Big Ten Board (Beta)

I don't see Wisconsin making it. Their schedule is not all that difficult. They do play at Nebraska and at home against OSU and MSU. I just don't know about their defense. The LBs are solid, not sold on DL or secondary, though. And O'Brien may be a good QB, but that offense will not be as dynamic as it was with Wilson.

MSU could be a darkhorse team to run the table. Their defense may be the Big Ten's best with Gholston, great LB corps and Adams and Lewis in the secondary. It will come down to how Andrew Maxwell makes his strides at quarterback. Bell is a standout at RB. They need WRs to emerge as well.

This is a veteran team with good players on both lines. They have a chance but the back-to-back road games at Michigan and Wisconsin will be tough.

I would say 5 percent chance for Wisconsin and maybe 10 or 15 percent chance for MSU.

Who is your darkhorse team in the Big Ten this season? Meaning, team that is expected to go 6-6 or worse -- one that you think will be better than everyone expects. Mine is Purdue. They won't win the Big Ten or anything, but they'll be better than everyone seems to think.

Who will lead Ohio State in rushing yards this season?

Who will be Michigan's leading receiver?

Is UM screwed at QB next year with Gardner or a true frosh in Morris, or do you think they'll be fine?

What about strength coach Mic!!!!!

You couldnt be more wrong about Smith. Listen, I dont like him either, but if he would have self-imposed, you would have been doubly pissed off. The NCAA was going to give us one no matter what and if we would have placed one on ourselves last year, we would have just ended up with two years no bowl. They are determined to punish very harshly and what really did it wasnt the tat stuff, it was the Bobby DiGeronimo thing...where he was giving out a few hundred buck here and there for work not done or for players making community or banquet appearances. When you combine that with the tat thing, it made us look a bit out of control and they hit us hard. The tat thing alone would have been schollies and vacated games. This is the problem with getting on their radar in the first place. Once they start investigating, they always find something more, same at any school. All these kids are selling their stuff, but it would have never been found out if there wasnt an investigation into the fact that the guy at the tattoo shop was selling drugs. Thats how they found the OSU memorabilia in the shop.

Oh, for starters, I would not call Hoke an average coach. He caught lightning in a bottle at Ball State with Davis at QB and they had their best year in decades. He then took SDSU to its first bowl game in 12 years. That's not average.

I think it's a familiarity. When he was hired, everybody at Michigan was excited because he was a direct tie back to Moeller and Carr. He was family (unlike RichRod).

I do believe having Mattison alongside helped. That defense went from giving up 35 points in 2010 to 17 last year -- best defennse they've had since they were No. 2 in 2006.

As far as Meyer and Mattison, they were together at ND and also he worked for Meyer at Florida for 3 years as the DC/D-line coach. It will be a classic chess match between the 2. It may work to Mattison's advantage somewhat, but Meyer's spread has evolved. My guess is it comes down to the players on the field more than the schemes, but those will be a factor.

Look at our roster dude then look at who came in this year. We have a true freshman Noah Spence, who is that good that he might start a DE. 9 DL players who can all play including 2 potential all americans. Who I think by the time he leaves will be defensive player of the year in LB Ryan Shazier, and a veteran secondary. We will easily have the best D in the conference and a top 5 nationally. If we dont, I would be very surprised.

Thanks for the questions!!

No idea on the football emoticon.

Key for each Big Ten team's season, OK here goes nothing:

Leaders

Wisconsin -- Improve defensively and get after opposing passers

Ohio State -- Have the best 82 men on scholarship on Feb. 6, 2013, to begin chasing the next national title (anything in the interim is immaterial, other than the seasoning of the returning players)

Purdue -- Improve defensively after giving up 27 a game last year, won't be easy with Beckford dismissal

Illinois -- Bring along Scheelhaase and make him more than just a runner

Penn State -- Hope everybody sticks together through what will be an extremely difficult set of circumstances

Indiana -- Just put 1 foot in front of the other, Rome was not built in a day.

Legends

Michigan -- Continue to surround Denard with playmakers and watch the fun begin

MSU -- Help Maxwell succeed in his first year as a starter (defense should be tough enough as is)

Iowa -- Energize the pass rush to take pressure off Vandenberg and the offense having to be perfect

Nebraska -- Get back to blackshirt defense ASAP

Northwestern -- Improve defensively

Minnesota -- I may be crazy, but move Gray to playmaker and prepare somebody else to be QB for 2013 (wouldn't that make more sense, I'm just sayin')

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More from Ottobuck:

Predictions for BIG week one games?

Which BIG QB has the best year?

Helwagen: I will post my picks this afternoon with scores. I am thinking something like Alabama 27, Michigan 19 and Michigan State 34, Boise State 24 for the two biggies. I may pick Syracuse at home over NW but would go Big Ten 10-2 first weekend. Stay tuned for that.

In terms of QBs, Robinson should have the most total offense when you combine rushing and passing. Vandenberg has the receivers to go over 3,000 again. Miller will be pushing Robinson in that total off category, although he may not need to run it as much as he did last year. Those are probably the top 3.

Maxwell could be in the top 4 with Martinez, Purdue's 3-man platoon, O'Brien and Scheelhaase all in the mix as well. Jury out on Colter, Gray, Roberson and McGloin.

This just in: The college football season starts in 7 hours!!!

They lost another guy, Barkley Hill, in preseason camp. They are hoping Garmon and Bullock can get it done. They have the receivers with Davis and Martin-Manley and the TE Fiedorowicz. Their biggest key is defense. I don't see much star power over there. They don't have the stud DEs and LBs they are used to having. Hyde may be their best player at CB. Maybe I'm wrong, but we'll see. The schedule may be the Big Ten's easiest by not having to play OSU, Wisconsin and Illinois. I have them tying Michigan and MSU for the Legends title, but Michigan goes to Indy because of head to head wins over the other two.

I think 10-2 is a possibility

Uh, SEC. It's either LSU (even without Honey Badger) or Alabama. I picked LSU.