No. 10 Iowa can match its best start with victory at Indiana

By foxsports
Published

Some things to watch in the Big Ten during Week 10 of the season:

GAME OF THE WEEK: No. 10 Iowa can go 9-0 to match its best start in program history if it can beat Indiana (4-4, 0-4) and avoid what looks to be a trap game in Bloomington. The Hoosiers are coming off an open date, and they have the Big Ten's top passer in Nate Sudfeld. Iowa counters with an aggressive secondary led by CB Desmond King, who is tied for the NCAA lead with seven interceptions. The Hoosiers probably must score plenty of points to pull the upset because their defense continues to be the Big Ten's worst.

BEST MATCHUP: Penn State QB Christian Hackenberg vs. Northwestern secondary. Over the last six games Hackenberg has thrown for 12 touchdowns, run for two, passed for 250 yards four times and is on a career-best streak of 164 pass attempts without an interception. The Wildcats are third in the Big Ten in pass defense and have given up a league-low three TDs through the air.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Wisconsin leads the nation in scoring defense (11.0 ppg). The Badgers have allowed six touchdowns and 64 points in the eight games since their season-opening 35-17 loss to Alabama. The Badgers have finished No. 1 in scoring defense two times. The 1951 ''Hard Knocks'' defense (6.6 ppg) posted two shutouts, and only one opponent scored more than seven points. The 1998 Big Ten and Rose Bowl championship team (10.2 ppg) had two shutouts and held two opponents to three points.

LONG SHOT: Nebraska (3-6, 1-4) is a five-point underdog at home against No. 6 Michigan State (8-0, 4-0), which should be fresh after an open date. The Cornhuskers have played nine straight weeks without a break and are banged up and worn out. QB Tommy Armstrong, who missed last week's embarrassing loss at Purdue with a foot injury, should be back. The Spartans have had close calls against Purdue and Rutgers, and Nebraska's Memorial Stadium can be a tough environment at night.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Ohio State QB Cardale Jones has been thrust back into the starter's job following J.T. Barrett's arrest last week, and he can play with a free mind against Minnesota because he knows Barrett won't be taking over if he makes a mistake.