Blog 10 Football

Michigan's Recruiting Class (So Far)

2008-02-06T18:05:00.000-05:00

Hey Big Ten fans, with National signing day coming to a close, we have learned a few things and found out where some big name players are going. The one thing we have not learned is where Terrell Pryor is going, and who knows when and where he will end up.

According to mgoblue.com (Michigan's official website) this is where the 2008 recruiting class stands:

Player	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown (High School)
Ricky Barnum	OL	6-2	265	Lakeland, Fla. (Lake Gibson)
Boubacar Cissoko	DB	5-9	175	Detroit, Mich. (Cass Technical)
Mike Cox	RB	6-0	206	Dorchester, Conn. (Avon Old Farms)
Justin Feagin	QB	6-0	190	Deerfield, Fla. (American Heritage)
J.B. Fitzgerald	LB	6-3	230	Princeton Junction, N.J. (West Windsor Plainsboro)
J.T. Floyd	DB	6-0	190	Greenville, S.C. (J.L. Mann)
Taylor Hill	LB	6-2	205	Youngstown, Ohio (Cardinal Mooney)
Rocko Khoury	OL	6-5	280	Traverse City, Mich. (Traverse City West)
Kevin Koger	TE	6-4	220	Toledo, Ohio (Whitmer)
Mike Martin	DL	6-2	285	Redford, Mich. (Catholic Central)
Elliott Mealer	OL	6-6	280	Wauseon, Ohio (Wauseon)
Brandon Moore	TE	6-6	221	Trotwood, Ohio (Trotwood-Madison)
Patrick Omameh	OL	6-4	260	Columbus, Ohio (St. Francis DeSales)
Dann O'Neill	OL	6-7	295	Grand Haven, Mich. (Grand Haven)
Terrence Robinson	ATH	5-9	170	Klein, Texas (Oak)
Roy Roundtree	WR	6-0	154	Trotwood, Ohio (Trotwood-Madison)
Michael Shaw	ATH	6-0	185	Trotwood, Ohio (Trotwood-Madison)
Brandon Smith	DB	6-3	210	New Brunswick, N.J. (New Brunswick)
Darryl Stonum	WR	6-3	185	Stafford, Texas (Dulles)
Kurt Wermers	OL	6-5	260	Crown Point, Ind. (Crown Point)
Marcus Witherspoon	LB	6-2	225	Atlantic City, N.J. (Holy Spirit)

That stands at 21 commits. Missing are Kenny Demens a LB, he had a funeral today and just has not been able to fax in his LOI. Long Snapper George Morales has not sent his LOI in yet, there is some speculation that he may grayshirt so his Scholarship doesn't count for this semester. Michigan will not have to worry about these two players wavering.

Obviously one big Michigan verbal commit is missing from that list, Youtube sensation RB Sam McGuffie. There have been rumors that McGuffie is also now looking at Cal and TAMU. The speculation is that he will in the end be at Michigan, but there is some need for concern. For what its worth Tom Beaver (recruiting guru) thinks McGuffie will end up a wolverine.

Of course Terrelle Pryor is not on that list, nor is he on anyone's list. Will he end up at UM? My guess is no, I really think PSU is coming on strong and that Pryor will either end up in Happy Valley or in Columbus. Michigan fans would be much happier with Pryor not going to Michigan as long as he doesn't end up at OSU.

Thats all for now, but once McGuffie situation gets sorted out, and the last LOIS get sent in I will provide a much more detailed post analyzing the impact the recruits will have on the 2008 season.

-JHS, Michigan correspondent

Is this thing on?

2008-02-05T15:45:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the serious lack of posts lately, but it was a very busy weekend and this is a huge week.

Starting Wednesday, expect a tsunami of recruiting-themed posts. Stay tuned.

And down the stretch they come..

2008-02-01T15:31:00.000-05:00

With signing day less than a week away I thought I'd take a look at the handful of prospects Ohio State is still in the running for.

Terrelle Pryor - Jeanette PA (QB) - Not many people have heard of this 6'6" quarterback from Western Pennsylvania but some experts say he's pretty good, even drawing comparisons to Vince Young. While he's still considering Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon and Penn State it likely comes down to the Buckeyes and Wolverines. While Michigan offers immediately playing time in the end I believe he winds up in Columbus because of his relationship with several Buckeye recruits, his comfort level with the Ohio State coaching staff and the chance to run a more pass oriented offense.

