Rivalry Week in the Big Ten: Michigan vs. Michigan State, Iowa vs. Wisconsin
It’s rivalry week in the Big Ten and two matchups will headline Saturday’s action. #No. 21 Michigan (6-1, 2-1) will travel to No. 22 Michigan State (7-1, 4-0). The victor will see its road to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship game become a little clearer.
With a Sparty win on Saturday–besides the obvious bragging rights–they’ll make a huge step toward grabbing the title for the Legends division with its 5-0 conference record and seeing only three games left on its schedule against Northwestern, Nebraska, and Minnesota.
For Michigan with its one conference loss, a second dent would put its Big Ten championship in the rear view window as it’s also a member of the Legends division.
They’ll face a tough battle on Saturday against Michigan State’s defense as it’s only given up three points over the last two games.
This Spartan strength will likely test Michigan’s weakness, the interior of its offensive line. With only one upperclassman with a scholarship, Chris Bryant, well, he’s out recovering from 2012 broken leg and that leaves a green O-line.
Jeremy Gallon
But Michigan will bring its seasoned senior wide receiver Jeremy Gallon, who set a school and Big Ten record for receiving yards in a game last week with his 14 catches for 369 yards versus Indiana (3-4, 1-2). It was the second-greatest number ever set by an FBS receiver and with the 14 receptions, it sits as the second highest in a single game for the Wolverines.
Gallon is No. 2 in the conference for receiving yardage per game with his 118.7 figure. How will he perform against Sparty’s defense?
For this matchup, history is on Michigan State’s side as they defeated Michigan four straight times through 2011 but last season, it was the Wolverines’ turn with a 12-10 home win. Both teams bring a lot of talent but Michigan State gets the win (-4.5, 46.5 o/u).
Iowa vs. #24 Wisconsin
In Saturday’s early game, #24 Wisconsin (5-2, 3-1) and Iowa (5-3, 2-2) are both looking for one more win to go bowling but for the Badgers should they get that coveted sixth win, it will represent its 11th straight bowl appearance–the longest streak in the conference and No. 8 nationally.
But also on the line is bragging rights. The series between the two sits at 42-42-2. Lucky for the Badgers, this game falls after their bye week which bodes well for them: they have won six consecutive games following one including its most recent 35-6 defeat over Northwestern (4-4, 0-4) just three weeks ago.
Chris Borland
Another storyline dominating Saturday’s game is whether or not Wisconsin’s talented senior linebacker Chris Borland will be back. The team is hoping the week off is just what the doctor ordered for resting Borland’s strained right hammy. The injury came in the Badgers’ last game two weeks ago, a 56-32 win over Illinois (3-4, 0-3).
Borland is expected to play on Saturday, currently a game-time decision, but his coach Gary Andersen has been cautiously optimistic all week.
As for the Hawkeyes, they made their own linebacker headlines this week as sophomore linebacker Marcus Collins was charged with operating (a car) while intoxicated on Friday morning and was subsequently dismissed by the team. The backup player had appeared in six games this season.
Iowa has other talented defense players in his absence and one bright spot is freshman cornerback Desmond King, who has been averaging 7.2 tackles in league games–more than any other freshman in the conference according to Iowa. He’s started in seven of eight Iowa games and saw a season-high 12 tackles in the Ohio State game and 11 versus Michigan State. King will have his hands full on Saturday against Wisconsin’s offensive weapons.
It’s been two years since the teams have met for the Heartland Trophy but the rivalry is still very much alive even without former coach Bret Bielema, an Iowa alum. While Iowa has made great improvements this year, Wisconsin gets the win (-9.5, 48 o/u).
