2010 College Football Preview: Big Ten

College Football is less than a week away, I'll do a quick preview of each conference.  Nothing to in-depth, but it's time to get back into the college football spirit.  Let's go!



1. Ohio St.
Terrelle Pryor is back and looking to continue his late season success.  Pryor will be in New York for the Heisman presentation and has a great chance to even win it.  The Buckeyes return 17 starters coming off a big Rose Bowl win over Oregon.  Brandon Saine and DeVier Posey are also back to help Pryor win a national title.

2. Iowa
Iowa surprised many last season.  They had a very stingy defense and return the majority of it.  The secondary will be arguably the best in the country.  Ricky Stanzi returns at QB, along with Adrian Clayborn at DE.  Look for the Hawkeyes to get back to a BCS Bowl.

3. Wisconsin
Will UW finally live up to it's preseason hype?  I think so.  18 starters return in all.  RB John Clay is one of the best in the conference.  If the defense can hold it's own and fill some holes, they have a shot to win the Big Ten.

4. Penn St.
Penn St. returns a majority of it's players but they do lose QB Daryl Clark.  Evan Royster will be one of the best backs in the nation.  The defense should be decent again, but I don't think Joe Pa will get his 11 wins for the 4th time in the past 6 seasons.

5. Northwestern
A team that was a sleeper last season and should be again in 2010.  They return a good nucleus of players that should make them very competitive again.  They do lose some key players including QB Mike Kafka and DE Corey Wootton, but look for the Cats to get a big surprise win again and play in another bowl game.

6. Michigan
I really see Michigan improving quite a bit this year.  They're older and more experienced and it took a bit to adjust to Rich Rodriguez's system.  Michigan is a about a year away from competing for the Big Ten title again, but they have a favorable conference schedule to finish in the top half.

7.  Michigan St.
MSU once again returns the majority of it's team but they never seem to live up to the preseason hype.  They will let Spartan nation down once again.  Their Big Ten schedule is fairly tough despite Ohio St. being left off.  Greg Jones leads a tough defense but I just don't see Sparty living up to the hype.

8. Purdue
Look for the Boilermakers to climb up the Big Ten latter again this season lead by WR Keith Smith and Miami QB transfer Robert Marve.

9. Illinois
Illinois has some talent and Ron Zook always recruits well but he never seems to convert that into wins.

10. Minnesota
Gopher fans are starting to get frustrated with Tim Brewster.  He's recruited well the past few seasons, but look for Mini to have another miserable year.

11. Indiana
The Hoosiers have a very talented WR core but that's it.

Offensive Player of the Year: Terrelle Pryor, QB- OSU

Defensive Player of the Year: Greg Jones, LB- MSU

Coach of the Year: Rich Rodriguez- Michigan

Look for Ohio State to turn some heads in '09

College Football starts this Thursday and boy I cannot wait. All we're hearing about thus far is Florida, Texas and Oklahoma, which makes me ponder which team will make a run with the rest of them that everybody is looking over?

Well, it's Ohio State.

I know they've sucked in big games the past few seasons. I know they lost 7 starters on offense, including Beanie Wells, Brian Robiskie, and studs James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins on defense. But Jim Tressel always has talent waiting in the wings.

This is the perfect time for them to quell the doubters from the past. They do not have too high of expectations this season and they lost some big time players.

But they do have Terrelle Pryor back. I am a big fan of this guy and I truly believe he will win a Heisman and even a national championship if he stays all 4 years at OSU. I really believe that. Pryor is going to have a great season this year and will make everybody on the field around him better.

Much of the O-Line returns so there's a good start. Dan Herron performed well when Beanie Wells was injured and Ray Small and DeVier Posey are capable pass catchers. Frosh Duron Carter and James Jackson could contribute significantly as well.

The defensive line returns 3 starters and a formidable Michigan transfer in Justin Boren joins the team, which is a very good start for the defense.

But in the end I do not expect the departures to be as big of a deal as they say. Jim Tressel is still one of the best coaches in the country and there is plenty of talent in the stable and the in-coming freshmen are ready to step up. With a proven QB back and one who has some of the best talent in the country, look for the Buckeyes to turn some heads and be a BCS Title contender by the end of the season.

All of that can start on September 12, when 4th ranked USC comes to town.

What's Happened to Michigan Football?

Earlier this week there was a very suspect hiring in the Big10, in my opinion. The Michigan Wolverines solved their defensive woes by hiring Greg (the 10-27 coach from Syracuse) Robinson as their new coordinator. What the hell!?

