Sure, Michigan has struggled to beat Ohio State in recent years, losing six out of the last seven times they have met, but now the Wolverines can’t beat a struggling 1-4 Mid-American Conference team from the state of Ohio.

The Toledo Rockets, who had lost three straight games before entering The Big (Out)House, had a defense that was surrendering 35.8 points per game and an offense that didn’t score a point…

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Right: And Penn State bills itself as Linebacker U? Gimme a break!
Athlon Sports Photo

This is the last in a series of previews on the 11 teams in the Big Ten in the order I predict them to finish.

Ohio State
Predicted finish in Big Ten: First, 8-0

Last year, not wanting to pick Ohio State to win the Big Ten so I wouldn’t appear to be a homer, I choose Michigan. Then the Wolverines went on to lose to teams like Appalachian State and Oregon in the non-conference portion of the schedule and were defeated by Wisconsin and Ohio State to finish tied for second in the league.

The Buckeyes, meanwhile, went on to win their second consecutive outright conference championship and the third in as many years after going 7-1 in the Big Ten last season.

No favoritism this year when I pick Ohio State to claim yet another Big Ten trophy since I have yet to find a publication, web site, or blog that isn’t tabbing the Buckeyes to win the conference.

And there’s a big reason for that. Ohio State returns 18 starters, nine each on both offense and defense.

Head coach Jim Tressel enters his eighth season at the helm in Columbus and has posted a 73-15 overall record and a .830 winning percentage. The Buckeyes have averaged 10 wins over the last seven seasons, and 11 victories in the last three campaigns. Under Tressel, Ohio State has played in three national championship games, winning one. Can you say “dy-nasty?” You will after this season.

Of the two starters not returning on offense, one is the fullback, a position player that’s used only about 20 percent of the time. The other is right tackle Kirk Barton with sophmore Bryant Browning taking off the vacated slot.

All-Big Ten quarterback and Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist Todd Boeckman returns for his senior year and his sixth in the program after passing for 2,379 yards with 25 touchdowns against 14 interceptions in 2007 while leading the Big Ten in passing efficiency with 148.94 rating.

The nation’s top-rated high school prospect and true freshman, Terrelle Pryor, also figures to get few snaps as a change of pace to Boeckman’s drop-back passing style and make plays using his feet and running ability.

Another First-Team, All-Big Ten selection, junior running back Chris Wells, returns after being voted the team’s Most Valuable Player by rushing for 1,609 yards and 15 touchdowns last season.

He has some help in the backfield with senior Maurice Wells, sophomore Brandon Saine, and redshirt freshman Daniel Herron.

Boeckman and Pryor have two very good receivers to throw to with senior Brian Robiskie and junior Brian Hartline. Robiskie had 55 receptions for 935 yards and 11 touchdowns, while Hartline added 52 catches for 694 yards and six TDs plus a punt return for another score.

Someone, though, has to step up as the third receiver and be a vertical threat. It was assumed that junior Ray Small was going to be that guy last season, who caught 20 balls for 267 yards last year. Others also in the mix are sophomores Dane Sanzenbacher (11 REC, 82 YDS, 1 TD), Taurian Washington (3 REC, 47 YDS, 1 TD), along with freshmen DeVier Posey and Lamaar Thomas.

Though not much of a factor in the passing game, tight ends Rory Nicol and Jake Ballard also return. Nicol, a senior, tallied 16 receptions for 84 yards, and Ballard, a junior, caught 13 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns.

One freshman who may line up as a slot receiver or tight end is true freshman Jake Stoneburner, who is listed at 6-foot-5, 230-pounds, but can run the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds.

Four offensive linemen return, too, with senior left tackle Alex Boone, senior left guard Steve Rehring, junior center Jim Cordle, and senior right guard Ben Person.

While the offense will be much improved this year, it was the defense that helped the Buckeyes advance to the national championship game, and with nine starters back, the Silver Bullets should be their typical dominating self. This unit was ranked No. 1 in the nation in both scoring defense (12.8 points per game) and total defense (233.0 yards per game) last year.

The biggest hole to fill comes at the defensive end position after Vernon Gholston left after his junior year to enter the NFL draft. Junior Lawrence Wilson returns to the starting lineup after breaking his leg in Ohio State’s season-opener last year against Youngstown State. He will be joined by sophomore Cameron Heyward on the other side. Both sophomore Thaddeus Gibson and junior Robert Rose should also see some playing time.

The linebacking corps is led by returning All-American, Butkus and Nagurski Award recipient James Laurinaitis. The Big Ten defensive player of the year led team with 121 tackles.

Senior WILL linebacker Marcus Freeman also returns after being named to the All-Big Ten coaches’ second-team after recording 112 stops in 2007.

Joining Laurinaitis and Freeman will be sophomore Ross Homan, though senior Curtis Terry and sophomore Tyler Moeller should also see playing time at the SAM backer.

