Week 10: No. 6 Ohio State vs. Illinois—History Lesson, Trends and Prediction

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder

This week, No. 6 Ohio State (9-0, 5-0) hosts the Illinois Fighting Illini (2-6, 0-4) in a Leaders Division matchup. ESPN will broadcast the game nationally at 3:30PM EST.



Here is the tale of the tape in recent years, and all-time.

Ohio State—Illinois History Lesson And Recent Trends

• Ohio State is 64-30-4 all-time vs. Illinois.

• Ohio State is 8-2 against Iliinois since 2000.

• Ohio State is 37-18-4 all-time in Columbus vs. Illinois.

• Ohio State is 3rd in the Big Ten with 20 quarterback sacks.

• Urban Meyer coached teams are 70-14 when ranked in the Top 25.

• Ohio State is one of only 6 unbeaten FBS teams and the only team at 9-0.

• Ohio State's defense has only allowed 11 100-yard rushers in their last 58 games.

• Ohio State's defense has held opponents to 10 points or less 37 times since 2006.

• Ohio State has held 71 opponents to 21 points or less since the start of the 2005 season.

• Illinois is 46-83 overall since 2002.

• Illinois last defeated Ohio State in 2007.

• Illinois is 23-61 in Big Ten games since 2002.

A Couple Thoughts and Score Prediction

To put it mildly, Illinois is having a terrible season under first year coach, and former Urban Meyer, and Ohio State assistant, Tim Beckman.

The Fighting Illini have lost five in a row by an average of 26.4 points and despite the fact that the Buckeyes have been playing down to their competition in recent weeks, I look for that trend to be broken this week over the Illini.

The Buckeyes are 10th in the nation at just over 248 rushing yards per game, and quarterback Braxton Miller, who leads the Big Ten in both rushing and total yards per game, should bolster his Heisman Trophy consideration against an Illinois defense that's allowing nearly 153 rushing yards per game and that has yet to face an opponent with the running prowess and capability that Ohio State owns.

Ohio State 55
Illinois 10

"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

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Ohio State-Illinois—Week 7 Game Highlights

Finally, we see just how great the defense is and how good the offense can be pounding the rock, as the Buckeyes handed the Illini their 1st loss.

Woody would be so proud.

This Ohio State-Illinois highlight video was produced by lednerk and is brought to you exclusively by BlockONation.com

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Video Exclusive: Ohio State-Illinois Game Highlights

The following exclusive, high-quality video was produced by Lednerk and is presented by BlockONation.



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Ohio State—Illinois: Week 5 Preview, History Lesson, and Prediction

Big Ten conference play begins this week as the No. 2 Buckeyes travel to Champaign to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini.

The Illini are 2-1 (2-0 at home) so far this season—their only loss to unbeaten, 4-0 Missouri—but their two wins have been against in-state directional schools, Northern and Southern Illinois.

Ron Zook's sitting on a white-hot hot seat and with four of Illinois' next six games against top 25 teams, the Zooker might find himself unemployed come early November.

Ohio State (4-0) is coming off a 73-20 domination of Eastern Michigan and are 19-point favorites this weekend.

Ohio State has proven they are loaded with talent on both sides of the football.

Illinois is not on the same level as the Buckeyes on paper, but they too have some talented key players to watch.


Illinois—By the Numbers

Quarterback Nathan Sheelhaase has passed for 380 yards with three touchdowns, three interceptions, and his current QB rating is 117.2. He has also rushed for 204 yards and a score.

Mikel Leshoure has rushed for 100-plus yards in his last four games. He is the leading rusher for the Illini with 398 yards on 58 carries for an average of 6.9 yards per carry and three rushing touchdowns. Stopping Leshoure and forcing Sheelhaase to throw should be the primary focus for the Buckeye defense.

Statistically, A.J. Jenkins is the only wide receiver worth mentioning. He has 12 receptions for 190 yards and two touchdowns. Every other Illini wideout has less than 50 yards receiving.

Overall, Illinois ranks 112th in passing yards per game (130.0), 18th in rushing yards per game (229.00), 70th in points scored per game (25.3), and 27th in points allowed per game (16.0).


Ohio State—By the Numbers

QB Terrelle Pryor has positioned himself at the top of most everyone's Heisman favorites list. Pryor has 939 passing yards, 10 touchdown passes to just two interceptions, 269 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. He also has a 20-yard touchdown reception. His QB rating is 167.2.

