Look, Northwestern ... we need to talk. It's been a long time since the days of "Interstate 94, Northwestern 0," hasn't it? Some programs have a couple bad years. You guys had a couple bad decades.

That's all behind you now. Since the improbable Rose Bowl run in 1995, you've turned from a punchline into a program. No, you haven't quite broken through to the elite level yet, but I can think of many programs that wouldn't trade their last decade and a half for yours. As recently as 1994, nobody respected you. That's not the case any more.

So now it's time to do something about that non-conference schedule.

It's been a long, long time since you played anybody with a pulse in the non-conference season. I get why you keep playing Brainiac Bowls with the likes of Duke, Vanderbilt, and Rice. You recruit against those schools. You know full well that you're just a bit beyond those schools on the football field.

The last time a decent team from an automatic qualifier conference showed up on your schedule was in 2004 and 2005 -- the home-and-home with Arizona State. Those games didn't work out so well for you, I know, but that's no excuse for slumming in the dregs of the MAC and the Missouri Valley. You ought to try a higher level of competition. Yeah, you might lose a game before the Big Ten season starts. It won't be the end of the world. In fact, it might even help you in close games down the road.

You might even win against a quality opponent. It's happened before. One year you even beat Texas, 3-0, in a year when Texas won the Cotton Bowl. That was the last time you beat a team from an AQ conference (other than the Big Ten) in a year when that team won a bowl game. When, exactly, did this happen?

1942. It's entirely possible your coach's parents weren't even born yet.

Yeah, I know. Boston College is back on the schedule next season. It hasn't had a losing season since 1998. It's a start. You need to aim higher every year, though. Then maybe the coaches will give you more votes than, say, an Arizona State team that hasn't played an FBS opponent yet. The media might even be willing to give more than one measly 25th-place vote. Raise your profile. You're good enough, you're obviously smart enough and doggone it, people like you.

Right. The games.

Northern Illinois at Illinois

It turns out the Illini might not be dead yet. They totally dominated Southern Illinois last week, a team I honestly expected to beat them. Now comes Northern Illinois, a team that might be a bit distracted right now. Nathan Scheelhaase has a way to go, but for once I feel comfortable picking Ron Zook to win a game he should win. Illinois 34, Northern Illinois 13

Indiana at Western Kentucky

Nebraska beat WKU by 39 points. Kentucky beat the Hilltoppers by 35. Your move, Bill Lynch. Indiana 38, Western Kentucky 10

Iowa at Arizona

This is easily the game of the week in the Big Ten. Iowa is looking sharp and focused through two weeks. The same could not be said last season. These two teams met in week 3 last year in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes won that one by 10 points. Some people are guessing that Iowa won't be able to handle the desert heat. Some people obviously didn't spend any time in Iowa this summer. Iowa hasn't faced a quarterback as good as Nick Foles, but Arizona hasn't faced a defense as good as Iowa's. This will be a fight, but Iowa has more weapons. Iowa 17, Arizona 14

Massachusetts at Michigan

Denard Robinson. Seventy-five miles per hour, shoelaces untied. All you need to know. Michigan 44, UMass 7

Notre Dame at Michigan State

Brian Kelly's first road trip is back to some familiar territory. I'm not exactly sure Notre Dame is back, especially after Purdue's struggles with Western Illinois last week. Sparty has played fantastic defense through the first two weeks, which is what we all expected. The shocker, though, has been MSU's ground game, which is just out of the top 10 nationally. This should be a pretty good game, but I think Sparty's more experienced defense can stymie the Irish enough to let Edwin Baker and Le'Veon Bell grind the clock. Michigan State 24, Notre Dame 21

Southern Cal at Minnesota

Yes, I know, I said "Leave Tim Brewster alone!" Not in a million years did I think the Gophers would lose to South Dakota. That's what I get for forgetting that they don't play defense. Ever. It's tempting to say the Trojans are going to beat the Gophers by at least 143 points but, well, USC hasn't put together a complete game yet. This game will be less decisive than some people suspect, but there's no way Minnesota wins. And yes, I know who USC's coach is. Even he can't screw this up. Can he? Southern Cal 38, Minnesota 24

