Big Eleven Breakdown

I hate the BigTen. I hate it because I don't like the Midwest. I hate Michigan. I hate Ohio State. And the state of Wisconsin sucks. And most of all, I hate people who can't count. And if you don't hate the BigTen, just realize it's the biggest supporter of the BCS system, and the biggest fighter of a playoff.

I think the BigTen is a bit overrated. They were 3-5 in Bowl games last year. Then again, the BCS decided to put Illinois into the Rose Bowl to face USC, which was a complete joke.

Let's get to the teams...

1. Ohio State
One of the favorites to win a national title, as always. OSU is usually ballsy enough to schedule a big non-conference game and this year is not different. They play USC on the road. But they never play more than one quality team. Their other non-conference opponents are Ohio, Youngstown State, and Troy. The Buckeyes have 9 returning offensive starters, and a loaded defense. They'll go 11-1 and make the national championship game... unfortunately.



2. Wisconsin
The Badgers are solid, but I don't know why anyone considers them to be close to a top ten team in the country. They have Zach Brown and Lance Smith at QB, but neither has significant experience, nor does either one stand out. PJ Hill rushed for 1200+ yards last year and is the main reason Wisconsin will end up in the Rose Bowl. Actually, the main reason is that the rest of the BigTen blows.

3. Illinois
Without Rashard Mendenhall, the Fighting Illini become one of those teams that drifts into and out of the top 20 from week to week. Juice Williams returns at QB, but his 13 TDs and 12 INTs are a cause for concern. They've got a solid and deep defensive line, but elsewhere their defense is missing that little extra something that makes a unit great. Missouri will avenge their BCS snub on August 30th when they destroy Illinois.

4. Penn State
There's always a great deal of optimism surrounding Penn State, and that's why I hate them. Although the Nittany Lions have some promising players like RB Evan Royster (6.3 yards per carry in limited time last year), there are too many questions that will go unanswered (like who will be QB, what kind of offense will the team have, etc.). Like Illinois, they'll drift in and out of the top 20 all season.



5. Michigan
No I-AA teams on Michigan's schedule this year. Michigan will be utilizing a speedier spread offense, which may work out in 2009 or 2010, but will be funny to watch in 2008. Only 3 returning starters for the Michigan offense, none of whom are significant. On the other side of the coin, the defense returns 8 starters, including all 4 linemen. So they'll be in a lot of games, but their offense will struggle to capitalize on the opportunities their defense creates for them. It will be a frustrating season for Wolverine fans, which makes me very happy.



6. Purdue
The only BigTen team I like. QB Curtis Painter returns to lead the offense. He threw for 3,846 yards and 29 TDs in 2007. But he'll miss Dorian Bryant and Dustin Keller, his top two receivers from last year. The offensive line will also struggle, and the defense won't do much to impress. But they'll have a solid season and make a bowl game.



7. Michigan State
RB Javon Ringer will be the star of the MSU offense. He ran for 1,484 yards and 6 TDs last year. Jehuu Caulcrick got the goal line carries, but he's gone. But QB Brian Hoyer has a problem: he threw 20 TDs last year, but 14 of them were to players who are now in the NFL (Devin Thomas and Kellen Davis). The Spartan defense is slightly above average. It won't win games on its own, but it won't lose games on its own either. MSU will be a fun team to watch in '08 because they'll be capable of stealing a few games here and there.

8. Iowa
The Hawkeyes averaged a pitiful 18.5 points per game on offense last year, and things won't be much better in 2008. The offensive line allowed 46 sacks in 2007, but maybe returning most of the starters will help minimize that problem. The defense lost its best players from last year. So basically, a team that was 6-6 (4-4 conference) got a little bit worse.

9. Northwestern
They'll probably finish higher than 9th in the BigTen standings. They return 15 starters from a 6-6 team, but they're still Northwestern. Their players go to class, so they're not competitive.

10. Minnesota
Minnesota has 15 returning starters, but I don't know if that's much of a good thing for a 1-11 team to do.

11. Indiana
The battle for 11th place in the BigTen will be more dramatic than the battle for 1st. But I think Indiana wins out.

-The Commodore