正文
Around the BigTen Conference
big ten conference Standings
Conference Overall
W L W L
Penn St. 7 1 11 2
Ohio St. 7 1 10 3
Michigan St. 6 2 9 4
Iowa 5 3 9 4
Northwestern 5 3 9 4
Wisconsin 3 5 7 6
Minnesota 3 5 7 6
Illinois 3 5 5 7
Purdue 2 6 4 8
Michigan 2 6 3 9
Indiana 1 7 3 9
ILLINOIS
INSIDE SLANT
If you\'re an Illinois fan, then you\'re accustomed to amazing highs being followed in rapid-fire fashion by killer lows.
Remember when Mike White led the 1983 Illini to the Big Ten title and the Rose Bowl? The 1984 team didn\'t go to a bowl due to NCAA probation, though the team\'s 7-4 record wouldn\'t have led to a spectacular postseason destination anyway.
Remember when Ron Turner led the 2001 Illini to the Big Ten title and the Sugar Bowl? The 2002 team went just 5-7 and stayed home.
Add Ron Zook\'s 2007 and 2008 seasons to this sad pattern. Fresh from a nine-win season and a trip to the Rose Bowl, the Illini managed to finish just 5-7 as they became a high-risk, high-reward crew that racked up tons of yards, turnovers and penalties.
Though the Illini outgained their opponents by 1,062 total yards, they outscored them by just 25 points because they suffered a minus-11 turnover margin and they had 216 more penalty yards.
Here\'s another example of Illinois\' rollercoaster season: junior quarterback Juice Williams set stadium records for total yards at three venues (St. Louis\' Edward Jones Dome, Michigan Stadium and Illinois\' Memorial Stadium), but the Illini won just one of those games.
What else happened? Wide receiver Jeff Cumberland broke running back Mikel Leshoure\'s jaw the same day Illinois beat Iowa to move to 5-4. While Leshoure missed the rest of the year, Cumberland didn\'t miss a snap. Of course, the Illini didn\'t win any more games, either, and closed out their season with a 27-10 loss at Northwestern.
The biggest thing I think we have to do is, we\'ve got to try to put on finger on \'Why?\', Zook said after the Northwestern loss. Everyone wants to know why and no one wants to know why more than myself. It\'s our job as a coaching staff. It\'s one of those things where we may never find out.
Because Illinois went from the Rose Bowl to no bowl with seemingly no explanation for the fall, everyone came in for their share of criticism. Zook, who just wrapped up his fourth year in Champaign, got torched for the team\'s undisciplined nature on and off the field — and his own inability to manipulate the clock in late-game situations.
Nonetheless, despite losing nine senior starters, Illinois\' talent level is only expected to increase. The Illini retain every skill player who did anything with the exception of 21-catch wideout Will Judson.
They also welcome Florida transfer Jarrod Fayson, a one-time five-star recruit who spent this fall as a dominant force on the scout team. When paired with Arrelious Benn (67 catches, 1,055 yards), Juice Williams will have little choice but to salivate at his options.
Illinois\' fate, though, could be determined by how well the coaches fill the holes on the lines. The Illini lose three offensive linemen (including 2007 second-team All-Big Ten picks Xavier Fulton and Ryan McDonald) and three defensive linemen (including 2007 second-team pick Will Davis).
Illinois brought its entire staff intact for the 2008 season, but that might not be the case for 2009. Offensive coordinator Mike Locksley interviewed recently for Clemson\'s top job and he figures to interview for others if the Tigers don\'t nab him.
SEASON RECAP:
Missouri 52, Illinois 42 — The 20th-ranked Illini took a brief lead in the second quarter on Derek Walker\'s interception return for a score, but a 99-yard return by Jeremy Maclin on the ensuing kickoff triggered a 21-point explosion that helped the sixth-ranked Tigers prevail in St. Louis. Juice Williams tried to rally the Illini late and finished with a career-high five touchdowns and 451 yards.
Illinois 47, Eastern Illinois 21 — Juice Williams broke his own record for single-game rushing yards by a quarterback (174), ran for two touchdowns and threw for a third as the Illini broke out to a 47-7 lead against their Football Championship Subdivision neighbors to the south. WR Arrelious Benn added his first two career rushing TDs as the Illini ran for 399 yards and set a Ron Zook-era record for points.
Illinois 20, Louisiana-Lafayette 17 — Middle linebacker Brit Miller stripped ULL QB Michael Desormeaux and returned it 27 yards to build a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. The rout seemed to be on, but the Illini offense struggled, and the defense allowed two late scores to make things close. Junior RB Dan Dufrene ran for a career-high 127 yards and scored the offense\' lone TD to lead the way.
Penn State 38, Illinois 24 - Juice Williams hooked up with Arrelious Benn for touchdowns of 33 and 54 yards, but Illinois squandered an early 14-7 lead as Penn State\'s Derrick Williams became the first player in the Joe Paterno era to score touchdowns via the rush, pass and kick return in the same game.
Illinois 45, Michigan 20 — Junior QB Juice Williams set a Michigan Stadium record with 431 total yards as the Illini scored 28 straight points to erase a 14-3 first-quarter deficit. Williams also became the first player in Illinois history to throw for 300 yards and rush for 100 yards in the same game. He had two touchdowns on the ground and two through the air.
Minnesota 27, Illinois 20 — Illinois lost two fumbles inside its own 10-yard line that turned into Minnesota touchdowns, as former Illini All-Big Ten tight end Tim Brewster earned the biggest win of his short head-coaching career during his alma mater\'s homecoming. For the second week in a row, Illini QB Juice Williams set a single-game stadium record for total yards. He threw for 462 and rushed for 41 for a career-high 503 total yards.
Illinois 55, Indiana 13 — With QB Juice Williams producing four touchdowns and true freshman RB Jason Ford rushing for 172 yards and three scores, the Illini set a school record for points in a Big Ten game at Memorial Stadium. WR Arrelious Benn set a school record with his fourth straight 100-yard receiving game.
Wisconsin 27, Illinois 17 — The Illini took a 17-10 lead early in the third quarter on Juice Williams\' second TD pass of the day, but the Badgers reeled off the game\'s final 17 points as Williams tossed his second and third interceptions. Illinois\' defense couldn\'t stop quarterback Dustin Sherer\'s hookups with receiver David Gilreath, particularly on a 49-yard catch and run TD that saw dime back Nate Bussey whiffed on a tackle at the 30.
Western Michigan 23, Illinois 17 — For the second time in three years, Illinois lost to a Mid-American Conference squad, as the Broncos turned both of Juice Williams\' second-quarter interceptions into touchdowns. Williams threw for 328 yards and one score, but WMU QB Tim Hiller scorched the Illini for 301 passing yards and two scores without a pick.
Illinois 27, Iowa 24 — Matt Eller kicked a 46-yard field goal in the final minute to push Illinois past the Hawkeyes. The Illini had just 60 yards rushing but converted 7-of-15 third downs. Juice Williams had 302 total yards; Illinois had 332 as a team.
Ohio State 30, Illinois 20 — The Illini outgained the 11th-ranked Buckeyes by 101 total yards, but two Juice Williams\' first-half turnovers led to Ohio State touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Bucks rushed for 305 yards and three scores as the Illini failed in their second chance to become bowl-eligible.
Northwestern 27, Illinois 10 — Needing a win to become bowl-eligible, most of the Illini\'s warts showed up one final time. Despite big yardage from QB Juice Williams (212 passing, 94 rushing), Illinois committed more turnovers, more penalties and allowed a big play on special teams (a 51-yard punt return) to set up the Wildcats\' clinching score.
NOTES, QUOTES
GAME OF THE YEAR: Minnesota 27, Illinois 20 — Fresh from a confidence-building 25-point win at Michigan, the Illini were poised to make their move in the Big Ten. Instead, they began a maddening pattern of turnovers and squandered opportunities that cost them dearly.
Trailing 7-3 at the break, Illinois took the second-half kickoff and RB Dan Dufrene soon lost a fumble at his own 8. Three plays later, the Gophers cashed in for a score. In the fourth quarter, Minnesota returned a Juice Williams fumble for a score to go up 27-13.
Williams led a crazy comeback that nearly got the Illini into overtime. Instead, he had to settle for a Memorial Stadium-record 503 total yards as the Illini outgained the visitors 550-312. WR Arrelious Benn caught 12 passes for 181 yards.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: QB Juice Williams — The junior\'s massive amount of positive statistics and negative numbers made him, by far, the most influential performer on the Illini\'s 5-7 team.
Williams led the Big Ten in total offense (3,892 yards) and touchdown passes (22) — he also led a troubled Illini rushing attack with 719 yards — but he also led the way in interceptions (16) and lost a fistful of fumbles.
FAST FORWARD: Illinois loses nine seniors who started in its season finale at Northwestern — a group that includes three offensive linemen, three defensive linemen and two linebackers. Junior CB Vontae Davis also seems a likely candidate to leave a year early to become a first-round draft pick.
Nonetheless, Ron Zook believes his team will continue to make gains as its talent level continues to rise. QB Juice Williams will enter 2009 with 34 consecutive starts under his belt and WR Arrelious Benn (67 catches, 1,055 yards) is back for his junior year. In fact, WR Will Judson (21 catches, 401 yards, two TDs) is the only senior skill player on the team.
The Illini ought to get to a decent bowl next year. If they miss out again, then Zook will begin to hear louder and louder howls for his dismissal. He set the bar awfully high with last year\'s trip to the Rose Bowl — and he might wind up strangling himself on that bar.
RECRUITING TRAIL: Illinois needs a running back that can make an immediate impact and Ron Zook hopes he found him in Cincinnati\'s Bud Golden, a four-star flash with 4.4 speed. The Illini would love another blue-chip runner to go with him, if possible.
The Illini also have replenished their defensive line with commitments from four-star products Craig Drummond (DE from Chicago) and Lendell Buckner (DT from Chicago), but they need some linebackers and are trying to nab some of the finest recruits in the country.
QUOTE TO NOTE: It\'s paramount that we get out and hit the road. We\'re still going to continue to recruit the way we recruit and we\'re still going to have the success that we have. — Illinois coach Ron Zook.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2009:
QB Juice Williams — The junior whipped Tony Eason\'s single-season school record for total offense with 3,892 yards (3,173 passing and 719 rushing) while accounting for 27 touchdowns. He\'s on pace to break every record in the Illini book, but he also struggled down the stretch as he took more sacks and threw more interceptions than a top-flight quarterback is allowed to do.
WR Arrelious Benn — Despite being hounded by every defense, Rejus had an All-Big Ten season with 67 catches for 1,055 yards. Everyone expects 2009 to be his final season before heading to the NFL, but it wouldn\'t hurt his chances to be a first-rounder if he\'d get in the end zone more frequently. He had three receiving touchdowns and two rushing scores.
S Donsay Hardeman — Presuming junior CB Vontae Davis turns pro, this hard-hitting junior becomes the lead dog on defense. As he grew comfortable in his first year of Division I football, Hardeman put the wood on a bunch of receivers. However, he also injured his neck and could require quite a bit of off-season time to heal.
PRO PROSPECTS:
—CB Vontae Davis has been described as a top-five pick in the 2009 draft, but the junior declined to talk about his pro potential as the season wound down. He can lean on his brother, San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis, as he makes his decision. Basically, Davis (two INT in 2008) will become a rich young man sooner or later.
—DE Derek Walker was a four-year starter who appeals to the NFL because the 275-pounder can play the run and the pass equally well. In fact, he might be better against the run even though he had six sacks in 2008.
—DE Will Davis didn\'t live up to his junior-year numbers as nagging injuries limited the speed rusher\'s effectiveness (3.5 sacks). He\'ll need some great workouts to get into the top three rounds, but he\'ll go somewhere.
ROSTER REPORT:
—S Donsay Hardeman (neck) sat out the season finale against Northwestern after a lingering injury failed to get better. There\'s a chance he\'ll visit a specialist to plot the best way to heal in time for spring ball.
—QB/WR Eddie McGee broke his hand in the next-to-last week of the season and did not play against Northwestern. He\'ll be fine for spring ball.
—OLB Martez Wilson did not make the trip to Northwestern for violation of team rules. That capped a disappointing sophomore year for Grande Dos, who lost his starting job at mid-year because the uber-athletic Chicago product was too inconsistent.
—DT Sirod Williams (knee) missed the season, but the projected starter is expected to return for his fifth year and fight for the job that belonged to the graduating David Lindquist.
—WR Jarrod Fayson transferred in from Florida and had to sit out the 2008 season, but the former five-star recruit\'s practice exploits have everyone salivating to see him on the field in 2009.
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INDIANA
INSIDE SLANT
The Hoosiers\' 2008 season was supposed to be a landmark, a campaign that saw IU return to a bowl and start to build a program that hasn\'t known much success over the years.
Instead, the Hoosiers slumped to a 3-9 season and capped off a dismal year by getting whipped 62-10 by Purdue in West Lafayette. Suffering the worst loss in 115 years to the hated Boilermakers sends Indiana into an off-season that is expected to be filled with questions.
Everyone expects changes on the coaching staff to be coming, and the entire program must take a long, hard look in the mirror to improve the accountability on both sides of the ball.
Indiana\'s defense — which wasn\'t anything special last season — nosedived in 2008, and the Hoosiers\' explosive offense lost its spark. Confidence plummeted as the blowout losses mounted, and IU will have to work to change the atmosphere surrounding the program before spring practice.
Injuries certainly were part of the problem this season, but beyond the aches and pains, leadership was a major issue. The seniors never stepped up and became leaders for the Hoosiers, and the junior class did its best to fill the void. That created friction between the two classes, an issue that didn\'t help improve the team\'s chemistry.
That being said, those juniors will be seniors next season, which should improve the leadership tremendously. This year\'s group of seniors included the last recruits of the Gerry DiNardo era in Bloomington, and to be blunt, there wasn\'t much talent in the class of 2008. That won\'t continue to be an issue next season.
Coach Bill Lynch also went through the 2008 season looking to build for the future. He played just three true freshmen despite the fact a lot of his new talent could have been used this season. He believed it was in the best interest of the program to redshirt most of his freshman class with the hopes of building a better team down the road. Whether that strategy will pay off remains to be seen, but Lynch clearly is not looking for a quick fix with the Hoosiers.
The blowout loss to Purdue does bring into play whether or not Lynch will be the coach for next season, although the general consensus is he will return. There might be a new offense and a new defense, but Lynch likely will continue to be a leader. Improving the team\'s discipline on the field and cutting down on mistakes will be critical during the off-season. IU must become students of the game and focus on being precise on the field to avoid shooting themselves in the foot next year.
The defining moment of IU\'s season is a perfect example of the Hoosiers hurting themselves. They trailed Michigan State 34-29 in the third quarter of their game in late September and were pinned on their own 3-yard line. QB Ben Chappell found WR Terrance Turner for a 97-yard TD pass that should have put the Hoosiers ahead. Instead, RG Cody Faulkner was called for a holding penalty in the end zone, nullifying the TD and giving the Spartans a safety instead. The nine-point turnaround not only cost Indiana the game but shattered the Hoosiers\' confidence.
Lynch and his coaching staff must drill the fundamentals into their team during spring and summer to prepare the Hoosiers for 2009. On the bright side, there is talent on the roster. WRs Tandon Doss and Damarlo Belcher showed promise, and QB Kellen Lewis still is an electric talent when healthy. OL Justin Pagan, one of the true freshman that saw the field this season, was impressive late in the season along the line, and Indiana will return both starting safeties, who were lost to torn anterior cruciate ligaments during the season. RB Darius Willis is a stud who was redshirted this season, and Indiana will welcome a talented recruiting class that ranks as one of the best for the Hoosiers in recent years.
Throw in the completion of the North End Zone project, which will greatly improve the football facilities, and there is reason for a glimmer of hope in Bloomington. Changing the attitude of the team will be critical during the off-season, and if the Hoosiers stumble out of the blocks next year, all bets are off. But Lynch has been pointing to 2009 as the season IU could start to make some noise, and he knows the pressure is on to fulfill his team\'s promise.
SEASON RECAP: Indiana 31, Western Kentucky 13 — Indiana leaned on QB Kellen Lewis both on the ground and through the air in the Hoosiers\' win over the Hilltoppers. Lewis ran for 185 yards and two touchdowns, and he passed for 144 yards and two more scores to give the Hoosiers their fifth straight season-opening victory.
