The Big 10 and MAC square off in five games as the 2006 college football season gets underway. While Ohio State, a preseason BCS favorite, and the rest of the Big 10 are looking to skate to 'easy wins,' the Kent States and Miami of Ohios will be out to make things tough on the bigger schools and gain some respect for the MAC.
The opening weekend of the college football season includes five interesting non-conference backyard battles between teams from the Big 10 and from the MAC.
Now usually, the teams from the smaller conferences will visit the big schools for these types of bouts, hoping to cash in on a decent payday while getting bashed in on the scoreboard. But of these five games, two will be played at the smaller schools and one on a neutral field.
The Northwestern Wildcats, coming off an emotional offseason after the sudden death of head coach Randy Walker back in July, visit Walker’s alma mater, Miami of Ohio Thursday night (7 p.m. ET, ESPNU). Young NU grad and former linebacker Pat Fitzgerald takes over for Walker, and has with him 16 returning starters from a season ago. The Wildcats will be led by one of the best offensive lines in D1.
Miami averaged 34 points per game last season and the defense ranked third in the MAC. But just seven starters are back for the Red Hawks, only two of those on defense. Northwestern played two games last year vs. MAC teams, beating Ohio 38-14 as 14-point favorites and outlasting Northern Illinois 38-37 as two-point chalk. Miami began its season last year by losing at Ohio State 34-14 as 16-point underdogs. This game opened up as a pick ‘em, but the Wildcats have been bet up to four-point favorites. The over/under is posted at 55½.
Also Thursday night, the Minnesota Golden Gophers take on the Kent State Golden Flashes in Ohio. Glen Mason’s Gophers return 11 starters from a season ago, but RB Laurence Maroney (1,464 yards rushing last season) is not among them. Kent State suffered through a miserable 2005, winning just one game, scoring only 40 points over the final five games of the season, ranking dead last in D1 with just 46 rushing yards per game and allowing 30 points per game. But the Flashes do return 19 starters. Kent State went up against one Big 10 team last year, falling 49-14 to Michigan State as 19-point dogs. The Gophers are 16½-point chalk for this game, with a total of 52½.
The Northern Illinois Huskies, favorites to win the MAC this season, visit the favorites to win the national title, the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday afternoon. NI led the MAC in offense last year, ranked second in defense and made it to the conference title game (losing a heartbreaker to Akron). This season, the Huskies return seven starters on that defense as well as the leading returning D1 rusher, Garrett Wolfe (1,580 yards in ‘05).
On the other side, Ohio State probably will field the most explosive offense they’ve had under head coach Jim Tressel. It features playmaking QB Troy Smith, WR Ted Ginn and a Top 5 offensive line. And the Buckeye special teams are among the very best in the country. Northern Illinois lost but covered the spread last year in games vs. both Michigan and Northwestern, while OSU beat Miami-Ohio 34-14 as 16-point favorites. The Buckeyes opened up as 20½-point chalk for this matchup, but that number has been bet down to 18½. The total sits at 50.
The Akron Zips, surprise champions of the MAC last year, open up with a game at Penn State on Saturday afternoon. Akron tied for first in the MAC East last season, then upset Northern Illinois in the conference title game. This year the Zips return seven starters from the second-ranked defensive unit in the conference, four offensive linemen and QB Luke Getsy.
Coach Paterno’s returning troops include possibly the best linebacking corps in college football (led by Butkus Award winner Paul Posluszny), but replacing QB Michael Robinson will be tough. Akron lost at Purdue early last year 49-24 as 35-point dogs, while the Nittany Lions pounced all over their only MAC opponent, Central Michigan, 40-3 as 23-point chalk. Penn State opened up as 23½-point favorites for this game, but that figure has been bet all the way down to 16½.
The fifth Big 10-MAC matchup of this weekend involves the Wisconsin Badgers and the Bowling Green Falcons, who hook up Saturday evening at Browns Stadium in Cleveland. This will be the debut for new Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema, who takes over as the hand-picked successor to Barry Alvarez (who only won three Rose Bowls while in charge in Madison). But Bielema and his Badgers may begin this season without starting QB John Stocco, who had knee surgery just a few weeks ago. His status is still uncertain for Saturday, and that’s why the line and total on this game (Wisconsin -9½, 51) are circled.
BG must replace eight defensive starters from last season and QB Omar Jacobs, but returns four offensive linemen. These two teams hooked up last season in Madtown, where the Badgers outscored the Falcons 56-42 as two-point chalk.
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Big 10 battles MAC to open season
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