2009 College Football Preview: Big 10

The Conference Previews Continue: Big 10
Format: Returning Starters/Top Returning Players/Recruiting Class-Impact Newcomer/Quick Fact/Toughest Non-Conference Game


1. Ohio State - Jim Tressel will have a lot to replace this season on offense (5 starters returning) and defense (8 starters returning, but loss of LBs James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman and CB Malcolm Jenkins). However, it's normally not rebuild but reload for the Buckeyes in Columbus. This year Tressel got the #1 recruiting class in the country that feature Army All-American CB Corey Brown who could step in for the departed Jenkins. Offensively it's no secret who the Buckeyes will lean on in uber-talented sophomore QB Terrelle Pryor, who hit some bumps in the road last season but has looked outstanding this spring. Defensively Ohio State has some seasoned linebackers waiting to replace Laurinaitis and Freeman in Tyler Moeller and Austin Spitler. Depsite losing Jenkins the Buckeyes return All-Big 10 SS Kurt Coleman to command the secondary. The strength of the Buckeye defense will be upfront where all 8 players of a 2-deep rotation return on the D-line led by 6'6 290lbs DE Cameron Heyward. Ohio State was embarrassed last season by USC in the Coliseum in LA. This season the Trojans travel into Columbus to battle the Buckeyes in the Horseshoe. This game will surely be one of the best of the season.

2. Penn State - JoePa's 873rd team will have a whole lot to replace this season only returning 9 starters (5 offense, 4 defense). One of the major positives will be that the backfield duo of QB Daryll Clark and RB Evan Royster return as well as speedy sophomore Stephfon Green. The major negative, however, is who will Clark throw the ball to? PSU's top 3 WR have departed (Derrick Williams, Deon Butler, and Jordan Norwood). Replacing them will be a very unproven, inexperienced group led by Brett Brackett and Mickey Shuler at TE. The Nittany Lions also have to replace 3 offensive linemen including their captain and leader C AQ Shipley. The #11 recruiting class though should provide some help, especially at OT with 5-star Eric Shrive coming in. The defense doesn't present much better news other than Navarro Bowman leads a group of veteren linebackers who will see the return of their All-American Sean Lee from a knee injury. Upfront PSU will have a nice 3-man rotation at DT with All-Big 10 selection Jared Odrick as well as Ollie Ogbu and Abe Koroma but they lost both DE and may have trouble pressuring the QB this season. The secondary also suffers losing all of its starters. CB AJ Wallace saw a lot of PT last season and needs to be a leader back there. The combination of losing the entire secondary along with losing your starting DEs could prove very costly as teams should look to open up and pass the ball on Penn State. Fortunately, PSU will again boast one of the worst non-conference schedules in the history of sports as their toughest opponent will come to Happy Valley in the form of Temple.

3. Iowa - Kirk Ferentz's name has been throw around a lot with coaching jobs opening up as well as NFL teams being interested. Ferentz has decided to stay in Iowa City though and should have a pretty good team this season despite losing All-American and Doak Walker winner RB Shonn Greene. The Hawkeyes bring back a lot of experience with 7 returning on O and 8 on D. QB Ricki Stanzi, who beat out Jake Christensen for the job last year, will have a nice target to hook up with in WR Derrell Johnson-Koulianos. All-Big 10 LB Pat Angerer will lead a very solid defense with all 3 linebackers returning. 3/4 of the secondary also return led by All-Big 10 CB Amari Spievey. Ferentz has been a very good recruiter at Iowa although this seasons 75th ranked class doesn't seem very impressive. 4-star RB Brandon Weigher does come in this class though and could be immediate help in the backfield. Stanzi should feel very well protected in pocket with both OTs returning as All-Big 10 performers (Bryan Baluga, Kyle Calloway). The only hole on the defense will be in the middle as both starting DTs graduated but like I said, returning all 3 LBs should ease that loss immensely. Iowa will have a nice test early on when upstart Arizona travles into Kinnick Stadium, should be a good one.

4. Minnesota - The Gophers will have one of the most experienced teams in the country next season, which should prove very beneficial since the Big 10 has lost so much talent last season. 19 starters return to Minnesota (10 offense, 9 defense). The offense will undoubtedly be led by All-Big 10 WR Eric Decker, who despite injury still led the conference in receptions. His QB is also an All-Big 10 man, junior Adam Weber. To go along with that, all 5 offensive linemen return as well. The defense should be just as experienced with DB Traye Simmons leading the way in a secondary that sees every starter coming back. The core of the front 7 return as well with both DTs and 2 LBs. The #46 recruiting class may bolster this offense even more with a top JUCO WR Hayo Carpenter who can take some pressure off of Decker. I've got Minnesota in the 4 slot right now but don't be surprised if they make a move closer to the top. The Gophers will be able to gauge just where they are when Pac-10 foe California comes in to the Metrodome. This will be a very important game to prove they are worthy to contest for a Big 10 title.

5. Michigan State - It will be interesting to see how the Spartans plan on replacing the ridiculous amount of offense they lost when Javon Ringer graduated. Along with Ringer, they lose their FB as well as QB Brian Hoyer who really managed the game for Sparty. 15 starters return (7 offense, 8 defense) and I expect the defense to be the side of the ball that keeps them in games. WR Mark Dell is a playmaker on the outside but they don't have much else. Senior LB Greg Jones should lead a pretty solid unit that sees all 3 LBs returning. Both CBs and their FS return and they will have a weapon in All-Big 10 punter Aaron Bates. Michigan State also has All-Big 10 kicker Brett Swenson who should help out the offense enormously. The Spartans 37th ranked recruiting class has a pair of 4-star RBs coming in (Edwin Baker and Larry Caper) who should definitely see some time in helping to replace Ringers production. Their annual rivalry game with Notre Dame will be played in South Bend this season and it will be important for whoever the starting QB is to get some quality experience on the road.

