2013 Big Ten Thread

[BuckeyeDan17]

Hope I'm not stepping on anyone's toes by starting this thread.

We've quite a few question marks going in

-Does Braxton make improvements on his mechanics and reads? (less sacks and blindside hits) 'meh' decision making?
-Will the prospective talent at defensive line translate into actual production?
-Will a dynamic offensive playmaker besides Hyde actually emerge? (I'm looking at you Jalin Marshall, Dontre Wilson and Corey Smith)
-Will our linebackers besides Shazier get their **** together and tackle well? Hell, who even starts at the other positions? Mitchell and Jamal Marcus?

We have a nice recruiting class and a cupcake OOS. There's plenty to be excited about.

How about your teams?

[Grizzlegom]

Penn State:

- Who will be the Quarterback? Steven Bench was the top backup last year but is just a true sophomore. California JUCO transfer Tyler Ferguson was promised a chance to compete and #1 QB prospect Christian Hackenberg will obviously have every opportunity to win the job as well. Should be a good 3-way battle.
- Who will step up as leaders? With so many players transferring and hanging up their cleats after all the sanctions and such, the rising junior and senior classes aren't exactly brimming with top-level talent and starters. Mauti and McGloin were the undisputed leaders last year, who will step up with them gone?
- How will the defensive front seven shake out? 5 of the 7 starters up front graduated and while some spots have obvious answers (Deion Barnes and Mike Hull), there are questions elsewhere and experience is lacking.
- How will Bill O'Brien fare in his second season? As all the emotion and turmoil surrounding the Sandusky scandal dies down and things return to "business as usual" in Happy Valley, it should be interesting to see how the team adjusts. The other B1G teams have a full year of tape on O'Brien's college schemes and can learn and figure out his tendencies. The team wasn't very good at mid-game adjustments last year, being prone to second half collapses, here's hoping that doesn't translate into a sophomore slump for O'Brien.

All things considered, O'Brien managed to pull in a hell of a recruiting class, headlined by the top QB and TE in the country, it should be interesting to see how many freshman claim playing time as many of the recruits (save for Brenneman) play a position vacated by a graduating senior. The OOC schedule will consist of two MAC teams (Central Michigan and Kent State), an newly christened ACC team (Syracuse), and a newly christened Big East team (Central Florida). Despite the postseason ban, I'm pretty excited to see if Penn State can stay relevant and play spoiler to other B1G teams, particularly Michigan and Ohio State in back-to-back weeks early in the B1G schedule and closing out with Nebraska and Wisconsin.

[iowatreat54]

After taking a year off, Iowa will look to field a team in 2013.

[Giantsfan1080]

Sounds like B1G teams will no longer schedule FCS opponents once Maryland and Rutgers enters the conference in 2014. It's going to be a 9 or 10 game conference schedule.

[iowatreat54]

Originally Posted by Giantsfan1080

Sounds like B1G teams will no longer schedule FCS opponents once Maryland and Rutgers enters the conference in 2014. It's going to be a 9 or 10 game conference schedule.

This is going to be awesome. MOAR CONFERNZ GAMEZ PLZ.

While the FCS games are nice tuneups, I'd rather face non-BCS FBS teams. Sure, you run the higher risk of losing, but if you are one of top 5 teams challenging for the BCS Championship you aren't losing to those teams anyway. If you go 11-1 with a loss to Arkansas State, you don't have reason to complain really.

[P-L]

I find it hilarious that Barry Alvarez is critical of the B1G's ooc schedule, when Wisconsin has had the most laughable ooc schedule in the conference the past few years.

[Smooth Criminal]

Good. I hate FCS games.

[iowatreat54]

So, this happened today...

I must have missed it from last winter, but Ferentz said he's no longer assigning an assistant coach to recruit Florida. Then Tuesday night, Iowa recruiting coordinator Eric Johnson told an I-Club gathering in Des Moines that Florida is no longer a priority area for the program's recruitment.

http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/b...n&id=71858&wjb

I guess you can afford to be selective on where you recruit and not recruit arguably the top state in football talent when you are competing for conference championships. Oh wait.......

[steelernation77]

Originally Posted by iowatreat54

So, this happened today...



http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/b...n&id=71858&wjb

I guess you can afford to be selective on where you recruit and not recruit arguably the top state in football talent when you are competing for conference championships. Oh wait.......

The recent hires would suggest the staff is going to put more of a focus on Texas than in past years. If they can actually make legitimate inroads there, and in other parts of Big 12 country like Missouri, it may end up working out.

I mean, they haven't really been successful in Florida or Texas for several years. If they concentrate on one area, maybe they can have some success. Maybe.

[scottyboy]

hey, i'm an actual part of this thread now!

cool beans.

this is going to be weird talking smack to you guys because i like a lot of B1G teams.

[JoeJoeBrown]

Originally Posted by scottyboy

hey, i'm an actual part of this thread now!

cool beans.

this is going to be weird talking smack to you guys because i like a lot of B1G teams.

Talk the smack. Until you guys beat OSU and I get butthurt about it, I'll be friendly :)

[BuckeyeDan17]

Originally Posted by scottyboy

hey, i'm an actual part of this thread now!

cool beans.

this is going to be weird talking smack to you guys because i like a lot of B1G teams.

This is not the 2014 big ten thread :D

[JoeJoeBrown]

[P-L]

3rd/4th/5th-string DL Kenny Wilkins is leaving Michigan. That leaves only nine of 27 players remaining on the team from Rich Rodriguez's 2010 recruiting class. Only five of those nine players has received any sort of meaningful playing time.

I hate Rich Rodriguez so much.