All four starting defensive backs return, though junior cornerback Donald Washington is suspended for the first two games. In his place will be sophomore Chimdi Chekwa. Fourth-year starting cornerback Malcolm Jenkins is arguably the best in the nation.

Ohio State’s only true test this season will be at Southern California on September 13, though games at Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Illinois won’t be blow outs. The Buckeyes finish no worst than 11-1 and could get to the BCS title game even with one loss, as long as there’s no major injuries to key personnel.

Sept. 27 vs. Minnesota, Win
Oct. 4 at Wisconsin, Win
Oct. 11 vs. Purdue, Win
Oct. 18 at Michigan State, Win
Oct. 25 vs. Penn State, Win
Nov. 8 at Northwestern, Win
Nov. 15 at Illinois Win
Nov. 22 vs. Michigan, Win

The Rest of the Big Ten Previews
in the order I predict them to finish:

2. Michigan State, 6-2
2. Purdue, 6-2
4. Wisconsin, 5-3
4. Penn State, 5-3
6. Michigan, 4-4
6. Illinois, 4-4
8. Northwestern, 3-5
9. Iowa, 2-6
10. Indiana, 1-7
11. Minnesota, 0-8

Tags: Big Ten Football, Buckeye Football by Matt Barker
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Right: Senior Javon Ringer is the best running back in the Big Ten not nicknamed “Beanie.”
Athlon Sports Photo

This is the tenth in a series of previews on the 11 teams in the Big Ten in the order I predict them to finish.

Michigan State
Predicted finish in Big Ten: Tied for 2nd, 6-2

In my last preview, I predicted that Purdue would end up towards the top of the Big Ten standings because I love dark horses, but the Boilermakers may be a stretch. Michigan State, however, as all of the ingredients to challenge the top teams in the conference.

During the 2007 season under first-year head coach Mark Dantonio, the Spartans won their first four games before limping to an overall record of 7-6. But Michigan State did earn a bowl invite, their first in four years, to the Champs Sports Bowl losing to Boston College 24-21.

Of Michigan State’s six losses, no team beat them by more than a touchdown margin, and that includes games against Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and the aforementioned Boston College. The Spartans other two losses came in overtime.

Dantonio, a native of Zanesville, Ohio, was an graduate assistant at Ohio State from 1983-84, and later served as the defensive backs coach at Youngstown State from 1986-90 under current Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel.

Dantonio also served as an assistant at Michigan State under former head coaches Nick Saban and Bobby Williams from 1995 through the 2000 seasons.

In 2001, Dantonio reunited with his former Youngstown State boss and good friend at Ohio State for three seasons as defensive coordinator. His defense became known as one of the stingiest in the country. During the Buckeyes’ 2002 National Championship season, Ohio State ranked second nationally in scoring defense and third in rushing defense.

In the 2003 season, his defense ranked number one in the country in rushing defense and ninth in total defense, which led the Buckeyes to an 11-2 record and No. 4 national ranking and a BCS bowl invite.

Six Buckeye defenders were named first team All-Big Ten during Dantonio’s tenure at Ohio State and thirteen were drafted into the NFL, including two first round picks in Chris Gamble and Will Smith.

After leaving Ohio State, Dantonio went on the guide the Cincinnati Bearcats for three seasons compiling a record of 18-17 before being named head coach at Michigan State to replace John L. Smith.

Dantonio has seven starters returning on offense, which include senior quarterback Brian Hoyer and senior running back Javon Ringer.

Hoyer passed for 2,725 yards with 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while Ringer gained 1,447 yards on 245 carries (5.9 yards per attempt) and six more scores.

If there are major holes that need to be filled on the offensive side of the ball, it’s in the receiving corps. The Spartans top returning pass-catcher is Ringer, who a hauled in 35 balls for 295 yards.

Gone form last year’s team is wide receiver Devin Thomas, who left following his junior year after posting 79 receptions for a Big Ten-leading 1,260 yards and eight touchdowns. He was then selected in the second round, 34th overall, by the Washington Redskins in April’s NFL draft.

Two poised to become Hoyer’s favorite target is sophomore Mark Dell and senior Deon Curry, though both only combined to catch 44 passes for 420 yards and three TDs last year.

Three starting offensive lineman return with senior right tackle Jesse Miller, senior left guard Roland Martin, and junior center Joel Nitchman.

While the offense averaged 33.1 points per game, good for second place in the Big Ten, the defense allowed 26.6 points per outing, ranking the Spartans eighth in the conference.

When Danotnio came in last year, he eliminated the bandit linebacker and moved the Spartans into a more traditional 4-3 scheme just like the one he implemented at Ohio State. As the architect of the 2002 National Championship defense, progress should be noticeable in his second season.

Five starters return on the defensive side of the ball, including last season’s leading tackler, sophomore middle linebacker Greg Jones. He will anchor the defense after moving from strongside to the middle this season. Jones led the team with 78 stops (8.5 tackles for a loss), along with 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

Joining Jones as another returning starter from last season is sophomore weakside linebacker Eric Gordon (not the Indiana basketball player), who recorded 62 tackles, fourth-best on the team in 2007 as a freshman.

