Oh my my my already entering Week 7 of the college football season folks.  It's been a roller coaster season with plenty of ups and downs, although the top competition has been consistently steady so far this year.  Specifically speaking about Big Ten play when looking at Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Northwestern their path thus far has been right on cue with our preseason predictions.  Michigan has been one of the better surprise teams in the league while Nebraska and Michigan State have had trouble living up to their top 25 preseason billing.  As we enter the thick of the season many teams are enjoying their well needed week of rest which gives us ample time to dissect the four match ups in the Big Ten as we continue in conference play. 

First Down

Nebraska at Purdue

I'm not going to sugar coat it; Purdue is the worst team in the conference.  First year head coach Darrell Hazell might be pondering what he got himself into late at night over a bottle of scotch and his playbook.  With the way the season has gone so far he may be pondering what he got himself into during the Boilmakers games over whatever he has left in that same bottle of booze.  Hazell deserves credit for keeping his team motivated during their dry spell by keeping the competition fresh throughout the week by letting his players know when they struggle like they have no ones starting job is safe.  They've already pulled the plug on Rob Henry who came into the season as the starter for freshman Danny Etling who has been inconsistent as well.  Etling started his first carer game last week against Northern Illinois as they got trounced 55-24.  Coaches can't blame their freshman quarterback for giving up 55 points but they do hope he can show signs of being the leader and future man under center in the future.  Nebraska comes into the game ranked 8th in the nation in rushing and will continue that trend against Purdue.  With Ameer Abdullah averaging 7.3 yards per carry and "backup" Imani Cross averaging 6.1 there is no reason to think they won't give the Boilmakers a heavy dose of both.  Still no word on Taylor Martinez is healthy enough to return from injury come Saturday.  If he can't go freshman Tommy Armstrong will have his laces tied tight as he has looked every bit the part of the next dual threat Cornhusker quarterback when his number has been called with three touchdowns and zero interceptions.  Look for Nebraska to treat this game as a intense warm up and confidence booster as they try to leap back into the top 25 poll.

Second Down

Indiana at Michigan State

Last time the Spartans put on an impressive offense performance it had looked like they had found their quarterback they needed to help manage games.  Not before I had a chance to write an overly optimistic article about them, their following two games were some of the worst football we've seen this year by any offensive unit.  So before I have a chance to bite my own tongue again I will just lay out last week's facts.  Connor Cook went 25-44 and threw for 277 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.  Cook now has seven touchdowns and just one pick on the year since he has taken over as starting quarterback just a couple weeks ago.  The biggest takeaway I can give you if you're not familiar with Michigan State is that they have an outstanding defense.  In fact one can't think about the movie "300" when thinking about the real Spartans in action in their ability to limit opposing offenses to points or any production at all for that matter.  What the team has been in desperate need since the season started is a leader in the huddle who can manage games and limit turnovers.  If Cook does indeed fit the billing Michigan State will be a very dangerous team as the year goes on. 

On to the Hoosiers.  They have had a up and down season to say the least.  Keep in mind this is a team that only had 4 wins all of last year but returned a conference high 18 starters to the team.  After starting the season off by scoring 73 points in their opening game they went on to lose to teams like Navy and Missouri.  They did, however, snatch their first Big Ten win of the year by beating Penn State last week 44-24 in an impressive team win.  They're a tough team to predict as they have plenty of ripened talent and leaders who have been here before.  Their inconsistent play makes their fans unable to count on them week in and week out.  They can beat tough competition any giving Saturday or deflate like a 1955 Chevy spare tire in the same game depending on which Indiana team shows up.  This match up has a lot to like and will be a big determining factor moving forward for both teams in where they rank inside the conference. 

Third Down

Michigan and Penn State

A tasty Big Ten game full of big names and big potential will be played at Beaver Stadium in Pennsylvania on Saturday.  Brady Hoke and Michigan will look to stay undefeated as they take Bill O'Brien and Penn State.  There are a couple intriguing story lines in this one.  First, All-Big Ten linebacker Jake Ryan looks to make his highly anticipated return from a knee surgery that has kept him out for months.  Ryan would add sure tackling and leadership to a defense that already ranks 13th in the nation in total defense.  However, they have had trouble getting off the field on third downs with opponents converting 41.1 percent after the Gophers went 8 of 15.  They'll want to make sure they take care of those issues and keep new up and coming freshman Christian Hackenberg and his trusty sidekick wide out Allen Robinson off the field.  These two have been phenomenal together as they continue to grow a strong rapport with each other every week.  Although they lost to Indiana last week (44-24) Hackenberg was 30-55 for 350 yards and three touchdowns while Robinson caught 12 of those balls (which was a career high) for a173 yards and two scores.  O'Brien said in press conferences this week that he's more concerned with the inconsistent play of his defense than anything else.  The Nittnay Lions roller coaster of a defense has given up yards of 486, 183, 507, 190 in their last four contests.  When looking at the Wolverine offense theirs cause for concern as they will try to contain Devin Gardner who can and will beat you with his arm and feet.  Gardner has thrown for eight touchdowns while running for six, but his bug-a-boo has been his carelessness with the ball throwing a Big Ten high eight of interceptions.  Look for O'Brien to force Gardner to throw from the pocket using a lot of quarterback "spy" and "contain" packages enabling his ability to run.  Penn State won the most recent battle between the two winning 41-31 in 2010 giving them a three game win streak against their Big Ten foe. 

Fourth Down

Northwestern at Wisconsin

This game known as college football can be a cruel sport.  Take Wisconsin for example.  Three time defending Big Ten champion.  They lose a game in heartbreaking (and flat out unfair) fashion against the Sun Devils three weeks ago and then lose to the powerhouse of the conference in Ohio State that came down to the last drive.  In a league where every mark in the loss column is like a dagger to the heart of your championship dreams the Badgers already have two of those marks after playing just five games.  Then there is Northwestern: everybody's favorite underdog team to root for.  An always talented squad with loads of potential, good coaching staff, and high on confidence but can never seem to win the close games.  Many people were ready for them to blow the black cloud of negativity out of their system last Saturday against the Buckeyes and oh boy were they close.  Up three points with just 10 minutes left you could almost sense on both sidelines that their was a turning point of momentum coming.  A sense of Northwestern players saying to themselves "what's going to happen this time?" in a disgruntled fashion.  Head coach Pat Fitzgerald admitted to the media this week that although a small school with small expectations, close games against Big Ten rivals just wasn't going to cut it anymore emphasizing in the end they must win those nail biters if they want to win a conference title.  Things don't get any easier for them now as they must travel to Madison where they haven't won in 13 years to face a well rested Badger team that has plenty of frustration built up about Ohio State as well that their ready to vent out.  This game will be filled with big names and big matchups as Wisconsin quarterback Joel Stave will be looking receiver Jarred Abbrederis' way plenty after he caught 10 balls for 207 yards and a touchdown in their last game.  That is of course when he's not feeding the ball to his three headed monster of a running game led by Melvin Gordon.  Northwestern's two quarterback system of Kain Colter and Trevor Sieman will look to stay hot and efficient and will be helped by Venric Marks return once again who was one of the conferences leading rushers last season.  This will no doubt be another close game for these two, the question is; who has learned their lesson and can seal the deal when it matters most.  Bottom line after the game either the Wildcats will have dropped two straight games after winning their first four or, the three time defending Big Ten champs will have their third mark in the loss column after just six games.  What a sick, cruel game...