Right: Are Michigan fans pinning their hopes for a winning season on a true freshman quarterback? (AP Photo)

The last (and certainly the least) of the 12 previews on all 12 of Ohio State’s 2009 opponents:

Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez enters his second year at the helm of the Wolverines, and after going 3-9 in 2008, I’m sure it’s one season he would like to forget.

Before Rodriguez’ arrival to Ann Arbor, Michigan had winning seasons for 40-straight years and went received 33-straight postseason bowl invites. That all changed last year.

After losing in the 2008 season-opener to Utah at home, Michigan squeaked by Miami-Ohio to even their record at 1-1. A week later, the Wolverines’ were drubbed by Notre Dame during their trip to Sound Bend, and on the following Saturday, the lone bright spot during last season came when Michigan scored 19 unanswered points in the second half to defeat Wisconsin, 27-25.

At 2-2, things were not looking so bad for Rodriguez and his Wolverines. Unfortunately, Michigan closed out the season losing seven out of their last eight games which included the embarrassing 13-10 loss to Mid-American Conference member Toledo at home.

To compound the problems in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines’ top passer, Steven Threet, transferred after the season to Arizona State, and the Wolverines’ second-leading rusher, Sam McGuffie, decided to leave Michigan and play closer to home at Rice.

Michigan’s most experienced quarterback is junior Nick Sheridan (6-1, 218), who threw for 613 yards with two touchdown passes and five interceptions in eight games last season.

Sheridan, though, broke his leg during spring ball, allowing true freshman Tate Forcier (6-1, 188) to get most the reps in practice. Another true freshman, Denard Robinson (6-0, 185), is also battling for the starting quarterback job, but the odds-on favorite is Forcier, who was a four-start recruit by Rivals.com and was ranked the fifth-best dual-threat quarterback in the nation.

Forcier, who came in at No. 164 on the Rivals list of top high school prospects in the country for the class of 2009, has an accurate arm and decent speed, running the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds, and fits the mold in Rodriguez’ spread offense.

Michigan does return their top rusher from a year ago, senior Brandon Minor, who gained 533 yards on 103 attempts with nine TDs.

The top three pass-catchers also return, which includes sophomore wideout Martavious Odoms (5-9, 172), who hauled in 49 receptions for 443 yards, and senior WR Greg Mathews (6-3, 209), who caught 35 balls for 409 yards and two touchdowns.

In all, 10 offensive starters return including all five linemen led by two seniors, left tackle Mark Ortmann (6-7, 284) and right guard David Moosman (6-5, 293).

On the other side of the line of scrimmage, just five starters return, though three of the top five tacklers are back from a year ago that includes junior linebacker Obi Ezeh (6-2, 243), junior linebacker Jonas Mouton (6-2, 228), and safety-turned-linebacker Stevie Brown (6-1, 211), as Michigan switches from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense this season.

Outlook:

Where do I begin? Last season. Michigan ranked dead last in the Big Ten in total offense (290.8 ypg), passing offense (143.2 ypg), scoring offense (20.3 ppg), passing efficiency (95.1) and turnover margin (-.83).

Defensively, the Wolverines were near the bottom of the conference in total defense (9th/366.9 ypg), scoring defense (10th/28.2 ppg), pass defense (9th/230.0 ypg), and passing efficiency defense (10th/131.7).

Personally, I think those numbers will improve, but not by much.

Michigan has an easier schedule this season as they did in 2008, playing two directional Michigan’s (Western and Eastern), as well as taking on Division I-AA (FCS) Delaware State, all at home. Their toughest out-of-conference opponent is Notre Dame, and they get the Fighting Irish at home, too, though I don’t think it matters.

The Wolverines also have Penn State and Ohio State coming to Ann Arbor, but you can chalk those up as defeats as well, and face Michigan State, Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin all on the road to add to their loss column in the standings.

Overall, I see Michigan finishing the 2009 season with a record of 5-7, failing to get a bowl invite for the second-straight year.

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Right: Junior quarterback Ricky Stanzi returns to lead Iowa’s offense. (AP Photo)

This is the 11th in a series of previews on all 12 of Ohio State’s 2009 opponents:

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz enters his 11th season at the helm of the Hawkeyes, and after going 9-4 during the 2008 season that includes an upset win over previously unbeaten Penn State, he no longer appears to be on the hot seat.

During a span of three seasons from 2002-04, Iowa won 31 out of 38 games, claimed two Big Ten titles, and played in three January bowls which included an Orange Bowl appearance.

But in the next three seasons that followed from 2005-07, Iowa went just 19-18 overall and 11-13 in the Big Ten. Not exactly sterling numbers by a head coach getting paid over $3 million dollars per year.

Throughout Ferentz’ tenure in Iowa City, he has been rumored for various head coaching jobs in the NFL, most recently with the Cleveland Browns and the Kansas City Chiefs. Ferentz spent six years in the NFL as an offensive line coach, three seasons for the Browns from 1993-95 under Bill Belichick, and the next three years for the Baltimore Ravens under Ted Marchibroda.

Any of those rumors were squelched last February when Ferentz signed a seven-year contract extension that will keep him at Iowa through the 2015 season.

Ferentz has six starters returning on offense from a year ago, though the biggest loss is at the running back position.

In 2008, Shonn Greene set Iowa records for rushing yards (1,850) and rushing touchdowns (20), which earned him the Doak Walker Award as the top running back in the nation. Greene also was named a consensus first-team, All-American and he was the only running back in the nation to rush for over 100 yards in every game, last season.

While Greene will be hard to replace, Ferentz will look to sophomore Jewel Hampton (5-9, 210) to fill those shoes. Last season, Hampton rushed for 463 yards on 91 attempts and seven touchdowns.

Junior quarterback Ricky Stanzi (6-4, 218), a graduate of Lake Catholic High School in Mentor, Ohio, returns after starting 11 out of the 13 games last year after supplanting Jake Christensen. Stanzi threw for 1,956 yards while completing 150-of-254 of his attempts with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Stanzi’s favorite target and fellow native Ohioan, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos , a graduate of Youngstown’s Cardinal Mooney High School, returns after hauling in 44 passes for 639 yards and four TDs in 2008.

Three starters return on the offensive line that include junior left tackle Bryan Bulaga (6-6, 315), senior right tackle Kyle Calloway (6-7, 315), and junior right guard Julian Vandervelde (6-3, 300).

Eight starters return on the defensive side of the ball, including the five of the top six tacklers from a year ago.

All three linebackers return with senior MLB Pat Angerer (6-1, 235), who led the team with 107 total tackles last season, junior WLB Jeremiha Hunter (6-2, 235), who was second on the Hawkeye roster with 80 stops, and senior WLB A.J. Edds (6-4, 244), who was sixth with 59 tackles.