Keith Wells - Gainesville GA (DE) - The Buckeyes have done well in Georgia the last few years landing safety Anderson Russell, quarterback Antonio Henton and defensive lineman Cameron Heyward. Tennessee and Ohio State are in Wells' top 2 and he's scheduled to make an official visit to Notre Dame this weekend. Wells speaks glowingly of Jim Tressel and he's aware of Ohio State's need for defensive ends. His speed would be a great asset to a Buckeye defense looking to replace future 1st round draft pick Vernon Gholston. In the end I believe Wells chooses the Buckeyes.

Josh Jenkins - Parkersburg WV (OG) - A one time West Virginia verbal commitment for some time now Jenkins has been thought to be the final piece of "Block O" along with fellow offensive linemen Mike Brewster, Mike Adams and JB Shugarts. Jenkins gave high marks to Florida State after a recent official visit and has a great relationship with former Mountaineer and current FSU O-line coach Rick Trickett. West Virginia is still a contender and the Mountaineers and Noles have more favorable depth charts. It's anyone's guess where Jenkins ends up however I don't think it will be Columbus.

Brandon Harris - Miami FL (CB) - Harris is one of the better corners in the country. While he had a very nice official visit to Columbus earlier in the year and says he's still considering the Buckeyes most people feel like he stays home and plays for the hometown Hurricanes. I don't disagree.

Orhian Johnson - Gulfport (FL) (ATH) - Johnson has visited Ohio State, Indiana and South Florida. While he could end up on either side of the ball the Buckeye staff has stated they would like him to play DB in Columbus. There was a question about whether Johnson had an official offer but a recent in-home visit from Jim Tressel erased any doubt. In the end I believe he stays in state and plays for the USF Bulls.

Most recruiting services list Ohio State's class somewhere among the top 10 in the nation. If the Buckeyes don't land any of these remaining prospects they will still have a great 2008 class. Sprinkle in talents like Terrelle Pryor and Keith Wells they will make a run for the top spot in the nation.

Go Bucks!

-KB, Ohio State correspondent

Who's under center for the Illini in '08?

2008-01-31T19:16:00.000-05:00

“If you ask any great player or great quarterback, there's a certain inner confidence that you're as good as anybody. But you can't say who is the absolute best. To be considered is special in itself.”
-Dan Marino

Despite their dramatic turnaround in 2007, the Fighting Illini got very average play from the quarterback position.

During the first half of the season, starter Juice Williams shared time with freshman Eddie McGee. McGee, the 6-4 200 lb signal caller is faster, has a better arm, and is an overall better athlete than Williams, but he cannot run Mike Locksley’s spread offense nearly as well, which is the main reason Juice stayed the starter the whole year. Williams established himself as the full-time quarterback when he went 41-66 for 567 yards, 7 touchdowns, as well as 339 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground in a three game stretch to finish the regular season, including a 28-21 upset win over #1 Ohio State.

At times, Juice was masterful, playing like a magician, running the spread beautifully, keeping the defenses honest with crisp chain moving passes, as well as tucking it in and running when needed. At other times in the season though, he looked lost, throwing extremely inaccurate balls, seemingly the weak link in an explosive offensive led by NFL bound Rashard Mendenhall, and forcing the coaching staff to alternate quarterbacks in the middle of games. Many times his play caused Illini fans to think, “How awesome would we be with a decent quarterback?”

Winning in spite of Juice became a theme through much of the season, allowing McGee to get major playing time. McGee got legitimate playing time in the Syracuse, Penn St, Iowa, and Michigan games. He often played like a raw, inexperienced player, but one who could make nearly every throw on the field, and one who could also use his explosiveness and speed to make big plays when nothing else was developing. In Illinois’ first statement win, at home against Penn State, Juice started off hot but really cooled down late in the game (a common theme). Zook put in McGee, and although he didn’t do anything spectacular, his 53-yard rush gave the Illini a spark—something they seemed to get whenever McGee was placed in a game last season.

Providing a spark was not all the Washington D.C native could do in 2007. In the opener against Missouri, Juice got injured early in the game, and McGee came in and was effective in the passing game, throwing for 257 yards and a touchdown as well as a rushing touchdown, but with four turnovers. His lack of football intelligence and his freshman mistakes never allowed the coaching staff to put him in full time, but he showed potential in almost every game he played.

