With Big Ten play beginning this weekend, The Badger Herald looked to other student newspapers around the conference to show what Wisconsin can expect from the Big Ten this season.
Nebraska:
The Big Ten scheduling committee didn’t do Nebraska any favors in its first two seasons in the new conference. This year, however, the Huskers face a much easier schedule.
After stumbling a few times through its nonconference schedule, Nebraska should have some time to regroup and tension should loosen in Lincoln as the Huskers face their easiest spree of games to start the Big Ten season. Kicking off Nebraska’s conference schedule is a home match-up against Illinois, followed by road games against Purdue and Minnesota. Then Nebraska hits a surging Northwestern at home, likely a top-15 ranked Michigan at the Big House and a tough defensive Michigan State squad back in Lincoln throughout November.
Nebraska slipped away from a scare at Northwestern and defeated Michigan 23-9 last year, but both match-ups should provide Big Red with the biggest challenges of the season.
While Michigan and Northwestern appear to be the stronger teams so far this season, Michigan State will be far from a cake walk for the Huskers. Though the Spartans have had trouble offensively, Nebraska’s defense has been anything but consistent, so Sparty, too, might give Nebraska issues.
If head coach Bo Pelini and company lose two of three during this patch, the season outlook will be dark. Surviving all three, on the other hand, would let Nebraska ride a wave a momentum through the final two games.
The Huskers then round out conference play facing Penn State on the road and Iowa at home.
Luckily for the so-far unproven Huskers, a few glitches in the road will not necessarily be a nail in the coffin for Nebraska’s hopes to make the Big Ten Championship game.
Kyle Cummings, Daily Nebraskan
Michigan State:
After last season began with Rose Bowl aspirations and ended with a disappointing 7-6 record, the Spartans entered 2013 aiming to avoid wasting a championship-caliber defense with an anemic offense for the second-straight year.
Through three games, it’s been a rocky start for MSU. The defense was forced to save the day against embarrassingly outmatched opponents in Western Michigan and South Florida. The “D” scored four touchdowns before the offense finally showed a pulse in a blowout win against Youngstown State.
After the Youngstown State game, sophomore Connor Cook was named MSU’s starting quarterback for the foreseeable future, ending the controversy under center dating back to last season’s Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. Fair or not, much of the Spartans’ success this season will ride on Cook’s shoulders and his ability to move the offense.
Few are worried about a defense that returned seven starters from a top-10 unit a season ago. MSU already is on pace to match or exceed that production and head coach Mark Dantonio has said multiple times he feels this could be the best defense he’s ever coached — which would include the 2002 national title team at Ohio State.
MSU’s defense is a deep, veteran unit that already has shown a knack for big plays such as sacks, turnovers and touchdowns that was missing in 2012. Sophomore defensive end Shilique Calhoun has made a name for himself early with highlight plays, and he’s already shown more promise as a pass-rusher than predecessor Will Gholston.
Since the departure of Kirk Cousins and a host of talented skill personnel following the 2011 season, the Spartans have struggled to regain anything near that offensive output. And this fall, they are without the luxury of workhorse running back Le’Veon Bell to rack up the most carries in the nation.
MSU’s fate this season will depend on the offense’s ability to manage even mediocre production to supplement another vaunted defense that should keep Spartans competitive in every game.
Stephen Brooks, The State News
Minnesota:
The Gophers have started the season 3-0 for the second straight season and could potentially enter conference play undefeated for the second time in as many years.
Minnesota wraps up its nonconference play with San Jose State next week before it jumps into the Big Ten against Iowa. The Gophers are led on offense by a balanced run attack that has imposed its will on lesser foes through the first three games of the season.
Minnesota’s defense is headed by stud senior defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman and a deep secondary led by senior safety Brock Vereen. The Gophers were tied for last in the Legends division last year, but with a veteran-led defense, and an improving youthful offense, this might be the season they make it out of the cellar.
Dane Mizutani, Minnesota Daily News
Purdue:
After a world of optimism was generated from the hiring of new head coach Darrell Hazell, the Boilermakers came out flat in a 42-7 loss to Cincinnati to open the season. A narrow 20-14 victory over FCS opponent Indiana State the following week didn’t do much to appease the fan base either. A hard-fought 31-24 loss to Notre Dame was the best game Purdue has played in 2013.
Purdue’s offense has struggled to gain any traction in the running game, averaging just 79.0 yards per game — the worst mark in the conference by more than 52 yards. After failing to throw a touchdown pass in the first two weeks of the season, quarterback Rob Henry rebounded with a 256-yard, three-touchdown performance against Notre Dame as the pass offense showed its first signs of life all season.
Purdue’s front four, led by all-Big Ten candidates defensive end Ryan Russell (4.0 TFL) and defensive tackle Bruce Gaston (3.5 TFL), leads the defense and has successfully stopped the run. Purdue has given up just 130 yards on 2.2 yards per carry the last two weeks.
Injuries have hurt the Boilermakers early in the season. Henry’s favorite target, tight end Gabe Holmes, is out for the season with a broken wrist. Landon Feichter, who led Purdue in tackles (80) and interceptions (4) last season will likely miss the rest of the season as well with a broken leg.”