Two starters in the secondary return with cornerback Amari Spievey (6-0, 190), junior free safety Brett Greenwood (6-0, 200), and sophomore strong safety Tyler Sash (6-1, 210). Spievey and Greenwood tied for third with 68 total tackles last year, while Sash tied the team lead in interceptions with Angerer totaling five picks.

Two starters on the defensive line return from last season with junior ends Adrian Clayborn (6-3, 282) and Christian Ballard (6-5, 285). Combined the two had just three sacks.

Outlook:

Last season, Iowa was fourth in the Big Ten in rushing offense (188.7 yards per game) and eighth in passing offense (181.7 ypg). Overall, Iowa was fifth in the conference in total offense averaging 380.1 yards per ball game.

I tend to think that the overall offensive numbers will remain about the same, maybe even slightly improve from a year ago, but I also think that Iowa’s passing numbers will be better than than the running stats, given the fact that the Hawkeyes return an experienced quarterback but lost such a top-flight running back.

Defense was the strength of Iowa last season, and that should be the same in 2009 with eight starters coming back. The Hawkeyes were second in the Big Ten in total defense, allowing 291.1 yards per game, and first in scoring defense, surrendering just 13.0 points per outing in 2008.

One amazing stat from last year, Iowa was dead last in the Big Ten in sacks, so it would be beneficial for the Hawkeyes to get consistent pressure on the quarterback.

Iowa’s first three games are all very winnable before the Hawkeyes venture to Happy Valley to take on Penn State. After two home games against Arkansas State and Michigan, Iowa heads out on the road for two straight against Wisconsin and Michigan State. I am predicting that the Hawkeyes will be 8-2 overall when they visit Ohio Stadium on Nov. 14, and will finish the year 9-3.

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Right: J.D. Weatherspoon, a senior-to-be from Northland High School in Columbus, offered up his verbal commitment to play for Thad Matta and the Buckeyes today. (Matt Barker Photo)

J.D. Weatherspoon, a 6-7, 190-pound forward from Northland High School in Columbus and teammate of Jared Sullinger’s, offered up his verbal commitment to play for Thad Matta and the Buckeyes today.

Weatherspoon, who had several scholarship offers from schools like Purdue, Maryland and Xavier, among others, decided to stay home and attend Ohio State.

A three-star prospect according to Rivals.com, Weatherspoon powered Northland to its first Division I state championship with two strong performances as he totaled 25 points and eight rebounds, making 11-of-12 shots from the field, in the Vikings’ 73-59 semifinal victory over Warren Harding.

The next day, he had 18 points and seven rebounds, hitting 5-of-7 shots from the field and 8-of-13 free throws, despite being limited to 19 minutes because of foul trouble, as Northland edged Cincinnati Princeton 60-58 in the title game.

Weatherspoon averaged 15 points and eight rebounds last season.

The 2010 recruiting class now comprises of six players, Weatherspoon’s Northland High teammate, Jared Sullinger, a 6-8, 260-pound power forward/center, who is a five-star talent as deemed by Rivals.

Another five-star recruit is 6-6, 210-pound forward Deshaun Thomas, from Bishop Luers High School in Ft. Wayne, Ind.

Jordan Sibert, a four-star recruit by Rivals.com is a 6-4, 180-pound shooting guard from Princeton High School in Cincinnati.

Rounding out the class of 2010 are a pair of three-star prospects, 6-3, 200-pound forward Lenzelle Smith from Benton High School in Zion, Ill., and 6-foot, 180-pound point guard Aaron Craft from Liberty-Benton High School in Findlay, Ohio.

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Right: Junior linebacker Tyler Moeller, shown here at last year’s open practice, was hospitalized over the weekend.
(Jim Davidson/The-Ozone.net)

A few updates from the last few days:

Three Buckeye football players did not show up at the team’s hotel yesterday for the beginning of preseason camp with the first practice starting this morning.

Two of the players involved are having academic issues as a pair of seniors, wide receiver Ray Small and defensive end Robert Rose, did not show up for camp, though that all could be resolved by the end of Summer Quarter.

Small has been in-and-out of head coach Jim Tressel’s doghouse for quite some time now, but he was expected to contribute on offense and on special teams as a punt returner.

Rose, who was not a starter last season, was expected to compete for playing time with the likes of Thaddeus Gibson and Lawrence Wilson.

The other player missing at camp is junior linebacker Tyler Moeller, who was hospitalized on Saturday night.

According to Steve Helwagen of Bucknuts, com, “Moeller had been seen as a patient at OSU Medical Center and listed in fair condition as part of treatment for an apparent head injury. Sources have indicated that Moeller remained hospitalized on Sunday.”

In this morning’s Columbus Dispatch, Ken Gordon and Tim May report that Moeller is likely done for the season. They also stated that “he remained hospitalized last night (Sunday) in fair condition at OSU Medical Center. Gordon and May also wrote that “Moeller suffered the injury in July when his head hit the ground while on a family trip to Florida. Some reports have he was punched.”

Adam Rittenberg and Joe Schad of ESPN.com reported on their site today that “Moeller is expected to miss the season after suffering a serious head injury during a brawl last month in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area.”

I am not sure which version I believe, though I question ESPN’s sources. From what I have heard, Moeller was at a bar in Florida when a man overheard that he played football for Ohio State, then sucker-punched him in the head. Granted, this is nothing more than a rumor at this point, though it’s probably more accurate than ESPN’s version.

Dave Curtis of The Sporting News stated in a report on Monday afternoon that “Moeller underwent successful surgery this weekend and will be released from the hospital soon.”

It has also been learned that while there is not timetable for Moeller’s return, it is likely he’s out for the year, though the injury is not going to end his football career. In head injury cases, doctors usually err on the side of caution.

Night Practice

The Ohio State football team will hold an open practice in Ohio Stadium on Monday evening, August 24. Admission is free to the public.

Gates will open at 6:30 p.m. for admission to the stadium, with the 2009 Buckeyes expected to arrive at 7:15 for their preseason practice under the lights beginning at approximately 7:30 p.m. There will not be an autograph session prior to practice.

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Right: Senior quarterback Daryll Clark is one of five starting offensive players returning for 2009. (AP Photo)

This is the 10th in a series of previews on all 12 of Ohio State’s 2009 opponents:

Penn State and legendary head coach Joe Paterno did something last season that the Nittany Lions have only accomplished twice before since joining the Big Ten in 1993, and that’s winning a conference title.

In 16 years as a conference member, Penn State has only won one outright Big Ten title (1994), and shared the league crown on two different occasions (2005 & 2008).

In 2009, the Nittany Lions are trying to do something they have never done before, which is winning back-to-back Big Ten titles.

Penn State has a solid core returning from last season’s squad that went 11-2 overall and 7-1 in the Big Ten.