Two starters return in the secondary which include senior strong safety Otis Wiley, who led the team in interceptions with four and had 49 tackles, plus senior cornerback Kendall Davis-Clark, who was second on the team with 72 tackles and also tallied four sacks.

The defensive line has the least amount of experience with only one returning starter in fifth-year senior defensive tackle Justin Kershaw. He managed to record a respectable 34 tackles but had just 1.5 sacks. Senior defensive end Brandon Long and his bookend, junior Trevor Anderson, who transferred from Cincinnati, will have to step up to get consistent pressure on the quarterback.

Michigan State’s conference schedule is quite favorable, taking on the likes of Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Purdue at home. The Spartans two toughest road games are at Michigan and Penn State. But with the Wolverines going to have a down year, stealing a win away from East Lansing will have the MSU towards the top of the standings at the end of the season.

Sept. 27 at Indiana, Win
Oct. 4 vs. Iowa, Win
Oct. 11 at Northwestern, Win
Oct. 18 vs. Ohio State, Loss
Oct. 25 at Michigan, Win
Nov. 1 vs. Wisconsin, Win
Nov. 8 vs. Purdue, Win
Nov. 22 at Penn State, Loss

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Right: Senior quarterback Curtis Painter might be the best signal-caller in the Big Ten.
AP Photo

This is the ninth in a series of previews on the 11 teams in the Big Ten in the order I predict them to finish.

Purdue
Predicted finish in Big Ten: Tied for 2nd, 6-2

When I decided to make my Big Ten predictions, I wanted to go against conventional wisdom and shake things up a bit, not mirroring what every other mainstream publication was saying.

Within the conference, there’s Ohio State who should contend for a national title, and then there’s several good teams below the Buckeyes. I’m not saying that it’s a down year in the Big Ten, but it just appears on paper in the preseason that everyone’s pick to win the league title is head-and-shoulders above the rest.

But Purdue is one of those sleeper teams that just might surprise a few or a lot. Having played the game of tackle football, I know full well that emotion plays a big part in the sport.

Boilermakers’ head coach Joe Tiller is entering his 12th and final year at the helm, going 83-54 in 11 seasons guiding the Black & Gold, and is just two victories away from becoming Purdue’s all-time winningest coach.

Tiller has already handpicked his successor, hiring Danny Hope from Eastern Kentucky, who was an assistant coach under Tiller from 1997-2001. Hope will be the offensive line coach this season before taking the reigns next year.

As a mentioned above, emotion plays a huge part in this game, and with this being Tiller’s swan song, you know that everyone on Purdue’s roster wants their coach to exit as a winner.

One benefit Tiller has is senior quarterback Curtis Painter, who’s arguably one of the best on the Big Ten after throwing for 3,846 yards with 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2007.

Painter’s top returning receiver is 6-foot-3 senior wide receiver Greg Orton, who had 67 receptions for 742 yards and three scores last season.

Orton, though, is the only returning starter in the receiving corps, but there are two seniors waiting in the wings with Desmond Tardy and Brandon Whittington after Dorien Bryant graduated and Selwyn Lymon was dismissed from the team.

While Purdue passes the ball far more than they run it, the Boilermakers do have a nice combo of speed and power in the backfield with a pair of senior tailbacks in 6-foot, 206-pound Kory Sheets, and 5-foot-10, 180-pound Jaycen Taylor.

Sheets led the Boilers in rushing with 859 yards on 168 carries and 11 touchdowns, while Taylor toted the rock 107 times for 560 yards and four more scores.

Three offensive linemen return which is anchored by 6-foot-7, 325-pound senior left tackle, Sean Sester, who has made 38 consecutive starts for the Boilermakers.

Clearly, Purdue can put points on the scoreboard. Last year, the Boilermakers led the Big Ten in scoring offense (34.3 ppg) and total offense (435.9 ypg). But can they stop anybody? This is where things most improve for the Boilermakers if they plan on climbing the ranks within the Big Ten.

Six starters return from a defensive unit that was seventh in total defense (389.2 ypg), and eighth in scoring defense (26.5 ppg) in the Big Ten for the 2007 season.

Purdue strength lies in their defensive line, where three starters come back from last year’s squad. Senior defensive end Keyon Brown, along with senior tackles Ryan Baker and Alex Magee will need to stuff the run and get consistent pressure on the quarterback.

The only returning starter among the linebackers is senior MLB Anthony Heygood, the Boilermakers’ top returning tackler with 80 stops last year.

If there is a weakness in Purdue’s defense, I believe it’s in their secondary, though two starters return with senior cornerback David Pender and senior free safety Brandon King.

In 10 of 12 games last year, Purdue scored 24 points or more. The only time they failed to reach that number was against Penn State (19) and Ohio State (7), and the Buckeyes pitched a shutout for 59 minutes, 50 seconds until Painter threw a 1-yard touchdown pass with 10 ticks left on the game clock.