Travis Baugh, Purdue Exponent
Ohio State:
The Ohio State Buckeyes head into 2013 Big Ten regular season play favored to take home the conference title for the first time since 2009.
The Buckeyes will more than likely enter conference play undefeated unless a catastrophic meltdown occurs against Florida A&M at home this weekend. OSU is averaging nearly 45 points a game, doing the majority of it without starting quarterback and preseason Heisman favorite Braxton Miller.
After replacing nine defensive starters from 2012’s undefeated squad, the inexperience on the unit has been a point of emphasis for coach Urban Meyer and his staff.
Confidence is at a high level though, as young players like freshman Joey Bosa and sophomores Noah Spence and Adolphus Washington have already made an impact. Spence leads the team in tackles for loss and Washington is seen as a leader on the line.
With the return of senior running back Carlos Hyde this weekend against Florida A&M, OSU will finally have all of their weapons on offense at its disposal. With the influx of young talent like the speedy freshmen Dontre Wilson and Ezekiel Elliot, opposing defenses in the conference have much more to worry about this year aside from just Miller. Meyer has not been shy about giving the you guys the ball either.
The Buckeyes avoid playing Michigan State this weekend, and get Iowa, Wisconsin and Penn State in Ohio Stadium. If they play like they can, all signs point to them heading to Indianapolis to play for the B1G Title in December.
Eric Seger, The Lantern
Iowa:
Coming off a putrid 2012 that featured just four wins (two from the Big Ten), it’s hard to see the Iowa Hawkeyes performing any worse in 2013. This year’s Hawkeye squad features a brand new quarterback in sophomore Jake Rudock, and so far he’s off to a pretty good start for someone who had never taken a collegiate snap before his first game as a starter.
Even with the installation of a more spread, hurry-up offense from second-year offensive coordinator Greg Davis, it looks as though Iowa is going to rely heavily on its running backs, Mark Weisman in particular. Through three games, Weisman leads the nation in carries and accounts for a little under a third of Iowa’s total yardage.
The fire appears to be rekindled for the defensive line, with Carl Davis showing he is a force to be reckoned with in the trenches at defensive tackle. Iowa may just have the most experienced corps of linebackers in the conference, with Anthony Hitchens, James Morris, and Christian Kirksey combining for 74 starts going into week four of the season.
Iowa usually appears better on paper than its actual record come midseason, but many believe it’s urgent for Iowa to pull off another 2009 in order for head coach Kirk Ferentz to keep his job.
It’s hard to tell if he actually is on the hot seat with his contract that pays him over $20 million until 2020, but many people in Iowa country believe its time for Ferentz to translate his salary numbers into conference wins if the dean of Big Ten football coaches wishes to stay that way.
Ben Ross, The Daily Iowan
Illinois:
Illinois should head into conference play with its metaphorical head held high. A loss to Washington may have illustrated it best — this team is not the same squad that moped through 2012 without so much as a flicker of life. Down 31-10 to the Huskies, the Illini rallied behind the arm of Nathan Scheelhaase to pull within a touchdown before falling short.
The Illini won’t be competing for the 2013 Big Ten Championship, but they’ll competing week to week with whatever opponent they face. The 2012 Illinois football team was a total pushover. This year, the offense is deep and tricky thanks to new offensive coordinator Bill Cubit, who spent his previous eight seasons as the head coach of Western Michigan. Cubit has the benefit of a deeper receiving corps, bolstered by junior college transfer Martize Barr and, perhaps most notably, by a couple converts, Miles Osei (former third string quarterback) and Steve Hull (former injury laden safety).
The defense is a sieve. After allowing more than 400 yards in weeks one and two, the Illini really opened up against Washington, allowing more than 600 yards. The secondary is young, and teams have not had trouble so far getting receivers open. The linebacking corps is a strength, with Jonathan Brown and Mason Monheim providing consistency and leadership. Don’t mistake their tackling for a solid run defense, however, as the trench battle has been an area of concern for the Illini defense.
Eliot Sill, Daily Illini
Penn State:
Penn State is coming off a year in which the Nittany Lions shocked many with an 8-4 campaign that included a 6-2 performance in Big Ten play.
The year culminated in a 24-21 overtime victory over Wisconsin, Bill O’Brien named the 2012 AT&T ESPN National Coach of the Year and the 2012 team enshrined in Beaver Stadium next to Penn State’s best squads.
This year, the expectations coming into the year are elevated and rightfully so.
With the highly touted quarterback recruit Christian Hackenberg taking the reins of the Lions’ (2-1) offense in place of former walk-on Matt McGloin, who is now with the Oakland Raiders, the offense has potential. The true freshman has amassed 851 yards — good for third among Big Ten quarterbacks — four touchdowns and a completion percentage over 70 percent while throwing just three interceptions in three games.
