The Iowa running has surged to the top of my Big Ten player rankings. The star sophomore has rattled off four straight 100-yard, two-touchdown rushing games (121, 2 vs. Northwestern; 138, 2 vs. Indiana; 252, 2 vs. Minnesota; 132, 2 vs. Michigan). He literally carried Iowa to victory on Saturday over Michigan, pushing him to a Big Ten-leading 1,101 yards rushing (122.3 ypg). The 230-pound Marcus Coker just may carry the Hawkeyes all the way to the Legends Division title. See Tom’s full top 25 list in this post.
Lots of interesting storylines and angles to watch in Week 11, as the divisional chases firm up—at least a little. Two games will go a long way toward determining who wins each division: Michigan State at Iowa is a big Legends clash, while Nebraska at Penn State is a major Leaders encounter. But there also are other intriguing matchups this Saturday.
In Week 11 of the Big Ten football season we’re adding the audio from the weekly Big Ten Conference coaches teleconference with reporters as we do each and every week. And @B1Gfootball spotlights a tweet or three from each coach on the call live on Twitter. Note: Penn State’s Joe Paterno did not take part in the weekly call this week.
This week is highlighted by two huge games, one in each division. The top game is Michigan State’s visit to Iowa, which is 6-0 at home and playing well. A loss by the Spartans—the only team in the division with just one division defeat–would further scramble the Legends Division race. In the Leaders Division, all eyes will be on Nebraska’s visit to Penn State, the only team in the division that controls its destiny. Following is a sneak peek at this week’s games. Note: Indiana is off this week.
Our Men’s Basketball Season Preview: 2011-2012 aired Monday night, and you can watch all the video clips right here. You can find the women’s preview clips here. We’re also tracking all the Big Ten exhibition action before the ball tips for real Friday night. Have you heard the Big Ten Geeks are back with us for another season? Our two Geeks bloggers, Josh Reed and Michael Portscheller, will post their usual statistical brilliance all season long. Check out their first Big Ten team preview: Penn State.