Indiana 45, Murray State 3 — Five different Hoosiers scored rushing touchdowns and RB Marcus Thigpen ran for 100 yards and two scores to push IU to a blowout win over Murray State. Indiana totaled 254 yards rushing and dominated on both sides of the ball to give IU its fifth straight 2-0 start.
Ball State 42, Indiana 20 — Ball State ran for 224 yards and threw for 239 more to pull away in the second half for a blowout win. Indiana\'s offense never found its rhythm, and there were few bright spots outside of QB Kellen Lewis, who accounted for 307 yards of total offense — 148 yards rushing and 159 yards passing.
Michigan State 42, Indiana 29 — RB Marcus Thigpen ran for two touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass, but it wasn\'t enough to help the Hoosiers win at home vs. Michigan State. MSU RB Javon Ringer rolled up 198 yards on the ground, but IU\'s defense got stronger as the game progressed and Indiana learned plenty of lessons about itself in defeat.
Minnesota 16, Indiana 7 — Minnesota held the ball for nearly 38 minutes, and IU\'s offense failed to produce much on the ground, sending the Hoosiers to their third straight defeat. Gophers WR Eric Decker made a career-high 13 catches for 190 yards in the win, and Indiana was held scoreless in the second half for the second time in three weeks.
Iowa 45, Indiana 9 — Iowa scored 28 unanswered points after halftime to blow open what had been a close game and send Indiana to its fourth straight loss. Hawkeyes RBs Shonn Greene and Jewel Hampton both ran for more than 100 yards as Iowa controlled the ball for nearly 40 minutes.
Illinois 55, Indiana 13 — Illinois rolled up 563 yards of total offense and scored on four of its first five possessions in the second half to roll to a huge win over the Hoosiers. IU failed to score a touchdown in the second half of its third straight game as the Hoosiers suffered through their worst outing of the season to date.
Indiana 21, Northwestern 19 — QB Ben Chappell threw for one touchdown and ran for another as the Hoosiers knocked off the Wildcats in Memorial Stadium. The Hoosiers\' defense forced five turnovers and played inspired football in the fourth quarter, marking a turnaround for a squad that had been dormant in the second half in recent weeks.
Central Michigan 37, Indiana 34 — The Chippewas rolled up 522 yards of total offense, including 485 yards through the air, to score their first ever win vs. a Big Ten team. The Hoosiers lost despite posting seven sacks and getting 109 yards rushing and two touchdowns from RB Marcus Thigpen.
Wisconsin 55, Indiana 20 — Wisconsin rushed for 441 yards and seven touchdowns to officially eliminate the Hoosiers from bowl eligibility. Badger RBs P.J. Hill and John Clay both ran for 100-plus yards, and WR David Gilreath ran for 168 yards and two touchdowns on end-around plays the Hoosiers couldn\'t seem to sniff out.
Penn State 34, Indiana 7 — Indiana put up a fight for a half vs. the Nittany Lions before falling in Happy Valley. IU allowed PSU to score 24 unanswered points after halftime and failed to score in the second half for the second straight game.
Purdue 62, Indiana 10 — The Boilermakers scored on 10 of their 11 possessions in the game to roll over the Hoosiers and win back the Old Oaken Bucket in West Lafayette. Purdue led 24-0 after the first quarter and 41-3 at the half as Indiana rolled over in the final game for Purdue coach Joe Tiller. Indiana\'s defense allowed Purdue to roll up 596 yards of total offense in the win.
NOTES, QUOTES
GAME OF THE YEAR: Indiana 21, Northwestern 19 — IU was riding a five-game losing streak before Northwestern came into town on homecoming weekend. The Wildcats were ranked No. 24 in the nation at the time, but Indiana forced five turnovers and played tight defense in the fourth quarter to score the victory. WR Tandon Doss enjoyed a breakout game with eight catches for 107 yards and a touchdown.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: DE Jammie Kirlew — Kirlew finished the season as the Hoosiers\' sack leader with 10.5, and he added 19.5 tackles for loss on the season. Kirlew was easily Indiana\'s most consistent defender, and his leadership helped keep the team from completely coming apart in the middle of the season.
FAST FORWARD: After going to the Insight Bowl in 2007, Indiana fell back to earth in 2008, dropping to 3-9 and basically returning to square one. Next year hopes won\'t be as high for the Hoosiers, but the lack of expectations could help the team focus better. Injuries plagued IU all season — even during spring practice there weren\'t enough healthy offensive linemen to run a scrimmage with two full teams — and just getting everybody back to 100% will be helpful. Indiana hopes to field a competitive team that will still dream of returning to a bowl. The players believe the 2008 season — and not the 2007 campaign — was the fluke and they look forward to challenging in the Big Ten next season. With the talent that is in place, the Hoosiers should have an opportunity to bounce back quickly.
RECRUITING TRAIL: Indiana has put together a solid recruiting class that ranks among the top 35 in the nation according to some services, and the influx of talent will certainly help the Hoosiers. Unfortunately, some of those verbal commitments have started to waver in the wake of Indiana\'s sorry season, most notably four-star LB Jeremy Gainer. Gainer has re-opened his recruitment, but the IU coaching staff will do everything in their power to hold onto the commits they do have. They sold the recruits on the future of IU football, and that future still looks solid, especially of the recruits come to town. Indiana doesn\'t figure to spend much time recruiting new players over the next couple of months unless there is an exodus in the coming weeks. Right now, it is the focus of the coaching staff to keep everyone in the fold and convince the class of 2009 that everything is still on track for the future.
QUOTE TO NOTE: I mean, it sucks. Nobody imagined this year was going to end like this, but it\'s easy to stay positive, especially when you know the talent you have and didn\'t get to showcase because of injuries and so many things you couldn\'t control. Hopefully, we\'ll be blessed and everybody can stay healthy next year. — junior defensive end Jammie Kirlew on his disappointment this year and outlook on next season.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2009:
DE Jammie Kirlew — Kirlew\'s high motor and high football IQ makes him difficult to stop, and his ability to be disruptive in the backfield will give IU\'s defense a boost. He also will draw more attention from opposing blockers, which should help his teammates in the long run.
DE Greg Middleton — Middleton was an invisible man for the Hoosiers this season after leading the nation in sacks last year, and he needs to bounce back with a strong senior campaign if he\'s going to live out his NFL dreams.
QB Kellen Lewis — An offseason suspension and an ankle injury combined to make Lewis\' 2008 a disappointment, but he still has a great combination of athleticism and speed at quarterback. Lewis needs to have a big year in 2009 to give IU a chance to return to a bowl.
PRO PROSPECTS:
—PK Austin Starr struggled with a hip injury midway through the season, but his work ethic and strong leg will make him a prospect at the next level. Starr is constantly working to improve his distance and accuracy on both field goals and kickoffs, and he hopes to make a big splash at the NFL Scouting Combine in February.
—WR Andrew Means is a big, strong possession receiver who returned to Bloomington to build his NFL credentials. Things didn\'t go well, but Means has a future as a baseball player. He spent last summer in the Cincinnati Reds organization and won\'t return to play football next season.
—DT Greg Brown has the size to be a space-eater in the middle of defensive lines, and although he likely will be an undrafted free agent, he could raise his stock with a series of good workouts in February and March.
ROSTER REPORT:
—SS Austin Thomas and FS Nick Polk both are recovering nicely from the torn ACLs they suffered during the season, but they aren\'t expected to be back in time for spring football. They will continue to rehab, as well WR Charles Love III, who suffered a torn ACL of his own. Thomas and Polk must come back strong if IU\'s defense is going to take a step forward.
—S Jerimy Finch suffered through his first season in Bloomington with a bum foot and ran into some issues with the coaching staff. Finch hopes to return at full strength next season, and if he can work his way out of the coaches\' doghouse, he could find himself in the starting lineup next season.
—Indiana saw no fewer than 18 of the 22 starters from the season opener vs. Western Kentucky miss at least one game due to injury. Only a handful of the injuries were season-ending, and most are expected to be back next season.
—Indiana will feature plenty of experience next season but should get a boost from redshirt freshmen such as RB Darius Willis, CB Cortez Smith and WR Tyler Adetona next year. Holding onto the recruits who already committed to the Hoosiers will be the focus of the coaching staff, and it would be a huge positive if LB Jeremy Gainer could be convinced to honor his previous commitment to the Hoosiers and sign with IU in February.
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IOWA
INSIDE SLANT
Shonn Greene spent last season moving furniture and paying his own way through community college, his penance for letting his grades slip and losing his scholarship at Iowa.
Now he is the reigning Doak Walker Award winner, officially recognized as the nation\'s top tailback, even though he wasn\'t even on Iowa\'s depth chart eight months ago.
It\'s a no-brainer, Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz said. All you have to do is look at the game-in, game-out production.
Greene is the only tailback in the country to rush for more than 100 yards in every game this season. The junior is second in the nation in rushing yards with 1,729. Entering the Jan. 1 Outback Bowl against South Carolina, Greene trails Connecticut\'s Donald Brown by 93 yards, but Greene also has 60 less carries.
His 1,729 yards is a new school record and he is the school\'s first Doak Walker Award winner. Greene scored in all but one game this season and rushed for at least 130 yards in seven of Iowa\'s 12 games. He beat out Michigan State\'s Javon Ringer and Georgia\'s Knowshon Moreno.
It has been really nice to watch recognition come his way because he has earned it, Ferentz said. mHe has earned it the old fashioned way. He has worked extremely hard. You talk about a guy who has persevered and stayed the course, that is what he has done.
SEASON RECAP: Iowa 46, Maine 3 — The Hawkeyes used a balanced attack to jump out to a 22-0 lead, and a pair of touchdowns from RB Jewel Hampton late sealed the victory for Iowa. RB Shonn Greene had a big day, and the Hawkeyes\' defense forced Maine to punt seven times in the win.
Iowa 42, Florida International 0 — The offense exploded for 512 yards, Shonn Greene went over 100 rushing yards after the first quarter and the Hawkeyes (2-0) pounded winless Florida International. Sophomore Ricky Stanzi made his first career start, replacing Jake Christensen at quarterback. Stanzi went eight-for-10 passing for 162 yards and three touchdowns.
Iowa 17, Iowa State 5 — The Hawkeyes beat their in-state rivals for the fourth time in the last six years. Former starter Jake Christensen came off the bench to direct Iowa\'s lone offensive scoring drive, and Andy Brodell added an electrifying 81-yard punt return in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
Pittsburgh 21, Iowa 20 — The Hawkeyes rallied from a double-digit deficit to briefly take the lead, but LeSean McCoy\'s 27-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter was the difference, sending Iowa to its first loss of the season. Shonn Greene ran for 147 yards, but was held to just 14 in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Jake Christensen played the entire second half, but was unable to deliver a 4-0 record entering Big Ten play.
Northwestern 22, Iowa 17 — The Hawkeyes blew a 17-3 lead in the second quarter by surrendering 19 points, thanks in part to five turnovers. Shonn Greene had 159 yards rushing, but Iowa was held scoreless over the game\'s final 32 minutes, thanks in part to a combined four fumbles by the offense and special teams.
Iowa 45, Indiana 9 — Iowa scored 28 unanswered points after halftime to blow open what had been a close game and send Indiana to its fourth straight loss. Hawkeyes RBs Shonn Greene and Jewel Hampton both ran for more than 100 yards as Iowa controlled the ball for nearly 40 minutes.
Iowa 38, Wisconsin 16 — Shonn Greene rushed for 217 yards and four touchdowns, while the defense held Wisconsin to one touchdown in a romp. Linebacker Pat Angerer had a monstrous day with 16 tackles and two interceptions, sending Wisconsin to its fourth-straight defeat.
Iowa 24, Penn State 23 — The Hawkeyes ended third-ranked Penn State\'s perfect season on Daniel Murray\'s 31-yard field goal with one second left. Tyler Sash\'s interception set up the Hawkeyes\' game-winning drive on their own 29 with 3:46 to play. Ricky Stanzi completed 15-of-25 passes for 171 yards, a touchdown and an interception for Iowa, which enjoyed its first victory over a top-10 team since beating Illinois in 1990.
Iowa 22, Purdue 17 — Shonn Greene rushed for 211 yards and a pair of touchdowns and Iowa won its second close game in as many weeks. Mitch King came up with a big sack in the final minute and Iowa handed Purdue its seventh loss in eight games.
Iowa 55, Minnesota 0 — Shonn Greene completed his remarkable season with 144 rushing yards, becoming the school\'s new single-season rushing leader with 1,729 yards in the Hawkeyes\' romp. Iowa broke the game open with a 24-point second quarter, its best this season. Amari Spievey returned an interception 57 yards for a touchdown, expanding the lead to 27-0 at the half and sending the Hawkeyes on their way to a big win in the finale.
NOTES, QUOTES
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: Shonn Greene was a relative unknown when the season began. Now he\'s a 1,700-yard back, ranked second in the nation in yards per game and the focal point of Iowa\'s offense. And he has the full attention of South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier.
He\'s gained a whole bunch of yards, Spurrier said. We\'re going to have to get a whole bunch of guys in there to slow him down. If he\'s not the best running back we\'ve faced, he\'s one of the best.
With Greene in the lead role, the Hawkeyes are second in the Big Ten in scoring (30.9 points). Sophomore Ricky Stanzi is in his first year as the starting quarterback and grew into the role as the season progressed. After a seesaw at quarterback through the early season, coach Kirk Ferentz finally settled on Stanzi over Jake Christensen, last season\'s starter, and the Hawkeyes rallied to win five of their last six games.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The strength of the defense runs right up the middle, with Mitch King and Matt Kroul at tackles and Pat Angerer at middle linebacker. That trio has combined for 25 tackles for loss, and is a big reason why Iowa ranks 10th in the nation at stopping the run (3.0 yards per carry).
Iowa held opponents to nine points or less in five games this season, and led the league with 20 interceptions. They will face a new quarterback in Stephen Garcia, who replaces Chris Smelley as the starter for the bowl game. Smelley threw more interceptions than touchdowns this season (15-13), including six picks in the last two games. Garcia completed 56 of 104 passes in limited time for 753 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions.
MATCHUP TO WATCH: RB Shonn Greene vs. South Carolina\'s front seven — Greene rushed for at least 100 yards in every game this season, while the Gamecocks have one linebacker (Marvin Sapp) ranked among the team\'s top four in tackles. Greene has enjoyed success against front lines more stout than this, and he\'ll need to have another big day for Iowa to be successful. The Gamecocks lead the SEC and rank third in the nation in pass defense, so the bulk of Iowa\'s work will have to come on the ground.
QUOTE TO NOTE: I don\'t think a lot of people gave us a chance for January, coming out of East Lansing. The guys bounced back, and now they\'re being rewarded for it. — Coach Kirk Ferentz, on the three-game losing streak that dropped Iowa to 3-3, 0-2 in the Big Ten
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH THE OUTBACK BOWL: Iowa vs. South Carolina, Tampa, Fla., Jan. 1 — The nation\'s No. 2 rusher against a defense known more for its pass defense than its ability to stop the run. Iowa tailback Shonn Greene has rushed for more than 100 yards in every game this season, and now he\'ll play in an NFL stadium, which is ironic, since the hot question surrounding him is whether or not he\'ll leave early for the NFL. This is the Hawkeyes\' third trip to the Outback Bowl, all in the last six years. South Carolina is making its third appearance, but first since Jan. 1, 2002.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Shonn Greene — The reigning Big Ten MVP has elevated himself from no name to projected early entry into the NFL. Greene rushed for at least 100 yards in every game, ending the regular season with 1,729 yards and 17 touchdowns. He is a difficult matchup for any defense.
DT Mitch King — His numbers (52 tackles, 4 sacks) don\'t illustrate what he means to this defense. King consistently demands double teams and still gets into backfields, pressures quarterbacks and frees linebackers to make plays. Perhaps the best tackle in the league, if not the country.
LB Pat Angerer — Benefits the most from the play of King and Matt Kroul. Angerer finished the regular season with 101 tackles, a whopping 36 more than the next closes player (Amari Spievey).
