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Nov. 12, 2007

Big Ten Tied for National Lead with a Conference-Record 10 Bowl-Eligible Teams: With only one game remaining for each Big Ten team, an unprecedented 10 of the 11 conference programs currently stand above .500 and have already secured bowl-eligibility. The Big Ten's record number of bowl-eligible teams include Ohio State (10-1), Illinois (8-3), Michigan (8-3), Penn State (8-3), Wisconsin (8-3), Purdue (7-4), Indiana (6-5), Iowa (6-5), Michigan State (6-5) and Northwestern (6-5). The Hawkeyes, Spartans and Wildcats were the latest conference squads to qualify for postseason play after picking up their sixth wins last Saturday. The Big Ten has never qualified 10 different teams for postseason action and has never produced 10 teams with records of .500 or better. The conference has sent seven teams to bowl games in each of the last two years and set a Big Ten record with eight bowl teams during the 2003 campaign. The conference has also ended a season with nine teams at or above .500 on four occasions -- 1904, 1903, 1901 and 1900. The last season that eight Big Ten teams finished at .500 or better was in 1999, the first time that feat had been accomplished since the 1960 campaign. The Big Ten is one of only two conferences in the Football Bowl Subdivision to boast 10 or more bowl-eligible teams along with the SEC.

Hawkeyes, Spartans and Wildcats Give Conference 10 Bowl-Eligible Teams: Iowa, Michigan State and Northwestern each collected a sixth victory on the season last Saturday to boost the Big Ten's total of bowl-eligible teams to 10 schools -- a new conference record. The Hawkeyes, Spartans and Wildcats are joined by Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin as conference teams qualified for postseason action. Iowa is eligible for its seventh straight bowl excursion under head coach Kirk Ferentz for the first time since appearing in eight straight postseason events from 1981-88. In his first year in East Lansing, Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio is aiming to take MSU back to a bowl game for the first time since the 2003 campaign. Second-year Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald is targeting his first bowl outing and the second postseason appearance in three years for NU after playing in the 2005 Sun Bowl. The Big Ten has seven bowl tie-ins this season - the Rose Bowl/Bowl Championship Series (BCS) game, Capital One, Outback, Alamo, Champs Sports, Insight and Motor City Bowls. If the Big Ten Champion (or co-Champion) is ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in the final BCS rankings, then that team will participate in the BCS National Championship Game, to be played on Jan. 7, 2008 in New Orleans, La.

Illinois Earns First Win Over No. 1 Team Since 1956: Illinois edged top-ranked Ohio State last Saturday in Columbus, marking the Illini's first victory over a No. 1 team since 1956 and ending a pair of Big Ten record winning streaks for the Buckeyes. The Fighting Illini knocked off the nation's top-ranked squad for the fourth time in school history and the first time since recording a 20-13 triumph over No. 1 Michigan State on Oct. 27, 1956. Illinois picked up its eighth win in a season for the first time since winning the Big Ten Championship with a 10-2 overall mark in 2001. The Illini's eight triumphs equal the total number of wins for the program over the last four seasons combined. OSU entered the game with 20 straight Big Ten wins, which broke the previous record of 19 straight triumphs by Michigan from 1990-92, and 28 straight regular-season victories, which equaled the Wolverines conference record set from 1901-03. The Buckeyes dropped their first regular-season and conference game since a 17-10 decision at Penn State on Oct. 8, 2005.

Big Ten Leads All Conferences with Five Eight-Win Teams: With one regular-season game still remaining, the Big Ten has already produced five teams with eight or more wins, more than any other conference. Ohio State leads the way with 10 victories this season, followed by four schools with eight triumphs -- Illinois, Michigan, Penn State and Wisconsin. The ACC and Big 12 rank second to the Big Ten with four eight-win squads, followed by the Big East (3), Pac-10 (3) and SEC (2). The Big Ten also produced five programs with eight or more wins last season but has not boasted more than five teams at or above that victory total since 2003, when six schools posted eight or more triumphs.

