2010 is the last season for the Big 10 (11). Next year they add Nebraska and change to the Big 12. This year, though, is going to be fun in the Midwest. By all accounts, Ohio State will win the conference. I’m not so sure. There are a lot of good teams in the conference, and Terrelle Pryor still has to prove that he can throw the ball to win. His Rose Bowl performance was outstanding, but I want to see if he can build on that. Let’s break it down.
The Sweater Vest. Ohio State is clearly the class of the conference. With Heisman candidate Pryor returning, the sky is the limit. Their schedule is pretty soft outside of road games in Wisconsin and Iowa. They do get Miami at the Horseshoe. The strength of the offense, and really the team, should be the offensive line and running game with Brandon Saine and Boom Herron. It looks like another clear road to an undefeated season for the Buckeyes, as they’ll be favored in every game they play. But as we know, in college football, nothing is guaranteed. Just remember 1-5 Purdue’s upset of OSU last season.
John Clay and Wisconsin will have their cheese.
Jump Jump Every home game in Madison, WI starts with House of Pain’s “Jump” as the whole stadium jumps in unison. That’s just one reason why the Wisconsin Badgers are one of my favorite teams in the conference. They have 18 starters from last year’s 10-3 team. The schedule is also set up nicely for them. They’ll get a good non-conference test from Arizona State at home, as well as the aforementioned Buckeyes. They will have a tough one, though, on the road in Iowa City. They have a stud back in John Clay, a junior who looks more to bruise you than outrun you. He had over 1500 yards last year and 18 TD’s. He’ll be running behind an All-Conference offensive line, which shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody who’s watched Big Ten football over the last decade. They may not be a national title contender, but they could get a BCS invite. Not bad for Bret Bielema, who endured rumors about job security 2 years ago.
Not ready for primetime. The 10th-ranked Hawkeyes are hard for me to get a true read on. Everyone love Ricky Stanzi, but to me he is such a wild card. His inconsistency cost Iowa last year when he threw 15 picks in 11 games and had 4 taken back to the house. Normally, Iowa has a bunch of running backs to grind out yards behind a strong O-Line. This year, they’ve had a bunch of injuries in the backfield, and replacing a stud like Bulaga will not be easy for Coach Ferentz. I don’t buy into the hype this year. Sure, they won 11 games last year, but they were really close to winning 7. Look for an early stumble when they head to Tucson to play the Wildcats.
Is it getting hot in here? Rich Rod won’t have to worry about the cold weather in Ann Arbor because his seat is as hot as can be. With just 8 wins in 2 years, the Wolverine faithful will not be very forgiving. Throw in the NCAA sniffing around the program since he arrived, and we’ve got some good kindling for a full-on fire. The team has other issues as well. Returning starter Tate Forcier incurred the wrath of some teammates for not being committed to getting better in the offseason. That’s unnerving for a team that is screaming for leadership. The defense still is not Michigan quality, but they will score on offense. If they can get to a bowl, and win, Rodriguez could be safe. It won’t be easy with UCONN and Notre Dame added to the Big Ten schedule. Paging Les Miles…
The last hurrah. You can outrace boosters and the administration, but you can’t outrun father time. Coach Paterno will turn 84 later this year, and I have to wonder if this will be his last. I saw his talk at the Big Ten Media Day, and he did not look well. The play of the team probably won’t make him feel any better. They do have Evan Royster back, but outside of that, their offense is largely unproven. On defense, they lost the conference player of the year, and all 3 linebackers. It’s not going to be easy to rebuild on the fly, but the coach has done it before. Here’s hoping to a repeat performance, but I’m not optimistic.
I’m going off the board here. I’m picking Wisconsin to win the Big Ten. The tipping point for me is the Buckeye game being played in Madison. With the strength of the offensive line and running game, they should be able to control the clock, and the crowd should help them finish off a close one. They are the epitome of Big Ten football. They run, block, and play strong defense. Can’t wait for October 16th.
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