Five starters return on the offensive side of the ball, including senior quarterback Daryll Clark (6-2, 233) and junior tailback Evan Royster (6-1, 209).

Clark threw for 2,592 yards while completing 59.8 percent of his passes with 19 touchdowns and six interceptions. Royster rushed for 1,236 yards, good for fourth-best in the Big Ten, and scored 12 TDs.

The question is, who will Clark throw the ball to? The top three receivers from 2008, Deon Butler, Jordan Norwood and Derrick Williams are all gone. The top returning pass-catcher is backup tailback Stephon Green (5-10, 192), who rushed for 578 yards and four touchdowns while hauling in 15 passes for 268 yards and another score.

The top returning wide receiver is junior Graham Zug (6-2, 178), who caught just 11 passes all season for 174 yards and 2 TDs in 2008.

Penn State does have their two top tight ends returning, senior Mickey Shuler (6-4, 249) and senior Andrew Quarless (6-5, 253), but combined the combo only amassed 20 receptions for 237 yards and two scores, last season.

Just two starting offensive linemen return, which includes guard-turned-center Stefen Wisniewski (6-3, 302) and right tackle Dennis Landolt (6-5, 306) .

On the defensive side of the ball, only four starters return from a year ago, though that doesn’t include outside linebacker Sean Lee (6-2, 236).

Lee, a Butkus, Bednarik, Nagurski, Lombardi and Lott award candidate, missed the entire 2008 season because of a knee injury, this after starting in 26 consecutive games during the 2006-07 campaigns and was second in the Big Ten in tackles during the 2007 season with 138 total stops.

Other starters returning on defense are outside linebacker Navarro Bowman (6-1, 230), who led the Nittany Lions with 106 total tackles and 12.5 tackles for loss in 2008, along with Penn State’s second-top stopper, inside linebacker Josh Hull, who collected 75 tackles last season.

Other starters returning are defensive tackles, senior Jared Odrick (6-5, 206) and junior Ollie Ogbu (6-1, 292).

Outlook:

There are major holes to fill in the Nittany Lions receiving coprs and in the secondary.

While Penn State should have no problems against non-conference foes Akron, Syracuse and Temple, they will have some difficulty against Iowa in the Big Ten opener for both teams in State College.

While I expect the Nittany Lions to be 4-0 after four games, I predict they will suffer a setback against Illinois in Campaign on Oct. 3.

After that, Penn State has four very winnable games before they take on Ohio State at home, but I don’t see enough out of the Nittany Lions to warrant what would be an upset against the Buckeyes, even in State College.

To close out the season, Penn State travels to East Lansing to face Michigan State, so I expect the Nittany Lions to finish 10-2 overall and 6-2 in the Big Ten Conference.

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Right: DeWayne Walker takes over as head coach at New Mexico State after being the defensive coordinator at UCLA for the past three seasons. (AP Photo)

This is the ninth in a series of previews on all 12 of Ohio State’s 2009 opponents:

I am going to keep this preview short and sweet, since New Mexico State appears to be Ohio State’s weakest opponent on their 2009 schedule.

DeWayne Walker was hired away from UCLA after being the defensive coordinator for the Bruins the last three seasons. He takes over for former coach Hal Mumme, who went 11-38 in his four years guiding the Aggies.

There’s very little history involving the New Mexico State football program. The school has won just four conference championships, the last one coming in 1978 as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference. The Aggies also have gone 48 seasons without a postseason bowl invite, which is the longest drought among the 120 Division I-A FBS teams. The last time N.M. State was invited to a postseason game was the 1960 Sun Bowl.

Last season under Mumme, the Aggies were 3-9 and lost their final seven games in a row, which included a 47-2 drubbing at the hands of Utah State in the season finale, who also finished the year 3-9.

The rebuilding process is going to take awhile in Las Cruces, though coach Walker does have 13 starters returning from last season, six on offense, and seven more on defense.

Of the six starters returning on offense, four of those are on the offensive line with juniors Joseph Palmer (6-3, 308), Patrick Blount (6-3, 275), and Kyle Smith (6-6, 312) along with sophomore Mike Grady (6-3, 302).

Three of the top ground-gainers from a year ago return with senior running backs Tonny Glynn (5-8, 192) and Marquel Colston (5-9, 205), plus senior fullback Brandon Perez (5-8, 236). Combined, the three rushed for 702 yards and four touchdowns.

Only one returning starter among the receiver corps is back. Senior Marcus Anderson (5-8, 166) was third on the team last year with 50 receptions for 617 yards and nine TDs.

The biggest hole Walker has to fill on offensive is at the quarterback position. Gone from last year’s squad is Chase Holbrook, who threw from 3,361 yards with 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, and his backup, J.J. McDermott, who transferred to Southern Methodist.

Battling for the starting QB position is junior college transfer Jeff Fleming and redshirt sophomore Trevor Walls, though neither of the two have any DI experience.

On defense, the top returning tacklers include senior linebacker Nick Paden and junior linebacker Jason Scott. Paden was second in the team in total tackles with 107, while Scott was third with 84 stops and had a team-high nine tackles for loss.

Outlook:

Even with Holbrook at quarterback, the Aggies were just 64th in the nation in total offense (355.6 ypg) and 89th in scoring offense (22.2 ppg). Without a proven signal-caller, those numbers will drop.

Defensively, New Mexico State was even worse, allowing 379.6 yards per game (75th/NCAA) and surrendered on average 34.1 points per game (105th/NCAA).

New Mexico State faces the Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on Halloween Day, but there will be no treats for the Aggies that afternoon.

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Right: Junior Adam Weber enters his third year as the starting quarterback for Minnesota. (AP Photo)

This is the eighth in a series of previews on all 12 of Ohio State’s 2009 opponents:

While some football programs in the Big Ten are a model of consistency, like Ohio State, who have won five conference titles in the last seven years, or Indiana, a team that has finished in the league’s basement three times during that span, there are others on the rise, while the rest are sinking fast.

Minnesota is one of the programs on the rise, thanks to third-year head coach Tim Brewster. Of course he’s getting a lot of help with the addition TCF Bank Stadium, a 50,000-seat, open-air football stadium on the U of M campus that opens this season as the Golden Gophers leave the HHH Metrodome behind.

Brewster, though, has used his positive outlook and boundless energy to bring in two highly-regarded recruiting classes. On the field, the Gophers went 7-6 overall and returned to postseason last season. In Brewster’s first year, Minnesota went just 1-11.

Brewster will definitely benefit this season by having 10 starters return on offense, and eight more on the other side of the line of scrimmage.

On offense, junior quarterback Adam Weber (6-3, 217) is back after being a starter the past two seasons. Last year, Weber completed 62.2 percent of his passes for 2,761 yards with 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Weber’s favorite target is also back. Senior wide receiver Eric Decker (6-2, 215) returns after leading the Big Ten in receptions (84), receiving yards (1,074) and receiving TDs (7) for the 2008 season.