QB Ricky Stanzi — Sporadic in his first season as a starter. Stanzi struggled with turnovers early, but threw just three interceptions over the final six games of the season.
ROSTER REPORT:
—TE Tony Moeaki has battled various nagging injuries this season, the most recent being a concussion, but he returned for the season finale and should be healthy entering the bowl game.
—OL Wes Aeschliman dislocated his hip during the season and will not play again. Aeschliman is a senior backup.
—DB Harold Dalton, a fifth-year senior who started a handful of games this season, remains suspended following his arrest for public intoxication and disorderly conduct in early November. His status for the bowl game is still unclear.
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MICHIGAN
INSIDE SLANT
Maybe this shouldn\'t have been much of a surprise. After all, Rich Rodriguez has never won more than three games in his first season at any coaching stop.
Michigan\'s rich history and tradition were supposed to be the exception, though. The Wolverines were expected to struggle, but a 3-9 finish — the worst in the team\'s 129-year history — has left Rodriguez with little time to please an impatient fan base.
There\'s more work to do than I anticipated, Rodriguez said.
His spread offense never really fit with the personnel left over from the Lloyd Carr era. Michigan turned the ball over 31 times this season and ranked 105th in the nation in total offense.
The defense continued to struggle with tackling and allowing big plays. They allowed at least 21 points in nine of the 12 games.
Michigan lost to Toledo, one of the worst teams in the country. It ended the nation\'s longest streak of consecutive bowl seasons at 39. For the first time ever, the Wolverines have now lost five in a row to Ohio State, their biggest rival, while Rodriguez became the first coach in 79 years to lose his first game to the Buckeyes.
All in all, it was a miserable season that essentially ended on Oct. 11, the day of the 13-10 loss to the Rockets.
More changes are expected. Players like Ryan Mallett and Justin Boren transferred before the season started. Inner grumblings suggest a few more might follow them out the door.
Rodriguez desperately needs to find a quarterback. He went all season shuffling between Steven Threet and Nick Sheridan, and neither emerged as a viable long-term option. Incoming recruits Tate Forcier and Shavodrick Beaver, both of whom could enroll in January and take part in spring drills, will get a long look. One of them could win the job. Until Rodriguez settles the quarterback issue, nothing else can fall into place.
For their part, the players are humiliated by how this season progressed. They are vowing it won\'t happen again.
Can\'t really blame \'RichRod\' because everybody on the team didn\'t buy in like they\'re supposed to, said running back Brandon Minor, one of the few bright spots on offense. We got a couple guys not going hard. But we\'ll correct that, most definitely. That ain\'t happening on my watch as a senior next year.
That\'s the only type of attitude that will get this turned around.
SEASON RECAP: Utah 25, Michigan 23 — The Wolverines were blown out in the first half but rallied to get within a failed two-point conversion of tying with 6:26 remaining. The defense and special teams brought Michigan back, thanks to a blocked punt and a fumble recovery. But the offense managed only 203 yards, the running game was a disappointment and the Wolverines dropped their season opener for the second straight year.
Michigan 16, Miami (Ohio) 6 — The defense shut down the RedHawks twice inside the 10-yard line, the offense churned out 178 yards on the ground and Michigan notched its first win of the Rich Rodriguez era. The Wolverines still can\'t settle on a quarterback, but freshman Sam McGuffie carried 12 times for 74 yards and added three catches for 32 yards in the victory.
Notre Dame 35, Michigan 17 - - The Wolverines ruined their own chances with six turnovers that led to three Irish touchdowns. Sam McGuffie registered his first 100-yard rushing day and Steven Threet threw for 175 yards and a touchdown, but the Wolverines could never recover from all the points they gave away.
Michigan 27, Wisconsin 25 — The offense strung together three drives of 70 yards or more in the second half, LB John Thompson returned an interception for a touchdown and Michigan rallied from a 19-0 deficit for the greatest comeback win in Michigan Stadium history. The Wolverines turned the ball over five times in the first half, but scored 27 points in 13 minutes after halftime. They won the game when Wisconsin failed to convert a two-point conversion in the game\'s final minute.
Illinois 45, Michigan 20 — The Wolverines couldn\'t corral Juice Williams, the Illini QB who put up a new Big House record of 431 yards total offense.
Toledo 13, Michigan 10 — The Wolverines suffered another stunning home loss, this time falling to a Mid-American Conference also-ran. K.C. Lopata missed a 26-yard field goal that could have sent the game to overtime. Steven Threet had an interception returned 100 yards by Tyrrell Herbert for a Toledo touchdown.
Penn State 46, Michigan 17 — The Wolverines held a 17-14 lead at the half, but the No. 3 team in the country roared back by scoring on its last seven possessions to make it a blowout. In a rare start, Brandon Minor impressed with 117 rushing yards, but QB Steven Threet was lost again to an elbow injury and Michigan\'s offense sputtered. Michigan had 209 yards of offense on its first three drives, and 82 yards the rest of the day.
Michigan State 35, Michigan 21 — The Wolverines were dominated in total yards, 473-252, but kept the game close by forcing three turnovers, four sacks and three missed field goals. Brandon Minor rushed for 55 yards and scored twice (one rushing, one receiving), but Michigan lost its fourth straight. The victory was the Spartans\' first in Michigan Stadium since 1990, and the 14-point margin of victory was the largest over the Wolverines since 1967.
Purdue 48, Michigan 42 — Purdue redshirt freshman QB Justin Siller, in his first career start, completed a short pass to Greg Orton, who pitched to Desmond Tardy in a perfectly executed hook-and-lateral in the final minute as Purdue extended Michigan\'s losing streak to five games. The Wolverines got big plays out of their special teams and another huge day from TB Brandon Minor (155 yards, three TDs), but the defense surrendered more than 500 yards to the Boilermakers.
Michigan 29, Minnesota 6 — Nick Sheridan started in place of an injured Steven Threet and directed Michigan to a season-high 435 yards in a surprisingly easy victory over the Gophers. Sheridan completed 18 of 30 passes for 203 yards and a touchdown in his first start since the season opener against Utah. Michigan\'s defense held an opponent without a touchdown for the third time this season.
Northwestern 21, Michigan 14 — The defense held Northwestern to less than 260 total yards, but the offense managed just one score and Michigan capped its worst season in school history. The eight losses are the most in the 129-year history of Michigan football. QBs Nick Sheridan and Steven Threet combined to complete just 33% of their passes for 83 yards.
Ohio State 42, Michigan 7 — The Wolverines were held to 198 total yards and a season-low in points scored in losing their fifth in a row to their biggest rival. Nick Sheridan started in place of Steven Threet, but was ineffective at moving the offense, completing eight of 24 passes for 87 yards. Ohio State\'s Beanie Wells ran for 134 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown. He has now scored on a touchdown run of at least 50 yards against Michigan each of the last three years.
NOTES, QUOTES
GAME OF THE YEAR: Michigan 27, Wisconsin 25 — The Wolverines trailed 19-0 at the half before staging the biggest comeback in school history by scoring 27 points in less than 13 minutes. At the time, it was considered perhaps the start of a grand turnaround. Instead, Michigan followed up the victory by dropping five in a row. The Wolverines won just once more the rest of the season.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: DE Brandon Graham — The junior has a big decision to make after finishing with 10 sacks and 20 tackles for loss. He is difficult to block coming off the edge and was one of the few bright spots on an otherwise bland defense. He has a future in the NFL, it\'s just a matter of whether he leaves now or after his senior year.
FAST FORWARD: No one expects Michigan to win a national championship next season, but it better win more than three games. Many more. Rodriguez could have Michigan in the upper tier of Big Ten teams by next season, but the Wolverines are likely two seasons away from real contention. He needs more of his style guys (not as big, much quicker) to run his spread, although he has a good start in RB Brandon Minor. Now he needs a quarterback to pair with Minor.
RECRUITING TRAIL: The first order of business must be finding a quarterback. Incoming freshmen Tate Forcier and Shavodrick Beaver will get a long look, and one of them just might be good enough to wrestle the starting job away. Defensive end continues to be a concern, particularly if they lose Graham early. Anthony LaLota and Craig Roh are two defensive ends committed. Both could play immediately.
QUOTE TO NOTE: Anytime you don\'t have a successful record and lose as many games as we did, you\'re going to be disappointed. If you\'re not disappointed, you shouldn\'t be in the profession. I don\'t want to panic, again it\'s just the first year. — coach Rich Rodriguez, on Michigan\'s 3-9 finish
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2009:
RB Brandon Minor — Injuries are his biggest concern. When he\'s healthy, Minor can be very good. He rushed for 533 yards and nine touchdowns, but had just 13 carries through the first six games. Seven of his touchdowns came over the last six games.
WR Martavious Odoms — One of the top freshmen in the league developed into a dangerous return man and pretty good receiver. He finished with team-highs of 49 catches and 443 yards, but at 5-foot-8 and 164 pounds, he\'s a bit on the small side.
DE Brandon Graham — If he decides to return, he\'ll come back as one of the top pass rushers in the Big Ten. Graham has 18.5 sacks over the last two seasons. If he leaves for the NFL, it\'s just another huge void to fill on a team with plenty of them.
LB Obi Ezeh — Just missed on his first 100-tackle season, finishing with 98. He may not decleat anyone with his hits, but he finished with 22 more tackles than the next closest defender (Jonas Mouton). Ezeh is always around the ball, and still has two years of eligibility left.
PRO PROSPECTS:
DE Tim Jamison — As a senior, his 5.5 sacks ranked second on the team, and he leaves Michigan with 15.5 career sacks.
P Zoltan Mesko — His powerful leg allowed Mesko to be the only kicker in the league to net more than 40 yards per punt. His ability to both punt deep, punt high and drop kicks at the goal line will force NFL teams to take a look at him.
CB Morgan Trent — Was abused a bit early in his career, but came back as a senior to lead the team with three interceptions. Teams could throw over his head earlier in his career, though. His future in the NFL could be as a special teams guy or a safety.
ROSTER REPORT:
—Coach Rich Rodriguez was adamant after the season ended that Justin Feagin will return to slot receiver. He was pressed into duty as a backup quarterback because of the injuries and ineffectiveness to the guys in front of him, but next spring, Feagin is a receiver. We moved him to slot, Rodriguez said, and that\'s where his future will be.
—Incoming freshmen Tate Forcier and Shavodrick Beaver will be given every opportunity to win the starting quarterback job. Both could enroll early and take part in spring practice, increasing the likelihood that happens.
—WR Junior Hemingway should return next season after missing all but the opener with mono. He can pair with Martavious Odoms to give Michigan two legitimate threats. Now the problem is finding a quarterback to get them the ball.
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MICHIGAN STATE
INSIDE SLANT
Javon Ringer has rushed for 1,590 yards this season and was named a Doak Walker finalist, but his 42-yard day in the finale against Penn State has left him sour. Michigan State was playing for a share of the Big Ten championship, but was flattened by the Nittany Lions, 49-18.
That has left Michigan State\'s date in the Capital One Bowl against Georgia as a second chance. A conference title might be lost, but a win against the preseason No. 1 team can wash away the pain from losses to Ohio State and Penn State by a combined score of 94-25.
I\'m just not satisfied the way things ended, not satisfied at all, Ringer said. That\'s why this bowl is so good. The perfect game for me would be something like 25 carries, 200 yards, three touchdowns and a victory. That\'s the way I want to go out.
The Capital One Bowl features the two tailbacks who finished as runners-up to Iowa\'s Shonn Greene for the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation\'s top tailback. Ringer and Georgia\'s Knowshon Moreno rushed for a combined 2,928 yards during the regular season and 37 touchdowns.
Ringer had a streak this season of three consecutive games with more than 200 rushing yards, while Moreno led the SEC in yards and finished the season with five 100-yard performances in the last seven games.
Ringer\'s worst two performances came in games Michigan State lost. Likewise, Georgia lost all three games in which Moreno failed to reach 100 yards.
Even with the painful losses to the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions, Michigan State can still reach a milestone. A victory against Georgia would give the Spartans a 10-win season for the first time since 1999.
A 10-win season in college football is a huge accomplishment. You\'ve really done something, Spartans coach Mark Dantonio said. It can turn a good season into an excellent season. And that\'s what we\'d like to do.
SEASON RECAP: California 38, Michigan State 31 — The Spartans never trailed by more than two touchdowns, but they were never able to dig out of an early hole either in losing their season opener. The running game was held to only 81 yards, and the defense surrendered more than 400 to Cal, which effectively sealed the win when Shane Vereen ran 81 yards for a touchdown with a little more than four minutes left.
Michigan State 42, Eastern Michigan 10 — Javon Ringer set career highs in carries and touchdowns, scoring five times in a Spartans rout. QB Brian Hoyer did not have a touchdown pass or an interception, and return man Otis Wiley had 113 yards in punt returns.
Michigan State 17, Florida Atlantic 0 — Javon Ringer set career highs with 43 carries and 282 yards and the Spartans shut out Florida Atlantic, thanks in part to heavy rains that made passing nearly impossible.
Michigan State 23, Notre Dame 7 — Javon Ringer rushed for 201 yards, the defense turned back Notre Dame twice in the red zone and the Spartans won for the ninth time in 12 games. Michigan State benefited from a pair of Irish missed field goals and then turned the game over to Ringer, who went over 200 yards for the second straight game and moved into fifth place on the school\'s all-time rushing list.
Michigan State 42, Indiana 29 — Javon Ringer rushed for 197 yards and a touchdown, QB Brian Hoyer threw for two scores and Brett Swenson made four field goals in the victory. The two teams combined for 970 yards of total offense.
Michigan State 37, Northwestern 20 — Tyrell Sutton rushed for 139 yards but Javon Ringer nearly matched him 124 yards and two touchdowns and the Spartans gained revenge for an overtime loss the previous season.
Ohio State 45, Michigan State 7 — The Buckeyes scored 21 points in less than six minutes in the first quarter and ended the Spartans\' six-game winning streak. Ohio State forced five turnovers, returning two for defensive touchdowns, and added three sacks in dominating former OSU assistant Mark Dantonio. The Buckeyes rushed for 216 yards, while holding the Spartans to 240 yards of total offense.
Michigan State 35, Michigan 21 — Former walk-on Blair White had 143 yards on four catches, Brian Hoyer threw for 284 yards and three scores and Michigan State ended a six-year drought against its biggest rival. The Spartans overcame three missed field goals, three turnovers and a blown touchdown call that awarded Michigan an extra seven points. Still, the victory was the Spartans\' first in Michigan Stadium since 1990, and the 14-point margin of victory was the largest over the Wolverines since 1967.
Michigan State 25, Wisconsin 24 — Brett Swenson\'s 44-yard field goal with seven seconds left allowed Michigan State to steal a win after it was dominated by the Badgers most of the day. Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema was flagged for a costly 15-yard penalty, setting up the game-winning kick, on a day the Badgers were hit with 12 flags for 121 yards. Javon Ringer, who wasn\'t feeling well, was held to 54 yards on 21 carries, although he did score twice.
Michigan State 21, Purdue 7 — Johnny Adams returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown, the defense sacked Purdue QB Justin Siller five times and the Spartans held Purdue to 191 yards of total offense. Running back Javon Ringer rushed for 121 yards and a pair of touchdowns, moving into second place on the school\'s all-time rushing list with 4,309 yards.
Penn State 49, Michigan State 18 — Javon Ringer was held to 41 yards, the defense allowed 557 yards and the Spartans were blasted on a day they played for a share of the Big Ten championship. Following a week off, Michigan State had two weeks to prepare for Penn State, but came out flat. Brian Hoyer threw two interceptions without a touchdown and the Spartans watched the Nittany Lions share the league title with Ohio State.
NOTES, QUOTES
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: A run-oriented attack centered around Javon Ringer, who proved to be a workhorse with seven games of 30 or more carries, including two with more than 40. If there is a knock on Ringer, though, it\'s his performance in big games. Against Cal, Iowa, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Penn State this season, Ringer was held to just 67 yards per game. Despite its deficiencies, Georgia\'s defense certainly belongs in that category.
An ineffective Ringer leaves the game in the hands of senior Brian Hoyer, and that\'s not always a good thing. Hoyer struggled to complete 50 percent of his passes (162 of 319), and threw nine touchdowns against eight interceptions. He lost his favorite receiver, Mark Dell, for a stretch late in the year, but Dell should be fully healthy in time for the bowl game.