Given that Purdue’s defense is their weakest link, it looks like a lot of their final scores will resemble those found in the Arena Football League, but they will end up with more “W’s” and losses.

Oct. 4 vs. Penn State, Win
Oct. 11 vs. Ohio State, Loss
Oct. 18 at Northwestern, Win
Oct. 25 vs. Minnesota, Win
Nov. 1 vs. Michigan, Win
Nov. 8 at Michigan State, Loss
Nov. 15 at Iowa, Win
Nov. 22 vs. Indiana, Win

Tags: Big Ten Football by Matt Barker
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Right: Junior running back P.J. Hill will be expected to carry the load offensively for the Badgers this season.
Athlon Sports Photo

This is the eighth in a series of previews on the 11 teams in the Big Ten in the order I predict them to finish.

WISCONSIN
Predicted finish in Big Ten: Tied for 4th, 5-3

When I was gathering my information to compile my Big Ten predictions, I did more than just the scratch the surface. Sure, the first thing I looked at was how many starters are returning from the previous season, and how balanced those starters are on both side of the ball, but I went much deeper than that.

While on paper Wisconsin may be a Big Ten title contender in the preseason, I think once everything is settled at the end of the November, the Badgers will be looking up to a few teams ahead of them in the final conference standings.

The biggest reason, which is documented below, is UW’s schedule. None of the other eight teams in the Big Ten since 1993 have drawn Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State on consecutive Saturday’s to begin conference play.

Another scheduling snafu is that whoever put together this schedule, and it just may be former head coach turned athletic director, Barry Alvarez, but the Badgers have no bye week once conference play begins.

Sure, they have an extra week to prepare for Michigan. But while the other 10 teams in the Big Ten finish on November 22 playing a conference rival (Ohio State-Michigan, Indiana-Purdue, Illinois-Northwestern, Minnesota-Iowa, Penn State-Michigan State), Wisconsin will take on Cal Poly, an FCS (Division I-AA) opponent.

Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema enters his third season at the helm for the Badgers, who went 9-4 overall, 5-3 in the Big Ten last year.

I am predicting more of the same by the team from Madison this year

One question that appears to be already been answered in fall camp is who will replace last year’s starter at quarterback, Tyler Donovan. That will more than likely go to fifth-year senior and Kansas State transfer Allan Evridge.

Evridge lost the battle against Donovan during spring and fall camps last season, and played in seven games while attempting just 12 passes and completing five of those for 66 yards in 2007.

The bulk of the passes tossed by the Badgers last season went to their tight ends. Senior Travis Beckum hauled in 75 receptions for 982 yards and six touchdowns. Junior Garrett Graham caught another 30 balls for 328 yards and four scores.

The top returning wide receiver is sophomore Kyle Jefferson, who had 26 receptions for 412 yards and two TDs.

No other wide receiver on Wisconsin’s two-deep roster had more than eight receptions in 2007.

An inexperienced quarterback plus wideouts with only a few games under their belt will mean that the Badgers will run the ball, a lot. But Wisconsin does have the backs to grind it out on the ground, get some yardage and control the clock.

Junior P.J. Hill rushed for 1,212 yards on 233 carried with 12 touchdowns, while sophomore Zach Brown toted the rock 119 times for 568 yards and five more scores in 2007.

One benefit that both Evridge and the running backs will have is that four starters return on the offensive line, plus sophomores John Moffitt and Bill Nagy who also got some game experience last season.

Defensively, Wisconsin’s strength is in their linebacking corps, with all three starters from last year’s team back for 2008. Senior weakside linebacker Jonathan Casillas is the top returning tackler with 96 stops last season, and he will be joined with senior strongside linebacker DeAndre Levy and junior middle linebacker Ejiah Hodge, though sophomore Culmer St. Jean may start in place of Hodge.

Three starters return on the defensive line, as senior defensive tackles Jason Chapman and Mike Newkirk, along with senior defensive end Matt Shaughnessy have combined to make 82 starts. But all three have spent time rehabilitating injuries since November.

Chapman tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee against Ohio State last year, Newkirk missed most of spring practice following shoulder surgery, and Shaughnessy broke his right fibula two days before the spring game.

There’s mot much experience in the secondary, and the Badgers may start sophomore Aaron Henry or freshman Mario Goins to go along with senior Allen Langford at cornerback, though Henry and Langford are also coming off injuries. Both tore their ACLs during spring drills.

If any of these injuries are a factor once the season begins, Wisconsin doesn’t much depth to fill these holes, and a pretty mediocre unit last year may become even worse this year.

Last year against Ohio State, Wisconsin held a 17-10 lead with 6:53 left in the third quarter before the Buckeyes rattled off 28 unanswered points to claim a 38-17 win in Columbus.

Beanie Wells rushed for 128 of his 169 total yards in the second half, and the Badgers could not stop him. He had touchdowns runs of 31, 30 and 23 yards during OSU’s scoring barrage as the Buckeyes went from seven points down to winning by three TDs in the final 21-plus minutes.

