The 2015 All Big Ten Football team has selected its first team which includes a few players from each team. “You think in a game like this, whoever does come out will be in the playoffs”. For the second straight year, the conference housing the defending national champion (Ohio State) is all but assured of being a part of the playoff. Iowa is fifth in the conference in scoring defense, while Michigan State is just behind them at sixth. The victor will hoist a trophy and continue their pursuit of a bigger one.
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“He’s got some good size, he’s got speed, everything you want in a cornerback”, Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook said. But I don’t think it will be easy.
Two of a kind, one will realize his long-term goals Saturday. They’ve played on college football’s biggest stages and established themselves as one of the sport’s dominant forces.
Best Bet: Take Michigan State at -3.5, they will cover. Heading into the Big Ten Championship game, there’s no sense in changing things now. Alabama, Clemson and Oklahoma look like they will be the other teams in the mix and Michigan State would love to pull off a win to end Iowa’s ideal season.
What’s the Big Ten title game without a blowout? I’m not here to say this is the best conference. The Hawkeyes have snatched 17 interceptions and have been opportunistic when opposing quarterbacks make bad decisions.
Iowa hasn’t been tested against a team as well-coached and battle-tested as the Spartans this season. The UNDER is 4-2 in the last six games between the Spartans and the Hawkeyes.
The Hawkeyes, perhaps better than any team in the country, have excelled in the fourth quarter this season.
In fact, the feeling from both Michigan State and Iowa is that theyll have their hands full Saturday trying to stop quarterbacks who simply know how to win.
In the late 1980s, Kirk Ferentz served as Iowa’s offensive line coach and Mark Dantonio coached Youngstown State’s secondary for Jim Tressel. The Hawkeyes control the ball, averaging 4.8 yards per carry, and also have big play ability.
While Michigan State and Iowa haven’t played since 2013 – that was a 26-14 win for Michigan State when Cook established himself is MSU’s starter – there is certainly a familiarity. This season, he has thrown for 14 touchdowns and just three interceptions. There’s also the “Taps and Touchdowns” event at Pan Am Plaza.
The one thing the Hawkeyes always stuck to was their belief in Ferentz, a trait they showed all season by rallying behind him since January. Cook dealt with a shoulder injury earlier in the season and this will be his second game since coming back. Each team that participates in the playoffs gets an expense allowance, which is typically a couple million dollars for the players, families, and donors to get to and from their destination.MSU senior center Jack Allen and junior left tackle Jack Conklin both were named All-Big Ten first team on Tuesday.
Cook got the nod over Maxwell against FCS opponent Youngstown State and the offense chose to break out for 55 points, Cook himself went 15/22 for 202 yards and four TD passes.
Michigan State will have to keep an eye on Iowa RB Jordan Canzeri, who has rushed for 1,009 yards and scored 12 TDs.
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The Hawkeyes got a crash course in the Spartans’ defensive scheme September 19 in a 27-24 victory over Pittsburgh.
