[FreakNasty]

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Had to split this preview into two parts, it would have been too big if I didn't...

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Iowa
Head Coach: Kirk Ferentz (49-36 overall)

Last season: 7-5 (lost to Florida 31-24 in Outback Bowl)

# of returning starters: 14 (7 offense, 7 defense)

Returning Leaders:
Passing: Drew Tate (219-352, 2828 yards, 22 TD, 7 INT)

Rushing: Albert Young (249 att, 1376 yards)

Receiving: Scott Chandler (47 rec, 552 yards)

Tackles: Edmond Miles (68)

Sacks: Kenny Iwebema (7)

Interceptions: Adam Shada (3)

Schedule/Projected W-L Record
Sept. 2 Montana W

Sept. 9 at Syracuse W

Sept. 16 Iowa St. W

Sept. 23 at Illinois W

Sept. 30 Ohio St. W

Oct. 7 Purdue W

Oct. 14 at Indiana W

Oct. 21 at Michigan L

Oct. 28 Northern Illinois W

Nov. 4 Northwestern W

Nov. 11 Wisconsin W

Nov. 18 at Minnesota W

11-1 overall (7-1 conference)
5 “swing” games

Analysis
Kirk Ferentz is the best coach in the Big Ten (yes, better than Tressell). Iowa isn’t exactly the most electrifying place to recruit, yet he gets solid classes year after year. It’s only a matter of time before he is’ in the NFL…

Iowa’s must important game will be Sept. 30 against OSU. They beat OSU 33-7 in 2004 at home….

Iowa will win the Big Ten because of the combo of Drew Tate-Albert Young. They will be the best offense in the Big Ten, and the defense has some stars that will replace Abdul Hodge and Chad Greenway. This team is for real…..


Ohio St.
Head Coach: Jim Tressel (50-13 overall)

Last season: 10-2 (beat Notre Dame 34-20 in Fiesta Bowl)

# of returning starters: 9 (7 offense, 2 defense)

Returning Leaders:
Passing: Troy Smith (149-237, 2282 yards, 16 TD, 4 INT)

Rushing: Antonio Pittman (243 att, 1360 yards)

Receiving: Ted Ginn Jr. (51 rec, 803 yards)

Tackles: Malcolm Jenkins (37)

Sacks: David Patterson (4)

Interceptions: Brandon Mitchell (1)

Schedule/Projected W-L Record
Sept. 2 Northern Illinois W

Sept. 9 at Texas W

Sept. 16 Cincy W

Sept. 23 Penn. St W

Sept. 30 at Iowa L

Oct. 7 Bowling Green W

Oct. 14 at Michigan St. W

Oct. 21 Indiana W

Oct. 28 Minnesota W

Nov. 4 at Illinois W

Nov. 11 at Northwestern W

Nov. 18 Michigan W

11-1 overall (7-1 conference)
5 “swing” games

Analysis
I’m still not sold on Ted Ginn Jr… He’s a great explosive athlete, but I know he has more talent than he has showed….

Ohio St. returns TWO starters from last year’s amazing defense. This will kill them against Iowa on the road, and it could get them against Texas as well….

This team is going to miss AJ Hawk more than any team will any player with the exception of Vince Young and Texas….. The cat was all over the field last year, he was great to watch..

Ohio St. will be an At-Large BCS team, but they will not win the conference.. Again….

Michigan
Head Coach: Lloyd Carr (102-34 overall)

Last season: 7-5 (lost to Nebraska 32-28 in Alamo Bowl)

# of returning starters- 14 (6 offense, 8 defense)

Returning Leaders:
Passing: Chad Henne (223-382, 2526 yards, 23 TD, 8 INT)

Rushing: Mike Hart (150 att, 682 yards)

Receiving: Mario Manningham (27 rec, 433 yards)

Tackles: Dave Harris (88)

Sacks: LaMarr Woodley (7)

Interceptions: Leon Hall (4)

Schedule/Projected W-L Record
Sept. 2 Vandy W

Sept. 9 Central Michigan W

Sept. 16 at Notre Dame L

Sept. 23 Wisconsin W

Sept. 30 at Minnesota W

Oct. 7 Michigan St. W

Oct. 14 at Penn St. W

Oct. 21 Iowa W

Oct. 28 Northwestern W

Nov. 4 Ball St. W

Nov. 11 at Indiana W

Nov. 18 at Ohio St. L

10-2 overall (7-1 conference)
5 “swing” games

Analysis
Chad Henne threw over 380 times last year, and that’s unacceptable at Michigan. Mike Hart and Kevin Grady both should get more attempts this year, the passing game should be secondary IMO….

Lloyd Carr is 1-4 against OSU since Tressel arrived in 2001, and I expect that # to be 1-5 after this year. Oh how the tables have turned in this series, Carr used to dominate OSU when John Cooper was coach, and Cooper inability to beat Michigan cost him his job. The same could very well happen to Carr…

Michigan is a very good team, but they wont beat OSU on the road, and they’ll be out of the BCS, probably landing in the Capital One bowl….

