Homecoming for the Hawkeyes: Illinois (0-1 B1G) @ Iowa (0-2 B1G) square off looking to get in the B1G win column for 2017

Iowa City, IA -- The Iowa Hawkeyes (3-2, 0-2 B1G West) opened September with three straight non-conference wins, but the past two Saturdays in the Big Ten have lead to an 0-2 start against two East division opponents. The Hawkeyes return to Kinnick Stadium on Saturday for an 11 a.m. kickoff against fellow West division foe, Illinois (2-2, 0-1 B1G West).

It is Game 6 for the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2017 College Football season, ahead of their bye week. The Hawkeyes are seeking to get back on track in all three phases of the game.

"Nice of the Hawkeyes to promote breast cancer awareness month
by painting our locker room pink. #Illini 👌 – at Kinnick Stadium,"
the Illinois program tweeted ahead of today's game.

Illinois' last win against Iowa came during the 2008 season. The Hawkeyes have won six of last seven in the series.

One player to watch is Illinois junior WR 18 Mike Dudek, who
is back, after missing back to back seasons, due to knee injuries.

Iowa is 57-43-5 in 105 Homecoming games. The #Hawkeyes have won 5 of its last 7 Homecoming games. Iowa is 6-5-2 vs. Illinois on Homecoming.

#FightforIowa is the rally cry in 2017-18 for Hawkeye athletics ...

Our prediction at Kinnick ...

• IOWA HAWKEYES 28
• Illinois Fighting Illini 9

Iowa remains undefeated headed into Black Friday date @ Nebraska, after 40-20 win over Purdue

Iowa City, IA -- The Iowa Hawkeyes (11-0, 7-0 B1G West) clinched the Big Ten West division title with a 40-20 win over Purdue (2-9, 1-6 B1G West) on Saturday at Kinnick Stadium. The first winter storm of the year hit Iowa City on Friday night, but by kickoff the skies cleared and Sunshine was shining on and over the field, as C.J. Beathard won his career start as Iowa's staring signal caller.

Iowa junior QB #16 C.J. Beathard is 12-0 now, as a starter, dating back to his
first start of his career @ Purdue in 2014, and his 11 straight starts, leading to
Hawkeye wins in 2015. Beathard's mobility is coming back for the 2nd straight
game, as the Hawkeyes pulled away from Purdue with a 40-20 win.

Last year, the Hawkeyes opened the Big Ten season with a 24-10 win over Purdue in West Lafeyette, with Beathard making his first career start as a signal caller. This year, Beathard made his second career start with another win over the Boilermakers, as the Hawkeyes continue their 2015 season undefeated.

Iowa opened the game with a touchdown runs by
RB #29 LeShun Daniels, Jr., who is playing well, after
an ankle injury against Iowa State earlier in the season.

The Hawkeyes for the second straight week at Kinnick Stadium found an opponent seeking the football to begin the game. After the Hawkeyes forced back to back three and outs on defense, Iowa opened the game with back to back touchdown drives and a 14-0 lead over Purdue.

“To me, he (Beathard) is the difference from last year to this year. I said that this week. I thought they ran the ball well last year, but they weren’t getting the plays out of the quarterback. He makes a lot of plays; he is just slippery enough to hurt you. He’s making a lot of plays and not turning the ball over,” said third year Purdue coach Darrell Hazell.

Iowa defeated Minnesota 40-35, and Purdue 40-20 to wrap up the season 7-0 at Kinnick Stadium. Dating back to the 40-10 win @ Northwestern, now #20 in the CFP poll, the Hawkeyes have won five straight Big Ten games by scoring at least 30 points. A Hawkeye team has never accomplished five straight wins scoring 30+ points, until this season.

Iowa is 11-0 for the first time in school history. The Hawkeyes clinched their first West division, for the first time, since the Big Ten broke into divisions in 2011, when Nebraska joined the Big Ten.

Next up for Iowa, Nebraska on Black Friday, with a 2:30 CST kickoff on ABC. The Huskers are 5-6, 3-4 in B1G West, but are coming off a bye week and back to back wins over Michigan State, now #9 in the CFP poll and leading the B1G East) and @ Rutgers.

Congratulations to the Senior Class of 2015 Iowa Hawkeyes, 11-0 and Big Ten
West Division Champions at 7-0 in the Big Ten West. The fifth year seniors
were 7-6,4-8, 8-5 and 7-6 heading into the 2015 season, so 11-0 is a great turnaround
for the Iowa Hawkeyes under Kirk Ferentz, in his 17th season as head coach.

