Big Ten football previews
Michigan State (2-3, 1-1) at Illinois (1-3, 0-2)
When: 11 a.m. at Memorial Stadium
TV: BTN; Radio: WIND 560-AM.
Series: Michigan State leads 23-17-2.
Coaches: Mark Dantonio (18-13, third year at MSU; 36-30 overall); Ron Zook (19-33, fifth year at Illinois; 42-47 overall).
Players to watch: Junior inside linebacker Greg Jones ranks second nationally in tackles with 12.0 per game. He also has 5.5 tackles for loss. Sophomore QBs Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol split time. While Cousins (78 of 125 for 1,002 yards and 7 TDs) gets more snaps, Nichol leads the Big Ten in passer efficiency. Their top target is Blair White, who ranks among the league's top four receivers in catches (29), yards (399) and TDs (4).
After 38 straight starts by Juice Williams, Illinois is giving the ball to redshirt junior QB Eddie McGee. He owns 714 passing yards, 299 rushing yards and 7 TDs in 16 career relief appearances. The Illini don't have anybody among the Big Ten's top 10 in rushing, passing or receiving. Punter Anthony Santella, who ranks fifth in punting average (38.5 yards), is the closest thing the Illini have to a league leader.
The skinny: Welcome to Illinois' 99th Homecoming celebration, which might not feel like much of a party at all. Illinois somehow has pieced together the Big Ten's worst offense (17.8 ppg) and the league's worst defense (29.8 ppg). While McGee's promotion probably won't change the offense's fortunes much, the Illini brain trust hope he'll be able to help the team's time of possession to take some pressure off the struggling defense as it faces the league leader in total offense (434.2 ypg). Michigan State has been the Big Ten's worst at pass defense - both in terms of yards and efficiency - so this might have been the week to keep Juice Williams in the lineup and let him try to pile up big plays.
Miami (Ohio) (0-5) at Northwestern (3-2)
When: 11 a.m. at Ryan Field
TV: BTN; Radio: WGN 720-AM WNUR 89.1-FM
Series: Miami leads 6-2
Coaches: Mike Haywood (0-5, first year at Miami); Pat Fitzgerald (22-20, fourth year at NU).
Players to watch: Miami redshirt freshman QB Zac Dysert has started the last two games and given the offense a boost. In his starts, Dysert has hit 64 of 100 passes for 623 yards, 2 TDs and 4 INTs. His favorite target is junior Armand Robinson, who owns 28 catches for 310 yards over the last three weeks. Redshirt freshman Matt Kennedy (Prospect HS) is slated to make his sixth start at right tackle, while sophomore Matt Kajmowicz (Hinsdale Central HS) should make his fourth start at defensive end.
Northwestern gets starting RB Stephen Simmons (31 carries, 150 yards, 2 TDs) back into the fold after missing the last three games with an ankle injury. He should ease the pressure on Northwestern's passing game, which finds senior QB Mike Kafka fourth in the country in completion rate (70.1 percent) and second in the Big Ten in total offense (263.8 ypg). CB Sherrick McManis has an interception in each of the last 2 games, a streak that could continue since the RedHawks figure to put up the ball about 50 times today.
The skinny: There are 120 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Miami, which has lost its last 10 games, ranks 120th in scoring (11.6 ppg) and 119th in scoring defense (40.8 ppg). Those averages are a little bit skewed because the RedHawks have faced No. 6 Boise State and No. 8 Cincinnati - and because they've been much better the last three weeks. Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald has chewed on his struggling offensive line all week, so pay attention to whether the Wildcats control the line of scrimmage against the RedHawks - and how the coaches shake up the line if they don't like what they're seeing. If things are going well, Northwestern should do much better than its 121.8 rushing yards per game average.