Now I am no Michigan fan in any way but if I were a Michigan fan I'd be losing it right now. There have to be so many other coaches with better track records. Well, unless you consider him an upgrade because Syracuse hasn't lost to any 1-AA schools lately and Michigan lost to Toledo this year while Syracuse only lost to Akron!

I just wanted to point out this head-scratcher to everyone else. As an Iowa fan, however, I love this hire! And I'm sure the rest of the BigTen does too.

2008-2009 College Basketball Conference Preview: Big Ten

Predicted Order of Finish

1. Michigan St.

Michigan St. loses it's top player in Drew Neitzel, but it returns 6 of its top 7 scorers. Raymar Morgan, Chris Allen, Durrell Summers, Kalin Lucas, Travis Walton, Goran Suton, and Marquise Gray are all back. The Spartans are very experienced and deep. They're balanced all over, with bigs down low and some promising guards who have a year under their belts. This will be the best MSU team in the past few seasons and with the Big Ten as wide open as it's ever been, look for MSU to run the table.

2. Purdue

Purdue was an inexperienced team last year and showed some amazing flashes at time, they were close to making the Sweet 16 in the tourney. Robbie Hummel returns and is one of the top players in the conference. Add in E'Twaun Moore, Ja'Juan Johnson, Chris Kramer, Keaton Grant, and you got the makeup of a team that can be a legit threat to make a deep run in March. Purdue should compete with MSU and Wisconsin for Big Ten supremacy.

3. Wisconsin

The Badgers aren't flashy or anything like that, but they get you results. They're old-fashioned with their stellar defense and slow tempo offensively, but they execute so well. Wisconsin loses some key players but return some as well. Marcus Landry returns at forward and should be one of their go-to players, Trevon Hughes is a solid SG, Joe Krabbenhoft is back, and so is Jason Bohannon. Reserve center Greg Stiemsma will have big shoes to fill for Brian Butch, but he is very capable of doing so. Look for the Badgers to be another threat come March.

4. Ohio St.

OSU should be a little improved from last season, but pretty much the same old team. They have holes to fill at PG and PF. David Lighty is back at guard and can step up and lead this team. Center recruit BJ Mullins should be one of the top freshman big men in the country. Thad Matta should have this team ready and competitive with the top teams of the Big Ten.

5. Minnesota

The Gophers are only going to get better with Tubby Smith at helm. The Gophers lose its top three scorers but still return some good talent. Lawrence Westbrook is a capable guard. Ralph Sampson III should step in right away and be an immediate impact, I think he'll help out quite a bit. Look for the Gophers to be a bubble NCAA Tournament team.

6. Illinois

This should be another rebuilding year for the Illini, with stellar classes coming in for 2009 and 2010, Bruce Weber will use this season as a learning curve, to improve and gain experience as this team looks to the future for one more season. Look for Alex Legion to be the top player for Illinois.

7. Michigan

Michigan returns 3 starters. Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims are both fine players who will lead this Wolverine team. They don't have any depth, but look for John Beilein to have this team competing.

8. Penn St.

Penn St. looked like a promising team last season, but it's two stars had their seasons cut short with injuries. Jamalle Cornley is one of those stars returning and should help an up-start Nittany Lions program compete for an NIT berth.

9. Iowa

The Hawkeyes return most of its nucleus and add a very good recruiting class, but they're still the same old struggling squad.

10. Northwestern

The Wildcats have better depth and more quality big men than in the past and some promising newcomers, but don't expect this year to be the year Northwestern moves up in the Big Ten standings.

11. Indiana

New head coach Tom Crean has a long road ahead of him. He has the toughest job of any team in the country right now. This program has gone through a lot of changes in the past year, but Crean is capable of turning it around. The Hoosiers return only two players from last years squad, Brett Finkelmeier and Kyle Taber, none of whom averaged over 2 ppg. IU has a decent recruiting class who desperately need to step up in their first year. This will be a long year for IU faithful.

Player of the Year: Raymar Morgan, F- Michigan St.

Freshman of the Year: B.J. Mullens, C- Ohio St.

Coach of the Year: Tubby Smith- Minnesota

Three Big Games:
North Carolina at Michigan St.- Dec. 3, Purdue at Wisconsin- Jan. 27, Purdue at Michigan St.- March 8.

2007 College Basketball Conference Previews: Big Ten

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By Stefan Ming

Predicted Order of Finish

1. Indiana
Indiana returns some key players to a team that lost in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament to UCLA. D.J. White, one of the best posts in the nation is back along with PG Armon Bassett, SF Lance Stemler, G A.J. Ratliff, and F Mike White; not to mention the new addition of freshman Eric Gordon, who is already looking to be one of the best guards in the country. Gordon will provide the Hoosiers with even more stellar guard play and depth.