The Hawkeyes saw 21 seniors enter the field for the final time in the 40-20 win over Purdue. More importantly, they leave Iowa West Division Champions. When these fifth year seniors arrived in Iowa City in 2011, they finished 7-6, 4-8, 8-5 and 7-6 ahead of their final season.

Iowa senior RB #33 Jordan Canzeri lead the Iowa ground game with 95 yards,
including a 42 yard run for a touchdown to cap the 40 points for the Hawkeyes.

Ironically, on November 21, 1981, the Hawkeyes clinched a Big Ten title with a win over Michigan State, during coach Kirk Ferentz's first season, as an offensive line coach, under former head coach Hayden Fry. It was a cold day at Kinnick Stadium, 34 years ago. The trophy was different on Saturday, but it was another warm feeling on a cold day at Kinnick.

The Hawkeyes opened the 1981 season with a win over Nebraska and, on Black Friday, the Hawkeyes face the same program to close out Ferentz's 26th regular season as a coach, his 17th as head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes.

The defending champions fall in Columbus, as Michigan State beat Ohio State
17-14, as Urban Meyer fails to game plan for a team that offers an elite RB.
Meyer's teams have a love for mobile quarterback and passing games, rather
than leading through a prototypical RB on the Big Ten gridiron.

Michigan State may be the program that will close out the Big Ten East in 2015. They pulled off a B1G win on Saturday at Ohio State, with a walk off field goal for a 17-14 win over the defending Big Ten and College Football Playoff champion Buckeyes.

Iowa senior captain, FS #27 Jordan Lomax delivers his head coach, Kirk Ferentz,
the 2015 Big Ten West Division trophy, after the win against Purdue on Saturday.

Iowa is in ... the Big Ten Championship Game, but the road to the College Football Playoff spot rides on an upcoming game against Nebraska at Lincoln.

Can Kirk Ferentz and his 2015 Iowa Hawkeyes turnaround, after celebrating their
first Big Ten West Division title to take care of business in Lincoln on Black Friday?

"Today we won by 20, but it didn't feel like that," said Ferentz said. "We got off to a great start in the game and then Purdue grabbed momentum. It was a 20-25 minute period where they had us on our heels a bit, but our guys fought back."

"I am proud of our football team. We're thrilled and proud of our players. They've done a great job responding to the challenges week-in and week-out and all season long. It has been the nature of things, and today we had more of those to face."

Purdue backup QB #12 Austin Appleby, as Iowa sophomore DT #99 Nathan
Bazata applies some pleasure for the Hawkeyes on Saturday. Iowa did
record one QB sack early, by redshirt freshman Parker Hesse.

Purdue outgained Iowa, 405-387, in the game, throwing for 268 and rushing for 137 yards. The Hawkeyes were balanced with seven rushers accounting for 174 yards on the ground, while Beathard completed 12-of-20 attempts for 213 yards, while matching a career-high with three touchdowns.

Iowa scored six touchdowns and Purdue was held to two big field goals, rather than touchdowns, which would have made it a far more interesting game. Iowa also benefited from an early fumble.

Iowa leaned at times on tight ends, as senior TE #80 Henry Kreiger Coble picks
up a first down. He scored his first TD in Kinnick Stadium in Saturday's win.

In many ways, one could suggest Purdue was a good trap game between two important trophy games for the Hawkeyes, with Minnesota and at Nebraska. The Boilermakers close out the 2015 season with their own trophy game with Indiana, who won at Maryland 47-28, as the Hoosiers finally picked up a B1G win for the season.

“They are a good football team -- from top to bottom. I felt that way coming in and I still feel that way. They just do what they do and they do it well. They don’t panic; they continue to run the zone if they get stopped, they come back with the naked (bootleg) just when you think you have them stopped in the run game. They make plays and are playing confidently right now.” - Purdue coach Darrel Hazell on the Iowa team.

The New Big Ten: East, West and eight B1G games ...