Wolverines and Buckeyes Play for Big Ten Title: The Big Ten Championship will be on the line Saturday in Ann Arbor when Michigan hosts Ohio State. The Wolverines and Buckeyes are tied for first in the conference standings at 6-1 and the winner of the game will earn the Big Ten title and the conference's automatic berth into the Bowl Championship Series. Michigan has won a Big Ten record 42 championships and is aiming for its third first-place finish in the last five seasons after sharing the crown in 2004 and winning the title outright in 2003. Ohio State ranks second to the Wolverines with 31 Big Ten titles and is seeking its third consecutive crown for the first time since winning six straight from 1972-77. The last Big Ten school to claim three or more consecutive Big Ten Championships was Michigan, which won five straight titles from 1988-92.

Michigan-Ohio State Game to Decide Big Ten Race: For the eighth straight season, the Michigan-Ohio State season finale will have a direct impact on the Big Ten Championship race. In every year since the 2000 campaign, at least one of these two teams has entered this game with a shot at the conference crown. The last Michigan-Ohio State game to have no impact on the Big Ten title chase occurred in 1999, when Wisconsin clinched the title in the second-to-last weekend with a 7-1 mark before the Wolverines improved to 6-2 with a win over the Buckeyes in the final weekend. Below is a breakdown of the last seven Michigan-Ohio State matchups and their effect on the Big Ten Championship race:
2000:  Michigan defeated OSU to clinch a three-way tie for the title with Northwestern and Purdue.
2001:  OSU's win in Ann Arbor left Michigan one game behind Illinois for the championship.
2002:  The Buckeyes wrapped up a perfect regular season with a win over the Wolverines to tie Iowa for the crown.
2003:  The two programs entered the final game atop the standings with 6-1 marks before Michigan defeated Ohio State for sole possession of the championship.
2004:  OSU ended the Wolverines hopes for a perfect Big Ten slate to drop the Wolverines into  a tie for the title with Iowa.
2005:  The Buckeyes entered the game tied for first with Penn State with Michigan just one game back before OSU clinched a share of the crown with a win.
2006:  Ohio State and Michigan met as the No. 1  and 2 teams in the country, respectively, for the first time in the history of the rivalry -- the first matchup of two Big Ten teams ranked first and second since 1985 and the first meeting of two perfect teams in a regular season finale since 1973. OSU posted the win to complete a perfect regular season and earn a  berth in the BCS National Championship Game.

Carr and Tressel Aim for More Titles: Both Lloyd Carr of Michigan and Jim Tressel of Ohio State will be looking to add to their impressive haul of Big Ten Championships on Saturday when the Wolverines and Buckeyes square off. Carr has claimed five conference titles in his previous 12 seasons including first-place finishes in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2004. The Michigan mentor is one of only eight head coaches in Big Ten history to win five or more conference crowns, a group that includes Chicago's Amos Alonzo Stagg (seven titles from 1896-1932), Illinois' Bob Zuppke (seven from 1913-41), Michigan's Bo Schembechler (13 from 1969-89) and Fielding Yost (10 from 1901-26), Minnesota's Bernie Bierman (seven from 1932-50) and Henry Williams (eight from 1900-21) and Ohio State's Woody Hayes (13 from 1951-78). Tressel rates second among all active conference coaches with three Big Ten Championships after claiming first-place finishes in 2002, 2005 and 2006. The Ohio State mentor is aiming to become the first coach to lead a team to three straight Big Ten titles since Michigan's Gary Moeller accomplished the feat in his first three seasons from 1990-92. Tressel claimed three Big Ten crowns in his first six years in Columbus, becoming only the second Buckeye and the 11th coach in Big Ten history to accomplish that feat, a group that includes Ohio State's Earl Bruce (1979, 1981, 1984) and Carr (1997, 1998, 2000). The other head coaches to win at least three Big Ten titles in their first six years include Illinois' Zuppke (three from 1913-18), the Minnesota pair of Bierman (four from 1932-37) and Williams (three from 1900-05) and six Michigan head coaches -- Carr, Moeller (three during his five years from 1990-94), Schembechler (five from 1969-74), Bennie Oosterbaan (three from 1948-53), Harry Kipke (four from 1929-34) and Yost (five from 1901-06).

Big Ten Boasts Two of Three Finalists for Butkus Award: For the third straight season, the Big Ten dominated the list of finalists for the Butkus Award with Ohio State's James Laurinaitis and Penn State's Dan Connor appearing as two of the three nominees for the national award. The Butkus Award is named for former Illinois All-American Dick Butkus and honors the nation's best collegiate linebacker. The Big Ten also boasted two of the three finalists in each of the last two seasons with the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions filling two of the three slots in both 2006 and 2005. Last season, Laurinaitis was joined by PSU's Paul Posluszny among the three finalists while Posluszny and OSU's A.J. Hawk were among the final three in 2005. The Big Ten has claimed seven Butkus Awards, most recently when Posluszny was honored in 2005.