The bottom line is this, with an inexperienced quarterback, Wisconsin will tend to be pretty one-dimensional, running the ball most of the time. The Badgers’ better opponents may go ahead and put “eight-in-the-box,” daring UW to pass the ball to beat them.

On defense, can Wisconsin overcome a rash of injuries to key personnel and improve as a unit from last year?

In 2007, the Badgers were fifth in the Big Ten in total offense (408.8 ypg) and sixth in scoring offense (29.5 ppg). On the other side of the ball, Wisconsin finished sixth in both total defense (356.6 ypg) and scoring defense (23.2 ppg).

In fact, out of the 17 team statistical categories complied by the NCAA, the Badgers were sixth or worst in 12 of those among all Big Ten teams. Along with the three listed above, Wisconsin was seventh in passing offense, sixth in rushing defense, seventh in pass efficiency defense, seventh in turnover margin, just to name a few.

Defensively, Wisconsin gave up 30 or more points six times in 2007 to such offensive juggernauts like The Citadel and Minnesota, and the Golden Gophers, who didn’t win one Big Ten game last year, piled up 34 points and 501 yards of total offense against the Badgers.

I just don’t see much, if any, improvement with Wisconsin’s cast of characters for 2008.

Big Ten Schedule

Sept. 27 at Michigan, Loss
Oct. 4 vs. Ohio State, Loss
Oct. 11 vs. Penn State, Win
Oct. 18 at Iowa, Win
Oct. 25 vs. Illinois, Win
Nov. 1 at Michigan State, Loss
Nov. 8 at Indiana, Win
Nov. 15 vs. Minnesota, Win

Tags: Big Ten Football by Matt Barker
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Right: Ohio State quarterback Todd Boeckman holds his helmet on the first day of fall camp.
AP Photo/Terry Gilliam

Fall camp got underway yesterday at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center for the Ohio State Buckeyes, who are ranked third in the nation in the preseason coaches’ poll.

With 20 starters coming back, nine on offense, nine on defense, as well as the place kicker and punter from last year’s team, there’s not much in the way of position battles for this season’s camp.

What we do know is that outside linebacker Curtis Terry is now a full-time fullback, and that Ross Homan will take over the vacated spot due to the graduation of last year’s starter, Larry Grant.

Terry and Homan are coming off injuries that saw them both get redshirted last season.

By moving from linebacker to fullback, Terry will probably see just as much playing time. During passing situations on defense, he would of been pulled in favor of a nickelback. Of course, he’s not expected to actually carry the ball on offense, but will be the lead blocker for Beanie Wells, Brandon Saine and others.

Also, defensive tackle Doug Worthington participated in drills, just like Michigan tailback Kevin Grady did for the Wolverines. Both were arrested last month on separate incidents of DUI. Worthington was working with the first-team D-line, so there appears to be no demotion at the moment. Of course, you are innocent until proven guilty.

Cornerback Donald Washington was practicing, too, though he may face a one or two-game suspension for breaking an undisclosed team rule last spring.

In most media outlets, the biggest hubbub was due to the fact that freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor began practice wearing a scarlet jersey, instead of the black, no-contact one that the other quarterbacks were wearing. Not sure if it was a freshman flub, or if it was intentional, but Pryor later changed his jersey when head coach Jim Tressel was questioned about it. (See photos below)

Even Tressel joked about the miscue, as reported by Tim May of The Columbus Dispatch:

He’s live. Even in shorts, he’s live. I’m gonna go hit him.”

Tressel later made the comment in the same article about the opportunity to coach the No. 1 high school prospect in the nation:

That will be exciting because everyone has been talking about him so much, and he’s a great kid, he’s trained hard and he’s nervous like any freshman. I’m sure he didn’t sleep last night.”

Tags: Big Ten Football, Buckeye Football by Matt Barker
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Right: Penn State head coach Joe Paterno after realizing that the game was taking longer than expected and he’ll miss out on the senior dinner discount at the local Denny’s restaurant.
AP Photo

This is the seventh in a series of previews on the 11 teams in the Big Ten in the order I predict them to finish.

PENN STATE
Predicted finish in Big Ten: 4th (tied), 5-3

Did you know that Penn State’s Joe Paterno is entering his 59th year patrolling the sidelines and practice fields in some capacity for the Nittany Lions, and his 43rd as head coach?

Back in 1966, when the average price of a gallon of gas was 32 cents, Paterno took over the head coaching duties from Hall of Famer, Rip Engle. That’s how long Paterno has been in charge. Heck, I wasn’t even born yet. And yes, I said 32 cents. That’s not a typo. At that price, you would have to pry me out of my pimped-out Escalade.

Also back in 1966, the average price for a home was $14,200, the average worker made $6,900 per year, and some guy named Cassius Clay defeated some guy named Henry Cooper in two heavyweight title fights in London.