2. Michigan St.
Last year was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Spartans, but they surprised many of us losing in the 2nd round to UNC and finished with a 23-12 record. The top 6 scorers are back, plus they added a stellar recruiting class with a top recruit in Chris Allen. Drew Neitzel is back for one last time and is looking to lead this team deep into the NCAA Tournament...

3. Ohio St.
OSU lost big time players in Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr., and Daequan Cook, but returns some key impact players in Jamar Butler, David Lighty, Othello Hunter, and Mark Terwilliger. The new addition of 7-0 Kosta Koufos will provide immediate help in the post.

4. Wisconsin
The Badgers disappointed towards the end of the season last year and played pretty poorily in the tournament. Gone is one of the best players in the nation in Alando Tucker, along with PG Kammron Taylor. C Brian Butch and forwards Michael Flowers and Marcus Landry are back to help anchor the team. Also, F Joe Krabbenhoft will be another go to player. Wisconsin needs to find some depth as their bench looks awfully thin.

5. Purdue
The Boilermakers return 3 experienced guards in Chris Kramer, Keaton Grant, and Tarrance Crump, who helped them to a 22-12 record and an NCAA Tournament berth last season. It will hurt a lot to lose leading scorer Carl Landry, who averaged 18.9 PPG 7.3 RPG., also David Teague is another player who will be missed dearly.

6. Illinois
Illinois should have one of the best frontcourts in the Big Ten with Brian Randle and Shaun Pruitt leading the way. Chester Frazier is also a very capable guard and Jamar Smith returns after pleading guilty to a DUI in May. They don't have much for depth which will hurt them once conference play begins.

7. Iowa
Iowa stuggled to put up points last season and never really found any rhythm on offense. They don't have many options on offense outside of Tony Freeman.

8. Minnesota
5 starters are back for a promising team that is now under former Kentucky coach Tubby Smith. We should see some surprises this season in the Big Ten with Tubby now at hand. G/F Lawrence McKenzie should be one of the top players in the conference.

9. Michigan
Jerret Smith will be looked upon to lead an inexperienced Wolverines team. He is the lone starter returning, with not much after that, but they do indeed have plenty of size with three players listed at 6'10 and two listed at 6'8. Look for freshman Manny Harris to provide some spark on offense.

10. Penn St.
The one positive thing about this Nittany Lions team is that they have plenty of experience. Surprisingly, they have one of the better one-two punches in the conference in Geary Claxton and Jamelle Cornley, but they don't have much after that.

11. Northwestern
In order for the Wildcats to compete they need to play defense, which is something they didn't do much of last season. They lack the talent of most other Big Ten teams. The lone bright spot for this team is F Kevin Coble.

Player of the Year: Drew Neitzel, G- Michigan St.

Freshman of the Year: Eric Gordon, G- Indiana

Three Big Games: Indiana at Illinois- Feb. 7, Michigan St. at Wisconsin- Feb. 28, Indiana at Michigan St.- Mar. 2

College Football 2007 Conference Preview: Big Ten

The Big Ten has been very competitive in the BCS race and always produces some of the top tier teams in the country. Look for Wisconsin and Michigan to be the ones competing for a chance to play in the BCS National Championship game, with Ohio St., Penn St., Purdue, and Iowa not far behind.

Predicted Order of Finish
1. Wisconsin
The offense should be solid even after losing QB John Stocco and T Joe Thomas. Tyler Donovan is battling with KSU transfer Allan Evridge for the starting QB job but Donovan looks to have the upper hand. Donovan has some experience replacing Stocco while he was injured last season. Heisman Candidate PJ Hill returns at RB, he rushed for 1,569 yards and 15 touchdowns while he led the Big Ten in all-purpose yards. They also return a solid WR corps and one of the best TEs in the land in Travis Beckum. The defense should be rocking with 8 starters back that includes DE Matt Shaughnessy, CB Jack Ikegwuounu, and LBs Jon Casillas and DeAndre Levy.

2. Michigan
There is no question Michigan's offense will be able to score at will this year with QB Chad Henne, RB Mike Hart, WR Mario Manningham, and T Jake Long all returning. But the defense lost a lot and still has some question marks. On that side of the ball they lost DT Alan Branch and DE Lamar Woodley, two of the best defensive linemen in the country last season. DE Rondell Biggs is gone too along with two very good LBs in David Harris and Prescott Burgess. The secondary will be hurting as well after losing All-America CB Leon Hall and FS Willis Barringer. If they want to compete for that BCS National Championship again this season they'll need to find some play makers on the defensive side.

