Minnesoooooota: The Preview, eh?

Not Canadian? Who cares?!

The Minnesota Golden Gophers enter this season with "regression towards the mean" as a rather dubious goal. Last year? The Gophers were a mess. 1-11 overall, with an 0-8 conference record and a Big-Ten standing so low it would take Alvin to get there. What's Alvin? That, right there to the left, is Alvin. The Gophers were, without question, one of the worst football teams in America. However, that is not to say that there is not hope in Gopherland.

2007 Season in One Word: Atrocious. But then, there was Tim Brewster's claim that a few bounces one way or the other would have had his team at 5 wins, so really, that 1-11 record is rather misleading. Of course, this is akin to me saying "a few bounces one way or the other, and I could be the father of Jessica Alba's baby." and "a few bounces, and Michigan would be competing for their 32nd consecutive National Championship." There is no way to spin 1-11 so that it sounds good: it's still 1-11. At any rate, it hasn't stopped Brewster's enthusiasm for the program, as evident by his motivational Tourette's Syndrome. Under Glen Mason, Minnesota had only missed a bowl game three times, and only once since 1999. However, in looking at past seasons, Minnesota has fluctuated from "just good enough for a bowl game" to "awful." It could very well be that Brewster's first season coincided with a year that was destined to be "awful" from the get-go.

2008 Tangibles:

Schedule

8/30 Northern Illinois
9/06 @ Bowling Green
9/13 Montana State
9/20 Florida Atlantic
9/27 @ Ohio State
10/04 Indiana
10/11 @ Illinois
10/25 @ Purdue
11/01 Northwestern
11/08 Michigan
11/15 @ Wisconsin
11/22 Iowa

The schedule isn't too grinding; a fairly tame OOC slate, followed by your standard Big Ten fare. There is no brutal stretch of demoralizing games, and on the surface, many appear winnable.


Coach

Tim Brewster enters his second season as Head Coach of the Golden Gophers. He is pictured above, holding his balls.

Returning Playmakers

Adam Weber returns from a 2007 campaign that saw him leading the team in passing and rushing. He has solidified the starting spot, and has become a more vocal leader throughout the spring. The departure of quarterback Clint Brewster (Tim's son) makes the decision to start Weber easier for all involved. Of course, this could be complete BS: I have no idea if Clint was even on the radar to get playing time. I am, however, still bitter about losing playing time to the coaches son in Pee-Wee.

Defensively, the standout this spring has been a juco transfer safety named Tramaine Brock. The Gophers led the nation in suck last year defensively, so they're going to need all the help they can get.

Special Added Feature! Reason for Hope!

Tim Brewster has, by all rights, been an animal on the recruiting trail. Please witness this video for proof:


A few things:

1) Minnesota DEFINITELY leads the nation in recruits with creepy eyes.
2) What is with the music selection? It sounds like we're either in a Mario dungeon, or a lame jazz club. Either way, it's not the usual gangster rap, so that's a plus? Who knows. I'm going to make a highlight film featuring nothing but Robert Goulet, and see how that goes over.

Penn State 2008 (it rhymes!!!)

Masks? Check. Football Unis? Check. Joe Pa get-up? You betcha. Smart-phone nicely clipped to football pants? Um... check.

So, having poked around BSD for most of this off-season, I feel decently comfortable in placing the majority of Penn State fans' expectations for this upcoming season at: "high" on the big board. Why not? There's a lot to be confident about from a Nittany Lion perspective, there are also a few things that I don't see getting a lot of mention around the Blue and White corner of the world that one might go ahead and place on the "question mark" list. How does it all sort out? Well let's embark upon that mystery together dear reader!

One thing the media will harp on that is ridiculously off-base: Well, it will be next to impossible for anyone to top the pure buffoonery that was Kirk Herbstreit's prediction of greatness from Anthony Morelli to lead Penn State to the summit of the Big 10 mountain. I wish I had taped a few of those segments prior to last fall, but this will have to suffice: go ahead and scroll down to the "What a Difference a Year Makes" category and enjoy.

This year? I don't know. Much focus will undoubtedly be on JoePa, but I have a feeling we'll hear more about the way that the old coach is "opening back up the offense" for his new quarterback(s)... a return to 2005 no less. That statement in and of itself isn't off-base, but here's the rub. Penn State has shown a tendenancy to play several BIG games in a very close to the vest fashion, particularly on the road. Last year that was the Michigan game in Ann Arbor. We've been down this road, but suffice to say that Michigan couldn't possibly hope to stop an offense in the spread formation at the start of the year... surely, Penn State and staff were well aware of this... and instead of simply following a blueprint that had been clearly laid out two weeks in a row for them by App State and Oregon, they came into Michigan Stadium and threw rock...

Turns out we have a bigger rock

Oh sure, it's a bit self-serving to throw up that picture (sue me) but it does illustrate a point. Penn State was #10 in the nation that day and had a chance to really make a run at the rest of their schedule after this hurdle... suffice to say it was a big game for them against an ailing Michigan squad, and they packed it in. Penn State fans will tell you it's not the first time. If Penn State has success with this new offense, it won't mean much if they don't take it with them to Camp Randall and to the Shoe. Yes the offense is experienced at most spots, yes the defense looks to be another strength, but what has changed on the staff and in the recruiting game that makes this Penn State team different from so many that have come before it? That's a question I just don't see being asked or answered much thus far this year.

One thing the media will completely ignore that is integral to this team's success: This team's lack of a reliable and/or proven offensive weapon. Having a new QB isn't as huge of a hindrance to your offense if you have a go-to guy who can bail you out when needed, but when I look at this Penn State offense, I have a hard time picking out that guy. Is there talent? Sure. But what has it done thus far that makes you comfortable pointing as anyone being the "go-to" playmaker in '08?

Something else you won't read about coming into this season:
1. Over the last 8 years, Penn State is a .500 football team in the Big 10 conference.
2. Over the last 5 years, Penn State is a sub .500 football team in the Big 10 conference.
3. Last year's record against winning football teams was... you guessed it, .500.

So that begs a question or two if you ask me. Yes Penn State returns a lot of players, especially on the lines, but the key question is not just of experience, but of talent. Just how good is this team? Who has the chance to become the playmaker on this football team? Who is going to be a guy on offense who will give Penn State a deep threat? Oh, and just one more thing: yes Penn State is returning to a more "2005" offensive approach, but Michael Robinson isn't the guy handling the pigskin, will whomever assumes that role be able to manage an offense that doesn't seem to feature any kind of a safety blanket? At what point will PSU's inability to bring in offensive firepower become an issue that people outside of the PSU circle (aka the media) start to discuss?

Oh, and we'll hear plenty about Sean Lee's absence from the field, but perhaps a more intriguing question is how much his leadership will be missed as well.

Area that scares you as an opponent: D-line. This D-line will be the heart and soul of what figures to be another solid defense. They are talented and they are deep. If the front four play well it will make the loss of Sean Lee not nearly as big of a deal from an on-field standpoint. The offense has loads of experience (perhaps not the talent to match) in nearly every position with the exception of the backfield. If Daryll Clark and Steven Green step up into serviceable roles, there's going to be reason for some of the optimism circulating in Happy Valley. Michigan had a similar set-up in '04 and took two freshmen in Chad Henne and Mike Hart to the Rose Bowl... of course we also had a Braylon Edwards...

Area that makes you salivate as an opponent: JayPa. He's the Penn State Mike DeBord.

Random factor that you think will come into play this season: A joke of an out-of-conference schedule sets up PSU for a run of @Purdue, @Wisconsin, Michigan, and @OSU. Let's just imagine that PSU runs out to 6-0... that leaves three HUGE games:
- @ Wisconsin (a team Penn State DRILLED last year)
- Michigan (a game most Penn State fans are oddly overlooking...)
- @ Ohio State (a team that has somewhat owned Penn State in Columbus)

That's quite a stretch in the heart of the season, and two out of three on the road no less. If anything, I doubt the ability of the coaching staff to put together three straight solid gameplans, especially with having to travel to Columbus. Penn State has every opportunity to field a very solid football team, but I think this stretch (and really the overall stretch of 4 road games in 5 weeks) will cost them a truly great season.

Overall record: 9-3

Final Big 10 standing: 5-3, pick two from the following: Michigan, Purdue, and Wisconsin. Chalk another up to the Buckeyes.

Bowl destination: New Year's Day somewhere.

Penn State Preview: Rd. 1

Some things never change. This season will be the 43rd season that Joe Paterno will run out onto the field, leading a brigade of blue and white men to the fevered scream of 100,000+ white-clad, Happy-Vally, Nittany-Lion, white-and-blue-through-and-through fans. This blog has, in the past, been critical of Penn State, and Joe Paterno: saying in no uncertain terms that it is time for the old man to move on. However, the day the old man actually does hang 'em up is the day that all college football fans shed a tear, for it is not fall until the man who has coached nearly twice as long as I've lived takes that run, even if it is evolved to more of a trot.

Paterno's age serves as a stark contrast to his beliefs, and irony that is all too delightful. The oldest, stodgiest coach in the Big Ten is actually the one who is most progressive, and most willing to tell you about it. He's like the grandfather who has long since lost his social filter, and just says whatever comes to mind. Instead of toeing the company line on playoffs, he calls out those who are opposed. When his personnel fit a new fangled spread offense, he adapted and gave the Penn State faithful their best season in years (2005):


(Oddly, there are no highlights from the Michigan game that year...also check out "glimce" at 1:16)

For as old and stodgy of a guy as Paterno's made out to be, he has certainly been willing to roll with the tide of change when the opportunity presents itself. He may forget to drink water from time to time, but he's still got a passion for the game.

2007 Season in One Word: Disappointing. The Nittany Lions, led by Senior Quarterback Anthony Morelli, started strong, breezing through three non-conference wins. Then, with all the momentum built, they came to the Big House for that payoff/payback win. The fans could taste it - this was the year they'd get that Maize and Blue Gorilla off their back. Here comes the payoff pitch! And they whiffed.

After a hangover loss to Illinois, they built momentum back up with 3 straight conference wins including a drubbing of a very good Wisconsin team. They had OSU at home with a chance to ruin a perfect season, and inch closer to a Big Ten title. Here comes the payoff pitch! Whiff. Again. It put the Big Ten title firmly out of reach. After one more loss to Michigan State, the Nittany Lions finished with a nice bowl victory that left the fans wondering what could have been had they connected on just one of their payoff pitches.

2008 Tangibles:

Schedule
8/30 Coastal Carolina
9/06 Oregon State
9/13 @ Syracuse
9/20 Temple
9/27 Illinois
10/04 @ Purdue
10/11 @ Wisconsin
10/18 Michigan
10/25 @ Ohio State
11/08 @ Iowa
11/15 Indiana
11/22 Michigan State

These non-conference opponents are laughable. The "make or break" stretch from Wisconsin to Ohio State is formidable, and will determine Penn State's season.

Coach


Joe Paterno enters his 43rd season as Penn State's Head Coach.

Returning Playmakers

Offensively, Penn State returns nearly their entire line, which should help ease the transition at Quarterback now that Morelli has departed. You will see a lot of blogs make snarky "PSU will be better now that Morelli is gone" statements, but this will not be one of them. The kid had some tough-luck losses, but was by no means an incompetent Quarterback. Penn State will miss his expereince.

