This week's forgotten Illini-linebacker Mike Weingrad.....1982 Illini football recruiting class.....graduated from Columbus (Ohio) Walnut Ridge High School in 1979....all conference prep football/wrestler...recruited to Hartnell Community College in Salinas, California (south of San Jose) on a partial wrestling/football scholarship....two year starter at linebacker...2 time all conference/Coast Conference 1981 defensive player of the year......Coast Conference at that time didn’t offer full scholarships in football like the more competitive JC leagues in California did…..cause of that PAC-8/Big Ten/Big Eight football programs seldom were out looking for talent in the Coast Conference..……playing for Hartnell, Weingrad had offers from Pacific, San Jose State, Long Beach State, considered going back and playing closer to home in the MAC....then Illini defensive coordinator Max McCartney late 1981 saw Weingrad on tape playing in a post season all star game...listed at 6-foot-3, 230-pounds (Weingrad closer to 6-foot-1)….McCartney called out to Hartnell to find out more about the linebacker....brought him in for a visit to Champaign/Weingrad committed to the Illini on visit/enrolled January 1982.....started 21 games at linebacker at Illinois (82/83)...led the Illini in tackles 1982/3rd in stops 1983 for the Big Ten champs........12th round pick of the Miami Dolphins 1984 NFL draft...2 of his sons played football at Eastern Michigan....Weingrad now a real estate developer in Houston, Texas.
Top week 10 Big Ten team-Purdue....."Purdue shocked No. 3 Michigan State Saturday 40–29 in one of the biggest upsets this college football season" (courtesy Sports Illustrated)....Spartans 'luck' ran out in West Lafayette... two players for Purdue you don't let beat you?....wide receiver David Bell and #5 defensive end Greek Freak 2 Karlaftis and both had great games vs. Michigan State.....how poorly Spartans offense schemed to block #5 last Saturday?.....coaching malpractice....Spartans offensive staff should be running sprints after practice all week for their poor game prep vs. Purdue.
Big Ten football week 11
Rutgers (+6.5) at Indiana (2-7), 11 am CT. BTN
Schiano's team looked like the JV vs. varsity last week when the Mighty Badgers beat em' up in New Jersey...Indiana still is playing hard on defense.......no home field 'advantage' for the Hoosiers 'friends and family' crowd now as their disappointing season winds down....Rutgers and the points.
Michigan (+1) at Penn State (6-3) 11 am CT. ABC
Wolverines will scheme on defense to take top Penn State offensive threat Dotson out of the game....something the Maryland defensive coaches last week never figured out....Michigan and the point.
Northwestern (+24.5) at Wisconsin (6-3) 11 am CT. ESPN2
Badgers playing as well as any team in the country right now.....Northwestern can run the ball but passing?...awful throwing the ball...can't beat that Wisconsin defense with a one dimensional offense....Badgers lay the points.
Minnesota (+6) at Iowa (7-2) 2:30 pm CT. BTN
Line has gone down from Minnesota plus 7 to Gophers plus 6........new Iowa QB Padilla starting his first home game for the Hawkeyes.....two consistent things about Fleck's Gophers program last few years? 'Row the Boat' mantra and his offense struggling versus good defensive coordinators....Iowa by a touchdown.
Purdue (+20.5) at Ohio State (8-1) 2:30 pm CT. ABC
20.5 is too much....Ohio State wins...Purdue covers.
Maryland (+13) at Michigan State (8-1) 3 pm CT. FOX
Terps at their best are a 50 minute team...when playing well stay competitive in the game till the last 10 minutes of the 4th quarter when they fold...will happen again this week...Spartans lay the points.