Conference Preview 2010 - Big 10

Big 10 Projections
1. Iowa

2. Ohio State

3. Michigan

4. Penn State

5. Wisconsin

6. Northwestern

7. Michigan State

8. Purdue

9. Illinois

10. Indiana

11. Minnesota



Conference Champions: Iowa Hawkeyes



Team Previews



The Best

Iowa Hawkeyes

Last season ended with Iowa drubbing Georgia Teach in the Orange Bowl. Despite their BCS Bowl victory, I think the 2010 Iowa Hawkeyes could be even better than last year. In fact, right now it is my expectation that not only will this squad win the Big 10, but I also think they will be playing the Crimson Tide for the National Championship. This team is that good.

Rickey Stanzi will return to lead the Hawkeyes from under center this year. Although not as flashy as some of the other QBs in the FBS, Stanzi is consistent and I think his leadership skills will help this team play good football each and every week. Talented sophomore, Adam Robinson will be the team’s primary back in 2010, and although I don’t expect him to put up Shonn Green type numbers just yet, I do expect him to improve on his 834 from last year, especially if he remains healthy for the full slate. DJK will return as Stanzi’s top target, and this guy has everything it takes to emerge as a game changer at receiver. The only question on the offense is the o-line who lost a lot with Bulaga heading to the NFL. They still are a pretty good group, and Kirk Ferentz is a guy who takes pride in his o-line so I expect them to perform well enough to keep the sticks moving.

On defense this team is pretty scary as well. The defensive front features top NFL prospect Adrian Clayborn and he will get a lot of attention. Unfortunately for opponents however, this could make the impact of teammates Christian Ballard and Karl Klug even more significant. All three of these guys will need to be accounted for on every play if your offense stands a chance at succeeding against Iowa. As if this scary front was not enough, Tyler Sash and Brett Greenwood both return this year at safety and together they make up the nation’s best safety tandem. If the linebackers and corners can support these studs this will be the Big Ten’s top defense this year.

Even the schedule makers gave Iowa some love this year. The team’s toughest two road games this season are at Michigan and Northwestern, both games they should win. At home, Penn State, Wisconsin, and Ohio State will come calling. I can tell you that none of those teams are excited about having to play Iowa in Iowa City. If they avoid a fall against non-conference Arizona during the early season, I expect Iowa to face Ohio State on Nov 20th with an undefeated record, creating a de-facto Big 10 Championship Game.



The Surprise

Northwestern Wildcats

There is no doubt that the Big Ten is a strong conference, and makes for some great football each season. Unfortunately for the fans in Evanston, the Wildcats have been an afterthought amongst the Big Ten team for some time now. Pat Fitzgerald has done a really good job of making this program relevant again, and that was evidenced by an excellent performance last year, culminating with a high-scoring closely fought battle with Auburn in the Outback Bowl last January.

For the Cats to return to a January Bowl, they will need to have good play out of their offense which was a strength last year. QB Mike Kafka is now gone, but his replacement, Dan Persa is a talent kid who pushed Kafka last summer for the starting job. Although he lacks game experience, he is skilled, and that should help him adjust. Remember that Kafka only had 6 starts when he took over as the starter last year. I also expect to see the other skill position units improve too. Arby Fields will return as the lead tailback for Northwestern, and although they have lost some playmaker at the wide receiver position, the unit as a whole is much more experienced and that should provide some comfort to Persa. One of the most important areas to the Cats success will be the o-line, and I expect this group to be very good. They retrun 5 guys all who have spent time as a full time starter and this bodes well for both the passing and running games.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Wildcats will be tested. The secondary has some question marks and they lost underrated talent Corey Wooten of the edge. Having said that, Ben Johnson, Quentin Davie, and Nate Williams all return to their starting linebacker spots, and if Bryce McNaul continues to emerge, this will be an awesome group in 2010.

As far as scheduling goes, I would not be at all surprised to see this team jump out to a 6-0 start heading into their bye week on October 16th. During the second half of the season, Northwestern does have to go visit Penn State and Wisconsin, both of which could be difficult games, and they play host to Iowa which will be very tough. If the Cats can surprise one of these three previously mentioned teams, plus add wins against Michigan State and Illinois, this team could find themselves once again playing football on New Years Day.



