Every week, Jon Marthaler takes us through what to watch on the TV until Monday. Other times, you can find him here. Jon?
Game of the week: 7:30 tonight (BTN) #2 Penn State at #15 Gophers volleyball
I'm not sure Gopher volleyball gets the attention it deserves. Most of the Gopher bandwidth in town is taken up with football, men's basketball, and men's hockey, and what's left traditionally is absorbed by the amazing women's hockey team and the ultra-successful wrestling program. Throw in a few memories of the Lindsay Whalen-Janel McCarville women's hoops team, and there's not a lot left for Gopher volleyball.
Allow me to give you a little background; the Gophers haven't missed the NCAA tournament since 1998, a span in which they've made it to the Sweet Sixteen an astonishing ten times and advanced to the Final Four thrice.
The background on Penn State is even more impressive: nine of the last ten Big Ten titles, and four consecutive NCAA titles from 2007-2010. The Nittany Lions are on top of the Big Ten once again this year, with the Gophers in third place, and no doubt Penn State is expected to roll tonight.
I love cheering for an underdog, don't you?
What else to watch this weekend
2:30 pm today (ABC): #16 Michigan State at Nebraska. Don't pretend that you haven't idly checked the Big Ten West (fine, Legends division) standings over the past couple of weeks and thought to yourself, "Huh, I wonder if MSU loses another one and Nebraska loses another one, then the Gophers beat Wisconsin and the Spartans, then... nah."
