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Schuttin’ from the hip: Once thought to be Iowa’s division, the race in the B1G West is a beautiful mess
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Each week, Saturday Tradition managing editor Dustin Schutte offers his spin on what matters most in the B1G.
What a beautiful mess in the B1G West
The mystery of the B1G West was solved just 3 weeks ago. Iowa was skipping down the yellow brick road that led to Indianapolis while Wisconsin was left motionless after being crushed by a two-story home plummeting from the sky.
A lot has transpired over the course of 3 weeks.
Purdue trumped Iowa 24-7 at Kinnick Stadium on Oct. 16, handing the Hawkeyes their first loss. That victory prompted ESPN College GameDay host Rece Davis to proclaim the Boilermakers would be the ones in Indianapolis for the B1G Championship Game in early December.
Davis’ prediction lasted approximately 7 hours. Wisconsin essentially shut the door on Purdue’s division hopes with a 30-13 victory in West Lafayette. That win was the latest in a 3-game streak, lifting the Badgers above .500 for the first time this season and back in the mix for a B1G West title.
Written off a few weeks ago was Minnesota, which suffered an inexcusable 14-10 loss to Bowling Green. But the Gophers have responded since then, quietly ripping off 3 straight victories and improving to 5-2 on the year with a chance to make a run at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The most fun part? All 3 members involved of this “Triangle of Hate” still have to play one another.
Simply put, the B1G West race is going to be decided by some livestock trophies and the ax of a fictional lumberjack. Do you really want it determined any other way?
Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota all control their fate with 5 weeks remaining in the regular season. That’s not really too shocking with a month left, but it feels almost incomprehensible given the circumstances earlier this month.
The Hawkeyes were 6-0 with 3 wins over Top 20 teams. Everything appeared to be collapsing in Madison after a 1-3 start for the Badgers. At 2-2 with such a hideous loss to a MAC program, nobody gave the Golden Gophers a chance.
To quote Diamond Rio, “What a beautiful mess.”
Episode 1 of this bi-weekly 3-part series airs on Saturday with Iowa traveling to Wisconsin. To the winner goes the Heartland Trophy (a brass bull) and the upper hand in this 3-team race.
The second installment comes on Nov. 13 when Minnesota hits the road to play the Hawkeyes in Kinnick Stadium for Floyd of Rosedale (a bronze hog). The season finale is scheduled for Nov. 27, as the Golden Gophers host the Badgers in the battle for Paul Bunyan’s Ax.
Just a few weeks ago, the script was written. These 3 matchups were virtually meaningless trophy games in a division that was going to be saved of any surprise endings. Now, they’re going to play a vital role in determining who gets to play for a conference championship.
To the victors go the spoils. And the livestock. And the B1G West title.
For someone who hates distractions, James Franklin enjoys being one
When USC first made the decision to fire Clay Helton, the rumors involving James Franklin didn’t take long to surface. Linked to vacancies in the past, the Penn State head coach stated several times that he “hated distractions.”
Franklin never dismissed the notion that he’d leave Penn State for USC per se, but there was a sense that he was committed to the Nittany Lions. Maybe his reluctance to provide an emphatic statement was a power play in an effort to receive a larger salary pool for his assistant coaches and a commitment to facility upgrades from the Board of Directors.
A lot of coaches would probably react in a similar fashion.
Things appear to be taking a turn, though. And as much as Franklin repeatedly says he “hates distractions,” he certainly enjoys being one. At this point, it’s hard to ignore.
Wednesday night, during his media availability, Franklin reiterated that he’s “fiercely loyal” to Penn State, his players and the staff. It could’ve ended there, right? It didn’t.
Instead, Franklin followed with a, “But …”
Franklin: “I am fiercely loyal to Penn State, to these players, to this staff…but there’s a lot of moving parts.”
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) October 27, 2021
I’m not going to pretend like I know what Franklin is thinking. He might be the head coach at Penn State for the next 25 years. He might accept the job at USC, or somewhere else, within the next 25 days.
The main point is Franklin has had multiple opportunities to squash the rumors and quiet the distractions for the next 5 weeks. Hell, a few hours away, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin slammed reporters for even asking about the vacancy at USC.
“Never say never, but never,” Tomlin said in a press conference moment that went viral.
That’s how you eliminate the distractions you hate so much. Not by throwing a bunch of “ifs” and “buts” into the equation.
“Stick with us. It’ll turn.”
The past 4 games have been a test for the Rutgers faithful. Following a 3-0 start to the 2021 campaign, the Scarlet Knights have stumbled on hard times in the B1G.
