Week 10 Notes and Predictions

College rivalries I understand...more so than most actually. Rivalry trophies I also understand...to a point. There is something celebratory about winning that Little Brown Jug, even poetic maybe. However, it's not what I would call an "eye-opening piece." Every storied rivalry in college football carries with it some sort of hardware and the Michigan-Minnesota version is no different.

The current line is Michigan over Minnesota by 12 points...and that's uncomfortably high. Michigan has not scored a touchdown in their past two games, having to settle for 7 field goals instead. A lot of the lack of production does fall on Denard Robinson's shoulders, and even a bit more on the running backs for Michigan. So, without further ado, here's my picks for Week 10:

Michigan at Minnesota--Denard will be able to start, but Devin Gardner has also received more QB snaps at practice this week than normal. What I'm really concerned about is the fact that Toussaint seems to be unable to break out of his slump, and Rawls hasn't gotten a single touch in the past two games. Michigan hasn't been great on the road this year, but that'll change with this game. Winner: Michigan

Nebraska at Michigan State--MSU is out for revenge from last year when they lost in Lincoln 24-3. Now the Cornhuskers are traveling to East Lansing for the first time since 1995, and not only will the Spartans try to avoid their first 3-game losing streak at home since 2006, but the Huskers need their 3rd straight victory to stay alive in the hunt for the division title. However, the Spartan offense is still atrocious, and seem incapable of finding a weakness in any defense. This will be Michigan State's defense vs. Nebraska's offense, and I'm going with the hotter hand. Winner: Michigan State

Illinois at Ohio State --Meyer said something in his press conference on Thursday about how Ohio State and Illinois are "evenly matched up in terms of talent"..and I must say--NO, no you are not. The Buckeyes are vastly ahead of Illinois in every phase of the game, and that's saying a lot considering their defense isn't all that spectacular. Last year was a close game with a Buckeye 17-7 victory. Don't expect that again this season. Winner: Ohio State

Penn State at Purdue--I would say Purdue needs to win this game in order to contend, but since they're 0-4 in Big Ten play I can't. This week won't be any easier against a Penn State squad that is probably steaming from losing to Ohio State. So, even though Wisconsin is off this week, they still win. Winner: Penn State

Iowa at Indiana--It appears as though every time I pick Indiana to win a game, it doesn't happen. Maybe it's my optimism that Kevin Wilson will win a key game once in a while. Then I'm faced with choosing Iowa--who beat Michigan State earlier in the season but also lost to Central Michigan. Despite Iowa having slightly a better record than Indiana, I do think it'll be a good game. Winner: Iowa

• Even though Penn State is having a better season than most of us thought, it was announced on Thursday that ex-President Graham Spanier was charged with perjury, obstruction, endangering the welfare of children, failure to properly report suspected abuse and conspiracy. Ex-athletic director Tim Curley and Gary Schultz were also charged. I do comprehend the magnitude of the bad decisions, poor judgment, and failure to atone for mistakes that all these men have made, and yet at the same time I want it to fade into the past. 
• Jerry Sandusky was also transferred to a facility in southwestern Pennsylvania that is used to house most of the state's death row inmates. Protective custody or not, I don't think he should be there. Too much alone time from other inmates who might have a go at him.
• I'm not sure what it is about star players at Michigan, but just like the Toussaint incident at the beginning of the season, Trey Burke is suspended for the basketball season opener against Northern Michigan. I don't think it's for the same reason that Fitz was suspended for, and I also don't know if or when the reason will be available to the general public, but I am curious as to what happened.
• As some or most of you may know by now, the Winter Classic between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs that was to be played in the Big House on January 1st has been cancelled. This is directly due to the NHL lockout, and was supposed to generate 75-80 million dollars worth in the Detroit/Ann Arbor community. The league had said that it would return to the Big House next season; however I do wonder what that will due directly to the revenue the Big House and the football program usually provide. It was already going to be lower this year than normal with having only 6 home games and Dave Brandon needs 7-8 games in order to fully fund the program.