The Final Score - Your source for Big Ten Sports

Hail yes!
Sorry for the delay this week... recovering from an amazing college football game in East Lansing last Saturday, and traveling for work.  But before I hit the road for home Wednesday am, I thought I'd better check in.  After all, what a weekend it was.

The Hail Mary will be what is most remembered, but let me tell you, the MSU - Wisconsin game was a classic college football game.  Big plays.  Comebacks.  Momentum shifts galore.  Two heavy weights going toe to toe to the finish.  Maybe we'll get lucky and get a reprieve in Indy that first weekend in December.  Then again, the encores are rarely ever as good...

The good...
The instant classic in E.L.  I want to watch it over and over.  It was - and I've seen some classics in Spartan Stadium - the best to date and will be hard to surpass.  Michigan State.  The defense forced rare UW turnovers.  The offense was efficient.  Special teams turned the tide.  Total team effort.  Wisconsin.  I can't put them in the other categories.  They were as advertised and still have to be the favorite in the Leaders Division.  Penn State.  Smoke and mirrors or not, the Nits keep getting it done.  Now that maybe they've settled on a QB, they can survive the upcoming schedule and sneak into the title game.  Purdue.  Finally, the Boilers are rewarded for playing a good game.  PU may never be a steady threat to win the title, but despite a spate of injuries, Danny Hope has this team poised to make a bowl.  Iowa and Nebraska get to be here too but they virtually had BYE weeks so no comment.

The bad...
Northwestern.  The Wildcats should not be 2-5.  The season is slipping away and the chances are very good that NU stays home for the holidays.

The ugly...
Illinois.  Hmmm, funny how not playing anyone early can bite you late.  Illinois is stagnant and predictable on offense and the defense isn't bailing out the O at the same rate.  So much for that amazing start.  Indiana and Minnesota.  I can't pick on them any more than placing them here. It's bad.  Real bad.

Get Gamm...
We had two go 4-1 but since Mayo picked the MSU win, he gets the nod over Dan.  Dan gets to move to the top of the standings now that he's picked enough games for the stats to even out.

This week...
Michigan State at Nebraska (Game of the Week)
Northwestern at Indiana
Purdue at Michigan
Illinois at Penn State
Iowa at Minnesota
Wisconsin at Ohio State