As if a two player quarterback controversy isn’t enough, the Illini bring in Jacob Charest next year, who according to Scout.com is the 23 ranked quarterback in the class and has very good decision making, release, and mental toughness, while needing to improve on mobility and technique. His ability to throw the ball might make the offense much more prolific, and his abilities make many fans consider a full time two quarterback system a la Tim Tebow and Chris Leak. Charest would be the starter and the main passer, while Williams or McGee (only one of them) would come in as a change of pace quarterback who runs options and sneaks and occasional throws. I believe this is the best option if Charest can truly throw the ball with precision, as Juice’s mastery of the spread and Charest’s arm would give defenses fits. Also, talented wide receivers like Rejus Benn and Jeff Cumberland could be better utilized.

A major problem with this system is that Charest will be a true freshman next fall, and he will likely need time to develop into the prolific passer he can be. A two-quarterback system might stunt Charest’s growth as a player, and it will likely not be productive with a young, inexperienced freshman. In Florida’s successful tandem in 2006, Chris Leak was a veteran four-year starter, and his abilities and decision-making were very mature—something Charest will most likely lack next year. Tim Tebow, the scrambler, was a true freshman, but it isn’t fair to compare our players to him, as he is maybe one of the most talented college football players ever, and will have a legitimate chance to win three Heismans.

Taking that into consideration, the two-quarterback system is probably a year away from being effective. So who should be the starter?

Yes, Juice is the most popular. Yes, he has the signature nickname. Yes, he has potential to be an accomplished four-year starter that goes down as one of the best Illini quarterbacks of all time. And yes, at this time he is a better fit for the offense than McGee and Charest--if just because of his experience. According to beat writer Bob Ausmussen, “Juice Williams will be the starting quarterback, but Eddie McGee will push him. If it works the way the coaches hope, Juice will be the starter the next two years, with McGee and Charest battling for the starting spot in 2010.”

Overall, Juice is the better option not only for the short term but also for the next two years. Despite being inconsistent, Juice was dramatically improved over his freshman season:

Passing

YEAR	CMP	ATT	PCT	YARDS	AVG	TD	LNG	INT	RAT
2006	103	261	39.5	1489	5.7	9	76	9	91.9
2007	153	267	57.3	1743	6.5	13	56	12	119.2

He improved drastically in nearly every statistic, and if he continues this type of growth, his stats should be close to this in 2008:

YEAR	CMP	ATT	PCT	YARDS	AVG	TD	INT	RAT
2008	180	275	65.5	2150	7.8	18	12	142.6

If he can put up these stats, the Illini will be fighting for the Big Ten title, and maybe more. He needs to devote himself, and come to spring practices looking and playing like a leader—another big factor. With the departure of Mendenhall and Leman, Juice has set himself in position to become the true leader of the team, something he can earn with good play. His leadership could potentially be more important than his mistakes during the game, and I don’t see this team having a true player to look up to if McGee or Charest is the starting quarterback, something that would greatly affect their play in 2008.

Assuming all three work their tail off in the off-season, Zook needs to evaluate each player: Has Juice kept maturing? Has McGee got the spread down? Is Charest ready to be a factor in the Big Ten? Since I don’t believe Charest will be ready, it will likely come down to McGee vs. Juice, and if both show a similar or close skill set, Juice needs to be put in as the full time starter, as his leadership can take this team further than Eddie McGee can.

Don’t underestimate leadership. The players still remember Juice’s heroics on national TV at the #1 team in the country. They still remember all the key 3^rd down runs to keep the ball and keep the clock moving, and how he ran the offense the last three games of the regular season. Juice has already shown he can do it—know he needs to step up and do it consistently.

For a team so quarterback drought since the end of the Kurt Kittner era, it’s a privilege to have such options at the quarterback position. With each quarterback having different strengths and weaknesses, it will be a tough call, but at the end of the day, without any major setbacks, Juice Williams needs to be quarterback of this team because of his leadership and the fact that he has shown he can play exceptionally. Dufrene is a very talented back, but it is a safe bet he won’t have the season Rashard Mendenhall did in 2007, and Juice needs to play better than he’s ever played before for this team to reach new heights--and I believe he will.