Pryor's current projected stats for the entire season are 2,817 passing yards, 807 rushing yards, 42 total touchdowns versus only six interceptions.

Although Pryor is the leading rusher for the Bucks, Dan Herron, Jaamal Berry, and Brandon Saine aren't too far behind.

Herron has gained 192 yards rushing with four touchdowns. He is averaging 4.6 yards per carry. He also has seven receptions for 109 yards.

Jaamal Berry has made the most of his limited opportunities. In addition to his kick return duties, he has carried the ball 15 times for 177 yards and has one touchdown. His impressive average of 11.8 yards per carry is definitely the main reason Buckeye fans are at a loss as to why he is not getting more touches out of the backfield.

Saine has 169 yards and two touchdowns. He is averaging 4.7 yards per carry and he also has eight catches for 67 yards with two touchdown receptions.

After his career day last week against the EMU Eagles, Dane Sanzenbacher is now the Buckeyes leading receiver with 20 catches for 316 yards and five touchdowns.

Devier Posey has 15 catches for 242 yards and two touchdowns.

Tight end Jake Stoneburner, who missed last weeks game with an ankle injury, has nine catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. Word is he may not play this week either.

As a team, Ohio State is 29th in passing yards per game (266.5), 14th in rushing yards per game (240.3), 3rd in points per game (49.3), and 19th in points allowed per game (14.5).


Ohio State—Illinois: History Lesson and Other Tidbits

• Ohio State leads the all-time head-to-head series 61-30-4.

• Ohio State has won the last seven meetings in Champaign, dating back to 1993.

• Ohio State is 22-2 against unranked conference opponents dating back to 2005.

• Ohio State is 28-8 since 2001 in conference road games under Jim Tressel.

• Ohio State is 5-2 overall and 3-0 on the road vs. Illinois under Jim Tressel.

• Ohio State coach Jim Tressel (98-21) is just two wins shy of his 100th at Ohio State.

• Ohio State's defense has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in their last 27 games.

• Ohio State boasts an all-time record of 151-22-5 in September games.

• Terrelle Pryor is now 23-3 as Ohio State's starting quarterback.

• The home team is just 2-8 in the last 10 meetings of the series.

• Illinois has scored 10 or less points in seven of the last 13 meetings.

• Illinois' last win over Ohio State was in 2007, a 28-21 win over the then-No. 1 ranked Buckeyes.

• Illinois coach and Ohio native Ron Zook is 23-40 overall at Illinois (2005-2010) and just 1-4 against Ohio State over that span.

• Zook has a 5-4 record vs. top 5 teams, however, he is only 9-28 overall against ranked opponents in his career.


Summary and Prediction

Ohio State should have little or no trouble in this game. Last year, the Buckeyes shutout Illinois 30-0. Ohio State is even better than they were last year.

Illinois, not so much.

Running back Mikel Leshoure is the best player the Illini have.

Contrarily, their passing game poses very little threat, although QB Sheelhasse has had some success running the ball, but, he hasn't faced a defense like OSU's either.

All that being said, let's keep this short and get to the key points.

Stop the run—force Illinois to pass—create turnovers—win the game.

The end.


(Modest) Final Score Prediction
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Ohio State 45
Illinois 20


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With Four Games In The Books, Just How Good Is This Ohio State Defense?

Written by Michael Periatt
B/R Ohio State Featured Columnist—BlockONation Contributor


Ever since Matt Barkley's heartbreaking drive, the Ohio State defense hasn't allowed a single point.

Not one.

I don't know if they're carrying a chip on their shoulder or just hitting their stride, but the two game shut-out streak is the first in thirteen years.

I can't attest for a long Buckeye history (I'm 17 years old), but when I think of classic Buckeye defenses, I think of the 2002 championship team and the 2005 defense.

Amazingly, neither of these legendary defenses ever recorded a shut-out.

Now, both of those defenses were stacked with talent. The 2002 team had Chris Gamble, Mike Doss, Matt Wilhelm, and Will Smith just off the top of my head and the 2005 team had one of the best line backing cores in Ohio State history (Hawk, Carpenter, Schlegel.)

