Around the Big Ten

[Hannibal]

A couple of interesting games to watch this weekend. EMU and WMU will be playing Big Ten opponents. It will be interesting to see if they give Penn State and Illinois the same problems they gave us, or if they get completely squashed as soon as the ball is kicked.

[entropy]

This was posted on another board...

2011 Big 10 pre-season all-conference team - where they were as recruits

Used Phil Steele's preseason All-Big 10 list for this - interesting how many 2-star guys made the list.

OFFENSE:

QB - Dan Persa, Northwestern - #22 on the 2007 Rivals Dual-Threat QB list; 3-star, 5.6 RR. and the 33rd-best prospect in Pennsylvania.

RB - Montee Ball, Wisconsin - #33 running back in the 2009 recruiting class, 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 4th-best prospect in Missouri.

RB - Edwin Baker, Michigan State #6 running back in the 2009 recruiting class, 4-stars, 6.0 RR, #57 on the Rivals 100, 2nd-best prospect in Michigan.

WR - Damarlo Belcher, Indiana - NR on Rivals' 2008 wide receiver lists - didn't even get a Rivals star rating or RR.

WR - Marvin McNutt, Iowa - #13 dual-threat QB in the 2007 recruiting class, 3-stars, 5.7 RR, 6th-best prospect in Missouri.

WR - Derek Moye, Penn State - #53 wide receiver in the 2007 recruiting class, 3-stars, 5.7 RR, 15th-best prospect in Pennsylvania.

TE - Kyler Reed, Nebraska - #68 athlete in the 2008 recruiting class, 3-stars, 5.6 RR, 8th-best prospect in Kansas.

C - Mike Brewster, Ohio State - #4 offensive tackle in the 2008 recruiting class, 5-stars, 6.1 RR, 3rd-best prospect in the state of Florida.

OG - Joel Foreman, Michigan State - NR on Rivals' lists; 2-stars, 5.4 RR, not in the top 20 prospects in Michigan that year.

OG - Kevin Zeitler, Wisconsin - #39 offensive guard in the 2008 recruiting class, 3-stars, 5.6 RR, 3rd-best prospect in Wisconsin.

OT - Riley Reiff, Iowa - #25 strongside DE in the 2008 recruiting class, 3-stars, 5.7 RR.

OT - Jeff Allen, Illinois - NR on Rivals' lists, 2-stars, 5.4 RR, 30th-best prospect in Illinois.

KR - Troy Stoudermire, Minnesota - #85 athlete in the 2008 recruiting class, 3-stars, 5.5 RR.

PR - Keshawn Martin, Michigan State - #80 wide receiver in the 2008 recruiting class, 3-stars, 5.6 RR, 14th-best prospect in Michigan.

DEFENSE:

DE - Nathan Williams, Ohio State - #5 weakside defensive end in the 2008 recruiting class, 4-stars, 5.9 RR, #156 on the Rivals 250, 11th-best prospect in Ohio.

DT - Jared Crick, Nebraska - #45 strongside defensive end in the 2007 recruiting class, 3-stars, 5.6 RR, 4th-best prospect in Nebraska.

DT - Mike Martin, Michigan - #16 defensive tackle in the 2008 recruiting class, 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 7th-best prospect in Michigan.

DE - Vince Browne, Northwestern - #31 strongside DE in the 2007 recruiting class, 3-stars, 5.7 RR, 20th-best prospect in Ohio.

LB - Michael Mauti, Penn State - #16 inside linebacker in the 2008 recruiting class, 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 8th-best prospect in Louisiana.

LB - Andrew Sweat, Ohio State - #17 inside linebacker in the 2008 recruiting class, 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 14th-best prospect in Pennsylvania.

LB - Lavonte David, Nebraska - #7 JUCO prospect in the 2010 class, 4-stars, 5.9 RR.

LB - Chris Borland, Wisconsin - NR in Rivals' 2009 Athletes list, 3-star, 5.5 RR, didn't place in Ohio's list of the state's top 30 prospects that year.

CB - Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska - 25th-best cornerback in the 2008 recruiting class, 3-stars, 5.7 RR, 32nd-best prospect in Georgia.

CB - Shaun Prater, Iowa - #68 cornerback in the 2008 recruiting class, 3-stars, 5.5 RR, 7th-best prospect in Nebraska.

S - Aaron Henry, Wisconsin - #22 cornerback in the 2007 recruiting class, 3-stars, 5.7 RR, 48th-best prospect in Florida.

S - Trenton Robinson, Michigan State - NR, 2-star, 5.4 RR, 25th-best prospect in Michigan.

K - Derek Dimke, Illinois - Not in Rivals' database.

P - Brad Nortman, Wisconsin - #8-rated kicker in the 2008 Rivals class, 3-stars, 5.5 RR, 4th-best prospect in Wisconsin.

[whodean]

That is striking entropy, do we think it speaks more to the B1G not bringing in the best talent, or that the top notch talent is failing due to coaching?

[entropy]

That is a good question. It is probably a combination of both. Maybe the 4 and 5 stars in parts of the county are over valued and the talent really isn't that good. But I also suspect the BIG hasn't always grabbed the best coaches in the country when jobs have been open. Let's compare SEC vs BIG top to bottom and I think you'd see the BIG lags. That doesn't mean there is not good coaching in the BIG, just many average or bad coaches.

[lineygoblue]

We can't help it that MSU keeps hiring a bunch of losers ....

[WM Wolverine]

One, talent in the midwest is undevalued imo when they are being rated by the recruiting services. Only Lemming has a similar % of 4-stars in the midwest (B10 country specifically) as their is eventual NFL talent...

B10's is pretty inexperienced this season after being senior heavy last season

[Dr. Strangelove]

Next week's tv schedule...it's a solid opening week for conference play

Penn State @ Indiana (12 EST, ESPNU)
Michigan vs. Minnesota (12 EST, BTN)
Illinois vs. Northwestern (12 EST, ESPN2)

MSU @ Ohio State (3:30 EST, ABC)

Notre Dame @ Purdue (8 EST, ESPN)
Nebraska @ Wisconsin (8 EST, ABC)

[Optimus Prime]

Get ready for assjacking number 2 DSL . If you care to wager cash between men and not strawberry lattes or some other fruity concoction , you know where to find me.

[whodean]

I don't know, MSU's Notre Dame loss looks b?d, how good are they? On the road? Is that game a tossup?

[Jeff Buchanan]

I think MSU is going to find it tough going in the shoe. DL/OL match-up strongly in osu's favor. All miller has to do to engineer a win is not turn it over.

[lineygoblue]

I think OLieO is going to be facing the toughest defense they've faced all season.

[Optimus Prime]

MSU has come close last few series and they are better than they showed against ND. Dantonio has the edge in coaching over Fickell at this stage and frankly OSU looked so bad against Toledo & Miami, suggests to me there are serious problems there. MSU's game for taking. Cousins will be the BEST QB on the field...better than anything OSU has to offer thanks to Pryor.

[lineygoblue]

MSU is better than Toledo, and when OLieO finally eeked out their win over the Rockets, you'd have thought they won a MNC.

If MSU can stay away from turnovers, and get any sort of decent running game going, they'll handle the schmuckeyes by a TD or more.

[SeanB]

Not in columbus. I kind of think that one will be tight.

But....

With Dantonio giving osu an in-person interview to be their head coach next year, he just might give it all he's got. I could be persuaded that he'll do just that and win by 10+. He'll practically be groveling at Gee's bootstraps at the end of the season to get that job.

[WM Wolverine]

Dantonio would be great at OSU... For M...