NCAA Football FanHouse

Worst Moments in Big Ten Football History #9: Northwestern Sets the Futility Record, 1979-82

Mark Hasty — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:19:00 EST

Filed under: Northwestern Football, Big 10, NCAA FB History, Chicago

FanHouse is counting down the ten best, ten worst, and ten weirdest moments in Big Ten football history.

ABOVE: "Interstate 94, Northwestern 0" was a common joke in Evanston during the early 1980s.

Every team has an off season now and then. Northwestern had a couple of off decades, and they were called the 70s and the 80s. Right in the middle of that stretch, the Wildcats racked up an accomplishment which may never be equaled by any other ~~Division I-A~~ Football Bowl Subdivision program.

Northwestern coach Rick Venturi took over for the deposed John Pont in 1978. Pont's Wildcats had put together back-to-back 1-10 seasons, which is enough to get anybody fired. You might think there's nowhere to go but up from that point. You might want to think about that again.

Northwestern went winless in 1978, losing ten games but tying one. That one tie came in Venturi's debut, when the Wildcats tied Illinois, 0-0. (It wasn't a very good time for football in Champaign, either.) A 27-22 win over Wyoming in the second game of the 1979 season (it wasn't a very good time for football in Laramie, either) had to feel like an incredible relief. Venturi certainly savored his first win as Northwestern's coach.

Wait, did I say Venturi's first win? My bad. I should have said Venturi's only win as Northwestern's coach.

You read that right. The Cats went winless for the rest of the 1979 season and all of 1980 as well. Venturi was let go after that. Enter Dennis Green (yes, that Dennis Green), whose opening season was probably the worst of any major program in the past fifty years.

Mind you, it got off to a good start. In Green's debut the Cats hung with Indiana, losing 21-20. It would be their best game all season. The average NU game in 1981 was a 49-7 sucker punch ... and that includes the one-point loss to IU.

After losing their record-setting 29th game in a row, a 61-14 atomic wedgie from Michigan State, Northwestern students reacted the only way they could: by ripping down the goalposts and throwing them into Lake Michigan. But they weren't done losing yet. The next week they lost to Ohio State, 70-6.

It was not until September 25, 1982, more than three years after the Wyoming win, and following a credibility-stretching 34 consecutive losses, that Northwestern would get a win. The unfortunate victim was Bill Mallory's Northern Illinois squad, which actually wasn't that bad of a team. With the floodgates now open, the Cats would go on to finish 3-8, actually winning two conference games. Was this a sign of things to come?

Yes, it was. The Cats also won two conference games in 1983 and 1984, their only victories in both seasons. After a 3-8 year in 1985, Green was gone and things ... um, well, things didn't change very much until the mid-90s, but we've been over that already.

With just about every team scheduling a lower-division creampuff these days, we'll probably never see another Division I-A Football Bowl Subdivision team lose 34 games in a row. Northwestern's accomplishment stands alone, but do bear in mind that Northwestern only holds the FBS futility record. The all-division record is 80 straight losses, by Prairie View A&M from 1989 to 1998.

Wow.

Worst Moments in Big Ten Football History #9: Northwestern Sets the Futility Record, 1979-82 originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Moments in Big Ten Football History #4: Northwestern Smells the Roses, 1996

Mark Hasty — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:24:00 EST

Filed under: Northwestern Football, Big 10, Bowl Games, NCAA FB History, Chicago

FanHouse is counting down the 10 best, 10 worst, and 10 weirdest moments in Big Ten football history.

Howard Stern could take over for Katie Couric on the CBS Evening News. Your cat could win the Nobel Prize in physics. Guns 'N Roses could actually release Chinese Democracy. Those are three things which seem as unlikely now as Northwestern's 1995 Rose Bowl run seemed at the time.

Northwestern had occupied a certain niche in the Big Ten's ecosystem, that of the perennial homecoming date. The Wildcats could be counted on to show up sometime between late September and late October to provide an all but guaranteed W for the returning alumni. And as long as they still played football in Evanston, every Big Ten team knew that no matter what other outrageous fortune befell them, they wouldn't go winless in the conference unless it was one of those years Northwestern just wasn't on the schedule.

A lot of coaches sacrificed large parts of their careers coaching in Evanston, trying to face up to the challenge of turning around a football team that hadn't won a conference title since 1949. But not even legitimately good coaches like Lou Saban, Ara Parseghian, and Dennis Green could accomplish anything with the Wildcats. So how did Gary Barnett do it?

Barnett had been the offensive coordinator for Bill McCartney's great Colorado team of 1990, the one that split the national championship with Georgia Tech. He could have had any of a number of college jobs. He picked Northwestern, for the same reason so many other coaches had. He loved the challenge, and he knew that if he succeeded there, he could succeed anywhere.

Barnett's first three seasons didn't exactly suggest that he had a bright future as a head coach. He went 9-23-1 and in the best of those first three seasons the Wildcats were only outscored by 141 points. 1995, however, proved to be different. On offense, running back Darnell Autry was a one-man ball control system, allowing Northwestern to keep their opponents off the field. When the defense, captained by current NU coach Pat Fitzgerald, took the field, they more than did their part. The Wildcats went from being outscored by 141 points the previous season to outscoring their opponents by 130. The only loss all year (prior to the Rose Bowl) was a two-point loss to Miami of Ohio in the second game of the season.

Ohio State, in Eddie George's Heisman season, did nearly as well but couldn't beat Michigan in the season finale. (It was the John Cooper era, after all.) That gave NU the outright Big Ten title for the first time in 46 years and sent them to Pasadena to face Southern Cal.

The Cats lost, 42-31, but they made a game of it. Not even losing could distract from the sheer amazement the college football world felt that a punchline program like Northwestern could rise up and claim a conference crown. At the time we didn't realize the new era of parity was beginning. But we know it now.

Barnett would share the Big Ten title with Ohio State in 1996 before a little regression to the mean would occur. He left for Colorado in 1998. Northwestern brought in Miami's Randy Walker, who had been the only coach to beat NU during the 1995 regular season. His brand of creepy ninja football got Northwestern to four bowls in six years before his tragic death. Now, of course, Pat Fitzgerald walks the Ryan Field sidelines. And nobody pencils in Northwestern as a guaranteed W any more.

Best Moments in Big Ten Football History #4: Northwestern Smells the Roses, 1996 originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gophers Suffer Epic Collapse

Bruce Ciskie — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 16:57:00 EST

Filed under: Minnesota Football, Northwestern Football, Big 10

As the third quarter wound down Saturday in Evanston, it appeared Minnesota was well on their way to getting their first Big Ten win under coach Tim Brewster.

However, Northwestern had other ideas, and for the second straight week, the Wildcats won an exciting, high-scoring game. It took a comeback from a 21-point deficit, along with a stop on a two-point conversion attempt in double-overtime, but the Wildcats stunned Minnesota 49-48. As a result, hopes for bowl eligibility for Northwestern are alive and well. That bowl bid would be huge for second-year head coach Pat Fitzgerald.

Four Adam Weber touchdown passes had the Gophers up 35-14 late in the third quarter, and a defense that had been maligned for not making enough plays made a play. With Northwestern driving, the Gophers forced a fumble inside their ten, and they took possession at the 13. Three running plays netted Minnesota a first down, but Weber was intercepted on that first-down play, giving the Wildcat offense the ball with great field position. C.J. Bacher cashed in on the first play with a touchdown pass to make it 35-21.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Gophers faced a third-and-five at their 45, and Weber was intercepted again. This pick also led to a Northwestern touchdown, as Bacher ran it in from six yards out on fourth down. The Gophers still had the lead, but it was quite precarious at 35-28.

After an exchange of punts, the Gophers drove into field goal range, eating quite a bit of time off the clock with an 11-play drive. However, Weber missed on a third-down play, and then Joel Monroe misfired on a 44-yard field goal attempt. That gave Northwestern the ball on their 27 with 1:59 left, and Bacher went to work. He hit four of six passes, driving NU down to the four-yard-line, where they faced a fourth-and-goal play. Each team used a timeout before the play, and then Bacher hit Eric Peterman for the game-tying touchdown.

Weber hit Ernie Wheelwright for a score on the first possession of overtime, and Northwestern answered with a tying score. The Wildcats then got the ball first in the second overtime and scored to take a 49-42 lead. When Weber answered with a touchdown run of his own, the Gophers had a decision to make, and Brewster elected to go for two. You can debate the merits of that call all you want, but look at the facts.

Brewster knew his offense could score, basically at will. But the Gophers have been accident-prone all season, and when the offense does turn it over, it often leads to points because of Minnesota's defense, which is the worst in the Big Ten and in Division I-A (er, FBS). Sure enough, that defense did play a huge role in the Gophers' losses to Bowling Green and Florida Atlantic, and it also had a hand in Minnesota losing a 16-point lead against Miami (Ohio) and needing triple-overtime to win.

Weber's two-point pass fell incomplete, and Northwestern had a huge win. Their record is now 4-3 overall, and 2-2 in league play. Minnesota falls to 1-6 overall, 0-4 in Big Ten play, and that horrible defense now has to deal with North Dakota State next week. Sure, they're a I-AA (er, FCS) team, but they are number one in that division, and the Gophers needed a blocked field goal on the final play to secure a 10-9 win over NDSU last year. A loss to the Bison would cement this as the worst Gopher team since the Jim Wacker era.

