The doubts remain. The criticism hasn’t been curbed. Halfway through the 2011 season, the Big Ten has done little to improve its position in college football’s hierarchy. There are worse leagues — hello, ACC and Pac-12 — but after the New Year’s Day debacle and with its national title drought approaching a decade, the Big Ten needed a strong start to boost its national image. It didn’t happen. While Wisconsin has done its part and both Michigan and Illinois have been nice surprises, the overall league landscape looks rather bleak six weeks into the season. Many expected Ohio State to backslide after a nightmarish offseason that saw the departures of coach Jim Tressel and starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor. But few envisioned the Buckeyes to be sitting at 3-3, 0-2 in Big Ten play, with a tough second-half schedule ahead and quarterback questions to sort out. The program that has won or shared the past six Big Ten championships needs a major surge to join the title race — and could be in danger of missing the postseason altogether. New Big Ten member Nebraska hasn’t made the big splash many envisioned before the season. After some shaky moments in non-league play, the Huskers got clobbered by Wisconsin in their Big Ten debut. Big Red might have saved its season with a historic comeback Saturday against a Braxton Miller -less Ohio State team, but there’s a lot to fix going forward, namely a defense that has underachieved. Minnesota and Indiana own two combined wins and several unsightly nonconference defeats (North Texas, New Mexico State). Big Ten teams also have lost games to the likes of Rice and Army. The league went 1-2 against Notre Dame (both losses were blowouts) and looked thoroughly overmatched in its lone matchup against the dreaded SEC (Alabama beat Penn State 27-11 in State College). Teams like Northwestern, Iowa and Purdue have disappointed to varying degrees. Now here’s the good news. Wisconsin looks like the real deal, as star quarterback Russell Wilson has put the fourth-ranked Badgers into the national title discussion and himself into the Heisman Trophy mix. Brady Hoke and his staff have revitalized Michigan, which is making tangible strides on defense and performing better during the course of games. Illinois is finally building consistency and will reach consecutive bowl games for the first time since 1991-92 — and most likely a very good bowl this year. Michigan State boasts the nation’s top-ranked defense, while Penn State’s defense has been the league’s most heroic unit, overcoming key personnel losses and its own offensive woes to win five of the first six contests. The Big Ten features several dynamic offensive tandems — Wisconsin’s Wilson and RB Montee Ball , Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez and RB Rex Burkhead , Illinois QB Nathan Scheelhaase and WR A.J. Jenkins — as well as one of the nation’s most exciting players in Michigan QB Denard Robinson . Several surprise defensive stars have emerged such as Penn State DT Devon Still and Illinois DE Whitney Mercilus. The best news for the Big Ten is that plenty of time remains. Several teams likely will play much better in December than they do right now. Leagues are defined in the postseason — the Big Ten knows this better than most — and it’s still quite possible the league will send a stronger group of teams to the bowls than it did last year. It’s halftime of the 2011 season, and the Big Ten needs to regroup and recharge. There’s a lot of football left to play. Offensive MVP: Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson. The NC State transfer has been all the Badgers could have hoped for — and much, much more. He had a simply sensational first five games, completing 74.8 percent of his passes with 13 touchdowns and only one interception. He leads the Big Ten in passing yards and leads the nation in efficiency. Michigan’s Denard Robinson is a close second, as he tops all Big Ten players in both rushing and total yardage. But Wilson gets the nod because of Robinson’s nine interceptions. Defensive MVP: Illinois defensive end Whitney Mercilus. Few people talked about Mercilus in the preseason, but he has been a beast off the edge for the Illini in the first six games. Mercilus leads the Big Ten in sacks (8.5), tackles for loss (10.5) and forced fumbles (four) for Vic Koenning’s aggressive defense. Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still deserves mention, too, as the league’s most dominant interior lineman so far. Biggest Surprise: The undefeated starts for Illinois and Michigan. We thought both the Illini and Wolverines could get off to good starts because of their schedules, which allowed them to play their first five games at home.
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Big Ten midseason review
Filed under Football, News by on Oct 10th, 2011. Comment. 
