Michigan Thursday: Looks At The Big Ten Weekend and Thinks About Jimmy Coaching The Next 2 Weeks

This is a strange weekend for the Big Ten.  It doesn't really have any huge games and a few weird match ups.   Lets take a look:


Most interesting game of the week:

Northwestern at Minnesota:  The Golden Gophers are a very quiet 7-3 and Northwestern needs one more win to be bowl eligible at 5-5 right now.   Northwestern has been playing pretty good football in the Big Ten put will need to travel to a cold Minneapolis.    Northwestern is actually favored by 1 point in this game.   Minnesota 28 Northwestern 24

Ohio State at MSU:  This was supposed to be the major match-up this weekend but MSU didn't play their part and only has 3 wins on the season.   They did blow out Rutgers last weekend at home and maybe have a little more confidence.   MSU for some reason always plays Ohio State tough, I still can't believe they beat them in Columbus last year.   Maybe it will rain and snow and keep this game close, as we know OSU hates traveling to The Great Lakes State.   OSU is favored by 21.5 points.   OSU 31 MSU 14

Iowa at Illinois:  Iowa got a huge win last weekend, when Michigan decided not to show up.   They won't have too much trouble with Illinois this weekend.  Iowa -9.5.   Iowa 18 Illinois 10

Maryland at Nebraska:  I'm betting DJ is happy this is his last game in a killer stretch of Michigan, OSU and Nebraska.   They get Rutgers next week for a Bowl Game.  Nebraska -13.   Nebraska 41 Maryland 28

Wisconsin at Purdue:  Wisconsin -27.5 

Penn State at Rutgers: PSU -28
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We all know Jimmy is a great football coach.  These next two weeks are going to test how good he really is.   Jimmy is known as a great QB coach and his first string QB may or may not play this weekend against a team that Michigan has had trouble with in the past. Not to mention having to take a back up to Columbus.   If Wilton is healthy enough to play, he will have missed most of the week of practice and is coming off his worst start of his career.

The team last week was not up for playing a night game in Iowa.   That offensive performance last weekend was dreadful.   This IU team is improved on the defensive side of the football and I would say maybe not as explosive on offense as they've have been the last few years.   IU is 5-5 and looking for a signature win and have played OSU and PSU tough, but lost.   They want this victory very badly against a team that might be looking to next week. 

The coaches understand this and will have "to over coach" these next two weeks.  This is the first time in a long time, Michigan has the talent and coaching to match-up with OSU.   Do they have the confidence to win?   That question will be answered next weekend.   They need to keep their sites set on Indiana this weekend.

• The grapevine has been saying, people have seen Wilton around campus without a sling and seems to be walking normally (meaning arms swinging, etc).

• #1 Player in the nation RB Najee Harris will take an official to Ann Arbor. Probably sometime in December.

•  4-star CB and ND commit Elijah Hicks will visit A2 this weekend.

• High winds are expected on Saturday during the game 20-40 mph