After several lackluster performances from the conference's top teams early in 2004, the Big Ten's football woes may continue. One of the Big Ten's powerhouse units will likely be vaulted out of the national rankings as Iowa faces Michigan this Saturday in their conference opener.

Following a lopsided 44-7 loss to Arizona State last weekend in Tuscon, Ariz., the Iowa Hawkeyes have no time to dwell on previous mishaps as they hit the road for the second straight week to face the Michigan Wolverines. The Hawkeyes, who dropped to No. 24 in the AP poll following last week's debacle, are looking to establish their offensive game after narrowly escaping a shutout.

The Iowa offense looked anemic, being held to a paltry 100 yards of total offense and six first downs against the Sun Devil offense. An even more disheartening fact for the Hawkeyes is that none of the first downs occurred within the same offensive series until the game itself became an afterthought.

Michigan, entering the game ranked No. 18 in the AP poll, emerged with a 24-21 win last week at home against non-ranked San Diego State. Nevertheless it was given a spirited fight in a game that was not anticipated to be close at all.
In addition to starting true freshman Chad Henne at quarterback, the Wolverines have yet to find a stable situation at tailback following the departure of 2003 Heisman finalist Chris Perry. The inability to establish a consistent running game, which is crucial to Henne's development as he continues to acclimate to the Michigan offense, resulted in extended lulls against Notre Dame and San Diego State over the past two weeks.

Consequently, the production of Braylon Edwards, Jason Avant and Steve Breaston, the Wolverines' talented triumvirate of receivers, is not up to par with preseason expectations. With the starting tailback position likely being handed to another true freshman in Mike Hart, Michigan will face Iowa's vaunted front seven with two inexperienced players at critical positions, which may hamper their offensive production once again.

Much like Arizona State, which avenged last year's 21-2 loss to Iowa with last week's effort, Michigan is also seeking for retribution after falling to the Hawkeyes the last two years. While this weekend's game may not feature the most spectacular incarnations of either squad, fans should expect excitement as each team looks to avoid a 2-2 start heading into the conference schedule.

Gophers take to the road hitting on all cylinders:
In seasons past, media pundits have remained leery of the Gophers prior to conference play. While Minnesota is currently hovering under the media radar heading into Saturday's conference opener against Northwestern, the Gophers luck may change for the worse. After leaving Fort Collinsworth, Colo., with a 34-16 win against Sunny Lubick's Colorado State squad, Minnesota made a statement that it should be considered the nation's premier rushing attack. With senior Marion Barber III and sophomore Laurence Maroney rushing for over 100 yards each for the second time this season, and with Barber named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the week, the Gophers continued commitment to the run will not change any time soon.

Though Barber and Maroney are the standout stars of this year's team, the offensive line is responsible for the gaping holes both backs get to run through each week.

"This is the best offensive line I've been associated with in my coaching career," coach Glen Mason said in Tuesday's Big Ten media press conference. "It is odd considering the personnel. We are not very big by Big Ten standards … we either have skinny guys that are bulked up, or big guys that are trimmed down."
With the added recognition, the pressure rests on the Gopher offensive line. Starting quarterback Bryan Cupito suffered a hard hit in the game against Colorado State, and the Gophers can ill afford any further injuries to their sophomore.

Inheriting one of the nation's most potent offenses, Cupito has looked impressive through three games, amassing 627 passing yards and five touchdowns through three starts. However, without Cuptio to run the offense, Minnesota attempted no passes in the remainder of the game against Colorado State.