The Gophers have several players capable of toting the rock. Listed as a sophomore since he’s expected to be granted a medical redshirt, Duane Bennett (5-9, 204) started the first two games last season before suffering a season-ending knee injury. In those two contests, Bennett rushed for 140 yards on 32 attempts (4.4 ypa) with two touchdowns. As a true freshman, Bennett played in 10 games, starting in seven, and rushed for 442 yards on 107 carries (4.1 ypa) with three scores.

In Bennett’s absence last year, DeLeon Eskridge (5-11, 189) and Shady Solomon (5-10, 202), both sophomores, filled in. Eskridge netted 678 yards on 184 attempts (3.7 ypa) with seven touchdowns, and Solomon carried the mail 49 times for 181 yards (3.7 ypa) and added three scores.

Five offensive linemen who made starts in 2008 return from last season, anchored by junior left guard Dominic Alford (6-3, 332) .

Defensively, eight starters are back for Minnesota which include four out of the top six tacklers from a year ago with senior middle linebacker Lee Campbell, junior safety Kyle Theret, senior strongside linebacker Simoni Lawrence, and cornerback Traye Simmons.

Campbell had a team-high 80 total tackles while sharing the second-best sack stat, along with Lawrence, as both got to the quarterback four times last season.

In the secondary, Simmons led the Gophers with four interceptions, while Theret added three more picks and was second on the team with 78 stops.

Outlook:

Minnesota should be 2-0 heading into their non-conference match-up at home vs. California, who is a contender for the Pac-10 title this year. The Gophers look as though they should be 5-1 through six games, but then they have to take on Penn State and Ohio State in back-to-back games on the road.

At 5-3, they host Michigan State and Illinois on consecutive Saturday’s, so their schedule doesn’t exactly get any easier. Minnesota ends their slate taking on rival Iowa in Iowa City, so if the Gophers expect to improve on last season’s marks, they’re going to have to steal a couple of wins in their last four.

One note, this season’s schedule is tougher since both Michigan and Indiana are not on it like they were last year.

What’s surprising is Minnesota’s overall numbers, even though they went 7-6 in 2008. The Gophers were ninth in the Big Ten in scoring offense (23.2 ppg) and 10th in the conference in total offense (322.2 ypg). On the other side of the line of scrimmage, Minnesota was sixth in scoring defense (24.8 ppg) and 10th in total defense (383.6).

But I like what I see from the young Gophers, and those numbers above will improve vastly. I think it’s very possible for Minnesota to finish the year 8-4 and go to another bowl game.

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Right: Danny Hope was Joe Tiller’s hand-picked successor, taking over the reins in January. (AP Photo)

This is the seventh in a series of previews on all 12 of Ohio State’s 2009 opponents:

It appears that one requirement to become the head football coach at Purdue is to have a mustache, since the mustachioed Danny Hope took over for the mustachioed Joe Tiller back on Jan. 1, 2009, becoming the 34th coach in the school’s history.

Tiller, who roamed the sidelines for 12 years at Purdue, finished his career as the school’s all-time winningest coach with 85 victories, topping the previous mark of 84 set by Jack Mollenkopf. In those 12 seasons, Tiller led the Boilermakers to 10 bowl appearances.

In 2008, Purdue went 4-8 overall and 2-6 in the Big Ten, Tiller’s worst marks during his 12-year tenure guiding the Boilermakers, so maybe he left at the right time.

Hope spent last season as Tiller’s associate head coach, working with the offensive line and managed recruiting. He was named to the position on Jan. 11, 2008, with a succession plan in place for him to become head coach.

From 2002 to 2007, Hope was the head coach at his alma mater, Eastern Kentucky, where he guided the Colonels to a record of 35-22 in six seasons.

Hope has his work cut out for him, especially since the Boilermakers return just four starters on offense, losing key personnel like quarterback Curtis Painter and running back Kory Sheets to graduation.

Another blow came last April when Painter’s backup during the 2008 season, Justin Siller, was dismissed from the school for violating academic policy.

Siller started three games last season and played in nine, throwing for 496 yards while completing 55.7 percent of his passes with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Moving up the depth chart at quarterback to the No. 1 slot is fifth-year senior Joey Elliott (6-2, 216), who saw action in three contests a year ago and was 8-of-15 passing for 81 yards.

More questions abound at running back. Topping the depth chart is sophomore Ralph Bolden (5-9, 194), while fifth-year senior Frank Halliburton (6-2, 251) is listed as his backup. Neither of the two have a lot of experience. Senior Jaycen Taylor (5-10, 180) returns after missing the entire 2008 campaign after suffering a torn ACL in preseason camp, even though he sat out during spring drills.

Two receivers return that had more than 10 receptions from a year ago. Junior Keith Smith (6-2, 226) caught 49 passes for 486 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore playing behind seniors Greg Orton and Desmond Tardy. Also returning is senior wide receiver Aaron Valentin (6-1, 205).

Three starters return on the offensive line with fifth-year senior center Jared Zwilling (6-4, 293) leading the way.

On defense, seven starters return, including sixth-year senior free safety Tori Williams (6-2, 208) and junior defensive end Ryan Kerrigan (6-4, 263). Williams was second on the team with 83 total tackles in 2008, while Kerrigan led the team in both sacks (7) and tackles for loss (11.5).

Other top returnees include sophomore weakside linebacker Joe Holland (6-1, 220), who was third on the Boilermaker roster with 76 total tackles last season, along with senior cornerback Brandon King (5-11, 192).

Outlook:

Last year, Purdue was fourth in the Big Ten in total offense (374.4 ypg), but just seventh in scoring offense (24.7 ppg). On the other side of the ball, the Boilermakers were eighth in the conference in total defense (358.1 ypg), and seventh in scoring defense (25.1 ppg).

Also, in four of Purdue’s six conference losses, the Boilermakers failed to score in double-digits each time, and that was with an experienced quarterback.

Defensively, Purdue played well during stretches, giving up just 20 points to Penn State and did not allow an offensive touchdown to Ohio State in a 16-3 loss, but still gave up a whooping 42 points to an inept Michigan team.

Unless Drew Brees some eligibility left, I think it’s a pretty safe bet that Purdue will find itself in the Big Ten basement once again, though they should be ahead of in-state rival Indiana.

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Right: Sophomore running back John Clay figures to play a prominent role in the Badgers’ offense after rushing for 884 yards in 2008.
(AP Photo)

This is the sixth in a series of previews on all 12 of Ohio State’s 2009 opponents:

If there’s one head coach sitting squarely on the hot seat, it has to be Wisconsin’s Bret Bielema.

