Big Ten's best coach? All signs point to Ohio State's Tressel

October 9, 5:06 PMMichigan Wolverines ExaminerFrank Benson

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Jim Tressel/AP

As Michigan tackles the road for the second straight week in conference play it’s time to grab a seat at the weekly Big Ten Football Roundtable of examiner.com beat writers.

This week’s questions come from Penn State. Here’s the Michigan response:

 1. After two weeks of Big Ten play are you ready to rip up your original Big Ten champion prediction, or is it still to soon to go back on your initial thinking? Please remind us who you predicted?

Our pick was Penn State and while it’s not too late to say the Lions are done, you have to acknowledge what Iowa did when the Hawkeyes ventured into Happy Valley and left with a win. The Hawkeyes are now the leaders and favorites but we still have a ways to go.

 2. The SEC is once again receiving high praise from the national media and with three teams in the top five it is not without some merit. Is the SEC the top conference right now?

Sure. Hats off to the SEC.

This Saturday when Michigan plays at Iowa at 8 p.m. on ABC the rating should be low, nationally because it's up against Florida at LSU on CBS.

But college football is so much more a regional sport than a national one. The SEC is great, but a lot of people still like to watch the Big Ten. And the Big Ten is open for business.

3. I have seen some questions floating around surrounding the vaule of the 12-game regular season in college football. As many teams seem to fill the extra game with a team from the FCS ranks, do you think a 12th game should continue for the good of the game? What might be an alternative solution?

Twelve games seem right. The season doesn’t seem overly long. In fact toward the end, everything drags too much for my taste. Some teams play FCS teams for an easy game and a big paycheck and that’s a separate issue for another time.

 4. You get to pick one coach from the entire Big Ten to use for one game that you to win. Who do you want coaching your team in a must-win game? To make this question more interesting, you can not pick the head coach of the team you cover.

This one’s easy. The man in the sweater vest seems to win every important Big Ten game these days. We sometimes take for granted how good Jim Tressel is. Since the moment he left Youngstown State and came to Columbus, all he has done is won games. And there’s no end in sight.

5.OK, new scenario. The school you cover has announced that the current head caoch has been let go (or retired) and the school is opening up a world-wide search for a newe head coach. Who are three names that would be on you list?

Here we go again. At Michigan we just went through this and it wasn’t fun. I think you would be crazy not to want Urban Meyer (although I don’t think he would come) and there some people who just love Les Miles ( but he already turned you down). My choice (and he would probably come)? Brian Kelly of Cincinnati.

 6. Tell us what to expect from the team you cover this weekend?

It’s going to be about 30 degrees when Michigan takes on the Hawkeyes at Iowa this weekend. Should be a low scoring game; look for Tate Forcier to lead a late charge. Buckle up, we like Michigan, 21-17.

For more info: mgoblue, Iowa Hawkeye athletic site, Detroit News