Big Ten Preview: Five New Faces

With the start of a new season in the Big Ten comes new faces. Whether they're the hot new freshman on campus, the juco transfer, or the new head coach, here are five new faces in the Big Ten guaranteed to have a large impact on how this season will play out.

1. Rich Rodriguez-Head Coach-Michigan: Everybody's favorite snake-oil salesman hits Ann Arbor this fall and he has quite a task ahead of him. Say goodbye to Lloyd Carr's mind-numbing vanilla offense and say hello to Rich Rodriguez's spread option that made the West Virginia Mountaineers one of the best teams in the Big East year in and year out.

Now, obviously installing a whole new offense at Michigan and teaching his players how to run it isn't something that can be done in spring practice. Especially when you're not just installing a new offense, as the Big Blue defense will be switching from a 4-3 scheme to the 3-3-5. It's going to take time, and the Wolverines are likely to struggle early, but thankfully their first two conference games are in the Big House this season.

So while there are going to be some bumps in the road in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines shouldn't worry too much. After all, the last time they hired a new head coach from the state of West Virginia things worked out pretty well. All Fielding Yost did was go 165-29-10 while winning six national titles.

I wouldn't expect Michigan to win any national titles in 2008, but if Rich can get this team together and playing well enough to beat Ohio State in Columbus on November 22nd, I can guarantee you fans will pay the $1.5 million he still owes WVU for him.

2. Terrelle Pryor -QB-Ohio State: Well isn't this just great? I mean, it's just not enough for the Buckeyes to win the Big Ten every season and lose in the BCS title game, but they have to go and land the #1 recruit in the nation. Nobody in the Big Ten was able to stop the Buckeyes last season (they averaged 30.6 ppg in conference play) and now they add the next Vince Young to their quarterback ranks?

Pryor isn't going to get the majority of the playing time this season, not with Heisman hopeful Todd Boeckman firmly entrenched as the team's starter, but that doesn't mean the ol' Sweater Vest isn't going to utilize his brand new toy.

Pryor's combination of speed, instincts, and rocket arm are going to have defensive coordinators around the conference in a cold sweat for years to come.

3. John Clay-RB-Wisconsin: Somebody tell me, is there a factory somewhere in Wisconsin that doesn't do anything but produce big bruising running backs? I mean, every year there's a new back in the Badger backfield that can either run over a linebacker, or burn by a cornerback (well, a Big Ten corner anyway). Clay is 6'2 and weighs in at 230 pounds and rushed for 3,512 yards and 45 touchdowns at Racine Park High before redshirting last season.

Of course with P.J. Hill, Zach Brown, and Lance Smith all currently ahead of him on the depth chart, John may not get too many carries in the Badger offense. At the same time, though, with Hill's knack for getting hurt the Badgers will probably rotate all four backs throughout the game so they always have a pair of fresh legs ready to bury a tiring defense.

Clay may start the season on the bench, but once he gets to see the field it might be very hard to keep him off of it.

4. Stephfon Green-RB-Penn State: While Evan Royster is going to take over most of the load for the departed Rodney Kinlaw, redshirt freshman Stephfon Green is going to make an impact for the Nittany Lions in 2008. I know you're probably confused by the extra F in Green's name, but it's there for a reason.

It stands for fast.

Green was so dazzling as a member of the scout team last season that the Nittany Lions coaching staff strongly considered removing his redshirt when injuries depleted the backfield last season. He's going to provide Penn State with the breakaway threat they sorely lacked at times last season.

5. Sam Maresh-LB-Minnesota: The 2008 season was one that the Minnesota Golden Gophers would like to erase from the record books. A 1-11 overall record and an 0-8 performance in the conference was not how Tim Brewster was hoping to begin his reign as head Gopher.

Luckily Brewster and the Gophers were able to land one of the top recruiting classes in the conference this off-season, and local boy Sam Maresh is poised to have the biggest impact of any of the freshman. All he's going to have to do from the middle linebacker position is turn around a unit that finished dead last in the nation on defense last season.

It won't be easy, but the kid his new coach hailed as the "flag bearer of the University of Minnesota (no pressure there)" has the skills and know how to do it.

Honorable Mention

• B.J. Cunningham-WR-Michigan State
• Aaron Valentin-WR-Purdue
• Bani Gbadyu-LB-Penn State
• Both the Iowa City and Happy Valley police departments