Clinched Bowl Eligibility:
Needs just one more win, should easily be bowl eligible:
Now we get to the more questionable teams:
4-2 Maryland, needs to go at least 2-4 against @MN, vsIU, vsPSU, @MSU, vsM, @RU:
Three weeks ago the Terps were riding high at 4-0 and just outside the top-25 (second in ORV). They were a trendy upset pick to knock off the visiting Hawkeyes on a Friday night and bowl eligibility looked like it was almost in the bag. Maryland actually led Iowa 7-3 at the end of the first quarter and then everything imploded. Iowa scored on the first play of the second quarter en-route to 31 second-quarter points. At halftime the Terps were down 34-7 and they ended up losing by 37 points.
You would think that was rock bottom but it wasn't. The next week Maryland visited Columbus and the hosts were not gracious at all. The Terps trailed 56-10 at one point and eventually lost by 49.
After getting flat annihilated two weeks in a row the Terps had a much needed week off and this weekend they travel to Minneapolis to face the Gophers. They need two wins so they'll either have to win two out of three against MN, IU, and RU or else pull off a big upset of PSU, MSU, or M. That makes this weekend's game critical.
4-2 Minnesota, needs to go at least 2-4 against vsUMD, @NU, vsIL, @IA, @IU, vsUW:
If they can consistently play like the team that trashed Colorado, beat Purdue, beat Nebraska, and competed with Ohio State they'll EASILY obtain bowl eligibility. If they consistently play like the team that lost to BGSU and barely beat Miami, OH, then they will not win again. They *SHOULD* make it but this weekend's game against Maryland could be telling. With a win they will only be one game from eligibility with IL still on the schedule. With a loss they'll still need two wins and those are tougher.
4-2 Purdue, needs to go at least 2-4 against vsUW, @UNL, vsMSU, @tOSU, vsNU, vsIU:
Obviously if they have turned a massive corner and their performance in Kinnick was Purdue's "new normal" they are a serious threat to win the B1G-W and bowl eligibility will be attained in a couple weeks. OTOH, if that was just "Spoilermakers strike again" and they fall on their face this could get tricky. None of the remaining games looks like a given.
3-3 Northwestern, needs to go at least 3-3 against @M, vsMN, vsIA, @UW, vsPU, @IL:
Fitz just might be able to find three wins there but he doesn't have a lot of margin for error.
3-3 Wisconsin, needs to go at least 3-3 against @PU, vsIA, @RU, vsNU, vsUNL, @MN:
This week will be telling. I've been more bullish than most here about Wisconsin for a few weeks and if they go out and smack the newly ranked Boilermakers around I'll be at least partially vindicated. Alternatively, if they lose in West Lafayette their remaining margin for error will be pretty thin.
3-4 Rutgers, needs to go at least 3-2 against @IL, vsUW, @IU, @PSU, vs UMD:
I'm having trouble finding three wins.
3-5 Nebraska, needs to go at least 3-1 against vsPU, vstOSU, @UW, vsIA:
With the loss to the Gophers the Cornhuskers are in serious trouble. To make a bowl they'd have to win the "winnable" games and pull some upsets.
2-4 Indiana, needs to go at least 4-2 against vstOSU, @UMD, @M, vsRU, vsMN, @PU:
Without a huge upset of either the Buckeyes or the Wolverines they'll have to be perfect against the other four.
2-5 Illinois, needs to go at least 4-1 against @PSU, vsRU, @MN, @IA, vsNU:
The Illini started out with a nice looking win over Nebraska but since then they are 1-5 and the only win was over Charlotte. Sadly it appears that they will be mathematically eliminated before Halloween.