Rutgers has dropped 4 straight contests to Michigan, Ohio State, Michigan State and Northwestern, getting outscored 124-46, or an average of 31-12 per game. It’s put a slight damper on the hopes that Greg Schiano could get the Scarlet Knights to bowl eligibility in his second season.
You know who hasn’t lost any faith, though? Schiano. During his weekly presser on Monday, the Rutgers head coach sent a message to fans ahead of the final 5 games of the season.
“We have the pen in our hand. We get to write the story. It’s up to us to do it,” Schiano said. “I ask that our fans stick with us. It’s coming. I know it can get frustrating. … The arrow on this program is up. We need our fans to stick with us. It’ll turn.”
Sensing that fans might be losing interest after 4 ugly losses, Schiano took it upon himself to reassure everyone that good things are happening, even if it’s not quite visible. And he’s right.
Even in some ugly losses, Rutgers looks much more competitive than at any point under Chris Ash. Plus, the Scarlet Knights just got done playing ranked opponents in 3 consecutive weeks before a long trip to Northwestern. This squad needed the idle week.
With 5 games to play, Rutgers needs 3 wins to reach the postseason. Remaining on the schedule are Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Penn State and Maryland. The hardest stretch of the year is behind the Scarlet Knights.
Schiano is right. Stick with this team down the stretch. Rutgers might just surprise you.
Quick draws
No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 8 Michigan State: Plenty of things to keep an eye on in this game, but that most interesting? Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara vs. Michigan State’s secondary. McNamara has thrown just 166 passes this season (119th nationally) but the Spartans’ secondary is the worst in the B1G, allowing over 285 yards per game through the air. The side that’s more successful in this aspect could be the winner.
No. 9 Iowa vs. Wisconsin: Turnovers are the name of the game, at least when it comes to the Heartland Trophy. Iowa is at a B1G-best +12 in turnover margin while Wisconsin sits at -8, worst in the conference. If the Hawkeyes can get back to getting takeaways, they’ll likely win this rivalry bout. If the Badgers can protect the football, they’re back at the top of the B1G West race.
Rutgers vs. Illinois: Can mentality be the biggest factor? What is Illinois’ mindset like after a thrilling 20-18 overtime win over a ranked Penn State team last week? How much did Rutgers from an off week after playing Michigan, Ohio State, Michigan State and Northwestern in consecutive weekends? Both teams need a win to keep bowl eligibility hopes alive.
Indiana vs. Maryland: The more trustworthy offense, despite its shortcoming recently, is Maryland’s. Taulia Tagovailoa is still a high-level quarterback and he has some good options in the passing attack with Rakim Jarrett, Darryl Jones and Brian Cobbs. Indiana’s offense has scored a grand total of 28 points in B1G play this season and is likely playing with third-string quarterback Donaven McCulley. The Hoosiers will probably need some defensive or special teams touchdowns to beat the Terrapins.
Minnesota vs. Northwestern: A pretty simplistic breakdown for this one. Minnesota can run the football with Bryce Williams, Mar’Keise “Bucko” Irving and Ky Thomas. Northwestern cannot stop anyone on the ground this season, ranking last in the B1G in rush defense. If the Wildcats can’t find a way to push through the Gophers’ big offensive line, this one might get out of hand.
Purdue vs. Nebraska: Inconsistency is a theme for Purdue-Nebraska. The Boilermakers have struggled offensively for a majority of the B1G season while special teams plays, turnovers and ill-time penalties continue to plague the Huskers. The very cliché analysis of this game is that the team with the fewest mistakes will get a much-needed win. The mobility and health of Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez will also be a factor.
No. 20 Penn State vs. No. 8 Ohio State: Penn State’s red zone defense is the best in the B1G. Ohio State’s red zone offense is the best in the B1G. That’s definitely a talking point heading into this game. But even if the Nittany Lions answer the call for most of the night, can they muster enough offense to challenge the Buckeyes? Unless Penn State has found some magical way to suddenly run the football, it’s probably not going to happen.
Safety
No. 9 Iowa vs. Wisconsin (O/U 36.5)
This is your great-grandfathers’ B1G football over/under total.
Is this really a “safety?” Absolutely not. But we’re not going to get a 36.5-point over/under and not talk about it. We’re also not going to take the over. You couldn’t live with yourself if you take the over.
Point totals in each of Wisconsin’s last 3 games finished with a total of 34 points or less. Iowa’s last game (a loss to Purdue) hit just 31 on the scoreboard. Considering how well post defenses are playing this year, hammering the under feels like a fairly safe play.
The biggest question about this Iowa-Wisconsin clash? Will there be more punts than points?
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB