Big Ten Round Table, Week Nine

This week's Big Ten Round Table is brought to Nittany White Out.

1. We're approaching week 9 now, are you pleasantly surprised or
already waiting for basketball season?

Can't I be both? I am very excited that the Spartans are 6-2, but that loss against OSU is the type of loss that usually sends MSU into its much proclaimed season-ending slide. That said, I don't think it'll happen this year, I believe that the next three games are all winnable (@ Michigan, Wisconsin, Purdue, tell me you don't see at least two wins in there) before the death march to Happy Valley to end the season. As for basketball, I cannot wait until the November 16th Idaho game to start the season. Even though Neitzel isn't around anymore, Kalin Lucas is a more than capable point, and a front court of Suton, Morgan, Gray and Roe is one I'm anticipating to see on the court. In short, I like the football season so far, but c'mon, I'm an MSU blogger, I'll always be waiting around for Basketball to start.

2. Describe one specific play from this season you would alter for a
different outcome if you had the chance to.

The play just happened last week, in the 1st quarter of the OSU game. Keshawn Martin had just caught a screen from Hoyer, passed the first down marker, and promptly got hit by an OSU player. Martin fumbles, another Buckeye picks up the ball and returns it deep into MSU territory. This is when I started to get a feeling that luck wasn't on the Spartans' side, and if I could change it, I'd have Martin bust through for a TD, tying the score at seven, and staving off OSU momentum for at least a little longer.


3. How could it (#2) possibly impact the way your season is going?

Seeing as how I'm talking about MSU, if this were the past, it's completely in the realm of possibilty that the Spartans could lose all their games from here on out, going 6-6. However, if one saw the Purdue and Penn State games from last year, previous results exist that state that MSU won't throw the season in the crapper just because a few bad breaks hit. The play could start a tailspin, I'm betting that it won't.

4. Big Ten player you just can't stand, why?

I'm going to go to basketball for this one, and I'll say it's Purdue guard/forward/catchall Robbie Hummel. This feeling is more out of respect than anything else; he has little effect the whole game, and when the late second half rolls around, he starts making threes, getting every defensive rebound, and getting to the foul line. If Marquise Gray ate him (assuming there's enough meat on his bones to constitute a full meal), I'd be a happy man.

5. Boo'ing your own team (we've seen quite a lot of this across the Big Ten this season), your feelings on this.

The only time this could possibly be considered kosher is if the team is visibly dogging it on the field. Don't give me that tired "We're booing the coaches" line, do you possibly think anyone can possibly know that (Unless, of course, said coach decides to take the ball first in OT. Then you may flame away.)? These are college kids we're talking about here, they've got class obligations on top of football. They're not professionals, so cut them some slack if they screw up. Even if they turn over the ball five times in what was called the biggest game in a decade. I'll cry over here now.

BONUS ROUND!!!!!11!!!!!!!

1. Number of beers or alcoholic drinks consumed by week 8 (or a good estimate).

This probably will still be a bad estimate. But let's see...5 tailgates + 1 wedding attended as groomsman + currently in MSU with tough major...I'm guessing it's over 100, and 125 would be a better guess. It sounds like a lot, but that averages to about two drinks a day (Ed. note - that number is for the entire College Football season up until today. If we're talking about drinks consumed during week 8, I'd say it's about 20 - 5 during the week before the OSU game, 15 the day of. It sounds like a lot, but keep in mind I got to campus around 9 to tailgate, and went out after.).

2. Most annoying commercial seen this season.

Second place is anything referencing "Frank TV", but first is far and away this one. Warning - will make you want to break your monitor over your knee.



You do the math, I'll do your castration, buddy.

3. Your prediction for the next coaching change in the Big Ten (Joe Tiller exempt)

The easy answer here is JoePa, but I'm betting he goes at least one more year, and I'm also betting someone will get fired midseason in 2009. If I had to guess right now, I'll go out on a limb and say that Bret Bielema gets the pink slip first, if only because Iowa's improving, and the expectations for the Badgers have popped this season, and I don't really see them making a drastic improvement next year.