Pickin' on the Big Ten: Jim Tressel Needs Love

Jim Tressel has never been proclaimed as Big Ten Coach of the Year. Perhaps that isn't such a big deal when you consider that both John L. Smith and Ron Zook have won that particular honor, but still, it surprises me that the man whose team has dominated the conference for the better part of a decade has never been anointed as its most outstanding coach.

Tressel would probably tell you Kirk Ferentz totally deserved this year's award, which puts the trophy count at Ferentz 3, Tressel 0. No offense, coach, but you're wrong.

Five Big Ten teams finished the season with at least eight wins overall. Ohio State was one of them. It beat three of the other four (Iowa, Penn State, and Wisconsin) but didn't play the fifth, Northwestern. This happened in a year when Tressel's team was significantly less experienced and arguably less talented than usual. For most of the season Terrelle Pryor was the Buckeyes' only offensive playmaker, for instance.

That still wasn't enough to get Tressel over the hump. Maybe he has to pay for all the BCS disasters. Maybe his string of ten-win seasons is nothing more than what we all expect Ohio State to do every year. Maybe he just isn't flashy enough to draw attention to himself, though that hardly explains why the equally mellow Ferentz has won it three times. And maybe the writers who vote on these things are just bored by and with the Buckeyes. Who knows?

All I know is, if ever there was a season when Tressel should have won the award, this is it. What else does the guy have to do?

Right. The games.

Wisconsin at Hawaii

Saturday's forecast for Madison and environs calls for partly sunny skies and a high around 33 with a stiff south wind. This has absolutely no bearing on the game, but you can rest assured that you'll get a Wisconsin weather report at some point during the broadcast, along with the mandatory lame comment about how the Badgers are sure glad to be in Honolulu instead of Madison. I guess Hawaii is only tolerable when the weather back home isn't. And besides, some of us like winter.

You haven't heard boo about Hawaii since WAC Media Day, when coach Greg McMackin momentarily forgot who he was talking to about last season's Hawaii Bowl. The Warriors are 6-6 and need a victory over the Badgers to earn the right to play a seventh home game in the aforementioned Hawaii Bowl. The Warriors beat Navy last weekend, so I suppose a Hawaii win is not totally out of the question. The Warrior defense, however, argues against any possible success. They're giving up almost 400 yards per game, equally split between rushing and passing yardage. That means they don't defend the run particularly well. This is not a good omen for a team playing Wisconsin. Wisconsin 38, Hawaii 21.

Fresno State @ Illinois

Man, it's a WACky weekend in Big Ten country.

The Fresno State Bulldogs are a couple years removed from their status as college football's Next Big Thing, and it shows. Pat Hill has gone from a coach whose name was connected to many top job openings to a coach who seemingly needs to worry about keeping his current job.

That's a bit unfair, of course. Hill has been the best thing ever to happen to Fresno State football. If he can't keep pace with Boise State, well, neither can anyone else in the WAC. He's certainly still scoring points with the best of them; Fresno State has put up at least 30 points in eight games this season.

So how does that match them up against Illinois?

You couldn't blame the 3-8 Illini for just wanting this miserable season to end. It's hard to believe that Ron Zook's team is only two years removed from the Rose Bowl. While the university has publicly proclaimed that the Zooker will be back next season, the assistants can't be so sure. (Here's a tip for their replacements: Rent.)

This will be Juice Williams' final game for the Illini, and the tally of what Zook got out of his most prized recruit is pretty slim. One good season, and a timely upset of Ohio State. That's about it. Can Juice at least end his college career (if not his football career) as a winner?

I strongly doubt it. It's cold comfort, but at least it won't be his fault. In four years, Juice Williams hasn't played a single snap of defense. This season, neither have the rest of the Illini. This game should be an entertaining shootout, but I can't seriously say that Illinois is going to win this game. Fresno State 44, Illinois 37.