Gophers Suffer Epic Collapse originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 13 Oct 2007 16:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stop Me if You've Heard This Before: Michigan State Coaching Brainlock...

Charles Rich — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 16:02:00 EST

Filed under: Michigan State Football, Northwestern Football, Big 10

It's a shame that such a fantastic and wild game can be overshadowed by the Michigan State coaches going into complete brainlock in overtime. There's no avoiding it, though. Michigan State Coach Mark Dantonio deserves a lot of questioning for this loss.

Northwestern had the ball first in the overtime and scored a touchdown to go up 48-41. The Spartans had accumulated 295 total rushing yards (8.9 yards/carry) with Javon Ringer accumulating 185 on just 12 carries. He never saw the ball. In fact, the Spartans passed on 1st and 10, 2nd and 10, 3d and 10 and of course on 4th and 10. They never picked up a yard. Passing on every down? Brian Hoyer had been 16-26 for 186 yards before that. Not horrible, but rather conservative and not exactly where you should want to place the burden of scoring upon.

Otherwise this was a thoroughly entertaining game. Close to 1100 total yards. The Wildcats had only 90 yards on the ground and over 500 throwing. Michigan State was just as entertaining on offense with just under 300 rushing yards.

The Wildcats snapped their 3 game losing streak and Michigan State after two straight squeaker losses begins to assume a familiar sense of fading and implosion. It doesn't seem to matter who is coaching.

Stop Me if You've Heard This Before: Michigan State Coaching Brainlock... originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 06 Oct 2007 16:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michigan Rallies and Survives Northwestern

Bruce Ciskie — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 16:20:00 EST

Filed under: Michigan Football, Northwestern Football, Big 10

After a scary first half against Northwestern, Michigan turned to an old friend to help them out in the second half.

As a result, the Wolverines have a 2-0 Big Ten start. They beat Northwestern 28-16 Saturday afternoon in Evanston, scoring the game's final 21 points.

Henne started the game, hitting four of six passes on the opening drive. He capped the drive with a touchdown pass to Mario Manningham, and then left the game for the rest of the half.

Freshman Ryan Mallett took over and struggled mightily, completing less than half his passes. Northwestern wasn't exactly lighting the place up, but the Wildcats managed over 300 yards in the first half and led 16-7 at halftime.

Henne then took over again at the start of the third quarter, and he was magnificent. He hit 14 of 21 throws, tossed two more touchdowns, and led the Wolverines to the comeback win. Manningham caught ten passes for 123 yards, and Mike Hart rallied from a tough first half to top 100 yards again.

The Michigan defense was solid in the second half, intercepting Northwestern's C.J. Bacher twice and holding Omar Conteh to 43 yards rushing after allowing over 70 in the first half. The Wildcats had five turnovers on the day to none for Michigan, and that was a huge difference in the game.

Michigan (3-2 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) moves out of conference play next week, hosting Eastern Michigan. On October 13, the Wolverines have a homecoming battle with Purdue for their return to Big Ten play.

(NOTE: Earlier, I stated that Mallett threw an interception. Not true. Thanks to commenter jbrons for noting that for me. Not sure what I was looking at there, since I later said Michigan didn't have any turnovers.)

Michigan Rallies and Survives Northwestern originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 29 Sep 2007 16:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michigan, Iowa Struggling With Big Ten Dregs

Bruce Ciskie — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 13:59:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Football, Iowa Football, Michigan Football, Northwestern Football, Big 10

No one will accuse Northwestern or Indiana of being among the Big Ten favorites entering this season.

Michigan and Iowa, however, were.

The Wolverines and Hawkeyes are in trouble on this day, however. Michigan (2-2 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) trails Northwestern 16-7 at halftime. In that game, the Wildcats (you know, the team that lost to Duke) have already gone over 300 yards in total offense. QB C.J. Bacher hasn't been wonderfully accurate, hitting 15 of 26 passes with an interception. However, he's already thrown for 213 yards and run for 23 more. Northwestern's spread offense is causing Michigan fits. Omar Conteh, filling in for injured feature back Tyrell Sutton, ran for 72 yards and a touchdown in the first half.

Meanwhile, Michigan's offense is struggling, and kicker Jason Gingell missed a chip-shot field goal on Michigan's last offensive series of the first half. Mike Hart has been held to less than three yards per rush, and freshman QB Ryan Mallett, who took over after Chad Henne led Michigan to an opening drive touchdown, is just 5-for-11 for 62 yards.

(UPDATE: Henne has started the second half for Michigan. Not sure if this is going to be permanent or if Mallett will play again this afternoon.)

Iowa needed a 33-yard touchdown pass by Jake Christensen on the final play of the first half to get on the board against Indiana. The Hoosiers lead 21-7 thanks to emerging star QB Kellen Lewis, who has already thrown for 198 yards. Lewis also has a 70-yard fumble return touchdown. On that play, Lewis hit Josiah Sears for a nine-yard pass, but Sears fumbled. Lewis picked it up and ran for the rather unusual offensive touchdown.

Outside of that freak play, the stats are virtually even at halftime. Both teams are struggling to run the ball, but Indiana has a bit of an edge because, unlike Wisconsin, the Hoosiers are okay throwing the ball with some regularity. Lewis has been sharp so far and he will need to remain that way, because Indiana's defense is simply not strong enough to hold Iowa down all day.

Michigan, Iowa Struggling With Big Ten Dregs originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 29 Sep 2007 13:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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YouTubesday: Duke Wins! Duke Wins!

Tom Fornelli — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: Northwestern Football, ACC, Big 10, NCAA FB Video, Duke Football

It's funny, I was sitting in a barber shop on Saturday morning next to a man in a Northwestern sweatshirt. As we were both sitting there waiting for our haircuts, the talk quickly became focused on college football. I told him I was a Notre Dame fan, and of course, he gave me some crap for it. That's how bad it's gotten: Northwestern fans are talking smack about the Irish.

So later on that day while I was at my sister's wedding, and I saw that Duke had snapped it's 22-game losing streak by beating Northwestern in Evanston, it brought a small smile to my face.

I hope he's there the next time I get a haircut.

YouTubesday: Duke Wins! Duke Wins! originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Duke Wins! Duke Wins!

Charles Rich — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 23:59:00 EST

Filed under: Northwestern Football, ACC, Big 10, Duke Football

When riding a 22 game losing streak, and that last win was against 1-AA VMI in 2005, it doesn't matter who you beat. All that matters is just getting the win.

Duke finally got a win. A win that ends so many losing streaks. By beating Northwestern 20-14, they did more than snap a 22 game losing streak. It was their first 1-A win since beating Clemson in 2004 (24 games), and their first road victory since 2002 (25 games).

That's an amazing run of ineptitude and bad football that rivals the giants of bad football -- Temple, Buffalo, FIU, Baylor and Eastern Michigan. Duke has been the king for the past couple of years.

At long last, the Blue Devils can, for at least a while, escape the conversation of worst team in 1-A for the year. Congrats to Duke and Ted Roof for getting his 6th career win as the Duke HC.

Duke Wins! Duke Wins! originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 15 Sep 2007 23:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dramatic Finishes in Big Ten; Northwestern Wins, Minnesota Survives 3OT Thriller

Bruce Ciskie — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Minnesota Football, Northwestern Football, Big 10, MAC, WAC, Miami (OH) Football, Nevada Football

Two Big Ten teams had to sweat out super football games Saturday afternoon. While neither Northwestern nor Minnesota are expected to contend for the Big Ten crown, their ability to pull out wins does help a beleagured conference save some face.

(In fact, the Big Ten is 5-0 so far today. Choke on that, Michigan. On second thought, don't choke on that. Win, for crying out loud.)

Both games were dramatic, and both featured super comebacks. In Northwestern's case, it was Northwestern's comeback. In Minnesota's, it was opponent Miami (Ohio) who pulled off the great comeback.

Minnesota led all day against Miami. They scored on their opening drive, opened a 14-3 lead in the second quarter, and then responded to nine straight Miami points with two touchdowns in a row to take a 28-12 lead in the fourth quarter. Game over, right?

Nope.

Miami rallied behind backup quarterback Daniel Raudabaugh, scoring 16 straight points to force overtime, then scoring first in overtime. The RedHawks wouldn't score again, as they missed a potential game-winning field goal in the second overtime, and Raudabaugh was intercepted in the end zone in the third overtime.

After a missed field goal of their own in the second OT, Amir Pinnix scored in the third extra session to give the Gophers a 41-35 win. It's the first win of the season for the Gophers, and the first win of Tim Brewster's head coaching career.

Meanwhile, Northwestern trailed almost all day against Nevada. The Wildcats were down 24-10 at halftime. To make matters worse, star RB Tyrell Sutton had to leave the game with an ankle injury. His replacement, Brandon Roberson, ran for a short touchdown in the third quarter, then C.J. Bacher threw a touchdown pass early in the fourth to give Northwestern a 27-24 lead.

Nevada had an answer, as Luke Lippincott ran for a touchdown to give them the lead back at 31-27. When Northwestern was stopped on a fourth-and-short with just over 2:00 left, this game looked over. Nope.