Big Ten Standouts Named Semifinalists for Bednarik, Groza, Maxwell and Thorpe Awards: Twelve Big Ten student-athletes were named semifinalists for national awards last week, including four honorees for the Chuck Bednarik and Lou Groza Awards and two selections for the Maxwell and Jim Thorpe Awards. The Big Ten led all conferences with four semifinalists for the Bednarik Award, which honor's the nation's top defensive player. The conference honorees included Illinois' J Leman, Michigan's Shawn Crable, Ohio State's James Laurinaitis and Penn State's Dan Connor. Those four standouts were also named semifinalists for the Butkus Award. Laurinaitis and Connor moved on as two of three finalists for the Butkus Award and are also semifinalists for the Rotary Lombardi Award, given to the country's top lineman. The Big Ten is looking for its third straight Bednarik Award winner after the Nittany Lions' Paul Posluszny was honored in 2005 and 2006, joining Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald as the only two-time winners of the Bednarik Trophy. The Big Ten has claimed six Bednarik Awards overall. The Big Ten ranked second with four semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, which honor's the nation's outstanding place kicker. The conference's nominees include Illinois' Jason Reda, Indiana's Austin Starr, Ohio State's Ryan Pretorius and Wisconsin's Taylor Mehlhaff. Two Big Ten players have earned the Groza Award including OSU's Mike Nugent in 2004 and Iowa's Nate Kaeding in 2002. Illinois' Rashard Mendenhall and Michigan's Mike Hart were both named semifinalists for the Maxwell Award, earned by the top college player. The Big Ten has claimed 14 Maxwell Awards, most recently when PSU's Larry Johnson was honored in 2002. The Illini's Vontae Davis and the Buckeyes' Malcolm Jenkins were tabbed as semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation's outstanding defensive back. Four Big Ten standouts have won the Thorpe Award, most recently when the Badgers' Jamar Fletcher was honored in 2000.

Playing Smart Football: Big Ten student-athletes continue to excel both on the field and in the classroom, as 21 conference standouts were honored as first team selections to ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Teams. The conference's list of honorees includes Illinois' J Leman and Ryan McDonald, Indiana's Josiah Sears and Austin Starr, Iowa's Mike Klinkenborg, Anton Narinskiy and Adam Shada, Minnesota's Tony Brinkhaus, John Shevlin and Steve Shidell, Northwestern's C.J. Bacher, Phil Brunner, Adam Hahn and Eric Peterman, Ohio State's Brian Robiskie, Penn State's Gerald Cadogan, Sean Lee, Jordan Norwood and Mark Rubin, Purdue's Jared Armstrong and Wisconsin's Luke Swan. To be eligible for the award a player must be in at least his second year of athletic eligibility, be a first team or key performer and carry a cumulative 3.20 grade point average. First team selections will be added to the national ballot and are eligible for Academic All-America honors to be announced in late November. The Big Ten led all conferences with 11 Academic All-Americans in 2006, including two first-team honorees who are aiming for back-to-back accolades in Iowa's Klinkenborg and Shada. The Big Ten's 11 Academic All-Americans included a conference-record eight first-team selections, breaking the previous high mark of seven first-team choices established in 1969. In addition, the Big Ten's total of eight first-team honorees surpassed the total of seven first-team picks from all other Division I-A conferences. Penn State's Paul Posluszny was named the Academic All-America of the Year, joining Ohio State's Craig Krenzel (2003) and Purdue's Drew Brees (2000) as the third Big Ten player to be honored in the last seven years.

A Big Ten Record for Sellouts: After producing three more packed houses last Saturday and with six home games still remaining, the Big Ten has already equaled the conference record with 39 sellouts this season. Big Ten schools now boast 39 sellouts in 70 games so far this year, matching the conference high of 39 packed houses established in 2004. Iowa, Ohio State and Wisconsin filled their stadiums on Saturday and have sold out every home outing during the 2007 campaign, a feat also accomplished by Michigan and Penn State. Overall, eight of the conference's 11 schools have produced at least one sellout this season. The Big Ten is on pace to crack the five million barrier in total attendance for the second straight year and just the fifth time in conference history, with a total of 4,989,269 fans flocking to Big Ten stadiums for 70 contests so far this season.

