Good morning, Big Ten fans. Some notes and observations for Thanksgiving week:
1. And then there were two ...: Bovada released its updated odds Monday on the Heisman Trophy winner, and only two names are left: Oregon's Marcus Mariota and Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon. Mariota is the favorite with 1-3 odds, while Gordon is at 2-1. All other players/bets are off the board.
I've said this before, but I'm really not sure what else Gordon has to do to pass Mariota here. In a land where there's just Jesus, girls and Marcus Mariota, the Oregon quarterback has had an unbelievable season. But Gordon's performance is maybe the best from a running back in the last 25 years. Look at past Heisman-winning running backs -- Mark Ingram, Rashaan Salaam, Ron Dayne, Ricky Williams, Eddie George -- and, with the exception of Williams, Gordon has more rushing yards, more yards per carry and more TDs than all of them. And he's just 15 yards and two TDs shy of tying Williams' production; plus, he's averaging 2.4 yards a carry more than Williams. This isn't just a great season for Gordon; it's historically great. He's having one of the best seasons in NCAA history.
2. Ralph Friedgen returning to Maryland: The Rutgers' offensive coordinator is not being made available to the media this week ... but it's pretty clear he doesn't like this week's opponent in Maryland. OK, let's be honest: He hates Maryland. He was fired as its coach in 2010, the same year he was named ACC Coach of the Year, which obviously doesn't happen too often. And he didn't hold back a few years ago when discussing his alma mater: "I could care less about Maryland, I've burned my diploma. ...Well, they talk about Maryland pride. They didn't show me a whole lot of Maryland pride, either getting the job or getting fired."
Think this game doesn't take on a bit more of added importance? Rutgers players told NJ.com there's some added motivation this week. It's a storyline worth following, and it'll be interesting to see how both Friedgen and Maryland fans react to his homecoming.
3. Jerry Kill or Urban Meyer?: One of them has to wind up as the Big Ten coach of the year -- but which one is it going to be? Minnesota has undoubtedly exceeded expectations this season by picking up the Little Brown Jug and the Floyd of Rosedale ... but Meyer's on the cusp of a playoff berth with a redshirt freshman quarterback who was supposed to spend this season on the sideline. If Kill fails to grab Paul Bunyan's Axe by beating Wisconsin this week, Meyer might have the edge. If the Gophers win and wind up in the Big Ten title game? Well, it'd be hard to pick against Kill. Minnesota hasn't finished first or second in the conference since 1967.
Now, on to the links ...
East Division
Urban Meyer says The Game is all that matters this week.
Michigan center Jack Miller, a native Ohioan, has disliked the Buckeyes for years.
If Michigan State wants to prove itself further, it'll need a bowl against an SEC opponent.
The father of Penn State's Christian Hackenberg says he "won't even touch" the prospect of transferring.
Kyle Flood says Rutgers' margin of defeat lately doesn't change his outlook.
Takeaways from Maryland's win over the weekend.
Kevin Wilson is still looking for consistency from the Hoosiers.
West Division
Jerry Kill has become a hot name for some coaching vacancies -- but, for Minnesota fans, that's the price of success.
Silence from Nebraska's athletic director makes sense for now, writes the Lincoln Journal Star's Steven M. Sipple.
Looking back on the last time Wisconsin played Minnesota for the B1G title ... 52 years ago.
Illinois coach Tim Beckman is receiving a bit of a reprieve from the hot seat, at least for now.
Quarterback Jake Rudock isn't getting a lot of love from Iowa fans, in spite of his likable numbers.
Purdue coach Darrell Hazell says the Boilermakers are "self-destructing more so than not competing."
Brandon Vitabile is irreplaceable as Northwestern's man in the middle.