-Mas, Illinois Correspondent

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Edit: We're up over a thousand hits, now. I hope you guys are enjoying the ride and will continue to check in every once in a while. Thanks for the comments and support so far :)

JHS's Fearless Predictions for the 2008 Big Ten Season

2008-01-29T14:19:00.000-05:00

Seeing as how there is (most likely) going to be no big college football news until next Wednesday (National Signing Day, as fans of UM and OSU hold their breath and hope they T. Pryor comes to their University), I'm going to act like ESPN and just create my own news in the form of some bold predictions for the 2008 Season.

*Note for the sake of argument - I'm going to create these predictions with the thought in mind that Pryor is not going to neither OSU nor Michigan*

2008 Big Ten Champs: OSU Buckeyes. Not hard to picture this happening - I see them going 10-2 (one loss in Big ten play and a loss to USC). No title game shot this year for the Bucks, but they will continue their (almost yearly) tradition of being in the BCS.

2008 Big Ten Cellar Dweller: Minnesota Golden Gophers. Sorry Gopher fans, but this is just not a good team, they will win more than they did last year (one win). 4-5 wins could be within reach for the Gophers this year.

2008 Big Ten MVP: Chris Wells, OSU. This is a beast, big, strong, fast and will be touching the ball a lot. Expect him to be a top Heisman candidate as well.

2008 Big Ten Coach of the year: Rich Rodriguez, UM. With the loss of basically the starting offense, expectations are going to lower than usual in Ann Arbor this season, some media members have predicted 6 wins and even 4 wins for UM. If Rodriguez can get UM to 9-3 I think he has a great shot at being coach of the year. If he could beat OSU in Columbus, he might be a shoo-in for the award.

Now onto some UM predictions -

2008 UM captains: Morgan Trent, CB; Tim Jamison, DE; and Greg Matthews, WR.

2008 UM Defensive MVP: Morgan Trent, CB. Trent was light years better in '07 than he was in '06. In fact going into '07, many UM fans though he would be a liability on defense, however, he turned out to a major strength. If his progression can continue he could be one of the best CBs in the nation.

2008 UM Breakthrough Player: Steven Threet, QB. Threet is the most likely candidate to start game one: he has been practicing and training at the college football level for a year more than any potential frosh QB, and he will have gotten the playbook months before any frosh QB. Even though Coach Rod favors a mobile QB, I think he will be forced to give Threet a lot of playing time and Threet will deliver.

Well that's all for now, but after spring ball I will release my official predictions for the 2008 college football season.

Also expect some serious analysis next week on UM's recruiting class.

Big Ten Buzz Express- 1/28/08

2008-01-28T20:10:00.000-05:00

Sorry about the no-post day yesterday. One of our correspondents was bogged down at work, and not much happened in the world of Big Ten football. I scrapped together the few intriguing stories going on around the B10 for an express version of 'Big Ten Buzz'.

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A few Big Ten players snagged some awards in the Senior Bowl:

Chad Henne, QB, Michigan - North Team's Offensive MVP
5/9, 64yds, 2 TDs (Only North QB without an INT)

Dan Connor, LB, Penn State - Under Armor Award (North Defensive MVP?)
9 tackles (5 solo), 1 INT (Off Colt Brennan), 4yds

Other Big Ten participants didn't fare as well..

Dorien Bryant, WR, Purdue - 1rec, 3yds, 1 kickoff return, 19yds
Charles Godfrey, CB, Iowa - 2 tackles
Tracy Porter, DB, Indiana - 4 tackles, 1 pass break-up
Cliff Avril, DL, Purdue - 2 tackles
Bryan Mattison, DL, Iowa - 2 tackles

No stats: Michigan LB Shawn Crable, Michigan DB Jamar Adams, Ohio State OL Kirk Barton, or Michigan State TE Kellen Davis.

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Indiana's Assistant Head Coach Gerald Brown is no longer Indiana's Assistant Head Coach. He's decided, instead, to head to a more stable team in the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, as a Running Backs coach.

To be fair, his last season at Indiana (where he was also a running backs coach) was a successful one:

The Hoosier rushing attack posted the most yards (2,046), yards per game (157.4), yards per carry (4.3) and rushing touchdowns (18) since the 2001 season during the 2007 campaign. Three Hoosiers rushed for over 350 yards and averaged over 4.0 yards per carry, including backs Marcus Thigpen (568, 4.1) and Bryan Payton (381, 4.2).

