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9/03/2006

Sunday walk-through: Pigskin and Pepto

If you spent your weekend devouring all the Big Ten football you could find, you're probably waking up this morning with an uncomfortable knot in your stomach. Michigan State struggled to get past Idaho, Michigan looked uninterested against Vanderbilt, and Iowa and Purdue had issues with Division I-AA teams Montana and Indiana State before pulling away late. Well, put down the Pepto cause everything will be all right.

It's our nature to overanalyze everything our favorite (or least favorite) teams do, and especially after Week 1 - when there's only one performance in the dossier - that analysis can lead to dangerous conclusions. Sure, there were some danger signs. I mean, Purdue leading the mighty Sycamores by five at halftime? But most Big Ten teams got out of Week 1 what it was worth - an easy victory that left plenty to build on.

Among the bright spots: MSU found a defensive star in Otis Wiley (and the secondary breaths a sigh of relief); Michigan has committed to a more aggressive defense (you don't think they showed everything with Notre Dame in two weeks, do you?); Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter is a stud (or better than Brandon Kirsch, at least); and Iowa has a pretty good core (one that'll get even better when starters Herb Grigsby, Ken Iwebema and Kyle Schlicher return).

And to show how just how insignificant Week 1 can be, the happiest Big Ten team of all was probably Minnesota, which found a solution to its questionable running back depth in converted linebacker Alex Daniels. The Gophers looked great and Daniels ran great against Kent State, but they're headed into a literal Bears den next week when they play at California, a team that was drilled by Tennessee and really has a lot to prove in Week 2.

Punt, pass and kick: Punt: Central Michigan coach Brian Kelly sure made a couple goofy coaching decisions in Thursday's loss to Boston College. That ill-conceived trick play late got a lot of TV time, but the real stinker was the botched fourth-down play late in the first half.

Pass: Daniels gets this week's game ball for his 155-yard, three-touchdown debut at running back. Minnesota quarterback Bryan Cupito jokingly called Daniels "Laurence Maroney" after the game, but Kent State defenders weren't laughing when they were getting trucked by the 6-foot-3, 255-pound bull.

Kick: There's two great games on the docket next week. Ohio State's trip to Texas could be a 1-2 showdown, and Penn State travels to South Bend to face a Notre Dame team that, get this, won with defense. Rest up cause it'll be another great Saturday.

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