Who’s No. 3 in the Big Ten? This week it looks like Wisconsin after the Badgers’ 48-12 pounding of Minnesota.
It’s not Iowa, which still can’t figure out how to cover 6-foot-7-inch James Hardy of Indiana.
Hardy caught three touchdown passes in the Hoosiers’ 31-28 upset of the Hawkeyes. As IU coach Terry Hoeppner has said, “You can’t coach height.”
Wisconsin seems to have found an offense to go with its pretty salty defense. Freshman P.J. Hill has that Ron Dayne look and has been running over and around tacklers. Hill has taken the pressure off senior quarterback John Stocco.
First-year coach Bret Bielema might be looking at an 11-1 season. Games at Purdue and Iowa may be problematic, but Wisconsin could improve every week.
How big was last week’s overtime loss to Penn State for Minnesota?
With a 2-5 overall record and games against Ohio State and Iowa coming up, it could get ugly for the Gophers.
Next week there is more danger for Glen Mason’s team, when Division I-AA power North Dakota visits the Metrodome. Michigan State coach John L. Smith is trying to stay upbeat despite his team’s four-game losing streak.
The 3-4, 0-3 Spartans, who were routed by Ohio State on Saturday, do have some winnable games left on their schedule. MSU plays at Northwestern and at Indiana, followed by home games with Purdue and Minnesota before its finale at Penn State.
Michigan State likely still needs a winning record for there to be a fifth year of the John L. Smith era.