Best of luck to Mr. Brown in the NFL. Try to bring some football sanity back to Atlanta.

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Wisconsin has released a DVD recapping the 2007 season. Why any fan of any team in the Big Ten (besides, perhaps, Indiana) would want to see a DVD recap of this past season is beyond me.

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I've got another correspondent post (going up tomorrow) and should have yet another one going up Wednesday afternoon. See you then.

PSU's lack of recruiting prowess isn't entirely the fault of JoePa

2008-01-26T18:53:00.000-05:00

Alright, alright, I too have jumped on the Terrelle Pryor-mania bandwagon. But as NLOID approaches, where he and all the other top recruits will be playing their college ball is all people can talk about. As your Penn State correspondent, I’ve been wondering to myself “Why on earth is Terrelle Pryor, the best prospect coming out of the state of Pennsylvania, not seriously interested in his home state’s massive state university?” Well, regardless of what some of you might think, the problem lies with more than just the Head Coach.

Sure, JoePa’s “prehistoric” playing-calling is a problem for attracting new recruits, especially one comfortable with the spread offensive like Pryor is. But with Darryl Clark’s performance in the Alamo Bowl, we have seen that the Penn State coaching staff is not adverse to a running quarterback. This is confirmed further by Penn State Offensive Coordinator Jay Paterno, the son of Head Coach Joe Paterno and most likely the 81 year old’s successor, announcing Penn State's desire to run the “Spread HD”, hoping to both pass and run for over 200 yards per game.

So, I can hear you all saying, “get to the point, Phil! What’s the other reason already!?” Well, as I was going on my college tours and other tour members were asking questions like “How many students are there?” or “What about this school made you decide to attend?” I, being the obsessed college football fan, asked “Who is your biggest rival in sports?” From Texas, I got the answer “Oklahoma, we hate them.” From Michigan: “If you have to ask that question, you don’t deserve to come to Michigan.” And from USC I got “UCLA.” And these aren't one-sided rivalries, either. Michigan, USC, and Texas are the biggest rivals of Ohio State, UCLA, and Oklahoma, respectively, as well. And if you think about it, that's what truly makes a rivalry great.

It was when I went on the tour at Penn State that I discovered that there was something lacking. When I asked my question to the Nittany Lion tour guides, they couldn’t give me a straight answer. Some said that it used to be Pitt, but we don’t play them anymore. Some said that it’s Ohio State, and some said that it is Michigan or Michigan State. But if you asked all of those schools, not one of them would say that Penn State was their main rival.

College football, to the kids that are playing it, is not about corporate sponsorships or TV contracts; it’s about winning your rivalry game and having bragging rights for an entire year. I can understand that not having a rival may be a big issue to some kids, especially when the greatest rivalry in the entire country, Ohio State-Michigan, is in the same conference as Penn State.

That being said, we can't forget the problem of JoePa’s style of offense. He has not evolved with the game, and still runs the same offense that won him two national championships…back in the ‘80s. LSU doesn’t have a major rival either, but they have coaches that have evolved with the game and know how to recruit players. JoePa simply hasn’t and doesn’t, and refuses to quit doing what he is doing, even if it means mediocrity in both the conference and the nation.

Penn State won me over with the academics and the student pride, but if I was a top football recruit, I would be looking at the Michigans and the Ohio States, not Penn State. To get Penn State back to the top, JoePa has to realize that the game has changed, and so must he. Or, he has to leave behind the program that he built, and is now in the process of destroying.

-Phil, Penn State Correspondent

It's about time!

2008-01-25T15:26:00.000-05:00

Who knew we'd have a Penn State and Illinois correspondent before we'd have a Buckeye? The team that just went 11-1 in the regular season? The ones that went to the National Championship? That team who's fans are always right behind you telling you how they beat your team, even when it's at a game that Ohio State isn't even playing in*?

Yeah, anyways. They have passionate fans. And luckily for all of us, we picked up one of them to write for us here at Blog 10 Football. He's known as KabukiBuckeye, but he's been nice enough to allow us to call him KB from here on out. Here's what he had to say:

Looking through a family photo album recently my favorite picture was one of myself as a child proudly wearing my #7 Cornelius Greene jersey, proof I've been a huge Ohio State Buckeye fan my entire life. My first Buckeye memories came from the Earle Bruce days when I got to watch Buckeye greats like Chris Spielman. I somehow was able to survive the John Cooper era and his 2-10-1 record against Michigan.