6. Illinois - After a 2007 season which saw a Big-10 title and a trip to the Rose Bowl, 2008 brought a lot of dissapointment to Champagne. The offense should be pretty solid returning 8 players but a weak defense only returns 4. The QB/WR duo of Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn should be very explosive and with Ron Zook's 35th ranked recruiting class and WR Terry Hawthorne coming into the mix it could be even better. Junior linebacker Martez Wilson is one of the only players with any experience on the defense. The Illini lose their entire D-line. Their rivalry game with Missouri, played in St. Louis, will be a game of two teams trying to return to the success they had in 2007.

7. Michigan - People knew Rich Rodriguez would struggle early at Michigan trying to change the offense into his spread, but I'm not sure people thought it would be this much. 10 starters return on offense but it has been a carousel at QB. Ryan Mallet and Steven Threet have both transferred since Rich Rod arrived and now he is recruiting former Duke point guard Greg Paulus to run the show. It appears as if Paulus will not go to Michigan and that leaves true freshman Tate Forcier to try and run the show. Forcier is a typical Rodriguez QB, very athletic and fast. He is a true freshman though, in one of the toughest conference in America which is normally not a good sign. The one positive will be 10 players he has returning beside him. The RB duo of Brandon Minor and Sam McGuffie was solid last season and all 5 O-linemen come back. WR Greg Matthews is good on the outside. With all that coming back it will be up to Forcier to just manage the game and not make many mistakes. The defense lost a lot, only 5 starters returning. Both DTs are gone but DE Brandon Graham will be a playmaker. A lot of the secondary is gone too and it could be another year of disappointment in Ann Arbor. Last year saw home losses to Utah and Toledo and an ugly 16-6 win vs Miami (Ohio). This comes off a home loss in 2007 to D-1AA Appalachain State. Fans in the Big House are rarely used to seeing Big Blue lose at home, especially to programs like that. The AD and university have a lot of patience knowing it takes to time to change the offense but Rich Rod needs to get things turned around in a hurry; a home win vs Notre Dame would help out a lot.

8. Northwestern - Coming off one of their best seasons in school history it will be tough for the Wildcats to continue to momentum into 2009. They return only 5 starters on O and 6 on D. The #69 recruiting class doesn't help much either. QB Mike Kafka, who split time with departed QB CJ Bacher last season returns as the star of the offense. The loss of RB Tyrell Sutton will hurt a lot though. Defensively Corey Wootton will be a big player at DE and freshman DE Davin Custis should help as well. Northwestern will return 4/5 of the O-line which should help but they also lost their top 2 WRs. It will be a rebuilding season in Evanston but a not-so-tough non conference schedule should make things easier. They'll host Miami (OH) early on and that should be their toughest test.

9. Wisconsin - A team that was once always competing for Big 10 titles has slid down the totem poll considerably of late. Only 10 players return (5 offense, 5 defense) from a mediocre team last season that limped into their bowl game. Dustin Sherer got a lot of PT at QB last season and will return this year. RB PJ Hill is gone as well as 3/5 of the O-line and star TE Travis Beckum. LB Jaevery McFadden returns as the man in the middle but won't have much around him. The #51 ranked recruiting class will bring in DT Jordan Kohout who may see some time suring up the middle of the D-line. After barely scraping a win in Fresno last season, the Badgers welcome Fresno State to Camp Randall Stadium this year. Fresno State should be pretty solid, as they normally are, and a loss at home to them would be crushing.

10. Purdue - For as much as Wisconsin lost, Purdue lost more. Only 8, that's right 8, players return for the Boilermakers (3 offense, 5 defense). It was the offense last season that kept them in any games but all the skill is gone. QB Curtis Painter, RB Kory Sheets, their top 2 WRs, TE, and both OTs are gone. Both guards return on the O-line (Justin Pierce and Eric Hedstrom) so that may give them something to build on. CB David Pender returns in a secondary that wasn't very good last season. A 63rd best recruiting class won't help much but JUCO DT Kris Cooke could be a starter. Things could get very ugly very early for Purdue when they travel to Eugene to face one of the best offenses in the nation: Oregon.

11. Indiana - A team that was on the rise before the tragic death of head coach Terry Hoeppner. Indiana struggled last season but returns 17 players (9 offense, 8 defense). Things looked a bit promising before their superstar QB/WR Kellen Lewis was dismissed earlier this week for breaking team rules. WR Andrew Means was a nice target last season but there's not much on offense. The defense will keep the Hoosiers in any game they happen to be in, led by DE Greg Middleton who skipped on the draft to return to Bloomington. A 65th ranked recruiting class will bring 4-star WR Duwyce Wilson to help on offense, but again with no QB these WR will be wasted. Kellen Lewis was really going to help Indiana compete for a bowl bid as he was a very versatile player and his dismissal is very crushing to the team. The Hoosiers travel to Charlottesville early on to take on a Virginia team who is in about the same place in the ACC. Not exactly going to be a barnburner but a tough test nonetheless.