Writer of Pickin' on the Big Ten (2001-2024) and The Sweep (2025-). Does not stick to sports. Jeg vil gjerne ha en kopp kaffe. broomcornsweep.blogspot.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mwz72itcpk2sWhen I did my preseason calculations I had Iowa at 3-3 after week 6. It will be no worse than 4-2 and 5-1 is within reach. So no, I'm not sad that Iowa lost a game that I figured it was going to lose. You saw the talent gap.04 Oct 2026 00:57 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwz72itcpk2shttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mwua6cv43c26Sweet dreams, Schuyler.02 Oct 2026 01:34 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwua6cv43c26https://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mwu64thl6s2rThe picks I didn't have enough spoons to put into a column: Michigan 24, Minnesota 20 Wisconsin 30, Michigan State 27 Ohio State 17, Iowa 13 Nebraska 34, Maryland 12 Illinois 42, Purdue 3302 Oct 2026 00:57 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwu64thl6s2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mwt5cezio22yDue to an unexpected but urgent and important demand on my time and attention, I will not be writing The Sweep this week.01 Oct 2026 15:10 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwt5cezio22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mwmbobcbdc2bNothing makes me happier than when Iowa football makes everyone else SO MAD [contains quote post or other embedded content]28 Sep 2026 21:40 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwmbobcbdc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mwlm63ue4c2oKathleen's point of view was this: Take whatever you can grab. https://broomcornsweep.blogspot.com/2026/09/the-drop-week-4-36-lines-about-18-teams.html28 Sep 2026 15:15 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwlm63ue4c2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mwk6zwsgbs2bI made it through the entire holiday season last year without hearing All I Want For Christmas Is You or Last Christmas. JUST TRY MY, BOOMER MUSIC RAG [contains quote post or other embedded content]28 Sep 2026 01:47 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwk6zwsgbs2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mwhjctjrms2lI always watch USC football just long enough for the band to play both of the songs they know.27 Sep 2026 00:13 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwhjctjrms2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mwhho6cgt22d"It's Week 4. I have no idea if Iowa is correctly ranked. I am quite sure that Michigan will be the biggest test the Hawks have faced this far -- and that Iowa will be the biggest test Michigan has faced, because Oklahoma has not looked good at all." -- me, this week26 Sep 2026 23:44 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwhho6cgt22dhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mwhfhiap322gHere's the thing about Kirk Ferentz: After every game he coaches, *somebody* is absolutely LIVID26 Sep 2026 23:04 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwhfhiap322ghttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mwgkf2beq22qHot take: if you saw how Indiana struggled last night with an admittedly good Northwestern team, you might understand why I think Kirk Ferentz prefers that his team's success should not primarily rest on the QB's shoulders.26 Sep 2026 14:59 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwgkf2beq22qhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mwf6vjkyzs2zI was honest about the fact that "Gypsy" is my favorite Fleetwood Mac song. It didn't end well. [contains quote post or other embedded content]26 Sep 2026 02:01 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwf6vjkyzs2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mwb7paa7qk2xAs the Big Ten jumps into the conference play pool with both feet, we ask ourselves what's going to happen to our teams, some of which are tested, some of which aren't, and some of which have already failed. https://broomcornsweep.blogspot.com/2026/09/the-sweep-week-4-bleep-gets-real.html24 Sep 2026 12:05 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwb7paa7qk2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mwb7paa7qk2xAs the Big Ten jumps into the conference play pool with both feet, we ask ourselves what's going to happen to our teams, some of which are tested, some of which aren't, and some of which have already failed. https://broomcornsweep.blogspot.com/2026/09/the-sweep-week-4-bleep-gets-real.html24 Sep 2026 12:05 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwb7paa7qk2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mwa2juos4c22Long-time readers of Pickin' On The Big Ten and The Sweep know that once or twice a season I go off on a bizarre tangent, like last season's "Lake WoB1Gon" column. In the past I've also done columns in the style of an episode of Good Eats and a Sunday morning realtor show. WELL ....24 Sep 2026 01:00 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwa2juos4c22https://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mw73trb2mc2nOf the Sweepiverse's five teams, how many have defeated a Power 4 opponent? How many have been defeated by a Power 4 opponent? And which team was too chicken to even play one? https://broomcornsweep.blogspot.com/2026/09/the-drop-week-3-sole-survivor.html23 Sep 2026 15:51 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mw73trb2mc2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mw73trb2mc2nOf the Sweepiverse's five teams, how many have defeated a Power 4 opponent? How many have been defeated by a Power 4 opponent? And which team was too chicken to even play one? https://broomcornsweep.blogspot.com/2026/09/the-drop-week-3-sole-survivor.html23 Sep 2026 15:51 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mw73trb2mc2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mw5gy2pef22ybrb, gonna start nailing shoulder straps to wooden barrels [contains quote post or other embedded content]23 Sep 2026 00:05 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mw5gy2pef22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mw5gvy3ojc2yHear me out: Tuesday Night Football23 Sep 2026 00:03 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mw5gvy3ojc2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mw2zhdeegs2l... I feel like there was something I was supposed to remember today.22 Sep 2026 00:57 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mw2zhdeegs2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mvom75xirs2hThe man's fingerprints were all over the early 1970s. [contains quote post or other embedded content]17 Sep 2026 02:28 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvom75xirs2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mvnmd72ofs2dCompetition creates competitors. It sure looks like there aren't going to be any competitors created *this* week. https://broomcornsweep.blogspot.com/2026/09/the-sweep-week-2-regurgitated-frosting.html16 Sep 2026 16:58 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvnmd72ofs2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mviexkwji22vThis hits differently for us Gen Xers who studied the Tasaday people in grade school, only to later discover that they were a hoax. [contains quote post or other embedded content]14 Sep 2026 15:03 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mviexkwji22vhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mvhyvjjrls2xIt wasn't a good week in the Big Ten, unless you're a Michigan fan or maybe an Iowa fan. For everyone else, there's only one thing to do. https://broomcornsweep.blogspot.com/2026/09/the-drop-week-2-pull-handle-and-flush.html14 Sep 2026 11:27 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvhyvjjrls2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mvgdfst5s22vMy one and only moment of fantasy football glory was the year MarTay Jenkins led me to the championship because he was the Cardinals' kickoff returner and their defense was ghastly.13 Sep 2026 19:29 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvgdfst5s22vhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mvdxm32z6k2hMy word, Minnesota, get it together, this is embarrassing and I am an *Iowa* fan saying that12 Sep 2026 20:53 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvdxm32z6k2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/markhasty.bsky.social/post/3mvdwh4z2jc2uMithippi State is making mechanically separated Gopher meat rn12 Sep 2026 20:32 +0000at://did:plc:sdohwxy2fzweofaa336pimoe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvdwh4z2jc2u