Big Ten Preview

Order of finish

1) Ohio State
2) Illinois
3) Michigan State
4) Penn State
5) Northwestern
6) Iowa
7) Minnesota
8) Wisconsin
9) Michigan
10) Purdue
11) Indiana

I think that both the Buckeyes and the Illini will finish with two losses or less and end up in the BCS. I have the Buckeyes winning the conference because the two teams play early in the season in Columbus. Even though Zook and the boys have a bye week before the game, the Bucks are going to still be angry after a close loss to USC at home two weeks prior. If Ohio State beats the Trojans, look out for the upset. After Ohio State, the Illini host the Nittany Lions and Sparta, a three week stretch that will make or break their season. If the can go 2-1, they could be sitting pretty. 1-2 would not kill their chances for the BCS. They have top end speed and strength and I am expecting great things. Do yourself a favor and get on them against Mizzou in the opener.

I have Penn State lower than most. I actually like this team, the ranking is more a testament of my belief in the Illini and Dantonio. But Paterno hasn’t had back to back great teams in forever.

Michigan is going to suck again. That program is rotting from the inside out, but asking a true freshman to run that spread against some of these Big Ten defenses is the main reason for the low ranking.

I am not as high on Brewster’s recruits as some others all. Also moving from the Triple H dome to a new outdoor stadium is going to cost them some games. Also while I think Weber is fun to watch, he can’t be trusted.



Coaching rankings
1) Jimmy
2) Fitzgerald
3) Dantonio
4) Ferentz
5) Paterno’s staff
6) Zooker
7) Rich Rod
8) Brewster
9) Bielema
10) Danny Hope
11) Bill Lynch

Watch the Wildcats play for a few weeks, you will come away impressed about how well prepared those kids are every week. Fitz has been able to keep the offense on track even after the untimely passing of its architect. They fly to ball, play to the whistle and will run through a wall for their HBC.

I think that the Rich Rod, Michigan marriage is going to continue to be a nightmare. He seems to be spitting in the face of the tradition and there a few schools where running the spread (USC, Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, and Michigan) is blasphemous. He is threatening the ghost of Bo with a terrible time. The Tide have to be happy that he balked at taking over in 07. His recruiting base is not going to produce the players for his system and it will be too hard for him to go south and raid these territories due to the expanded tv deals and even bottom rung ACC and SEC teams upgrading their coaching staffs annually. I predict that Michigan will not see the BCS or double digit wins until Rodriguez leaves town with his tail between his legs.

The honeymoon would be over for Bielema in Madison already, except his lord highness Barry Alvarez loves him. But if Camp Randall has to see another clunker the noose might get tight.

Coaching Musings
If Weis gets a ticket out of town, Fitzgerald and Dantonio will get a look along with Brian Kelly and Chucky. Not too many hot seats in the Big Ten, Bill Lynch will get canned at Indiana. Don’t be surprised if the higher ups in Bloomington replace him with an OC or DC off one of the top teams in the conference. Or Mike Locksley who just got the HBC job at New Mexico or NMSU after spending time as Zooker’s OC. He is a monster recruiter in the DC metro area. There continues to be the looming Penn State opening, I am starting to think that Joe Pa is going to meet his maker while on the job. Brian Kelly is sitting in Cincy, patting himself on the back, waiting for one of the top jobs to open up.

Top Coordinators
1) Heacock (DC Buckeyes)
2) Galen Hall (OC Penn State)
3) Mike Schultz (Illinois)

Going with Tressel’s DC is a huge cop-out, but he is a Broyles award winner and they consistently dominate Big Ten offenses. The next two picks were recommended by Dwill. Hall gets credit for putting up video game numbers last year. Shultz was the OC at TCU last year, and anybody who has ever talked football with me knows the love I have for Gary Patterson.

POY candidates
1) Juice Williams
2) T. Pryor
3) Royster
4) Darryl Clark
5) Corey Wooten
6) Mike Kafka
Four year starter with more weapons than the Israeli Air Force, Juice Williams is the prohibitive favorite for player of the year. If he plays well, don’t be surprised if he crashes the Colt McCoy coronation in New York as the #4 vote getter.

Corey Wooten (DE Northwestern) would have been a first round pick last year, but hurt his knee. If he comes back healthy, he will have people talking sooner rather than later. Kafka is the homeless man’s Vince Young. He is going to run around like a maniac but will move the chains. He is slightly above inept as a passer, but he will remind you of those old Archie Manning highlights.

Sleepers team
Don’t really have one outside of the Illini.

Sleeper player
Ohio State DE Cameron Heyward.