Then in 2000 Jim Tressel came to town and two seasons later Ohio State had their first National Championship in 34 years. Did I mention he's won 6 or his first 7 against Michigan? As much success as he's had on the field what he's done off it may even be more impressive. I have lived in Ohio most of my life and I can't recall a time where I've ever seen more support and pride for The Ohio State University. It's a beautiful thing to see.

Looking forward to making a run at Miami in '08.

Go Big Ten and Go Bucks!

Welcome to the team, KB. Glad to have you.

*Yeah, this actually did happen.

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Has anyone heard of a guy named "Terrelle Pryor"? No?

2008-01-24T16:01:00.000-05:00

I hate to do it. I really do. Terrelle Pryor has been beat to death* in the media and on blogs all over the internet for the past few days.

One article, however, intrigued me enough to cover it here. It's a short article about why Pryor is such a big deal, and to save you from reading through the five paragraphs to find the two that I'm talking about, here is is:

Let me ask a few questions. Is Michigan football a big story? Is the Rich Rodriguez coaching transition a well-watched, well-analyzed affair? Does Rodriguez need a quarterback for his offense to run? Does Rodriguez currently have a quarterback that you trust to run the offense? Is Pryor the highest rated player in high school football? Has he been compared to Vince Young? And finally, has Michigan’s entire season ever been riding on whether or not one senior was committing to the program?

The answer to every one of those questions (except for maybe the last one) is an emphatic yes. So how could too much be made of Pryor’s choice?

Each one of those questions can be answered with "an emphatic yes"?

Let's tackle these one at a time, shall we?

Is Michigan football a big story?

Depends. If this was Northeastern New Mexico State and they were trying to land a big player that would really help them out, it wouldn't be such a huge deal, so I'll humor you. I wouldn't call it an 'emphatic yes', however.

Is the Rich Rodriguez coaching transition a well-watched, well-analyzed affair?

It's certainly a closely monitored affair, and many people talk and write about it, but it's absolutely not "well analyzed". The media has blown everything between Rich and WVU way out of proportion. Well analyzed would be "West Virginia says Rodriguez shredded documents, but who cares? They have like ten different copies of all the important stuff he shredded, and if they don't the AD looks worse than Rodriguez."

Does Rodriguez need a quarterback for his offense to run?

Well, yeah. Doesn't every football team?

Does Rodriguez currently have a quarterback that you trust to run the offense?

...? No? Not in the slightest? Is that what you meant by 'emphatic yes'?

Is Pryor the highest rated player in high school football?

Depends on who you talk to. Some say he's 2nd or 3rd, others say he's 5th or 6th. But in a few people's opinions he is. Sure.

Has he been compared to Vince Young?

Yes. Have I been compared to Johnny Depp? Why yes! Yes I have!**

And finally, has Michigan’s entire season ever been riding on whether or not one senior was committing to the program?

As you point out yourself, probably. But I don't think it is now. Pryor, at most, will mean the difference between a BCS Bowl and a regular bowl. Michigan does in fact (contrary to how some people are making it seem) have other quarterbacks on the roster, and even other dual threat quarterbacks that they're recruiting right now.

Like I said, I didn't want to do it, but he's the hot topic right now.

Who else wishes NLOID was tomorrow?

* I really hope this doesn't turn out like that Tiger Woods thing..
** "That Austin guy is no where near as cute as Johnny Depp."

Yet another slot filled..

2008-01-23T18:06:00.000-05:00

The position of Illinois correspondent has officially been filled.

A regular on the Illinois Loyalty boards, Mas is about as big as an Illini fan as one can get, and as he explains, has been bleeding orange for quite some time:

Growing up less than a mile from beautiful Memorial Stadium, Illinois sports and especially football became became my life.

Through the rocky years of Lou Tepper and Ron Turner the Fighting Illini experienced everything from Rose Bowl appearances to one win seasons, but after years of mediocrity and worse, fans began accepting the idea that they were "second tier". Ron Zook brought a new mentality in 2005, and despite a discouraging first two years, Illinois started bringing in nationally ranked talent, and players across the country began to take pride in playing for Illinois.