A penalty slowed Nevada's drive, and they went three-and-out. Northwestern got the ball back at their own 20 with 1:21 left. Bacher then led one of the best drives of his Wildcat career, taking the team 80 yards in six plays. Bacher was three for four passing for 45 yards on the drive, and also chipped in two runs for 35 yards. He hit Ross Lane for the go-ahead touchdown. The Wildcats tacked on a safety on the game's final play to provide them with the final 36-31 margin.

The Wildcats were outgained 541-431, allowed 30 Nevada first downs while getting just 18 of their own, had the ball for only 25:00 and change, but won thanks in part to two Nevada turnovers and a great second-half comeback.

Dramatic Finishes in Big Ten; Northwestern Wins, Minnesota Survives 3OT Thriller originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 08 Sep 2007 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Ten Football Preview '07: Final Wrap

Bruce Ciskie — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 15:20:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Football, Iowa Football, Michigan Football, Michigan State Football, Minnesota Football, Northwestern Football, Ohio State Football, Penn State Football, Wisconsin Football, Big 10, Purdue Football, Illinois Football

If you missed any portion of our Big Ten Football Preview, or if you're a masochist and want to read any of it over again, consider this your one-stop shop for the wealth of solid information, mindless speculation, and occasional snark.

Predictions from our lovely FanHouse staff will be coming at the end of August. For now, as you enjoy our other conference previews, here's a look back at what we learned about the Big Ten.

The 2006 season was full of mediocrity, with two top teams proving how overrated they were by getting pounded in their postseason games. Or something. Oh, and it appears that we're really going to miss having John L. Smith to kick around.
Ohio State lost a lot of players. So did Michigan's defense.
Jake Long probably doesn't have any business playing college football this year.
Travis Beckum doesn't get enough press.
James Laurinaitis gets too much.
Wisconsin needs to find a quarterback to not screw this thing up.
Arrelious Benn's nickname is strange.
There aren't too many coaches on the hot seat. What would this list be without a guy named Zook?
No one's non-conference schedule can touch Michigan.
There is a glimmer of hope for at least some of the league's traditional also-ran programs.
How did a 2-10 team make this list?
Can Anthony Morelli help save Penn State's offense?
Will Wisconsin find a decent quarterback?
Can Michigan get enough offense?
Is Ohio State good enough to win the league again?

Big Ten Football Preview '07: Final Wrap originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 06 Aug 2007 15:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Ten Football Preview '07: The Dregs

Bruce Ciskie — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:00:00 EST

As we move into previewing individual teams, you'll notice that there are three different categories for teams. It's actually pretty self-explanatory.

First up, we have The Dregs of the league. These are the programs that simply don't have the tradition lately. It's been a struggle to build winning teams, and/or perhaps they have gone through some coaching changes that have set the program back a bit.

I'm not going to make a blanket statement about a team not having a chance to make a bowl game, but for the schools listed among The Dregs, the climb will be the toughest. Essentially, the teams mentioned after the jump are the underdogs of the Big Ten.

Indiana Hoosiers

Last year: 5-7 overall, 3-5 Big Ten

WHY THEY'LL WIN: Inspiration can do strange things to athletes. There is no doubt that the Hoosiers' hearts are heavy after the June death of their head coach, Terry Hoeppner. Not only are they inspired, but this might be the most talented Indiana football team since their last bowl trip in 1993. They were tantalizingly close last year, despite home losses to Southern Illinois and Connecticut. Bill Lynch takes over and finds a cupboard that is hardly bare. 16 starters are back, including dynamic offensive talents James Hardy and Marcus Thigpen. A big key for Indiana will be finding ways to get these guys the football as much as possible. The guy in charge with much of that, QB Kellen Lewis, improved throughout 2006 and will only get better as he learns to better manage the game. The defense, while still nothing more than mediocre, does return seven starters, including senior leader Tracy Porter, the team's top CB.

WHY THEY WON'T: Perhaps hearts will be too heavy for IU to be totally focused on football. While not surprising given his spate of health problems, Hoeppner's passing had to take an emotional toll on these young men. The defense, while improved in many ways, still allowed over 30 points per game a year ago. No matter how much better the offense gets, it won't be enough to keep up unless the Hoosiers can shore up that side of the ball. The offensive line was a mess last year and isn't a lock to be much better this season. Hoeppner was recruiting hard to build a solid line, but the guys he brought in won't be ready to play every down this season.

PROGNOSIS: The schedule dictates that a good start is essential for Indiana. The Hoosiers could easily be 4-0 heading to Iowa September 29, but last year's team tripped early and only managed a 2-2 start. The best-case scenario for the Hoosiers appears to be, believe it or not, somewhere in the area of 8-4/4-4. If focus is an issue, and/or the defense doesn't get any better, the Hoosiers could slip to 5-7/2-6 pretty easily. I think a 13th game is in order for this program this season, as IU will find a way to squeeze out a 6-6/3-5 season and go bowling. Even if it's in Detroit, it's a step in the right direction for a change.

Michigan State Spartans

Last year: 4-8 overall, 1-7 Big Ten

WHY THEY'LL WIN: Well, for starters, Mark Dantonio is not John L. Smith (pictured), whose fate was probably sealed with back-to-back crushing home losses after a 3-0 start. If that didn't do it, the 38-7 home loss to Ohio State would have been sufficient. Dantonio has experience at East Lansing, having worked there under Nick Saban, and his work as a recruiter made him a pretty attractive candidate for Michigan State. There is some talent to work with in the offensive backfield, with Javon Ringer and Jehuu Caulcrick leading the way. With any luck, the offensive line will be healthier and more productive. Dantonio gets weaklings UAB and Bowling Green at home to start his MSU career, and that should infuse some confidence into the team before the good teams start showing up on the schedule.

WHY THEY WON'T: The passing game needs a rebuild. QB Drew Stanton and his top three receivers are all gone. In their place are new QB Brian Hoyer, who apparently likes to eat, and a bunch of new people who are supposed to catch the ball. The defense was basically a wreck last season, allowing over 28 points per game, and the front seven is undersized. Missing Minnesota and Illinois in the league schedule doesn't exactly constitute a "break", and the slate includes the likelihood of a winless season on the road (Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Iowa, and Purdue).

PROGNOSIS: Meh. Sparty will start 2-0. Well, they'd better. Beyond that, it's going to be tough to rack up a lot of wins. If Dantonio can shape up the defense and find people to catch Hoyer's passes, he could squeeze six wins out of the team. However, another 4-8/ 1-7 season can't be ruled out. Expect Michigan State to miss out on a bowl for the fifth time in six years.

Minnesota Gophers

Last year: 6-7 overall, 2-6 Big Ten

WHY THEY'LL WIN: New coach Tim Brewster is off to a good start. He has gotten around the state, with visits by his staff to each high school in the state. He took over for Glen Mason, who wasn't exactly beloved among Gopher fans who thought he was aloof and not much of a recruiter. The Gophers sent Mason packing after they blew a 38-7 lead in the Insight Bowl against Texas Tech. The defense, shredded during the Tech comeback, returns eight starters, including linebackers/leaders Mike Sherels and John Shevlin. Amir Pinnix went for over 1,200 yards on the ground, and Ernie Wheelwright is a big, powerful receiver.

WHY THEY WON'T: Brewster has never been a head coach or coordinator at any level. New offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar is well-versed in the spread, which requires a transition from the smashmouth offense Mason had the Gophers running. They'll still run the ball, but look for one of the freshmen QBs, Adam Weber or Clint Brewster, to win the starting job by mid-season, if not earlier. Wheelwright has never lived up to his potential, and the secondary was crippled by the arrest and dismissal of top CB Dominic Jones.

PROGNOSIS: The early-season schedule is manageable. A 3-0 start is likely, even in a period of adjustment. A home Big Ten schedule of Illinois, Wisconsin, Purdue, and Ohio State probably won't net many wins, and it's hard to expect a mediocre team like Minnesota to be good on the road. It looks like 6-6/2-6 might be the best Minnesota can expect. That may be enough to eke the Gophers into a minor bowl.

Northwestern Wildcats

Last year: 4-8 overall, 2-6 Big Ten

WHY THEY'LL WIN: Simply put, they're better. Second-year coach Pat Fitzgerald stepped into an impossible spot last year, taking over late in the offseason after Randy Walker's sudden death. For much of the season, it looked like Fitzgerald and his staff were still feeling their way through things. They bounced back to win two of their final three games, including a two-touchdown win at Iowa, but it wasn't enough to salvage a bowl bid. This year, the Wildcats have 16 starters back, the entire coaching staff is intact, and there is some talent. QB C.J. Bacher didn't get healthy until midseason but provided the offense with some spark when he did play. Junior RB Tyrell Sutton didn't get the numbers he had as a freshman, but he did top 100 yards in three of his last five games. The defense improved in 2006, cutting a touchdown off their points per game average, and that improvement should continue with all the key players returning.

WHY THEY WON'T: The only serious losses on offense were leading receiver Shaun Herbert and right tackle Ryan Keenan. Herbert will be tough to replace, but the Wildcat coaches like their depth at receiver. While the defense is experienced, it is still quite undersized, and they lack a big-time playmaker in the secondary. Junior safety Brendan Smith is the closest they have, but he's more of a hitter than a "center fielder".

PROGNOSIS: The schedule, like many in the Big Ten, favors a quick start. Northwestern should go 3-0 before visiting Ohio State September 22. From there, wins may be a bit harder to come by, though the league schedule gives Northwestern a break, as Wisconsin and Penn State rotate off. Fitzgerald will likely get this team to bowl eligibility, with a 7-5/3-5 season possible. Expect the offense to improve dramatically on last year's 16.5 points per game average.

