Big Ten Harvest: Not So Friendly Confines

So now that it's over and everyone survived, what needs to be said about the Big Ten's experiment at Wrigley Field? First of all, credit to Pete Fiutak at College Football News for noting that we should have expected this from a conference whose very name is a mathematical misnomer.

Was this the first publicity stunt that was ladled with an extra dollop of publicity stunt? I doubt this is how it actually went down, but imagine if the Big Ten knew what it was doing all along? Imagine if the plan from the beginning was to play a "Westbound and Downs" game but not to announce it until just a day prior to the game?

You know what I'd call that? Marketing genius!

As Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune, a Northwestern alum whose beat is the Wildcats (imagine ... covering your alma mater), wrote that last Friday, "Well, if any football fans in America didn't already know about Saturday's game, they surely do now."

Certainly, the "Losers Walk Classic" invited bizarre changes in routine. The obvious example is that referees had to re-spot the football after each change of possession and yet, not after the first and third quarters. A less obvious example: Since Illinois and Northwestern shared the same sideline, the two teams switched what side of the 50 they were situated on after halftime. Another: Choosing which end zone to defend during the coin toss became a moot topic.

As a one-time gimmick, I'm with Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald: "It's football. Let's go."

Still, it says something about the decision-makers and the decision-making process at Big Ten headquarters that it took as long as it did for anyone to recognize, or at least acknowledge, that the back of the east end zone was located precariously close to the right field wall. After all, college football players are not Wile E. Coyote: they do not run full-speed into walls and simply rise after a second or two of anger and embarrassment.

Seriously, though, how did it ever get to be an 11th-hour decision? Either somewhere along the line someone with a better office hushed someone working out of a cubicle who pointed out the flaw (because too much cash had already been invested in the project) or, worse, no one who was in charge of the Wrigleyville Classic even noticed something that any Pop Warner junior peewee player would have.

Iniquity or incompetence? Call it in the air, commissioner Jim Delany.

Stock Watch

Up Mikel Leshoure (like Netflix stock hot), Michigan State's chances of spending New Year's Eve in Florida (but not Miami), freshman cornerback Ricardo Allen of Purdue, Terrelle Pryor's place in Buckeye lore, Penn State's place in academia (three players named as Academic All-Americans -- this is what happens when your coach makes $4 million in donations to the library)

Down Northwestern's defense, Michigan State's chances of playing in a BCS bowl, Iowa's grit, Denard Robinson's Heisman chances (eventually, you have to win a game versus a ranked opponent).

Quick Hitters

Illinois Forget Leshoure's school-record 330 yards rushing. All right, do not forget them, but put them aside for the moment. Here's another double-take number: Illini are averaging nearly 47 points per game in their past five games, two of which were losses. Next up, bye week.

Indiana The Hoosiers, last in the conference in scoring defense (34.27 points allowed) will meet Purdue, which is last in conference in scoring offense (18.64), for Old Oaken Bucket. This year's matchup pales in comparison to aura of the pail. Yeah, that was awful. Next up, at Purdue.

Iowa The Hawkeyes have shut out Minnesota the last two times they've met, 55-0 in Minneapolis in 2008 and 12-0 last November in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes pulled the trick once before (in 1955-56) and the GoGos have done so once before as well (1966-67), but neither squad has ever recorded three consecutive shutouts since they began competing for Floyd of Rosedale in 1935. Next up, at Minnesota.

Michigan It probably will not come down to this on Saturday at the Horseshoe, but Wolverine kicker Seth Broekhuizen is just three of nine on field goal attempts this season. Next up, at No. 8 Ohio State.

Michigan State The Spartans are 0-8 in State College since the Nittany Lions joined the Big Ten. Average margin of defeat: 23 points. Next up, at Penn State.

Minnesota They're calling for a high of 18 degrees in the Twin Cities on Thanksgiving Day, but may get all the way up to 31 for Saturday's al fresco Floyd of Rosedale contest. As for GoGo points, we're calling for a high of 13. Next up, No. 24 Iowa.

Northwestern If the Illini were able to rush for 519 yards against the Wildcats (330 of them via LeShoure), what can we expect when the Purple People must contend with the Badgers' massive O-line and stable of 100-yard rushers? Next up, at No. 5 Wisconsin.

Ohio State The Buckeyes have won six straight versus the Wolverines, and have not lost to "that school up north" in Columbus since a 38-26 defeat in 2000. Next up, Michigan.

Penn State Senior guard Stefen Wisniewski becomes the first three-time Academic All-American in school history. That Wisniewski, who owns a 3.91 GPA and will graduate in December with a degree in secondary education, also happens to be Penn State's best player is a bonus. Next up, No. 11 Michigan State.

Purdue True freshman cornerback Ricardo Allen has a pick-six in each of the CarBombs' past two games. The former, versus Michigan, was a 94-yarder and the latter, at Michigan State, went for 35 yards. Allen also had 16 tackles in those two games, both Purdue losses. Also, Ryan Kerrigan is 1.5 sacks away from tying Roosevelt Colvin's career record of 35 at Purdue. Next up, Indiana.

Wisconsin Junior defensive end J.J. Watt is now eighth in the nation in tackles for loss with 18 (Purdue's Kerrigan is No. 1 with 25). In a conference loaded with NFL-bound DE's (Kerrigan, Iowa's Adrian Clayborn, Ohio State's Cameron Heyward, Northwestern's Vince Brown, etc.), Watt has played himself into first-team All-Big Ten status. Next up, Northwestern.