Next year, the Big Ten Conference will join the Pac 12 and Big 12 conferences with a nine game conference schedule. For now, year two of the B1G West and East divisions, each team will play an eight game conference schedule, with six division opponents and two cross-over games.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (24-0 over last 3 years, reg. season)
2. Michigan State Spartans (18-6)
3. Wisconsin Badgers (17-7)
4. Nebraska Cornhuskers (17-7)
5. Michigan Wolverines (12-12)
6. Penn State Nittany Lions (12-12)
7. Maryland Terrapins (4-4, one year)
8. Iowa Hawkeyes (11-13)
9. Minnesota Golden Gophers (11-13)
10. Rutgers Red Knights (3-5, one year)
11. Northwestern Wildcats (9-15)
12. Indiana Hoosiers (6-18)
13. Illinois Fighting Illini (4-20)
14. Purdue Boilermakers (4-20)

Penn State's QB Christian Hackenberg.

The Big Ten East is loaded with two preseason Top 10 programs: Ohio State and Michigan State for 2015. Further, Penn State is a program coming off probation, with renewed enthusiasm lead by a talented junior quarterback Christian Hackenberg back in 2015.

New Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh
is back in Ann Arbor for 2015.

Michigan welcomes a new head coach, with former Wolverine quarterback Jim Harbaugh, back in college football, after four seasons in the NFL. The Wolverines are 12-12 over the past three seasons in Big Ten play. It has been 11 seasons, since the Wolverines last won a Big Ten football title.

But, the conference has a different feel today, with seven programs in the East and seven other programs in the West. The path to the title is far different today. Ohio State is the defending National Champion, winner of the first College Football Playoff.

The path to a Big Ten football title is no longer like 1981, 1985, 1990, 2002, 2004 and the one game short path in 2009, that the Iowa Hawkeyes nearly pulled off, falling in OT in Columbus. It comes down to a final game, between the two corresponding division winners. Something the Iowa Football program has not come close to obtaining over the past four seasons.

Since 2011, the Big Ten Championship Game has determined the sole football champion of the conference. The first three seasons, the winners of the Leaders vs. Legends battled for the title. Last year, the East vs. West unfolded with Ohio State winning for the first time, under head coach Urban Meyer.

• 2011 - #15 Wisconsin 42, #11 Michigan State 39
• 2012 - Unranked Wisconsin 70, #14 Nebraska 31
• 2013 -  #10 Michigan State 34, #2 Ohio State 24
• 2014 - #6 Ohio State 59, #11 Wisconsin 0

Who takes care of business in 2015 in the Big Ten West?

Mike Riley was 58-63 in the Pac 12
over his 14 seasons as head coach.

Paul Chryst (19-19, 3 years at Pitt)
returns to his alma mater and hometown.

Both Nebraska and Wisconsin welcome new head coaches for the 2015 season. Mike Riley arrives in Lincoln, after 14 seasons as head coach at Oregon State, under two stints, with a 4 year break in the NFL. Paul Chryst returns to his hometown of Madison, after three seasons as head coach at Pittsburgh.

October will be very interesting in Big Ten West play, as Wisconsin plays both Iowa, then at Nebraska to kickoff their 2015 Big Ten schedule. Nebraska travels to Illinois, before hosting the defending division champs in Lincoln. The 2015 contest will be the first meeting, since Wisconsin's 70-13 win in the 2012 Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis.

The Iowa defense returns 7 starters
from last year's group, here against
Wisconsin.

Iowa is lead by the dean of Big Ten football coaches, as Kirk Ferentz enters his 17th season as head coach. Iowa has finished 7-6, 4-8, 8-5 and 7-6 over the past four seasons and has not won a bowl game, since 2010.

The Hawkeyes actually were in the division race heading into the final two games at Kinnick Stadium last year, but lost 26-24 to Wisconsin, then lost 37-34 in OT to Nebraska to finish 4-4 in the Big Ten West.

Defense is often the key to success in the Big Ten. The top programs generally rank high in defense. Defense often fuels programs like Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Nebraska, the four programs that have played in the Big Ten title game over the past four seasons.

Junior QB Mitch Leidner is back
leading the Golden Gophers in '15.

One program that will likely build success off their defense in 2015 is the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Coach Jerry Kill enters his fifth season at Minnesota, coming off his first winning Big Ten
season at 5-3. However, the Golden Gophers have not beat Wisconsin, since 2003, falling 34-24 in Madison, last season.

The 2015 College Football
TSN preview considers
Minnesota the Big Ten's
"underrated" program, while
Northwestern's receives the
"overrated" program tag.

The Golden Gophers offense must replace six starters, including their top rusher and four of five top receivers. The mix of ball control, defense and special teams will be the formula for the 2015 Gophers.