Big Ten Football Preview '07: The Dregs originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Ten Football Preview '07: The Schedule

Bruce Ciskie — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Football, Iowa Football, Michigan Football, Michigan State Football, Minnesota Football, Northwestern Football, Ohio State Football, Penn State Football, Big 10, Purdue Football, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Illinois Football, Illinois

Much has been made of the cupcake scheduling employed by many ~~Division I-A~~ Football Bowl Subdivision teams for the 2007 season.

In fact, we already chronicled the worst schedules in the Big Ten this season. The best games, too.

For those who are too lazy to click, we present a bit of a refresher. We'll also take a look at the strangest non-conference pairings we could find.

Best schedule: Michigan

The Wolverines have allowed themselves a layup, though it's not nearly the layup that a team like, say, The Citadel would be. Michigan opens with two-time ~~Division I-AA~~ Football Championship Subdivision champion Appalachian State.

The non-league schedule includes a visit from Pacific Ten power Oregon, a team that beat the Wolverines in Eugene back in 2003. Following that game, Notre Dame visits Ann Arbor, and it's likely the Irish haven't forgotten that little 47-21 thrashing they had put on them last year in South Bend. The other non-conference game is what should be a mid-season pasting of Eastern Michigan.

In Big Ten play, the Wolverines don't play Iowa or Indiana. Home dates with Penn State, Purdue, and Ohio State mean that season-ticket holders are likely to get their money's worth this season.

Worst Schedule: Indiana

With all the issues facing IU off the field this season, their Bill Snyder Award is not a high concern. It would be great to see everyone in the Big Ten challenging themselves in non-conference play, but reality is that the mediocre/bad programs are going to schedule some cupcake opponents in hopes of moving closer to bowl eligibility.

The Hoosiers do visit Western Michigan, but the MAC isn't what it used to be, so saying that you're playing one of the MAC's better teams just doesn't ring anymore. The Hoosiers also get visits from MAC teams Akron and Ball State, and they open with FCS also-ran Indiana State.

Best Game: Oregon at Michigan, September 8

Not only did Oregon beat Michigan back in 2003, but they may have a comparable team this year. The Ducks bring a top QB in Dennis Dixon, a high-powered offense, an improving defense, and some ugly threads to Ann Arbor.

Michigan will have to be on their toes. An upset loss would render the game against Notre Dame the following week practically meaningless. A win over Oregon and a win over Notre Dame, and Michigan should be 10-0 when they roll into Madison on November 10 to play the Badgers.

So, yeah, this is a big game.

Weirdest Game: Minnesota at Florida Atlantic, September 15

It appears that the Gophers are going to be used as a smaller school's way of getting their attendance over the NCAA minimum for the season. Oh, and the same thing happened last year when Minnesota played their opener at Kent State.

FAU needs to average at least 15,000 per game to meet NCAA standards. FBS schools need to average over 15,000 per game every other year to meet the standard, and FAU didn't even make it to 10,000 last year. This game is at Dolphins Stadium in Miami, which seats over 70,000 (FAU's stadium seats around 20,000).

It's too bad, really. Howard Schnellenberger (pictured) has actually done a pretty good job building the FAU program from the ground up, and they could have a Sun Belt contender on their hands this season.

It's quite the mysterious trip for Minnesota. Big Ten schools seem kind of above traveling to play at Sun Belt teams. Not only that, but since most of the BCS schools seem intent on having at least seven home games per season, it seems odd that team from the Big Ten would waste that one road trip on such a lowly opponent.

Honorable Mention: Penn State at Temple, November 10.

at Temple? Huh?

Again, why aren't you playing Pittsburgh, JoePa?

Big Ten Football Preview '07: The Schedule originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 01 Aug 2007 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Ten Football Preview '07: The Hot Seat

Bruce Ciskie — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 18:00:00 EST

Sorry, there's no Budweiser sponsorship on this one. Unlike that contraption, this is a real hot seat.

In the real world, we know that not everyone will coach forever, like the guy to the right has. The old saying is that coaches "are hired to be fired". These days, you're lucky if you can survive back-to-back years that don't meet everyone's expectations. You could almost argue that everyone is on the hot seat, but we're not going to do that. It's too easy.

When selecting three Big Ten coaches who are on the hot seat, the first thing to do is list the veteran coaches who are definitely NOT on the hot seat:

1. Lloyd Carr
2. Jim Tressel
3. Bret Bielema
4. Kirk Ferentz
5. Joe Paterno

From there, we can eliminate the coaches who were hired to replace fired coaches in the last year. You don't fire a first-year coach that you just hired unless he gets arrested. That would mean that Mark Dantonio and Tim Brewster are "safe", and it leaves us with four candidates for three positions on the hot seat. Join us after the jump to find out who made the cut.

1. Joe Tiller, Purdue

Tiller seems like a nice guy, and he's done a very nice job at Purdue in his ten years there, averaging around seven wins a season for a program that had been struggling before his arrival. He tutored Drew Brees and helped him set records on his way to the NFL.

However, the last couple years have brought their share of struggles to a suddenly spoiled fan base. Purdue started 5-0 in 2004 before the famous Kyle Orton fumble that led to a Wisconsin upset win in West Lafayette. Since that 5-0 start, Purdue is a rather pedestrian 15-17 overall, 10-12 in Big Ten play, and 0-2 in bowl games.

Tiller wouldn't be on the hot seat if his Purdue career had started in 2004, but that Rose Bowl trip and two other New Year's Day bowl trips have set the bar higher than the Champs Sports Bowl. Not only that, Purdue avoided Michigan and Ohio State on the league schedule in each of the last two years, but still managed to disappoint.

Other coaches in the league have some serious success to their credit in recent years, just got their job, or are in very difficult positions. Tiller needs to get the ship righted, or things underneath him will begin to get quite smoky. Seems like a good season to have 18 starters returning, doesn't it?

2. Ron Zook, Illinois

If it weren't for that insane recruiting class, Zook would be on top of this list. But he is building as quickly as he can at Illinois, a program gutted by poor recruiting and even poorer play.

The Illini have eight sophomores listed as starters for 2007, and this is still a really young football team. Their top receiver, Arrelious Benn, is a true freshman. Quarterback Juice Williams played most of last year as a true freshman (and he took some lumps as a result).

While Zook can't afford another two-win season, the bar isn't that high for this year in Champaign. You could argue that he'll get at least one more year as long as the team continues to show improvement. And don't make any mistake, even though the record didn't show it (2-10 after a 2-9 2005 season), the Illini were better.

Last year, it was the defense that showed great improvement. They went from 39.5 PPG allowed to 26.8, 5.5 rush yards per carry to 3.3, and from 67 percent completions allowed to 55.5. This year, the onus is on the offense to hold up their end.

3. Bill Lynch, Indiana

I'm not here to make any light of Lynch's situation. The former Ball State head coach is in the impossible position of taking over for the extremely popular Terry Hoeppner. Hep died in June after two seasons at the helm of the IU program. He was there long enough to get people energized about Hoosier football, though he was not able to lead the team to a bowl game.

In placing Lynch on the "hot seat", we are by no means saying that Lynch is not going to do a good job. He is a veteran coach, and he will provide the program with a steady hand and quality leadership as they attempt to move forward.

However, there is no guarantee that Lynch's hiring is permanent. With that in mind, it makes no sense to leave Lynch off such a list, since he really isn't guaranteed a job as head coach beyond 2007.

The Hoosiers were on the brink of a bowl bid in 2006. It will be hard not to root for IU to finish that journey in 2007, and the schedule is favorable to make that happen. And while Lynch doesn't appear to have any guarantees beyond 2007, a bowl bid would be a giant step in that direction.

Big Ten Football Preview '07: The Hot Seat originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 31 Jul 2007 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Ten Football Preview '07: Top Five Players

Bruce Ciskie — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 16:00:00 EST

Someday, I'll explain to all of you why I don't like the Heisman Trophy. In other writings on other blogs and such, I've referred to it as the H*i*m*n ever since Larry Fitzgerald sat in that room and watched someone else win it. That was the tipping point, but it was only a tipping point.

With that in mind, I'm here to remind you of one thing. This is not a "Top Five Heisman Trophy Candidates in the Big Ten" list. If it were, I wouldn't be writing it, because I can't stand the term "Heisman candidate" and I try my best to avoid using it.

Instead, we have compiled a list of who we believe are the top five players in the Big Ten entering the 2007 season. Maybe one of these guys will go on to win the Heisman, but I'm guessing not, since none of the five are quarterbacks (ooh, foreshadowing!). Maybe the running back on the list can do it, but that's not as likely as a quarterback would be.

Anyway, I'm babbling a bit. On to the list. Remember, it's just a subjective list. Meant for discussion. I don't need to see comments about how I don't know anything about football, or how I'm just a stupid (name of Big Ten school you don't like here) fan. Jump with me, and enjoy the list.

1. Jake Long, OT, Michigan

Step one: Figure out who the top five players in the Big Ten are, in no particular order.

Step two: Find anyone on that list who would have been picked in the top five of the April 2007 NFL Draft, but decided to stay in school.

Step three: If anyone qualifies under the second step, put them on top of the list.

