The Ohio State Buckeyes need a win at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday if they are to have any hope of making it to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl.
Hawkeyes looking for payback Ohio State ended Iowa’s hopes of claiming the Big Ten title in 2009 with an overtime win at the Horseshoe. The Hawkeyes, barring a string of freak results, are all but of the running in 2010 but they would love to spoil the Buckeyes’ party. A loss to Northwestern last week would seem to spell doom for Iowa but don’t rule out the Hawkeyes just yet.
Ohio State have yet to set the world alight in Big Ten play. Aside from a couple of easy wins over Minnesota and Purdue, two of the worst teams in the conference, the Buckeyes haven’t looked all that explosive on offense. This could prove a problem when up against Iowa’s fearsome defense. The Hawkeyes have shown a tendency in recent years to rebound from defeats with merciless responses against their next big opponents. Just ask Michigan State, victims of a 37-6 shellacking the week after Iowa lost to Wisconsin.
The Buckeyes are good enough to avoid that kind of beating but, remarkably for a one-loss team, they lack the consistency necessary to win this game. The Hawkeyes will force errors and win this game. Bet on the Iowa Hawkeyes to pull the upset with Sports Interaction.
Old school Football for an ancient rivalry Yankee Stadium was for many years the home of the rivalry between Notre Dame and Army. It’s only fitting that the new version of the ballpark gets a chance to host these two programs. The Black Knights are seeking their first win over the Fighting Irish since 1958. Having secured bowl-eligibility last week against Kent State, Army could scupper Notre Dame’s hopes of going bowling with a win on Saturday.
The Fighting Irish enter the game with a 5-5 record but recorded their best result of the year last Saturday, a 28-3 win over Utah. Whereas the Utes were known for their passing game, Notre Dame will have to battle an all-out running attack from Army on Saturday. The Black Knights have the #120 passing attack, last in the nation, but the #8 rushing offense. Army’s approach is similar to Navy’s; keep running until the other guy falls over. While Brian Kelly managed to raise his troops last week, I don’t like their chances of containing the Black Knights’ Trent Steelman or Jared Hassein. Bet on Army to quite literally record an upset for the ages with Sports Interaction.
