JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
On a year in, year out basis, most college football teams have a weakness or two. Seldom is the team that is fully loaded stout to stern and when you find a team like that in the Big Ten, they are typically in the national title hunt.
The 2008 Penn State team was one of those teams; stacked at nearly every position. An all conference quarterback, all league level tailback, seasoned receivers, three first team all conference offensive linemen, two NFL draft picks at defensive end, great linebackers and experienced on the back end. However, they fell one game short of the prize, losing at Iowa. The 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes were even better, and the 2002 Iowa Hawkeyes and Ohio State Buckeyes perhaps better still.
What are some of the Achilles heels for this year’s Big Ten season? Let’s take a look…first at The Contenders
PENN STATE: You can start at quarterback and spend significant time here. Will it be Newsome? McGloin? Jones? Will any of those three be able to make a difference when it counts? I have my doubts, but it’s tough to find a definitive fourth loss on their schedule. They have holes at TE, OL, DL, all three LB’s and an all league caliber punter to fill. I have faith in them to fill the gaps on defense, but I am not so sure at quarterback. And as you know, you cannot hide your quarterback in college football.
WISCONSIN: This is a Badger team that is loaded on offense, with arguably the best offensive line in the league. They may also boast the most balanced offensive attack in the league, too. However, on defense they lose O’Brien Schofield and his out of nowhere sacking abilities, and they lost more starters than they return. They led the Big Ten in scoring last year and will need to do that again this year if they are to make a serious run at a conference championship.
OHIO STATE: They return a boatload of starters, they always reload on defense and they have the most exciting player in the conference at the most crucial position in the game; quarterback Terrelle Pryor. While he was unleashed in the final game of the year last year, the impressive Rose Bowl win over Oregon, the Buckeyes pounded it out on the ground the five previous games, racking up at least 228 yards rushing in each contest. That’s more like Tressel-ball. Some want to compare Pryor to Vince Young at the same age; if anyone does that around you, tell them they are crazy. Pryor is good, but Young was in a different stratosphere, although each has an awkward throwing motion. OSU’s offensive line was a bit green last year and they have the experience this year, plus Herron and Saine at running backs. Their receiving corps may emerge into a dangerous group, but they don’t strike fear into you right now. To doubt their defense is at your peril. They might have the least question marks of any team in a BCS conference this year. I guess I’d say their schedule is their Achilles Heel, as they have to travel to Madison and Iowa City this year.
IOWA: Offensive line, and that’s about it…but that is a lot. The development of the offensive line will tell the tale at the end of the season. If they come along quickly and are proficient, then this team can win every game it plays. If they struggle early, they could have two losses by the time they leave Ann Arbor. I am confident everywhere else; they have the best overall skill position talent since the fabeled 2002 team and the defense might make a run at being the best of the Norm Parker era. They get Penn State, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Ohio State at home, to boot.
THE NEXT CUT
NORTHWESTERN: They return all five offensive linemen, but they lose QB Mike Kafka. Junior Dan Persa takes the reigns, and Iowa fans got a good look at him in Kinnick last fall. Yet, he still has a ways to go. Their defense has been a huge part of their success the last two years, but losing Corey Wootton, the heart and soul, will be a tough loss to overcome.
MICHIGAN: Simply put, they have had two of the worst defensive seasons in Michigan football history the last two years. They are unsettled at quarterback and they need new bodies in the running game. If their offense gets close to operating where Rich Rod wants it, they will score points. But that means that they will also give up yards and points because the defense will be on the field a lot. They allowed 27.5 ppg last year and over 170 rushing yards per game. Akron, Toledo, Ohio, La Tech were just some of the schools with better run defenses.
MICHIGAN STATE: They need to find a running game again, something they struggled with since the start of Big Ten play in 2008. Javon Ringer averaged less than 4.0 yards per carry in Big Ten play that year, and they were ranked in the low 70’s running the ball last year. It’s also a program that has just seemed to lack that killer instinct through the years, or you might call it heart.
TOO MANY HOLES TO FILL
PURDUE: This will be a popular pick as a breakout team or a sleeper. But they have an untested quarterback in a sophisticated offense, they have huge questions at running back and significant holes to fill on defense. They lost five games last year by less than 15 combined points, but the defense takes as step back and we’ll see how well Marve does at QB, and he is healing from an ACL from last summer, too.
INDIANA: They lost their outstanding pair of bookend defensive ends in Middleton and Kirlew. They return some experience on offense and their Pistol sets are unique. They were hammered by unfavorable officiating calls last year and probably deserved a fate better than what they received. But as Kirk Ferentz says, your record pretty much tells you what you are.
ILLINOIS: Nathan Scheelhasse will be a freshman quarterback starting for the Illini. They have new coordinators. Ron Zook is on his last leg at Illinois, and I sense this will be a tumultuous year in Champaign because when you are desperate, you have a quick hook and chemistry can go downhill fast. They have a good RB tandem in LeShoure and Ford, but they can’t stop the pass or the run.
MINNESOTA: What is it, nine starters lost on defense? More coordinators gone? Adam Weber still at quarterback? WR Eric Decker is gone, too? Trouble in Minneapolis. The biggest drama might be seeing how many tickets Iowa fans can score at The Bank.