Well, Jake Long certainly qualifies. The mammoth Michigan line anchor would have easily been picked before, say, Levi Brown (and maybe before Joe Thomas, too) had he come out. Instead, he decided to pass up NFL fame and fortune for one more shot at the Corporately Sponsored Trophy that goes to the national champion.

Finding Long's weaknesses is probably easier than listing his strengths. I mean, the guy is a stud in pass protection, and he's fundamentally sound in pretty much all areas. He has a long wingspan, he's plenty big enough. If I had to list a weakness, I'd guess that maybe he needs to be more aggressive in his run-blocking, but if that's going to come at the cost of him losing some of his fundamentals, I'll pass.

Long will be a high pick in the NFL Draft next April as long as he stays away from trouble.

2. Dan Connor, LB, Penn State

"Holy crap! We're losing Posluszny! What in the name of Mark D'Onofrio are we going to do?"

"Well, we have this Connor kid. We'll just play him as our middle linebacker, and no one will even notice that Posluszny is gone. No worries."

Must be rough, huh? Just take one All-American and replace him with another.

Connor started on the outside last year, as Paul Posluszny returned from a knee injury to rack up a team-high 116 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss. Connor was right on his heels, with 113 tackles and four TFLs. Posluszny won the Bednarik Award twice, and Connor was a finalist last year. If he posts more than 98 tackles, he'll pass Posluszny as the school's all-time leader in that category.

As I said, not many schools are lucky enough to be able to replace one All-America linebacker with another All-American. Leave it to Linebacker U to be able to pull that off. Don't expect Penn State's linebackers to miss a beat with Connor in the middle.

3. Mike Hart, RB, Michigan

Why Hart and not Chad Henne?

Frankly, I find it pretty easy. I like Henne, but I think a healthy Hart is the most consistent offensive weapon Michigan has. In a healthy freshman year, Hart went for 5.2 yards per carry. In a healthy junior year, Hart went for 4.9 yards per carry. If he can stay healthy for even half the season, he'll almost certainly pass Anthony Thomas as the school's all-time leading rusher. At a school with Michigan's tradition, that's quite the lofty feat.

Hart's not the biggest back in the league, and he's not the fastest, but he's quick enough to get to the outside. He has the ability to make people miss in the open field, and he is not at all short on toughness. While Henne's accuracy (or, for that matter, the hands of his receivers) sometimes betrays him, Hart seems to always have the ability to break a big play when his team needs it the most. And while I'm not one to take Heisman lists seriously, any list of Heisman candidates in this league should start with Mike Hart.

4. Travis Beckum, TE, Wisconsin

Beckum is one of those kinds of players.

He could have fit nicely on the list of "underrated" players, because I'm guessing many of you don't recognize him as a big-time player.

However, given his importance to Wisconsin's offense, and Wisconsin's status as a top ten team nationally and legitimate Big Ten title contender, it made more sense to put him on this list.

If you missed it in all the P.J. Hill hype, or all the talk about the defense, Beckum came out of nowhere last year to lead the Badgers in receptions (61), yards (903), and touchdowns (5). He's on the Mackey Award watch list for 2007, and he will be on more than a few preseason All-American lists.

How did he come out of nowhere? He converted from linebacker to tight end after the 2005 season. While he won the starting job at tight end, he wasn't highly regarded entering the season. Actually, I barely even mentioned him in my positional preview last year, which is pretty embarrassing now that I look back.

Beckum is a super athlete. He gets off the ball well. He's good both in the short passing game as well as with the deep ball. He cannot be covered by human beings. Good luck, Big Ten defenses.

5. Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State

On a team that lost as much talent as Ohio State did, any returning stars are really going to have the chance to shine. Gholston might have the best chance. It was a defensive line that was decimated by departures, with Quinn Pitcock, Jay Richardson, David Patterson, and Joel Penton all gone. Gholston is the only starter back on the line.

Thankfully for Jim Tressel, he's a good one.

Gholston was second-team All-Big Ten with 8.5 sacks in 13 games last year. He's a big kid who is a great athlete. The Buckeyes will use him as a pass-rusher and run-stopper, but they'll occasionally drop him into pass coverage (Gholston actually recorded an interception last year).

With the number of new faces on the line, Gholston will get a lot of attention from opposing lines early in the season. It won't matter. The coaches will find a way to get him in positions to make plays, and Gholston should be high on the list of preseason All-American players in the Big Ten.

Honorable Mention

Chad Henne, QB, Michigan
Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan
J Leman, LB, Illinois
Justin King, CB, Penn State

Big Ten Football Preview '07: Top Five Players originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 31 Jul 2007 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Ten Football Preview '07: Most Underrated

Bruce Ciskie — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:20:00 EST

The word "underrated" is pretty subjective. I've heard arguments over the years where people were deciding whether a person was "overrated" or "underrated", and both came away having made very good points.

So what is an underrated football player? In the opinion of this humble correspondent (sorry, Bill O'Reilly), it's not an easy thing to determine. You're looking for relatively unsung contributors on super teams, perhaps a player who is "stuck" behind a superstar on the depth chart (I'm talking about Anthony Gonzalez instead of Ted Ginn, for example). Perhaps there is a really good player who is stuck on a terrible team, or a guy who leads a terrible team to at least some semblance of mediocrity.

There isn't a single right answer.

Later this week, Brian Cook will take a look at the polar opposite. He'll take a look at the overrated players. Perhaps, we'll find one of you out there who thinks one of the guys we've selected for the "underrated" list is actually overrated, or vice versa.

After the jump, you can check out our list of the top five underrated players in the Big Ten.

1. Javon Ringer, RB, Michigan State

Ringer really fits the bill for an "underrated" talent. His knee injury last year rendered him forgotten about by most Big Ten pundits. If the knee injury didn't do it, Michigan State's horrific 4-8 season certainly got that job done. Before Ringer was shelved in the Illinois loss, he put up some pretty impressive numbers, rushing for 438 yards at a 5.8 per-carry clip. He ran over, under, around, and through Pittsburgh defenders, averaging over 10 yards per carry in a 156-yard performance. He wasn't the same after returning, rushing for just 59 yards on 25 carries in three late MSU losses. The fact that he returned after suffering what could have been a season-ending injury, however, showed his tremendous competitive drive.

He'll top the depth chart for new head coach Mike Dantonio and offensive coordinator Don Treadwell in 2007, and if Ringer can stay healthy, he should be able to put up some big numbers behind a pretty experienced offensive line. The questions for Michigan State surround the passing game and the defense, and they need to be addressed before the Spartans can worry about going bowling again.

Ringer, however, is not a question mark as long as he's on the field. He's a deceptively powerful runner who has the quickness to get outside and the shiftiness (is that a word?) to make people miss.

2. Jonathan Casillas, LB, Wisconsin

He was lost in the shuffle a bit last year. That was for good reason, as he had Mark Zalewski, Mark Zalewski's mohawk, Joe Stellmacher, and Roderick Rogers, among others, gaining accolades on the Wisconsin defense. However, Casillas was a key figure for the Badgers last year. Casillas was third on the team with 83 tackles and led the squad with 10.5 tackles for loss, plus he chipped in two sacks and blocked a punt that led to a touchdown in the Bowling Green game.

Now that Zalewski, Stellmacher, and Rogers are gone, Casillas becomes one of the leaders on what could be a top defense nationally. The Badgers allowed only about 12 points per game last year, and they return seven defensive starters, including Casillas. He's a hard-hitting outside linebacker who fills the gaps well against the run and has some pass-rush upside. He's a tremendous athlete. Actually, current UW linebackers coach Dave Doeren says ($) Casillas is the "best athlete I've ever coached at that position". Doeren goes on to say Casillas "loves hitting people".

Badger fans should consider themselves lucky to have him around. They probably won't get to see his senior season, and if you can safely call him a "well-kept secret" right now, you won't be able to come November.

3. Bryan Mattison, DE, Iowa

With all the hype that we hear about the job Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz does mentoring offensive linemen for a future in the NFL, it can easily be forgotten that Iowa has done a pretty decent job sending defensive players off to play on Sundays, too.

Aaron Kampman appears to be carving out quite the nice career for himself in Green Bay, where he got a huge contract last offseason and responded with his best year as a pro, as he led the NFC with 15.5 sacks. Matt Roth has also found a job in the NFL in Miami.

As much as I hate saying that a college player is a lot like a guy currently starring in the NFL, Mattison compares quite favorably to Kampman. Their body types are similar, and their style of play is certainly similar. Kampman isn't ever going to be the best athlete at his position in the NFL, but he has great instincts and a never-ending motor. Mattison is the same kind of player at Iowa. He'll be a leader on the defensive line in 2007, but there's a chance he'll get overshadowed by teammate Kenny Iwebema, who was a first-team All-Big Ten end in 2005. Iwebema had his 2006 season ruined by a shoulder injury. Mattison definitely deserves to be considered among the best ends in the league this season.

4. Dorien Bryant, WR, Purdue

You could competently argue that Bryant isn't an "underrated" player, since he was on the All-Big Ten first team last year and led the league in catches (87) in 2006. In a way, you would be right.

However, who was the last person you heard discussing Bryant's Heisman credentials? Sure, he's good, I would argue that Bryant isn't getting the credit he deserves. He's posted back-to-back seasons of 80 or more receptions, and he's done it with Curtis Painter as the primary quarterback.