3. Ohio St.
The Buckeyes lost their top players in Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, WRs Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez, and RB Antonio Pittman. They will need to rely on the defense more as that seems to be their strength, returning LB James Laurinaitis, CB Malcom Jenkins, and DL Vernon Gholston. They have a fairly easier schedule this year, especially non-conference wise which should get them into a decent bowl game.

4. Penn St.
The Nittany Lions should be improved by a game or two this season. They return 15 starters and should have a solid offense. QB Anthony Morrelli returns after throwing for 2,424 yards and 11 TD. Morrelli struggled at times last season and will need to be more consistent if PSU wants to win the Big 10 Title at all. They return all of their WRs and should have one of the best WR corps in the land with Jr. Derrick Williams (How did Florida let him get away?), Jr. Jordan Norwood, Sr. Terrell Golden, and So. James McDonald all back. The offensive line returns 3 starters, but losing T Levi Brown will be a huge loss. Also, the defense returns some good players in LB Dan Connor, All-Big Ten Safety Anthony Scirrotto, and CBs Justin King and A.J. Wallace. But replacing Paul Posluszny is inevitable.

5. Purdue
With plenty of experience back and playing Iowa at home, I think that will get Purdue the 5th spot. They return 18 starters and have a favorable schedule not playing Wisconsin and getting Ohio St., Iowa, and Michigan St. at home. QB Curtis Painter is solid and one of the most underrated QBs in the conference. RBs Kory Sheets and Jaycen Taylor also return which will put a smile on many Purdue fans' faces. And WR Dorien Bryant returns, plus three offensive linemen return as well; pretty impressive for the offense. Now the defense does indeed return 9 starters, but they did give up some hefty point totals last season, if they can pick it up, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio St. Penn St., and Iowa will be in for a surprise.

6. Iowa
Iowa returns plenty of experience with 14 starters back and they have an easy home conference schedule. How the hell did they miss out on playing Michigan or Ohio St. this year? Lucky Hawkeye fans! They'll need to replace QB Drew Tate, but Jake Christensen looks like a decent replacement, plus he'll have a great WR tandem in Andy Brodell and Dominique Douglas. The defense is in good shape with 8 starters returning that includes LB Mike Klinkenborg and DE Bryan Mattison.

7. Minnesota
They have some voids to fill at QB and WR but every other position should be okay. The O-Line returns a lot of veterans with 4 starters back. The defense has 9 starters back and should be average. They have a new coach in Tim Brewster and he has a lot of work to do though. They do have an easy early non-conference schedule which could help them get back to a bowl game. But they will once again fold when their tough conference schedule comes around. (The Gophers will also play North Dakota St. again this season, I went to the game last season where they escaped with a 10-9 win. I will be attending the game again and it should be another hard fought battle.)

8. Michigan St.
The Spartans had a tough '06 season and finished tied for 10th in the conference. 13 starters return but new head coach Mark Dantonio has plenty of work to do. They'll need to replace QB Drew Stanton, who had a good career at MSU. Jr. Brian Hoyer looks to be his successor and was pretty impressive last season while filling in for Stanton when he was injured. One bright spot is at RB where Javon Ringer returns. Three key WR's are gone but they do return some experience back at that position. Dantonio has proclaimed that WR will be one of their strengths this season. The defense returns just 6 starters and has plenty of holes all over the field.

9. Illinois
Ron Zook has recruited well at Illinois, which should help the program continue to improve. He got one of the school's best recruiting classes ever landing WR Arrelious Benn and LB Martez Wilson. QB Juice Williams returns and should put up more respectable numbers. The defense has improved drastically over the last few seasons. With DT Chris Norwell, LBs J Leman and Antonio Steele, and CB Vontae David all returning, the Illini will have a very athletic defense.

10. Northwestern
15 starters return for the Wildcats. They'll need to find a QB once again, replace WR Shaun Herbert, and find some depth on the o-line. But one of the top RBs in the nation, Tyrell Sutton, returns. Sutton rushed for 1,000 yards last season. The defense returns 8 starters and no doubt has talent at every position. Northwestern has the potential to make some noise in the Big Ten and should not be taken lightly by anybody.

11. Indiana
IU's offense returns some good experience with QB Kellen Lewis, WR James Hardy, and 5 starting linemen all back. The defense was a mess last year and needs much improvement. Expect Indiana to finish last again in the Big Ten.