Wide receiver Allen Robinson deserves much credit as he has burned secondaries for 405 yards and three touchdowns thus far on the young season, giving the inexperienced quarterback a big target. The competition will be stiffer when Hackenberg and Robinson start facing Big Ten defenses, but the offense has impressed, scoring 99 points.
While Indiana will be the first Big Ten test for the Lions on Oct. 5, it is already evident what will hinder Penn State when the team encounters harder Big Ten opponents — the Lions’ defense.
Penn State’s defense was gashed for 507 yards of total offense in the Lions’ first loss on the year against University of Central Florida.
The Lions could not stop UCF’s quarterback, Blake Bortles, as he led drive after drive en route to a 288-yard performance while tossing three touchdowns. Bortles sat in the pocket comfortably, as he was not sacked all evening and the pass rush was virtually nonexistent. If the Lions want to make noise in the Big Ten again, they will have to have better line play and the secondary has to step up.
With future opponents Nebraska and Wisconsin struggling and picking up early losses on the season, the Lions may be poised to wreak havoc in the Big Ten, but face tough tests against Michigan and Ohio State, thus making a 6-2 repeat somewhat of a stretch.
Penn State is still banned from postseason play, but the Lions can throw a wrench in some Big Ten team’s plans.
Lee Cary, The Daily Collegian
Michigan:
Playing in the more competitive Legends Division of the Big Ten, Michigan (3-0) will face a number of tough opponents this season that will make reaching the Big Ten Championship in Indianapolis, Ind., no easy feat this season.
Led by junior quarterback Devin Gardner, the Wolverines offense has started the season off in a puzzling manner.
After a dominating performance against then No. 14 Notre Dame — a game that saw Michigan’s offense rack up 41 points — they struggled the very next week against an Akron team that had finished 1-11 in 2012.
Heading into conference play, Michigan has to play at Penn State, Michigan St., Northwestern and Iowa, before finishing the season hosting No. 4 Ohio State.
In addition to dual-threat quarterback Gardner, Michigan will rely on the running back combination of fifth-year senior Fitzgerald Toussaint — who finished the season with 555 yards in 10 games in 2012 — and the top running back recruit in the nation, Derrick Green, to help carry an offense that lacks depth at wide receiver.
Over the last few years, Michigan’s defense has proved one of the best in the country, giving up an average of under 20 points per game in 2012. However, in 2013 MU’s opponents have found it a bit easier to score on the Wolverines. Besides Central Michigan’s measly nine points against Michigan, Notre Dame managed 30 and even Akron managed 24 before finally getting stopped in the red zone during the waning seconds from adding to that tally.
Despite having one of the tougher schedules in the Big Ten, they still remain many pundits’ favorite to advance out of the Legends Division and into the Big Ten Championship this season.
Nick Daniels, The Badger Herald
Northwestern:
Following a ten-win season a year ago, head coach Pat Fitzgerald’s Wildcats (3-0) will look for a similar finish again this year.
Quarterback pairing senior Kain Colter and junior Trevor Siemian will both be returning once again after Colter rushed for nearly 900 yards a season ago and Siemian passed for 1,312 yards. Northwestern’s offense will not have to rely solely on its quarterbacks to generate offense this season, however.
Senior running back Venric Mark is also back — the leading rusher in the Big Ten in 2012. Only three games in, Mark has only amassed 29 yards so far this season after picking up a lower body injury in the first game of the season against Cal.
On defense, Northwestern returns a solid core including its leading tackler a season ago, senior linebacker Damian Proby.
Still, replicating their 2012 record will be no easy feat in 2013. In one four-week stretch Northwestern has to play at Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska — none of which will be easy matchups for the Wildcats.
They do, however, get to play both Legends Division rivals Michigan State and Michigan in front of a Wildcat friendly crowd, which could go a long way in determining who gets to play Dec. 7 in Indianapolis and who is forced to watch the game from home.
Nick Daniels, The Badger Herald
Indiana:
If the first three games are any indication for the Hoosiers (2-1) prospects this year, offense won’t be the problem.
In just three games, Indiana has amassed a whopping 150 points so far — including a 73-35 drubbing of Indiana State in the opening game of the season.
Led by sophomore Nate Sudfeld at quarterback, Indiana is averaging over 300 yards per game through the air. Sudfeld, who took over at quarterback last season after sophomore Tre Roberson was injured early in the season, has already thrown for 10 touchdowns in 2013.
In addition to their prolific passing game, the Hoosiers can rely on sophomore running back Tevin Coleman to take some of the pressure off of Sudfield and the passing game. Through the beginning of the season this year, Coleman is averaging over 100 yards per game and has five touchdowns for the Hoosiers.
However, that is where the good news ends.
Indiana’s defense has proved difficult to overcome this season. In week two, not even a respectable 35 points was able to keep Indiana in the fight against Navy, who torched the Hoosiers for 41 points at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. Besides holding Bowling green to 10 points last weekend, the Hoosiers have allowed an average of 35 points a game.
Looking ahead, a leaky defense could pose problems for Indiana in the conference season. They will be traveling to Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Ohio State this year — all difficult places to play against teams with talented offenses.
Nick Daniels, The Badger Herald