(With all due respect to Painter, who has a chance to emerge as a star this season, he's not going to remind Purdue fans of Drew Brees unless he picks up his decision-making and throwing accuracy.)

Bryant is already fourth all-time in Purdue's history with 2,612 yards, so he has a chance to break the record in his senior season. He's only about 1,150 yards away from John Standeford's school record, and a 1,000-yard season will put him past Taylor Stubblefield into second place on the list. He's a precise route-runner who has the ability to break a short pass into a huge play.

Now be honest with me. You didn't know much of anything about Dorien Bryant before you read this, right? No? You didn't? Well, then he's underrated, no matter what his numbers are.

5. Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois

The Illinois Fighting Illini were 2-10 last year, including a horrific 1-7 Big Ten season where nothing seemed to go their way. While the defense was vastly improved, the offense was inept, especially through the air, and the running game wasn't good enough to make up for it.

One of the bright spots of the season was Mendenhall, who piled up 640 rush yards but averaged 8.2 yards per carry. He split time in the backfield with Pierre Thomas, which kept his carries down, and the fact Illinois spent so much time playing from behind also hurt the ability to get the ball in his hands more. Oh, and he has a penchant for fumbling, including a costly fumble in an upset loss to Ohio last year.

No such problems should be so prevalent in 2007. Mendenhall is expected to be Illinois' feature back, and he'll be unleashed on Big Ten defenses with great regularity.

Mendenhall will need to show he can handle getting the ball 20 or more times per game in the Big Ten, but it's hard to imagine that being a major problem. He has good size and strength, and if he improves his ball security, he'll easily top 1,000 yards in his first full season as a starter. That'll be huge for an Illinois team that could be on the verge of quite an impressive rebound.

Honorable mention

Marcus Thigpen, RB, Indiana
Amir Pinnix, RB, Minnesota
Tyrell Sutton, RB, Northwestern
Cliff Avril, DE, Purdue

Big Ten Football Preview '07: Most Underrated originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Ten Football Preview '07: 2006 Recap

Brian Cook — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:02:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Football, Iowa Football, Michigan Football, Michigan State Football, Northwestern Football, Ohio State Football, Penn State Football, Big 10, Purdue Football, Illinois Football

When Michigan met Ohio State last November, it was one of the headiest days in that's rivalry's long history. Both were undefeated. Ohio State was #1, Michigan #2. With all other serious contenders for the national championship sporting a loss, the possibility of a rematch between the teams, no matter who won, was batted about breathlessly. Yea, verily, these were the best two teams in the country as anointed by ESPN, who knows all and sees all.

If you have followed college football at all or heard an SEC coach or fan speak over the past seven months you know what happened next. Michigan did what they always do: lose the Rose Bowl. The final score, 32-18, was buttressed by a late, meaningless Steve Breaston touchdown and didn't reflect the second half whipping delivered to the Michigan offensive line and secondary after a tense first half ended in a 3-3 tie. Then Ohio State emerged from the tunnel at the national championship game and returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. But it was all downhill from there. Moments after Ted Ginn engaged ludicrous speed, he was in the endzone getting his ankle sprained by his own teammate. Then Florida scored, Ohio State punted, and Florida scored and Ohio State punted and that was basically the game. Three hours later the final was 41-14. Kirk Herbstreit would cliam the two games "set the Big Ten back ten years."

Yeah, so that didn't go so well. Weeks later, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany felt compelled to respond to a stupid column in the Chicago Sun-Times that made Classic Sportswriter Mistake #1 -- that thing that just happened is never going to stop happening -- with an "open letter" that had some salient points (in the last decade the Big Ten and SEC are dead even in their bowl matchups) and some dubious complaining that seemed very much like the insecure whining of a conference that had lost its way. Going into 2007, the Big Ten looks to re-establish itself in the eyes of its critics, who would overthrow a hundred years of tradition because of the outcome of a couple games. Fie on you. But other stuff happened, too. After the jump, 2006 superlatives.

Most Ridiculous Moment

Oh, which Michigan State fiasco to pick? The available options boggle the mind. The candidates:

Drew Stanton's horrible pick-six against Notre Dame that gave the Irish an ill-gotten victory and, eventually, another BCS bid they didn't deserve.
The sideline scuffle in that game.
The three State players who, having lost, attempted to defend the "S" on the 50 yard line from any nefarious Irish players who might attempt to replicate their flag-planting stunt from a year ago.
Detroit-area radio host Mike Valenti's meltdown in the aftermath of the Notre Dame game. MAKE PLAYS!
Losing to Illinois -- the Illini's only Big Ten win in two years.
That game's post-game histrionics, which actually involved an attempted flag-planting by Illinois,
John L. Smith's self-slapping in the aftermath of that game.
The 35-point comeback against Northwestern that set an NCAA record.

I don't know. If I had to pick... the JLS self-slap. It's one thing when your players act like fools. It's been happening at Michigan State for decades. It's another thing when your coach does.

Most Disappointing

Iowa (team), Drew Tate (player). Images of a senior Drew Tate and a healthy Kirk Ferentz danced in the dreams of Big Ten prognosticators, including myself. I ranked the Hawkeyes #2 overall, projecting them to reach the BCS title game against... um... Auburn. This did no so much happen. Iowa sucked virtually all year until a surprisingly adept performance in the Alamo Bowl. Iowa lost, but they gave Texas everything they wanted. They even had a trademark Hawkeye moment when Andy Brodell pivoted to the outside and took a short pass to the house as everyone in America thought to themselves "goddamn that white kid is fast."

So that was fine and good. The problem: the sucking. Prior to the bowl Iowa went 2-6 in conference. Out of conference they scraped by an awful Iowa State team that finally got Dan McCarney fired and had to go to overtime to beat Syracuse. Landing the Alamo bid was a miracle based more on the morass of .500 Big Ten teams than any reflection of their quality.

And probably the main reason for this fall was Tate. His transformation from a moxie-ridden Texas gunslinger into a mediocre, short quarterback incapable of seeing safeties was the conference's most dramatic fall from grace.

Most Improved

Michigan (team). It's not often you can claim Michigan "most improved," but coming off the heels of a 7-5 2005 -- Michigan's worst year since Jim Harbaugh's broken leg in 1984 sent Michigan into a 6-6 tailspin -- the Wolverines were in serious danger of wasting the upperclass years of Mike Hart and Chad Henne. New coordinators on both sides of the ball, the emergence of ICBM Mario Manningham (@ right), and the most vicious, slathering defensive line in the country sent Michigan streaking towards the national championship game until that pesky Troy Smith guy got in the way.

Of course, Michigan is also one of the few teams in the country that could end up 11-2 and still feel zo... unsatysfyed [/teddykgb]. But that's life as a Michigan fan.

As far as players: As a freshman, Penn State cornerback Justin King was a mildly irrelevant two-way guy who got some reverses on offense and was the nickelback who got burned by Mario Manningham in the third quarter. As a sophomore he quit fooling around on offense and was almost instantly one of the best corners in the country. That is an overnight improvement.

Fraudiest Fraud In All of Fraudland

Purdue. It's hard to be a fraud when you're 8-6, but good lord Purdue was one anyway. In the second of their two cracks at the Big Ten without Michigan and Ohio State on their schedule, the big prize at the end of the rainbow was a game against a Maryland team that was one of the worst bowl teams in the country according to both statistics and reason. Maryland spanked the Boilers 24-7, and that was fairly typical. Whenever Purdue met opposition that was not juicy soft they lost. Taken to overtime by Miami (Ohio), narrow winners over Ball State, losers to Notre Dame...even when Purdue met teams everyone should beat they failed to impress.

Best Player

Troy Smith. Still don't want to talk about it.

Big Ten Football Preview '07: 2006 Recap originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Ten Football Preview '07: Filling Big Shoes

Bruce Ciskie — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 09:00:00 EST

Some teams lose a ton of talent practically every year. USC is the poster child these days, and Miami has been in the not-too-distant past.

Other teams seem to get lucky all the time, returning key players and having the chance to build a special team around one or two stars.

For the 2007 season, we could have built a special "Biggest Shoes to Fill" category especially for Ohio State. The Buckeyes are missing key players like Troy Smith, Antonio Pittman, Ted Ginn, Anthony Gonzalez, Doug Datish, Quinn Pitcock, Antonio Smith, and Jay Richardson.

Instead, we attempted to integrate only the biggest of the big losses at tOSU. After all, they weren't the only Big Ten team to lose a key face or two from 2006. They're just the most notable.

Any list of "Biggest Shoes to Fill" has to start with the guy who won the Heisman Trophy, especially when the vote was as lopsided as it was for Troy Smith last year. Smith has moved on to the NFL, and his replacement tops our list of the biggest shoes to fill in the Big Ten.

1. Todd Boeckman, QB, Ohio State (Troy Smith)

This is too easy. The Buckeyes' offense was superb for the first 12 games last season, and Smith's leadership, maturity, and improved throwing skills were the biggest reason for it. Smith hit over 65 percent of his throws, tossed 30 touchdowns to just six picks, and avoided throwing any interceptions in eight of his team's first nine games. He was the lopsided Heisman winner, and he's gone.

In his place comes Boeckman.

Who?

