Big Ten - Leaders Division
By Brett Ciancia
August 1st, 2013
August 1st, 2013
1. OHIO STATE
QB Braxton Miller
Fans rushed the field after finishing 12-0
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The crystal football may be in Tuscaloosa, but that doesn’t mean anything to the Ohio State football program, who are celebrating their perfect 12-0 season and treating it as a championship year complete with banners, rings, and a street renaming. In Urban Meyer’s first season they finished as the only unbeaten team in the nation, yet were stuck in an NCAA sanction that banned postseason games. With the sanctions lifted, an abundance of elite talent, and a very manageable schedule, the Buckeyes have their eyes fixated on another flawless campaign. It all starts with the dynamic dual-threat QB Braxton Miller, who finished 5th in Heisman voting last year as a Sophomore. Another full offseason under Meyer will surely improve his passing game, making him a clear cut Heisman frontrunner. The only spots that need to be filled are Tight End and Right Tackle; all contributing RB's and WR's return. Big Carlos Hyde will team up with (returning from injury) Jordan Hall to provide a lethal duo of runners. Devin Smith and Corey “Philly” Brown will contend for All-Conference honors as well. In the offseason, Coach Meyer starting installing the Diamond Formation, which would place Miller in the shotgun, and some combination of playmakers on his sides and behind him. Look for Hyde to thrive in this scheme, as his down-hill running in the zone read will be unstoppable. Although it is hard to improve upon 37 points per game, this offense should be even more dangerous in Meyer’s second year. Buckeye doubters (most of whom reside in Ann Arbor, Michigan), will quickly point out that just 4 starters return on defense. However, those four that do return are all playmakers: LB Ryan Shazier, CB Bradley Roby, SS Christian Bryant, and FS CJ Barnett. I wouldn’t be surprised if any or all of them end up on All-American lists come December. Further, the younger Silver Bullets were mostly all elite, blue-chip recruits. Projected starters LB Curtis Grant, DE Noah Spence, and CB Doran Grant were all top 3 recruits at their respective positions. Jonathan Hankins and John Simon leave a big void up front, but the rest of the defense is loaded. Last year’s squad had its share of close calls (Michigan State, Purdue, and Wisconsin to name a few), but the 2013 team seems stronger. Add in an elite offense, Heisman favorite QB, second year coach bonus, defensive stars, and Columbus looks like it has itself a national title contender. Also factor in a easier schedule that hosts Wisconsin and Penn State (AT Michigan looming in week 14) and I am calling for another undefeated season for Ohio State. If they can beat the Legends Division winner – either Nebraska or a rematch with The School Up North – look for Ohio State to be playing in the final “BCS National Championship.” *** EDIT: Carlos Hyde will serve a 3 game suspension to start season... CB Bradley Roby's status still not clear *** |
2. WISCONSIN
LB Chris Borland
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The Badgers capped off another BigTen Championship season in their 70-31 thrashing of Nebraska in the title game. Despite going just 4-4 in the league, Wisconsin got the title game invite due to sanction-ridden Ohio State and Penn State finishing above them. After the three-year run that included 3 conference titles and 3 rose bowls (all losses), Coach Bret Bielema was plucked by the SEC. Now with former Utah State Head Coach Gary Andersen, will the dominance continue in Madison? Gone is the Rushing TD Champion Montee Ball, but anyone familiar with Badger Football will remind you of their RB depth; James White is the 2nd leading active rusher in Division 1, while the younger Melvin Gordon could be even better! O-Line U looks to be in good hands here, as 3 starters return up front (all over 300 pounds). Further, all receiving targets return including two All-Conference players in WR Jared Abbrederis and TE Jacob Petersen. The main question: who will earn the starting job under center? Joel Stave and Curt Phillips both had flashes of brilliance last year as both started and won key games. Add in highly-touted, dual-threat, South Carolina transfer Tanner McEvoy and this looks like a serious QB competition. Regardless of who pulls ahead here, Wisconsin’s offense should be an improved unit this fall. Gary Andersen knows defense. He was the Defensive Coordinator at Utah during the BCS Buster seasons including 2008 (win over Alabama in Sugar Bowl). Last year as the head man at Utah State he turned the defense into a top 10 scoring unit (just 15.4 points allowed per game). Enough talent returns on defense for this unit to be solid yet again. It all starts with LB Chris Borland who was named a 3rd team All-American last season. Up front, Beau Allen and Ethan Hemer anchor one of the league’s most veteran lines. This fall Wisconsin avoids playing the top 3 teams from the Legends Division, and gets pivotal matchup with Penn State at home (Senior Day). Despite a tough out-of-conference schedule that includes a trip to Arizona State and a matchup with BYU, Wisconsin is a sure-fire bet to finish 2nd in the Leaders Division. While the Rose Bowl streak will most certainly end, the coaching transition should be seamless with dominant football still an annual fall tradition in Madison. |
3. PENN STATE
WR Allen Robinson