In 2006, his first season at the helm after taking over for Barry Alvarez, Bielema led the Badgers to a school-record 12 wins, which included a 17-14 victory over Arkansas in the Capital One Bowl. Wisconsin’s lone loss came at Michigan, and UW did not play Ohio State that year. The Buckeyes won the Big Ten title, while the Badgers finished tied for second.

During the 2007 season, Wisconsin won their first five games before losing on the road to Illinois and Penn State. After two home wins against lesser opponents, the Badgers were drubbed by the Buckeyes in Columbus, 38-17. Wisconsin finished the season fourth in the Big Ten with a record of 5-3, and 9-4 overall after losing to Tennessee in the Outback Bowl.

Last year, the Badgers started off 3-0, which includes a win over then-No. 21 Fresno State, but inexplicably lost to Michigan, who rallied from a 19-point deficit to win 27-25. Wisconsin followed that heart-breaking loss with another after Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor ran for an 11-yard touchdown with 1:08 left in the game. The Badgers went on to lose three out of the next four contests, limping to a 3-5 conference mark and ended the season with a record of 7-6 after being blowout by Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl, 42-13.

From 12 wins to nine down to seven. See a pattern here?

Bielema hasn’t fared too well on the recruiting front, either. His first three classes haven’t cracked the top 25 according to Rivals.com. He has signed just one five-star recruit and 11 were rated four stars out of 63 players that have committed to play for him. So far for the class of 2010, he has 12 recruits who have issue their verbal to play for the Badgers, yet none of them are above a three-star ranking.

One thing Bielema has had to deal with is the constant carousel of quarterbacks.

In 2006 when the Badgers won 12 games, Bielema had senior quarterback John Stocco, who completed 59.0 percent of his throws for 2,185 yards with 17 touchdowns and six interceptions en route to becoming the Badgers second-leading all-time passer.

The following year, another senior took over the QB position. Tyler Donovan threw for 2,607 yards with 17 TDs and 11 INTs in 2007.

Last season, another senior took over once again. Allan Evridge started the first six games, but was replaced by Dustin Sherer (6-4, 217), who finished the 2008 campaign after making seven starts and completed 54.5 percent of his passes for 1,389 yards with six touchdowns and five picks.

Sherer, now a senior, will be Wisconsin’s starting quarterback when the Badgers open the season vs. Northern Illinois on Sept. 5, but he might be looking over his shoulder as the schedule progresses. Redshirt freshman Curt Phillips (6-3, 215), who can make plays with his arm and his feet, totaled 2,263 passing yards, 1,885 rushing yards and 57 touchdowns during his senior year of high school in Tennessee.

There’s no debate on who will tote the rock. As a true freshman, John Clay (6-2, 247) was second on the Badgers and seventh in the Big Ten in rushing, gaining 884 yards on 155 carries (5.7 ypa) with nine touchdowns. Now a sophomore, Clay will be on of the top running backs in the conference.

Wisconsin’s top returning pass-catcher is senior tight end Garrett Graham (6-4, 248), who had 40 receptions for 540 yards and nine TDs last season. Also returning is junior WR David Gilreath (5-11, 162), who was second on the team in receiving (31 rec, 520 yds, 3 TDs), and fourth in rushing (25 att, 285 yds, 2 TDs) in 2008.

Two starters return on the O-line led by junior left tackle Gabe Carimi (6-8, 313) and junior center John Moffitt (6-4, 313).

There are more questions on the defensive side of the ball with just five starters returning from last season. Key losses are LB DeAndre Levy, LB Jonathan Casilias, DT Mike Newkirk and CB Allen Langford.

Only one starter returns on the defensive line, and one from the linebacking corps. Senior defensive end O’Brien Schofield (6-3, 242) recorded 40 total tackles and five sacks last season. Senior Jaevery McFadden (6-3, 226) started all 13 games a year ago at middle linebacker, but will move to outside linebacker this season, and led the Badgers in tackles with 84 despite breaking his hand against Fresno State.

Wisconsin’s secondary will be the strength of their defense, returning three out of the four starters including junior cornerback Niles Brinkley (5-10, 180), who had a team-high five interceptions last year, and hard-hitting junior safety Jay Valai (5-9, 200) was a second-team All-Big Ten selection after recording 56 tackles and forcing three fumbles in 2008.

Outlook:

Wisconsin didn’t have much trouble moving the ball thanks to a strong running game as the Badgers led the Big Ten in rushing offense (211.2 ypg) in 2008, and that will not change this season.

What needs to happen for coach Bielema is that he needs solid, consistent play from his quarterback, and I’m not sure that’s going to happen this year. Wisconsin is going to see a good amount of the old “eight-in-a-box.”

Last year, Wisconsin was seventh in the conference in passing offense (188.1 ypg). Overall, the Badgers were third in total offense (399.3 ypg), but just eighth in scoring offense (27.5 ppg).

The biggest question marks are on defense. Last season, Wisconsin finished fourth in the Big Ten in total defense (329.1 ypg), yet were eighth in scoring defense (26.5 ppg). The Badgers were nearly giving up as many points as they were scoring in 2008.

Wisconsin’s first three games are all at home and are very winnable before the Badgers host Michigan State to begin league play. After that, they have to travel to Minnesota and Ohio State then return home to face Iowa. By that point, Wisconsin could very well be 3-4. The rest of the schedule is relatively easy as the Badgers do not have to play Penn State or Illinois this season, but getting a victory at home against Michigan won’t be a walk in the park.

It appears that the Badgers just may duplicate last year’s regular season record of 7-5, or at best, they will go 8-4.

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Right: Junior quarterback Ben Chappell becomes Indiana’s full-time signal-caller after playing in 11 games with three starts, last season. (AP Photo)

This is the fifth in a series of previews on all 12 of Ohio State’s 2009 opponents:

While it appears that Ohio State and Penn State are the cream of the crop in the Big Ten this season, Indiana, who went 3-9 a year ago and managed just one conference win last season, appears to be the league’s cellar dweller again.

Head coach Bill Lynch, who enters his third year at the helm of the Hoosiers, returns six starters on offense, nine on defense, but lost one of his key returnees during spring ball.

Kellen Lewis, who set 16 school records as a quarterback, was dismissed from the team for an unspecified violation of team rules, last April.

Lewis became a full-time starter during his redshirt freshman season of 2006, racking up 2,221 yards passing with 19 total touchdowns and was named a Freshman All-American by both Sporting News and Rivals.com.

As a sophomore, Lewis was a second-team, All-Big Ten selection after setting Indiana’s single-season record by throwing 28 touchdown passes for 3,043 yards while completing 60.0 percent of his throws.

Before last season, Lewis was suspended for spring practice in 2008 for violating team rules, but was reinstated before the summer.

Lewis battled injuries during his junior campaign, but still threw for 1,131 yards with six touchdowns while racking up 500 rushing yards on 93 attempts with three more scores.