The 2008 Penn State team was one of those teams; stacked at nearly every position. An all conference quarterback, all league level tailback, seasoned receivers, three first team all conference offensive linemen, two NFL draft picks at defensive end, great linebackers and experienced on the back end. However, they fell one game short of the prize, losing at Iowa. The 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes were even better, and the 2002 Iowa Hawkeyes and Ohio State Buckeyes perhaps better still.
What are some of the Achilles heels for this year’s Big Ten season? Let’s take a look…first at The Contenders
PENN STATE: You can start at quarterback and spend significant time here. Will it be Newsome? McGloin? Jones? Will any of those three be able to make a difference when it counts? I have my doubts, but it’s tough to find a definitive fourth loss on their schedule. They have holes at TE, OL, DL, all three LB’s and an all league caliber punter to fill. I have faith in them to fill the gaps on defense, but I am not so sure at quarterback. And as you know, you cannot hide your quarterback in college football.
WISCONSIN: This is a Badger team that is loaded on offense, with arguably the best offensive line in the league. They may also boast the most balanced offensive attack in the league, too. However, on defense they lose O’Brien Schofield and his out of nowhere sacking abilities, and they lost more starters than they return. They led the Big Ten in scoring last year and will need to do that again this year if they are to make a serious run at a conference championship.
OHIO STATE: They return a boatload of starters, they always reload on defense and they have the most exciting player in the conference at the most crucial position in the game; quarterback Terrelle Pryor. While he was unleashed in the final game of the year last year, the impressive Rose Bowl win over Oregon, the Buckeyes pounded it out on the ground the five previous games, racking up at least 228 yards rushing in each contest. That’s more like Tressel-ball. Some want to compare Pryor to Vince Young at the same age; if anyone does that around you, tell them they are crazy. Pryor is good, but Young was in a different stratosphere, although each has an awkward throwing motion. OSU’s offensive line was a bit green last year and they have the experience this year, plus Herron and Saine at running backs. Their receiving corps may emerge into a dangerous group, but they don’t strike fear into you right now. To doubt their defense is at your peril. They might have the least question marks of any team in a BCS conference this year. I guess I’d say their schedule is their Achilles Heel, as they have to travel to Madison and Iowa City this year.
IOWA: Offensive line, and that’s about it…but that is a lot. The development of the offensive line will tell the tale at the end of the season. If they come along quickly and are proficient, then this team can win every game it plays. If they struggle early, they could have two losses by the time they leave Ann Arbor. I am confident everywhere else; they have the best overall skill position talent since the fabeled 2002 team and the defense might make a run at being the best of the Norm Parker era. They get Penn State, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Ohio State at home, to boot.
THE NEXT CUT
NORTHWESTERN: They return all five offensive linemen, but they lose QB Mike Kafka. Junior Dan Persa takes the reigns, and Iowa fans got a good look at him in Kinnick last fall. Yet, he still has a ways to go. Their defense has been a huge part of their success the last two years, but losing Corey Wootton, the heart and soul, will be a tough loss to overcome.
MICHIGAN: Simply put, they have had two of the worst defensive seasons in Michigan football history the last two years. They are unsettled at quarterback and they need new bodies in the running game. If their offense gets close to operating where Rich Rod wants it, they will score points. But that means that they will also give up yards and points because the defense will be on the field a lot. They allowed 27.5 ppg last year and over 170 rushing yards per game. Akron, Toledo, Ohio, La Tech were just some of the schools with better run defenses.
MICHIGAN STATE: They need to find a running game again, something they struggled with since the start of Big Ten play in 2008. Javon Ringer averaged less than 4.0 yards per carry in Big Ten play that year, and they were ranked in the low 70’s running the ball last year. It’s also a program that has just seemed to lack that killer instinct through the years, or you might call it heart.
TOO MANY HOLES TO FILL
PURDUE: This will be a popular pick as a breakout team or a sleeper. But they have an untested quarterback in a sophisticated offense, they have huge questions at running back and significant holes to fill on defense. They lost five games last year by less than 15 combined points, but the defense takes as step back and we’ll see how well Marve does at QB, and he is healing from an ACL from last summer, too.
INDIANA: They lost their outstanding pair of bookend defensive ends in Middleton and Kirlew. They return some experience on offense and their Pistol sets are unique. They were hammered by unfavorable officiating calls last year and probably deserved a fate better than what they received. But as Kirk Ferentz says, your record pretty much tells you what you are.
ILLINOIS: Nathan Scheelhasse will be a freshman quarterback starting for the Illini. They have new coordinators. Ron Zook is on his last leg at Illinois, and I sense this will be a tumultuous year in Champaign because when you are desperate, you have a quick hook and chemistry can go downhill fast. They have a good RB tandem in LeShoure and Ford, but they can’t stop the pass or the run.
MINNESOTA: What is it, nine starters lost on defense? More coordinators gone? Adam Weber still at quarterback? WR Eric Decker is gone, too? Trouble in Minneapolis. The biggest drama might be seeing how many tickets Iowa fans can score at The Bank.