The Golden Gophers open the 2015 season on Thursday night in TCF Bank Stadium against a Top 4 team, with the TCU Horned Frogs coming to town. The Big Ten schedule will be a taxing as well, with a Big Ten game back to back on the road at Northwestern and Purdue, followed up with a Big Ten home opener vs. Nebraska. The out of division games are at home with Michigan, followed up with a game at Ohio State. The Golden Gophers travel to Iowa City, then finish of the Big Ten campaign with Illinois and Wisconsin at home.

Sophomore RB Justin Jackson
is back to build on his 1k season.

Northwestern has fallen on tough times with back to back to back 5-7 seasons under Pat Fitzgerald, who is entering his 10th season as head coach in Evanston. This was after a 10-3 season in 2012, with a 34-20 Gator Bowl win over Mississippi State.

Six starters are back on offense in 2015, including their leading rusher on the ground. But, the Wildcats are the only Big Ten West program, who have a question on who the #1 quarterback will be in 2015?

The offensive line has two new starters and was not highly regarded in 2014. The defense returns eight starters, but special teams are not highly regarded and the leader of the linebacker unit, Chi Chi Ariguzo has departed, leading questions in this unit for 2015.

The Wildcats open the 2015 season with Stanford coming to Ryan Field on Saturday of Week 1. Northwestern also travels to Duke in Week 3 of the 2015 College Football season.

Illinois is coming off their first bowl season, along with a win over Northwestern, under fourth year coach Mike Beckman. The Fighting Illini return junior QB Wes Lunt, along with seven other offensive starters. The offensive line will have to do a good job protecting their quarterback.

Junior QB Wes Lunt needs to remain
healthy, after missing five games, due
to injury in 2014.

Senior RB Josh Ferguson is one of eight
returning Illini offensive starters back.

Injuries are always a part of the game, and the Illini lost sophomore WR Mike Dudak to a knee injury during spring drills. Others will need to step up now in 2015.

The Fighting Illini return seven starters on the defensive side and have brought in a new co-DC Mike Phair, from the NFL.

Special teams should be decent heading into 2015, as well. The Fighting Illini face a challenging Big Ten schedule with a trip to Penn State and a date again with Ohio State. The Illini have a road trip to Tobacco Road and a date with North Carolina in the non-conference.

Lunt is the only letter-winner back at quarterback in 2015. So, durability will be very important for the former Oklahoma State quarterback, who has yet to complete a full season.  First year players back up the talented quarterback for the Illini.

Purdue enters their third season under coach Darrell Hazell. The Boilermakers are 1-15, with a 38-27 road win over Illinois last season. Otherwise, there continues to be a lot of work for the Boilermakers.

Eight starters return on offense, with seven starters back on defense. Special teams should be experienced, as well, for Hazell's third season.

The Boilermakers open the 2015 season on the road at Marshall on Sunday of the opening weekend. In Week 3, Virginia Tech comes to West Lafayette for another non-conference game. Indiana State and Bowling Green are the other two non-conference games in '15.

The Big Ten season opens with a road trip at Michigan State, then Minnesota comes to West Lafayette, followed by a road trip to Wisconsin. The Boilermakers will be battle tested in the first half of 2015.

The Dog Days of Summer are arriving soon in Iowa ...

The heat will soon arrive, with the coming of the Summer of 2015 ...

Iowa Football has been out of sync, since the Big Ten added divisions with Nebraska, then Maryland and Rutgers joining the conference.

Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes were 0-3 in the Legends/Leaders ...

Year one of the B1G West was a disappointing #4 finish last season, with a completely void trophy case.

The 2015 season is clearly one where opportunity knocks for Iowa. 

The Hawkeyes will depend on a strong group of seniors and key players stepping into new roles as starters on both offense and defense ...

Quarterback play is always important for a Big Ten offense ...

Junior QB C.J. Beathard will lead the Iowa offense in 2015,
 with the transfer of Jake Rudock to Michigan.

• WR 4 Tevaun Smith is one of the senior leaders for Iowa in 2015. A player to watch!
• LT 52 Boone Myers replaces Outland Trophy winner Brandon Scherff at left tackle
• LG 56 Eric Simmons, one of three seniors who could anchor the Iowa interior line?
• C 63 Austin Blythe is the senior anchor in the Iowa offensive line in 2015
• RG 65 Adam Walsh is a senior returning for his final season as a starter in the offensive line
• RT 75 Ike Boettger, like Myers, is a sophomore tackle who will flank the outside in '15!
• TE 80 Henry Kreiger Coble is a senior TE, who showed skills early as a frosh vs. Michigan
• QB 16 C.J. Beathard replaces two-year starter Jake Rudock. Higher risk-reward factor in '15!
• WR 89 Matt VandeBerg is a junior, who has hit the field running, since Day 1 in Iowa City ...
• FB 42 Macon Plewa or 38 Adam Cox should provide a solid 1-2 blocking punch at fullback!
• RB 33 Jordan Canzeri, senior, and 29 LeShan Daniels, junior, are back, and now healthy at RB

Iowa has some other factors on offense in 2015.

