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College Teams Mon Oct 31 2011
Big Ten Football: Home Sweet Home
Entering Week 9, nobody in the Big Ten was flying quite as high as No. 11 Michigan State (6-2, 3-1 Big Ten). The Spartans were coming off consecutive wins against Ohio State, Michigan, and Wisconsin, and carried the momentum of a Hail Mary touchdown with them into Lincoln, Neb., for an opportunity to assert their reign atop the conference.
But No. 14 Nebraska (7-1, 3-1) had other plans, and they swiftly dismantled a listless Spartans squad, 24-3.
State quarterback Kirk Cousins looked lost against a prolific Cornhuskers secondary, completing 11 of 27 throws for just 86 and an interception. Nebraska's Taylor Martinez didn't fair much better, compiling 80 yards, a touchdown and an interception on 7-of-13 passing.
The difference statistically was Huskers back Rex Burkhead, who racked up 130 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, but the patterns emerging in the Big Ten suggest there may be something bigger going on.
This season, home field has proven to be a much more reliable indicator of on-field play than any other scouting measure. Home teams have a combined record of 18-8 in conference play; but if you subtract home losses for the conference low-lifes Northwestern, Indiana, and Minnesota, there have only been two significant home losses (Ohio State to Michigan State in Week 5 and Illinois to Ohio State in Week 7).
Across the board, road teams have looked like shells of themselves at home. Compare how well Nebraska played against Michigan State with how they fared in Madison, Wis.; or how dominant Wisconsin was against Nebraska with how timid they played in East Lansing, Mich.; or how spirited the Spartans were against the Badgers with how unmotivated they seemed at Nebraska.
How else could you explain this week's showing by Iowa (5-3, 2-2) in Minnesota (2-6, 1-3)? The Hawkeyes were all set to share a four-way tie atop the Legends Division before they dropped an embarrassing loss to the Gophers, 24-22.
The No. 15 Badgers (6-2, 2-2) suffered a similar fate. Losing to Ohio State (5-3, 2-2) by a close margin of 33-29 is nothing to be embarrassed about, but it marks the second week in a row that Wisconsin lost games on the road, and it's deflated what was once an outside chance at the BCS Championship Game turn into a vulnerable position of needing help just to reach the Big Ten Championship Game.
Wisconsin and Ohio State are now in a three-way tie with Purdue (4-4, 2-2) for second place in the Leaders Division, and trail Penn State (8-1, 5-0) by two and a half games after the Nittany Lions barely held off Illinois (6-3, 2-3) at home Saturday, 10-7.
Penn State still has games against Nebraska and on the road against both Ohio State and Wisconsin to contend with. And despite having the least favorable draw after losing the head-to-head tiebreaker to the Buckeyes, if things pan out as the home/road splits would predict, the Badgers would actually secure the Leaders Division in a tiebreaker with Penn State.
But we've learned enough not to look that far ahead. Both of the Big Ten's two subdivisions feature races of four teams all within two games of each other, and the next four weeks are going to be awfully exciting as they all beat up on each other.
Both of these teams are involved in a tie for first place, though in opposite divisions. Purdue has looked awfully impressive lately, but all of a sudden Michigan (7-1, 3-1) looks more impressive than anyone.
