Tag: Big Ten

Badgers move up to No. 14 in Week 13 Amway Coaches’ Poll

After a big road victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Wisconsin moved up to No. 14 in the latest Amway Coaches’ Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports. Even more importantly, the Badgers (8-2) took care of business, and got some help from the Iowa …

After a big road victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Wisconsin moved up to No. 14 in the latest Amway Coaches’ Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.

Even more importantly, the Badgers (8-2) took care of business, and got some help from the Iowa Hawkeyes, who beat the Minnesota Gophers, dropping their first game of the season. Up next, Wisconsin is set to host the Purdue Boilermakers at Camp Randall, where they are expected to cruise to a victory.

Minnesota (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten), who had arguably the biggest day in the country on last week, fell four spots to No. 11 after losing to the aforementioned Hawkeyes. The loss opened the door for the Badgers to win the Big Ten West, setting up a potentially massive game in Minnesota the final week of the season. The Badgers travel to play the Golden Gophers Nov. 30 in their final game of the regular season, potentially with some major implications in the Big Ten West race.

Wisconsin is one of an impressive six Big Ten teams in the Amway Coaches’ poll. The Big Ten conference has proven again to be one of the toughest football conferences in the country, with five teams in the top 15 alone. Indiana fell out of the poll this week after losing to Penn State.

 

Ohio State stays at No. 2 in latest Amway Coaches Poll

The Ohio State Buckeyes held on to their No. 2 spot behind the LSU Tigers in the latest Amway Coaches Poll.

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The Ohio State Buckeyes held on to their No. 2 spot behind the LSU Tigers in the latest Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.

The Buckeyes did pick up an extra first-place vote, receiving six after only earning five last week. The change was likely due more to LSU’s defensive struggles against Ole Miss than for anything the Buckeyes did in their blowout win over Rutgers. Or it could just be that one voter missed last week, and he would have picked Ohio State at No. 1 then too.

There was a change in the Top 5 this week, as Georgia jumped Alabama. Whether this was due to Georgia’s win over Auburn, Tua Tagovailoa’s injury, or some combination of the two, the Bulldogs have passed the Tide and will likely hold that position as long as Georgia doesn’t lose another game.

Minnesota and Baylor, who each suffered their first losses of the season this week, fell out from the Top 10–from No. 7 to No. 11 and No. 10 to No. 13, respectively.

The Big Ten and SEC led the poll with six ranked teams each. Three teams each were ranked from the AAC and Big 12, while the Pac 12 and Mountain West each put two teams in the poll. The ACC and Sun Belt each had one ranked team, along with Independent Notre Dame.

Navy, Texas, and Indiana all fell out of the rankings, while Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, and San Diego State moved in to replace them.

Week 12 CFP Eliminator: Still a lot of scenarios

We break down the 12 teams remaining in the College Football Playoff race, as our Eliminator took out three more teams in Week 12.

Welcome back to the Eliminator. I explain the process behind eliminating teams in my Week 1 post. In short, I ask myself a simple question: “If this team wins out, will they have a chance at the Playoff?” I don’t assume that teams will lose–there’s no need to. The losses will come when they come; and when they do, I’ll eliminate those teams. Until then, they’re not eliminated. It’s that simple. I also track every eliminated team on this Twitter thread.

This week didn’t involve any real eliminations. The three teams we knocked out were all long shots. Florida and Michigan needed miraculous conference titles to boost the resumes, and they were eliminated from their division races this week. Auburn, meanwhile, picked up its third loss.

Instead, we have 12 teams. All 12 can win Power 5 conferences, and 11 of them have one or zero losses. If we get chaos, most of these teams can still get in with even two losses. It’s too early this year to present specific scenarios, because there are so many possibilities.

One thing is very clear, though. We probably won’t see very many eliminations next week, either. These are our 12 teams, and unless we see a surprising upset next week, all 12 will still be alive heading into Thanksgiving weekend. What happens after that, though, is anyone’s guess.

Next … What teams are still alive?

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Ohio State beats Rutgers to go to 10-0, now the season really begins

Ohio State put it on Rutgers, and has been fantastic to date. But now, the season really begins with Penn State and Michigan on tap.

Ohio State may not have looked as good as it has in previous weeks against Rutgers, but it was still a convincing win nonetheless. The Buckeyes raced out to a quick lead, put in some backups and won going away 56-21.

To date, the Buckeyes closest game — if you can believe it — was against FAU in week one. They only managed to win that one by 24 points. Since then, it’s been beat down after beat down. Along the way, Ohio State eviscerated one of the best defenses in the country when it whitewashed Wisconsin 38-7. It scored over 70 points twice, held its opponents to ten points or below ten times, and scored at least 34 points in every game.

Heck, there’s even be three guys in the Heisman conversation. Quarterback Justin Fields, running back J.K. Dobbins, and defensive end Chase Young have all had magical years so far.

Simply put — the Buckeyes have been on cruise control and haven’t been tested to date.

But now it’s about to get into the meat of the schedule. What’s happened to date has little bearing on what needs to occur over the next two weeks when OSU welcomes a top ten Penn State squad, then hits the road for the annual grudge match between Michigan — er … TTUN.

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Has Ohio State been dominant, fantastic, marvelous and all the above so far in 2019? Yes, it sure has. In fact some of the things we’ve seen this year may not happen for a long, long time. We may not even know how truly historic this season is until it’s over and we look back on it.

But … in order for it to be that type of year, the Buckeyes have to finish the deal. Lose against Penn State and the Nittany Lions likely go to Indianapolis. Lose to Michigan and, — well … let’s just not go there.

In some ways, what’s happened up until now seems like a precursor in a blockbuster movie right before the climax begins.

So, strap it up men. The focus and execution has been outstanding to date. But remember, there’s a countdown clock in the Woody that has the real finish line. It’s time to show Penn State THEY AREN’T, and Michigan that it still can’t hold a candle to THE Ohio State University.

Practice is going to be fun this week. It’s time to finish this thing.

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Big Ten Quick Thoughts, Takes On Every Game: Week 12

Quick thoughts and takes on every Week 12 Big Ten game.

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Quick thoughts and takes on every Week 12 Big Ten game.

@PeteFiutak

Wisconsin 37, Nebraska 21

Adrian Martinez was fantastic. He was fast, decisive, and he looked like the star for the Husker offense everyone is hoping he’ll be. He threw for 220 yards and a score, ran for 89 yards and a touchdown, Dedrick Mills ran for 188 yards and a score, and Nebraska gained almost 500 yards …

And Nebraska lost by 16. 

Wisconsin got shoved around too much, struggled against the Nebraska running game, and gave up too many big plays, but Jonathan Taylor ran for 204 yards and two scores, QB Jack Coan was fine, Aron Cruickshank retuned a kick for a score, and the D came through when absolutely needed.

The Badgers need to win out and get a loss from Minnesota before they play on November 30th. Nebraska has to beat both Maryland on the road and against Iowa to go bowling.

Northwestern 45, UMass 6

Leave it to Northwestern to be the only team that couldn’t hang a gajillion points on the worst defense in college football. One of the scores came on a blocked field goal.

This was the game to have a whole lot of fun with the passing game. Aidan Smith completed 7-of-13 passes for 76 yards with two interceptions. Wheeeeee!

Evan Hull?! The freshman had four carries all year for 15 yards, and he ripped through the Minutemen for 220 yards and four scores on 24 carries. The Wildcats ran for 335 yards and five scores.

It’s going to take something amazing for the Wildcats to win another game with Minnesota and at Illinois to close. 2-10 would be the worst season since going 2-9 in 1993.

NEXT: Michigan 44, Michigan State 10; Penn State 34, Indiana 27

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Wisconsin-Nebraska odds: Cornhuskers big underdogs at home

Previewing Saturday’s Wisconsin Badgers at Nebraska Cornhuskers college football matchup, with NCAA football betting odds, picks and best bets

The Wisconsin Badgers (7-2, 4-2 Big Ten West) and Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-5, 2-4) square off in Lincoln Saturday at noon p.m. ET, as the home side is looking to spring the upset and keep its faint postseason hopes alive.

We analyze the Wisconsin-Nebraska odds and betting lines, while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Wisconsin at Nebraska: Three things you need to know

1. After opening the season 5-1 against the spread, the Badgers are 0-3 ATS across the past three. The Badgers allowed just 29 total points over their first six, but have yielded 84 total points in the past three.

2. Badgers RB Jonathan Taylor continues to chug along, posting a Big Ten-best 1,259 rushing yards with 19 total touchdowns. He leads Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins for the conference title by 59 yards and four touchdowns.

3. Despite allowing 84 total points over the past three, the Badgers are still third in the nation in total yards allowed (233.3) and passing yards allowed (147.0) per game. They’re also seventh in the country with just 12.6 PPG allowed.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!

Wisconsin at Nebraska: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 2:15 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Wisconsin 37, Nebraska 13

Moneyline (ML)

The last time the Badgers (-910) faced off against the Cornhuskers (+445) they were 41-24 winners in Madison back on Oct. 6, 2018. You can expect similar results in this one, as the Huskers just seem to be stuck in neutral. While the Badgers ‘should’ win, remember the Illini game. They fell hard in Champaign when favored by 30.5 points, proving nothing is a guarantee. Avoid the ML when it is more than -160 or -170.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Wisconsin to win would return a profit of $1.10.

Against the Spread (ATS)

WISCONSIN (-14.5, -106) should come in focused and with a legit chance at a spot in the Big Ten title game should Minnesota slip up in its battle for Floyd of Rosedale at Iowa, as well as its battle Nov. 30 in the Twin Cities vs. these Badgers.

Nebraska (+14.5, -115) shouldn’t offer up much resistance here. While Wisconsin’s 2-5 ATS mark in the past seven road games and 1-4 ATS mark in the past five Big Ten tilts is worrisome, let me quell your concerns. The Huskers are 0-6 ATS in the past six league games and 0-5 ATS in the past five vs. winning sides.

