Another downer. Time to face the facts, (lol, like we haven't already) we need to work on this football thing!
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A quick quiz: Which of the following are true?
a) Penn State hasn't had a 1,000-yard rusher since 1997.
b) No Big Ten team has finished in the final AP top 10 since 1999.
c) The Big Ten is 4-8 the last two seasons in bowls.
d) Only the Pac-10 and Big Ten have not played in a BCS championship game.
e) Michigan recorded 12 sacks against Michigan State -- and lost.
You're way ahead of the curve if you guessed f) all of the above. The Big-Ten-is-down angle is actually an old one. This is the second straight year that the conference has been mediocre. The case can be made for the Big 12, Pac-10 and SEC, at least, being ahead of the Big Ten in terms of overall strength.
So why not emphasize the positive? Jim Tressel has Ohio State at the doorstep of a conference title in only his second year. In his first season, Tressel all but promised a victory over Michigan and then delivered -- at Michigan, no less -- with a backup quarterback.
The Buckeyes actually get better at quarterback with the loss of Steve Bellisari, who was suspended for that victory because of a DUI. Craig Krenzel and Scott Mullen are battling for the starting spot but the real future is in freshman Justin Zwick.
If Mullen or Krenzel became the clear-cut starter, then Zwick probably will redshirt. If not, Tressel might be forced to play his prodigy to save a potential championship season. The Buckeyes play 13 games this year and have a chance to win them all. Ohio State plays nine of its games in the state, including the Michigan game.
Michigan probably has the league's best defense, which isn't saying much. The Wolverines gave up at least 23 points five times last season and were blown out by Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl.
The defense did limit opponents to 91 yards and led the league with 50 sacks. But defense was high-risk, high-reward. If Michigan didn't reach the quarterback, the secondary was porous. For example, despite those 12 sacks against Michigan State, the Spartans won 26-24 in a bitter, controversial finish for the Wolverines.
On offense, leading rusher B.J. Askew has been moved to fullback. That might help quarterback John Navarre, it might not. He did not finish among the top 10 Big Ten quarterbacks in passing efficiency and made too many turnovers.
Michigan hopes John Navarre can be more efficient and limit his turnovers this year.(Allsport)
Those are supposedly the top two teams in the league. Michigan State would beg to differ. The stars are aligning for the Spartans to make a championship run. Quarterback Jeff Smoker enters his junior year with perhaps the most electrifying receiver in the country, Charles Rogers. Smoker was the league's most efficient passer despite splitting playing time early.
Rogers is a picture of the modern college receiver. He is big (6-foot-4, 200) and fast (4.3 in the 40).
Coach Bobby Williams needs to hit it big this season. The jury is still out on Nick Saban's successor, considering his 13-11 record. The Spartans won their last seven home games against ranked opponents. This year they play only four road games, none until Oct. 12. By that time Michigan State should have plenty of momentum built up and could be 8-0 heading to Michigan on November 2.
The rest of the conference is too deficient in one area or another to be taken seriously. Penn State is trying to recover from the first consecutive losing seasons in Joe Paterno's career. Wisconsin has a fantastic offense but has significant questions on defense. After advancing to the Sugar Bowl, Illinois simply lost too much.
Purdue finished last in the Big Ten and 105th nationally in offense. Quarterback Brandon Hance transferred after Kyle Orton started the final three games. Believe it or not, the Boilers should be representative on defense. Free safety Stuart Schweigert matches up perfectly in a league where shootouts are common. He is a superb return man and has 11 career interceptions.
Iowa should be a bowl team. Minnesota, Northwestern and Indiana should be their usual selves. There is a bit of hope at Indiana, where retread Gerry DiNardo takes over. Northwestern is fighting the Rashidi Wheeler lawsuit while trying to rebound from a 4-7 season.
The Big Ten will be represented in the BCS only because the rules say so. But for the fifth straight year, the league will not have a team play for the national championship.
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Big Ten Projected Finish
1 - Ohio State
2 - Michigan
3 - Penn St.
4 - Michigan St.
5 - Purdue
6 - Illinois
7 - Wisconsin
8 - Minnesota
9 - Iowa
10 - Northwestern
11 - Indiana</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">
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Familiar story in the Big Ten: Another down year