Joe Pa went just 5-5 that year in his first season as head coach, but went 8-2-1 the next year before rattling off back-to-back undefeated seasons in both 1968 and ‘69, posting records of 11-0 each year, though the Nittany Lions did not finish No. 1 in any poll.

With that, a legend was born.

Following the ‘69 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers made an offer to Paterno, but he turned them down, and they eventually hired some guy by the name of Chuck Noll.

Michigan also beckoned, but Joe Pa turned them down as well, and the Wolverines went on to hire some guy named Bo Schembechler.

And he’s been there ever since, even when the New England Patriots made him an offer to not only be the head coach, but tossed in a minority stake in the team back in 1972.

In those 43 years, Joe Pa as won 372 games and two national titles, his first in 1982 and the other coming in 1986.

Since Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1993, the Nittany Lions only have a record of 73-47, which is a winning percentage of .609. In 15 seasons as a member of the conference, Penn State has won just two Big Ten titles and one outright championship.

If you do the math, 73 wins in the Big Ten over 15 seasons averages out to almost five per season, and I’m predicting another 5-3 finish for the Nittany Lions again this year.

In Penn State’s 15 seasons in the Big Ten, they have finished 5-3 five times, while eclipsing that mark on five occasions (6-2 in ‘93, ‘96 & ‘97; 7-1 in 2005, and 8-0 in ‘94). Of course, the Lions have finished .500 or less in the five other years, too.

It appears that the Blue & White will have another mediocre season, which will probably mean the end of the Paterno era, who’s contract runs out after this year.

One big question is, who will be Joe Pa’s starting quarterback? Junior Darryl Clark and sophomore Pat Devlin are both vying for the nod. And even though it appears that Clark has the edge, both will seeing a fair amount of playing time. Clark is more mobile, similar to former QB Michael Robinson, while Devlin is more of a drop-back passer with a better arm.

Clark, Anthony Morelli’s backup, appeared in six games last season, throwing nine passes and completing six for 31 yards. Devlin played in one game and chucked one forward pass, which fell incomplete.

The Nittany Lions will have a capable back toting the rock with sophomore Evan Royster, who rushed for 513 yards on 82 carries in limited duty as a freshman. What’s impressive is that he had an average of 6.3 yards per rushing attempt last year to go along with five touchdowns.

Penn State has several speedy receivers, just as long as one of the QB’s can get them the ball.

The top three pass-catchers all return with seniors Derrick Williams, Deon Butler, and Jordan Norwood.

Last season, Williams led the team in receptions with 55, Butler had the most receiving yards on the squad with 633, and Norwood topped everyone with five touchdown catches.

What will help the new quarterback out tremendously is that all five starting offensive linemen from last year’s team return, and four are seniors.

Bigger questions remain on defense, even though nine starters return, as the self-proclaimed Linebacker U. will be without any proven players after the top returning tackler form last season, Sean Lee, tore the ACL in his right knee during spring practice and is out of the year.

The strength of the defense will be the front four where every starter returns including junior defensive end Maurice Evans, who had 12.5 sacks last season.

Three starters return in the secondary, but then again they were routinely beaten like a drum, especially against teams like Ohio State in the second half.

Penn State’s non-conference schedule to begin the season is as soft as cream cheese, so the Nittany Lions will start the Big Ten potion 4-0, but it gets a lot more difficult from there.

Big Ten Schedule

Sept. 27 vs. Illinois, Win
Oct. 4 at Purdue, Loss
Oct. 11 at Wisconsin, Loss
Oct. 18 vs. Michigan, Win
Oct. 25 at Ohio State, Loss
Nov. 8 at Iowa, Win
Nov. 15 vs. Indiana, Win
Nov. 22 vs. Michigan State, Win

Tags: Big Ten Football by Matt Barker
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Right: Sophomore Steven Threet appears to be the front-runner for the starting QB job.
Andre J. Jackson/Detroit Free Press

This is the sixth in a series of previews on the 11 teams in the Big Ten in the order I predict them to finish.

MICHIGAN
Predicted finish in Big Ten: 6th (tied), 4-4

Taking over for Chad Henne as the starting quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines this fall will be sophomore Ryan Mallett.

Oh wait, never mind, he transferred to Arkansas.

The starting QB for the Maize and Blue in 2008 will be incoming freshman Terrelle Pryor.

Scratch that, he signed a Letter of Intent to play for Ohio State.

As one goes down the list, the next option is Steven Threet, a 6-foot-5, 228-pound redshirt freshman, who originally signed to play at Georgia Tech.

Threet, a native of Adrian, Michigan, was never offered a scholarship by former head coach Lloyd Carr, who opted to sign Mallett instead.

Mallett was ranked the second-best, pro-style quarterback by Rivals.com, just behind Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen from the class of 2007. Both where tabbed with a five-star ranking.

Threet graduated high school in December of 2006 and enrolled at Georgia Tech in January of 2007, only to transfer to UM the following summer.

During his senior year in high school, Threet managed to get a four stars and was ranked the ninth-best, pro-style QB in the nation from the class of ‘07 after passing for 1,896 yards and 20 touchdowns.