Lewis holds the Indiana record for touchdown passes (48), ranks third in career passing yards (6,395), and is second in total yards (8,072).

This spring, Lewis moved over to wide receiver to allow junior Ben Chappell to take all of the snaps. During Indiana’s spring game, Lewis caught five passes for 52 yards and figured to play a prominent role in the Hoosiers’ offense.

Chappell, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound junior, played in 11 of the 12 games last year, making three starts. He threw for 1,001 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 52.3 percent of passes (80-of-153).

Indiana’s top returning wide receiver, senior Ray Fisher (5-9, 185) from Cleveland’s Glenville High School, who caught 42 passes for 373 yards and five touchdowns in 2008, moved to cornerback during spring drills and is expected to start in the Hoosiers’ secondary.

Chappell’s primary targets will be sophomore Damarlo Belcher (6-5,-209) and junior Terrance Turner (6-3, 207). In 2008, Belcher had 25 receptions for 337 yards and two TDs, while Turner caught 29 balls for 289 yards. Junior Mitchell Evans (6-3, 197) and sophomore Tanden Doss (6-3, 197) are also expected to get a lot of playing time.

Three running backs are vying for the starting role with two, fifth-year seniors and a redshirt freshman expected to get their share of carries. Bryan Payton (5-9, 207) and Demetrius McCray (5-11, 200), both seniors, combined to rush for 574 yards on 138 carries and four touchdowns in 2008. Also in the mix will be the 2007 Indiana’s Mr. Football runner-up, Darius Willis (6-0, 219).

Four of the five starters on the offensive line from a year ago return, anchored by senior left tackle Rodger Saffold (6-5, 306) and senior center Pete Saxon (6-6, 303).

On defense, Indiana’s top stopper from a year ago returns. Senior middle linebacker Matt Mayberry (6-2, 244) led the team with 89 tackles and shared the team lead with 53 solos in 2008.

The Hoosiers front four is led by senior defensive end Jammie Kirlew, who was second in the Big Ten with 10.5 sacks, and third in the conference with 19.5 tackles for loss in 2008.

Senior strong safety Austin Thomas (6-2, 221) led the team with two interceptions.

Outlook:

In 2008, Indiana was 71st in the NCAA (seventh in the Big Ten) in total offense averaging 348.2 yards per game, but a mere 97th in the country (10th/Big Ten) in scoring offense, averaging 20.5 points per game.

What’s worse is that the Hoosiers gave up on average 35.3 points per game, ranking them 108th in the NCAA, and allowed a whooping 432.2 yards per game, good for 107th in the nation. Indiana was dead last in the Big Ten in both stat categories.

Last season, the Hoosiers surrendered 42 or more points on six different occasions, which includes a 62-10 loss to in-state rival Purdue to end the regular season.

When you’re at the bottom there’s only one way to go, but unless there are vast improvements this season, Indiana is going to remain at the bottom.

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Right: Quarterback Juice Williams led the Illini in passing and rushing as a junior in 2008.
(AP Photo)

This is the fourth in a series of previews on all 12 of Ohio State’s 2009 opponents:

After winning nine games and earning a trip to the Rose Bowl in 2007, the Illinois Fighting Illini fell on hard times last year, managing only to get five victories under their belt while losing to the likes of Western Michigan and Minnesota.

Illinois head coach Ron Zook has eight starters returning on offense, but just five on the defensive side of the ball from a unit that struggled for most of 2008. While the Illini will have one of the more explosive offenses in the Big Ten, will they be able to stop anybody?

Last season, the Illini were 19th in the NCAA out of the 119 FBS teams (2nd in the Big Ten behind Penn State) in total offense, averaging 438.8 yards per game. In scoring offense, Illinois was 40th in the NCAA (third in the B10), putting up on average 28.7 points per ball game.

Senior quarterback Juice Williams (6-2, 235) earned second-team All-Big Ten honors by the media and honorable mention by the coaches after breaking the Illinois school record in total offense with 3,892 yards, last year.

Overall, Williams completed 57.1 percent of his passes (219-of-381) for 3,173 yards with 22 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He ran the ball 175 times for another 719 yards and five more scores.

His favorite target returns for his junior season, as well. Arrelious Benn, a Maxwell Award and Bliletnikoff award candidate, was named a first-team All-Big Ten wide receiver by the media, and second-teamer as honored by the coaches after recording 67 receptions for 1,055 yards and three TDs in 2008. Benn also averaged 19.9 yards returning kicks, and 7.6 yards per punt return.

Toting the rock along with Williams will be running backs Daniel Dufrene and Jason Ford.

Dufrene, a 5-11, 205-pound senior, netted 663 yards on 117 carries (5.7 ypa) , but failed to cross the goal line and only gained 267 yards in the final eight games of the season after averaging nearly a 100 yards per game in the first four contests.

Ford, a 6-foot, 230-pound sophomore, was third on the Illini squad in rushing after gaining 294 yards in 81 attempts (3.8 ypa), but did score a team-high eight touchdowns on the ground.

Three of the five starting offensive linemen return from a year ago, led by seniors Eric Block (6-3, 290) and Jon Asamoah (6-5, 315).

On the other side of the ball, Illinois was 56th in total defense (sixth in the Big Ten) after allowing 350.3 yards per game, and 67th (ninth in the B10) in scoring defense, surrendering 26.6 points per contest in 2008.

Three of the Illini’s top four tacklers from a year ago are gone, including linebacker Brit Miller, who led the team in tackles, sacks, and tackles for loss, last season.

Illinois’ top returning stopper is 6-4, 240-pound middle linebacker Martez Wilson, who racked up 73 tackles, three sacks, and 2.5 TFLs in 2008.

Outlook:

The Fighting Illini has a brutal start to their Big Ten portion of the schedule, taking on Ohio State in Columbus on Sept. 26, then hosting Penn State and Michigan State the next two consecutive weeks following the OSU game. All three teams were picked to finish 1-2-3 by the media panel.

In the Ohio State-Illinois series, the visiting team has won eight out of the last nine games, which includes the Illini’s 28-21 upset win over the then-No. 1 Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in 2007. But unless Dick Butkus and Kevin Hardy still have some eligibility left, there should be no upset this season.

Even though I do not anticipate Illinois defeating Ohio State, I do think they have a great shot of going 7-1 in conference play with the possibility of earning at share of the Big Ten title. If they can beat Penn State and Michigan State, it’s all downhill from there. The Illini do not play Wisconsin and Iowa this season, and their toughest road game other than OSU is Minnesota. Illinois also hosts Michigan and Northwestern.