Defensively, Penn State is loaded. Not quite "Ohio State" loaded, but close. They return two players in particular who should anchor their line and secondary: Maurice Evans (DE) and Anthony Scirrotto (S). Scirrotto was first team all conference last year.


That is a well-timed hit. That is Anthony Scirrotto.

Work beckons, and I will be traveling for the remainder of the week. We'll see if Champ can fit in a Penn State preview, and I've got an interview in the works that will (hopefully!) go up sometime soon. I think Penn Staters will be most pleased.

Content may be light for the rest of the week - but it will at least be existent.

Compare/Contrast

To wrap up part 2 of the BTB's preseason awards, I thought I'd do some compare/contrast ramblings with what turned out to be the tabulated results.

Here is what the BTB voted.

Offense

QB - Curtis Painter, Purdue
RB - Beanie Wells, Ohio State
RB - Javon Ringer, Michigan State
WR - Brian Robiskie, Ohio State
WR - Arrelious Benn, Illinois
WR - Greg Orton, Purdue
TE/SB - Travis Beckum, Wisconsin
OT - Alex Boone, Ohio State
OG - Steve Rehring, Ohio State
C - AQ Shipley, Penn State
OG - Kraig Urbik, Wisconsin
OT - Eric Vanden Heuvel, Wisconsin

For those not paying attention, here is what I voted:

QB: C.J. Bacher NW
RB: Chris Wells OSU
RB: Javon Ringer MSU
WR: Arrelious Benn IL
WR: Brian Robiskie OSU
WR: Brian Hartline OSU
TE: Travis Beckem WI
OT: Alex Boone OSU
OT: Gerald Cadogan PSU
OG: Jon Skinner OSU
OG: Steve Schilling UM
C: Ryan McDonald IL

Apparently, I was one of two who voted for C.J. Bacher - with the other being LTP themselves. I am genuinely surprised by this, as I genuinely doubt the playmaking ability of Curtis Painter. He was best described as "middling" last season, and I don't see Purdue getting any better as a team this season.

I was dead on with running backs, which is no surprise given that Beanie Wells is a definite Heisman favorite, and Javon Ringer has been good since he first strapped 'em up for the Spartans. I would have loved to see the final results of the vote to see how close P.J. Hill was to getting that second slot. On a tangent - why did everyone fall off the "P.J. Hill is the second coming" bandwagon? Take a look at his stats:

2006

1569 Yards
15 TD's
121 YPG
5.05 YPC

2007

1212 Yards
14 TD's
111 YPG
5.20 YPC

He played in 2 less games in '07, which is why his total yards and (probably) TD's are down, but other than that, it looks like a carbon copy of his 2006 campaign that saw him earn Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.

My wideout picks were pretty much dead on. Greg Orton could be good - but only as good as Painter. Apparently, the BTB as a group think higher of Purdue than I do. I knew that it was either going to be Hartline or Robiskie in the final tally - and I was right. My hypothetical 4th pick would have been for Greg Matthews before Orton.

The Tight End position was such a foregone conclusion that I'm not going to even say "told you so."

In hindsight, I completely missed Rehring, who should have definitely been included on my vote. Other than that, I believe the linemen I selected have just as much probability of being awesome as any of those who made the final cut.

Defense


Final Vote:

DE- Greg Middleton, Indiana
DE - Maurice Evans, Penn State
DT - Terrance Taylor, Michigan
DT - Mitch King, Iowa
LB - James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
LB - Marcus Freeman, Ohio State
LB - Anthony Heygood, Purdue
S - Anthony Scirrotto, Penn State
S - Anderson Russell, Ohio State
CB - Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State
CB - Vontae Davis, Illinois

Beauford's vote:

CB: Morgan Trent MI
CB: Vontae Davis IL
SS: Anthony Scirrotto PSU
FS: Shane Carter WI
OLB: James Laurinitis OSU
OLB: Marcus Freeman OSU
MLB: Greg Jones MSU
DE: Maurice Evans PSU
DE: Greg Middleton IN
DT: John Gill NW
DT: Terrence Taylor MI

Ignore the formatting issues here - it's Friday.

I knew that Jenkins would get the final nod - and probably deservedly so. I still believe that Morgan Trent is going to have an outstanding year - but he is definitely a long-shot compared to Jenkins. Carter is kind of in the same vein as Trent - but he's more a complete unknown. His season last year was the kind of charmed season that DB's are sometimes presented with. 7 INT's in 13 games and, IIRC, he wasn't even a full-time starter. I think, given the year's development, the fact that he's on a Biliema defense, and his already proven nose for the ball, he could have a monster year to unseat Russell for the All Conference nod.

I am actually shocked that Greg Jones didn't make the final cut. We all knew that the two linebackers from Ohio State would make it - but Anthony Heygood beats out Greg Jones (who? Greg Jooanes)?

Stat comparison:

Total tackles

Jones - 78
Heygood - 80

Sacks

Jones - 4.5
Heygood - 1 and even this one is "iffy"

TFL's

Jones - 8.5
Heygood - 14

The only thing that Heygood has a clear advantage in is TFL's, while getting blown out in sacks. I had to really dig to find how many sacks Heygood had last year - finally landing on "one" from a Purdue website. All my usual stats pages didn't have him listed - hence the "iffy" assessment. Mark it down now - Greg Jones is going to not only be All-Conference this year - he's going to be in the running for some All-American teams.

King for Gill is the only other discrepancy - and one that I can live with.

Totals


Overall, I was 13 for 23 on total picks being "correct" if the final BTB vote is to be considered correct. It should be noted that 4 of those incorrect picks were due to my own (admitted) lack of knowledge on offensive line play. The only egregious error on my part was the omission of Steve Rehring. Otherwise, I stand by my picks in their entirety.

Feel differently? Enlighten me in the comments section.

BTB Preseason Awards Show: Part II

A huge thanks to LTP for hosting/doing the grunt work for these awards. The final results are now up, but you'll have to go over there to find them (at least for today). We're going to go ahead and reveal our picks for the 1st team defense today, and do a compare/contrast tomorrow.

On with the show:

BEAUFORD'S 1ST TEAM ALL CONFERENCE DEFENSE

CB: Morgan Trent MI
CB: Vontae Davis IL
SS: Anthony Scirrotto PSU
FS: Shane Carter WI
OLB: James Laurinitis OSU
OLB: Marcus Freeman OSU
MLB: Greg Jones MSU
DE: Maurice Evans PSU
DE: Greg Middleton IN
DT: John Gill NW
DT: Terrence Taylor MI

Eyebrow Raisers

If there is anybody on this list capable of inducing a serious eyebrow raise, it's Morgan Trent at corner. Here's why I picked him:

1) He's got a ton of experience. Cornerback is, in my opinion, the hardest position to play. You've got to have raw athleticism combined with schematic knowledge (when you have help, when you don't) and the ability to anticipate the offensive playcall. It's as much a thinking man's position as any on the field - and experience plays a huge role in that development.

2) The athleticism is there; this has never been questioned:



3) Donovan Warren - who has garnered some all conference votes himself - is on the other corner. For the first time in a long time, Michigan has two cornerbacks who are legitimately shut-down. There is no escaping them; only hoping that inexperienced safety play will bring them down. Trent will have the opportunity to make big plays - and I think his experience and athleticism will allow him to do so.

4) I couldn't bring myself to vote for another Ohio State defender...

Fringe Picks

There really isn't anyone else on this list that I feel that I have to defend too heavily. Maybe John Gill at Northwestern? He's listed on the Outland Trophy and Nagurski trophy watch lists, and he is one of 4 returning linemen. If our ridiculously early preview of Northwestern is to be believed, line play is going to be paramount to the Wildcat's success this year. I can only assume that a new defensive coordinator will make this a priority, and as such, Gill can be expected to have a monster season.

Duh

Everyone else. This list was much easier to pick than the offense, and (sneak preview!) the matches of our picks to the BTB picks reflect this.

BTB Preseason Awards Show is Like Hiter

Just like the Boston Celtics and Hitler, the BTB's preseason awards show marches along, blindly destroying everything in its path, except instead of Poland, it's the aspirations of every Big Ten school except Ohio State.

The awards, kindly hosted by our friends Lake the Posts, now move from preseason team standings to preseason All-Conference performers, first and second team. Every blogger submitted their picks for first team all-conference, and LTP is currently tabulating the results, and throwing together a coherent (hopefully) output. In an attempt at spreading content out, we'll dole out our own picks for 1st team Offense today, Defense tomorrow, vicious attack on any idiotic picks on Friday.

Cruise over to Lake the Posts tomorrow morning for the consensus 1st and 2nd teams.

BEAUFORD'S 1st TEAM ALL CONFERENCE OFFENSE

QB: C.J. Bacher NW
RB: Chris Wells OSU
RB: Javon Ringer MSU
WR: Arrelious Benn IL
WR: Brian Robiskie OSU
WR: Brian Hartline OSU
TE: Travis Beckem WI
OT: Alex Boone OSU
OT: Gerald Cadogan PSU
OG: Jon Skinner OSU
OG: Steve Schilling UM
C: Ryan McDonald IL

Eyebrow Raisers:

The biggest and baddest of the "huh?" picks here is C.J. Bacher at QB. I know, I know - he plays for a Northwestern, and no, this isn't a shameless attempt to get linked by LTP. Take a look at his stats from last year:

304 YPG (1st in conference)
19 TD's (6th in conference)
19 INT's (Um...worst in conference)
3656 total yards (2nd in conference)
61% completion (3rd in conference)

That, my friends, is a rather impressive junior year. Take into account that Northwestern has a new OC, as well as the natural improvement anyone not named "Henne" makes from junior to senior seasons, and C.J. could have an incredible "why the heck is this guy at Northwestern" type season. If he does anything in the way of leading Northwestern over a "traditional powerhouse" then the media will latch onto him like that crazy freshman girl you "dated" in college. Since I'm overweight and live in my mom's basement, I can only assume that metaphor fits. Also of note is the fact that there is a relative dearth of talent at the QB position in the Big 10 this year. Boeckman and Hoyer can both expect to have better team success than Bacher, but my guess is that Bacher will have better stats when it's all said and done. Oh - and Juice doesn't have his Mendenhall shaped blanket anymore - so I count him out as well.

The other eyebrow raiser in Steve Schilling on the line. I already know what you're saying: Isn't he the kid who got abused last year by nearly everyone he lined up against? The short answer is yes. The long answer is that he is an athletic beast who will prosper under the new tutelage of the Rich Rod staff. He is also in sink or swim territory as the most experienced dude on the entire Michigan line. I'll be the first to admit that this is a stretch, and he's got to do everything right. But if he does, he's going to be a manbearfreak.

Fringe Picks

I will also admit that I don't know much about the offensive lines of any team not named Michigan, so some of these picks may indeed turn out to be total crap. Cadogen and Skinner are picks based on experience and team-success. They are 2 of a bevy of options here.

My guess is that Robiskie and Hartline won't both be on the final cut - but one will emerge as Boeckman's go-to-guy. I thought they both deserved mention, so I created a 3rd WR spot.

Well Duh

Wells and Ringer are both obvi. Benn's big-play potential will put him on the first team despite the fact that I have zero confidence in his QB's throwing ability. If Juice turns into a decent thrower this year, it will be because of Benn's brilliance. Beckem is awesome and will be one of Wisky's primary targets this year. Anytime a tight end turns himself into a primary offensive weapon, they're really really good. McDonald is on the Rimington Award watch list, and Alex Boone is one of those Buckeyes who could have easily went to the NFL, but returned to get curb-stomped by the SEC one more year (but only after beating Michigan. Again.).