The key will be getting Ringer involved early, either on handoffs or short passes as a receiver out of the backfield. The sooner Ringer is established, the better Michigan State\'s chance at victory.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The Spartans have been ripped by elite running backs this season, which could be a real problem again with Knowshon Moreno on the other side. Cal (Jahvid Best and Shane Vereen) and Wisconsin (P.J. Hill and John Clay) both put two backs over the 100-yard mark against the Spartans, while Ohio State\'s Chris Beanie Wells (140 yards, 2 TDs), Iowa\'s Shonn Greene (157 yards), Northwestern\'s Tyrell Sutton (139 yards) all enjoyed huge days against a porous run defense.
Between Moreno and quarterback Matthew Stafford, the Bulldogs have one of the most explosive offenses in the SEC. But it all starts with Moreno. If the Spartans can slow him, they have a chance. But they have offered little proof this season they can stop an elite back.
MATCHUP TO WATCH: RB Knowshon Moreno vs. MSU\'s defensive line — Michigan State\'s defense has been pushed around much of the season. If it happens again, the Spartans have little chance of beating Georgia. The Dawgs\' offensive line has been riddled by injuries and personnel changes this season, but Moreno has still managed to gain 1,338 yards and 16 touchdowns. Michigan State\'s Justin Kershaw and Oren Wilson are critical components in the middle of that defensive line. Beyond that, linebackers Greg Jones and Eric Gordon can\'t miss when they have Moreno in their grasp.
QUOTE TO NOTE: I look back at this season and we didn\'t make the most of our opportunities when we had the chance to win big games. I really just want to get this taste out of my mouth in terms of beating a good opponent. — MSU\'s Justin Kershaw, on losses to Ohio State and Penn State this season
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH THE CAPITAL ONE BOWL: Michigan State vs. Georgia, Orlando, Fla., Jan. 1 — Two of the nation\'s best tailbacks, Javon Ringer and Knowshon Moreno, highlight what could be a high-scoring affair. Both teams have struggled stopping teams defensively, combining to allow 47 points per game, and both teams can score in bunches. This is Michigan State\'s first appearance in a New Year\'s Day bowl in nine years, when it beat Florida in this same bowl, 37-34. The Bulldogs began the year as the nation\'s No. 1 team, so the talent is obviously there. Georgia simply struggled living up to expectations in a competitive SEC.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: RB Javon Ringer — Rushed for 1,590 yards and 21 touchdowns during the regular season, but managed just 109 yards on 33 carries against Penn State and Ohio State. Whatever SEC team the Spartans face in the bowl game should be another quality defense.
S Otis Wiley — Leads the team with four interceptions, including one he took back for a touchdown. Wiley is the leader in the secondary and a playmaker both on defense and special teams.
DE Trevor Anderson — Enjoyed a successful first season after following Mark Dantonio from Cincinnati. Anderson leads the defense with 8 sacks.
QB Brian Hoyer — Struggled to complete half his passes this season and has been wildly inconsistent. He has sparkled at times (Michigan) and has looked so lost in others (Ohio State) that questions raised about his job security. Hoyer needs to play well for the Spartans to have a shot against Georgia.
ROSTER REPORT:
—Despite losing out to Iowa\'s Shonn Greene for the Doak Walker Award, Ringer was named a Walter Camp All-American.
—WR Mark Dell can use the time off to heal. He returned for the regular season finale at Penn State after missing two games with an undisclosed injury, but still wasn\'t 100%. He will be now.
—OL Arthur Ray, Jr. will miss the bowl game while he continues to recover from October leg surgery.
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MINNESOTA
INSIDE SLANT
Minnesota coach Tim Brewster insists he is not abandoning his spread. Instead, the Gophers are spreading around what else they can do offensively.
The Gophers are using the practices leading up to the Dec. 31 Insight Bowl for a crash course in how to run the football again. New offensive line coach Tim Davis was brought in after the regular season to improve upon the Gophers\' 1,270 rushing yards for the season, which rank 104th in the nation. Eighteen tailbacks across the country have rushed for more yardage than Minnesota has as a team.
The Gophers opened bowl practices by using a fullback again and running plays out of I-formation.
It allows the tailback to be the go-to guy, quarterback Adam Weber told the St. Paul Pioneer Press.Before maybe we would have thrown the ball on third and short. We\'re going to look for our linemen and running backs to pick up those hard yards, which most teams do.
How quickly Minnesota can adapt to new schemes remains to be seen. It isn\'t an offensive overhaul, since the spread will still be used, but 15 practices isn\'t much time to get a dramatically different look in place.
The biggest benefit might be to the tailbacks, who get a split-second longer to read the gaps, since they\'re now lining up seven yards deep. Freshman Shady Salamon ended the regular season as the starting tailback, replacing fellow freshman DeLeon Eskridge. Together, they rushed for 826 yards and averaged 3.9 yards per carry.
I\'m used to the spread offense and running with misdirection, Salamon told the Pioneer Press. But now that we\'re under center, it\'s more just downhill. That\'s kind of how I like it. I\'m really excited. It\'s not too confusing. It\'s pretty basic.
SEASON RECAP: Minnesota 31, Northern Illinois 27 — Duane Bennett scored on a one-yard plunge with 22 seconds left to send the Gophers to a season-opening victory. Bennett scored a pair of touchdowns on the day and helped Minnesota avoid losing despite choking away an 11-point second-half lead.
Minnesota 42, Bowling Green 17 — QB Adam Weber threw for 233 yards and accounted for four touchdowns, and the Gophers put the game away with a 21-point avalanche in the fourth quarter. Minnesota turned four BG turnovers in the second half into touchdowns, blowing open what had been a tight game.
Minnesota 35, Montana State 23 — Eric Decker caught nine passes for 154 yards and a score, DeLeon Eskridge became the first freshman in 22 years to rush for at least three touchdowns and the Gophers improved to 3-0 with the victory over the Bobcats.
Minnesota 37, Florida Atlantic 3 — Freshman DeLeon Eskridge rushed for 78 yards and two scores, the Gophers rushed for 206 yards as a team and the defense kept FAU out of the end zone to improve to 4-0 this year. Minnesota limited FAU to 276 total yards one season after the Owls scored 42 points and racked up nearly 600 yards of offense against the Gophers.
Ohio State 34, Minnesota 21 — For the first time this year, the Gophers lost the turnover battle, and ultimately the game. The Gophers turned the ball over three times, leading to exactly half of the Buckeyes\' points (17 of 34). Freshman DeLeon Eskridge had 76 yards on 18 carries and Adam Weber threw for 187 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the loss.
Minnesota 16, Indiana 7 — But for a breakdown in protection that led to a 77-yard TD pass, the Gophers\' defense was stout. Adam Weber threw for 274 yards without an interception, completing 13 passes to Eric Decker. Joel Monroe kicked three field goals in the second half.
Minnesota 27, Illinois 20 — Illinois lost two fumbles inside its own 10-yard line that turned into Minnesota touchdowns, as former Illini All-Big Ten TE Tim Brewster earned the biggest win of his short head-coaching career during his alma mater\'s homecoming. Illini QB Juice Williams threw for 462 yards and rushed for 41.
Minnesota 17, Purdue 6 — The defense knocked Purdue starting QB Curtis Painter out of the game, then limited the Boilers to 226 yards of offense and forced four turnovers in a game the defense dominated. QB Adam Weber accounted for 276 total yards and two scores, and the Gophers improved to 7-1 for the first time since 2002.
Northwestern 24, Minnesota 17 — The Wildcats\' Brendan Smith intercepted a deflection and raced 48 yards for the game-winning score with 12 seconds left, stunning the Gophers and ending their three-game winning streak. The Wildcats were playing without their regular starters at both quarterback and tailback, but backup QB Mike Kafka ran for 217 yards while directing Northwestern\'s speed option.
Michigan 29, Minnesota 6 — The Gophers struggled without top target Eric Decker, sidelined by an ankle injury in falling to 0-12 against Michigan in the Metrodome. Michigan ran for 232 yards on the Gophers\' defense and backup QB Nick Sheridan threw for more than 200 as Michigan ended a five-game losing streak with its third win of the year.
Wisconsin 35, Minnesota 32 — The Gophers squandered a 21-7 halftime lead with a disastrous second half, losing their third straight. Adam Weber threw for 202 yards and three scores, but completed just half of his passes (15 of 30) and was sacked three times. The Gophers allowed 11 points (touchdown, two safeties) in less than three minutes in the fourth quarter, fueling Wisconsin\'s comeback.
Iowa 55, Minnesota 0 — In their final game in the Metrodome, the Gophers were shut out at home for the first time since 1989. Iowa produced 24 points in the second quarter and 477 total yards to end all doubt early. The Gophers had seven net rushing yards and QB Adam Weber threw for 127 yards and two interceptions.
NOTES, QUOTES
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: Tim Brewster never saw what he needed to out of freshman tailbacks DeLeon Eskridge and Shady Salamon. As a result, Phil Meyer was replaced with Tim Davis after the season as the new offensive line coach/running game coordinator. It will be Davis\' job to boost a rushing attack that failed to reach 100 net rushing yards in each of the final four games of the season.
That lack of production put added pressure on QB Adam Weber, who responded well until top target Eric Decker went down with an ankle injury. Without a running threat and without their top receiver, the Gophers\' offense quickly collapsed. They will now face a Kansas defense that was scorched by the incredible Big 12 offenses.
The Jayhawks ranked 113th in the country during the regular season in pass defense, allowing 275 yards per game. Whether Kansas was really that bad in pass coverage, or whether those numbers are a product of the powerful Big 12, will be determined against the Gophers.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: Minnesota struggled stopping teams all year defensively, but made up for it by forcing a league-best 30 turnovers. Iowa didn\'t turn the ball over and won, 55-0. Kansas committed 21 turnovers this season, which ranked around the middle of the Big 12 teams.
The Gophers will have their hands full in slowing Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing, who threw for 3,575 yards, 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
MATCHUP TO WATCH: Minnesota WR Eric Decker vs. Kansas CB Darrell Stuckey — Decker finished the season with 76 catches, more than twice as many as anyone else on the team. He had 925 receiving yards and six touchdowns despite missing the better part of two games with an ankle injury. Stuckey leads the team with five interceptions and has done well playing against opponents\' top threats.
QUOTE TO NOTE: We\'ll be smart enough to know what we can and can\'t do. Obviously, we weren\'t that successful running the ball, and that will hurt an offense ... I think with this new style of running, it will give us more of an advantage running the ball. — QB Adam Weber, on the dramatic changes to the running game in a short amount of time
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH THE INSIGHT BOWL: Minnesota vs. Kansas, Tempe, Ariz., Dec. 31 — The Gophers complete an impressive turnaround from a one-win season in 2007 to a bowl game appearance this year. Now they have 15 bowl practices to remake a non-existent rushing attack with a new assistant coach (Tim Davis). Kansas brings a typical high flying Big 12 offense that features plenty of passing (302 yards per game) and little defense. Expect a lot of throws from these two teams, plenty of points and little use for defense or tailbacks.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Adam Weber — His two worst games came in the last three for Minnesota. Weber had clunkers against Michigan and Iowa, but overall is the best player on offense.
WR Eric Decker — An ankle injury rendered him ineffective over the final three games, otherwise Decker could\'ve ended the season with staggering figures. As it was, Decker caught 76 passes for 925 yards and six touchdowns.
DE Willie VanDeSteeg — His 9.5 sacks more than double anyone else on the team. He accounted for nearly one-third of Minnesota\'s 30 team sacks.
CB Traye Simmons — Team\'s top cover man leads the defense with four interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. Simmons is a big reason why the defense leads the conference with 30 forced turnovers.
ROSTER REPORT:
—As of Dec. 13, WR Eric Decker (knee), DLs Willie VanDeSteeg (ankle) and Garrett Brown (ankle) and LB Lee Campbell (ankle) had not practiced, but coach Tim Brewster expected all to be healthy and available by kickoff. The team departs for the Insight Bowl on Christmas night. I think we\'ll be 100 percent full strength for the game, Brewster told the Star Tribune.
—S Kyle Theret has practiced in full pads, but also is nursing an ankle injury. Like the rest, Theret is expected to be healthy for the game.
—Decker was hobbled late in the season by an ankle injury, but recently had surgery on his left knee.
—RB Andre Tate and WR Jimmy Thompson, both redshirt freshmen, have decided to transfer after the season. That means the Gophers will lose a pair of receivers, since sophomore WR Ralph Spry had previously announced his intention to leave.
—Tim Davis was brought in as the new offensive line coach in charge of directing the running game, replacing Phil Meyer. The loss of RB Duane Bennett early in the season left a huge void in the running game, something the Gophers never really filled. They managed just seven net rushing yards in the finale against Iowa, which could have helped seal the decision.
—RB Duane Bennett will miss the bowl game while continuing to recover from ACL surgery. Bennett\'s absence left a big void in the backfield, which never really was filled.
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NORTHWESTERN
INSIDE SLANT
Northwestern entered the 2008 season generally regarded as a team destined for eighth or ninth place in the rugged Big Ten.
The Wildcats didn\'t care. They won nine games (including their first 5-0 start since 1962) and shared fourth place in the league.
That earned Northwestern its first bowl bid since 2005 and a spot in the Alamo Bowl against Missouri, which the oddsmakers decided to make the biggest favorite among all 34 bowl games.
The Wildcats didn\'t care they were 13-point underdogs. They outplayed the Tigers most of the night and, if not for a few special-teams miscues, would have walked out of the Alamodome with the school\'s first bowl win in 60 years and the second 10-win season in school history.
If NU hadn\'t allowed All-American Jeremy Maclin to return a punt for a score just before halftime — and if kicker Amado Villarreal hadn\'t missed an extra point — the Wildcats would be rejoicing in having fulfilled all of their preseason goals. Instead, they dropped a 30-23 overtime decision.
That disappointing coda to a successful year allows the Wildcats to keep a chip on their shoulder as they make the transition from a senior-dominated team to a program that finds out if they\'ve been building quality depth like head coach Pat Fitzgerald says.
Northwestern loses nine starters from its 9-4 squad, including five skill-position players who stamped their names all over the career lists for offensive production.
Running back Tyrell Sutton, despite missing nine games in his last two seasons, leaves as the school\'s No. 2 all-time rusher while quarterback C.J. Bacher wound up No. 3 in almost every passing category.
And between Sutton and senior receivers Eric Peterman, Ross Lane and Rasheed Ward, the Wildcats must replace 598 catches, 6,594 yards and 35 touchdowns of career production.
But Northwestern fans got a taste of the future when Sutton and Bacher missed games down the stretch. Junior quarterback Mike Kafka proved to be an electrifying runner and decent passer, while sophomore running back Stephen Simmons showed glimpses while suggesting there\'ll be quite the offseason battle to replace Sutton.
Freshman wideout Jeremy Ebert, junior slot receiver and redshirting superback Drake Dunsmore will lead the charge to replace the graduating receivers.
Meanwhile, the defense should be rock-solid as it retains eight starters from the group that set a single-season school record for fewest rushing yards allowed (126.4 ypg).
All-Big Ten defensive end Corey Wootton leads the charge, though he\'ll need extensive offseason time to rehabilitate the right-knee injury suffered late in the Alamo Bowl. Watch for redshirt freshman Vince Browne, a playmaker who missed a month with his own knee injury, to become Wootton\'s equal from the opposite defensive end.
After changing both coordinators and hiring a new defensive line coach last offseason, look for Pat Fitzgerald to spend all of this offseason finding more recruits and looking for ways to lead the Wildcats to their first bowl win since Jan. 1, 1949.
NOTES, QUOTES
GAME OF THE YEAR: Northwestern 21, Minnesota 14 — The Wildcats headed to Minneapolis with two losses in their last three games. They had to face a 1-loss Gophers squad without senior QB C.J. Bacher and senior RB Tyrell Sutton — both of whom were hurt the week before — which forced backup QB Mike Kafka to make his first start since Sept. 2006.
So what happened? Kafka rushed for an absurd 217 yards (an apparent record for a Big Ten quarterback) and threw for two scores. Then junior safety Brendan Smith, with 12 seconds to go, picked off a pass and returned it 48 yards for the game-winning score to clinch NU\'s first bowl in three seasons.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Corey Wootton — The 6-foot-7 redshirt junior defensive end earned first-team all-Big Ten honors (the only Wildcat to make an all-Big Ten team) as he piled up 10 sacks and 16 tackles for loss. Wootton made a name for himself with NFL scouts, but he\'s expected to return for his senior year. His decision probably became easier when he hurt his right knee late in the Alamo Bowl.
FAST FORWARD: Depending on which side of the ball you\'re viewing, the Wildcats will either be building on their 9-4 season or rebuilding for another run in 2010 and beyond.
Coach Pat Fitzgerald believes his team has stocked up unprecedented depth and will continue climbing, but just look at what NU\'s seniors did offensively in the Alamo Bowl.
Northwestern loses six offensive starters, including virtually every skill player who contributed in the Alamo Bowl. With the exception of junior Andrew Brewer\'s three catches for 14 yards, all the team\'s 376 yards were generated by seniors. Junior quarterback Mike Kafka, who made two key starts in November, has first call on C.J. Bacher\'s job. Soph RB Stephen Simmons, who rushed for 178 yards and 2 scores, will battle to succeed Tyrell Sutton.
Defensively, on the other hand, Northwestern retains eight starters from a unit that showed marked improvement in 2008. DE Corey Wootton and backup DE Vince Browne will spearhead the line, while soph MLB Nate Williams took charge after a season-ending injury to senior Malcolm Arrington.
The secondary, which featured four above-average players, returns its top six players intact and retains the services of soph CB Justan Vaughn, who started the first two games before season-ending shoulder surgery.
As mentioned above, Fitzgerald believes this program is positioned to start contending for Big Ten titles. If enough skill players develop during spring ball and pre-conference play, the Wildcats should be in the mix in 2009.
RECRUITING TRAIL: Northwestern needs to replenish at quarterback, running back and linebacker — which is exactly what Pat Fitzgerald and Co. have done.
After failing to bring in a scholarship QB last year, the Wildcats received an early commitment from 6-foot-6 slinger Evan Watkins of Glenbard North High School in suburban Chicago. They also have commits from RBs Mike Trumpy (Wheaton, Ill.) and Arby Fields (Rancho Cucomonga, Cal.).
They\'re bringing in a handful of linebackers led by Dallas\' Roderick Goodlow and Ohio\'s Will Studlien. The latter had big suitors who backed off after a knee injury.
The Wildcats didn\'t need many offensive linemen after bringing in five local guys a year ago, but they couldn\'t pass up four-star tackle Patrick Ward from south suburban Chicago (near Fitzgerald\'s hometown). Ward, whose father, Brian, played tackle for Illinois in the 1980s, goes 6-6, 300 pounds.
QUOTE TO NOTE: It\'s an exciting time for our program. We\'re heading in the right direction. — Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald in the Chicago Tribune.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2009:
DE Corey Wootton — Though he suffered a serious right knee injury late in the fourth quarter of the Alamo Bowl loss, the all-Big Ten junior figures to have enough time to rehab for the 2009 season.
S Brad Phillips — The hard-hitting junior led the Wildcats in tackles (109) and shared the lead for interceptions (3). Among the reasons he\'s special: When the Wildcats need to go nickel, as they did in the Alamo Bowl, he\'s quick enough to move to the nickel and play man coverage.
S Brendan Smith — After redshirting the 2007 season and undergoing a pair of shoulder surgeries, the Wildcats\' only returning co-captain delivered 82 tackles and returned 2 interceptions for touchdowns.
PRO PROSPECTS:
RB Tyrell Sutton — Less than two months after surgery to fix a serious left wrist injury, Sutton returned with a vengeance to post his 16th career 100-yard game in the Alamo Bowl. Northwestern\'s No. 2 all-time rusher (3,886 yards) should be a middle- to late-round pick who\'ll stick because of his attitude, his third-down aptitude and his ability to catch out of the backfield (149 career catches).
DT John Gill — He\'s not quite as good as Luis Castillo, who was an unheralded NU defensive tackle who went in the first round to the San Diego Chargers, but he\'s an under-the-radar 300-pounder who should find a place in the league.
G Keegan Kennedy — After spending his first three seasons on the defensive line, Kennedy flipped to the offensive line prior to spring ball and became NU\'s top guy. At the minimum, the honorable mention all-Big Ten pick should be invited to camps.
ROSTER REPORT:
—DE Corey Wootton suffered a serious right knee injury late in the Alamo Bowl on a non-contact play when he tried to make an abrupt cut on a pass rush and his knee didn\'t agree. Though Northwestern offered no details, the injury looked scary enough that it should require surgery and rehab that will last through spring practice.
—RT Desmond Taylor appeared to suffer a left knee injury early in the Alamo Bowl. Taylor missed most of the game, but returned for the fourth quarter after backup Kurt Mattes kept getting beat by speed rushes.
—DE Vince Browne missed the final month of the regular season after injuring the lateral collateral ligament in his left knee. He didn\'t need surgery and returned for limited snaps in the Alamo Bowl, where he racked up 4 tackles (including .5 for a loss).
—SB Drake Dunsmore suffered a season-ending knee injury in preseason. The Wildcats expected the sophomore to be a huge pass-catching force in 2008, so now they\'re regarding his healthy return as like getting a five-star transfer for 2009.
—DT Corbin Bryant suffered a knee injury against Michigan in Game 11. The sophomore might not be back for spring ball, but he should be ready to regain his starting job going into Camp Kenosha.
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OHIO STATE
INSIDE SLANT
It didn\'t take long for the desert to turn from Ohio State\'s paradise to a prison. The Buckeyes did four hours of hard time two years ago, during a 41-14 loss to Florida in the national championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium.
Now they return for the first time since the collapse, when they entered the game as heavy favorites and left as heavy enemies — of the rest of the nation.
This is Ohio State\'s fifth trip to Phoenix for a bowl game in the last seven years. The players have spent every trip at the same posh hotel in Scottsdale, Ariz., they have worn their away jerseys in every game and generally followed every routine from the previous trip.
The first four were wildly successful — a national championship victory against Miami, followed by Fiesta Bowl victories against Kansas State and Notre Dame. Those all came at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., before the Fiesta Bowl was moved to Glendale, Ariz.
Ohio State\'s national image has never been the same since suffering that 27-point thrashing to the Gators. The Buckeyes have lost seemingly every big game since, including the national championship last year and games against USC and Penn State this season. But it all dates back to that night against Florida, when Ohio State\'s image began to transform from big game behemoths to overrated underachievers.
This senior class has been around for two of the games in the desert. They were freshmen for the victory against Notre Dame in 2005, then-sophomores like Malcolm Jenkins and James Laurinaitis started in the loss against Florida.
We won one and we lost one badly, Jenkins said. This would be a nice way to redeem ourselves.
SEASON RECAP: Ohio State 43, Youngstown State 0 — Todd Boeckman completed 14 of 19 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns, Beanie Wells rushed for 111 yards before he was injured and the defense held the Penguins to 74 yards of total offense. Terrelle Pryor made his much-anticipated debut for Ohio State, completing four of six passes for 35 yards, while rushing for 52 yards and his first touchdown.
Ohio State 26, Ohio 14 — The offense struggled without Beanie Wells, producing just 272 total yards, but the defense forced four turnovers and the Buckeyes escaped with superior special teams. Bobcats punt returner Mark Parson muffed a punt in the fourth quarter that the Buckeyes recovered and eventually turned into a touchdown. Seven minutes later, Ray Small returned a punt for another score and the Buckeyes had officially erased the 14-12 deficit from the start of the fourth quarter.
USC 35, Ohio State 3 — The offense was limited to 207 total yards as the quarterbacks were sacked five times and Todd Boeckman turned it over three times in a humiliating loss at the Coliseum.
Ohio State 28, Troy 10 — Terrelle Pryor\'s debut as the new starting quarterback was a success, setting a new freshman record with four touchdown passes in a game while rushing for 66 yards on 14 carries. The Buckeyes were outgained by Troy, though, 315-309. It was Ohio State\'s first day with more than 300 yards against an FBS school this year.
Ohio State 34, Minnesota 21 — Beanie Wells returned to the lineup after missing 3 1/2 weeks to rush for 106 yards and the Buckeyes produced a season-high 279 rushing yards. Terrelle Pryor, in his second start, accounted for 167 yards and three touchdowns — two rushing and one throwing. Pryor was three yards shy of 100 rushing.
Ohio State 20, Wisconsin 17 — Beanie Wells went back over 100 yards rushing — 168 on 22 carries with a TD — but the biggest run was from freshman Terrelle Pryor. His 11-yard TD run with 1:08 left decided the outcome.
Ohio State 16, Purdue 3 — Etienne Sabino ran 20 yards with a blocked punt, scoring the only touchdown of the game. The Ohio State offense was limited to three field goals.
Ohio State 45, Michigan State 7 — The Buckeyes scored 21 points in less than six minutes in the first quarter and ended the Spartans\' six-game winning streak. Ohio State forced five turnovers, returning two for defensive touchdowns, and added three sacks in dominating former OSU assistant Mark Dantonio. The Buckeyes rushed for 216 yards, while holding the Spartans to 240 yards of total offense.
Penn State 13, Ohio State 6 — Leading 6-3 with 10 minutes left in the game, Penn State\'s Navorro Bowman recovered a Terrelle Pryor fumble at the Ohio State 38, leading to the game\'s only touchdown. Beanie Wells was held to 55 yards on 22 carries in the loss, while Pryor had season highs of 25 attempts and 226 yards passing. But it was his two turnovers that were most costly. The Buckeyes moved into Penn State territory in the game\'s final minute, giving the Bucks a chance to tie, but Pryor\'s pass into the end zone was intercepted by Lydell Sargeant.
Ohio State 45, Northwestern 10 — Terrelle Pryor threw for 197 yards and three touchdowns, Beanie Wells rushed for 128 yards and two scores and the Bucks ran up 441 yards of total offense, their most in any game against an FBS school this season.
Ohio State 30, Illinois 20 — Beanie Wells rushed for 143 yards and a touchdown, Terrelle Pryor added 110 rushing yards and a score and the Buckeyes went over 300 rushing yards for the first time in three years. Strong winds limited Pryor to just six of 10 passing for 49 yards and left the game to be determined on the ground. The defense surrendered more than 450 yards to Illinois, but came up with three huge plays — two turnovers and a blocked punt by Malcolm Jenkins through the back of the end zone for a safety. The three Illini miscues directly led to 16 points for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State 42, Michigan 7 — Beanie Wells ran for 134 yards and a score, and the defense held Michigan to 198 yards and a season low in points. Terrelle Pryor threw two touchdowns and an interception as the Bucks beat Michigan for the fifth consecutive year and the seventh time in eight games under Jim Tressel. With the victory, Ohio State shares the Big Ten championship with Penn State.
NOTES, QUOTES
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: The Buckeyes tore apart the playbook after just three games and instilled a run-oriented offense that featured freshman sensation Terrelle Pryor and tailback Beanie Wells. Injuries sabotaged Wells\' season, although he still rushed for 1,000 yards despite missing three games with a toe injury.
Pryor replaced Todd Boeckman at quarterback after the loss to USC, despite Boeckman leading the Buckeyes to a Big Ten championship and national title game appearance last season. After some early struggles, the Buckeyes scored at least 30 points in four of their last five games, including three with more than 42 points. They will have to score to keep up with a Texas offense that is among the best in the country.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: Are Big 12 offenses really that good or are the defenses just really bad? We\'ll start to get an answer to that during the bowl season. Only one team scored more than 21 points against the Buckeyes this season, while Texas\' powerful offense hasn\'t scored less than 28 all season.
Quarterback Colt McCoy leads the team in rushing (576 yards, 10 TDs) while passing for 3,445 yards and 32 touchdowns. He is among the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy and will undoubtedly be the best quarterback the Buckeyes have faced this season — and USC\'s Mark Sanchez has already directed an offense that scored 35 on this defense.
MATCHUP TO WATCH: QB Colt McCoy vs. LB James Laurinaitis — McCoy has already faced the Buckeyes once, completing 19 of 32 passes for 154 yards, a touchdown and an interception in just his second collegiate start. He is obviously much more experienced and much improved, and now he\'s a better runner, too. Laurinaitis intercepted McCoy in that game two seasons ago, and leads the Ohio State defense with 121 tackles.
When the Bucks blitz, Laurinaitis will be there. When McCoy runs, Laurinaitis will be there. He\'s also among the best linebackers in the country at dropping back into coverage. Whoever has the better game will go a long way in determining which team wins.
QUOTE TO NOTE: It\'s a win-win situation for us. If we lose, everyone probably thinks we\'re going to lose anyway. If we win, it\'ll show since we\'ve made some strides since our last loss. — cornerback Malcolm Jenkins
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH THE FIESTA BOWL: Two storied programs that have combined for 1,639 victories all time will meet for the third time in history. It just so happens that all three meetings have been in the last four years. Texas won in Ohio Stadium in 2005, then went on to win the national championship. The Buckeyes won in Austin the following season and went on to play for the national championship. Call this the rubber match. Only this time, the roles are reversed. In 2006, the Buckeyes had the Heisman Trophy quarterback in Troy Smith and Texas had a hotshot freshman in Colt McCoy. Now McCoy is the strong Heisman candidate and Terrelle Pryor is Ohio State\'s hotshot freshman quarterback.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: LB James Laurinaitis — The three-time All-American linebacker was the difference defensively in Ohio State\'s win against Texas two years ago. He forced a fumble, intercepted a pass and introduced himself as Ohio State\'s next great linebacker. Now he\'ll have to do it all over again.
QB Terrelle Pryor — The best thing he did this season was limit turnovers. Pryor threw four interceptions in 152 attempts, and one of those was a Hail Mary into the end zone at the end of a half. The coaches are thrilled with the progress he made over his first season, and his potential is unlimited moving forward.
RB Beanie Wells — Was hampered by a hamstring the final two games, after being bothered by a toe injury since the opener. Wells rushed for just 1,091 yards during the regular season, but there are few backs in the country in Wells\' class.
CB Malcolm Jenkins — One of the few seniors who dramatically increased his NFL stock. Jenkins was a borderline first round pick after last season, now he\'s a lock. Jenkins can make plays on defense and on special teams.
ROSTER REPORT:
—Freshman DE Nathan Williams was arrested Dec. 10 on a shoplifting charge, although Williams denied stealing the three shirts from a department store valued at $80. He said he was covering for a friend who has a criminal record and would have been sent back to jail had he been caught. The charge Williams is facing is a first-degree misdemeanor.
—CB Malcolm Jenkins won the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation\'s top defensive back. He is the second Ohio State player to win the award, joining Antoine Winfield.
—This could very well be Beanie Wells\' last game in an Ohio State uniform. Jim Tressel even said he would encourage Wells to leave early for the NFL. In my mind, he\'s a top five pick, Tressel said.
—DB Jermale Hines, who was valuable as the nickel back most of the season, missed the last two games of the regular season because of a hamstring injury. The added rest and the six weeks off between games should have him healthy and ready to play against Texas.
—Likewise, DT Todd Denlinger was limited most of the season with nagging injuries. The extra time off should allow the Bucks to rotate four tackles throughout the game, which was the original plan for the entire season.
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PENN STATE
INSIDE SLANT
Derrick Williams will spend much of the next few weeks watching the USC Trojans on film. But the Penn State wide receiver has already seen plenty of the Nittany Lions\' Rose Bowl opponent on television this season.
It\'s one of the teams that you\'d want to watch on TV, Williams said. It\'s going to be a matchup that everyone wants to see.
The Big Ten champions and the Pac 10 champions will meet in a battle of once-beaten teams at 5 p.m. on New Year\'s Day in Pasadena, Calif. Substantial underdogs, the Nittany Lions see USC as a final measuring stick in a season that has been all about proving doubters wrong.
It\'s a chance to prove we\'re one of the best teams in the country, running back Evan Royster said. We know we are, we feel like we are. It\'s just being out there and going against a team that everybody knows is in the top tier in college football.
Penn State could have its head coach back on the sideline for the game. Joe Paterno, who coached from the press box for the final eight games of the season to rest a sore leg and hip, had successful hip replacement surgery the day after the regular season ended. Paterno said his recovery is ahead of schedule.
