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Northwestern (6-5, 3-4)

Despite a 2-5 start, a win last week against Minnesota last weekend increased the Wildcats win streak to four, making them officially bowl eligible this season.

And with senior day this Saturday in Evanston, coach Pat Fitzgerald notes just how much his group of men mean to his football team.

“[It’s] going to be tough to see them play their last game, but it’s going to be great,” said Fitzgerald. “They’ve recorded 36 wins, they’ve been bowl eligible now all 5 seasons for the fifth year guys, and obviously for the fourth year guys their entire career,” he went on to say.

One of those guys includes veteran safety Brian Peters. The Pickerington, Ohio native had a spectacular game last week, recording double digit tackles to go along with an interception and a forced fumble. Northwestern will look to rely on veteran leaders such as this, as they face a tough task this weekend against MSU.

“Brian has been really consistent his entire career and he’ll really be tested on this Saturday with the great skillset that Michigan State has,” said Fitzgerald.

“Very active in the game on Saturday, that’s what you expect, though from a senior, captain,” Fitzgerald said of Peters.

Peters is one of the many players on the defensive side of the ball that is credited to a large defensive improvement these last two games. The Wildcats have only given up 19 total points in those games combined, while putting up 56 on the other side of the ball.

“We went through some growing pains there with some inexperienced guys in the month of October, but to the young men’s credit, to the our defensive coaching staffs credit, they stayed the course, and we just kept working our tails off fundamentally to get better and we are playing our best defense of the year right now,” said Fitzgerald.

In order to stay on this course and finish the season on a high note, Northwestern will have to limit the Michigan State offense, which is lead by quarterback Kirk Cousins. However, coach Fitzgerald knows that it doesn’t stop at Cousins; the Spartans as a whole are a very complete football team.

“Their loaded,” exclaimed Fitzgerald. “There’s a reason why they’ve won the legends already.”

Michigan (9-2, 5-2) #17AP/#16 Coaches

Last week I said that defense would be the key to a Wolverine victory against rival Nebraska; however, a strong defensive performance was largely overshadowed by a dominating offense, led by impact quarterback Denard Robinson.

Robinson, who was named B1G offensive co-player of the week, had arguably his best game this season, throwing for two scores, while running in for another pair in rout to a 45-17 stomping over the Cornhuskers.

Head coach Brady Hoke noted that his quarterback has been developing both mentally and physically throughout the course of the season.

“The maturity that he’s starting to really show within the offense, the decision making that he’s making at the line of scrimmage for us whether its protection, or it’s changing a run-pass, I think he continues to grow,” said Hoke.

This weekend, Michigan will look to focus its attention on its opposing quarterback, Ohio State’s Braxton Miller.

The freshman out of Huber Heights, Ohio has done a fine job replacing now Oakland Raider backup quarterback Tyrell Pryor. Miller has thrown for 762 yards, nine touchdowns to just three interceptions. In addition to this, he has rushed for 595 yards to along with another six scores.

“He obviously presents a lot of problems because of being a dual threat quarterback,” noted Hoke. “Whatever decision that his instinct helps him make, he’s difficult to defend,” he went on to say.

If they can contain the multidimensional quarterback, Michigan has a very strong chance of winning, as they have proven their offense is up to any task. Coach Hoke noted that although it’s just another game, getting double digit numbers in that left column is just apart of the job.

“We have a chance to have ten wins, and that’s all part of an expectation that you have at Michigan.”

Nebraska (8-3, 4-3) #22 AP/Coaches

Power running back Rex Burkhead had his worst game of the season against the Wolverines last week, rushing for just 36 yards on ten attempts. This in addition to a lack of production from quarterback Taylor Martinez, as well as a horrid performance on defense, led to a Cornhusker loss.

Head coach Bo Pelini said that in order to bounce back against Iowa at home Saturday, his team must put the past in the past and move on.

“Just get focused and play with great energy,” noted Pelini. “No one plays a perfect game, but when something happens to you, you just have to regroup, refocus, and go to the next play and not worry about what just happened to you.” (Pelini mentioned this philosophy applies to games as well, not just plays).

Although Iowa has an extremely versatile and talented offense, their defense is just as talented, as they have held high powered offenses to low scores in recent weeks.  Michigan, who put up 45 on the Cornhuskers, were held to just 16 points a few weeks back, while Michigan State could only muster up 21.

“I think they’re very sound in what they do,” Pelini said of the Iowa defense. “I think their kids have a really good understanding of what they’re trying to get done, where they fit,” he went on to say.

For Pelini, it is somewhat of a homecoming. Pelini started his coaching career as a graduate assistant under coach Hayden Fry at Iowa back in 1991. Interestingly enough, Pelini is one of nine other former assistants under Hayden to go on to coach Division 1-A football. One of the other nine? Pelini’s opponent Saturday, Kirk Ferentz.

“It was really a tremendous experience,” Pelini said of his Iowa coaching days. “It’s a program I have a tremendous amount of respect for.”

As far as the game itself is concerned, “It’s just another game on our schedule,” noted Pelini.

Michigan State (9-2, 6-1) #11 AP/#10 Coaches

After a whopping 55-3 victory against the struggling Hoosiers last weekend, coach Mark Dantonio and his team won the legends division and will represent them in the B1G.

Just as any team in college football, a ten-win season is always a success, and something coaches strive for every season. It’s extremely difficult to do, so if a team is in position to do so, they want to jump on the opportunity.

Although Michigan State has nothing left to prove, Dantonio isn’t holding back against rival Northwestern, and will play his starters for the entire game.

When asked how he balances major coaching decisions such as this, Dantonio noted that it is relatively simple. “[It’s] through maturity.”

“Our focus has always been here to finish,” said Dantonio. “We need to be prepared and focused…Northwestern is our focus.”

The player’s ability to be able to withstand such a long season without rest may be largely attributed to 17^th year strength and conditioning coach, Ken Mannie. Mannie is one of, if not the most experienced person on staff at MSU, and is well trusted and respected by coach Dantonio.

“He’s invaluable to this program. I look at him with the same importance that a defensive or offensive coordinator would be looked at,” said Dantonio. “He has invested his time and he has vested interest in every single player here, not just from an athletic standpoint but from a personal standpoint as well so, he is extremely invaluable to the success here,” he went on to say.

With this final game being at Northwestern, it will be no easy task for MSU, and coach Dantonio and his team know it.

“They don’t back down.”

Iowa (7-4, 4-3)

After spoiling a homecoming in West Lafayette against Purdue last weekend, the Hawkeyes got their first road victory of the season. This weekend, they will look to produce the same result when they travel to Nebraska, one of the better teams in the B1G.

Nebraska on the other hand is coming off a somewhat embarrassing loss to Michigan and is hungry to get back on their home turf to face Bo Pelini and his squad. Both teams have high-powered offenses, so this game may come down to who can stop who, and when they can stop them.

Iowa Quarterback James Vandenberg and wide-receiver Marvin McNutt have put together a solid season together, as McNutt has hauled in 12 of Vandenberg’s passes for scores. However, just three of those have been away from Iowa City. Vandenberg, meanwhile, has also lacked production on the road, throwing for just six touchdowns in four games, in addition to two INT’s. Not a terrible statistic by any means, but considering the veteran quarterback has aired out 23 scores to just five interceptions, it’s definitely worth mentioning.

With that said, look for Iowa to rely on getting pressure up field on MSU quarterback Kirk Cousins. Defensive-end Broderick Binns is leading the team in tackles for loss with 11.5, but was presently surprised last weekend with the resurgence of his fellow defensive lineman, senior Mike Daniels. Daniels recorded eight tackles, four of which were for loss, and two sacks, by far his best game of the season.

“That’s probably the first week in quite some time where he felt 100 percent from start to finish and it showed up on the field,” Ferentz said of Daniels. “He played with a lot of energy.  He’s really working hard and he’s a really good football player.”

If Iowa can continue to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks, such as Cousins, their chances on Saturday greatly increase, and may be looking at their second victory on the road, and finishing their streaky season with a W.

Minnesota (2-9, 1-6)

Statistically for Jerry Kill and his team, this year has been one to forget. However, this came to no surprise as the program is in a stage of rebuilding, and looking forward to the future. Unfortunately, some of the veterans on the team had to suffer because of it, in most likely their last year of organized football.

With that said, Kill has preached all season just how pleased he has been with his group of seniors, and how they have not only been great for the program itself, but outstanding teachers of the game for the younger players.

“I’m very proud of that group, always will be,” said Kill.

The first year head coach wants nothing more for his seniors to get a win on Saturday against Illinois, and he’s going to do everything in his power to achieve such.

“It’s real critical for our younger guys and our coaching staff to step up this week and make sure that we give everything we can on Saturday to make help them close out their career in a positive manner,” Kill went on to say about the seniors.  And although it’s been rough, Kill has no doubts about how his men will perform this weekend.

“They’ve been through a lot and I know they will play hard,” he noted.

Nevertheless, winning will be no easy task. Illinois, despite being on a five game losing streak, is still playing good football. Sure, they started 6-0, but they weren’t playing anybody worth mentioning. These five losses have come against good, well-coached, conference opponents, and Kill isn’t concerned with what their record says.

“We know we have a huge challenge ahead of us and we’re going to have to execute very well.”