Big Ten Bloggers Preseason Awards Show

A few days ago, an email flitted across my screen saying that Lake the Posts (friend [Ed - only friend, judging by recent events], Northwestern blog, good looking chap) was putting on preseason awards based on votes culled from the loose conglomeration known as "The Big Ten Bloggers." Round one would consist of our predictions for final standings, with all-Big-Ten awards to follow. The impetus for creating the awards was to prove that we, the intelligent bloggers of the Big Ten, would do a better job than the MSM at picking final standings, most notably concerning Northwestern. Well...the Northwestern bit didn't quite play out - and the MSM thing remains to be seen, but cruise on over to LtP for a complete wrap up. Notice that we're not in any outlier catagory - which is good. It's not our intensions to ruffle any feathers around here, now is it Champ? [Ed - more on this later]

For those disinclined to link out, here is how the conglomorate voted:

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

A pretty fair list, all things considered. According to LtP:

I was surprised at the wide disparity in voting. It isn't often teams get votes ranging 8 spots as a few did, including Northwestern. I was surprised by the Illini and Michigan State outcomes. I haven't bought in to the fact that Dufrene will keep "Ds" in check like Mendenhall for the Illini and also the on-field leadership of J. Leman is a bigger impact from a chemistry standpoint than I think non-Illini followers realize. For Sparty, I simply don't believe they have proven they know how to finish and while Ringer is legit, the loss of Devin Thomas removes an electrifying wrinkle that kept teams off-balance. That being said, my Michigan pick at 3 is completely irrational and goes against my better judgment. Perhaps I'm trying to hype them as I believe, truly believe, we will beat them in the Big House this year and who wants to win against Michigan and have it be a "down" year for them?

Beyond Ohio State, this was a crap shoot. I'm sure that all the BTB will be dissecting their picks today, and it will be interesting to see how the voting went. I know Nittany White Out already has their picks up, and I believe there was some sort of disagreement betwixt us. When I got a text from Champ saying "rant up" I went immediately to the basement to wait out the storm. I should make it clear that Beauford made the picks that went into the voting, with some help from Champ. So the following are not Champ's picks, FWIW.

Beauford's Picks:

1 - Ohio State
Sometimes, stereotypes exist because they're true. Sometimes, the majority is right because they're right - and there's no sense in playing the contrarian. In this case, Ohio State has, by far, the most talented team of anybody in the Big Ten and, IMO, the only team capable of competing for a National Title. On paper - which is the only thing we have to go on at this point - Ohio State should go undefeated in conference. I haven't done the Ridiculously Early Preview on them yet - but I would imagine that "trouble games" exist at Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Do they play Wisconsin this year?

2 - Wisconsin
This was a toss up between Penn State and Wisconsin. My reason for choosing Wisconsin was really foolishly simple: I compared schedules. Penn State's gotta play @ Wisky, @ Ohio State, while Wisconsin gets those games at home. The toughest road test the Badgers are going to face is probably @ Michigan, and with the season Michigan's predicted to have, that formarly ensconsed "L" becomes a toss-up leaning towards Badgers. When the dust settles, the most interesting game in the Big Ten this year may very well be that Oct. 11th rumble between Penn State and Wisconsin.

3 - Penn State
See above

4 - Michigan
5 - Michigan State
6 - Northwestern

Here's my rationale: Michigan State is probably better than Michigan this year. On paper. I know that I said that paper is the only thing we have to go on, but that doesn't apply for Michigan State. You see, we make up the rules as we go here... The problem is that Michigan State is still Michigan State, despite hiring a coach that looks like Belechik and glares alot. The end result for the Spartans last year was...the same as it always is: one game within .500, a demoralizing loss to Big Brother, and a bowl defeat. Every year I pen Michigan State as being vastly improved, capable of challenging for the Big Ten, and probable winners against Michigan. Every year, I'm elated at the results (which are pretty much the exact opposite of my predictions). This year, every one of the aforementioned rings true. They should be improved (see Hoyer and Receiving Corp), they should present as much a challenge to Ohio State as anybody, and they should beat Michigan. But I'm tired of getting burned on that - so until they prove to me otherwise, Michigan State will be a middle of the road Big Ten team incapable of beating quality opponents in conference. I'm begging the Spartans to prove me wrong.

Call it homerism for my honorary favorite team this year, or call it a favor to this blog's only friend Lake the Posts, but I am buying the idea that this year's Wildcats can make some noise. For many of the reasons Champ outlined in his preview, I don't think they will challenge for the title, but I do expect them to beat some teams that they traditionally don't (including Michigan?). They've got to get better at scoring points, and they've got to shore up their defense, especially line-play. Hopefully two new coordinators can accomplish that. Northwestern gets themselves bowl eligible, and there is much celebrating in Evanston this year.

Which brings us to Michigan. Here is why I believe Michigan is not this year's Notre Dame:

1) Notre Dame has been mediocre-to-bad the past decade. Sure, they had a good stretch there with Brady Quinn's senior season, but a closer look at said season reveals a lot of smoke and mirrors. Their schedule that year was brutally easy, with losses coming to Michigan and USC - the two quality opponents they faced. The schallacking they took at the hands of LSU in the Sugar Bowl was a surprise to no one paying attention. Every time Notre Dame has had to reload, they've failed miserably.

Michigan, on the other hand, has been good-to-great the past decade, proving time and again that the talent that Carr recruits is capable of stepping in and filling holes left by departing players. When Henson jilted the team in favor of Baseball, and a half-cocked Navarre had to step in, Michigan still went 8-4. Navarre ended up breaking several passing records en route to a career only remembered as mediocre. When he was done, it was Henne for 4 years. The line of skill positions that have follwed the "had success, graduated/drafted, then been replaced with success" time-line is non-stop. The hiccup with an unseasoned Navarre is the best example that I can think of of a player stepping into a skill position and sucking for a year. Receivers, tailbacks, and (by and large) quarterbacks have been one star after another for as long as I can remember. Non-skill positions tend to be harder to judge, but even when Michigan has had to replace entire defenses, the results have been bowl-eligible 8 to 9 win teams. This has not been the case at Notre Dame: see Jimmy Clausen's efforts this past year, or their attempts at replacing their running back who bolted early. If Lloyd Carr was coaching this team, you would have them penned for another 8 win season. Just because Rodriguez doesn't have the exact personel to run "his offense" doesn't mean the talent isn't there to run "an offense" capable of winning.

Plain and simple: Michigan has proven they can weather the storm when it comes to replacing graduating/drafted players. Notre Dame has not.

2) Notre Dame's coaching has been suspect at best. Despite the blinding light off of Weis's multiple super-bowl rings (and the subsequent reflection from the fried chicken grease on his chin), the man has done virtually nothing in terms of beating top-notch oppoenents during his tenure at ND. He came to ND unproven, and is rapidly proving himself to be a bad head coach. Rodriguez may be untested at Michigan, but he is at least a proven collegiate head coach with a track record of success.

3) The cupboard is not bare at UM. When Rodriguez took over the program at WVU, he was working with athletes who were mostly passed on by big-time programs. It took him a few years to build up the base of players that he could work with, which explains his dismal first-year records. I will wager that the level of athlete that he is inheriting at UM - previous starter or not - is far higher than what he inherited at WVU. Thus, I believe that this team will be ready to compete at a higher level than many think this year.

4) Michigan had moderate to great success running zone-left long bomb offense. They never had to get tricky because they didn't have to. Now, with the departures on offense and defense, Michigan has to get tricky, and they have the best coach in the game at doing that. Combine Rodriguez's willingness to run plays not designed around a punishing left tackle with the fact that nobody has any film or any clue about what this team is going to look like, and you get a lot of surprised opponents. I fully expect Michigan to lose their fair share of ball games this year, but I also expect that they will catch quite a few teams with their pants down. Everybody and their mother knew what ND was going to come with last year - and ND played the part beautifully. Nobody knows what Michigan's coming with this year, which is an advantage.

5) We've got Vegas on our side! The folks who are actually paid to make predictions with millions riding on them say that there are only 9 teams with better odds at a National Championship than Michigan. That's right folks, they said National.

Also - Michigan gets Sparty, Northwestern, and Illinois at home.

7 - Illinois

Speaking of Illinois, I think that they will be a dangerous team, but that the loss of Mendenhall is going to hurt a ton. Juice can't throw; it's that simple. If the Illini can't produce a consistantly awesome rusher to replace Mendenhall, then I can't see how that offense is going to score points. Mix that with an already shaky defense losing an awesome 'backer, and a competent safety (Kevin Mitchell), and throw in a dose of suspect in game coaching of the Zooker, and you get a 7th place Big Ten team. The Illini may still have some shine to them from last year's Rose Bowl team, and I think the BTB final vote reflects that shine. The Illini won't suck this year - but they will take a step backwards.

8 - Purdue
There isn't much to say here. Tiller's last season, and "meh" collection of players coming of a mediocre season last year, etc. Purdue will beat the low-end Big 10 teams, and will lose to the top-end. In full disclosure, there wasn't a whole lot going on mentally when I slotted Purdue in at 8th.

9 - Iowa
With apologies to BHGP, I don't see this year's Iowa squad as contending for anything this year. Depending on their OOC results, they could get themselves bowl eligible, and (in hindsight) are probably deserving of a better showing than 9th.

10 - Minnesota
They were a frieght train of suck last year, and I don't expect this year to be much different. Next year, you could see them sneaking up into the middle of the conference given the mildly awesome level of recruiting they've been able to sustain. But not this year.

11 - Indiana
Loss of top flight talent? Check
Potential loss of field-equalizing QB? Check
Last place finish in the Big 10? Check


Wrap Up

We weren't really that much different than the combined results. We seem to be in disagreement about Illinois and Michigan, but other than those two, we seem to be right on the mainstream money. Tomorrow, I'll have a post comparing our little vote to those of the MSM and preview mags.

Northwestern: with Special Guest "Lake the Posts!"

Note from the Editor:
Apparently, I did alright in my initial assessment of Northwestern last week, which is to say that I didn't piss off Lake the Posts enough to stop them from weighing in on a ridiculously early preview. Lake the Posts, for those uninitiated, is an excellent Northwestern blog. You know you're doing something right when the mothership (aka EDSBS) asks you to do a guest spot - and Lake the Posts been doing those things right for a long time now. Please add them to your daily reading if they are not already there.

B2

One thing the media will harp on that is ridiculously off base:
Fitz' lack of experience. Yes, he is the youngest DI coach, but now in his third year, he has a new offensive coordinator, Mick McCall from Bowling Green and a new defensive coordinator, Mike Hankwitz, from Wisconsin, along with a new defensive line coach. These are all of Fitz' guys, and with a senior-laden team at every key skill position, there are no excuses in 2008. This is the "every 3-4 years Northwestern threatens the upper tier of the Big Ten" year.

One thing the media will completely ignore that is integral to this team's success:
Northwestern's kick coverage teams. We were horrible last year and spotted teams 10-20 yard advantages based on a combo of bad kickoffs and bad fundamentals on coverage. [Ed - Special Teams always gets the shaft. Sincerely, ex-special teams guy...]