In one year the Illini went from a two win team to a Rose Bowl Participant, and with the pieces currently set up the Illini should be a top team in the Big Ten and look to go back to Pasadena--and maybe more.

We're glad to have you on the team, Mas. I look forward to your future contributions.

Big Ten Buzz- 1/22/08

2008-01-22T19:07:00.001-05:00

This'll be a quick one today, as not too much groundbreaking stuff has happened in the world of Big Ten football in the past 24 hours.

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Four days after his visit to Ann Arbor, DJ Woods (WR, Ohio) has committed to the University of Cincinnati:

UC today received an oral commitment from Strongsville (Ohio) High School wide receiver D.J. Woods, who picked the Bearcats over Michigan.
“They said I could make an impact right away,” Woods said. “That’s what I want to do.”

Yep, you read that right. With offers from the likes of Auburn, West Virginia, Penn State, and fresh off a visit to Ann Arbor, DJ Woods committed to Cincinnati. Because he could make an impact right away.. at Cincinnati.

Michigan just lost Adrian Arrington and Mario Manningham to the draft, and just acquired a coach that loves the spread offense. West Virginia just won a BCS Bowl and is starting play in the post-Rodriguez era. Penn State is looking to make a serious dent in the Big Ten next season.

But he could make an impact right away at Cincinnati, so he decided to commit there. The team that went 4-3 in the Big East.

Cincinnati.

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That's it for tonight. If anyone is interested in any of the nine openings that are left (everyone besides Michigan and Penn State), please leave a comment or send me an e-mail at blog10football@gmail.com

Another one down

2008-01-22T18:15:00.000-05:00

We've added yet another member to the Blog Ten Football family, as the writer simply known as Phil is going to be covering everything Nittany Lion football.

Hey Big Ten Fans. My name is Phil and I'll be the Penn State writer here.

I'm 18 years old and a senior in high school, but I will be attending Penn State in the fall. I cannot wait to be a part of the "best student section in the country" (according to Kirk Herbstreit), and all the traditions at Penn State such as the White Out and even good ol' JoePa himself that make me love being a Nittany Lion. Here at Blog10, I'll be your source for all things Penn State so I'm looking forward to the recruiting season and more importantly the 2008 football season. Fight On State!

Welcome to the family, Phil. I look forward to your contributions.

The first of many..

2008-01-22T17:04:00.000-05:00

The first of eleven sacred spots on this site has been filled. Jim Harbaugh Scramble, a regular poster on MGoBlog, has been selected to represent the Maize and Blue here at Blog Ten Football.

I've asked him to write a brief introduction, so without further adieu:

Hello fans, I'm Jim Harbaugh Scramble and I'll be your Michigan correspondent here on Blog 10 Football.

About me - I'm 24 years old and a huge UM football fan. College football is my favorite sport but I'm also into the NFL, NBA and MLB. My favorite sports teams are the Wolverines, Detroit Lions, Detroit Pistons, Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings. My passion, however is Michigan football.

I'm originally from Michigan, grew up in the Detroit area, and for whatever reason just became a huge UM fan. I've been a fan for as long as I remember. Some of my favorite UM players of all time are: Harbaugh, Terrell, Woodson, Howard among many, many others. What I love the most about Michigan is a tradition of winning the right way with class and integrity.

I want to thank Blog 10 for this opportunity and I hope you Big Ten fans will have a chance to learn more about me and UM football.

Go Blue!

No, JHS. Thank you. Here's to a bright future of blogging between us and the rest of Blog Ten Football's correspondents (to be announced).

Slowly coming together..

2008-01-22T15:55:00.000-05:00

Blog Ten Football is still very much in it's infancy. Slowly but surely, however, it is maturing as the pieces come together.

Over the next few days I hope to garner writers from individual teams that will write short, periodic pieces on their respective team. I've decided on a few, and will introduce them as soon as possible, and have a few others in mind, but we should have most of the teams represented over the next week or two.

Not much of an update, I know, but if my first official writer gets back to me, you should expect at least another post or two by the end of the day.