Offensive Player of the Year:
P.J. Hill, RB- Wisconsin

Defensive Player of the Year:
James Laurinaitis, LB- Ohio St.

Freshman of the Year:
Arrelious Benn, WR- Illinois

Coach of the Year:
Bret Bielema- Wisconsin

Games to Watch:
Penn St. at Michigan- Sept. 22

Michigan at Wisconsin- Nov. 10

Ohio St. at Michigan- Nov. 17

Iowa at Purdue- Oct. 20

Wisconsin at Ohio St.- Nov. 3

Wisconsin at Penn St.- Oct. 13

Buy or Sell: The Big Ten= The New Big Twelve?

There has been a bit of buzz surrounding the topic over the last year or so, especially on the blogosphere. Being the son of two University of Iowa grads and a lifelong Hawkeye fan I feel like chiming in with my thoughts. It really is a pretty interesting idea.

I am totally buying the idea of the Big Ten expanding to 12 teams. It seems to work wonderfully for other conferences. I think since the Big Ten doesn't even have 10 teams (adding Penn St. made it an 11-team conference) why not just add one more? Why make it an 11-team conference if you're not planning on jumping up to 12?

Some people talk about contraction. Some people are fools. On the surface, booting a team from the conference makes sense; after all, this is the Big Ten, and eleven minus one is ... hey! But who would go? So, without anyone to boot why not pick up a team and make it 12?! These days in college sports (especially in NCAA Football) money is huge. What could possibly be bigger money-wise than expanding the Big Ten?

If the Big Ten expanded to 12 teams they could eventually split into 2 6-team divisions and have a conference championship. That would bring in huge revenue and would avoid any co-champions and would make it probably a little more fair being as everyone doesn't play every team in the Big Ten already. Honestly, what TV representative wouldn't want to buy the rights to a game as big as the Big Ten championship?

However not everyone agrees:

"I've not met anybody in coaching that really enjoys it...There's a lot of downside to it, in my opinion." - U. of Iowa Football Coach Kirk Ferentz

The Big Ten has managed, one way or another, to tolerate co-champions when it needs to, and I think the largest fear in nay-sayers is the fear of losing a BCS bid by having a conference championship game.

I, however, am all for it and it makes great sense financially. Now lets quickly examine some potential candidates...The Big Ten has a history of on-field excellence as well as high academic standards for its institutions, so those factors must be weighed heavily when considering which team to add. The third major factor would be the addition of a large media market to the Big Ten stable. All factors considered here's what I think:

Notre Dame

Academically they are the best bet out of the group. They also are probably the most marketable and have the best history and one of the largest fan bases. Notre Dame is a no-brainer as a target for the Big-Ten. The problem is, it is also a no-brainer for Notre Dame to remain independent. They have that lucrative TV contract with NBC which also stands in the way a bit with the new Big Ten Network near birth.

Navy

Academically they are right on par with Notre Dame. They are a little less marketable being in Anapolis, MD, however they have a pretty decent fan base. Plus, the Big Ten would be inheriting the Army vs. Navy game which would be huge. They have had some recent success going to bowl games the last 4 seasons (while winning 2).

Rutgers

There academics are probably a B or B+ in comparison to Navy and Notre Dame. However, the present something that Navy and ND cannot: the addition of the New York/New Jersey media market to the Big Ten stable. Rutgers has more to offer in that regard than any other team. Historically they suck. However, they have had some recent success and are a program who are on the definite rise. However, they are VERY high risk/high reward. If last year was a fluke and this team isn't on the rise like I think they are then the Big Ten just inherits another doormat like Indiana.

Iowa State

They're academics are very good for a state school and they are in the bets location being so purely Midwestern. They would bring some definite positives to the table. The main reason Iowa State would be considered is so they can establish the in-state rivalry which could attract more fans to the Big Ten. If Iowa and Iowa State played late in season, it could possibly have conference championship implications, which would attract more ratings, and potentially more money for the conference. However, they would have to be extracted from the Big 12 and that spot would need to be filled to keep that conference at 12. So, while it sounds nice it would be quite the hassle.

Syracuse

Their program has fallen recently over the years, but their large budget mixed with Big Ten revenue sharing could bring the program back up. Syracuse would not only potentially help the depth of the conference, but also would make the academic record better. Like Rutgers, the Orange would bring in the New York area fan base and introduce them to Big Ten football.

Are you buying or selling the expansion? If you're a buyer who do you like as a joiner?