[badgerbacker]

Questions for UW:

-Can Gary Andersen take the program to the next level (or at least maintain current level of success) and will he make any big changes to the style of play? Based on his press conferences he's making it sound like UW won't be getting away from the power running game that has been a staple, but some spread/option elements will likely be mixed in. Defense will be transitioning to a 3-4. I'm excited about these changes and really like GA and how he comes across as a genuine individual. He really seems like a coach that players love to play for and I'm very optimistically hoping for the best. We'll see.

-Who is the QB? Stave, Phillips, and Danny O'Brien have starting experience, RS Freshman Bart Houston is probably the highest rated QB recruit ever to come to UW and has impressed in practices, and juco recruit McEvoy is athletic and the only person brought in by the new staff. Houston is most talented of this bunch and my personal pick to start (so he's got that going for him, which is nice), but I could really see this being a relatively open 4 way battle royale between everybody except O'Brien. And who knows, maybe Danny will benefit from fresh eyes coaching. Can't be considered a strength of the team right now, but we have a lot of QBs and could be potentially a strength if somebody can step up. Also can't discount the possibility of multiple guys playing. I don't like this, but if we run some option looks, I could see different guys being used.

Those are the main questions. Other question marks that Badger fans have are: does the team have a 2nd WR on the roster that can take pressure off Abbrederis? Can the talented front 7 make up for an inexperienced secondary? How will Melvin Gordon and James White handle the load with Montee Ball gone?

Certainly more questions than answers right now, but I'm excited!

[bearsfan_51]

We may still suck. But Ra'Shede Hageman will eat your ******* children.

[JoeJoeBrown]

Originally Posted by bearsfan_51

We may still suck. But Ra'Shede Hageman will eat your ******* children.

Size 13 shoe is small for a guy 6'6". Just sayin'.

[WCH]

If we're picking nits, dunking in 8th grade isn't incredibly impressive for a guy a who grew to 6'6".

[bearsfan_51]

I dunno what the average vert is for a guy that weighs 300 lbs, but I'd guess that 33" is purdy good.

[JoeJoeBrown]

Originally Posted by bearsfan_51

I dunno what the average vert is for a guy that weighs 300 lbs, but I'd guess that 33" is purdy good.

Yeah, it's freakish.

[bearsfan_51]

It'll be interesting to watch Hageman next year. Minnesota really hasn't had a draft-worthy prospect since Eric Decker, and that was the opposite of Hageman where Decker just absolutely worked his ass off after coming from a small town in rural Minnesota.

Hageman is still pretty unheard of, even though he was highly rated (had offers from Ohio State and Florida). Kiper had him as a top 5 DT if he declared this year, but other sites seemingly weren't even aware he existed. I think if he can improve a bit in his consistency he'll go in the first two rounds next year.

[Bert Macklin]

Wrong thread somehow

[Giantsfan1080]

Looks like the divisions will be:

"East" division

Maryland
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Penn State
Rutgers
Purdue or Indiana


"West" division
Illinois
Iowa
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Wisconsin
Purdue or Indiana

[nodakdraftnut]

Originally Posted by P-L

3rd/4th/5th-string DL Kenny Wilkins is leaving Michigan. That leaves only nine of 27 players remaining on the team from Rich Rodriguez's 2010 recruiting class. Only five of those nine players has received any sort of meaningful playing time.

I hate Rich Rodriguez so much.

could not agree more, Rich rod almost ruined michigan football, great decision to get him out. Could of kept ryan mallet and been condenders. The spread does not work in big ten football. The only team to use the spread successfully has been Ohio State. This is all due to recruiting and athletes they have on the outside. Also helps they field a decent deffence every year.

[nodakdraftnut]

Originally Posted by Grizzlegom

Penn State:

- Who will be the Quarterback? Steven Bench was the top backup last year but is just a true sophomore. California JUCO transfer Tyler Ferguson was promised a chance to compete and #1 QB prospect Christian Hackenberg will obviously have every opportunity to win the job as well. Should be a good 3-way battle.
- Who will step up as leaders? With so many players transferring and hanging up their cleats after all the sanctions and such, the rising junior and senior classes aren't exactly brimming with top-level talent and starters. Mauti and McGloin were the undisputed leaders last year, who will step up with them gone?
- How will the defensive front seven shake out? 5 of the 7 starters up front graduated and while some spots have obvious answers (Deion Barnes and Mike Hull), there are questions elsewhere and experience is lacking.
- How will Bill O'Brien fare in his second season? As all the emotion and turmoil surrounding the Sandusky scandal dies down and things return to "business as usual" in Happy Valley, it should be interesting to see how the team adjusts. The other B1G teams have a full year of tape on O'Brien's college schemes and can learn and figure out his tendencies. The team wasn't very good at mid-game adjustments last year, being prone to second half collapses, here's hoping that doesn't translate into a sophomore slump for O'Brien.

All things considered, O'Brien managed to pull in a hell of a recruiting class, headlined by the top QB and TE in the country, it should be interesting to see how many freshman claim playing time as many of the recruits (save for Brenneman) play a position vacated by a graduating senior. The OOC schedule will consist of two MAC teams (Central Michigan and Kent State), an newly christened ACC team (Syracuse), and a newly christened Big East team (Central Florida). Despite the postseason ban, I'm pretty excited to see if Penn State can stay relevant and play spoiler to other B1G teams, particularly Michigan and Ohio State in back-to-back weeks early in the B1G schedule and closing out with Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Hackleberg might be the most overrated prospect in the country. The fact that Penn state thinks he will be their savior is redic. He early commited and i feel him sticking with Penn State only raised his ranking. He is the best quarterback their now, but will prove to be medicore at best after a few season. So sad how such a great program has fallen