Sports Then and Now

Zultan's last college football forecast for the regular season.

Here we are at long last at the end of the season.

All the questions we had in September have been answered, for the most part. Some teams exceeded expectations while others fell short.

Most of the perennial favorites remained where they always reside––at the top.

For Week 12, Zultan failed three times––at Iowa, Nebraska and Miami. Miami lost by two touchdowns and Iowa and Nebraska, each by three points.  Besides sharing a border, the Hawkeyes and Huskers shared mutual pain as time ticked down irrevocably on their season.

A dozen did better than Zultan and guest prognosticator, Craig Bancroft. These prophetic soothsayers will be listed at the end of the article along with appropriate kudos.

Be sure to click here to match wits with Zultan himself for the last time in this regular season finale.

As the 2010 regular season fades into the history books, it is time to look forward to Bowl Season. It promises to be another sizzler.

But in the meantime let us look at lucky Week 13 picks:

Game 1: (24) Iowa at Minnesota

After another devastating loss to one of the big guys in the Big Ten, Iowa (7-4, 4-3 Big Ten) heads north to play the Minnesota Gophers (2-9, 1-6, Big Ten) at TCM Stadium in Minneapolis.

The Gophers finally won a Big Ten game on the road at Illinois.

Buoyed, Minnesota will be looking forward to a disheartened Iowa team sitting on their doorstep, poised for another loss.

Iowa, however, after suffering through a two-game losing skid, will be on a mission to end their season on a positive note by defeating the Gophers on the road.

Hopefully, the end result for the Hawkeyes will lead to another great Bowl game someplace warmer than chilly Iowa City.

Pick  Iowa

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Michigan Coach Rich Rodriquez celebrates exhausting victory in Ann Arbor.

The Michigan Wolverines came back from the brink of destruction to snatch a victory from a talented and determined Illinois team at the conclusion of the most exhilarating football game in the country on Saturday afternoon.

Following that game, Penn State’s Joe Paterno notched his 400th career win by upending Northwestern in Happy Valley to move Penn State back to an impact position.

Many of the BCS top 25 went down to defeat in Week 10.

Three of the four teams bumping each other for the Big Ten Title won––all except Ohio State who sat idle.

The victories at the top, however, were low-key against the bottom dwellers of the Big Ten.

Iowa, after their splendid victory over Michigan State in Week 9, could barely find the football field in Bloomington. They were lucky to get out of town with a win.

All the real excitement for TV audiences in the Big Ten happened in Ann Arbor and in Happy Valley.

The Power Rankings are based on the BCS Rankings, plus win-loss nets and most importantly the team’s past weekend results––for upsets or victories over ranked teams.

Understandably, the Power Rankings may change dramatically from week to week. This week’s reflect a distinct rise in the middle of the pack, edging ever closer to the top four.

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Iowa won at Wisconsin in 2009.

When Iowa meets Wisconsin on Saturday fans will witness two highly skilled Big Ten teams with almost identical mindsets, the same coaching philosophy, and similar styles of play.

The two teams meet on the playing field in Iowa City at a crucial juncture in the season. The outcome of this game will shape their football fortunes for 2010––in the Big Ten and, perhaps, upon the more prominent BCS national stage.

This year both teams remain in contention for the Big Ten title, each with one loss––although Iowa has not lost to a Big Ten opponent. The Badgers fell to Michigan State in Week 5 in East Lansing.

This is a must-win game for both teams heading into the heart of the Big Ten season.

Although Iowa and Wisconsin are very similar, their differences will be revealed on Saturday as Iowa tries to capitalize on the advantages the Hawkeyes hold over their worthy rivals.

Iowa’s success will materialize from the following:

Key 1: Iowa’s Defensive Line Rules Wisconsin’s Offensive Line.

Iowa's Adrian Clayborn is not easily contained.

For the Badgers to win against Iowa, Wisconsin must flatten Iowa’s front four on defense.

That means overpowering DE Adrian Clayborn,  DE Broderick Binns, DT Christian Ballard and DT Karl Klug.

Keeping Iowa’s awesome foursome down long enough so that Wisconsin’s power running backs John Clay and  James White can work their magic on the scoreboard will fall squarely on the shoulders of the Badger offensive line.

Wisconsin must establish the running game to have any hope of winning this football game on the road in Iowa City.

But Iowa ranks No. 1 in the Big Ten in rushing defense. They may, in fact, have the top overall defense in the country.

This will prove to be the ultimate test for the Badger’s big boys up front on the offensive line––senior left guard John Moffitt, senior left tackle Gabe Carimi, sophomore center Peter Konz, junior right guard Kevin Zeitler and sophomore right tackle Ricky Wagner as they try to blaze a path for their vaunted running backs.
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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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