Tags: Football by Matt Barker, Publisher & Editor of BuckeyeBanter.com
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Right: Newly-hired Toledo head coach Tim Beckman addresses the crowd at a Rockets’ basketball game in January, though he stopped short of guaranteeing a win over Ohio State, this September. (AP Photo)

This is the third in a series of previews on all 12 of Ohio State’s 2009 opponents:

Tom Amstutz, better known as “Toledo Tom,” was an assistant coach for the Rockets for 24 years, serving under head coaches like Nick Saban, now at Alabama, and Gary Pinkel, currently at Missouri, before taking over as UT’s head coach in 2001.

During Toledo Tom’s first five seasons, the Rockets went to four bowl games and complied a record of 47-18 while winning two Mid-American Conference championships. The last three years, though, Toledo went 13-23 with three-straight losing campaigns. The one glimmer during 2008, Amstutz’s final season, was a 13-10 victory over Michigan in Ann Arbor. But with four games left on Toledo’s schedule, Amstutz and UT athletic director Mike O’Brien came to a mutual decision that Toledo Tom should resign, which he announced on Nov. 3.

Enter Tim Beckman, an Ohio guy who was the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State for two years before accepting the position at Toledo, last December.

Beckman, 44, spent his last two years of high school in Berea, Ohio, where his his father, Dave Beckman, worked in the front office for the Cleveland Browns.

After high school, Beckman played college football at the University of Findlay, then started his coaching career in 1988 as a graduate assistant under Pat Dye at Auburn. Most recently, Beckman concluded a two-year stint as the defensive coordinator under Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State.

Prior to joining Gundy’s staff, Beckman was the cornerbacks coach at Ohio State during the 2005-06 seasons, and was the defensive coordinator/assistant head coach at Bowling Green from 1998-2004.

At Ohio State, Beckman mentored the Buckeye cornerbacks. In 2006, Ohio State ended the year No. 12 nationally in total defense, allowing just 280.5 yards per game. The Buckeyes were fifth in the country in scoring defense, yielding only 12.8 points per game, and Antonio Smith was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back.

“Being from Ohio and having coached in the Mid-American Conference, I have always had a great respect for the tradition and accomplishments of the Toledo football program,” Beckman said. “I feel this is one of the best, if not the best football program in the Mid-American Conference, and I am honored that I have been chosen to carry on the tradition here.

Beckman inherits a team that went 3-9 last season and returns nine starters on offensive, and nine more on the defensive side of the ball.

With the pigskin, Toledo was 85th in total offense (334.1 ypg) and 88th in scoring offense (22.4 ppg) in the NCAA out of the 119 FBS teams, last year. Stopping the rock, the Rockets were 77th in total defense (381.4 ypg) and 97th in scoring defense (31.4 ppg) during the 2008 campaign.

On offense, senior quarterback Aaron Opelt (6-2, 225) enters his fourth season as the starter. Last year, Opelt completed 59.8 percent of his passes (225-of-376) for 2,176 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

At running back, senior DaJuane Collins (5-10, 211) and sophomore Morgan Williams combined to rush for 1,710 yards and 11 TDs. Collins totaled 360 yards in Toledo’s first three contests, including 138 yards and two scores before leaving the game early due to an ankle injury in Toledo’s 55-54 double overtime loss to Fresno State. Collins did manage to play in 10 of the Rockets 12 games last year, but was never quite the same after the injury. Williams stepped in to lead UT with 1,010 yards rushing.

Only one of Toledo’s top three pass-catchers return. The one that does is Opelt’s favorite target, two-time All-MAC wide receiver Stephen Williams. The 6-foot-5, 199-pound senior form Houston, Texas, caught 71 balls for 781 yards and eight TDs last season.

Five starters return on the O-line that was 24th in the NCAA in sacks allowed (1.33 spg) last season, anchored by senior center Buster Garrett (6-3, 286) and senior left guard Jared DeWalt (6-4, 318).

On the defensive side of the ball, nine starters return from a team that gave up 31.2 points per game and surrendered 35 or more points six times last year, including 47 to an Akron team that finished the year 5-7.

Five of the top six tacklers from a season ago return, which includes junior linebacker Archie Donald (6-2, 235), who had a team-high 119 stops in 2008. Donald also led the team with two interceptions.

Senior roverback Barry Church (6-2, 219), a cross between an outside linebacker and safety, is a Jim Thorpe and Bronko Nagurski award candidate. He had 93 total tackles, 5-1/2 of those for loss with six pass breakups and one INT last season.

One problem Toledo had defensively last season was putting consistent pressure on the quarterback, as the Rockets had just 11 sacks all year. None of the returning players had more than one sack during the 2008 campaign.

Toledo has a tough non-conference portion of the schedule, taking on a rebuilding Purdue team in West Lafayette, before hosting Colorado at the Glass Bowl eight days prior to facing Ohio State at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Sept. 19.

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Right: Free safety Taylor Mays returns for his senior season after skipping the NFL draft and is the Trojans’ top returning tackler.
(AP Photo)

This is the second in a series of previews on all 12 of Ohio State’s 2009 opponents:

While Ohio State was just a few plays away from going 11-2, and another few snaps from being 12-1 last season, the Buckeyes were about 80 more plays away from going undefeated after the 35-3 public flogging in front of 93,607 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum where the Southern California Trojans took the Buckeyes to the woodshed, last September.

The only blemish on the Trojans’ record last year came at the hands of another OSU as the Oregon State Beavers upset USC, 27-21, in Corvallis five days later. After that, Southern California ran the table, eventually giving another Big Ten team thorough beatdown as the Cardinal & Gold claimed a 38-24 victory over Penn State in the Rose Bowl to finish the 2008 season 12-1.

Head coach Pete Carroll returns nine starters on offense, though last year’s starting quarterback, Mark Sanchez, unexpectedly skipped his senior season to enter the NFL Draft. Carroll, though, has never had any problems plugging in a new signal-caller, but this is the first time during his nine-year tenure at USC that he has had to replace a starting QB in back-to-back seasons.

According to USC’s media guide, sophomore Aaron Corp (6-3, 200) is listed first on the depth chart and the probable starter for the 2009 season-opener vs. San Jose State, though he’s likely to face some stiff competition during preseason camp from two others. Corp threw just four passes during the 2008 campaign, but he’s the most mobile out of the three competing for the job.

Junior Mitch Mustain (6-3, 200) has the most experience, completing 11 of his 16 passes for 157 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions last year. The transfer from Arkansas started in eight games for the Razorbacks during his freshman year and completed 69 out of 132 passes for 892 yards with 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2007.

Also in the mix for the starting quarterback position is true freshman Matt Barkley (6-2, 230), who graduated high school a semester early and enrolled at USC to participate in spring football drills. The prep All-American from Mater Dei High in Santa Ana was the Gatorade national prep player of the year in 2007, becoming the first junior to be so honored.

“The competition for the starting quarterback job will be as wide-open as we’ve ever had,” said Carroll. “Each
player brings his own high-level skill set into play. We’ve set no deadline on naming a starter. We’ll let them compete and see what happens. Every day will be important.”

Whoever happens to be the starting quarterback will have plenty of good people to throw the ball to, as four out of the five top pass-catchers from 2008 return this season. Junior wide receivers Damian Williams (6-1, 195) and Ronald Johnson (6-0, 190), along with junior fullback Stanley Havili (6-1, 230) and senior tight end Anthony McCoy (6-5, 250) are all back. Williams led the team with 58 receptions for 869 yards and nine touchdowns last year.

Another thing Carroll has going for his offense is that he has a stable of swift running back and five starters returning on the O-line.

Senior Stafon Johnson (5-11, 210) along with juniors C.J. Gable (6-0, 205) and Joe McKnight (6-0, 190) combined to rush 1,981 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2008. Johnson led in attempts (138), yards (705) and TDs (9).

The offensive line, arguable one of the best units in the nation, returns five starters and 2 part-time starters from last season, anchored by junior center Kristofer O’Dowd (6-5, 300), who was a first-team, All-Pac 10 selection in 2008. Senior left guard Jeff Byers (6-3, 290) is a two-year starter who was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA because he missed 2005 and 2006 with injuries.

Defensively, the Trojans lost several key players from a year ago. Gone are linebackers Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing and Kaluka Maiava, along with defensive end Clay Matthews and strong safety Kevin Ellison. Those were five of the top six tacklers from last season.

Only three defensive starters return from last year’s team. Senior free safety Taylor Mays is a 6-foot-3, 230-pound freak of nature who can run a sub 4.3, 40-yard dash. He is the Trojans’ top returning stopper after recording 53 tackles in 2008.

Other starters returning include senior cornerback Josh Pinkard (6-1, 215) and junior defensive tackle Christian Tupou (6-2, 285). Others who have seen significant playing time are: junior defensive end Everson Griffen (6-3, 280), senior strong safety Will Harris (6-1, 210), senior cornerback Kevin Thomas (6-1, 190), junior cornerback Shareece Wright (6-1, 185), junior strongside linebacker Michael Morgan (6-4, 220) and senior defensive tackle Averell Spicer (6-2, 295).

After having one of the top recruiting classes for the last five-plus years running, USC doesn’t rebuild, they reload. The Trojans will enter Ohio Stadium on Sept. 12 against Ohio State several point favorites, and it’s going to take a mistake-free game by the Buckeyes to pull off the upset, but it can be done. It needs to be done. Southern Cal is a national title contender, while Ohio State needs a win to garner national respect, but I’m not betting on it.

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Right: Quarterback Ricky Dobbs, a 6-foot-1, 194-pound junior, returns after playing in seven games last year for the Midshipmen.
(AP Photo)

This is the first in a series of previews on all 12 of Ohio State’s 2009 opponents:

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that when Navy visits Ohio Stadium to play the Buckeyes on September 5, they are going to run the ball, a lot.

That’s really not a stretch considering that the Midshipmen led the nation in rushing in 2008, averaging 292.4 yards per game. In fact, Navy has had the top ground game four years running, no pun intended. But the Midshipmen were 118th in passing during the 2008 campaign, averaging a mere 60.2 yards through the air.

Head coach Ken Niumatalolo enters his second season after leading the Midshipmen to an 8-6 record last season while earning Navy’s six-straight bowl invite.

The Mids played just two teams that were ranked during the 2008 campaign, defeating Wake Forest 24-17, but lost to Pittsburgh 42-21. Navy and Wake Forest later met in the EagleBank Bowl in Washington D.C., with the Demon Deacons avenging their loss during the regular season by defeating the Midshipmen 29-19.

Coach Niumatalolo’s base offense is the triple option out of a spread formation using two wideouts, two slotbacks, a fullback, and no tight end. Navy returns just four starters on the offensive side of the ball, though junior quarterback Ricky Dobbs played in seven games, making one start last season.

Dobbs is Navy’s top returning rusher after gaining 495 yards on 106 carries (4.7 avg.) and eight touchdowns, but he only threw the ball 16 times, completing nine of his passes for 212 yards with one TD and one INT.

During the course of a 13-game schedule, Navy attempted just 93 passes all season while running the ball 715 times. Simple math will tell you that the Midshipmen tote the rock 88.5 percent of the time.

Needless to say, Navy’s top returning receivers have very few catches. Junior Mario Washington tops that list and he had just three receptions for 56 yards. For the most part, Navy’s wideouts are more blockers than pass-catchers.

The Midshipmen did lose four of their top five rushers from a year ago. Others who will get the opportunity to carry the mail will be senior slotback Bobby Doyle (5-11, 195), senior fullback Kevin Campbell (5-11, 193), senior slotback Cory Finnerty (5-10, 190), and sophomore fullback Alex Teich (6-0, 215). Combined, all four rushed for 355 yards on 53 tries and two scores.

Defensively, coordinator Buddy Green uses a base 3-4 defense and has seven starters returning from a unit that was 53rd in the NCAA in total defense (346.7 ypg), and 40th in scoring defense (22.0 ppg), last year. The Mids fared better against the run (134.9 ypg – 46th in NCAA), than the pass (211.9 ypg- 64th in NCAA).

Anchoring Navy’s D is 6-foot, 223-pound middle linebacker Ross Pospisil, who had 106 total tackles, three of those for loss with two interceptions last season.

Junior Wyatt Middleton, a 6-foot, 192-pound free safety, is the second-leading returning tackler after recording 80 stops, while 5-foot-11, 210-pound senior outside linebacker Clint Stovie is third with 60 total tackles last year.

Nose guard Nate Frazier, a 6-foot-3, 287-pound senior had 44 total tackles and led the team with eight tackles for loss, while 6-foot-4, 263-pound senior defensive end Matt Nechak is the top returning sack leader after registering four during the 2008 season.

Ohio State is 3-0 all-time vs. Navy, and the last time the Buckeyes and the Midshipmen met on the gridiron came back in the 1981 Liberty Bowl.

Quarterback Art Schlichter threw two touchdown passes, a 50-yarder to Gary Williams and a 9-yard TD toss to Cedric Anderson as the Buckeyes defeated the Mids 31-28.

Tailback Tim Spencer gained 96 yards on 22 carries and Jimmy Gayle added 88 yards on 15 tries with two scores for Ohio State.

The Midshipmen took the lead in the third period when middle guard George Herlong blocked Karl Edwards’ punt and linebacker Kenneth Olsen ran it 20 yards for a touchdown to make it 20-17.

Minutes later, Ohio State got the ball on the Navy 37 yard line and Schlichter threw two passes to Spencer and twice more to Anderson to put the ball at the 16. Five plays later, Gayle ran it in from the two to put the Buckeyes ahead for good at 24-20.

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