Michigan St.
Head Coach: John L. Smith (128-78 overall)

Last season: 5-6 (no bowl)

# of returning starters: 13 (7 offense, 6 defense)

Returning Leaders:
Passing: Drew Stanton (236-354, 3077 yards, 22 TD, 12 INT)

Rushing: Javon Ringer (122 att, 873 yards)

Receiving: Jerramy Scott (49 rec, 722 yards)

Tackles: David Herron Jr. (65)

Sacks: Clifton Ryan (3)

Interceptions: SirDerean Adams (3)

Schedule/Projected W-L Record
Sept. 2 Idaho W

Sept. 9 E. Michigan W

Sept. 16 at Pittsburgh W

Sept. 23 Notre Dame L

Sept. 30 Illinois W

Oct. 7 at Michigan L

Oct. 14 Ohio St. L

Oct. 21 at Northwestern W

Oct. 28 at Indiana W

Nov. 4 Purdue W

Nov. 11 Minnesota W

Nov. 18 at Penn St. W

9-3 overall (6-2 conference)
6 “swing” games

Analysis
There should be a hot three man race for QB of the year in the conference between Stanton, Drew Tate, and Troy Smith…

If Michigan St. can make it past Oct. 14 with only one loss (that’s going to be easier said than done, they’ll get 3 preseason top 15 teams and one team on the road that could win the Big East), than I think they could win the Big Ten….

John L. Smith has been under a lot of fire, and rightfully so for the last collapses of his teams in recent seasons, but I think this team has the potential to win at least eight games, with an outside shot at a “Penn St” kind of season to win the conference….


Penn St.
Head Coach: Joe Paterno (354-117-3 overall)

Last season: 11-1 (beat Florida St. 26-23 in Orange Bowl)

# of returning starters: 9 (5 offense, 4 defense)

Returning Leaders:
Passing: Anthony Morelli (13-20, 155 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT)

Rushing: Tony Hunt (174 att, 1080 yards)

Receiving: Deon Butler (37 rec, 691 yards)

Tackles: Paul Posluszny (116)

Sacks: Jay Alford (8.5)

Interceptions: No returning player with an INT….

Schedule/Projected W-L Record
Sept. 2 Akron W

Sept. 9 at Notre Dame L

Sept. 16 Youngstown St. W

Sept. 23 at Ohio St. L

Sept. 30 Northwestern W

Oct. 7 at Minnesota L

Oct. 14 Michigan L

Oct. 21 Illinois W

Oct. 28 at Purdue W

Nov. 4 at Wisconsin W

Nov. 11 Temple W

Nov. 18 Michigan St. L

7-5 overall (4-4 in conference)
7 “swing” games

Analysis
Penn St. was amazing last year, they surprised the football world by losing only one game (at Michigan on the last play). If they won that game, they could have jumped Texas in the BCS standings, and we would have never saw Vince Young play USC…..

Penn St. will start off slowly because #1 they are breaking in a new QB and #2 they have Notre Dame and Ohio St. on the road in the first month with a new QB. I expect them to start off 3-4 before getting it together…..

Paul Polsluzny if healthy will be the Big Ten defensive player of the year, it’s not really even close…..

JoePa has a decent year with a young team and makes a bowl for the 2nd straight year….

Wisconsin
Head Coach: Bret Bielema (0-0 overall)

Last season: 10-3 (beat Auburn 24-10 in Capital One Bowl)

# of returning starters: 11 (3 offense, 8 defense)

Returning Leaders:
Passing: John Stocco (197-328, 2920 yards, 21 TD, 9 INT)

Rushing: Jamil Walker (18 att, 101 yards)

Receiving: Marcus Randel El (1 rec, 29 yards)

Tackles: Joe Stillwater (90)

Sacks: Nick Hayden (5.5)

Interceptions: Roderick Rogers (3)

Schedule/Projected W-L Record
Sept. 2 Bowling Green W

Sept. 9 Western Illinois W

Sept. 16 San Diego St. W

Sept. 23 at Michigan L

Sept. 30 at Indiana W

Oct. 7 Northwestern W

Oct. 14 Minnesota L

Oct. 21 at Purdue W

Oct. 28 Illinois W

Nov. 4 Penn St. L

Nov. 11 at Iowa L

Nov. 18 Buffalo W

8-4 overall (4-4 conference)
4 “swing” games

Analysis
What Barry Alvarez did for Wisconsin is historic. He took over a program that was about as low as a midget in hell and brought them three Rose Bowl victories….

Alvarez is also smart in picking his time to step down. This team will struggle offensively, they lost their top two running backs and top eight receivers from last year….

Wisconsin will be better on defense however (they were awful last year)…, they bring back eight of their top ten tackles from last season, and in the Big Ten if you have an experienced defense, you can win….

8-4 could be a little generous, but they do have four very winnable non-conference games and miss Ohio St. in conference. They’ll at least make their fourth straight bowl game….

[BFritz]

Ohio State WILL go undefeated:Clap: