2007 Big Ten Football Preview (Part Two)
| 13
|
by The Beast
1. Wisconsin: The Badgers are coming off a 12-1 season with expectations soaring higher than ever before in Madison. Despite the loss of Senior Quarterback John Stocco and Left Tackle Joe Thomas, the Badgers, should be loaded on offense with Heisman candidate P.J. Hill lining up in the backfield. In 2006, Hill ran for 1,560 yards and 15 touchdowns. Many of the same offensive lineman that helped Hill rush for over 1,000 yards are returning in 2007. While the offense should certainly be solid, it's the defense with seven returning starters that make the Badgers a popular pick for the conference crown. Last season the Badgers finished second nationally in scoring (12.1 ppg) and passing (138.3 ypg). With the return of linebackers Jon Casillas and DeAndre Levy and shutdown cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu (pictured), offenses will have a very difficult time scoring against the Badgers' defense. As long as quarterback Tyler Donovan plays within himself, P.J. Hill and the defense should be enough for a Big Ten championship.
2. Michigan: With the return of Quarterback Chad Henne, Running Back Mike Hart, Left Tackle Jake Long, and Wide Receiver Mario Manningham, the Wolverines’ offense will be capable of scoring on any given play. However, the defense lost many of its playmakers and questions remain unanswered. Two of the country’s top defensive lineman, defensive tackle Alan Branch and defensive end Lamar Woodley, are now in the NFL. Shutdown cornerback Leon Hall also joins Branch and Woodley in the NFL. Michigan's defense struggled in their final two games against Ohio State and USC, and with only four returners on defense the Wolverines might have defensive issues down the stretch.
3. Ohio State: After losing top players in Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, wide receivers Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez, and running back Antonio Pittman, it would seem as if the Buckeyes would hardly scratch the surface of the top 25. However, Jim Tressell and the Buckeyes expect to compete for the Big Ten title in 2007. With consecutive top ten recruiting classes, the Buckeyes have the talent for a really good season. The defense should also be one of the conference's best with the Nagurski Award winner in linebacker James Laurinaitis leading the way.
4. Penn State: Nittany Lions fans are confident that this team can actually win the Big Ten but Penn State has many questions to answer. Levi Brown left a huge hole at Left tackle and the running game features two injury-prone running backs in seniors Austin Scott and Rodney Kinlaw. If trouble evolves at these two positions than Penn State could circle around five-hundred. Despite these question marks, the Nittany Lions have plenty reason for optimism. They return Senior quarterback Anthony Morelli who only threw eight interceptions despite 386 passes, a school record. Critics point out that Penn State was 9th in the Big Ten in scoring but this was largely due to the fact that they ran a very conservative gameplan. If Morelli can fully utilize his talented receivers in Derrick Williams and Deon Butler than the offense should be one of the conference's best in passing offense. The defense should is clearly one of the Big Ten's best with the return of Butkus Award candidate Dan Connor and promising defensive end Josh Gaines. If the offense produces than Penn State will seriously challenge for the conference title.
5. Iowa: Over the past two seasons, Iowa has underachieved in conference play, finishing 7-5 in 2005 and 6-7 in 2006. With fifteen returning starters and an a schedule that has left off Michigan and Ohio State, most Hawkeye fans are anticipating a return to the top half of the Big Ten. The biggest question mark for Iowa is whether they can replace the popular quarterback Drew Tate. Sophomore southpaw Jake Christensen will be counted upon to do just that. In 2006, Christensen was only able to play in five games, but he did lead the team to a 24-14 victory against Northern Illinois in late October. His job should be made easier by running back Albert Young and wide receivers Andy Brodell and Dominque Douglass. The defense should also be in good shape with the return of linebacker Mike Klinkenborg and defensive end Bryan Mattison.