But the current defense really has no identifiable player. Brian Rolle seems to have emerged as a clutch play maker, Coleman seems to have established himself as the leader, and Cameron Heyward seems to be a super-stud. But there are no preseason All-Americans and no upperclassmen predicted to go in the first round of the draft (possibly Heyward).

It's really unbelievable they have been this solid.

So how have they done it?

I think it all goes back to the defensive line. The unit is clearly the strong point of the team and is arguably the best in the nation.

USC might have a stable of running backs, but Ohio State has a stable of defensive lineman. And unlike running backs, you can play more than one at a time.

Thaddeus Gibson, Cameron Heyward, Dexter Larimore, and Doug Worthington are the starters, but to have quality replacements like Nathan Williams, Soloman Thomas, Lawrence Wilson, Todd Denlinger, John Simon, and Garret Goebel is something that you just don't normally see.

Chances are, many of these guys would be starting on any other team in the nation. These guys are not just big "space fillers," but athletes ready to make plays.

By getting pressure on the quarterback without having to constantly blitz (a luxury OSU hasn't had in forever), it automatically takes a load of pressure off the rest of the defense.

Even against USC, the Buck's defense was only really responsible for one touchdown (the other was on TP for throwing an INT that USC returned inside the five yard line).

The lone sub-par performance was against Navy which is really baffling. It could have been the first game jitters, the corky triple-option offense, or a case of the look-aheads, but the fact remains they gave up 27 points to a service academy.

Following the USC game, the Bucks shut out a Toledo team that has put up at least 31 against every other team they played (including Colorado and Purdue).

They then replicated the feat against a supposed high powered Illinois offense that could very well turn out to be a joke.

So three excellent performances and one semi-flop.

The verdict?

I think this defense is really, really good, but I'm not ready to anoint them as a legendary defense just yet. A legendary defense finds a way to make that stop against USC and they sure as hell shouldn't give up 27 point to a service academy.

One thing that seems very promising is that, with the exception of the USC game, the defense made big plays when they had to. They were bent, but didn't break.

In the Navy game, Rolle got the pick-two to save the game.

Against Toledo, they stripped the ball inside the ten yard line to secure the shutout.

And against Illinois they got a clutch interception when the Illini were driving and a sack at the end of the game to push them out of field goal range.

I need to apologize to Jim Heacock. For a while there, I, like many others, was calling for his head, but he seems to have gotten it all together.

Then again, maybe the defense is more stable now that Luke Fickell is in charge of it more than we know...

As a fan, you can really see the development of the young guys and their readiness to replace their NFL predecessors.

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How a Soft October Schedule Will Ultimately Help the Buckeyes

by Tim Bielik
BlockONation Analyst
OSU Featured Columnist


Many people still aren't sure what to make of the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2009, after falling just short of beating USC, then shutting out Toledo.

What confuses so many others is how, or why, Ohio State actually dropped in the AP poll after the 38-0 shutout win over the Rockets.

I was recently approached by FC Coordinator Trey Bradley who gave me a great thought and theme for the next few weeks: "If you don't hear from the Buckeyes for awhile, it's a good thing."

I looked at the upcoming schedule for the Buckeyes, and anything less than a 5-0 October would be considered disastrous in Columbus.

When the toughest game in the next few weeks is at home against Wisconsin, that is something the Buckeyes can build off of.

And this young team still needs to get some seasoning. The defense is one of the better units in the nation, but the offense still needs work.

And only one thing can fix what ails this offense: reps. For these next six weeks, that will be exactly what the OSU offense will get.

Terrelle Pryor has shown great improvements as a passer, though his decision-making needs some serious work.

Running back has become a serious problem, as Dan Herron has struggled to be effective, and Brandon Saine has inconsistencies of his own as a runner.

If the Buckeyes offense wants to be successful this season, it will have to become an air attack squad, anchored by stud wideouts Dane Sanzenbacher and DeVier Posey. Both receivers have shown tremendous big play ability and separation speed.

Saine and true freshman Duron Carter have also become solid targets in the passing attack. Not to mention that this type of attack will play towards the strength of the offensive line, which is better as a pass blocking unit.

Defensively, this might be the most athletic group in recent years, anchored by a great defensive line with Thaddeus Gibson and Cameron Heyward as superstar bookends. One surprise this season, freshman DT John Simon, has played tremendously and been a force in his short time.