Most important contributors on each side of the ball:
Tyrell Sutton on offense. The heart and soul of the team and former Big Ten Freshman of the Year has been hurt much of the last two seasons. He somehow is flying way under the radar this season, and if he stays healthy will be the most significant contributor to reducing Bacher's INTs.


Area that scares you as an opponent:
Every time we have the ball, we believe we can score. Our return to the no huddle should have defensive coordinators shaking and our depth at WR and RB make the only question mark is our young offensive line - we've got 2 guys who have yet to take their first collegiate snap in game action. However, the depth of weaponry and Bacher's anticipated improvement under the tutelage of QB-friendly OC, Mick McCall are a recipe for converting all of the gaudy offensive yardage stats into actual points.

Area that makes you salivate as an opponent:
Our defense, in particular defensive end. We are placing a ton of stock in Mike Hankwitz' (DC) ability to inject instant pass rush results into what has been nearly a decade of ineptitude under former DC, Greg Colby. Considering it is essentially the same personnel as last season, we'll know relatively quickly.

Random factor that you think will come into play this season:
This is a tad ridiculous, but I've noticed that only one coach in the post WWII era has been above .500 at anytime after his second season. Fitz is four games under .500 and will be flirting with this crazy karma after what hopes to be the first non-conference sweep in 44 years. Both streaks have a chance to be snapped in 2008.

Overall Record: 8-4 (5-3)
Final Big Ten Standing: Fifth
Bowl Destination: Champs Sports Bowl (Orlando)

Northwestern Rocks my Socks

Fear the purple. Failing that, fear the mascot. And failing that, fear...the Olive Garden?

It's very rare that anyone is allowed total access to the mind of Beauford Bixel, but it's not for the cliche reasons you may think. Unlike Gary Larson, who I assume has chickens on roller skates delivering singing telegrams to various parts of his brain, I have a depressingly large space with very little in way of decorum. A glimpse into my mind is rather like being put into the Total Perspective Vortex of Frogstar World B. For those uninitiated into the brilliance of Douglas Adams, this Vortex essentially shows you the vastness of space in all it's infinite bigness, and then shows you where you are in relation to it with a tiny marker exclaiming "you are here." My mind is depressingly large, and depressingly void of chickens on roller skates.

So my thought process was...shall we say...a bit disconnected when I decided to write a college football blog, and even more disconnected when I said to myself "We'll just cover the whole big-ten, there are just too many team specific blogs out there."

The disconnect lies in the fact that I know virtually nothing about Northwestern, a shameful admission to be sure, but one that I think can be understood by the vast majority of college football fans. Honestly, I know they wear purple, and that they are the wildcats. This is the extent of my knowledge. One nice thing about having to post about all 11 Big 10 teams is the fact that I get to learn about teams I don't know. The not so nice thing is that more often than not, I end up sounding like the ass end of a tuba. So, here is the preview to the preview, which is admittedly sparse.

As penance for my sin of being a Big Ten elitist bastard, I am officially declaring Northwestern as my honorary favorite team, and will be following their season with great interest. So be prepared, reader, to stumble through a complete outsider's attempts the gain intimate knowledge of a team about which previously nothing was known.

2007 in one word: Streaky. The Wildcats started well enough, handling Northeastern (Northeaster vs. Northwestern? Awesome) and Nevada easily. Then the wheels were forcibly removed by a Duke team that hadn't won a game in 22 tries. While the win had to come against somebody for Duke, it was embarrassing for the Big Ten none the less. Kinda like that pitcher who gives up the record setting home run. It was inevitable, but maaaaan does it suck to be that guy. In a cruel twist of fate, the scheduling Gods then punished the Wildcats by a brutal run of @ OSU and Michigan, both of which were, as expected, losses. Then came the rebound: wins against Michigan State, Minnesota, and Eastern Michigan, followed immediately by 2 losses, a win, and a loss. It seems, at first glance, that the Wildcats were just a streaky bunch capable of hanging with bowl teams (see: Michigan State) but mostly skating by teams they should beat, and losing to teams they shouldn't. The scheduling Gods had a lot to do with that streaky-ness, but the Wildcats were, I'm sure, hoping for more last season.

2008 Tangibles:

Schedule
8/30 Syracuse
9/06 @ Duke
9/13 Southern Illinois
9/20 Ohio
9/27 @ Iowa
10/11 Michigan State
10/18 Purdue
10/25 @ Indiana
11/01 @ Minnesota
11/08 Ohio State
11/15 @ Michigan
11/22 Illinois

This schedule is an exact parody of this news story in which a couple of scuba divers were stranded for 48 hours. They made it through the night, and right as the helicopter's rescue basket dangled but a few yards away, a giant venomous sea snake reared its head between the swimmers and safety. Fortunately, the divers made it. I'm not sure Northwestern will survive the venom of Ohio State, @ Michigan, Illinois...

Coach


Pat Fitzgerald enters his third season as head coach. At the time of his appointment he was 31, making him the youngest coach in Division 1 football by nearly 5 years.

Returning Playmakers
Again - I am no expert. I would imagine that C.J. Bacher would fall under this catagory. Last season saw him break a record at NU, passing for 520 yards in a single game, impressive for anybody's standards. You can see nearly all 520 yards in this clip:

What I see is a QB with a pretty strong arm and a pretty good head on his shoulders. 19 TD's in a season is impressive, but his 19 INT's temper that impressiveness a bit. If he can cut down on his turn overs, he should be solid.

Sherrick McManis returns kicks, plays cornerback, and toys with Lex Luther during the off season. He's very good.

We'll see what I can do in getting a more...informative...preview up soon. I'm sure Champ will do his best, and I'm trying to line up a guest poster who has a better grasp of this situation than I do.

Have a great weekend.

Michigan: The Preview

Champ came through in the clutch last week - delivering his opus on Michigan a mere two days before taking the plunge into holy matrimony. As a participant of the ceremonies, let me say that it takes a man of extraordinary fortitude to convince his bride that Led Zeppelin is indeed "first dance" worthy. Champ pulled it off; the legend grows.


It is surprising, sitting back having completed the preview, that this one turned out to be the hardest (thus far) to write. I thought to myself going into this that surely my knowledge of Michigan's roster, returning players, and traditions would allow me to crank out this post in a matter of 15 minutes. I was wrong primarily because nobody, and I mean nobody, knows what Michigan is going to look like when they take the field against Utah. Will they come out doing a classic run and shoot? Will they be running a spread out pro-formation? Will the quarterback be wearing pants?

Usually, these questions have been answered by years and years of tradition mostly involving off tackle running on 3rd and 12. The questions were slightly less...shall we say...large?...in scope. They were not "what the hell are they going to do on offense." Rather, they were "how are these next batch of stars going to function?" This season, they don't have stars, they don't have off-tackle runs (well...maybe a few) and they most importantly don't have Lloyd Carr walking the sidelines in his ball cap with his hands in his back pockets. That, I suppose, is the crux of why this particular preview is/was so difficult to write. Everything I knew about Michigan football came while Lloyd was in charge. Now, I start from scratch.


How I wish...How I wish you were here...

One thing the media will harp on that is ridiculously off base:
The lack of the true spread quarterback is something that you will not forget unless Michigan starts rolling up 500+ yards per game under Threet, a dubious prospect under even the best conditions. People seem to have the impression that Rodriguez is a one trick pony, and without Pat White mounted firmly in the saddle, his offense will be a complete fail. I do not agree. There is no way that Rodriguez has gotten to the pinnacle of college coaching without knowing a little something about everything. He is going to play the hand that he has been dealt - and if that means running Threet in a pro-style offense, then that's what he will do.

Direct from the horses mouth:

"Any coach will tell you, whether you have extremely talented guys or not, when you don't have experience at that position, it's cause for concern. So, there's going to be concern for us at any position that (we) don't have experience, in particular, at quarterback. We don't have anybody that's taken a snap in college football. So going through spring practice, we've got to have that in mind, and certainly as we prepare for the fall, we've got to have that in mind.

"You know there's no substitute for experience, but those guys are working hard, they're learning, and we're going to have to fit our offense to whoever our quarterback's skill sets are. And that I don't yet until I go through practice. But it's a concern. I don't want people to think it ain't a concern because it is – you don't have anybody that's taken a snap. But those guys will work hard and we'll try to get'em ready."

That doesn't sound to me like a guy who is convinced that he's gotta have a Pat White clone to be successful. The media will harp on the fact that Threet is a ghost white statue in the pocket, and if the Michigan offense even sniffs fail at any point, their main point of blame will be the fact that Threet is not Patrick White. They should be blaming the execution of the players on the field, not the non-existence of a certain type of player at quarterback. The Michigan offense may very well fail next year, but it won't be because Rodriguez is jamming a square peg in a round hole at Quarterback.

One thing the media will completely ignore that is integral to this team's success:
This is very simple, and Champ hit it on the head. The defense will be at least above average next year, with the potential to be very good. Last season, the young unit ranked 4th in scoring and 3rd in total defense in the Big Ten. The line has gotten better, the corners are older, and the linebacking crew is raw but athletic. Add in a year of being Barwisized, and you have the potential for this defense to be shut-down. And the Wolverines are going to need it to be just that if they hope to compete. Rodriguez is lauded as an offensive mastermind, so it is fittingly ironic that his first season at Michigan will rely heavily on a stout defense to be successful.

Most important contributors on each side of the ball:

Offense: Man, I just don't know. At this point, I don't even know what the offense is going to look like, let alone who the most important contributer will be. As long as the QB puts on his pants before the game, he'll probably end up being the guy here, but really, it could be any number of players. Will McGuffie be as electric in college as he was in High School? Will Carlos Brown get the ball in space and be a little bottle of lightening? Will Threet zing in all over the field like Henne did against the Gators? Who will be the deep threat? Will Michigan even throw the ball? Ever? I just don't know.

Defense: Here, I differ from Champ. It's not so much that I disrespect line play, but I find it difficult to single out one guy on the defensive line and say "that's gonna be the guy who will make a difference." Sure, Lamarr Woodley was a freight train loaded with bee-hives against Notre Dame his senior year - almost singlehandedly destroying the willpower of the tackle, quarterback, or whoever else had the misfortune of getting in his way. Do I think that Graham could be that player? Maybe. What is more likely (and ultimately more successful) is the line gels together as a unit, and is able to wreak havoc that way. I think that is a much more reasonable goal for this unit than the one-man standout show. To put it in NFL terms, I think this unit (at their best) could more resemble the Giants in the Superbowl, rather than Dwight Freeney and a bunch of other dudes trying to occupy blockers.

I will go with Morgan Trent here for several reasons.

1) Cornerback is the most difficult position on the field to play. You are an island half the time, and the other half (if you play for Michigan...) safety help isn't coming anytime soon.

2) If there is anyone on this team with Ess-Eee-See speed, it's Morgan.

3) He's a senior, and building off a season in which he tied for 5th in passes defended with 10, intercepted 2 passes, and ran faster than Percy Harvin in the bowl game:



He is already a leader on the defense, and I really believe he will wrap up his collegiate career with style befitting the bevy of cornerbacks to have played at Michigan.

Area that scares you as an opponent:
Champ hit it on the head. I don't know if there is any one feature of this team that will scare you - rather, it's the fact that nobody knows what the hell Rodriguez is going to do, and you can't defend what you don't know. The Utah defensive coordinator is going to have fits trying to decide how to gameplan for Michigan.

