The Final Score - Your source for Big Ten Sports

Monday Morning QB ...
Well, we're another week closer to the game we all want to see - unbeaten and number one Ohio State against unbeaten and number two Michigan to see who reps our great conference in the national title game. Every year, all the talk is about the SEC being the cream of the crop. Every year I counter with the question, why not us? Folks, the Big Ten is good. Really good. I saw Ohio State in person this past weekend. They are good - REAL good. No, make that fantastic. You can have your SEC, ACC, Big 12 and PAC 10 ... the Big Ten is the best conference around.

Not only for how the teams play on the field, but for how they act on the field as well. When is the last time you saw a disgusting display of thug, punk street fighting on a football field in the Big Ten? In case you missed it, that happened over the weekend in, surprise, surprise, the Orange Bowl, home of the king thug program of the them all, Miami-FLA.

I understand that things get chippy sometimes and that words may be said that fuel spats, but ladies and gentlemen, this was a full out alley battle. It was sick, it was disgusting, it was everything that is wrong with sports today. And what is the penalty? 31 kids get a ONE GAME suspension? Are you kidding me? Dick Vitale had it right this morning on ESPN Radio - these kids should never, ever be allowed to suit up in division one again. And it goes for both teams - Miami and Florida International. Stomping on the back of legs of players on the ground? Swinging helmets as weapons at players? Miami's own color commentator and former player Lamar Thomas was even spewing trash from the booth about how "no one comes into the OB and treats the U like this." Memo to his boss - that guy should be fired, NOW.

Memo to both programs - do the right thing and cancel the rest of your games this year. Neither of you deserve to play again this fall. For the Hurricanes, this is just a continuation of the unruly nature that has followed the team for years. In reality, this will just be a good excuse for Miami to fire Larry Coker but it has been this way long before he arrived. Remember, this is the same team that stomped on the "L" at Louisville this year (before getting pounded by the Cardinals) and fought with LSU after getting whipped in the Peach Bowl last winter. I could go on and on.

Bottom line, end the seasons now. Send a message. Do it the right way or expect more of this trash in the future. And by the way, when you end the seasons, send each of the main culprits out all over America to explain to kids that this is not the way sports are to be played. What I saw was criminal and it needs to be dealt with severely, harshly and NOW.

Team of the Week ...
On a lighter note, how 'bout those Hoosiers? When I saw that score flashed on the board in East Lansing I nearly fell out of the upper deck. So much for my pick to win the Big Ten (Iowa). Way to go Hoosiers. And just think, if you could have beaten two teams you should have - Southern Illinois and UConn, you'd already have a bowl berth locked up!

Player of the Week ...
Curtis Painter of Purdue was absolutely unstoppable this weekend. And, don't look now but Purdue is staying in this race. A big battle with Wisconsin looms, and the Basketball on Grass style that endeared Joe Tiller to the gold and black faithful is back just in time.

Get Gamm ...
Another repeat winner this week. Dan Meyer notched win number two by beating out two others who were also within three points of the final margin in the Michigan - Penn State contest by having a closer total score. For the week, six went 4-2 (best record for the week).

1 - mayo170: 47-11 (.810)
T2 - Buckeye Nation: 46-12 (.793), 3 GG Wins
T2 - Dan Meyer: 46-12 (.793), 2 GG Wins
T2 - phatsdawg: 46-12 (.793)
T2 - andrewj1313: 46-12 (.793)
6 - flakcat: 45-13 (.776)
7 - Gamm: 44-14 (.759), 1 GG Win
8 - BigTenSportsFan: 42-16 (.724), 1 GG Win
* - PUFan: 25-11 (.694)
* - Aaron Roberts: 23-5 (.821)

* = not eligible for final season prize

This week's schedule ...
Illinois at Penn State
Michigan State at Northwestern
Wisconsin at Purdue
Indiana at Ohio State
North Dakota State at Minnesota
Iowa at Michigan (Tiebreaker)