But Threet has yet to throw a pass on the collegiate level.

Michigan does have two quarterbacks that have seen playing time, but one is a former walk-on, junior Nick Sheridan, and the other, junior David Cone, was listed third on the depth chart following spring practice.

Also, true freshman Justin Fagin hopes to compete for the starting position once fall camp starts.

But new Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez has plenty of other holes to fill on offense with only two starters returning from last season.

Gone from last year’s offensive unit is a long list of players that include: the aforementioned Henne at quarterback, running back Mike Hart, wide receivers Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington, plus offensive linemen Jake Long, Adam Kraus, Alex Mitchell, and Justin Boren, who transferred from Michigan to Ohio State back in April.

The lone starters returning on offense are: sophomore right tackle Stephen Schilling and tight end Carson Butler. You could also add junior wide receiver Greg Matthews, who started for the Wolverines when they began the game using a three-wideout set, and is Michigan’s top returning pass-catcher with 39 receptions for 366 yards and three touchdowns last season.

Michigan’s top returning rusher is junior Brandon Minor, who gained 385 yards on 90 carries with one touchdown last season. His backup, junior Kevin Grady, who sat out the entire 2007 season with a knee injury, was arrested last month on a DUI charge and his status with the team is unclear at this time.

Outside of Matthews and Butler, no other returning receiver caught more than five passes.

As for the defense, it will be much better than the offense, with eight starters returning from last year.

The entire front four comes back, which includes senior defensive tackles Terrance Taylor and Will Johnson, along with defensive end Tim Jamison, a senior, and junior Brandon Graham.

The lone returning starter in the linebacking corps is sophomore Obi Ezeh, while in the secondary, both cornerbacks return with senior Morgan Trent and sophomore Donovan Warren.

It appears that if Michigan is going to win their share of games, it not because the offense put a lot of points on the board, but rather the defense shutting down the opposition. I think if Michigan finishes the regular season with a record of 7-5, it’s due to the fact that they won games by scores of 17-13 or 14-10. And if the defense falters at any point, there could also be some ugly lopsided scores, too.

Big Ten Schedule

Sept. 27 vs. Wisconsin, Win
Oct. 4 vs. Illinois, Win
Oct. 18 @ Penn State, Loss
Oct. 25 vs. Michigan State, Loss
Nov. 1 @ Purdue, Loss
Nov. 8 @ Minnesota, Win
Nov. 15 vs. Northwestern, Win
Nov. 22 @ Ohio State, Loss

Tags: Big Ten Football by Matt Barker
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Right: Illinois quarterback Juice Williams had 2,498 yards of total offense while throwing for 13 touchdowns and running another seven into the end zone last year.
AP Photo

This is the fifth in a series of previews on the 11 teams in the Big Ten in the order I predict them to finish.

ILLINOIS
Predicted finish in Big Ten: 6th (tied), 4-4

So you are saying after reading my first four Big Ten previews that it was pretty standard stuff. Nothing too earth-shattering in terms of my predictions…until now. While just about every preseason publication has Illinois as one of the top three teams in the Big Ten, including the sports writers who cover the conference, I just don’t see it happening.

First of all, Illinois starts the season taking on a Missouri team destined for the top-10 in all of the major preseason polls. Then the Fighting Illini has to play their first two Big Ten games on the road, at Penn State and at Michigan. It’s very possible after five contests that Illinois could be 2-3.

Another aspect that I feel will undermine the Illini this season is that they will surprise no one, since teams will have a better game plan to defend Ron Zook’s spread offense.

One other thing, Illinois lost two players that really stirred the drink on both sides of the ball. Running back Rashard Mendenhall was one of the top ball carriers in the nation last year, who rushed for 1,681 yards and 17 touchdowns before he was selected in first-round (23rd overall pick) by the Pittsburgh Steelers in April’s NFL Draft.

Defensively, J (No Period Needed) Leman was a very underrated middle linebacker, though he was named consensus All-American. Leman had 132 total tackles, 10.5 of those for loss, and 2.5 sacks. Leman went undrafted but was signed by the Minnesota Vikings.

But Illinois still has some key personnel returning which will make the Fighting Illini competitive.

Starting quarterback Juice Williams enters his junior year after passing for 1,743 yards with 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions during his sophomore campaign. He’s also the Illini’s top returning rusher after gaining 755 yards on 165 carries and seven more scores in 2007.

But how much will sophomore backup quarterback Eddie McGee play, who’s supposedly the better passer? He played in 10 games last year and chucked 55 balls downfield, completing 29 of those for 444 yards with two TDs and three INTs.

Replacing Mendenhall in the backfield is junior Daniel Dufrene, who in limited duty last season gained 294 yards on 49 attempts and two touchdowns. Ohio State fans will remember him from last year as he was the one who ran 80 yards down the far sideline in the first quarter against the Buckeyes and fumbled before going out-of-bounds, but the play was never reviewed.