Area that makes you salivate as an opponent:
If you're Penn State, or Purdue, or Northwestern this is your chance to kick Michigan in the teeth. This year is probably the worst Michigan is going to be for quite some time. I fully expect games in which Michigan just can't get the offense going, will turn the ball over 12 times, and will lose impressively. I'm ready for it. Youth be damned, it's like the whole offense is starting from scratch, and that's going to have a lot of growing pains associated with it. If I'm an opponent, I'm salivating at the rather good chance that Michigan is going to look more like this



than this



Random factor that you think will come into play this season:
How much will Rodriguez use a guy in a "Tebow" fashion? I think at this point that it's a given that Threet is the starter, but will Feagin come in to run gadget plays? What percentage of those plays will be designed runs, options, etc. Will he ever throw the ball? How Rodriguez manages the quarterback situation, which is already tenuous at best, will be the x factor of this season.

Overall Record:
Actual transcription of text messages between Champ and I as he wrote his preview:

Champ: This Michigan preview is hard to write...I hate trying to predict the records...I may cop out of that portion if you don't care
B2: No copping out! Everyone who reads us, all 12 of them, knows you're a Michigan guy. Go ahead, be optimistic. Remember you're accountable at the end of it all though...
Champ: Fair enough. It's up, and it's long.

Champ was optimistic, and he picked 9 wins. Just to be on a level field, for as long as I've known Champ, he's predicted 11 wins minimum. This year he picked 9, which makes me think that Michigan may be in trouble. I have Michigan down for a 6-6 record this year, with losses coming against the following teams:

Utah
Wisconsin
Illinois
@ Penn State
@ Purdue
@ Ohio State

You could easily substitute Utah with Michigan State, and still come out with the same record.

Please do not hang me, Michigan faithful, for this season, we know not what awaits us. This prediction is as good as dog shit on your front porch - which is to say that it stinks, and you never really wanted it anyways. We will all have a much better idea of where Michigan is going to fall when the season actually starts. For now, I guess I'm captaining up the HMS Pessimistic - all aboard for Ann Arbor.

3-5 in the Big Ten? Ouch.

Bowl Game Destination:
Michigan is an attractive bowl team, which means with 6 wins they'll end up playing in a better bowl than they should. However, it will probably be closer to Thanksgiving than New Years, and against a MAC team with a chip on their shoulder.

God knows, I hope I'm wrong. And please, Michigan fans, put down the tar and feathers. I'm only one guy...

Meeeechigan 2008

Alright full disclosure: I’m a dyed in the wool Michigan fan; however, I do not find myself to be the “OMG GO BLUE!!1!!!1 everyone else suxzores” type of obnoxious fan that B2 alluded to, perhaps I am mistaken, do inform me if need be. I am biased, but I will do my best to explain my points of view on the team and back them up with [gasp] reason and logic [/gasp]. You won’t see me creating national title shirts prior to a season (AHEM like a certain Michigan blogger who shall remain nameless but deserves to have a plot in the Steve Bartman HOF). Disagree with something I have to say? Comment away dear reader, comment away.

One thing the media will harp on that is ridiculously off base – Wooo boy, what WON’T the media harp on and in an off-base fashion? If it has the words “Rodriguez” “Offense” and/or “Spread” in it, then it’s likely off-base, and it will likely be beat like a drum to the tune of “CRAIG KRENZEL TAKES MOLECULAR GENETICS!!!! DREW HENSON PLAYS BASEBALL!!!!! THE SSSSS EEEEE SEEEE IS AMAZING!!” type of level. You’ve been forewarned… oh oh and West Virginia in any context will likely be mentioned ad nauseum. Also, if I have to hear one more time about how the entire offense won’t work because Threet doesn’t run a 4.4 40… I may snap. There’s a bevy of topics to pick from here, and even the harshest critics have to admit that Michigan certainly is the most intriguing storyline in the Big 10 right now. This naturally means way too much exposure and way too much focus that will undoubtedly carry through the season. You’ve been warned.

One thing the media will completely ignore that is integral to this team's success – Well so far that would be anything that has to do with the defensive side of the football. You won’t hear the media harp on the returners on the D-line or our two stellar corners who are returning, nor will you hear about the talent stepping into more prominent roles in the line-backing corps (Ezeh will become a much more familiar name by the season’s end). For something as cliché and well known as “defense wins championships” the defense that’s assembling in Ann Arbor hasn’t gotten a lick of a mention thus far. Here’s a little secret, they’re going to be good.

The second part of this is talent. All we’ve heard about thus far is how much Michigan lost on the offense… and hey, no bones about it, we lost a lot, but uh, guess what, there’s more to come and step into those vacated roles. The Wolverines haven’t been slacking in the recruiting department, and solid classes from the past several years will be joined by a heck of an incoming freshman class where a number of guys will likely challenge for playing time right away. No one has mentioned how much IS there. The team will be young, but it still rolls out more talent than every team in the Big 10 save for one… count the number of times THAT gets mentioned this year. Most Michigan fans will tell you that the issue has not really been talent over the years, it’s been how that talent has been utilized… and that will most assuredly change heading into this season.

Most important contributors on each side of the ball – Without a doubt this is the offensive line. I know, I know, DUH, but I have to go with them here. If Michigan is going to have success offensively this season, then the offensive group up front will have to gel quickly and give Threet some time and the stable (and holy cow what a stable) of running backs some lanes to run in. It’s hard to imagine that Michigan would lose the number one pick in the draft and actually become better, but I don’t think they’re going to lose as much ground as some make it out to be. Aside from the excellence of Long, the rest of the line was decidedly “MEH”. The other losses aren’t going to be as big of an impact as outside observers are assuming, and the way things are shaping up, Michigan will roll out 4 red-shirt juniors on the line… not exactly a rag tag bunch of green-horns.

On the defense I have to go with Brandon Graham. Graham has the ability to become a LaMarr Woodley type of player on the D-line and could be one of the keys to an experienced front four getting consistent pressure and creating mismatches at the line of scrimmage.

Destroyer of backfields

Area that scares you as an opponent – The unknown. Every Michigan opponent this season is getting a team they have never seen before. This isn’t going to be the “first down draws to the left behind Long 80% of the time and not kill you with its offensive weapons until they absolutely must” or the “throw the 2-yard WR screen on 3^rd and 7” type of Michigan team that opponents have counted on year after year. The game-planning will be different, the play-calls will be different, and oh, oh yes, the players themselves will be different. Count me as a member of the “eeeeeeee Barwis!” club, I cannot wait to see these guys take the field come the fall: speed, speed, and more speed. The thought of Michigan’s talent with space to operate is a scary proposition indeed, and Rodriguez will undoubtedly bring a level of aggression that this team (depending on whom you talk to) may or may not have been lacking over the past several seasons. Watch how much they try to get guys like Matthews, Stonum, Brown, Minor, McGuffie (droooooool), Shaw, and others the football in space… Michigan will have a number of real burners that will likely get the ball in much better shape than Steve Breaston could’ve ever dreamed of.

Area that makes you salivate as an opponent – Youth. Michigan’s QB will be someone who has never taken a collegiate snap as a starter. The receiving corps is also young, the line will feature new faces in new positions, and there will be freshmen getting significant playing time at various spots across the field. There will be miscues, there will be freshman mistakes, and there will be head-slapping moments. The way that teams are going to play the Wolverines early, and the way I’d game plan for them right now, would be to stack the line and force the quarterback to make plays by bringing pressure, if Threet crumbles or the o-line is anything resembling the version we saw against the Buckeyes last year, then you’ll see many Michigan fans screaming eeeek and covering their eyes.

Random factor that you think will come into play this season – I’m taking liberty here and mentioning a few… first and foremost is the D, I love how it looks right now, it could become a force, but I will be stunned if it is anything short of very solid. Secondly, Threet (or whomever will be the QB, some seem to think Feagan may have a shot, I am not one of those people) won’t have to win games on his own. Much will be made about the lack of experience on offense and the “new system” being brought in. What will be missed is that Rodriguez will tailor the system to the players he has. You won’t be seeing a Pat White offense next year. You’ll see one that maximizes the talents of the players that are on the field, Michigan will run the football and they will use their mix of receivers to spread the field to open it up for the backs.

I think you’ll see a return of the screen (something we used to run to perfection) to the attack, and a lot of plays designed to give Threet easy and simple reads (think Tom Brady when he first started with the Patriots). Michigan simply needs the QB to be able to manage the football game and not make huge mistakes. The Wolverines are flat out LOADED in the backfield and will once again bring a number of solid receivers into the mix. They will not have to fling the football all over the field to move the chains, nor will they have to score 40 points a game to have a chance to win. For all of the hyperbole about how bad the offense could be, it won’t have to be a showstopper for the team to have a shot, and for the most part I think that is something that many out there are overlooking right now. Michigan has recruited VERY well over the years, the names won’t be as familiar, but you’ll know them by the end of the fall.

Overall Record – Yeegads, anyone who knows me knows that I HATE predicting my own team’s record… you always get blasted and there is no middle ground. This team could legitimately cover quite the spectrum… they could be downright terrible or they could be surprisingly good, and none of us has any iota of a clue what they will look like when they tee that ball up for opening kick come late August. Naturally this means predicting the records at this point is even harder than usual, that is to say it’s impossible. First clue to our random guessing game would be to examine the road contests: these include trips to South Bend, Penn State, Purdue, Minnesota, and oh yeah, a little date in Columbus at the end of the year.

Penn State will be frothing at the mouth… again… like always… but as long as JoePa is at the helm in Happy Valley, I’m going to be confident heading into that tilt. Purdue actually scares me a bit, don’t laugh. They will return a number of players and they have given Michigan FITS in West Lafayette recently. Although I didn’t see a whole lot in the Boilermakers last year that has me trembling about this upcoming season, I think they’ll be more than ready when Michigan heads to Ross Ade. The Buckeyes stand every chance of being a ridiculous football team this year, and that game in Columbus will be a MONSTER of a challenge, to count on a win there would be sheer lunacy, but anyone who knows this series at all knows that Michigan will be ready to play come November 22nd. I don’t think it’s completely unreasonable to see the Wolverines coming out of their road schedule with a record of 3-2.

Home tilts feature Utah (not quite the creampuff you might want to see in the opener… of course after last year, nobody is a creampuff… sigh), Wisconsin, Illinois and those pesky Michigan State Spartans. Michigan hasn’t dropped four games at home since 1967, and since 1995 has put up a decent record of 74-12 (that’s a pretty solid 86% clip). Michigan Stadium might not be a decibel beast, but the Wolverines have defended their home turf rather well over the years and so I’m going to lean hard on home field advantage here. Michigan’s defense will keep this team in games this season, and there just aren’t many offenses on the schedule that give one pause when staring 5 or 6 months down the line. I’ll set the bar on the higher end and say 6-1, giving us an overall record of 9-3.

Final Big Ten Standing – This one is tough, I have to put a chill in my heart and count the Buckeyes as the better football team, so there’s one… Illinois and Michigan State are the “punchers chance” teams that we’ve already discussed thus far, but with both games coming at home I think Michigan will be able to take care of business. Wisconsin will be solid again and I’m calling that a toss-up and likely our toughest home game on paper right now, but it is the Big 10 opener, where Michigan has been otherworldly good over the years, so keep that in mind. Somewhere in those three games Michigan might stumble, so we’ll go with one L out of those 3. Penn State fans are already beating their chests about this upcoming matchup, and that’s laughably premature, the Nittany Lions will likely be favored at home, but keep an eye on that October 17^th tilt. Penn State has more questions than they’d like you to know about and losing Sean Lee is a big blow to that defense, me thinks Michigan hangs tough in Happy Valley, JoePa has yet to prove that he can game plan against the Wolverines and I don’t expect that to change suddenly now. A defensive battle favors Michigan whether Bob Nittanylion fan thinks so or not. I don’t know why, but the Purdue game seems to be the one lurker to me that bugs me. It follows on the heels of the Penn State and Michigan State games and just seems to be the kind game that might jump up and bite a young team… call me somewhat concerned there.