Boeckman threw just three passes last year while serving as the third quarterback, but he's actually got some athleticism to him. He posted a better 40 time than Smith did in 2006 workouts. He's big, too (6'5"). Coach Jim Tressel will rely on Boeckman to make solid decisions as he eases into the starting job. Boeckman should be just fine, as tOSU returns stud running back Chris Wells to carry the offense in early-season lay-ups against Youngstown State and Akron.

It's not set in stone that Boeckman will start the opener, as he could get a late push in fall camp from sophomore Rob Schoenhoft. But Boeckman started and finished the spring as the listed starter, and it would probably take a surprise performance from Schoenhoft to take the job.

2. Tyler Donovan/Allan Evridge, QB, Wisconsin (John Stocco)

He may have flown under the radar for the most part, but there's no doubt that Stocco was a big piece of the puzzle in Madison. Stocco started for three years. He struggled a bit in 2004, but put up some great numbers in 2005, setting a school record with 2,920 yards passing. His numbers tailed back a bit in 2006, but that was largely due to an inexperienced group of receivers and a shoulder problem that forced him to miss two games. Stocco still topped 2,000 yards and threw 17 touchdowns to just six interceptions. His record as a starter was an impressive 29-7 at Wisconsin.

The perception is that Wisconsin is carried by the running game, but that's no longer entirely true. Last year, Wisconsin won games against Western Illinois, Illinois, Iowa, Buffalo, and Arkansas in which the running game averaged less than 3.5 yards per attempt. In each of those games, the passing game topped 200 yards.

In the Iowa and Buffalo games, it was Tyler Donovan doing that throwing. Donovan filled in for an injured Stocco and was solid in both starts, completing 33 of 50 passes for 536 yards and four touchdowns. The senior had looked shaky in previous opportunities to play, but really stepped it up when the Badgers needed him to. That, along with a solid spring, has Donovan in position to be the starter this fall. He will have to hold off a final challenge from junior transfer Allan Evridge, who moves in from Kansas State. Evridge lost his starting job to youngster Josh Freeman last year, and decided to move on. He worked on the scout team in Madison last year during his transfer year.

Stocco's leadership and moxie will be tough to replace, but with all the other returning talent, the Badgers are in for a big year if they can get positive play out of the quarterback position.

3. John Thompson, LB, Michigan (David Harris)

On a team that should be a heavy favorite among media and coaches to win the Big Ten title, it's important that a couple important holes be filled effectively. While he wasn't as flashy as Leon Hall or Shawn Crable or Prescott Burgess, and maybe not as well-known among non-Michigan fans, David Harris may have been the key player on the Wolverines' defense last year. Not only does he look a bit like Worf, but his totals of 103 tackles and 12 tackles for loss led the team by a country mile, and his second-team All-America status was well-deserved. He was a master at reading and reacting to screen passes, rendering the play a virtual non-factor against the Wolverines most of the time.

Sure, Hall, LaMarr Woodley, Burgess, and mammoth tackle Alan Branch have moved on, but Harris' absence is huge. How they replace him in the lineup will go a long way toward determining if Michigan can field a defense good enough to avoid screwing up a potential BCS berth.

For now at least, the starting middle linebacker is the junior Thompson. He's been patiently waiting for his shot, and it appears he'll get it. Behind him on the depth chart entering fall camp are JUCO Austin Panter and redshirt freshman Obi Ezeh.

(Yes, Michigan has a JUCO. It doesn't happen often. In fact, Panter is the first JUCO signing at Michigan since 1997, according to Phil Steele, who tends to know about such things.)

4. Austin Scott, RB, Penn State (Tony Hunt)

Surely, you've noticed that our own Brian Cook enjoys poking fun at Anthony Morelli on occasion. There's good reason for that, as Morelli has yet to show us the ability to be a consistently effective quarterback. While I haven't jumped in on the fun, I don't disagree with the idea that Morelli needs to do a lot of improving if Penn State is to be a Big Ten contender.

As the passing game struggled through much of last season, I grew to appreciate more and more the contributions of Hunt to the offense. Hunt was never flashy, but he brought toughness, vision, and a non-stop motor to the position. Hunt posted eight 100-yard games last year, including a 158-yard effort on 31 carries in the Outback Bowl win over Tennessee. His season totals of 1,386 yards and eleven scores came despite the rather green offensive line in front of him, and the usually ineffective quarterback who was handing him the ball.

Hunt moves on to the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles. Enter Scott, a senior who redshirted last year with an ankle injury (in this case, the "ankle injury" was a cover for Hunt winning the job and Scott not being needed). Despite the loss of left tackle Levi Brown to the NFL, the line should be pretty solid.

Oh, and one can't help but think Morelli will be better. Combine those factors, and Scott is in a position to put up some good numbers in Hunt's place. He has to prove he can stay healthy, however, and that's been a problem for him at Penn State.

5. Jake Christensen, QB, Iowa (Drew Tate)

Arguments could be made that Tate was one of more overrated players in the Big Ten last year. His numbers simply weren't very impressive, and that 1-5 finish to his senior season probably wasn't a good way for him to go out. Expectations were certainly not met a year ago, as Iowa finished a disappointing 6-7. They lost home games to Ohio State, Northwestern, and Wisconsin as a promising 4-0 start went in the tank quickly.

That said, you can't deny that Tate made an impact at Iowa. His 8,292 career yards rank second to current San Diego State coach Chuck Long on Iowa's all-time passing list. He threw 61 touchdowns in three years as a starter. He did provide good leadership under center, especially during the 2004 season, when Iowa was decimated by injuries at running back and averaged just 73 rushing yards per game.

Tate departs, and in his place comes the sophomore Christensen. He threw just 35 passes last year, but he did learn a lot working as Tate's primary backup. He's bigger than Tate, and he has good arm strength. Christensen shouldn't have too much trouble holding off the challenges of freshmen Arvell Nelson and Richard Stanzi in fall camp, but it still remains to be seen if Christensen can post anything close to Tate's numbers, especially while working behind an offensive line that loses three starters from 2006.

Honorable Mention

Donovan Warren, CB, Michigan (Leon Hall)
Will Johnson, DT, Michigan (Alan Branch)
Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie, WR, Ohio State (Ted Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez)
Alex Magee, DE, Purdue (Anthony Spencer)
Shane Carter, FS, Wisconsin (Roderick Rogers)

Big Ten Football Preview '07: Filling Big Shoes originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 30 Jul 2007 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Ten Impact Players For 2007

Bruce Ciskie — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 10:50:00 EST

With less than 90 days to go until the start of the 2007 college football season, the FanHouse is exploring the impact players in each conference. Here are the top returning players in the Big Ten this upcoming season. It's safe to say that these guys are pretty much worth the price of admission on their own.

OFFENSE

Chad Henne, QB - Michigan (right): Say what you want about the guy, but Henne has put together a pretty nice career for himself at Michigan. The three-year starter returned for his senior year, and not only does it appear that he'll have a shot at a national title, but he's practically a lock to set a few school records. Most notably, he's less than 1,500 yards away from the career record, held by former Arizona Cardinals great John Navarre. Henne has had issues with accuracy in the past, but he was very good last year. There is plenty of talent and experience returning around him, so it stands to reason that Henne will put together a superb senior season.
Mike Hart - RB - Michigan: While Henne sits on the cusp of Michigan passing records, Hart continues to plug along nicely. He's less than 800 yards away from Anthony Thomas' career rushing record at Michigan. With Henne throwing to the likes of Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington, and guys like Jake Long and Adam Kraus blocking for him, Hart's a lock for the record if he stays healthy. He lost out on the Big Ten rushing title by a whole seven yards to P.J. Hill last year, and he was able to stay healthy after a rocky 2006. If anyone wonders why Michigan is virtually everyone's favorite to win the Big Ten title, just look at this offensive backfield.

Travis Beckum - TE - Wisconsin: At this time last year, the response would have been "Who?". Beckum was a sophomore defensive end-turned-tight end who appeared to have all the talent in the world, but had never caught a pass in a college game. All Beckum did was earn second-team All-Big Ten honors by catching 61 balls for over 900 yards. Both numbers led a Wisconsin team that set a school record for wins in a season (12). While the quarterback changes (Tyler Donovan is expected to take over for the graduated John Stocco), Beckum is still expected to make a huge impact in 2007. The junior is joined at the top of Wisconsin's receiving corps by seniors Paul Hubbard and Luke Swan. Both the wideouts will benefit from Beckum's presence, because his size (6'4", 220 pounds) and athletic ability make him a matchup nightmare for defenses. Why Beckum over running back P.J. Hill? Well, I like Hill, but he's not the fleetest of foot, and I think he wore down last season. Beckum's ability to stretch out defenses will be important to Hill. Defenses have had to respect Wisconsin's running game since around 1993. If they start having to consistently respect the passing game, it will only make everything better.

DEFENSE

Vernon Gholston - DE - Ohio State: It's no secret that tOSU has lost a few pieces on offense (Troy Smith, Antonio Pittman, Ted Ginn, Anthony Gonzalez, Doug Datish, and T.J. Downing, just to name six). What some have perhaps forgotten is that the defensive line was also depleted by departures. Tackles David Petterson, Joel Penton, and Quinn Pitcock (an All-American) are gone, as is end Jay Richardson. Gholston is the only returning starter, and he's a good one. He had a team-leading 8.5 sacks last year, which worked out to over 22 percent of their total. He also led the team with 6.5 tackles for loss. Sure, linebacker James Laurinaitis might get all the headlines, but Gholston is every bit as productive at his position, and he'll be the leader of the young Buckeye defensive line this season.

