Purdue at #12 Notre Dame

[IE]

Purdue at #12 Notre Dame ? Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Eastern - NBC

12th-ranked Notre Dame is hoping they don?t need another miracle rally this week to stay in the BCS bowl picture, as they host undefeated Purdue on Saturday.
The Irish nearly lost their second straight game last week but game back from 16 points down midway through the fourth quarter to win 40-37. Notre Dame kept their BCS bowl hopes alive with that victory and quarterback Brady Quinn may have gotten back into the Heisman Trophy race. After going 2-of-8 for 6 yards in the first quarter as Michigan State took a 17-0 lead, he went 18-of-28 for 313 yards with five touchdowns the rest of the way.
''It doesn't get any better than that,'' head coach Charlie Weis. ''The game was on the line, he threw five touchdown passes. What more can you say? That's what good quarterbacks do.?
Notre Dame's defense which has been pretty pathetic now must face a Purdue team which ranks fifth nationally with 40.8 points per game and 10th with 461.5 yards per contest. ''We're like the weather right now,'' Weis said. ''Seriously, I mean it would be tough to evaluate us right now because I really don't think we've established a personality at this point. I think when it's all said and done, this will all settle down.''
Notre Dame is a 14 point favorite with a total of 62 at SBGGlobal.
Purdue takes a seven-game winning streak into this contest - its longest since a 10-game run from 1998-99. Purdue was able to slip by Minnesota last week but they know things get tougher.
''We're better than we were last week, and we also played a better opponent,'' Boilermakers coach Joe Tiller said. Quarterback Curtis Painter completed 18-of-27 for 243 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Jaycen Taylor had 90 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.
Purdue lost 49-28 at home last season to Notre Dame as Quinn threw for 440 yards and three touchdowns. Quinn had 432 yards passing when the Boilermakers visited South Bend in 2004, but the Irish lost 41-16. Notre Dame leads the all-time series 50-25-2.
Expect a lot of points between these two teams so take the OVER.

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[IE]

#1 Ohio State at #13 Iowa ? Saturday, 8:00 p.m. Eastern - ABC

#1 Ohio State (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) is the team to beat in both the Big Ten and the nation, outscoring their first four opponents 124-32 and receiving 59 of 65 first-place votes in this week's Top 25. The last time Ohio State went into Iowa City though, it suffered its most lopsided defeat under head coach Jim Tressel.
Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith looks to keep his Heisman run going. He has completed 66 percent of his passes for 884 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions. His 159.9 passer rating leads the Big Ten.
Ohio State was able to get by on Saturday against Penn State winning 28-6. The win was the second over a ranked opponent for Ohio State, which defeated defending national champion and then-No. 2 Texas 24-7 on Sept. 9.
''They have had four tests and they've passed them, some with better grades than others,'' Tressel said about his team. ''They've incrementally gotten better. And (Saturday) they face a veteran quarterback and an outstanding running back and a good football team that will be the next test.''
The Hawkeyes come into the game unbeaten as well. (4-0, 1-0).The Buckeyes won last season's meeting with Iowa, 31-6 on Sept. 24, 2005, at Columbus. Smith passed for 191 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for 127 yards and two more scores. Ohio State gained 314 yards on the ground, while holding the Hawkeyes to minus-9.
Ohio State is a 6.5 point favorite with a total of 43.5 at SBGGlobal.
The Hawkeyes have won 32 of their last 35 games at Kinnick Stadium. ''We know we must be intense,'' Ohio State guard T.J. Downing said. ''We also know that they're one of the top couple of teams in the Big Ten and we'll have to play a great game if we want to walk out of Kinnick Stadium with a win.''
The Hawkeyes are 0-7-1 in their history against No. 1 schools, including a 49-0 loss at Ohio State on Oct. 11, 1975. The Hawkeyes also have yet to face a ranked opponent this season. Their victories have come over Division I-AA Montana, and three Division I-A teams - Syracuse, Iowa State, and Illinois - with a combined record of 5-7.
''As an athlete and competitor, this is what you live for,'' Iowa safety Miguel Merrick said of the matchup with Ohio State. ''This is why you play the games. Whenever you have the best, you want to step it up and have a good game.''
''The good news is, I don't think we've hit stride yet, or played our best football - I hope we haven't,'' said Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz. ''We have to find a way to upgrade that quickly in the next seven days because we're playing an outstanding (team). I can't remember Ohio State ever having a bad team.''
Ohio State has won nine of the last 10 meetings with Iowa. The rivals will not meet again until 2009 at Columbus.
Look for that trend to continue and take Ohio State minus the points.

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