After all that jabbering, I’ll go 5-3 in the Big 10; good enough for a possible top 3? Opposing Big 10 teams are licking their chops now, but I’m telling you that many are going to get a lot more than their fans are bargaining for at this point in time. The defense will give the young offense ample time to find its feet and keep the pressure of having to score every time it touches the ball far away. Rich Rodriguez CAN coach, the guy knows what he’s doing, and despite the pedantic defamation of the guy’s character by many (I’m sure all are well versed on the situation and its various intricacies), I don’t see a whole lot of people out there questioning his coaching ability.

Bowl Game Destination – 9-3 would bring another New Year’s Day bowl of lesser distinction and be a colossal upset to the Kirk Herbstreits and Beano Cooks of the world… and a tremendous smile across the face of yours truly. Optimistic? You bet your ass, but that’s how I roll.

GO BLUE!

Preview to the Preview: Michigan

A Caveat:

As stated numerous times, I, Beauford Bixel, am a Michigan fan. I also try my hardest not to use this space to yell GO BLUE OMG!!1!1 That, after all, is Champ's job. Please read the following ridiculously early previews bearing this in mind. On with the show.


Did you guys hear about Michigan hiring some new coach? Yeah, it's been all over the news. [whisper] I think he's a Mexican [/whisper]. Anyways, he runs this new fangled offense that only works in high schools. Yeah - so much for Michigan even sending anyone without a pot/drug/gun/stripper/dolla billz y'all problem to the NFL. It's sad really. Did you hear about his morals? Yeah, he boils babies. No, really, he just puts 'em in big pots of water and boils them. For fun. You know what he uses as firewood? Stacks of money he owes West Virginia. What a jerk. It's just too bad that Michigan had to lower their moral expectations for this guy.

This is the typical thought process from Ohio State fans when asked about Rodriguez. Maybe not the baby part; I got a little carried away...but still, the overwhelming reaction to Rodriguez's hiring by those in the Big Ten facing the prospect of playing him every year has been...less than pleasant. If you can stand anonymous Buckeyes wielding keyboards, float on over to Bucknut's discussion board and ask about Rodriguez. You'll get an earful, I guarentee you.

And you know what? They may be right. We don't know much about Rodriguez. I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt, at least until his teams actually play, but honestly, the jury should still be out on him. His coaching skills can only be questioned by those wearing the largest of tin-foil hats, but his moral and personal skills? Eh. Who knows? What I do know is that his offense at WVU has been set to kill since he got there, and his S&C program kicks the shit out of anything that Michigan has done since Bo's arrival. The rest? I'll leave that to Bucknutters and GO BLUE OMG!!1!1 types to debate.

2007 Season in One Word:


Shoe: Meet Nuts...


...Both Nuts

Ouch. The whole season was just one long "ouch." You know how you can get hit in the balls by, like, a basketball? But it only hits one, and mostly just missed? So the pain just kind of creeps up into your stomach, but you can keep playing ball, because really it's not that bad? Appalachian State wasn't even close to that. Appalachian State came right up to the toughest kid on the playground, and kicked them square in the balls. There was no halfsies about it - a small tennis shoe squarely planted on both nuts dropped Michigan to the floor before Oregon came over and kicked them in the jaw. After that, Michigan fought the rest of the season as best they could - with stomach pain and a broken face against kids who had waited a long time to see Michigan on their knees. Henne and Hart were Hobbled (yay alliteration!) for the majority of games played, and had it not been for heroic efforts from Henne during the Illinois and Michigan State games, this season would have been amongst the worst in recent memory. Then salvation came against Florida, when Michigan finally roared out to a 41-35 beating of Florida, complete with Heisman winner, M.D., and super hero Tim Tebow. Coach Carr hung up the whistle immediately following the game.

2008 Tangibles:

Schedule:

8/30 Utah
9/06 Miami (OH)
9/13 @ Notre Dame
9/27 Wisconsin
10/04 Illinois
10/11 Toledo
10/18 @ Penn State
10/25 Michigan State
11/01 @ Purdue
11/08 @ Minnesota
11/15 Northwestern
11/22 @ Ohio State

Coach:



Rich Rodriguez spreads it like butter. This is his first season as Wolverines head coach after thoroughly bitch-making the Big East. See beginning of post for more info.

Returning Playmakers:

Offensively, it's gone, baby, gaaaaooooone (emphasis added).

Tim Jamison, Brandon Graham, Donovan Warren, and Morgan Trent...wait a second...this could actually be a good defense! Hmmmmm....


Be prepared for a true supernova of a post from Champ forthcoming. It will probably melt your skin.

Spartan's '08; same as '07

One thing the media will harp on that is ridiculously off base:
I don't know what counts as "harping" [Yes you do, you wrote the question - ed.] but one thing that the media won't forget was Brian Hoyer seemingly singlehandedly losing the bowl game last year to Boston College. Not only will the media not forget that, but fans won't either. Hoyer will be under enormous pressure to shed his turnover prone ways and become more like Drew Stanton.

Stanton

After all, Stanton was the hugely (and incorrectly) moxified quarterback that led the Spartan attack (also incorrectly) during the 2006 season. He was largely treated kindly by the MSM and, IIRC, was predicted to be the best thing in the Big Ten during the '06 season by Herbstreit himself. For those keeping score at home, that was the year that Smith won the Heisman. Suffice to say, people thought Stanton was pretty darn good, and this year they're expecting Hoyer to be in that catagory.

What if I told you he already is?

To wit:

Stanton - '06

Games: 11
Attempts: 269
Completions: 164
Pct: 61%
Yards: 1807
Yards/Attempt: 6.7
INT: 10
TD: 12
Rating: 124.68
Yards/Game: 164.3

Hoyer - '07

Games: 13
Attempts: 376
Completions: 223
Pct: 59.3%
Yards: 2725
Yards/Attempt: 7.2
INT: 11
TD: 20
Rating: 131.88
Yards/Game: 209.6

Put that in the blender, and what do you come up with? Hoyer played 2 more games than Stanton did, but uh...yeah...statistically speaking, he was a better QB. The media and fans may be wishing for the days of Stanton, but they've got a better QB in Hoyer. Either Stanton wasn't that good, or Hoyer isn't getting credit. I lean somewhere in the middle - meaning I don't lean at all. Stanton wasn't that good, and Hoyer isn't that bad - but Spartan fans won't realize that. They'll just keep wistfully drifting back to the days when Drew Stanton was prowling the sideline, championing the offense, lapping up undue media attention, and generally leading the Spartans nowhere in particular. But boy - did he look good doing it.


Better than Stanton


One thing the media will completely ignore that is integral to this team's success:
Last season, the Spartans forged respectability in the face of a 3-5 conference record, and an 0-4 record against ranked teams. They almost sealed the deal against a good BC team in their bowl game, but came up about 5 turnovers short. The Spartans, in order shed the Same old Sparty label, must (MUST, I tell you!) win against ranked opponents, and win against conference opponents. Last season, in August/September, the Spartans were 4-1. In October, November, and December (you know, the games that are in conference, and a little tougher) they were 3-5. The Spartans have shown they can win against the Convents of Division 1. They need to show they can win against actual football teams. Beating Michigan this year would go a long way towards proving that point.

Most important contributors on each side of the ball:
Offense: As I alluded to in the preview, the 3 headed monster of Bri'Jahuu Ringcrick will have to come to play if the Spartans want to, you know, beat a football team. But the unit that is getting some mild attention in the off season, and the unit that directly impacts the perceived weakness at QB is that of the receiving corp. Mark Dell is the returning starter from that squad, and as such, he deserves special mention here. If the receivers are better, the QB is better, and that could put Michigan State in that "annoyingly dangerous" category into which we stuffed Illinois.

Defense: Greg Jones was a freshman linebacker who started all 13 games last season, and notched a team leading 78 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 8.5 TFL's. That was his freshman season. With natural progression, and D'Antonio's penchant for, you know, playing defense, he is going to be a monster this year.


Monster.

This from the USA Today:
LB Greg Jones could be on the verge of becoming a star. The sophomore played both outside and in the middle in Michigan State's spring game, but clearly looks more comfortable in the middle. He had 78 tackles as a freshman and is poised to take a big leap on a defense that could be much better than people expect.

Area that scares you as an opponent:
Greg Jones is legit. Bri'Jahuu Ringcrick should be much improved. I can't believe I'm saying it, but the Michigan State Spartans are actually a pretty good paper team this year, but paper's thin and can cut. We've been saying that Michigan State should be good for years. The area that scares me as an opponent is the area right between the Spartan's ears. If they can get out of the underachieving funk left by John L. and Bobby Williams, they could be a pretty legit team.

Area that makes you salivate as an opponent:
An oft overlooked stat in College Football is, IMO, the 3rd down conversion. How good is your squad at staying on the field? The Spartans? Not so good. They ranked 9th last season in the Big 10, converting just over 40% of their chances. If the Spartans can't sustain drives, they don't score points. And if they don't score points, they don't win games. Bring a stout defense, and the Spartans should be there for the taking.

Random factor that you think will come into play this season:
If they're going to make a legitimate run at a Big Ten title, or at least a respectable bowl game, this is the year to do it. Michigan should be down, the schedule isn't that tough, and Illinois proved last year that Ohio State is beatable - even in seemingly overwhelming circumstances. It's not a tangible factor, but the Spartans have to shake the S.O.S. (same old Sparty) mentality. If they're able to do that, a respectable New Years Day bowl is well within grasp.

Overall Record:
This, like Iowa, could be all over the place. I'm going with 8-4 with losses coming against OSU, @Michigan, Wisconsin, and @Penn State. You could substitute Michigan with Cal, but State is typically uncharacteristically good at the beginning of the season, with the meltdown occurring while ranked #13 in the 5th week.

Final Big Ten Record:
Well, those 4 losses I've got pinned put them at 4-4 in conference, fighting with Iowa for the 6th spot.

Bowl Destination
Michigan State has the tools to be playing post New Years, but until they prove me wrong, I'm saying they'll head to the Champs or Motor City.

Champ's got his nose in a book and his eye towards the golf course, so we're giving him a pass on MSU. He may weigh in, but in shortened version. He's also resting for the Michigan preview, which I'm sure will prompt the Heavenly Angels to break out a rousing rendition of Hail to the Victors.

UPDATE: So, uhhhhh, Caulcrick's not around next year. Do what Champ says, and insert "random big dude who runs freakin right at you really hard" wherever you see Caulcrick's name. I apologize.

This is Spartahhhhhhhh

It's an exciting time to be a Spartan fan. First, the movie "300" came out, prompting all who weren't squirming uncomfortably at the site of those airbrushed 18 packs (6 pack? Please. This is Spartahhhhh!) to wonder how long it would take MSU to incorporate an aspect of the movie into their "pump up the crowd" stadium promotion. The answer? Not long:


Epic.

Please note that, while I'm sure motivating, the "Spartan Yell" does not actually stop the opposing team from gaining that first down. (ht: mgoblog)

Next in the year of the Spartans came the Nintendo Wii's decision to put Sparty on their cover.


Also epic.


From a non-football standpoint, Michigan State had an awesome year! Actual football? Not so much.

2007 Season in One Word: Sigh. No really - that's the word. There's a reason they're called "same old Sparty" and it stems from the fact that, every year, they win 4 games in a row, only to finish a disappointing 7-6, 3-4 in conference. Oh, there were flashes, but they were fleeting, few, and far between. In the finale, on a national stage, the Spartans had a chance to silence their critics against Matt Ryan and the Boston College Eagles, who had been ranked as high as #2 in season. What happened? Michigan State outplayed the Eagles in every single aspect of the game, unless you count the 5 turnovers Spartan QB Brain Hoyer was responsible for. When you account for those, the performance turned into a classic "Sparty noooooo!" and a collective "sigh" from East Lansing. Potential? It was there. Execution? Not so much.

2008 Tangibles:

Schedule

8/30 @ California
9/06 Eastern Michigan
9/13 Florida Atlantic
9/20 Notre Dame
9/27 @ Indiana
10/04 Iowa
10/11 @ Northwestern
10/18 Ohio State
10/25 @ Michigan
11/01 Wisconsin
11/08 Purdue
11/22 @ Penn State

Coach


Mark Dantonio enters his second season as Michigan State Head Coach. Dantonio has learned from both Saban (at MSU as an assistant) and Tressel (DC at OSU). Yikes - that's a scary combo. If he's as dirty as Saban and as slick as Tressel, he'll be a force to be reckoned with in the future. Of course, judging by his propensity to make fun of the stature of college athletes, he's inherited neither.

Returning Playmakers

Brian Hoyer returns...uhhh...nevermind.

Jehuu Caulcrick...erm...uhhh...

Javon Ringer! Kinda? No?

Here's the deal: In any given game, one of the aforementioned players can go off big time and hurt you. But, due to inconsistency that is part and parcel with the Spartan experience, the other two will invariably suck. Thus, the lone returning playmaker for Michigan State is one man named Bri'Jahuu Ringcrick.

Champ: Get your nose out of the books and tell us what to expect from Sparty.

Des Moines… it’s in Indiana or something

Little Spinal Tap for everyone there to get us off on the right foot. And yes Iowa faithful, I know that the University of Iowa is located in Iowa City, thank you.

Hey, remember when there were at least two separate occasions last November where Michigan fans like me were trying to come to grips with LOUD rumors of Kirk Ferentz to Ann Arbor?? Oh I can shrug and smile now, but those days were some of the worst in recent memory. I recall how it began…

(A gentle waking to a cool gray late autumn/early winter morning)… stretchhhhhhhh… yawn, scratch, perhaps I’ll have some Smart Start today, that Special K just doesn’t get it done anymore, ah good the coffee’s done, let’s just set this down while I just check out the ol’ rumor monger machine shall we? JESUS TAPDANCING CHRIST! Who in the name of Bump Fucking Elliot are we looking at? Kirk Ferentz… (hits refresh)… not joking… (refreshes again)… but wha… no way… we’ll be fine, I’m going to enjoy this fine java while I wait for the “har-har just kidding here” PBBBBBBBBBBBBTTGHHHHHHHH! Oh it burns! It burns!! Wait what do you mean there’s a goddamn flight that was tracked from Cedar Rapids to Ann Arbor, they have PLANES in Cedar Rapids?! It’s not conceivable, (refresh) (refresh) (refresh) repeat for 8 hours a day until rumors subside… which oh by the way was somewhere near 9045 years… Not since Tim Dwight scared the ever loving bejeezus out of me in ’97 have I been that terrified of something from Iowa... so anyways, yeah on to the Hawkeyes, alright!

1. One thing the media will harp on that is ridiculously off base – Let’s get back to our friend Kirk Ferentz for a quick second… The media seems to constantly portray this guy as a worker of miracles with “lesser talent”. Hey, I’ll give him all kinds of credit for his three year run that started in ’02, but uh… other than that burst of success, in the always fair and objective game of college football, his last three seasons have left a lot to be desired. That’s 1-game-above-.500 level of desire by the way. Iowa had a top 10 or top 15 recruiting class in 2005, they should be coming into the prime of their careers this season, but uh… through either horrific character misjudgment or even worse luck with injuries, I wouldn’t say that the excitement is brimming over at this point. I’m not saying Ferentz is to blame for all of the problems with the program, but uh, there have been more than a few, and at some point don’t you have to look at the coach? The media won’t, they’ll extol him as a great molder of talent if Iowa shows as much as a pulse this season, but I wonder how much patience Iowa fans really have at this point.

2. One thing the media will completely ignore that is integral to this team's success – First things first, Iowa gets out of playing both the Buckeyes and the Wolverines this year, which is the greatest gift the Big 10 can give to a team. Actually on the field the slotted starters on the O-line are looking like they’ll play different positions from where they were respectively last season. Seeing as how Iowa’s O-line was somewhere between god-awful and “Michigan-against-Ohio-State-Non-Existent” last season, perhaps this shakeup was the only real option/idea the Iowa coaching staff had. Oh, yeah, and THERE’S A BATTLE AT CENTER!!! YAH!!! Kirk Ferentz has a freshman son who might play center someday too! Holy crap! Center love all around!! In all seriousness though, there is experience here, if they can somehow be even a serviceable unit, Iowa will be a much better offensive football team than the 2007 version… which was 110^th in the nation in scoring offense (wow). Oh oh, and the scoring defense? 12^th… I’m sure the team meetings were a BLAST for the O last year!

3. Most important contributors on each side of the ball – In case you haven’t noticed, I LOATHE picking the quarterback in this section, but I have to here. Iowa has no discernible talent at running back that is capable of even walking right now. They do however have a surprisingly well stocked cabinet of wide-receivers though. They will be worthless if Christensen or Ricky Stanzi (which is perhaps the most polar opposite name of Bronco Nagurski that one could ever have) can’t get them the football. The rushing game will also be hapless without the threat of danger through the air. Defensively? Iowa has always had at least one linebacker on the field that is nothing but a guy who goes out and flat out makes plays, and I don’t think there’s any reason that’ll be different this year, and the few times I saw Iowa play last season (key word: FEW) A.J. Edds looked impressive.

4. Area that scares you as an opponent – Iowa was on their way to closing out the season on a bit of a high note before choking on applesauce against Western Michigan. Perhaps the Hawkeyes were starting to figure a few things out? They scored 120 points in their first 8 games and managed to get to 102 in their final four… I’m reaching I know.

5. Area that makes you salivate as an opponent – Hey did you hear that Iowa lost 17 players from its 2007 roster? Oh, oh yeah, and right now this is their running back:

I mean when I hear Paki O’Meara, I guess this comes to mind…

6. Random factor that you think will come into play this season – Remember how Iowa had that bit of success years ago and all of a sudden they were the chic pick every year with Drew Tate to be the team to beat in the Big 10… and they pretty much were as far from that as possible? Well now with the glare of expectations out of the way, perhaps Iowa will have the chance to sneak up on some people. If they get any kind of a running back, the offense has nowhere to go but up.

7. Overall Record – 7-5, Iowa heads back to the bowls, but not by too big of a margin.

8. Final Big Ten Standing – There are a number of teams in the conference that are simply more complete football teams than Iowa right now, missing out on Ohio State and Michigan is a gift, but I still don’t think Iowa is going to be much more than a .500 Big 10 team. Call it 4-4 again this season, which I’ll say is good for a big ol’ tie in the middle of the conference in the 5-6-7 range.

9. Bowl Game Destination – I guess that’d mean either the Motor City Bowl or the Insight Bowl??? Something like that…

"I-owe-uhhh...Zach ten dollars!"

And ten points to whoever gives me the origin of that quote.

Yes folks, that's right - after a particularly vicious stay in Canada, old B2 is back to give you more of what you want - ridiculously early previews of Big Ten teams! What's that you say? You don't want? What if I told you that a special guest may be weighing in on Iowa? You don't even blink, do you?

Onward - to Iowa! (that's the first time in recorded history that phrase has ever been typed, trust me, I googled it.)

One Word Season Recap: Blasé. That's right. I went French on you. Uninterested. It was as if the Hawkeyes had become bored with football, and decided that no, they weren't going to try. Oh sure - they'll beat up on the dredges of the conference, but put them in a game against something resembling a football team, and they die. The lone exception seems to be a 10-6 victory over eventual Rose Bowl victims Illinois. When a 10-6 victory is the highlight of your season, however, you've got problems. Even their record was boring. 4-4 in conference? 6-6 overall? You know, Iowa, it's not bad to throw in some variety every now and again.

Iowa finished 6th in the conference and missed a bowl game for the first time in 6 years.

Oh yeah, they also had this guy:



2008 Tangibles:

Schedule
8/30 Maine
9/06 Florida International
9/13 Iowa State
9/20 @ Pittsburgh
9/27 Northwestern
10/04 @ Michigan State
10/11 @ Indiana
10/18 Wisconsin
11/01 @ Illinois
11/08 Penn State
11/15 Purdue
11/22 @ Minnesota

Wait a second. They play Maine? Is that even a state? More on this soon.

Coach:

Kirk Ferentz enters his 10th season with the Hawkeyes. His only other head coaching experience comes from a short stint with...you guessed it! Maine. (1990-1992)

Returning Playmakers
Quarterback Jake Christensen returns for his senior season. In '07, he threw for a surprisingly good 17 TD's to 6 INTS.


Champ? Mystery Poster?

What comes next is a mystery...

Illini, Zookers, Fighting Politically Incorrects

Pastor: Thus speaketh the Champ
Congregation: Praise be to Champ


One thing the media will harp on that is ridiculously off base:
This is actually kinda hard to predict with this particular team. Juice Williams has the blessing of having a funny name, meaning that media-types will just drink it up (whoops!). It's not good business to have a back-and-forth with somebody and just agree with them, but in this case, Champ has hit the nail on the head. Juice is NOT a good passer. One quick look at "attempts" will tell you that the Illini coaching staff doesn't think he's a good passer. He had 267 attempts last year - placing him DEAD LAST in attempts in the Big Ten for starting QB's. His 134 yards per game? Also dead last. His 6.5 yards per attempt? 3rd to last.

In short, Juice didn't throw the ball and when he did - it was a lot of screening. When he threw downfield, he got picked off. 13 TD's to 12 INT's is not a good ratio, my friends. We know he can run, but he can't throw. The media forgets that at times.

One thing the media will completely ignore that is integral to this team's success
I don't follow Illini football too much, but it appears to me that a tailback is going to have to step up and fill the void left by Mendenhall. The Media won't ignore this - in fact, it's been well documented - so that doesn't count.

What will make this team go next year? It's the same answer to the question above: Juice Williams. If he can learn to throw the ball downfield in such a manner than it does not float gently into the opposition's waiting hands, then Illinois might, might, be a threat. The media - in ignoring the fact that Juice, to this point, hasn't been a good passer - is also ignoring the fact that in order for Illinois to have a successful season, he will have to become one. Whenever a team can stuff all 11 players, the mascot, and a randomly selected fan into the box with impunity - you've got a problem.

Most important contributors on each side of the ball:
Offense:
Obviously Juice. Arrelious Benn could be slotted in here, but only if I had any faith that Juice could get him the ball. HOWEVA: An interesting relationship could develop in which Benn becomes so good that the faults of his quarterback are overshadowed by his greatness (ala Henne to Braylon). In this regard - both could be crutial cogs to the Illinois offensive machine.

Defense: Up to this point I've talked strictly offense, but the defense has a few very solid players. Vontae Davis is a legitimate shut-down corner, and is projected as a first rounder in the insanely stupid 2009 mock draft.

Area that scares you as an opponent:
If Juice learns to throw the ball, he could be a legitimate nightmare for defenses ala Vince Young.

Really. I just went there.

He's got that type of raw athleticism! Remember Vince before his senior year? We don't either, partly because we were drunk most of the time (college, you know) but mostly because he was the exact same QB Juice was last season. It was only when he decided to "throw first scramble later" that he became awesome. He also haunts every Wolverine fan's dreams.

Area that makes you salivate as an opponent:
The fact that Zook really sucks at coaching during games is something that we've grown accustom to. Really, I look forward to playing Illinois because they always seem to bungle some innane detail that ends up really hurting them. This past year there was no reason that Michigan should have beaten Illinois. They were a scrambling team, and Michigan was down a tailback and a quarterback. The fact that Zook is prowling the sidelines is good enough for me.

Random factor that you think will come into play this season:
One of these two things will happen to make Illinois better than you think they should be:

a) Juice will learn to throw
or
b) Benn will turn into Braylon

I don't know which will happen, but one of them will, making Illinois an annoyingly dangerous team this year.

Overall Record:
9-3. I think that Juice or Benn will be good enough to power them through the opening non-conference games, then beat either Penn State or Michigan. Losses at one of those two, @ Wisky, and Ohio State.

Final Big Ten Standing:
I think they hang on to the 4th spot, but could be third if the cards fall right.

Bowl Game Destination
Outback Bowl Bound - but if the same funky "we're the Rose Bowl and will take an underqualified Big Ten team to get smashed by superior Pac Ten team" happens, they could be Citrusing.

Behold The Future! Illinois 2008

1. One thing the media will harp on that is ridiculously off base – Did you know Illinois has a quarterback named Juice Williams? Yes, indeed that’s his name… no one in the media apparently cares that this guy hits the broad side of the barn at about a 50% clip. Can he run? Yes, yes he can. Can he throw? Well he did manage to improve his completion percentage from 39% in ‘06 (wha wha whaaaaa?) up to 57% in ’07, but with only 22 TDs against 21 picks in his career… suffice it to say that by bottling him up, this team will bog down in the offensive department. Don’t expect this to be mentioned though, Illinois had a big turnaround last year, and they feature an athletic QB!!! They’ll show highlights of his unconscious game in Columbus (and what a performance it was!) and ignore the fact that this guy simply hasn’t been that good at throwing the football, nor will he have MANBEAST Mendenhall next to him in the backfield. In fact, they’ll likely base his season outlook off of that game and that game alone… oh… what? They HAVE?

2. One thing the media will completely ignore that is integral to this team's success – How about Ron Zook’s complete and utter ineptitude at managing a football game? Great recruiter? Sure! Solid sideline presence on Saturdays? Uhhhh… no. Too many examples to name; let’s just say that as long as he’s there they will bring in talent and he will make gameday decisions that leave Illini fans very confused. How soon do you think you’ll see the mismanagement of his top two quarterbacks by yanking Williams and throwing in Eddie McGee on a whim? 2^nd quarter of the Mizzou game? 3^rd?

Random-other-things-the-media-will-likely-ignore… ummm probably that 49-17 asswhippingundressingbehindthewoodshedstompingbeatdown that USC put on the Fighting Politically Corrects back in January… or perhaps that after Mizzou, Illinois plays the Chicago Symphany, Peoria Girl Scout Troop #254 (away), and the Illinois State IM flag football champs for the rest of their out of conference schedule. I don’t know, pick one.

3. Most important contributors on each side of the ball – Whichever running back not named Rashard Mendenhall steps in will be a big question, but I’m going to say that Arrelious Benn will be one of the most important players in this offense. If he can bail Williams out and be any kind of a reliable target, the way you defend Illinois completely changes, the kid is a star waiting to burst out, they just have to get him the football. On defense, I’ll go with Brit Miller, who despite his name is a linebacker… a four year starter at that!

4. Area that scares you as an opponent – The fact that Juice Williams could black out for 60 minutes and play a game like he did in Columbus last year… they really held that ball for over 8 minutes on the final drive? Really?! Shudder…

5. Area that makes you salivate as an opponent – No Rashard Mendenhall and near as anyone else can tell, a quarterback who isn’t going to be picking you apart any time soon… Defenses game-planning against Illinois will put 23 people in the box… at least that’s what USC appeared to do.

6. Random factor that you think will come into play this season – Two things here: Illinois starts Big 10 play @ Penn State and @ Michigan. Regardless of the current situations at both schools, that’s a tough start to the conference slate, and tripping out of the box may impact this team more than a more experienced squad. Secondly, there’s the chance that Arrelious Benn turns into a wide receiver that should be playing for Michigan or Ohio State and enables Juice Williams to throw Kurt-Kittner-8^th-grade-lob-balls and complete them due to Benn’s complete and total level of awesomeness… if this happens, count me as someone who will be highly annoyed.

7. Overall Record – Mendenhall was a beast last year and Illinois caught quite a few people by surprise… including apparently Ohio State. This team was capable of playing quite well, but they lacked consistency, and now they lack their MANBEAST tailback… I think a slight regression towards the mean is on the horizon for the Politically Corrects… call it 8-4 with all four losses coming in-conference… the Mizzou game is a tossup and I’ll lean the Illini way for them on this one, Big 10 solidarity and all.

8. Final Big Ten Standing – Not too hot, not too cold, jusssssssst right, so I say 5^th.

9. Bowl Game Destination – Wooo boy, where does the 5^th place Big 10 team go? Motor City Bowl? I don’t know… We’ll call it a “Late December Capital One Bowl Week Special” and leave it at that.

Whaddya say Beauford?

The Fighting Zookers

Continuing our ridiculously early previews of Big Ten teams, I proudly bring you Illinois:

One Word Season Recap: Roller-Coaster. Two words you say? Screw off. Illinois came into the season knowing that they had a good Running Back in Mendenhall, and a QB with tons of potential in Juice Williams. Mendenhall didn't disappoint, rushing for 1681 yards on 262 carries. That's a staggering 6.4 YPC. Killer. In games Illinois lost, Mendenhall averaged 61.6 yards (excluding bowl game). In games they won? 149 yards. It is safe to say that as Mendenhall went, so too went the Illini. He will be playing on Sunday next year as a first round draft choice of the Steelers. Illinois went from losing to Missouri to ripping off 5 straight wins, to dropping two in a row to Iowa and Michigan, to beating #1 Ohio State in the Shoe, to getting bitch-made by USC in the Rose Bowl. Seriously, Space Mountain has nothing on that season - and Space Mountain is epic.

No Longer a Zooker

The Zooker's finished last season ranked #20 in the AP, and #18 in the coaches poll.

2008 Tangibles:

Schedule
8/30 @ Missouri
9/06 Eastern Illinois
9/13 Louisiana-Lafayette
9/27 @ Penn State
10/04 @ Michigan
10/11 Minnesota
10/18 Indiana
10/25 @ Wisconsin
11/01 Iowa
11/08 @ Western Michigan
11/15 Ohio State
11/22 @ Northwestern

Coach
They don't call them the fighting Zooker's for nothing. And no - I will not be using [Name Redacted].

Returning Playmakers
Juice Williams is a good quarterback until you make him throw. Then he's a bad quarterback. That could change.

Bad Quarterback!


Arrelious Benn is 100% uncut blue magic.

Champ?

Indiana Football: Feel the Excitement!

I've spent the majority of the day talking myself out of writing something about Justin Boren. Apologies for the lack of Hoosier goodness, and the fact that I'm still seething about Justin...that may have gotten in the way of writing this...

One thing the media will harp on that is ridiculously off base: Um...does the new basketball coach count as being off base?

You, good sir, are brave. Staring down death by sheer boredom, you sit, perched in front of the BTN, desperately watching Indiana for any signs of being anything above an inept NAIA team. They aren't. That's what the media will get wrong this year. Indiana's bowl achievement last year was due to a particularly weak non-conference schedule combined with...well...a particularly weak Big Ten schedule. Sprinkle in a first-round capable playmaker at receiver, and you have a team capable of scraping their way into a bowl game. This will not repeat itself. This is not a sign of life. This is the law of averages applying itself to college football. Once every decade (twice in particularly good decades) the Hoosiers make a bowl game. This is not a particularly good decade. The media will try to bamboozle you into thinking that IU has a shot at reaching to that mediocre level they've been striving for, but in reality, they don't.

God damn stupid Boren. What the hell. I don't care if you transfer, but could you not slap us all on the way out? No wait - you already did that with your whining about Rodriguez. Nope - you went straight for the balls with this transfer didn't you?

Um...wow...sorry about that. I'll try not to let it happen again.

One thing the media will ignore that is integral to this team's success: Champ went with kicker here. I can't believe he went with kicker. Here we are - the one thing that will maybe - just MAYBE - elevate the Hoosiers to successive bowl appearances is...the kicker?

Nah. The Hoosiers have one shot, and one shot only at being bowl eligible this year. Their defense MUST be better. They don't have Hardy. Their QB has spent the spring either getting baked, or running stairs (hope, Hoosier fans, that it's the latter). IU will not score points easily this year. The media will focus on Lewis. They will focus on the tight ends. But what they will not focus on is the fact that IU MUST hold opponents to under 1 gazillion points if they want to compete.

Most important contributers on each side of the ball: Lewis will have to be 100% uncut blue magic if the Hoosiers hope to score points. He will face plenty of 3rd and 13's. This offense will not be the 3rd offense in the conference this year, because Lewis doesn't have a safety blanket in the form of a 6'6" receiver with a 40 inch vertical. So much for "just throw it down field and Hardy will catch it." Remember Henne's season after Braylon left? Remember how Lewis isn't a shadow of Henne as a QB? Ouch.

Stupid fucking Boren. Your dad played at UM under Schembechler. You realize that right? Jesus, talk about a fucking punch to the fucking balls. Ohio State? I mean - was Cincinnati full up?

Sorry.

Defensively, I can't think of a single name who will be the leading contributor, so...right...Champ say's it's a guy named Austin Thomas, and I believe him.

Area that scares you as an opponent: Um...the kicker?

Area that makes you salivate as an opponent: Bloomington. Indiana. Bill Lynch. The rock. No James Hardy.

Random Factor that will come into play: In all honesty, can Kellen Lewis stay out of the doghouse long enough to see the field? I mean - he's really pretty good. Rodriguez would love him. If he can't see the field because of discipline, then...uh oh...

Overall Record: I have them tabbed for a 4-8 season this year with wins coming against Western, Murray State, Ball State, and Minnesota. I know they don't play UM or OSU this year, but frankly, I can't see them beating another Big Ten team.

Final Big Ten Standing: 10th in conference - by the skin of their teeth.

You couldn't just transfer to a SEC school could you? I mean - Mallet was ok with that. Ohio Fucking State? Jesus, I'm going to puke.

Bowl Game Destination What Champ said.