• Senior TE 87 Jake Duzey is expected back mid-season from off-season knee surgery. Duzey is the top returning TE in the Big Ten for '15! As a sophomore, scored an 85 yard TD at Ohio State ...
• Junior TE 46 George Kittle is another of the Iowa TEs to keep your eye on in 2015!
• Returning starter LG 79 Sean Welsh, a sophomore, is back, after a spring leave of absence
• 78 James Daniels, a true freshman lineman from Ohio, could emerge among the top Big Ten offensive line freshmen class Kirk Ferentz assembled in the off season for the Hawkeyes
• Two sophomore running backs may make noise in the 2015 running game, with 25 Akrum Wadley, only RB to run for 100 yards during the regular season; along with converted WR 32 Derrick Mitchell, Jr., looking to be in the mix in the ground game!
• Sophomore 10 Jonathan Parker was used in the slot last season. He has been moved from RB to WR, as fourth year OC Greg Davis does need others to step up at wide receiver in '15!
• Senior WR 17 Jacob Hillyer is the third most experienced wide-out back for the Hawkeyes

The Defense for the Hawkeyes ...

Junior DT Jaleel Johnson will be counted on to lead the new
interior defense for the Hawkeyes, with two vacancies from 2014.

• DE 34 Nate Meier, senior, heads into second season as a full-time starter, after arriving as LB
• DT 67 Jaleel Johnson, junior, was top backup at DT last season, as he steps up full-time in '15
• DT 98 Nathan Bazata, sophomore, he saw more action late in '14 as a redshirt freshman
• DE 95 Drew Ott is the anchor of the Iowa defensive line, now as a senior. 10.5 career sacks
• Iowa has five players to watch at starting linebacker, including two seniors with 39 Travis Perry and 38 Cole Fisher ... this unit dropped in 2014, after the departure of three strong seniors in 2013, with James Morris, Anthony Hitchens and Christian Kirksey departed ...
• WLB 41 Bo Bower, sophomore, who will move inside, after starting outside last year.
• MLB 43 Josey Jewell, sophomore, will move into the middle, after Quinton Alston's departure
• OLB 44 Ben Niemann, sophomore, solid special teams as a true freshman last year steps up
• CB 14 Desmond King, junior, is entering his third season as a full-time starter for the Hawks! 
• CB 13 Greg Mabin and 28 Maurice Fleming, both juniors, are King's two sidekicks for 2015!
• SS 19 Miles Taylor, sophomore, like Niemann, played special teams as a true frosh in '14
• FS 27 Jordan Lomax, senior, is back lead the secondary in his senior season, after making the move to safety from CB in 2014. Junior 12 Anthony Gair is a very capable back up for Lomax.

Other defensive players to watch in 2015 for Iowa:

• Senior DT 97 Darian Cooper is seeking a come back from a major knee injury that cost him the 2014 season. The jury is still out, but he one of 13 seniors on the Football Leadership Group for 2015. Iowa has tweaked the leadership group, heading into Ferentz's 17th season as dean the Big Ten football coaches.
• Two juniors 55 Faith Ekakitie and 61 Kyle Terlowe look to provide depth inside for Iowa
• Two youngsters 98 Matt Nelson and 40 Parker Hesse, both redshirt freshmen, will back up at DE for the Hawkeyes. Nelson is a bright young player, while Hesse is a converted LB.
• Two young linebackers 31 Aaron Mends and 20 Jameer Outsey, both redshirt freshmen, are expected to help in special teams.
• Redshirt freshman 37 Brandon Snyder will push newcomer Miles Taylor at strong safety. Sophomore 26 Kevin Ward looks to gain some time at safety, as well.
• Iowa will like have some young players step up to help in special teams, as well as on the defensive side of the football in 2015.

Special teams are supposed to be special, if Iowa is going to raise bar ...

Senior placekicker Marshall Koehn returns for the Hawkeyes,
after a 2014 unit that was young compared to this season.

