Michigan Monday: Big Ten's Big Toe

Have you ever broken a toe?  When it first happens, you think it shouldn't be so bad until you have to put weight on it and walk everyday.  It hurts.

That is how I think about the Big Ten in 2012.  The Big Ten broke their Big Toe and they keep running into things to re-injure it.  The joke of a Championship game was the last straw on a terrible season all around for a league with 12 teams, 2 more on the way that calls themselves the Big 10.    That Big Toe is broken and won't heal until maybe next year.  (or at least until basketball season)

We don't need to re-cap the car crash this Big Ten Football season has been and now a non-ranked 8-5 Wisconsin Badgers is representing the league in the Rose Bowl.   Speaking of Bowl Games here are the games the Big Ten will be playing in:

Rose: Wisconsin vs. Stanford

Capital One: Nebraska vs. Georgia

Outback: Michigan vs. South Carolina

Gator: Northwestern vs. Mississippi State

Dallas: Purdue vs. OK State

Buffalo Wild Wings:  MSU vs. TCU

Texas Bowl: Minnesota vs. Texas Tech


Vegas has yet to release lines for these games, but I don't expect any Big Ten team will be favored.  Wisconsin is already a 6.5 dog to Stanford.

Nebraska's embarrassing loss in the Championship game knocked Michigan to the Outback.  


The Michigan - South Carolina game should be interesting.  Both teams play good defense and both lost their top running backs to bad leg injuries.   Brady Hoke vs. the Old Ball Coach. 

If you haven't seen to many USC games this year, they have an NFL First Round (Top 5) player in DE Jadeveon Clowney who is just a Sophomore. 

Michigan has struggled against good defenses with Denard Robinson under center.  I expect we will see a ton of Devin at QB and Denard all over the field.   It will help if Denard is healthy enough to throw a pass if he has to when he lines up at QB.   Lewan vs. Clowney should be a good match-up. 

South Carolina lost back to back games this year to LSU and Florida.  They are 10-2 and ranked #10 in the BCS.