Over/Under (O/U)

The total (50.5) is going to be a close shave, and I really have no lean one way or the other. Wisconsin can pile up the points, but its strength is on the ground which tends to lead to Under results. The Under is 5-1 in the Badgers past six on the road, but the Over is 13-5-1 in the Cornhuskers past 19 inside the Big Ten.

Get some action on this game or others, place a bet with BetMGM today. And for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Notre Dame Hockey: Eight Game Unbeaten Streak Snapped

Reigning Big Ten “Third Star of the Week” Cale Morris made 32 saves on 34 shot attempts but the Irish were unable to light the lamp all night while allowing two power play goals to the Badgers.

For the first time this season in Big Ten play the No. 3/4 Notre Dame hockey team fell in regulation and failed to pick up a point as No. 15 Wisconsin bested them 3-0 Friday night in Madison, Wisconsin.

Reigning Big Ten “Third Star of the Week” Cale Morris made 32 saves on 34 shot attempts but the Irish were unable to light the lamp all night while allowing two power play goals to the Badgers.

The Irish went 0-for-1 on the power play while Daniel Lebedoff stopped all 22 shots the Irish put on net Friday night, securing the shutout for Wisconsin.

Notre Dame goes for the series split Saturday night in Madison as the puck drops again at 8 p.m. E.T.

Is A Recently Fired Head Coach Bound for Michigan?

Well, it appears a certain, recently fired head college football coach may be headed to Ann Arbor for employment soon.

Notre Dame won’t be playing Michigan in football for the next dozen or so years assuming the stars don’t align the two don’t meet in a bowl game before the series resumes in the 2030’s.

But we tend to keep a watchful eye on what’s happening up north with a rival, whether they’re on the schedule or not.

Well, it appears a certain, recently fired head college football coach may be headed to Ann Arbor for employment soon.

It’s easy to piece this one together.

Willie Taggart was the starting quarterback at Western Kentucky long before soaring up the collegiate coaching ranks.

Jim Harbaugh and his father Jack helped recruit Taggart to WKU. Eventually Jim took the job at Stanford where Taggart would become an assistant coach before Taggart would go-on to South Florida, Oregon and eventually Florida State before being fired a couple short weeks ago.

Clearly nothing is official at this point but it’s college football which means if there is smoke, there is probably fire. If you’re into coaching changes and assistant coaching searches, keep an eye out for Taggart to find employment at Michigan before long.

Ohio State vs. Rutgers: How and where to watch and listen to the game Saturday

Ohio State is looking to lay waste to another Big Ten opponent, Rutgers. Here’s how you can watch, stream, or listen to the game Saturday.

Okay, It’s off to the next challenge that probably won’t be much of one. After administering a public flogging against Maryland last week at home, Ohio State travels to the garden state to take on a Rutgers team that is having a worse year than a Donald Trump phone conversation.

The Buckeyes are favored by a gazillion or something like that, and this one doesn’t figure to be close for very long. But, they must play the game as they say, so we know you’ll be watching. As will we.

On that note, in case you need to know where to watch, stream, listen, or catch the smoke signals from the game against the Scarlet Knights, we got all the information you need on the next page.

Let’s keep it going.

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Next … television, radio, streaming, game time, and venue

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Big Ten and big game NCAA Football 2019 Expert Picks And Predictions For Week 12

Another week, another round of our staff picking against the odds and straight up for all the Big Ten football and big national games.

The college football calendar is turning ever so quickly, and conference games are now going to determine everything in the Big Ten and around the country. We now have true contenders, those positioning for bowl games, and those teams looking to play spoiler.

As normal, we’re predicting every Big Ten game for the week straight-up and against the spread, but since the slate is lighter with conference play being in full swing towards the end of the season, we’ll do the same for the six games deemed to be the biggest nationally each week. We’re the judge and jury on that one.

A a reminder, if there’s an *next to the pick, that means the team will win, but not cover. Also, we get our odds from BetMGM.

INSTRUCTIONS: Make your pick against the spread. For example …
– If you think Ohio State will win -3.5 over Michigan: OSU
– If you think Ohio State will win outright: OSU
– If you think Ohio State will win, but NOT cover: OSU*
– If there’s a tie, George Washington settles it via the ‘ole quarter coin-flip.

Here we go for week twelve, but first, the standings that will be updated each week after all the games. Onward we go. Just keep picking, just keep picking …

RESULTS SO FAR

@PhilHarrisonBW: 101-31 SU, 57-75 ATS
@yesh222: 99-33 SU, 73-59 ATS
@MarkRussell1975: 104-28 SU, 81-51 ATS
@BrentReeves: 99-33 SU, 73-59 ATS
@SirBrockNetter: 101-31 SU, 64-68 ATS
@JaxFryburger: 101-31 SU, 70-62 ATS
CONSENSUS PICK: 102-30 SU, 75-57 ATS

First up … Big Ten early games

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