Record Success in Non-Conference Play: With one non-conference game remaining, the Big Ten has established a modern era record with 35 non-conference wins prior to bowl play. Big Ten programs are now 35-8 in non-conference outings for a winning percentage of .814. The previous conference record for out-of-conference wins was 33 triumphs set prior to postseason play last season (33-12) and in 2002 (33-13). The 2006 and 2002 campaigns are two of only three other 12-game seasons in conference annals (30-14 in 2003). The Big Ten's all-time record for non-conference triumphs occurred when the conference built a 57-3-1 out-of-conference mark in 1905, the sixth straight year with 40 or more non-conference triumphs. The conference is also on pace to win at least 80 percent of its regular-season out-of-conference games for the second time in three seasons (28-6, .824, in 2005) and just the fourth time since 1960 (23-4, .852, in 1997; 26-1-2, .963, in 1960). The 2007 non-conference slate concludes on Saturday when Iowa hosts Western Michigan.

Trophy Games Abound in Final Weekend: Four of the Big Ten's 15 traditional trophies will be on the line in the final weekend of regular-season play, as the only non-trophy conference game will be the 104th meeting between Michigan and Ohio State. Below is a breakdown of this week's trophy games:
Paul Bunyan's Axe: Minnesota and Wisconsin resume the longest rivalry in Football Bowl Subdivision history when the two schools battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe. The two teams have played 116 games, beginning in 1890 and played every year consecutively since 1907. The 115-game rivalry between Missouri and Kansas ranked second nationally entering this season. The Gophers and Badgers originally played for the Slab of Bacon Trophy, which mysteriously disappeared in the 1940's and was replaced by the axe in 1948. Wisconsin holds a 33-23-3 all-time advantage in games played for the axe, including a current three-game winning streak.
Sweet Sioux Tomahawk Trophy: Two in-state rivals will square off for a traditional trophy when Illinois and Northwestern compete for the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk Trophy. The Illini maintain a 32-28-2 record in this trophy game but the Wildcats have claimed the last four matchups.
Old Oaken Bucket: Another pair of in-state rivals will be in action when Indiana and Purdue battle for the Old Oaken Bucket for the 73rd time since 1925. The Boilermakers have won the last five meetings to build their all-time record in Bucket games to 54-25-3. The two programs will be playing for the 110th time overall, the second-longest rivalry in conference annals behind the 116 games played by Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Land Grant Trophy: One of the newest trophies will be up for grabs when Michigan State and Penn State square off for the Land Grant Trophy. The Nittany Lions hold an 11-3 edge in these trophy games and have won the last three matchups.

OTHER TOP PERFORMERS LAST WEEK

OFFENSE:
IND WR James Hardy: Seven receptions for 107 yards (15.3 avg.) and two TDs at NU to become school's career leader in catches and yards.
MICH WR Mario Manningham: Three receptions for 113 yards (37.7 avg.) and two TDs, including a 97-yarder -- the longest offensive play in school history.
MSU QB Brian Hoyer: Completed 22-of-31 passes (71.0 pct.) for 266 yards and two TDs with a rushing score at Purdue.
NU RB Tyrell Sutton: 141 yards on 33 carries (4.3 avg.) with a TD and six receptions for 72 yards (12.0 avg.) vs. Indiana.
PSU RB Rodney Kinlaw: Matched career high with 168 yards on 27 carries (6.2 avg.) with a TD against Temple.
WIS QB Tyler Donovan: Completed 14-of-27 passes (51.9 pct.) for 245 yards and one TD while adding a rushing TD in win over Michigan.

DEFENSE:
ILL LB J Leman: Team-high 12 tackles (eight solo) and 2.5 TFLs (-2 yards) at Ohio State.
IOWA LB Mike Klinkenborg: Season-high 13 tackles (five solo) in victory over Minnesota.
NU LB Eddie Simpson: Three tackles (two solo) and an interception returned 41 yards for a TD.

SPECIAL TEAMS:
MSU K Todd Boleski: Averaged 64.0 yards on eight kickoffs in road victory at Purdue.
WIS K Taylor Mehlhaff: Three-of-three on field goals (27, 40, 19) with four PATs vs. Michigan.