Wake me when September ends. Oh, wait. September Big Ten football is already over. Let’s review the last week of the first month of the season. Team of the week: Michigan. The Wolverines take home this honor for the second time in three weeks, as their win over a motivated, previously unbeaten San Diego State team was probably the best of the week in the Big Ten. Michigan is 4-0 and will be heavily favored to make it 5-0 against Minnesota this week. Then the fun starts. Best game: Honestly, Week 4 was mostly a yawner in the Big Ten.
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Weekend rewind: Big Ten
Filed under Football by on Sep 26th, 2011. Comment.
This week’s sorry slate of Big Ten games tested my what-to-watch detective skills. Are there really 10 things to watch around the league on Saturday? You bet, and here they are. 1. The Brady Bowl: Michigan coach Brady Hoke goes up against his former team as San Diego State visits the Big House. There’s a lot of familiarity on both sides, and it will be interesting to see the coaches match wits, particularly longtime colleagues Al Borges (Michigan’s offensive coordinator) and Rocky Long (San Diego State’s head coach). The Aztecs players will be geared up to face Hoke, and the Wolverines much match their intensity. 2. Miller time or Cup ‘o Joe: Ohio State coach Luke Fickell was noncommittal Tuesday about his starting quarterback for Saturday’s game against Colorado, although he seemed to lean toward true freshman Braxton Miller . Fickell wants more big plays from the offense and Miller can provide them. He also elevates the risk for mistakes, committing two turnovers in the loss to Miami. Miller clearly is Ohio State’s future at quarterback, but Fickell needs to win now as his own future is in doubt. It’ll be interesting to see what the young coach does with his signal callers. 3. Illini defense to be tested again: Illinois’ defense carried the team to a signature win last week against Arizona State. Vic Koenning’s unit faces another test Saturday against Western Michigan and talented quarterback Alex Carder , who ranks 12th nationally in passing efficiency. If the Illini don’t tighten up a bit in the secondary or pressure the pocket like they did last week, Carder will capitalize. Illinois also must avoid the letdown factor against a team it lost to in 2008. 4. Blackshirts look for boost: We’re still waiting for the Nebraska defense to live up to the lofty expectations placed on the unit — both inside and outside the program — entering the season. The Blackshirts have allowed 68 points in their last two games and rank in the middle of the pack nationally in most major defensive statistical categories. The Pelini brothers will look for a more polished performance against 3-0 Wyoming before a much tougher game next week at Wisconsin. 5. The Bison are coming: Most games against FCS opponents are glorified practices, but not for Minnesota. The Gophers lost to South Dakota last year and North Dakota State in 2007, and they barely escaped against South Dakota State in 2009. Jerry Kill might be the perfect coach to prepare Minnesota for a rematch with North Dakota State, as he spent a lot of time at the FCS level and knows how motivated those teams are to face the big boys. The Bison are ranked No. 6 in the latest FCS poll and provide a significant challenge for Kill’s Minnesota squad. 6.
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What to watch in the Big Ten: Week 4
Filed under Football, Photos by on Sep 22nd, 2011. Comment.
“As a group and as a staff, we know what needs to be done.” The Texas career of heavily recruited quarterback Garrett Gilbert may be over. Gilbert, a junior, was pulled Saturday against Brigham Young … Source: Denver Post
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Henderson: Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson worth the price of admission
Filed under Football, News by on Sep 12th, 2011. Comment.
We’re all about the quarterbacks today on the Big Ten blog, so let’s have some fun with superlatives about the league’s signal-callers in 2011. Best dual threat: Michigan’s Denard Robinson . You could make a case for Northwestern’s Dan Persa and Illinois’ Nathan Scheelhaase , but Robinson in 2010 became the first player in NCAA history to eclipse 2,500 pass yards and 1,500 rush yards in a season. Whether he can maintain the same production in a new system remains to be seen. Best drop-back passer: Michigan State’s Kirk Cousins . He fits the traditional Big Ten quarterback mold better than most, and he has put up good numbers in two years as the starter.
Filed under Baseball, Football by on Aug 9th, 2011. Comment.