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Last August, scandal-ridden Penn State was losing transfers left and right and limped into the regular season. I predicted that the Ohio Bobcats would enter State College and steal a win on opening weekend and Tyler Tettleton delivered. However, I did not expect such a coaching performance by Bill O’Brien who turned the depleted team into an 8-win squad. Another year into the sanctions, and another year deeper into roster shrinking, can B.O.B continue his magic? Nittany Lion fans never thought they would be sad to see Matt McGloin leave, but thanks to O’Brien’s tutelage, the former walk-on (and parody) became the 2nd leading passer in school history. Fans hope that O’Brien can similarly help turn true freshman Christian Hackenberg into a starter right away. Don’t count out QB Tyler Ferguson, a highly-rated Junior College Transfer. Surrounding the QB is a solid trio of skill players: RB Zach Zwinak, WR Allen Robinson, and TE Kyle Carter. Keep an eye on the talented OL John Urschel, who graduated with a perfect 4.0 and is currently teaching PennState math courses in addition to writing his own math thesis! It should be interesting to see how O’Brien handles the QB vacancy, and it may take a few weeks for the offense to gear up. Despite just 4 starters returning last season, the defense remained a stout unit allowing just 19 points per game. Now, with the loss of leader Michael Mauti, can Penn State remain one of the league’s best defenses? DE Deion Barnes, LB Glenn Carson, and CB Adrian Amos bring star power to each level of the defense. Both Safeties (Stephen Obeng-Agyapong and Malcolm Willis) bring Senior leadership. Some younger players will be asked to step up and fill some voids sooner than expected due to last August's roster attrition. O'Brien did an excellent job of adding in "Run-ons," a Noble bunch that live and breathe Penn State Football. The question mark with Penn State is their roster depth. Yes, the starting 22 looks to be competitive, but what happens if and when some top players get banged up throughout this gauntlet of a schedule. The usual level of reserves stocked in a program are scattered across the nation (19 transfers). It’s an intriguing out-of-conference schedule with Syracuse (Meadowlands) and two tough non-AQ challengers UCF and Kent State. This year, PSU draws Nebraska AND Michigan from the Legends Division. I predict a 4-4 conference record, and depending on how the inexperienced QB can navigate through September, PSU will finish anywhere from 6-6 to 8-4. |
4. INDIANA
WR's Cody Latimer and Kofi Hughes
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The Hoosier basketball program has returned to excellence, now the football program is aiming for higher success. This is Kevin Wilson’s third season here, and he has by far his most talented and experienced team yet. Overall, 19 starters return including the entire passing offense that was one of the conference’s best last season. Optimism is spreading in Bloomington. The trio of quaterbacks helped place Indiana atop the BigTen in passing yards – the starting job will come down to a fall camp battle between Cameron Coffman and Nate Sudfield. Last season, Coffman started most games, while Sudfield came off the bench; each led late scoring drives and shined at different moments in their 4 wins. The good news is that whoever emerges as the starter has essentially the whole offense returning intact. The WR one-two punch of Cody Latimer and Kofi Hughes should be electric. Look for more development to help achieve or even surpass last season’s 31 points per game. Because of the defense’s weakness, the offense may be leaned on to outscore some opponents. Half of Indiana’s games resulted in the defense giving up over 40 points, a trend that cannot continue if the Hoosiers wish to play in Bowl Season. 9 starters return, including the entire back 7. The only defensive player receiving any All-Conference hype is Safety Greg Heban, a stand-out senior that must provide leadership and production. After 2 years residing in West Lafayette, will the Old Oaken Bucket return to Bloomington? I’m calling for Indiana’s experience and coaching stability to hoist them to 4th in the Leaders Division and be a fringe bowl team. I see no less than 5 wins, but no more than 7, with Navy, Penn State, and Purdue as the swing games. |
5. PURDUE
DT Bruce Gaston hoists the Old Oaken Bucket
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The 2012 Boilermakers came within 2 plays of beating both 12-0 teams, losing 17-20 at Notre Dame and 22-29 (OT) at Ohio State. Given those strong performances, it is hard to believe that Purdue went 6-7 including the firing of Danny Hope. They went to the MAC for a hire in former Kent State Head Coach Darrell Hazell, who brought KSU to new heights winning 11 games (most in school history). It was a quarterback circus here last fall with Miami-transfer Robert Marve splitting time with Caleb TerBush. At any given game, one was injured or the other suspended. The incumbent starter will be Rob Henry, a senior. They lose their top rusher and top receiver, with inexperienced upperclassmen waiting to fill the voids. Overall this unit may be one of the conferences weakest. Despite having an All-BigTen Defensive Lineman (Kawann Short), the Purdue defense was awful, letting weak teams such as Marshall and Minnesota score over 40 points. I like the hire of Florida State LB Coach Greg Hudson as the new Defensive Coordinator, however I don’t see a drastic turn around this soon (especially with the difficult schedule). The new staff may seem encouraging to Boilermaker fans (and long-term the success may return), but the 2013 schedule is simply too difficult to navigate. A brutal non-conference slate includes Notre Dame, Northern Illinois, and a trip to Cincinnati. In league play, they face Nebraska and Michigan State, two teams they have recently avoided due to divisional play. The Battle for the Old Oaken Bucket (Nov. 30) will decide which rival earns 4th place in the Leaders. |
6. ILLINOIS
QB Nathan Scheelhaase
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I was fooled by the Fighting Illini this time a year ago; the combination of 14 returning starters, a dynamic quarterback and a fresh staff led me to place them 3rd in the division. This was one of the biggest consensus misses nationwide, as Illinois plummeted to just 2-10 despite high media expectations. Beckman’s first team scored a touchdown less, and allowed 2 touchdowns more (on average) than Zook’s final team in 2011. Wins will be tough to come by. Nathan Scheelhaase had an impressive first two seasons, but the Junior was injured early in the season, limiting his familiar dual-threat attack. I think he will return to the level of performance in his younger years and will be a rare bright spot on this team. Defensively, the unit that allowed 32 a game returns just 4 starters. Another rare bright spot is at the LB position where Jonathan Brown leads a strong middle-level. Even though the team should improve a bit with a healthy quarterback and a second year under the new staff, I see just 2 guaranteed wins: the opener against Southern Illinois, and a matchup coming off a bye against Miami OH. The two winnable conference games are both on the road. Looks like another losing season in the Land of Lincoln. |