• PK 1 Marshall Koehn, senior, could be among the strong placekickers back in '15 in Big Ten
• PT 16 Dillon Kidd, senior, became the new punter during the second half of the Big Ten season, last year. His father was a good one at Northwestern and Kidd needs to step up in '15!
• KR 10 Jonathan Parker, sophomore, was benched in 2014, but showed some good stats, before the mental lapses.
• PR 89 Matt VandeBerg, junior, role is the snag, catch and field the kick; then move forward for 10+ ... he is very capable and a player to watch in special teams, and as a wide receiver in '15!

The Big Ten West is far more open, unlike the East, where
Ohio State and Michigan State should dominate for #1.

The Big Ten West is open in 2015, with no real clear cut favorite? 

Senior C Austin Blythe will lead the Iowa offensive line in 2015

Unlike the 2015 Big Ten East race or the Big 12, any of the seven Big Ten West teams could come up and surprise in 2015. 

McIllece Sports gives every team in the Big Ten West a shot for the division title. Only Wisconsin and Nebraska have won a division, among the seven West teams. The Badgers and Cornhuskers each welcome a new head coach and new staff members in 2015, so neither coach has won a division either in the Big Ten. It is clearly fair to say "opportunity knocks" for the Hawkeyes and everyone in the B1G West in 2015 ...

Senior DE Drew Ott is the leader of the Iowa defense in '15.

Phil Steele sees six strong players leading Iowa, as they head into 2015. The annual Phil Steele preview magazine hits news stands on June 27th.

Fish or cut bait for Hawkeye fans in 2015?

Head Coach Kirk Ferentz won his first Big Ten title in his fourth season.
Iowa DC Phil Parker and OC Greg Davis, enter their fourth seasons,
as coordinators in 2015 for Ferentz, his 17th as head coach.

The Iowa Hawkeyes have a very favorable schedule, like the 2007 edition. Over the years, Iowa Football has stepped up and has fallen flat on their face, as well.

This appears to be a season, where opportunity knocks apply, given the many questions with the other six Big Ten West programs.

Last year was the 125th season of Iowa Football. They finished a disappointing 7-6. 

Back in 1989, Iowa's 100th season of college football, the Hawkeyes finished 5-6 under coach Hayden Fry, after eight straight bowl seasons, under the legendary coach at Iowa.

The following season, Iowa rebounded and won the Big Ten, after a five year drought. It was the last of three Big Ten titles under Coach Fry.

Could this be another rebound season for Iowa? The Hawkeyes have not won a division title before. This is season number five.

Welcome to the dog days of summer here in Iowa ...

Ranking the B1G West ahead of Big Ten Title Game: Ohio State vs. Wisconsin

Clear #1 - Wisconsin

No one is a clearly competitive enough to put at #2 in the B1G West

Not giving 2015 to Minnesota. Nebraska will have a new leader. Iowa has not performed well enough, since division play was established in Big Ten.

Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska have all failed to dethrone Wisconsin this year. Nebraska wasn't close.

Minnesota hasn't beat Minnesota, since 2003. Iowa won a B1G co-championship in 2004. Nebraska hasn't won anything, since 1999.

Mike Riley beat UW at Oregon State. He also got shutout the last game at UW. But, he is moving to Nebraska and the game will have even more importance.

Jerry Kill has beat Iowa and Nebraska, but never Wisconsin or did he win at NIU?
Wisconsin vs. Ohio State.

The Badgers have won B1G Title Games, as Michigan State did last year, after losing first to Wisconsin in the first ever Big Ten title game.

Ohio State has played in one.

Neither Michigan nor Ohio State have won a B1G title game.

Ohio State is there again. Can they join Wisconsin and Michigan State?

Northwestern is the only B1G West team to beat Wisconsin this year, so there is clearly some cink in the armor for the Badgers.

Northwestern can't beat Illinois this year. Illinois may be home for the holidays with the Wildcats and Purdue.

On Wisconsin.

They are #1. But for how long in the Big Ten? They are the favorite today?

Does Ohio State finally become top B1G dog or is probation still holding them back like the miss fire in the Tressel era and 2011 with probation?

2011 - On Wisconsin
2012 - On Wisconsin
2013 - Michigan State
2014 - Ohio State or Wisconsin
2015 - ????

Kirk Ferentz 2015-2017.

The window of opportunity is closing, but not closed for Iowa.

Here's to better days ahead for the Hawkeyes. Here's to the B1G West.

peace