The 2011 position rankings continue with the most important spot on the field. After several down years, quarterback became a strength in the Big Ten last season as six signal-callers ranked among the top 20 nationally in pass efficiency . Three of those quarterbacks return along with promising young players like Illinois’ Nathan Scheelhaase and Nebraska’s Taylor Martinez . But the Big Ten quarterback landscape is shrouded in mystery. Reigning offensive player of the year Denard Robinson is transitioning to a new offense. All-Big Ten selection Dan Persa is coming off of a serious injury. Two teams that shared the league title in 2010 — Wisconsin and Ohio State — have very shaky situations at quarterback. One quarterback who could transfer into the league, Russell Wilson , would change the rankings quite a bit. These rankings take into account both past performance and potential for the 2011 season. Here are the top 10 quarterbacks entering 2011: 1. Denard Robinson, Michigan, junior: Robinson will have an adjustment period and likely some growing pains along with it. He won’t run the ball as much as he did in 2010. But when it comes to pure playmaking skills and pure athleticism, Robinson is unmatched in the league. His record-settling accomplishments in 2010 shouldn’t be overlooked and neither should the strides he made as a passer. He must show greater overall consistency and the ability to attack upper-tier defenses, but he’ll be working with a good crop of receivers and behind a solid offensive line. 2. Dan Persa, Northwestern, senior: How Persa bounces back from a ruptured Achilles’ tendon could determine Northwestern’s season, but his progress so far has been encouraging. He has been well ahead of schedule throughout the rehab process. If Persa is indeed 100 percent, Northwestern should have one of the Big Ten’s most dangerous offenses. Arguably no Big Ten player meant more to his team than Persa did to Northwestern in 2010. He has a deep and talented receiving corps at his disposal and will operate behind the nation’s second-most experienced offensive line. Northwestern must find ways to take some of the running burden off of Persa. 3. Kirk Cousins , Michigan State, senior: Cousins is the most-experienced Big Ten quarterback and, unlike Robinson and Persa, doesn’t have major question marks lurking over him. The Spartans’ signal-caller had a terrific 2010 campaign, passing for 2,825 yards with 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and ranking 18th nationally in efficiency (150.7 rating). He fought through injuries during the second half of the season to lead Michigan State to a share of the league title. Cousins must eliminate performances like Iowa and Alabama, and he’ll be operating behind a new-look offensive line this fall. The senior has a good group of receivers and tight ends, led by B.J. Cunningham and Keshawn Martin . 4. Nathan Scheelhaase, Illinois, sophomore: If you can’t tell, I’m pretty excited about Scheelhaase’s prospects for 2011. He finished a very solid freshman season by making major strides in bowl practice and showcasing improved passing skills in the Texas Bowl against Baylor. Scheelhaase is a dynamic athlete who rushed for 868 yards and five touchdowns last season and will work behind a solid offensive line in 2011. He must continue to take steps as a passer, especially since Illinois doesn’t have much proven depth at receiver other than A.J. Jenkins . Scheelhaase also has displayed good leadership and maturity, two areas where he should continue to thrive. 5. Taylor Martinez, Nebraska, sophomore: Martinez looked like two different players during and up-and-down freshman season. When healthy, he was just as dangerous as Michigan’s Robinson with the ball in his hands. Martinez racked up 112 or more rushing yards in five of Nebraska’s first seven contests, and had 435 yards of offense in a win against Oklahoma State. But injuries and a loss of confidence derailed the second half of his season. Martinez must show he can stay healthy and, if not, that he can play through pain in a physical conference. His receiving corps should be decent despite few proven players, but Nebraska’s offensive line is a question mark. 6. James Vandenberg , Iowa, junior: Vandenberg played sparingly in 2010, but his impressive performance in relief of Ricky Stanzi in 2009 shouldn’t be overlooked. He held his own against a talented Ohio State defense at The Shoe in a game that could have sent Iowa to the Rose Bowl. While he hasn’t been on the big stage in a while, Vandenberg continues to make strides behind the scenes and emerged this spring as Iowa’s clear-cut leader on offense. This ranking is clearly based heavily on how Vandenberg projects for 2011, but he has the tools and the makeup to be a good one for the Hawkeyes
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Ranking the Big Ten quarterbacks
Filed under Football by on Jun 21st, 2011. Comment.