I just need to keep testing myself, he said.
The coach also bagged a new three-year contract in mid-December. His deal was set to expire at the end of this, his 43rd career year.
SEASON RECAP: Penn State 66, Coastal Carolina 10 — Evan Royster ran for three first-half touchdowns as the Nittany Lions jumped out to a 38-7 halftime lead and cruised in their season opener. Penn State rolled up 594 total yards and scored more points in an opener than it has since 1926, the year head coach Joe Paterno was born.
Penn State 45, Oregon State 14 — The Nittany Lions scored touchdowns on six of their first nine possessions and never allowed Lyle Moevao and the Beaver offense to get on track. Evan Royster ran for a career-high 141 yards and three touchdowns for No. 19 Penn State (2-0).
Penn State 55, Syracuse 13 — Two Nittany Lion quarterbacks — Daryll Clark and Pat Devlin — threw two first-half touchdown passes and wide receivers Jordan Norwood and Deon Butler both went over 100 yards, as the No. 17 Nittany Lions improved to 3-0. Penn State outgained the hapless Orange (0-3) by 401 yards and held them to eight first downs all afternoon.
Penn State 45, Temple 3 — The Nittany Lions knocked Owls quarterback Adam DiMichele out of the game on the fifth play and piled up 31 of their 45 points in the second quarter. Freshman TB Stephfon Green had 132 of Penn State\'s 303 rushing yards.
Penn State 38, Illinois 24 — Derrick Williams scored touchdowns rushing, receiving and on a kick return as the Nittany Lions moved to 5-0 for just the second time in nine years. Daryll Clark threw two touchdown passes and Evan Royster ran for 139 yards as Penn State\'s offense rolled up 422 yards.
Penn State 20, Purdue 6 — Evan Royster ran for 141 yards and a touchdown and Penn State\'s defense kept the Boilermakers off the scoreboard for the first three quarters as the Nittany Lions improved to 6-0. Daryll Clark completed 18-of-26 passes for 220 yards and ran for a touchdown for Penn State, which converted just 4-of-12 third downs but still managed 422 yards of offense.
Penn State 48, Wisconsin 7 — The Nittany Lions scored two touchdowns in 35 seconds in the second quarter and two more in the first eight minutes of the third quarter to hand the Badgers their worst home loss in 19 years. Daryll Clark threw for a career-high 244 yards and a touchdown and ran for two more scores. Wide receiver Derrick Williams returned a kick for a touchdown for the third time this season, and defensive end Aaron Maybin had three sacks and two forced fumbles as the Nittany Lions turned in their most dominant and well-rounded game of the season.
Penn State 46, Michigan 17 — No. 3 Penn State leaped out of an early 10-point deficit with 39 unanswered points to beat the Wolverines for the first time in 12 years. Running back Evan Royster scored his team\'s first touchdown on a 44-yard run on his way to a career-high 174 yards rushing, and Penn State\'s defense allowed only 82 yards on Michigan\'s final 11 possessions.
Penn State 13, Ohio State 6 — A defensive struggle turned when Mark Rubin forced a Terrelle Pryor fumble and Navorro Bowman recovered in Buckeye territory, setting up Pat Devlin\'s one-yard sneak for the game\'s only touchdown. Lydell Sargeant picked off Pryor\'s 40-yard heave in the end zone in the final minute to seal Penn State\'s first win in Columbus since 1978. The teams, who have combined to win the last three Big Ten titles, totaled just 568 yards of offense and 32 first downs. The Nittany Lions were held to their lowest point and yardage totals of the season.
Iowa 24, Penn State 23 — The Nittany Lions suffered their first loss of the season in gut-wrenching fashion, giving away a nine-point fourth-quarter lead and allowing the Hawkeyes to drive 57 yards in 15 plays in the final four minutes to set up Daniel Murray\'s game-winning, 31-yard field goal with one second left. Penn State\'s high-powered offense sputtered in the wind and against a good Iowa defense, turning in just 38 yards and no points in the final quarter after dominating the time of possession and rolling up 203 yards in the first half.
Penn State 34, Indiana 7 — The Nittany Lions shook off a sluggish first half start and three Daryll Clark turnovers to stay in prime position in the Big Ten title chase. Clark threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns, Derrick Williams had 164 all-purpose yards and two scores and Penn State\'s defense allowed just six first downs, its lowest total against a Big Ten conference opponent.
Penn State 49, Michigan State 18 — Daryll Clark threw for 341 of Penn State\'s school-record 415 passing yards as the Nittany Lions clinched their second Big Ten championship in four years. Deon Butler had 133 yards and three touchdowns on three catches and Penn State limited Spartans tailback Javon Ringer to 42 yards, 99 below his season average and intercepted QB Brian Hoyer twice.
NOTES, QUOTES
—For those fans who bought Rose Bowl tickets for the possible novelty factor of seeing Joe Paterno coach his final bowl game might be the only ones disappointed that his coaching resume will have a 44th year (and No.\'s 45 and 46). Paterno, whose contract was a point of contention between the coach and media for a full year, signed a new deal Dec. 16. It\'s a three-year pact, but the exact value wasn\'t immediately known. Paterno\'s 82nd birthday is Dec. 21.
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: Penn State\'s Spread HD offense has been its most dominant group of the decade. The Nittany Lions have the Big Ten\'s No. 2 rushing offense, keyed by sophomore running back Evan Royster (1,202 yards, 6.5 per carry) and a veteran offensive line. Quarterback Daryll Clark, a first-year starter, has completed 60 percent of his passes for over 2,300 yards and scored nine touchdowns rushing the ball. Senior wide receivers Deon Butler, Derrick Williams and Jordan Norwood have combined for 121 receptions. The Nittany Lions have used multiple formations, including a version of the Wildhog that has Williams taking snaps from shotgun, and used different tactics against different defenses.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley\'s unit has held some of the nation\'s best running backs — Chris Wells, Javon Ringer and P.J. Hill — in check and gotten terrific quarterback pressure with only a four-man rush. Defensive end Aaron Maybin (12 sacks) has blossomed into a star in his first season as a starter and defensive tackle Jared Odrick has been excellent against the run and the pass. Linebacker Navorro Bowman goes from sideline to sideline and is the team\'s best blitzer. Penn State\'s secondary, led by free safety Anthony Scirrotto, has been great in run support but the Nittany Lions\' two-deep and three-deep zones have been exploited by teams with talented quarterbacks.
MATCHUP TO WATCH: Penn State\'s offensive line vs. USC\'s front seven. The Nittany Lions aren\'t big up front but are exceptional at running pulls and sweeps. They\'ve allowed just 12 sacks this season. Tailback Evan Royster follows his blockers with patience and great vision. But Penn State hasn\'t seen a front seven as athletic as USC\'s, keyed by linebacker Rey Maualuga and defensive tackle Fili Moala. Teams that have applied steady pressure on quarterback Daryll Clark, such as Ohio State and Iowa, have slowed the Nittany Lions\' high-powered offense.
QUOTE TO NOTE: We\'ve had our problems, we\'ve had some kids who didn\'t have time to grow up before they got caught in some stuff. And these guys, when we made some tough decisions, they stuck with us, never complained, and just kept working. And it\'s great to be around a group of people like that. — Penn State coach Joe Paterno, on his senior class.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH THE ROSE BOWL: Penn State vs. Southern California, Rose Bowl, Jan. 1 — College football\'s most decorated coach leads his team back to Pasadena for the first time in 14 years to meet college football\'s most successful program of the last decade. Penn State, the most balanced team in the Big Ten, is looking for respect for the conference against a team that has embarrassed the Big Ten twice in the last 13 months. Quarterback Daryll Clark and running back Evan Royster will look to find offensive balance against a USC defense that has allowed only 7.8 points per game this season. A Penn State defensive unit that survived several injuries to become the Big Ten\'s best hopes to shut down junior Mark Sanchez (30 TD passes) and a dangerous Trojans passing attack. Sanchez has been frazzled in the face of pressure and threw three interceptions in USC\'s last two regular-season games.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
QB Daryll Clark — The junior bounced back from a couple of subpar outings late in the season with a big game against Michigan State. Clark has the ability to make throws all over the field or sprint from the pocket and make defenses pay with his legs.
WR Derrick Williams — Penn State has moved the versatile senior all over the offense. He\'s caught passes out of the slot, taken handoffs on end-arounds, even thrown passes out of the Wildcat formation. He also reinvigorated Penn State\'s return game this season, scoring two touchdowns on kickoff returns and one on a punt return.
LB Navorro Bowman — The redshirt sophomore, a first-year starter at the strong-side position, has been the most dynamic player on a balanced defense. Bowman gets to the ball on nearly every play, hits hard and finishes tackles. He has been effective as a pass rusher and in pass coverage.
DT Jared Odrick — One of the biggest Nittany Lions (6-foot-5, 300 pounds) is also one of the most agile. Odrick has compiled an impressive set of statistics (39 tackles, 9.5 for loss) this season, but his ability to tie up blockers and blow up both running and passing plays in the backfield make him a big problem for opposing offenses.
ROSTER REPORT:
—DT Devon Still missed the first 11 games of the season with a broken ankle but saw a handful of fourth-quarter snaps in the season finale against Michigan State. He could provide depth in a tackle rotation thinned by injuries and suspensions.
—RG Stefen Wisniewski has used the month between games to heal his sprained knee, which limited the sophomore\'s playing time and effectiveness for the later half of the regular season.
—QB Pat Devlin, the top backup to starter Daryll Clark, has decided to transfer to another program. Fifth-year senior Paul Cianciolo will be Clark\'s backup for the Rose Bowl.
—WR Jordan Norwood has a minor foot injury suffered in the Nov. 22 regular-season finale against Michigan State. He is expected to be ready to play in the Rose Bowl.
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PURDUE
INSIDE SLANT
This isn\'t the way Joe Tiller wanted to head into retirement, lugging a 4-8 team into the sunset.
Purdue was expected to struggle in Tiller\'s final year, but the Boilermakers couldn\'t move the ball on offense — a rarity under an offensive mastermind — and missed a bowl bid for just the second time under Tiller.
A five-game losing streak was the demise. By the time the Boilers lost to Minnesota on Oct. 25, the season was essentially lost. Purdue was 2-6, tailback Kory Sheets was blasting quarterback Curtis Painter and there was little reason to believe things could get any better.
Painter entered the season as a potential Heisman candidate and departed having underachieved. He was pulled first for ineffectiveness, then for a shoulder injury. Painter played well late in the season, and leaves second on the school\'s and Big Ten\'s all-time passing list with 11,363 yards, trailing only Drew Brees. But Purdue has lost 18 straight against ranked opponents, and Painter has been around for the bulk of them.
Purdue\'s succession plan has long been in place. Danny Hope, brought onto the staff before the season, takes over immediately for Tiller. He must find a new quarterback, a new tailback and revamp a defense that played better than the final numbers might indicate.
Ultimately, he must keep Purdue from slipping back into oblivion. The Boilermakers had only been to five bowl games and none in 13 years before Tiller\'s arrival. He brought the program back to prominence, and even ended the 34-year drought without a Rose Bowl appearance.
His basketball on grass style of play was initially mocked, but eventually transformed the style of play in the Big Ten. Hope will seek to establish his voice while building on the decade-plus of work Tiller established.
Despite the difficult year, Purdue took out all of its frustrations on in-state rival Indiana in the finale, 66-10, sending Tiller out a winner. He choked up once while addressing the crowd, waving a final goodbye to West Lafayette before retreating to Wyoming.
If ever you leave a place, it\'s not what you take with you but rather what you leave behind, Tiller told the crowd. Hopefully, we\'ve left some great memories. I know we\'ve left some great young men. Thank you all.
SEASON RECAP: Purdue 42, Northern Colorado 10 — Curtis Painter threw for 286 yards and two touchdowns, Frank Halliburton blocked a pair of punts and the Boilermakers methodically marched to a victory in their opener. Northern Colorado\'s lone touchdown came in the fourth quarter against the Boilers\' backups.
Oregon 32, Purdue 26 (2 OT) — LeGarrette Blount\'s three-yard touchdown run in the second overtime capped Oregon\'s stunning comeback, rallying from 17 points down in the second quarter to win. Purdue had a chance to win at the end of regulation. Coach Joe Tiller was content to settle for a long 44-yard field goal, which Chris Summer missed badly, sending the game to overtime.
Purdue 32, Central Michigan 25 — More than half of Kory Sheets\' rushing total came on one play, a 46-yard touchdown run with a minute left as the Boilermakers barely avoided the upset. Sheets finished with 91 yards on 17 carries and Joe Tiller became the school\'s all-time leader in victories with his 85th win as coach. It was the third time in a year that Purdue has defeated Central Michigan.
Notre Dame 38, Purdue 21 — Curtis Painter threw for 359 yards and Desmond Tardy had 10 catches for 175 yards, but the defense surrendered 21 points to Notre Dame in the third quarter. The defense allowed Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen to throw for 275 yards and three touchdowns in the loss.
Ohio State 16, Purdue 3 — The Buckeyes turned a blocked punt into the only touchdown of the game. The Boilermakers\' lone score came on a school-record 53-yard field goal by Carson Wiggs, as Purdue was unable to capitalize on the fact that it outgained Ohio State.
Northwestern 48, Purdue 26 — Curtis Painter was pulled for ineffectiveness and replaced by Joey Elliott, only to return when Elliott separated his throwing shoulder. Purdue turned the ball over five times, leading to 24 points for Northwestern.
Minnesota 17, Purdue 6 — Curtis Painter was knocked out of the game in the first half, returned briefly in the second half and then headed to the bench again as neither he nor redshirt freshman Justin Siller could spark the offense. The Boilers were limited to 226 total yards and have now failed to reach the end zone in 14 of the last 17 quarters.
Purdue 48, Michigan 42 — Greg Orton caught a short pass and flipped it to Desmond Tardy on a perfectly executed hook-and-lateral. Tardy raced 28 yards for the touchdown and the game-winning score, ending a wild day between two teams who entered carrying long losing streaks. Purdue racked up more than 500 yards in ending a five-game skid. The loss sent Michigan to its fifth straight loss and assured the Wolverines will not make a bowl game for the first time in 31 years.
Michigan State 21, Purdue 7 — The offense was held to 191 yards, the lowest ever under Joe Tiller, and Purdue clinched a losing season with a loss to the Spartans. Kory Sheets became the sixth back in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, finishing with 93 on 22 carries, but quarterback Justin Siller was sacked five times and completed 13 of 30 passes for 83 yards.
Iowa 22, Purdue 17 — Curtis Painter\'s Hail Mary on the game\'s final play sailed through the back of the end zone, ending a valiant comeback attempt. Painter was 24 of 30 for 190 yards after replacing Justin Siller with two minutes left in the first half. Iowa\'s Shonn Greene ran for 211 yards, but the defense gave Purdue one final chance by stuffing Greene on fourth down with just more than one minute left in the game. Painter drove the offense to the Iowa 27, where the final pass of the day sailed wide. Desmond Tardy caught 13 passes for 131 yards and a score, while Greg Orton had 10 catches for 76 yards and a touchdown. Neither player, though, was in position to catch the game\'s final pass.
Purdue 62, Indiana 10 — Curtis Painter reverted to his old form, completing 38 of 54 passes for 448 yards and five touchdowns to send Joe Tiller out a winner in his final game as coach. TB Kory Sheets added three more touchdowns to his single-season record, and ends the year with 16 scores. The offense produced 35 first downs and 596 yards. The defense forced three turnovers and held the Hoosiers to 214 total yards.
NOTES, QUOTES
GAME OF THE YEAR: Purdue 62, Indiana 10 — The ability to send Joe Tiller out with all the pomp he deserves will be forever embedded in the hearts of his players. In a season where little went right, it all fell into place on the final day. Tiller directed the band and was able to wave goodbye to a festive crowd on an emotional day for anyone attached to Purdue football.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: RB Kory Sheets — His frustrations bubbled over with his public blasting of the quarterback situation, but Sheets still produced more than anyone. He set a new school record with 16 rushing touchdowns in a season, he became the sixth back in school history to rush for 1,000 yards (1,131) and his 3,341 rushing yards rank second on Purdue\'s all-time list. Sheets had three games of 100 rushing yards or more and six games with multiple touchdowns.