As for the schedule, Ohio State has two road games in October, both against Indiana and Purdue, which on paper should be big wins for the Buckeyes.

The two conference home games might be closer, with the Badgers and Minnesota Gophers coming to town. They end the month with a home OOC game against New Mexico State, a team considered by most to be one of the worst teams in the country.

A perfect 5-0 in the month of October is easily attainable, but Buckeye fans will want more in the coming weeks. They will want to see a more efficient offense and the defense continuing to play outstandingly.

They want to see these improvements happen because November is not a kind month for the Buckeyes, with road games at Penn State and Michigan, and their only home game that month against the Hawkeyes.

If Ohio State looks great and shows more improvement throughout October, people will be looking at them as potentially running the table in the Big Ten and possibly a trip to Pasadena.

Regardless of how they are ranked, they are still in a position to make some noise in the BCS and hopefully end their three-game bowl losing streak.

If they win in October, OSU can quietly sneak up on teams in the polls as other teams should get knocked off in a similar pattern to the previous three weeks.

If that happens, don't be surprised to see the Buckeyes playing in a big bowl game once again in January. For this young brand of Buckeyes, a "Red October" could be the start of turning fortunes around in Columbus.


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Week Four Preview: Ohio State—Illinois to Face Off in Big Ten Opener

By HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation


Last week, Ohio State traveled to Cleveland to take on the Toledo Rockets and there were concerns the Buckeyes may suffer from a hangover, due to their close heartbreaking loss in week two vs. USC.

No such luck for Toledo, as the Buckeyes came out firing en route to a 38-0 thrashing.

Quarterback Terrelle Pryor had a career day, passing for 262 yards and three touchdowns, as well as rushing for 110 yards and a score.

Wideout Dane Sanzenbacher also had a career day, catching five balls for 125 yards and two scores.

Toledo, and QB Aaron Opelt, who had individually led the nation in total yardage, could never get in rhythm against an overbearing Buckeye defense that continues to gel and improve week to week.


That was then—This is now.

VS.


The Buckeyes (2-1) are set to open Big Ten Conference play this week as they play host to the Fighting Illini (1-1) from Illinois. The game is on ABC at 3:30 EST.

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Starting at 3:00PM, there will be a LIVE, in-game chat right here on BlockONation, so come join us, just before and during the game!

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Illinois began the season losing in an unexpected blowout to rebuilding Missouri, before bouncing back vs. FCS foe Illinois State.

Star QB Juice Williams has zero touchdown passes, an interception, and only 179 yards thus far and star receiver Arrelious Benn has been injured and only has one catch for nine yards. To say the least, Illinois has been a major dissapointment so far.

That being said, the Buckeye know they cannot take any conference opponent for granted (see USC vs. Washington last week), especially Illinois in Columbus. Under Tressel, the Buckeyes have averaged 25.5 points per game and given up 18.3 points per game in the series.

Since Tressel took over in 2001, Ohio State is 4-2 vs. the Illini, but only 1-2 in games played in Ohio Stadium. In 2007, Illinois defeated the Buckeyes 28-21 in Columbus, nearly derailing then No. 1 Ohio State's BCS title game hopes.

Ultimately, a series of late-season upsets allowed the Buckeyes to move back up to No. 1 in the final BCS standings, only to lose in New Orleans (a "neutral" site) to LSU anyway.

Overall, Ohio State leads the all-time head-to-head series 61-30-4, and since 1967, OSU is 13-7 vs. Illinois at home.

I expect the Buckeyes to play much like they did last week against Toledo on both sides of the ball vs. Ron Zook and his Illini team. I am not expecting a shutout, but I am going to call for a Buckeye victory.

My final score prediction:

Ohio State 38
Illinois 13

On a side note, I just have to ask—Is it just me or does anyone else think Ron Zook is really Ricky Bobby's Dad, Reece, from Talladega Nights?




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2009 Big Ten Conference Breakdown: Team and Player Projections

by HD Handshoe
Founder
BlockONation


My recent projection articles have went so well, that I've decided to go back to that goldmine once again.

The Michigan, Wisconsin, and Penn State fans that visited this site, or read my previous articles on BleacherReport, CBSSports, or TheBestDamnPoll among other sites were none too thrilled.

Since causing such a stir brings a smile to my face like that of a 10-year-old's on Christmas morning, here are a few more of my, sure to be extremely popular, Big Ten 2009 projections.

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Big Ten Conference Standings Projections

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1. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1, 7-1)

2. Penn State Nittany Lions (10-2, 6-2)

3. Iowa Hawkeyes (10-2, 6-2)

4. Michigan State Spartans (9-3, 6-2)

5. Northwestern Wildcats (9-3, 5-3)

6. Illinois Fighting Illini (9-3, 5-3)

7. Wisconsin Badgers (7-5, 4-4)

8. Michigan Wolverines (6-6, 4-4)

9. Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-7, 3-5)

10. Purdue Boilermakers (3-9, 2-6)

11. Indiana Hoosiers (1-11, 0-8)

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Top 5 Impact Freshmen / Newcomers

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1. Tate Forcier - QB - Michigan

2. Hayo Carpenter - WR - Minnesota

3. Jaamal Berry - RB - Ohio State

4. Duwyce Wilson - WR - Indiana

5. Duron Carter - WR - Ohio State

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Top 5 Breakout Players

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1. Terrelle Pryor - QB - Ohio State

2. Mike Kafka - QB - Northwestern

3. Dan "Boom" Herron - RB - Ohio State

4. Kirk Cousins - QB - Michigan State

5. Jewell Hampton - RB - Iowa

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Big 10 Player of the Year

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Terrelle Pryor - QB - Ohio State

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Big 10 Off. Player of the Year

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Juice Williams - QB - Illinois

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Big 10 Def. Player of the Year

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Kurt Coleman - S - Ohio State

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Big 10 Overrated POY

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Daryll Clark - QB - Penn State

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Big 10 Underrated POY

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Aurelius Benn - WR - Illinois

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Projected Bowl Teams and Possible Bowl Destinations

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Ohio State - BCS N.C. game, Rose Bowl, Fiesta, or Capital One

Penn State - BCS NC game, Rose Bowl, Fiesta, Capital One, or Outback

Iowa - Fiesta, Capital One, Outback, Champs Sports, or Alamo

Michigan State - Capital One, Outback, Champs Sports, or Alamo

Northwestern - Outback, Champs Sports, Alamo, or Insight

Illinois - Outback, Champs Sports, Alamo, or Insight

Wisconsin - Champs Sports, Alamo, Insight, or Motor City

Michigan - Champs Sports, Alamo, Insight, or Motor City

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Now that my work here is done, and I'm pretty sure I have poured enough gas on the fire, I'll just sit back, relax and enjoy the show.




Please feel free to commence with the anger, accusations of total homerism, and general insanity by adding a comment and let us know how great we are, or how much you hate us.


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2009 Big Ten Conference Breakdown: Team by Team Projections—Part I

by HD Handshoe
Founder
BlockONation.com


Big Ten football fans, as you know, the 2009 season is almost upon us.

Fall camps have begun and coaches, players, and fans alike are excited and optimistic about how this year will unfold over the next four months.

But seriously, who wants to wait that long?

It's true, the season is too short and that's why we love it, but if you're interested at all in knowing how your favorite Big Ten team is going to fare, read on.

SPOILER ALERT!

We'll begin at the top and work our way down through all 11 teams.

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Ohio State Buckeyes



Toughest home game: vs. USC on September 12th

Toughest road game: at Penn State on November 7th

Best case regular season record: (12-0)

Worst case regular season record: (8-4)

Teams that might beat them: USC, Penn State, Illinois, Iowa

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Penn State Nittany Lions



Toughest home game: vs. Ohio State on November 7th

Toughest road game: at Illinois on October 3rd

Best case regular season record: (11-1)

Worst case regular season record: (8-4)

Teams that might beat them: Iowa, Illinois, Ohio State, Michigan State

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Iowa Hawkeyes



Toughest home game: vs. Northwestern on November 7th

Toughest road game: at Ohio State on November 14th

Best case regular season record: (10-2)

Worst case regular season record: (8-4)

Teams that might beat them: Arizona, Penn State, Michigan State, Ohio State

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Michigan State Spartans



Toughest home game: vs. Iowa on October 24th

Toughest road game: at Notre Dame on September 19th

Best case regular season record: (9-3)

Worst case regular season record: (6-6)

Teams that might beat them: Notre Dame, Michigan, Illinois, Northwestern, Iowa, Penn State

