Big Ten Roundtable

It's Nick's turn to answer the Big Ten Roundtable questions this week and he's feeling a bit under the weather but I don't except such excuses here at TNL. Nick will learn that you have to blog through the pain; that's what we expect of our beloved Nittany Lions and that's what you expect of us, oh waster of company time. With that in mind here are the questions/answers.

1. Call your shot. We are halfway through the Big Ten season (or, at least, most of us are). What will be your team's final record? Where, if anywhere, will your team be spending late December/early January? Who will win the Big Ten?

Ohio State probably wins the Big Ten, but if Penn State can win out (though I have a feeling they choke it away against Michigan State on the road to end the regular season) then they'll tie for the title. Penn State goes 9-3. Outback or Capital One Bowl on New Year's Day is their destination.

2. How is your team's coaching situation? Clearly, this varies from school to school, with some coaches approaching retirement (Carr/Paterno), some who are just starting out (Brewster/Fitzgerald), the unique case of Bill Lynch, and others who seem to be in their primes. If your coach is on the tail end of his career, where do you see things going from here? If he's still early in his tenure, any buyer's remorse? If he's in he's somewhere in the middle, are you happy or wishing things would go a different direction? How does your view correspond to the "majority" view among your school's fans?

I see a sunshiny, glorious departure for Paterno, maybe even with a MNC in hand, for the simple fact that I don't want it to end any other way. If it gets ugly, I will be greatly saddened.

BONUS BASKETBALL QUESTION: If you plan to cover basketball, give us a brief outlook for your team. Who is your best player? What do you expect from the team?

Improved, they sucked pretty badly last year. Geary Claxton, an NIT bid would be nice.