6. Purdue: Despite eighteen returning starters, most Boilermaker fans are not too optimistic about the upcoming season. Under Joe Tiller's tenure at Purdue most of the Puedue faithful have witnessed one underachieving season after another. Despite past history, there are signs that the Boilermakers could finish in the top half of the conference. The passing game which was 13th nationally in total yards could be even better in 2007 with a more experienced Curits Painter at quarterback and All-American Dorien Bryant lining up at receiver. At 6'4" and 223 lbs., Painter has the physical tools to become one of Purdue's legendary quarterbacks. He has a stronger arm and is more physically gifted than both Purdue legends Drew Brees and Kyle Orton, who have gone on to play in the NFL. If he can improve his touchdown to interception ratio than the Boilermakers may have found their best quarterback ever. While Purdue will certainly score in bunches, its defense remains a hinge question mark. If they ever wish to contend for the Big Ten title than they must improve a defense which gave up nearly twenty-seven points a game.
7. Northwestern It has been a year since the death of Randy Walker and Pat Fitzgerald's quick transition to head coach, so it appears as if the Cats are looking forward. With 14 returning starters and the quarterback position finally settled with C.J. Bacher, the Wildcats are once again expecting to reach a bowl game. The offense could potentially be one of the conference's best with the improvement of Bacher who started the second half of the season. Former quarterback Andrew Brewer moved to receiver at the end of last season and shinned in the spring. Also lining up on offense is All-American candidate Tyrell Sutton (pictured). Sutton appears to be ready to record his third one-thousand yard rushing season. The defense returns eight starters and has talent at nearly every position. With any easy-non conference schedule Northwestern should be in position for a bowl game.
8. Indiana: With the return of quarterback Kellen Lewis, wide receiver James Hardy, and seven returning starters, the Hoosiers feature one of the conference's most potent offenses. However, the defense was a mess in 2006, giving up over 400 yards of total offense per game and allowing 32 points a game. It's hard to imagine the defense improving too much but even some improvement added to good offense could make the Hoosiers bowl-eligible for the first-time in thirteen years.
9. Illinois: Ron Zook is known around college football as a great recruiter but one of the worst in-game coaches. So far at Illinois, he has put together some of the school's best classes landing wide receiver Arrelious Benn and linebacker Martez Wilson. Zook is hoping the influx of talent will equal victories but his track record proves otherwise. The Illini do have some nice players and a potential all-conference quarterback in Sophomore Juice Williams. The defense is also improving and very athletic with returners in defensive tackle Chris Norwell, linebacker J Leman, and cornerback Vontae David. They lost a lot of close contests in 2006 so they must learn how to win the close ones if they want to move up the Big Ten food chain.
10. Minnesota: The arrival of Tim Brewster has created enthusiasm and excitement surrounding the program that was non-existent during the Glen Mason era. However, depth remains the biggest problem due to Mason's inability to recruit. The Gophers are extremely thin at receiver and in the secondary, and these issues aren’t going to be resolved within the season. The quarterback, whether Tony Mortensen or Adam Weber, is inexperienced. There are just too many question marks remaining for the Gophers to become a contender in the Big Ten. Despite these glaring holes, they do have a chance to become bowl eligible with four easy non-conference games against Bowling Green, Miami (Ohio), Florida Atlantic, and North Dakota State. Three of the four are at home and the Florida Atlantic game is at a neutral site. They also get to play Northwestern, Indiana, and Illinois. Seven wins is a strong possibility, but so are four.
11. Michigan State: After a four win season under John L. Smith the only place the Spartans can go is up. They have plenty of talent on offense with running back Javon Ringer who has a nose for the end-zone, eleven touchdowns in 2006. Brian Hoyer looks capable of replacing the NFL-bound Drew Stanton who underachieved at Michigan State. Despite some solid offensive playmakers the defense was incredibly soft in the 2006. The Spartans allowed four touchdowns per game in 2006 and many of those same players return in '07. If the Spartans have any hope of escaping the Big Ten cellar than the defense must undergo a major face lift.
