Around the Big Ten

[Jamie H]

Or it means OSU has been given a post-season ban.

[whodean]

Man, it would be hard for a young QB to come into a systme like Wisconsin's, learn the play book and be effective by the fall. Possible? Sure but that's a tough row to hoe.

Actually it would be a lot easier to step into Wisconsin's system than Auburn's, I would think.

[Jamie H]

Right. How much practice does it take to hand the ball off 2/3rds of the time?

[Wild Hoss]

Actually it would be a lot easier to step into Wisconsin's system than Auburn's, I would think.

Perhaps...but Cam Newton went through spring ball for Auburn and in his first few games he was still nearly clueless.

[Wild Hoss]

Right. How much practice does it take to hand the ball off 2/3rds of the time?

Not much....better question though is how much practice does it take to learn the checks in Wiscy's system? You can bet the farm he's going to see a passel of different fronts and pre-snap movement to test his knowledge.

[whodean]

Perhaps...but Cam Newton went through spring ball for Auburn and in his first few games he was still nearly clueless.

Not sure how that refutes my supposition that Wisconsin's system is much simpler than Auburn's for a QB?

[Jamie H]

Not much....better question though is how much practice does it take to learn the checks in Wiscy's system? You can bet the farm he's going to see a passel of different fronts and pre-snap movement to test his knowledge.

Wisconsin's offense is predicated on power--I don't know how often they checkdown into different runs. I think they kind of just line up and just blow you off the ball, regardless of how you set up.

I know they have SOME checks, but I never got the sense that Wisky had nearly as many checks as, say, a spread-option offense has. They may check out of a run to a pass and vice-versa, but they don't strike me as a team that is calling their plays at the line of scrimmage.

[Wild Hoss]

Not sure how that refutes my supposition that Wisconsin's system is much simpler than Auburn's for a QB?

It wasn't supposed to. I am pointing out the flaw of the comparison at its core.

[Wild Hoss]

Wisconsin's offense is predicated on power--I don't know how often they checkdown into different runs. I think they kind of just line up and just blow you off the ball, regardless of how you set up.

I know they have SOME checks, but I never got the sense that Wisky had nearly as many checks as, say, a spread-option offense has. They may check out of a run to a pass and vice-versa, but they don't strike me as a team that is calling their plays at the line of scrimmage.

I guarantee they have checks. My high school team had checks. Nobody is going to just line up and run a called weakside zone run for example, against an Over front with the SS buzzed down to a 30 alignment. Not when your QB can simply check to a strongside run, assuming he knows to do so.

That’s an admittedly simplistic example, but that’s the point...its all theoretical until the lights come on. How ingrained will his knowledge base be after 20 fall practices? Enough to overcome the pressure and distractions of making the right check call on a crucial 3rd and 2 against Penn State? Talent and athleticism are vital, but experience matters too.

[Jeff Buchanan]

This is an interesting discussion. I think the writer's reasoning with regard to his ranking by division is flawed but it's a look at some of the factors, like cross-over games, that will have a major impact on the chances of teams to reach the championship game on a regular basis.

http://conferencechalk.com/?p=4199

[Wild Hoss]

I would flip Nebraska and Michigan in the Legends, based soley on what I see now. Hoke will have talent rolling into Ann Arbor again, while I have serious questions about Pelini's ability to do the same in Lincoln. I also have almost zero belief that he'll be around in five years anyway. I might still put us above Sparty though.

[Jeff Buchanan]

On Sparty ..... I agree with you but I have to wonder if it is our long term view of MSU, influenced by years of Michigan football dominance over a string of shitty MSU coaches after Duffy, that makes us think that dominance will continue.

Dantonio seems to know what he's doing compared to the last two coaching savants Booby Williams and JSLLLLL. I do like the apoplexy of MSU fans over Hoke's in state recruiting success and I think that will go a long way to insuring M fields better teams than MSU will .... but there's no guarantees. Despite the enormous good will and enthusiasm for M football Brady Hoke is building, he has yet to coach a Michigan football team to victory.

[WM Wolverine]

With OSU likely suffering affects of sanctions (post season bans), it really opens the door for Wisky or PSU to have an easy road to the CCG. Those two teams get a big boost from OSU's issues. Still, OSU should have things sorted out when they get off sanctions of scholarship losses and be really good again in the latter half of the decade...

I'm impressed with Hoke's staff he put together and should have M back to full strength in 3-4 years (e.g. 2014, 2015)... In the meantime, I could see Nebraska having a strong first few years in the B10 while M reloads. I don't see Iowa or MSU being significant threats in the west division while NW and Minnesota should rival for the bottom of the division.

[Dr. Strangelove]

How ESPN trying to lowball the Big Ten directly led to the creation of the BTN and Expansion...very good stuff

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-spt-0701-big-ten-nebraska--20110701,0,5568175.story

[Mackenzie]

Not sure where to put this but if anyone is interested:

IS ON BTN: Former U-M guard and Los Angeles Lakers draftee Darius Morris will be featured at 8 p.m. Monday on BTN's "The Journey." The show has been profiling Big Ten basketball players' post-college transitions over the past week. A clip of the show with Morris working out was posted on YouTube on Wednesday and also can be found on freep.com/wolverines.