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Northwestern Wildcats



Toughest home game: vs. Penn State on October 31st

Toughest road game: at Iowa on November 7th

Best case regular season record: (9-3)

Worst case regular season record: (7-5)

Teams that might beat them: Minnesota, Michigan State, Penn State, Iowa, Illinois

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Illinois Fighting Illini



Toughest home game: vs. Penn State on October 3rd

Toughest road game: at Ohio State on September 26th

Best case regular season record: (9-3)

Worst case regular season record: (6-6)

Teams that might beat them: Missouri, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern

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Minnesota Golden Gophers



Toughest home game: vs. California on September 19th

Toughest road game: at Ohio State on October 24th

Best case regular season record: (8-4)

Worst case regular season record: (5-7)

Teams that might beat them: California, Northwestern, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois, Iowa

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Wisconsin Badgers



Toughest home game: vs. Iowa on October 17th

Toughest road game: at Ohio State on October 10th

Best case regular season record: (7-5)

Worst case regular season record: (5-7)

Teams that might beat them: Fresno State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Iowa, Michigan, Northwestern

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Michigan Wolverines



Toughest home game: vs. Ohio State on November 21st

Toughest road game: at Iowa on October 10th

Best case regular season record: (7-5)

Worst case regular season record: (4-8)

Teams that might beat them: Western Michigan, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Iowa, Penn State, Illinois, Ohio State

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Purdue Boilermakers



Toughest home game: vs. Ohio State on October 17th

Toughest road game: at Oregon on September 12th

Best case regular season record: (4-8)

Worst case regular season record: (2-10)

Teams that might beat them: Toledo, Oregon, Notre Dame, Northwestern, Minnesota, Ohio State, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State

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Indiana Hoosiers



Toughest home game: vs. Ohio State on October 3rd

Toughest road game: at Penn State on November 14th

Best case regular season record: (3-9)

Worst case regular season record: (1-11)

Teams that might beat them: Everyone they play except for MAYBE Eastern Kentucky in week one. That is the only team I think they are almost guaranteed to beat.

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Enjoy the 2009 season everyone!

Thanks for visiting and please post your thoughts in the comments section!


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Big Ten Football Post-Spring Power Rankings: A New Big Two, Little Nine?

by Kristofer Green
BlockONation Columnist



Is this the year the Big Ten bounces back and becomes among the nation's elite conferences again? Probably not, but led by Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor and Penn State's Daryll Clark, there is talent in several key positions all over the conference.

It is starting to look more and more like the battle for the Big Ten crown is going to be a three-man race. This spring Ohio State and Penn State cemented their claim to the top two spots and are far and away the best two teams heading into the fall.

But the Iowa Hawkeyes are not far behind and before the season ends will once again play a major role in the Big Ten title race. If the Hawkeyes are not challenging for the title themselves, they will have a shot at knocking off both the Buckeyes and the Nittany Lions—even though they must travel to Columbus and Happy Valley to do it.

Heading into the fall, there is still a lot of work to do for every team. These power rankings reflect how I see the teams after the close of spring practice. Pre-spring rankings are in parentheses.


1. OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (1)

The Buckeyes lost a large senior class and a few underclassmen to the NFL, but after two huge recruiting classes for Jim Tressel, the cupboards are far from bare in Columbus. The evidence was on full display at Ohio state's spring game.

Sophomore quarterback Terrelle Pryor showed significant improvement after 15 practices, receivers Dane Sanzenbacher, DeVier Posey, Ray Small, and Lamar Thomas could be better than the two Brians (Robiskie and Hartline), and the running back combo of Daniel Herron and Brandon Saine could add a different element to the Buckeyes offense.

Defensively the Buckeyes must replace superstars James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins, but before Laurinaitis and Jenkins there were A.J. Hawk and Donte Whitner. Ohio State always seems to be able to replace superstars on defense, and after this season we could be asking how the Buckeyes will be able to replace Austin Spitler and Chimdi Chekwa.


2. PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (2)

The good thing about a good team playing a weak schedule is that the season can essentially be boiled down to a few games. For the Nittany Lions, 2009 boils down to four games, and the big one is at home. The Lions must travel to Illinois and Michigan State, while the revenge game against the Hawkeyes and what may end up being the de facto Big Ten Championship game against Ohio State are at home.