Big Ten Buzz- 1/21/08

2008-01-21T21:39:00.000-05:00

Big Ten Buzz is going to be a feature on Blog Ten Football that'll show up every once in a while. Could be a few times a week, could be every few weeks. Whenever I feel like it, I guess. It'll basically just go over the goings-on within the Big Ten. Here's the first installment:

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Joe-Pa's contract is due to expire after the 2008 season, however:

"The 42-year coaching veteran has said recently he could coach at least a couple more years, and perhaps has many as five...

... When asked if the topic of Paterno coaching beyond next year had come up yet, [Penn State President Graham] Spanier only said that he hadn't had a chance to speak to the coach yet."

JoePa's quote provoked a collective sigh from Penn State fans, as they already have to endure another season of his prehistoric play calling. Another five years just might land Penn State in the cellar of a conference that is slowly but surely moving into the 21st century. Illinois is there already, Ohio State was there with Troy Smith (and could easily return if they land Terrelle Pryor), and Michigan is certainly headed there with Rich Rodriguez, the inventor of the spread.

If JoePa is concerned with what is good for the future of Penn State Football, he would get out of Happy Valley, ASAP. I'm not opposed to him finishing up his contract, but anything in terms of an extension would be borderline selfish.

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According to FoxSports, the 2009 NFL Draft will have nine of it's 32 first round picks come from the Big Ten (five from Ohio State).

3. Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB Ohio State (Jr.)
5. James Laurinaitis, LB Ohio State
7. Malcolm Jenkins, CB Ohio State
16. Greg Middleton, DE Indiana (Jr.)
19. Marcus Freeman, LB Ohio State
20. Alex Boone, OT Ohio State
21. Sean Lee, LB Penn State
26. Travis Beckum, TE Wisconsin
27. Vontae Davis, CB Illinois (Jr.)

There would be even more on this list had the likes of Adrian Arrington and Mario Manningham (WRs, Michigan), Vernon Gholston (DE, Ohio State), James Hardy (WR, Indiana), Jack Ikegwuonu (CB, Wisconsin), Justin King (CB, Penn State), Rashard Mendenhall (RB, Illinois), and Devin Thomas (WR, Michigan State) not declared early this season.

The five out of Ohio State might seem like a bit of a stretch, but if you look at them on their own, they could all easily be first round picks if they have monster seasons next year. I mean monster seasons.

The only surprise on that list isn't the surplus of Buckeyes, but the lack of (see: zero) Wolverines. Not because there should be three or four of them on the list, but because Michigan is as used to churning out NFL candidates as obtaining West Virginia's coaches. It'll certainly be a rebuilding year for the Wolverines next season.

(See article for brief reasoning on the picks.)

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That'll be it for tonight. Look for further updates constantly, and feel free to leave me some love.

The Christening of Blog 10 Football

2008-01-21T20:12:00.000-05:00

"And with this, I Christen thee Blog 10 Football!"

To me, the Big Ten is like that kid whose close friends think he's the greatest kid ever, people that don't really know him don't have anything bad to say about him, and the few that don't like him at all don't have good reason for it.

Big Ten football fans are some of the most passionate that I’ve ever seen, and for this reason I’ve decided to dedicate a blog to them. I hope that this garners a decent following, solely for the fact that it makes it more fun to write. I’ve been casually blogging about sports in a multitude of places for a few years now, however this is the first time that I’ve decided to actually sit down and have a blog that I’m 100% dedicated to sitting down and writing as often as necessary. The plan now is at least a post a day.

The difference between this blog and others you might follow is that you will decide on the content. Of course I’ll have commentary on current Big Ten events, as well as some other features that’ll pop up here and then, but you are going to decide what direction this blog goes in.

If you would like me to focus on a full preview for next season, team by team, game by game, let me know. If you want weekly recruiting updates by team, just tell me and I’ll do my best to make it happen. Just tell me what you want to see and it’s done. It’s kind of like democracy, but the plan is for this one to work.

I know this blog hasn’t had any time at all to develop yet, so for now just look around. Take the poll, check out some of the team-specific blogs in the ‘Links’ section, or leave a comment or two.

And be sure to tune in over the next few days, because there should be an avalanche of activity right here on Blog Ten Football.

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Oh, and if you have an unhealthy interest in Big Ten Football as a whole, or even if you would like to be a correspondent for a single team in the Big Ten, I’d love to have your help. Shoot me an email at blog10football@gmail.com and tell me what you’re interested in.