Northwestern at Rice

See, Northwestern? This is what I mean. I'm sitting here debating whether Rice or Central Michigan is the best team you'll play out of conference this year. Rice, at least, has beaten an FBS team in the first two weeks (unlike Vanderbilt), even if it was only North Texas, and even if it was only by one point. Suck it up, Wildcats. Northwestern 27, Rice 10

Ohio at Ohio State

If Terrelle Pryor is still playing after halftime of this game, somebody needs to start pulling threads out of Jim Tressel's sweater vest. I imagine that would make him so angry he might even say something. Ohio State 56, Ohio 7

Kent State at Penn State

The Golden Flashes aren't terrible. Even though Kent State turned the ball over five times last week, Boston College still only won by 13. The Flashes held BC to just 87 yards rushing, too. Of course, that was 21.75 times as many rushing yards as Kent State put up itself. And remember, Boston College is an ACC team. Penn State 31, Kent State 3

Ball State at Purdue

I feel for Danny Hope. He got a talented (if impulsive) quarterback in Robert Marve, and then his top receiver, Keith Smith, wrenched his knee late in last week's Western Illinois game. The Boilermakers didn't have a commanding lead so it's not like Hope should have pulled Smith earlier. Smith's injury is beyond bad; he's out for the season.

Of greater concern to Hope is that Western Illinois outgained the Boilermakers, 406-402. A visit from Ball State might be what Purdue's defense needs to get its priorities straight. The Cardinals have struggled on offense in their first two games, and that's putting it mildly. The Ball State defense has been stout and it's been a long time since Purdue has blown up any opponent. You have to go all the way back to the end of the 2008 season to find the last time Purdue held an opponent under 14 points. This might be the week that changes, but Purdue is still a work in progress. Purdue 31, Ball State 10

Arizona State at Wisconsin

ASU quarterback Steven Threet has played at Camp Randall once before, as a member of the 2008 Michigan team. Threet provided the only highlights in what was the worst-played college football game I've ever watched. Both teams were sloppy. Neither deserved to win, but Michigan pulled off a 27-25 upset.

Memories of that slipshod 2008 Badger team have come back to haunt the Wisconsin faithful this year. Through two games the Badgers are 2-0, but haven't looked good in getting there. John Clay has been incredible, of course, but the focus and intensity that characterized last year's team have yet to appear this year. Badger fans need to see a strong, four-quarter performance in advance of the conference season.

But is Arizona State a team they can dominate? Not only has Threet beaten the Badgers before, but the Sun Devils have been putting up points and yards like mad. Of course, all this success has come against FCS opponents Portland State and Northern Arizona, who were a combined 7-15 last season. Nobody talks about it much, but Dennis Erickson's tenure in Tempe hasn't followed the same trajectory as the rest of his career. In 2007, his first year, ASU was 10-3. Since then, he's gone 11-15. His teams have seldom been on the wrong end of a blowout but the wins have been hard to come by.

I wouldn't argue if you said both these teams were untested. I think Arizona State has had it a little too easy, though. Wisconsin's first two games were uglier than a box full of kidneys, but there's a hidden benefit to that. It knows what can go wrong. Wisconsin 27, Arizona State 13

Next Week's Games

Akron at Indiana: MACrifice
Ball State at Iowa: MACrifice
Bowling Green at Michigan: MACrifice
Northern Colorado at Michigan State: BSCrifice
Northern Illinois at Minnesota: I was going to say MACrifice, but the Gophers might lose this one
Central Michigan at Northwestern: MACrifice
Eastern Michigan at Ohio State: MACrifice
Temple at Penn State: Technically not a true MACrifice
Toledo at Purdue: MACrifice
Austin Peay at Wisconsin: Seriously, clean your gutters or something
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Tags: bill lynch, brian kelly, danny hope, denard robinson, dennis erickson, edwin baker, jim tressel, john clay, keith smith, leveon bell, nick foles, pickin on the big ten, robert marve, ron zook, steven threet, terrelle pryor, tim brewster