FAST FORWARD: It might get worse before it gets better for new coach Danny Hope. Purdue must replace its quarterback, tailback, top two receivers and two offensive linemen. Defensively, Purdue loses its top two tacklers (Anthony Heygood and Torri Williams) and three of the top five. LB Joe Holland and DE Ryan Kerrigan played well, though, as sophomores, and give Purdue two key pieces for the defense.
RECRUITING TRAIL: Purdue has struggled in recruiting the last couple of years, pulling in classes that rank near the bottom of the Big Ten. It appears to be the case again. Purdue has 10 verbal commitments, but nothing above three stars, according to Rivals.com. Shayon Green moved from defensive end to linebacker his senior year of high school in Georgia, and the move paid off well. It will give the Boilers\' coaching staff something else to think about as it looks for more playmakers on a defense that ranked near the bottom of most statistical categories. Thus far, there are no linebackers or running backs, and just one receiver. Purdue could use a tailback, with Kory Sheets leaving and Dan Dierking coming back with two years of eligibility remaining.
QUOTE TO NOTE: I now can ride off into the sunset and feel like the job is done. — coach Joe Tiller, on winning his final game and sending his seniors — and himself — out victorious.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2009:
QBs Joey Elliott and Justin Siller — The quarterback competition will begin in earnest in the spring. Elliott, who will be a senior, missed valuable time late in the season with a shoulder separation. When Curtis Painter went down with a similar injury, it opened the door for Siller, who exploded in his first game with 344 total yards of offense and four touchdowns in a victory over Michigan. He never duplicated those numbers, but showed enough during the season to get a serious look at the starting job. Elliott had always been considered the heir apparent to Painter, though, and has to be considered the frontrunner for the job.
DE Ryan Kerrigan — Broke through this season with seven sacks, ranking seventh in the league. With two years of eligibility remaining, Kerrigan will only get better. He can develop into a premier pass rushing end. He\'s off to a good start.
PRO PROSPECTS:
—QB Curtis Painter finished his career behind only Drew Brees in most offensive categories. Whether or not he has the same type of success in the NFL remains to be seen. Painter has great numbers and can show a quick release, but he made some bad decisions this year and frustrated his coach with his reads. Painter carried the knock of having never won a big game, which could hurt his draft stock. He\'ll latch onto some team in an NFL camp. What he does after that is strictly up to him.
—RB Kory Sheets became the sixth player to rush for 1,000 yards in school history, but he might be relegated to more of a return role in the NFL. He can also be a third-down back, and a weapon catching the ball out of the backfield.
—LB Anthony Heygood led the defense with 114 tackles, far and away the best on the team. His future will be decided by his 40-yard dash time at the combine. Heygood could evolve into a very good special teams player.
ROSTER REPORT:
—QB Joey Elliott missed the final five games with a separated shoulder. He will be healthy next summer, but it\'s unclear how much will be asked of him during the spring. The injury cost Elliott key snaps during the second half of the season, since Curtis Painter also suffered a similar shoulder injury. Elliott has to be considered the early favorite to hold off Justin Siller and win the starting job to replace Painter.
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WISCONSIN
INSIDE SLANT
When Wisconsin managed to knock off Illinois 27-17 on Oct. 25 to stop a four-game losing streak, it seemed to settle all arguments about the Big Ten\'s most underachieving team in 2008.
Then came the Badgers\' flat performance against Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl, which promptly reminded everyone with even a mild affection for Wisconsin football just why 2008 felt like such a failure.
A season that began with sky-high expectations — and a 3-0 start that led to a Top 10 appearance in every poll as well as the unofficial Bowl Championship Series standings — ended with a 42-13 whipping from the Seminoles that left the Badgers with six losses in their final 10 games.
All of Wisconsin\'s season-long weaknesses made the trip to Orlando\'s Citrus Bowl: Turnover-prone quarterback play. An overall defeat on special teams. An inability for the defense to hold on while the offense tries to get itself together.
If you\'re happy about this season, then I don\'t think you\'re in football for the right reasons, sophomore safety Jay Valai told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after the Champs Sports Bowl. Because we want to win a lot more games. We\'ll come back hungrier — hungrier than ever.
But lack of hunger doesn\'t explain all of the critical fumbles and interceptions. It doesn\'t explain why Wisconsin\'s veteran defense couldn\'t get lined up correctly in the waning moments against Ohio State in early October — and the game-losing touchdown run by quarterback Terrelle Pryor happened as a result.
In the midst of Wisconsin\'s four-game losing streak, the natives started chanting that third-year coach Bret Bielema might be in over his head.
Athletic director Barry Alvarez, who hired Bielema as defensive coordinator and anointed him as his successor, backed Bielema before the lopsided bowl loss.
While Bielema probably lost more fan support after the Florida State blowout — not to mention the loss of a fistful of seniors who started for at least three years — Wisconsin has a chance to move back up the Big Ten ladder.
The Badgers retain almost all of their skill players (particularly stud running backs P.J. Hill and John Clay), but junior quarterback Dustin Sherer will have to battle Scott Tolzien and redshirt freshman Curt Phillips to hold on to his job.
The defense must find new blood at five spots in the front seven, which means spring ball will be even more important than usual. One potential solution was unveiled in the bowl game when usual middle linebacker Jaevery McFadden, the team\'s top tackler, moved to the outside to accommodate new mike linebacker Culmer St. Jean.
NOTES, QUOTES
GAME OF THE YEAR: Ohio State 20, Wisconsin 17 — The Badgers lost their Big Ten opener at Michigan the week before, but all would have been forgiven if they could have held on against the Buckeyes on an electric Saturday night at Camp Randall Stadium before a national TV audience.
Instead, the Wisconsin defense wilted down the stretch and OSU freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor took advantage of some confusion to rush for the game-winning 11-yard touchdown with 1:08 to go.
UW QB Allan Evridge accelerated his departure from the starting lineup with an ill-advised interception and a lost fumble. Tight end Mickey Turner caught the Badgers\' first touchdown, while P.J. Hill gave the Badgers a 17-13 lead with 6:31 to go with his 2-yard plunge.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Allen Langford — The senior cornerback suffered an early ending to his 2007 season with a torn knee ligament, but he returned better than ever and earned the team\'s Most Valuable Player along with first-team all-Big Ten recognition from the media and second-team honors from the coaches. Langford finished the season with 47 tackles, 2 interceptions and a team-high 13 pass breakups.
FAST FORWARD: Wisconsin has finished seven consecutive seasons with a bowl game, including the last five years in Florida.
The Badgers lose the guts of both lines — three long-time O-Line stalwarts and three D-Line stalwarts — as well as a pair of three-year starters at outside linebacker.
Wisconsin retains its top two rushers in junior P.J. Hill (1,161 yards, 13 TDs) and redshirt freshman John Clay (884 yards, nine TDs), so the makings of another traditional Badgers offense is there.
However, junior QB Dustin Sherer\'s poor showing in the Champs Sports Bowl confirms that there\'ll be another long quarterback derby in the Badgers\' immediate future. It\'s fair to say that the coaches hope that dual-threat freshman Curt Phillips, who showed up last January and redshirted in the fall, learned enough to take over the job.
Without significant improvement at QB, it\'s going to be hard for Wisconsin to improve on its seven-win season.
RECRUITING TRAIL: The Badgers were thinnest on both lines and that was before it lost so many seniors from the 2008 squad. Fortunately for the Badgers\' future, they\'ve centered their recruiting class around linemen.
Of their first 18 commitments, Rivals.com rates four of them as four-star players — and three are future defensive linemen in Florida end David Gilbert, Mequon, Wis., end Shelby Harris and Waupun, Wis., tackle Jordan Kohout.
The coaching staff are also particularly enamored with four-star running back Montee Ball (Wentzville, Mo.) and quarterback Jon Budmayr from the Chicago suburbs. The 6-foot Budmayr, a dual-threat with a strong, accurate arm, missed almost all of his senior year with a broken collarbone.
QUOTE TO NOTE: It was a frustrating season. We lost games we should have won. We didn\'t keep our composure. That was our biggest problem. — Wisconsin sophomore safety Jay Valai in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2009:
TB P.J. Hill — With three 1,000-yard seasons under his belt (he owns 3,942 career yards and 42 TDs), Hill will again be a linchpin of Wisconsin\'s offense. Of course, he\'ll have to share carries with redshirt freshman John Clay and perhaps sophomore Zach Brown as well.
TE Garrett Graham — A first-team all-Big Ten pick by the media and a second-team choice by the coaches, this senior-to-be finally received his due. Despite missing two games with a foot injury, Graham caught 40 balls for 540 yards and five scores in 2008.
LB Jaevery McFadden — After starting in the middle most of the year, McFadden moved outside for the Champs Sports Bowl. Not only does that enable him to fill one of the spots left by the graduating Jonathan Casillas and DeAndre Levy, it allows Culmer St. Jean to take over in the middle next year. McFadden led the Badgers with 85 tackles in 2008.
PRO PROSPECTS:
—TE Travis Beckum\'s senior year was all but ruined by an injured hamstring and a broken fibula, but he\'s healing quickly enough that he could get a chance to showcase his talents before the NFL draft.
—DE Matt Shaughnessy didn\'t have as good of a pass-rushing year as expected, but his broken fibula near the tail end of spring ball messed with his preparation. Shaughnessy finished his career with 15.5 sacks and 41.5 TFLs, so he proved enough as a speed rusher off the edge.
—Guards Kraig Urbik and Andy Kemp, who combined to earn seven full years of starting experience at UW, are pegged as mid-round picks in the upcoming draft. Senior OT Eric Vanden Heuvel has a good shot to be drafted as well.
ROSTER REPORT:
—TE Lance Kendricks missed the end of the season with a broken fibula, but hurried back to play briefly in the Champs Sports Bowl according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Kendricks was just starting to get a bunch of snaps when he went down, so he should join Garrett Graham and Mickey Turner as key multi-purpose threats next fall.
—WR Kyle Jefferson, who suffered a concussion against Minnesota on a scary hit, played briefly in the Champs Sports Bowl according to the participation report but did not catch a pass.
—CB Mario Goins, who started a handful of games in 2008, did not play after suffering a pair of concussions late in the year. He should return and compete with Niles Brinkley and redshirting sophomore Aaron Henry (knee surgery) for the starting jobs.
—QB Dustin Sherer went the route in the Champs Sports Bowl as part of his seventh straight start, but there\'s no guarantee the junior will start the Badgers\' 2009 opener against Northwestern on Sept. 5. He\'ll be locked in a battle throughout the offseason.
big ten conference Standings
Conference Overall
W L W L
Penn St. 7 1 11 2
Ohio St. 7 1 10 3
Michigan St. 6 2 9 4
Iowa 5 3 9 4
Northwestern 5 3 9 4
Wisconsin 3 5 7 6
Minnesota 3 5 7 6
Illinois 3 5 5 7
Purdue 2 6 4 8
Michigan 2 6 3 9
Indiana 1 7 3 9
ILLINOIS
INSIDE SLANT
If you\'re an Illinois fan, then you\'re accustomed to amazing highs being followed in rapid-fire fashion by killer lows.
Remember when Mike White led the 1983 Illini to the Big Ten title and the Rose Bowl? The 1984 team didn\'t go to a bowl due to NCAA probation, though the team\'s 7-4 record wouldn\'t have led to a spectacular postseason destination anyway.
Remember when Ron Turner led the 2001 Illini to the Big Ten title and the Sugar Bowl? The 2002 team went just 5-7 and stayed home.
Add Ron Zook\'s 2007 and 2008 seasons to this sad pattern. Fresh from a nine-win season and a trip to the Rose Bowl, the Illini managed to finish just 5-7 as they became a high-risk, high-reward crew that racked up tons of yards, turnovers and penalties.
Though the Illini outgained their opponents by 1,062 total yards, they outscored them by just 25 points because they suffered a minus-11 turnover margin and they had 216 more penalty yards.
Here\'s another example of Illinois\' rollercoaster season: junior quarterback Juice Williams set stadium records for total yards at three venues (St. Louis\' Edward Jones Dome, Michigan Stadium and Illinois\' Memorial Stadium), but the Illini won just one of those games.
What else happened? Wide receiver Jeff Cumberland broke running back Mikel Leshoure\'s jaw the same day Illinois beat Iowa to move to 5-4. While Leshoure missed the rest of the year, Cumberland didn\'t miss a snap. Of course, the Illini didn\'t win any more games, either, and closed out their season with a 27-10 loss at Northwestern.
The biggest thing I think we have to do is, we\'ve got to try to put on finger on \'Why?\', Zook said after the Northwestern loss. Everyone wants to know why and no one wants to know why more than myself. It\'s our job as a coaching staff. It\'s one of those things where we may never find out.
Because Illinois went from the Rose Bowl to no bowl with seemingly no explanation for the fall, everyone came in for their share of criticism. Zook, who just wrapped up his fourth year in Champaign, got torched for the team\'s undisciplined nature on and off the field — and his own inability to manipulate the clock in late-game situations.
Nonetheless, despite losing nine senior starters, Illinois\' talent level is only expected to increase. The Illini retain every skill player who did anything with the exception of 21-catch wideout Will Judson.
They also welcome Florida transfer Jarrod Fayson, a one-time five-star recruit who spent this fall as a dominant force on the scout team. When paired with Arrelious Benn (67 catches, 1,055 yards), Juice Williams will have little choice but to salivate at his options.
Illinois\' fate, though, could be determined by how well the coaches fill the holes on the lines. The Illini lose three offensive linemen (including 2007 second-team All-Big Ten picks Xavier Fulton and Ryan McDonald) and three defensive linemen (including 2007 second-team pick Will Davis).
Illinois brought its entire staff intact for the 2008 season, but that might not be the case for 2009. Offensive coordinator Mike Locksley interviewed recently for Clemson\'s top job and he figures to interview for others if the Tigers don\'t nab him.
SEASON RECAP:
Missouri 52, Illinois 42 — The 20th-ranked Illini took a brief lead in the second quarter on Derek Walker\'s interception return for a score, but a 99-yard return by Jeremy Maclin on the ensuing kickoff triggered a 21-point explosion that helped the sixth-ranked Tigers prevail in St. Louis. Juice Williams tried to rally the Illini late and finished with a career-high five touchdowns and 451 yards.
Illinois 47, Eastern Illinois 21 — Juice Williams broke his own record for single-game rushing yards by a quarterback (174), ran for two touchdowns and threw for a third as the Illini broke out to a 47-7 lead against their Football Championship Subdivision neighbors to the south. WR Arrelious Benn added his first two career rushing TDs as the Illini ran for 399 yards and set a Ron Zook-era record for points.
Illinois 20, Louisiana-Lafayette 17 — Middle linebacker Brit Miller stripped ULL QB Michael Desormeaux and returned it 27 yards to build a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. The rout seemed to be on, but the Illini offense struggled, and the defense allowed two late scores to make things close. Junior RB Dan Dufrene ran for a career-high 127 yards and scored the offense\' lone TD to lead the way.
Penn State 38, Illinois 24 - Juice Williams hooked up with Arrelious Benn for touchdowns of 33 and 54 yards, but Illinois squandered an early 14-7 lead as Penn State\'s Derrick Williams became the first player in the Joe Paterno era to score touchdowns via the rush, pass and kick return in the same game.
Illinois 45, Michigan 20 — Junior QB Juice Williams set a Michigan Stadium record with 431 total yards as the Illini scored 28 straight points to erase a 14-3 first-quarter deficit. Williams also became the first player in Illinois history to throw for 300 yards and rush for 100 yards in the same game. He had two touchdowns on the ground and two through the air.
Minnesota 27, Illinois 20 — Illinois lost two fumbles inside its own 10-yard line that turned into Minnesota touchdowns, as former Illini All-Big Ten tight end Tim Brewster earned the biggest win of his short head-coaching career during his alma mater\'s homecoming. For the second week in a row, Illini QB Juice Williams set a single-game stadium record for total yards. He threw for 462 and rushed for 41 for a career-high 503 total yards.
Illinois 55, Indiana 13 — With QB Juice Williams producing four touchdowns and true freshman RB Jason Ford rushing for 172 yards and three scores, the Illini set a school record for points in a Big Ten game at Memorial Stadium. WR Arrelious Benn set a school record with his fourth straight 100-yard receiving game.
