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Those wacky Iowa fans. It wasn't so long ago they were steamed over losing favorite son Bob Stoops to Oklahoma and forced to settle for Kirk Ferentz as coach. Now all they have is a coach the NFL wants and what could become one of the best teams in school history.
Now, the problem: The Big Tens rotating schedule means the conference's two best teams--Ohio State and Iowa--won't play this season. And if 9-0 Ohio State wins out, it qualifies for the Rose Bowl based on best overall record. The 8-1 Hawkeyes have the easiest remaining road to the conference title, with games left against Wisconsin and Northwestern at home and a trip to surprising Minnesota to finish the season.
Iowa likely will play in a BCS game if it takes care of business in those three very winnable games. That's saying plenty for a team that lost 19 of its first 23 games under Ferentz. Ohio State, meanwhile, faces a Minnesota this weekend and has a potential trap looming at Purdue on November 9. Then there's that little game against Michigan on November 23 at Ohio Stadium that, for the first time since 1997, likely will have league- and national-title ramifications.
Champion: Ohio State
Go ahead and get geeked for this weekend. Break down the big game between Colorado and Oklahoma. Talk about how the Sooners are the best big-game team in the country and ...