to sit well with the Iowa faithful. It makes fans a bit uneasy. Being the underdog for all these years seemed to suit the team better—giving them something to strive for.

That is not to say that Iowa fans do not appreciate how hard the Hawkeyes have worked to make into the upper echelons of college football—but as fans, we grew used to being the perennial underdogs to the Big Boys in the Big Ten.

Maybe, like the media, we always hesitate to give the Iowa football team the nod, that ultimate vote of confidence—expecting them to suffer that giant step back instead of marching forward into the winner’s circle.

Saturday’s game should prove something once and for all because Iowa has practically owned Penn State since the year 2000, losing only once to the Nittany Lions. What has made the difference on many occasions as the game came down to the wire, has been the play of the Iowa special teams.

As they are in any football game, special teams will be important in this contest,—because when the clock ticks down in the fourth quarter, it is special teams and their turnovers pro and con that can make the difference.

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