General Observations Around the Big Ten

Although I strongly believe IU will be vastly improved from last season, I think it is also important to know what is going around in the big ten. I feel like in general the conference will be stronger than last year which could make the big ten strength of schedule a little bit more difficult. Here are just some brief notes on the other big ten teams so far.

Illinois- I believe they have the best receiving core in the big ten. So many weapons there with Arrelious Benn, Jarred Fayson, Jeff Cumberland and many of the young guys as well. Juice is poised to have a great senior season. On the defensive side look for Martez Wilson to be a star.

Iowa- at first glance I was surprised to see how highly rated this football team was. I kept thinking about the loss of both DT’s which were 4 year starters, Shonn Green and a few other players. Then the more I dug into the team the more I believe that the experts could be right about them. They return arguably the best O-line in the big ten and have a stud at LT in Bryan Bulaga. Now that Jewel Hampton’s freak injury in the summer isn’t as bad as originally thought look for him to fill the void at RB and surprise many people.

Michigan- It isn’t going to be a complete 180 turnaround with the wolverines but Rich Rod has a history of taking a huge leap in the second year of coaching new teams. Look for Brandon Minor to have a big year at RB and it will be interesting to see how well Tate Forcier can play at QB as a true freshman.

Michigan State- Losing Javon Ringer will be tough to swallow but I think they have a good crop of young players at the position. Mark Dell is one of the better receivers in the big ten and they should be solid overall.

Minnesota- Tim Brewester’s new offensive coordinator would like to establish a more tradition power running game. The Weber to Decker combo will be extremely tough to stop next year. They have a chip on their shoulder from last year because they started out 7-1 and ended the year 7-6. There should be excitement for the opening of brand new TCF Bank stadium.

Northwestern- Originally I felt the same way about them as I did Iowa. I didn’t think they would be that good but they were rated pretty high. The more I looked at them the more I was impressed. Mike Kafka showed some flashes last season especially with his feet last year against Minnesota when he rushed for 217 yards. There secondary is going to be very tough but they will have to retool at the skill positions after losing Tyrell Sutton and there top 3 receivers. And you can’t forget about the all big-ten DE Corey Wootton.

Ohio State- When the Big Ten network was at Ohio State’s practice yesterday they commented on how Terrelle Pryor looks like he could play Linebacker. With a year under his belt he should be much improved. They have one of the better o-line’s in the big ten and are clearly the team to beat in the big ten.

Penn State- It will be Daryl Clark’s last go around so look for him to have a good senior year. Them and Ohio State have almost made it a two team race in my mind but there is still some opportunities for other big ten teams as well to compete for the crown.

Purdue- This is going to be an interesting year for Purdue. Coach Hope is in his first season as the head coach and they need to reload at many positions. They have a strong set of running backs who will compete for the job but will need to fill many holes on the defensive side.

Wisconsin- another QB controversy heralds the program going into camp. I won’t be surprised if Dustin Sherer starts the opener. John Clay will be running over people this year and will be a beast in the running game. They have a softer schedule which will probably help them out as well.