The Slip

Penn State Nittany Lions

First, I must start by saying that I don’t see the Lions being a bad football team in 2010, however I have a hard time seeing them put up the kind of numbers the Happy Valley faithful have come to expect from this team, especially considering they landed in BCS Bowls twice in the last five seasons.

First, let’s take a look at the good. Evan Royster is an excellent back, and he has the potential to have a breakout season. Stefen Wisniewski is moving back to his natural position at guard, and he is one of the country’s best interior linemen, and this should also contribute to good numbers for Royster. Unfortunately, the Lions will go into 2010 with a real question mark under center. Right now it appears that sophomore, Kevin Newsome will get the call, however there are two freshmen, Robert Bolden and Paul Jones who will try and win the starting job too. With no experience, and none of these guys being uber-talented, I have some real concerns about the viability of this whole offence. The receivers all bring some game knowledge to the field with them in 2010, but there is not really a standout, go-to receiver in the group.

On the defensive side of the ball there are also some things to be excited about and some nagging questions as well. The d-line and secondary are returning some guys who have game time under their belt, and overall that is a good thing. Unfortunately however, they are not returning three individuals who really made this defense work last year. Jared Odrick, Sean Lee, and Navorro Bowman will all be playing on Sundays this fall, and the absence of these studs makes me wonder how far the defense will fall.

To top things off, Penn State has a very difficult challenge looming in terms of its road schedule. This year they have to travel to play Alabama, Iowa, and Ohio State, and that could easily result in 3 losses for the team. Home battles against Michigan, Northwestern, and Michigan State could also all prove to be more difficult than expected, and if they fail to get it done against all of these teams, a 4 or 5 loss season is not out of the realm of possibility.



Don’t Forget About

Ohio State Buckeyes

When your starting QB is one of the most physically dynamic athletes in college football, you know that you will have a good chance at winning a lot of football games. Ohio State has exactly that will Terrelle Pryor under center. This kid has really improved as a passer and his feet are exceptionally dangerous too. He reminds me a lot of Vince Young, and I think he will be in the Heisman conversation all season long.  Brandon Saine and Boom Herron are both returning to the Ohio State backfield and although neither eclipsed the 1000 yard mark last season, I still look at this unit as one of the better backfields in the Big Ten. A guy that I really think could make an impact is Redshirt Freshman Jaamal Berry. He could wind up as the best of the three by season’s end.  Although the names at wide out won’t be recognized on a national level just yet, both DeVier Posey and Duron Carter could soon be. Both are quick, talented receivers with good hands, and along with senior, Dane Sanzenbacher, this unit is one of the most complete, top to bottom, in the whole country.  The o-line is the weakest part of the entire offense, but this does not mean it will be a bad group. In fact, this is a veteran bunch who I expect to be even better than they were last year, and that could prove to be trouble for the rest of the Big Ten.



The defensive front may not be as deep as it has been in recent years, however, they do boast the best NFL prospect they have had in some time with Cameron Heyward. The senior is near the top of my big board, and for good reason. He will be difficult to keep away from opposing QBs, and a good pass rush can cover up a lot of other weaknesses on a defense.  At linebacker, seniors Brian Rolle, and Ross Homan make up a nasty 1-2 punch, and I expect these guys to make plays all over the field. With traditional standouts at linebacker like AJ Hawk, Chris Spielman, Andy Katzenmoyer, and James Laurinaitis, the expectations are high these guys, but I definitely expect them to deliver.  The secondary is always a strength for the Buckeyes, and this year’s unit, led by Safety, Jermale Hines, should be solid as well. These guys show good break to ball when it is in the air, and they are all athletic enough to stay with almost all the receivers they will be asked to blanket this year.

Although the schedule features some tough match-ups, most of their most difficult contests will be played in friendly confines of the Horseshoe. This year the Buckeyes play host to Penn State and Michigan, as well as a non-conference showdown with Miami on September 11th. Their tough road games include Wisconsin, and what is likely to be a pseudo Big Ten Conference Title Game against Iowa on November 20th.  All in all I expect to see the Buckeyes run the table until they face Iowa in late November. This is an excellent team, and although they don’t have a slew of nationally recognized names, this will be one tough team to beat.