2009 BIG TEN PREVIEW
When it comes to bowl season and the Big Ten, the league has become the nation’s punching bag. Given the beatings that conference champs have taken – Ohio State’s crushing losses to Florida and LSU in back-to-back national title games after the ‘06 and ‘07 seasons and Penn State’s weak showing against USC in the most recent Rose Bowl – it’s easy to understand why the Big Ten is viewed skeptically. Last season, the only conference program to earn a bowl game victory was Iowa, which knocked off South Carolina. |
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2009 INDIANA PREVIEW
When Kellen Lewis stepped onto the field for the Indiana Hoosiers, he instantly became one of the most dangerous offensive players in the Big Ten. A dual-threat quarterback, Lewis finished his junior year as the school’s career leader in touchdown passes and completions and ranked second in total yardage |
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2009 PURDUE PREVIEW
Purdue never won a Big Ten title in Joe Tiller’s 12 years as head coach, but his teams did play in 10 bowl games. For the Boilermakers – once among the league’s most downtrodden programs – Tiller’s accomplishments, including a school-record 87 wins, were an unqualified success. |
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2009 MINNESOTA PREVIEW
Under former Minnesota head coach Glen Mason, the Golden Gophers wanted to run the ball effectively above all else. That quickly changed when Tim Brewster took over the program, and handed the offensive reins to Mike Dunbar. A spread attack devotee, Dunbar preferred a pass-heavy offense, as evidenced in 2008. Minnesota’s Adam Weber threw more passes than any other Big Ten QB, but the Golden Gophers were ineffective with the running game, ranking last in the league with 103.8 rushing yards per game. |
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2009 ILLINOIS PREVIEW
Any discussion about the Fighting Illini offense usually begins – and ends – with two players: Senior quarterback Juice Williams and junior wide receiver Arrelious Benn. |
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2009 MICHIGAN PREVIEW
With 33 straight bowl berths and 40 seasons without a losing record, the University of Michigan football program was a model of consistency – until last year. |
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2009 NORTHWESTERN PREVIEW
The Wildcats were a pleasant surprise last season, posting a 9-4 record overall, and nearly upsetting Missouri in the Alamo Bowl. For Northwestern to keep the momentum going, a slew of inexperienced offensive performers must grow up quickly. |
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2009 MICHIGAN STATE PREVIEW
Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio had no problem putting his offense in the hands of tailback Javon Ringer last fall. Not only did Ringer gain 1,637 rushing yards and score 22 touchdowns, he also carried the ball an NCAA-high 390 times. |
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2009 IOWA PREVIEW
The Hawkeyes will have to find a new identity offensively after relying heavily last year on running back Shonn Greene, who rushed for more than 100 yards in every game and finished with a school-record 1,850 yards, plus 20 rushing touchdowns. The unstoppable Greene, coupled with one of the league’s best defenses, spurred Iowa to a 9-4 record, including four straight wins to end the season. |
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2009 WISCONSIN PREVIEW
Bret Bielema had the magic touch during his first two years in Madison, leading the Badgers to a 21-5 record and setting up high expectations for last fall. Predicted to challenge Ohio State for the Big Ten title in ‘08, Wisconsin instead fell flat. |
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2009 PENN STATE PREVIEW
In quarterback Daryll Clark and tailback Evan Royster, the Nittany Lions feature two of the Big Ten’s premier offensive players.
A first-team all-league performer last year, Clark led Penn State to a share of the conference title, and drove the offense to a league-best 38.9 points per game. |
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2009 OHIO STATE PREVIEW
Surrounded by veteran skill position players last season, Ohio State freshman Terrelle Pryor was able to ease himself into the starting quarterback role. Now Pryor is the one with experience as the Buckeyes must replace tailback Beanie Wells and leading receivers Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie, each of whom was an NFL Draft pick. Just how much better the 6-foot-6, 235-pound Pryor will be in his second season remains to be seen, but clearly the promise is there. |
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Marve transfers to Purdue
INDIANAPOLIS -- Former Miami quarterback Robert Marve will transfer to Purdue instead of walking on at Tennessee. |
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Big Ten expansion is not in the near future
by Adam Rittenberg
The Big Ten has no immediate plans to expand, and it would take more than a desire for a football championship game and a longer regular season for the league to add a 12th member, commissioner Jim Delany said. |
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Paterno wants 12 teams in the Big Ten
by Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Penn State coach Joe Paterno said Thursday night that he has pushed within the Big Ten conference to expand it to 12 teams as a method of leveling the playing field in college football. |
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Michigan State adds Alabama and West Virginia to future schedules
by Associated Press
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Michigan State has signed contracts for home-and-home football series with Alabama and West Virginia. |
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Former Michigan quarterback Threet transferring to Arizona State
by Assiciated Press
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- Former Michigan quarterback Steven Threet plans to transfer to Arizona State, according to a person familiar with Threet's decision who requested anonymity because the details are still being worked out. |
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Record Spring Crowd of 95,722 attend Ohio State Spring Game
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A national spring game record crowd of 95,722 came out to enjoy the high temperatures and watch Terrelle Pryor throw two long touchdown passes in 30 seconds, leading the Gray over the Scarlet 23-3 on Saturday at sun-drenched Ohio Stadium. |
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Ohio State sells sports media rights for 128 Million Dollars
by Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio –The Ohio State University Department of Athletics today announced it has reached an agreement with IMG College , a division of IMG Worldwide, and RadiOhio Inc., for a 10-year multi-media rights partnership. |
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Economy not hurting the Big Ten Network
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -- Big Ten Network President Mark Silverman says 2009 should be the two-year-old cable network's first full year of profitability. |
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GAME OF THE WEEK PREVIEW: OHIO STATE AT WISCONSIN
by Jim Gumm
The Terrelle Pryor era has begun in Columbus and as the starting quarterback for Ohio State, he’ll try to lead the Buckeyes to a win in the hostile environment of Camp Randall Stadium against the Wisconsin Badgers. |
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Joe Paterno one up on Bobby Bowden
Saturday night marked Joe Paterno's return to the top of the all-time major college wins list. He passed Florida State's Bobby Bowden after the Seminoles lost at home to Wake Forest, 12-3. |
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Game of the Week: Ohio State at Southern California
by Jim Gumm
Jim Tressel and his highly ranked Ohio State Buckeyes travel to the Los Angeles Memorial
Coliseum to take on Pete Carroll's top ranked Southern California Trojans in a
much anticipated match-up between two of college football's premiere programs. |
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