College football is just around the corner and while the people in the South, especially the Southeast, believe that they are “football country” but the North is where real football is played. The cold early Saturday mornings will be good watching for football purists again this year with a few schools looking to make a run at Pasadena and one with legitimate national championship dreams.
National Championship Material?
Ohio State University
The Ohio State Buckeyes look to follow the University of Texas 2004-2006 team’s footsteps by using a Rose Bowl win over Oregon as a launching pad to the national championship.
The Buckeyes are led on offense by their ultra-athletic quarterback Tyrelle Pryor and will go as far as he takes them. Pryor is not a shoe in to be great in 2010 though. The QB has been inconsistent at best while in Columbus and part of that is the seeming reluctance of Jim Tressel to truly turn the potential playmaker loose.
The running game will again be the heart and soul of this team. For all of Pryor’s ability he a legit running threat and their offense is built to move the ball five yards at a time. The skill at receiver is pretty low for one of the top five programs in the country reaffirming my belief that the running game will be featured. Pryor can sling it all over the yard but it takes two to complete a pass and they do not have the proven horses to match up with elite secondaries.
If Jim Tressel is the coach you know their team is going to be tough on defense. There is no lack of playmakers on defense and the unit will suffocate opposing attacks. The truth is that outside there is no offense in the Big Ten that matches the Buckeye defense well. Ohio State will be in every game because of this unit.
With a very manageable schedule and more talent than their conference counterparts, Ohio State are looking a possible undefeated regular season. They will get tested by Penn State, Iowa, Michigan, Miami, and Wisconsin but are favorites in every match. If they play to their potential and stick to “Tressel ball” we could see them in Glendale in January of 2011.
Big Games: 9/11 v. Miami (FL), 10/16 at Wisconsin, 11/13 v. Penn State, 11/20 at Iowa, 11/23 v. Michigan
Prediction: Conference Champions, 11-1 with a loss to Iowa
Bowl Game: Rose Bowl
The Contenders
University of Wisconsin
Bret Bielema’s group is not fancy. They are the epitome of Big Ten football. This year will not be any different. They pound the ball for sixty minutes on both sides and I love it! John Clay is the best running back for Wisconsin since Ron Dayne and will receive a similar workload. Running behind an experienced and tough offensive line means that Big Ten defenses better come to play physical. This offense is tailor made for the cold northern winters of the Big Ten and if you love the running game John Clay is a must see. The defense is not flashy but is solid. They wrap up and make tackles. In an offensively challenged Big Ten that is key.
Big Games: 10/16 v. Ohio State, 10/23 at Iowa
Prediction: 11-1 with a loss to Ohio State
Bowl Game: Fiesta Bowl
University of Iowa
Like Ohio State, the Hawkeyes are looking to use a BCS bowl victory as a launching pad for success this season. A team that seemed to play with fire on a weekly basis and survived injury to quarterback Ricky Stanzi somehow made it to the Orange Bowl and beat Georgia Tech. It seems that 2009-2010 was the return of Kirk Ferentz after a few years of sub-par performances.
Their offense is led by Stanzi who is a year older and wiser as a returning starter and senior. Stanzi has three of his top five receivers coming back with him behind an experienced offensive line. For all their experience the Hawkeyes still lack true playmakers but do enough on offense to get the job done. Another year together will not hurt.
Tyler Stash and Jeff Tarpinian lead an experienced a ball hawking defense back. Truth be told, the defense is the reason for Iowa’s success last year. The group is returning upper-classmen at every position and should be able to create the type of play that made the Hawkeyes an 11 win team last year.
Big Games: 10/2 v. Penn State, 10/23 v. Wisconsin, 11/20 v. Ohio State
Prediction: 10-2, losses to Wisconsin and Penn State
Bowl Game: Capitol One Bowl
The Rest
Penn State returns RB Evan Royster but loses a lot with the graduation of QB Daryl Clark. For all the offensive and defensive talent this is a team that will need a quarterback to step up before we know how good they will be, especially in conference play. Sophomore Kevin Newsome is the leader to replace Clark and the kid better be ready to fulfill the expectations in Happy Valley. The defense is good and will keep them in most games behind a strong secondary. Alabama in week two will be tough.
Prediction: 8-4
Michigan State missed a winning season in 2009-2010 with a loss in the Alamo Bowl to Texas Tech. The returns of Kirk Cousins (QB), Greg Jones (OLB), and Eric Gordon (OLB) have me excited about this team making progress. Mike Dantonio is a very good coach and I think he has his team ready to take a step forward. I am interested to see how Keith Nichol transitions from QB to WR this year.
Prediction: 7-5
Michigan is in the “rest” category again. The once storied program is getting more publicity for Rich Rodriquez’ inability to read a clock than their athletes or potential play on the field. Jonas Mouton and Troy Woolfork are good young talents on defense but the loss of Brandon Graham will hurt. Incumbent QB Tate Forcier returns but I wonder how long before Denard Robinson gets the keys to the spread option full-time? I think it is soon if the season starts slow. Is this going to be another bad season in Ann Arbor? If so, Michigan alumni Jim Harbaugh and Les Miles may want to keep their cell phone handy.
Prediction: 7-5
Purdue got an infusion of talent at the quarterback position with Robert Marve transferring from Miami (FL). Purdue returns most of its skill position talent on an offense that is designed to score in bunches. Marve’s ability to pick up the offense and play well will have a huge effect on a team that is replacing three starters on the offensive line and five total on defense. Depending on Marve’s play this team could surprise and win eight games this year.
Prediction: 6-6
Minnesota is at a crossroads in 2010. Coach Tim Brewster as certainly improved the recruiting profile of the program and the new stadium is nice, although it may be the coldest in the NCAA, but that has not translated to on the field success. The Golden Gophers return nine starters on offense, including quarterback Adam Weber and his talented back up Marques Gray. Weber was up and down last year and without star wideout Eric Decker there is a chance Brewster moves the Gophers to a more run based attack and inserts Gray full time. While the Gophers return experience on offense the defense loses nine starters from a sub-par group. It may be another cold long year in Minneapolis but Brewster’s seat may get hotter and hotter as the season progresses.
Prediction: 5-7
Northwestern lost eight guys on defense and twelve on offense from an 8-5 team. Dan Persa will take over at quarterback in an up-tempo offense. Truthfully there is not much to like about this team but their offense always keeps them in games and wacky things seem to happen when they are involved.
Prediction: 5-6
Indiana’s program failed to build off their success in 2008 in the 2009 season. 2010 looks to be another disappointment. The program returns eight starters on offense but only four on defense. Unless success comes with the youth movement it will be another year of looking forward to basketball season. The two bright spots for the Hoosiers are returning starters Ben Chappel (QB) and Darius Willis (HB). Both players could have good seasons.
Prediction: 4-8
Illinois is a rare case of a team losing their four year starting quarterback and having good odds of being better for it. For all his talent, Juice Williams never got close to fulfilling his potential. With no Arrelious Benn and Jon Asamoh the offense for the Fighting Illini is a mystery. Jared Fayson is a talent but there is little else to get excited about in what could be Zook’s final season.
Prediction: 3-9
Game of the Year: 10/16 Ohio State at Wisconsin
Offensive Player of the Year: John Clay, RB, Wisconsin
Defensive Player of the Year: Tie: Jonas Mouton, LB, Michigan/Greg Jones, LB, Michigan State
Freshman of the Year: Jamaal Berry, RB, Ohio State
Coaches that will be fired: Rich Rodriquez, Michigan; Tim Brewster, Minnesota; Ron Zook, Illinois
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