2007’s Big Ten Freshman of the Year Arrelious Benn is Illinois’ top returning receiver after catching 54 passes for 676 yards and two TDs. He just may be the most dangerous deep threat in the conference, but there’s not much experience after him.

Three starters return on the offensive line that includes senior left tackle Xavier Fulton, senior center Ryan McDonald, and junior right guard Jon Asamoah.

The defense returns six starters, three on the defensive line with second-team, All-Big Ten end, senior Will Davis, who led he team with 9.5 sacks a year ago. On the other side, senior defensive end Derek Walker also returns, as well as senior defensive tackle David Lindquist.

The biggest question marks on defense are in the linebacking corps with just one starter retuning. Senior Brit Miller moves from outside to inside linebacker, taking the place of Leman. Sophomore Martez Wilson will likely be one of the starters on the outside, and will be joined by either senior Rodney Pittman or freshman Ian Thomas for the lone spot left in the lineup.

In the secondary, two starters return with junior cornerback Vontae Davis, who is one of the best cover corners in the nation, along with junior cornerback Dere Hicks.

Illinois’ strengths last year were running the football and defending the run, but I think there are too many uncertainties when it comes to those aspects of the game to expect the Fighting Illini to have a repeat performance of 2007.

Big Ten Schedule

Sept. 27 @ Penn State, Loss
Oct. 4 @ Michigan, Loss
Oct. 11 vs. Minnesota, Win
Oct. 18 vs. Indiana, Win
Oct. 25 @ Wisconsin, Loss
Nov. 1 vs. Iowa, Win
Nov. 15 vs. Ohio State, Loss
Nov. 22 @ Northwestern, Win

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Right: Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald looks up at the Ohio Stadium scoreboard high above the south end zone as the Buckeyes pasted the Wildcats 58-7, last season.
AP Photo

This is the fourth in a series of previews on the 11 teams in the Big Ten in the order I predict them to finish.

NORTHWESTERN
Predicted finish in Big Ten: 8th, 3-5

Its been just over two years now since the sudden passing of Randy Walker and the promotion of then-linebackers coach Pat Fitzgerald as head coach at Northwestern.

During the six years that Walker was in charge, the Wildcats were just 37-46 overall, but he did led them to three postseason bowl games and Northwestern claimed a share of the Big Ten title in 2000.

Fitzgerald, who played for former head coach Gary Barnett at NU during the mid-90s, was a former Bednarik Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy-winning linebacker as the Wildcats won two Big Ten championships (one outright) and participated in both the Rose and Citrus bowls during his playing days in Evanston.

Can Fitzgerald return his Wildcats to national prominence as a coach like he did as a player? It does look like he can put NU over the six-win hump this season and get Northwestern a bowl invite thanks to a weak schedule.

Fitzgerald has 14 starters returning, seven on each side of the ball, including senior quarterback C.J. Bacher, who threw for 3,656 yards during his junior campaign. One thing, though, that Bacher is going to have to do is limit his mistakes, as he threw just as many TDs passes and he did interceptions (19) last season.

Senior running back Tyrell Sutton returns as well. He gained just 522 yards on 108 attempts with four touchdowns, but missed the better part of seven games due to an ankle injury. Senior Omar Conteh, Sutton’s backup, gained another 447 yards on 96 carries with five more scores in 2007.

Bacher will have plenty of experienced receivers to chuck the ball to as three of his top four wideouts from last season return, and they are all seniors with Eric Peterman (66 rec., 744 yards, 3 TDs), Ross Lane (49 rec., 649 yards, 7 TDs), and Rasheed Ward (46 rec., 434 yards).

The offensive line also returns three starters, which should help clear holes for the backs and give Bacher time to throw.

The biggest question marks are on defense. While the Wildcats were able to score 25.8 points per game on average in 2007, the defense yielded 31 points per contest last season.

The all four starters return on the defensive line that include senior tackle John Gill, junior tackle Adam Hahn, senior end Kevin Mims, and junior end Corey Wootton.

The biggest hole that need to be fill is at middle linebacker. Senior Malcolm Arrington will slide over from the weakside to replace last year’s top stopper, Adam Kadela, who graduated.

Junior cornerback Sherrick McManus and junior free safety Brad Phillips are the returning starters in the secondary.

Northwestern could very well be 5-0 before hosting Michigan State on Oct. 11, but their schedule is decidedly tougher through the Big Ten portion of the slate. Bowl eligibility is very possible, as is seven wins, as long as they avoid meltdowns like they did against Duke last season.

Big Ten Schedule

Sept. 27 @ Iowa, Win
Oct. 11 vs. Michigan State, Loss
Oct. 18 vs. Purdue, Loss
Oct. 25 @ Indiana, Win
Nov. 1 @ Minnesota, Win
Nov. 8 vs. Ohio State, Loss
Nov. 15 @ Michigan, Loss
Nov. 22 vs. Illinois, Loss

Tags: Big Ten Football by Matt Barker
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