J Leman - LB - Illinois: Yes, this is an Illinois guy on the "impact players" list. Oh, and yes, his first name realy is J. Leman was a big part of a defense that cut their points per game allowed by 13 last year, and they sliced their yards per game allowed by one-third (469 to 310). Leman posted nearly 13 tackles for game, leading the league with 152, and he led the team with 15 tackles for loss. As this defense continues to improve, Leman will only be more of a leader and more of a playmaker. The tOSU fans are wondering where Laurinaitis is, but there's no way I can rate him ahead of Leman at this point.

Jack Ikegwuonu - CB - Wisconsin: Certainly, the signature play of Ikegwuonu's career so far came when he caught Arkansas star Darren McFadden from behind in the Capital One Bowl. The play saved a touchdown, and Arkansas went on to miss a short field goal after the drive stalled. Wisconsin won the game by three. Ikegwuonu has super speed, is unafraid of contact, and possesses solid ball skills. The only question about his ability has nothing to do with what he does on the field. He's still facing burglary charges after an alleged incident with his twin brother, Bill, in Illinois. A hearing is scheduled for June 22, so it will still be a while before the case is resolved. An unfavorable conclusion to the case is the only thing possibly preventing Ikegwuonu from a huge season in Wisconsin's secondary.

Big Ten Impact Players For 2007 originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 09 Jun 2007 10:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Bill Snyder Scheduling Award : Big Ten Edition

Bruce Ciskie — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 15:40:00 EST

Former Kansas State Coach Bill Snyder is a legend in college football. Not just for making K-State relevant, but for his astounding non-conference schedules that presented not simply a minimal risk of loss, but usually guaranteed a 3 touchdown beatdown -- minimum. It would be compounded by rarely including a single road game and almost never an opponent from another BCS Conference. To honor the legacy of Coach Snyder, we bring you the FanHouse "Bill Snyder Award Honoring Excellence in the Scheduling of Creampuffs and Patsies".

As we look ahead to the Big Ten season, as noted yesterday, there aren't a ton of non-league matchups to be excited about. That said, we also don't have a lot of embarrassments when we look at the non-conference slates.

I really like Michigan's schedule, even though it features a I-AA team (at least it's the two-time champion Appalachian State) and there aren't any road games. Ohio State has two MAC teams and a I-AA team, but they travel to Washington for what could be a tough game. Iowa has roadies to Iowa State and Northern Illinois (at Soldier Field in Chicago). Purdue visits Toledo and hosts Notre Dame. Illinois plays Missouri in St. Louis and visits Syracuse. Northwestern has what should be a decent home game against Nevada, and they play Eastern Michigan at Ford Field in Detroit. Michigan State has a trip to Notre Dame, along with a home game against Pittsburgh. Penn State hosts Notre Dame. Even Wisconsin has an improved schedule, with home games against Washington State and Northern Illinois.

If you kept track, you'd notice that I ran off nine teams. There are eleven in the Big Ten, and I think we have two clear cut Bill Snyder Award candidates. Details on them after the jump.
Runner-up: Minnesota

The Gophers put together a superb Snyder Award candidacy, including a I-AA team (North Dakota State), two middle-of-the-road MAC teams (Bowling Green and Miami), and a I-A newbie (Florida Atlantic).

They made two mistakes that cost them the Snyder Award. First, they scheduled an NDSU team that they thrashed 10-9 last year, so there might actually be a chance that they'll lose that game. Also, they agreed to play Florida Atlantic in Miami, where the Owls hope to attract a big enough crowd to keep them from getting in attendance trouble with the NCAA overlords (FAU averaged less than 10,000 per game last year).

It's an impressive Snyder-like schedule for Tim Brewster's first year, but it's not quite enough to take home top honors in the Big Ten.

Winner: Indiana

Maybe IU is plotting to join the MAC.

The Hoosiers have set themselves up for another fast start in 2007, as they will open with an Indiana State team that went 1-10 last year in Division I-AA. Yes, Indiana lost to Southern Illinois last year, and Nicholls State took them to the brink in 2005, but they beat Indiana State 33-3 in their last meeting (2003). That's followed by a trip to Western Michigan that's not a terrible matchup. Akron and Ball State, also from the MAC, will visit Bloomington for the Hoosiers' other non-league games.

Matching this up with Minnesota's schedule, Indiana State is clearly a bigger cupcake than North Dakota State, who actually has formed a pretty strong I-AA program. Akron and Ball State are inferior to Bowling Green and Miami, and while Western Michigan is a tougher road opponent than Florida Atlantic, it's not a tough enough game to make up the difference.

The Gophers tried valiantly, but Indiana has won the inaugural FanHouse "Bill Snyder Award Honoring Excellence in the Scheduling of Creampuffs and Patsies" for the Big Ten.

Previously at FanHouse
The Countdown Begins: Top Games in the Big Ten

The Bill Snyder Scheduling Award : Big Ten Edition originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 05 Jun 2007 15:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Countdown Begins: Top Games in the Big Ten

Bruce Ciskie — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 17:25:00 EST

Filed under: Indiana Football, Iowa Football, Michigan Football, Michigan State Football, Minnesota Football, Northwestern Football, Notre Dame Football, Ohio State Football, Penn State Football, Wisconsin Football, Big 10, Pac 10, Purdue Football, Missouri Football, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Illinois Football, Illinois

June 3 marked 90 days until Opening Day of the college football season (discounting those silly August 30 and 31 games). The countdown is officially on, and not just because Phil Steele's mammoth 2007 preview arrived in my mailbox today.

(It's going to be on newsstands by mid-June, as will a host of others.)

Now that we're officially under 90 days until the season opener, it's time to take a peek ahead. I'm going to list the top five non-conference games involving Big Ten teams this season. Unfortunately, there might be one or two that involve Notre Dame, even though we really have no idea how good they'll be. You just can't escape the aura of Notre Dame, after all.
5. Missouri vs Illinois at St. Louis, September 1

Illinois hasn't beaten Missouri in Missouri since 1976, but this might be the year. The Tigers look like a strong contender in the Big 12 North, for whatever that may mean, but it's Illinois' potential that makes this matchup intriguing. Ron Zook gets 17 starters back, including nine on a defense that improved in practically every outing last year, and did it while having to deal with an offense that alternated being terrible and dreadful for most of the season.

If they have taught Juice Williams how to throw, it's going to be an interesting season in Champaign.

4. Ohio State at Washington, September 15

Ohio State hasn't visited Seattle since 1994, and this isn't the kind of UW team that tOSU faced then. It's a Washington team coming off a mediocre 5-7 season, and that was an improvement over the previous two seasons. The Huskies posted three wins combined in 2004 and 2005.

Tyrone Willingham may be desperate for a win by this game, as UW opens at Syracuse and then hosts Boise State. Syracuse might seem like a layup, but consider that the Huskies are 8-22 in true road games since 2001. Willingham might also be desperate for a win because he knows Jim Mora wants his job, and Mora's actually working in Seattle now.

For Ohio State, it's the final tuneup for the new quarterback, running back, wide receivers, and defensive tackles. But, no, the Buckeyes weren't depleted by graduation and early departures. Not at all.

3. Notre Dame at Penn State, September 8

We don't know who will be under center for the Irish, though it's at least a plausible bet that it will be over- much-hyped freshman Jimmy Clausen. Either way, it's a good chance for Penn State to erase the memories of last year's 41-17 thrashing in South Bend. The Nittany Lions need to settle their running game situation, but we know they have the personnel to make for a good passing game if Anthony Morelli can be more accurate.

This is Penn State's only reasonable non-conference game, and it's part of a tough start (on paper) for Notre Dame, who plays consecutive games against Georgia Tech, Penn State, and Michigan, and they will visit UCLA, host Boston College, and travel to USC later in the year.

2. Notre Dame at Michigan, September 15

Not only does this matchup have plenty of history (at least one of the two has been ranked in each of their last 25 meetings), but they just plain hate each other. The Irish probably don't have to be reminded of the 47-21 beatdown Michigan put on them in South Bend last year, but I'm guessing Michigan remembers Notre Dame winning in Ann Arbor in 2005.

It would help the intensity of this matchup if Michigan could win the week before, too.

1. Oregon at Michigan, September 8

Sorry, fans of everyone else, but the schedules in the Big Ten aren't very good this year. There are, once again, too many games against MAC teams and I-AA teams that aren't much more than lazy schedule filler. Matchups like "Washington State at Wisconsin", "Iowa at Iowa State", and "Minnesota at Florida Atlantic" shouldn't qualify as "best of the rest" in any category.

This matchup has intrigue for a number of reasons.

1. What ugly uniforms will Oregon bring to Ann Arbor? Will they be enough to blind everyone at The Big House?
2. If Oregon is truly a Pac-10 contender this year (it's always hard to figure out the Ducks), this will be a huge inter-regional game. There's no question Michigan is ready to contend in the Big Ten again.
3. Can Michigan take care of Oregon, knowing full well that Notre Dame visits the following weekend?

I'm picking this one on top of the list because it's a great matchup of two teams who don't play each other every year, and it's at least possible that Michigan could lose this game and take a lot of luster off the Notre Dame matchup.

The Countdown Begins: Top Games in the Big Ten originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 04 Jun 2007 17:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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