This team will be talented but young in key positions. The lines need a lot of retooling. Maurice Evans and Aaron Maybin are gone on the defensive line, and only guard Stefen Wisniewski returns on the offensive line.

Galen Hall and Jay Paterno must also find replacements for Derrick Williams, Deon Butler, and Jordan Norwood, all of whom were four-year players.


3. IOWA HAWKEYES (3)

There is plenty to get excited about in Iowa City, but cautious optimism may be the best course of action for fans.

The offensive line was strong last season but lost guard Seth Olsen and center Rob Bruggeman; however, the tackles are back, as well as quarterback Ricky Stanzi and top receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos.

Jewel Hampton seems like he'll be a competent replacement for Shonn Greene, but Greene's ability to make something out of nothing isn't so easily replaced.

Defensively, replacing Mitch King and Matt Kroul is going to be difficult. The pair was certainly the best tackle combination in the conference last season. The Hawkeyes may have an easier time replacing King and Kroul than they do with their Big Ten road schedule: They visit Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Ohio State in 2009.


4. ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI (5)

The skill players in Champaign might be the best in the conference. Juice Williams has matured into an efficient passer and a good all-around playmaker, and he has all his key parts back, from receivers Arrelious Benn and Jeff Cumberland to tight end Michael Hoomanawanui, who will be a bigger part of the offense this season.

The Illini pass rush was the best in the Big Ten, and the entire front seven was great at getting into the backfield, but the run defense stunk. The team led the league in tackles for loss and still finished ninth in run defense. This season, the defense will again be active and athletic but must show it can be tough.


5. MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (4)

The defense showed some flashes last season but lacked the consistency that Mark Dantonio defenses usually have. This season, most of the defense returns and should be loaded with Greg Jones and Trevor Anderson leading a good front seven.

The defense will need to carry the load especially early on as quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol gain some experience. Replacing Javon Ringer is still a major concern heading into the fall, but a receiving corps that was mediocre last season should be better with a year of experience under its belt.


6. NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS (6)

The Wildcats were second in the Big Ten in sacks allowed last season, and that was with three redshirt freshmen starting. The entire line returns, including senior tackle Desmond Taylor, and could be the best offensive line in the conference heading into the season.

Offensively there is still work to do. Mike Kafka showed some improvement this spring at the quarterback position but still needs to prove he can do more than run, and Pat Fitzgerald is still looking for a steady running back to emerge to replace Tyrell Sutton.


7. MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS (7)

Tim Brewster joked that he fielded more questions about the new TCF Bank Stadium than he did about football this spring. Maybe it's because there isn't much new to report about the Gophers football team. Everyone is back.

Sure, Jack Simmons, Willie VanDeSteeg, and Deon Hightower were all major producers, but they’re the only ones missing from a team that started out last season so hot.

Everyone else is back, including quarterback Adam Weber, receiver Eric Decker, and eight other starters on offense, as well as nine starters on defense.


8. WISCONSIN BADGERS (9)

The Badgers might be tremendously flawed, and if they play like they did last year, they can be beaten by anyone, but the schedule works out relatively well with no Penn State or Illinois and plenty of winnable home games against teams like Wofford, Northern Illinois, and Purdue.

Another reason to get excited is the emergence of freshman quarterback Curt Phillips this spring. Although Dustin Sherer does have starting experience, Phillips' quick feet and running ability could give the Badgers offense the kick they so desperately need.


9. MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (8)

The Wolverines had a promising spring but still have major concerns all over the field. Last season, the defense was the strength of the team and can be directly credited with all three of the Wolverines' victories, but the losses of Tim Jamison and Terrence Taylor on the line and Morgan Trent and Brandon Harrison in the secondary seem all the more devastating after the defensive unit struggled this spring.

The star this spring was undeniably freshman quarterback Tate Forcier, who struggled early on but had seemingly taken over as the leader of the quarterback race heading into the fall.


10. PURDUE BOILERMAKERS (10)

Danny Hope's first spring as Purdue's head coach is over, and while there is reason to be excited about a defense that returns its entire secondary—which led the Big Ten in pass defense—there is still reason for concern about an offense that lost everyone of significance from last season.

Hope looks to the fall when he can add talented freshmen Eric Williams, Gary Bush, and Gabe Holmes to the mix on offense. Al-Terek McBurse needs to step up this fall and show that he can carry the rushing load left by Kory Sheets.