It’s time to hop back into our preseason position rankings, and today brings a look at the most visible position on the field: quarterback. These are our rankings for the entire position group on each team, so depth is usually very important. With quarterback, it’s a little different. There’s no substitute for an experienced/accomplished starter. So the teams that have one of those plus some backups who have seen some time will get the highest rankings here, while those with unsettled or untested signal-callers will bring up the rear. Later on, we’ll rank the individual quarterbacks in the league. The envelope please … 1. Michigan: If there were such a thing as a half-season Heisman, Denard Robinson would have won it last year.
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Big Ten position rankings: Quarterbacks
Filed under Football by on Jun 21st, 2011. Comment.
Quarterback Denard Robinson , the Big Ten offensive player of the year, has spoke highly of Rodriguez. “That’s my coach,” Robinson said after the bowl game. “That’s who recruited me.”TEXAS DL coach hired AUSTIN, Texas – Texas has hired Alabama defensive… Source: Arkansas Online
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College football report
Filed under Football, News by on Jan 5th, 2011. Comment.
As quickly as he was there, he was gone. Taylor Martinez was the only Big 12 player who’s made my ballot the entire season, but the worst way to build Heisman buzz is to follow up your best game with one of your worst. He wasn’t mistake-prone, but the Texas defense bottled him up and tackled well to keep him from breaking any lengthy runs. Facing Kansas State’s defense is obviously different from playing Texas’, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a Heisman candidate who’s been benched, as Martinez was last week. If he can put up a couple more 200-yard rushing days, he could become a factor again, but for now, he’ll fall below four players on undefeated teams. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State both have huge games on Saturday against Missouri and Nebraska, and huge games by anyone on this list might warrant some legitimate national Heisman buzz. 1. Landry Jones , QB, Oklahoma: Hard to ask much more of the sophomore, who completed 30 of 34 passes for 334 yards and three touchdowns before taking an early seat in the Sooners’ 52-0 win over Iowa State. 2. Justin Blackmon , WR, Oklahoma State : It’s almost impossible to win the Heisman as a receiver, but the fastest way to at least become a finalist is to keep averaging almost 200 yards receiving a game, as Blackmon has done the past two weeks. A tough test awaits on Saturday in a matchup with Prince Amukamara. 3. Kendall Hunter , RB, Oklahoma State: The formula is pretty simple. He leads the league in rushing, only two more players have more touchdowns, and his team is undefeated. Keep all those things going and he might enter the Heisman conversation. 4. DeMarco Murray , RB, Oklahoma: Murray’s biggest asset is name recognition, and ESPN’s Heisman Predictor ranked the Oklahoma back third in this week’s version. 5. Taylor Martinez, QB, Nebraska: One rough game doesn’t erase his stellar performance leading up to it. He won’t be facing athletes like Texas has every week, and the Longhorns are still one of just a handful of teams who’ll be able to stop him like that. Here’s who I voted for in this week’s Heisman Watch on ESPN.com: 1. Kellen Moore 2. LaMichael James 3. Cam Newton 4. Denard Robinson 5. Andrew Luck
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Big 12 Heisman Watch: Week 8
Filed under Football, News by on Oct 19th, 2010. Comment.
Nebraska coach Bo Pelini called on Zac Lee late in the third quarter, benching Taylor Martinez , who has struggled running 13 times for 21 yards and completing 4-of-12 passes for 37 yards. The Huskers trail, 20-3 . Staring at a 17-point deficit, Nebraska needs a big play. On offense, there might be no better player in America (more 20-plus yard runs than both LaMichael James and Denard Robinson ) to provide that than Martinez. The best guess here is that Pelini wants more consistency in the passing game, including looks for receiver Niles Paul , who got a deep ball from Lee on his first drive. In that case, the senior is the best option. Against a Texas secondary full of experienced, NFL-caliber talent, that’s not a great idea, either. Granted, the best option is just to not fall behind 17 points to a defense like Texas’, but Nebraska has already expended that luxury. Whether it comes from Martinez, Lee, Paul or the defense, Nebraska has to make something happen fast, or it will suffer yet another painful loss to the Longhorns.
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Benching Martinez a questionable move
Filed under Football by on Oct 16th, 2010. Comment.