11. INDIANA HOOSIERS (11)

The Hoosiers were last in the Big Ten in almost every meaningful defensive category, struggled offensively, and were blown out in every FBS game but two last season. Is the talent level there to improve?

Bill Lynch kicked Kellen Lewis, his best offensive player, off the team, and the defense, led by defensive end Jammie Kirlew, didn't show much growth in the spring. It's hard to see the Hoosiers improving on last season's 3-9 record.


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Best of the Best Non-Traditonal OOC Games for 2009: Week 1

by HD Handshoe
Founder
BlockONation.com



There are out of conference matchups that are an annual tradition and many of them are huge games and some even potentially have national title implications.

Games such as Michigan—Notre Dame, Notre Dame—USC, Georgia—Georgia Tech, and Florida—Florida State come to mind.

In this era of college football, it seems that these regular season meetings between many of the traditional powerhouse programs are few and far between.

That being said, all is not lost in 2009.

There are a handful of noteworthy inter-conference games this coming season and I'm going to highlight the best of them for you between now and the start of the season.

The opening week of the season offers, by my count, six OOC games very much worth watching!

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Virginia Tech Alabama

Both teams are projected to be in or near the top ten teams to start the year. This could and should be one of the best games of the week! Who moves up and who drops down after this one?

If Tyrod Taylor is legit like all the hype suggests, the Tide may get rolled much like they did by Utah in the Sugar Bowl last season but if not, VT might get "Hokied", whatever that means!


Oklahoma BYU

BYU is a very good mid-major program that should be ranked in the top 20 to open the year. They have a solid veteran QB in Max Hall but Oklahoma, who will very likely be ranked in the top three, has a guy named Sam Bradford you may have heard of.

This one could play out like an actual Big 12 conference game as we could see a lot of points scored in this one, but with the majority of them being scored by OU.


Oklahoma State Georgia

Oklahoma State was a surprise team a year ago and returns quarterback Zac Robinson, wideout Dez Bryant and tailback Kendall Hunter. Georgia, the preseason No. 1, was a flop.

OK State, who some view as this years Texas Tech, looks to make a statement for the Big 12 vs. the SEC's Bulldogs who lost QB Matthew Stafford and star running back Knosean Moreno. OK State will be favored but don't give them the "W" just yet!


Oregon Boise State

Boise State, led by Sophomore QB Kellen Moore, looks to pull the upset again this time on the blue turf over the Ducks. They'll have to do it without running back Ian Johnson who finally graduated after what seemed like forever.

Oregon however is thinking payback and they do have the skill players to possibly pull out a win in Boise in the form of quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and running back LeGarrette Blount, but will they?


Ohio State Navy

This game at first glance seems like it should be an easy win to open the season in Columbus. But upon further review, it will be tougher than expected for a couple of reasons.

First, Navy is a decent program and an excellent rushing team. Last years featured running back Shun White is gone but the Midshipmen have a star QB in the making in Ricky Dobbs, who can both run and throw very well.

Secondly, it's impossible for the OSU players to not be thinking about week 2 when USC comes to town. Terrelle Pryor and the Bucks have not forgotten the embarrassing loss in the L.A. Colisuem last September and that's another reason why the Navy game could end up a thriller, a-la Ohio vs. OSU 2008!


Illinois Missouri

No Chase Daniel and no Jeremy Maclin for Mizzou takes away some of the luster but Illinois and Missouri have both fielded quality teams over the past few seasons and have very entertainingly scored a lot of points in the process! Even if they aren't top 25 teams to open the year, Illinois could eventually get there and this game is still worth tuning in for!

Senior QB Juice Williams and Coach Ron Zook will try to lead the Illini to a bounce back season after a disappointing 2008 which followed 2007's Rose Bowl season, although Illinois was crushed by USC in that game. What's new right?

It all starts with the Missouri game but will the Illini have enough Juice to tame the Tigers?

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So there you have them. The best non-traditional OOC games week one has to offer.

But wait, there's more!

Over the next few weeks, this series will continue to will highlight more of the games you MUST see!

The 2009 college football season absolutely promises to be as exciting as ever and it's going to be a great ride, so stay tuned and remember, it will be September before you know it and I'll do my part to help you survive until then!

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