Wisconsin 27, Illinois 17 — The Illini took a 17-10 lead early in the third quarter on Juice Williams\' second TD pass of the day, but the Badgers reeled off the game\'s final 17 points as Williams tossed his second and third interceptions. Illinois\' defense couldn\'t stop quarterback Dustin Sherer\'s hookups with receiver David Gilreath, particularly on a 49-yard catch and run TD that saw dime back Nate Bussey whiffed on a tackle at the 30.
Western Michigan 23, Illinois 17 — For the second time in three years, Illinois lost to a Mid-American Conference squad, as the Broncos turned both of Juice Williams\' second-quarter interceptions into touchdowns. Williams threw for 328 yards and one score, but WMU QB Tim Hiller scorched the Illini for 301 passing yards and two scores without a pick.
Illinois 27, Iowa 24 — Matt Eller kicked a 46-yard field goal in the final minute to push Illinois past the Hawkeyes. The Illini had just 60 yards rushing but converted 7-of-15 third downs. Juice Williams had 302 total yards; Illinois had 332 as a team.
Ohio State 30, Illinois 20 — The Illini outgained the 11th-ranked Buckeyes by 101 total yards, but two Juice Williams\' first-half turnovers led to Ohio State touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Bucks rushed for 305 yards and three scores as the Illini failed in their second chance to become bowl-eligible.
Northwestern 27, Illinois 10 — Needing a win to become bowl-eligible, most of the Illini\'s warts showed up one final time. Despite big yardage from QB Juice Williams (212 passing, 94 rushing), Illinois committed more turnovers, more penalties and allowed a big play on special teams (a 51-yard punt return) to set up the Wildcats\' clinching score.
NOTES, QUOTES
GAME OF THE YEAR: Minnesota 27, Illinois 20 — Fresh from a confidence-building 25-point win at Michigan, the Illini were poised to make their move in the Big Ten. Instead, they began a maddening pattern of turnovers and squandered opportunities that cost them dearly.
Trailing 7-3 at the break, Illinois took the second-half kickoff and RB Dan Dufrene soon lost a fumble at his own 8. Three plays later, the Gophers cashed in for a score. In the fourth quarter, Minnesota returned a Juice Williams fumble for a score to go up 27-13.
Williams led a crazy comeback that nearly got the Illini into overtime. Instead, he had to settle for a Memorial Stadium-record 503 total yards as the Illini outgained the visitors 550-312. WR Arrelious Benn caught 12 passes for 181 yards.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: QB Juice Williams — The junior\'s massive amount of positive statistics and negative numbers made him, by far, the most influential performer on the Illini\'s 5-7 team.
Williams led the Big Ten in total offense (3,892 yards) and touchdown passes (22) — he also led a troubled Illini rushing attack with 719 yards — but he also led the way in interceptions (16) and lost a fistful of fumbles.
FAST FORWARD: Illinois loses nine seniors who started in its season finale at Northwestern — a group that includes three offensive linemen, three defensive linemen and two linebackers. Junior CB Vontae Davis also seems a likely candidate to leave a year early to become a first-round draft pick.
Nonetheless, Ron Zook believes his team will continue to make gains as its talent level continues to rise. QB Juice Williams will enter 2009 with 34 consecutive starts under his belt and WR Arrelious Benn (67 catches, 1,055 yards) is back for his junior year. In fact, WR Will Judson (21 catches, 401 yards, two TDs) is the only senior skill player on the team.
The Illini ought to get to a decent bowl next year. If they miss out again, then Zook will begin to hear louder and louder howls for his dismissal. He set the bar awfully high with last year\'s trip to the Rose Bowl — and he might wind up strangling himself on that bar.
RECRUITING TRAIL: Illinois needs a running back that can make an immediate impact and Ron Zook hopes he found him in Cincinnati\'s Bud Golden, a four-star flash with 4.4 speed. The Illini would love another blue-chip runner to go with him, if possible.
The Illini also have replenished their defensive line with commitments from four-star products Craig Drummond (DE from Chicago) and Lendell Buckner (DT from Chicago), but they need some linebackers and are trying to nab some of the finest recruits in the country.
QUOTE TO NOTE: It\'s paramount that we get out and hit the road. We\'re still going to continue to recruit the way we recruit and we\'re still going to have the success that we have. — Illinois coach Ron Zook.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2009:
QB Juice Williams — The junior whipped Tony Eason\'s single-season school record for total offense with 3,892 yards (3,173 passing and 719 rushing) while accounting for 27 touchdowns. He\'s on pace to break every record in the Illini book, but he also struggled down the stretch as he took more sacks and threw more interceptions than a top-flight quarterback is allowed to do.
WR Arrelious Benn — Despite being hounded by every defense, Rejus had an All-Big Ten season with 67 catches for 1,055 yards. Everyone expects 2009 to be his final season before heading to the NFL, but it wouldn\'t hurt his chances to be a first-rounder if he\'d get in the end zone more frequently. He had three receiving touchdowns and two rushing scores.
S Donsay Hardeman — Presuming junior CB Vontae Davis turns pro, this hard-hitting junior becomes the lead dog on defense. As he grew comfortable in his first year of Division I football, Hardeman put the wood on a bunch of receivers. However, he also injured his neck and could require quite a bit of off-season time to heal.
PRO PROSPECTS:
—CB Vontae Davis has been described as a top-five pick in the 2009 draft, but the junior declined to talk about his pro potential as the season wound down. He can lean on his brother, San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis, as he makes his decision. Basically, Davis (two INT in 2008) will become a rich young man sooner or later.
—DE Derek Walker was a four-year starter who appeals to the NFL because the 275-pounder can play the run and the pass equally well. In fact, he might be better against the run even though he had six sacks in 2008.
—DE Will Davis didn\'t live up to his junior-year numbers as nagging injuries limited the speed rusher\'s effectiveness (3.5 sacks). He\'ll need some great workouts to get into the top three rounds, but he\'ll go somewhere.
ROSTER REPORT:
—S Donsay Hardeman (neck) sat out the season finale against Northwestern after a lingering injury failed to get better. There\'s a chance he\'ll visit a specialist to plot the best way to heal in time for spring ball.
—QB/WR Eddie McGee broke his hand in the next-to-last week of the season and did not play against Northwestern. He\'ll be fine for spring ball.
—OLB Martez Wilson did not make the trip to Northwestern for violation of team rules. That capped a disappointing sophomore year for Grande Dos, who lost his starting job at mid-year because the uber-athletic Chicago product was too inconsistent.
—DT Sirod Williams (knee) missed the season, but the projected starter is expected to return for his fifth year and fight for the job that belonged to the graduating David Lindquist.
—WR Jarrod Fayson transferred in from Florida and had to sit out the 2008 season, but the former five-star recruit\'s practice exploits have everyone salivating to see him on the field in 2009.
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INDIANA
INSIDE SLANT
The Hoosiers\' 2008 season was supposed to be a landmark, a campaign that saw IU return to a bowl and start to build a program that hasn\'t known much success over the years.
Instead, the Hoosiers slumped to a 3-9 season and capped off a dismal year by getting whipped 62-10 by Purdue in West Lafayette. Suffering the worst loss in 115 years to the hated Boilermakers sends Indiana into an off-season that is expected to be filled with questions.
Everyone expects changes on the coaching staff to be coming, and the entire program must take a long, hard look in the mirror to improve the accountability on both sides of the ball.
Indiana\'s defense — which wasn\'t anything special last season — nosedived in 2008, and the Hoosiers\' explosive offense lost its spark. Confidence plummeted as the blowout losses mounted, and IU will have to work to change the atmosphere surrounding the program before spring practice.
Injuries certainly were part of the problem this season, but beyond the aches and pains, leadership was a major issue. The seniors never stepped up and became leaders for the Hoosiers, and the junior class did its best to fill the void. That created friction between the two classes, an issue that didn\'t help improve the team\'s chemistry.
That being said, those juniors will be seniors next season, which should improve the leadership tremendously. This year\'s group of seniors included the last recruits of the Gerry DiNardo era in Bloomington, and to be blunt, there wasn\'t much talent in the class of 2008. That won\'t continue to be an issue next season.
Coach Bill Lynch also went through the 2008 season looking to build for the future. He played just three true freshmen despite the fact a lot of his new talent could have been used this season. He believed it was in the best interest of the program to redshirt most of his freshman class with the hopes of building a better team down the road. Whether that strategy will pay off remains to be seen, but Lynch clearly is not looking for a quick fix with the Hoosiers.
The blowout loss to Purdue does bring into play whether or not Lynch will be the coach for next season, although the general consensus is he will return. There might be a new offense and a new defense, but Lynch likely will continue to be a leader. Improving the team\'s discipline on the field and cutting down on mistakes will be critical during the off-season. IU must become students of the game and focus on being precise on the field to avoid shooting themselves in the foot next year.
The defining moment of IU\'s season is a perfect example of the Hoosiers hurting themselves. They trailed Michigan State 34-29 in the third quarter of their game in late September and were pinned on their own 3-yard line. QB Ben Chappell found WR Terrance Turner for a 97-yard TD pass that should have put the Hoosiers ahead. Instead, RG Cody Faulkner was called for a holding penalty in the end zone, nullifying the TD and giving the Spartans a safety instead. The nine-point turnaround not only cost Indiana the game but shattered the Hoosiers\' confidence.
Lynch and his coaching staff must drill the fundamentals into their team during spring and summer to prepare the Hoosiers for 2009. On the bright side, there is talent on the roster. WRs Tandon Doss and Damarlo Belcher showed promise, and QB Kellen Lewis still is an electric talent when healthy. OL Justin Pagan, one of the true freshman that saw the field this season, was impressive late in the season along the line, and Indiana will return both starting safeties, who were lost to torn anterior cruciate ligaments during the season. RB Darius Willis is a stud who was redshirted this season, and Indiana will welcome a talented recruiting class that ranks as one of the best for the Hoosiers in recent years.
Throw in the completion of the North End Zone project, which will greatly improve the football facilities, and there is reason for a glimmer of hope in Bloomington. Changing the attitude of the team will be critical during the off-season, and if the Hoosiers stumble out of the blocks next year, all bets are off. But Lynch has been pointing to 2009 as the season IU could start to make some noise, and he knows the pressure is on to fulfill his team\'s promise.
SEASON RECAP: Indiana 31, Western Kentucky 13 — Indiana leaned on QB Kellen Lewis both on the ground and through the air in the Hoosiers\' win over the Hilltoppers. Lewis ran for 185 yards and two touchdowns, and he passed for 144 yards and two more scores to give the Hoosiers their fifth straight season-opening victory.
Indiana 45, Murray State 3 — Five different Hoosiers scored rushing touchdowns and RB Marcus Thigpen ran for 100 yards and two scores to push IU to a blowout win over Murray State. Indiana totaled 254 yards rushing and dominated on both sides of the ball to give IU its fifth straight 2-0 start.
Ball State 42, Indiana 20 — Ball State ran for 224 yards and threw for 239 more to pull away in the second half for a blowout win. Indiana\'s offense never found its rhythm, and there were few bright spots outside of QB Kellen Lewis, who accounted for 307 yards of total offense — 148 yards rushing and 159 yards passing.
Michigan State 42, Indiana 29 — RB Marcus Thigpen ran for two touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass, but it wasn\'t enough to help the Hoosiers win at home vs. Michigan State. MSU RB Javon Ringer rolled up 198 yards on the ground, but IU\'s defense got stronger as the game progressed and Indiana learned plenty of lessons about itself in defeat.
Minnesota 16, Indiana 7 — Minnesota held the ball for nearly 38 minutes, and IU\'s offense failed to produce much on the ground, sending the Hoosiers to their third straight defeat. Gophers WR Eric Decker made a career-high 13 catches for 190 yards in the win, and Indiana was held scoreless in the second half for the second time in three weeks.
Iowa 45, Indiana 9 — Iowa scored 28 unanswered points after halftime to blow open what had been a close game and send Indiana to its fourth straight loss. Hawkeyes RBs Shonn Greene and Jewel Hampton both ran for more than 100 yards as Iowa controlled the ball for nearly 40 minutes.
Illinois 55, Indiana 13 — Illinois rolled up 563 yards of total offense and scored on four of its first five possessions in the second half to roll to a huge win over the Hoosiers. IU failed to score a touchdown in the second half of its third straight game as the Hoosiers suffered through their worst outing of the season to date.
Indiana 21, Northwestern 19 — QB Ben Chappell threw for one touchdown and ran for another as the Hoosiers knocked off the Wildcats in Memorial Stadium. The Hoosiers\' defense forced five turnovers and played inspired football in the fourth quarter, marking a turnaround for a squad that had been dormant in the second half in recent weeks.
Central Michigan 37, Indiana 34 — The Chippewas rolled up 522 yards of total offense, including 485 yards through the air, to score their first ever win vs. a Big Ten team. The Hoosiers lost despite posting seven sacks and getting 109 yards rushing and two touchdowns from RB Marcus Thigpen.
Wisconsin 55, Indiana 20 — Wisconsin rushed for 441 yards and seven touchdowns to officially eliminate the Hoosiers from bowl eligibility. Badger RBs P.J. Hill and John Clay both ran for 100-plus yards, and WR David Gilreath ran for 168 yards and two touchdowns on end-around plays the Hoosiers couldn\'t seem to sniff out.
Penn State 34, Indiana 7 — Indiana put up a fight for a half vs. the Nittany Lions before falling in Happy Valley. IU allowed PSU to score 24 unanswered points after halftime and failed to score in the second half for the second straight game.
Purdue 62, Indiana 10 — The Boilermakers scored on 10 of their 11 possessions in the game to roll over the Hoosiers and win back the Old Oaken Bucket in West Lafayette. Purdue led 24-0 after the first quarter and 41-3 at the half as Indiana rolled over in the final game for Purdue coach Joe Tiller. Indiana\'s defense allowed Purdue to roll up 596 yards of total offense in the win.
NOTES, QUOTES
GAME OF THE YEAR: Indiana 21, Northwestern 19 — IU was riding a five-game losing streak before Northwestern came into town on homecoming weekend. The Wildcats were ranked No. 24 in the nation at the time, but Indiana forced five turnovers and played tight defense in the fourth quarter to score the victory. WR Tandon Doss enjoyed a breakout game with eight catches for 107 yards and a touchdown.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: DE Jammie Kirlew — Kirlew finished the season as the Hoosiers\' sack leader with 10.5, and he added 19.5 tackles for loss on the season. Kirlew was easily Indiana\'s most consistent defender, and his leadership helped keep the team from completely coming apart in the middle of the season.
FAST FORWARD: After going to the Insight Bowl in 2007, Indiana fell back to earth in 2008, dropping to 3-9 and basically returning to square one. Next year hopes won\'t be as high for the Hoosiers, but the lack of expectations could help the team focus better. Injuries plagued IU all season — even during spring practice there weren\'t enough healthy offensive linemen to run a scrimmage with two full teams — and just getting everybody back to 100% will be helpful. Indiana hopes to field a competitive team that will still dream of returning to a bowl. The players believe the 2008 season — and not the 2007 campaign — was the fluke and they look forward to challenging in the Big Ten next season. With the talent that is in place, the Hoosiers should have an opportunity to bounce back quickly.
RECRUITING TRAIL: Indiana has put together a solid recruiting class that ranks among the top 35 in the nation according to some services, and the influx of talent will certainly help the Hoosiers. Unfortunately, some of those verbal commitments have started to waver in the wake of Indiana\'s sorry season, most notably four-star LB Jeremy Gainer. Gainer has re-opened his recruitment, but the IU coaching staff will do everything in their power to hold onto the commits they do have. They sold the recruits on the future of IU football, and that future still looks solid, especially of the recruits come to town. Indiana doesn\'t figure to spend much time recruiting new players over the next couple of months unless there is an exodus in the coming weeks. Right now, it is the focus of the coaching staff to keep everyone in the fold and convince the class of 2009 that everything is still on track for the future.
QUOTE TO NOTE: I mean, it sucks. Nobody imagined this year was going to end like this, but it\'s easy to stay positive, especially when you know the talent you have and didn\'t get to showcase because of injuries and so many things you couldn\'t control. Hopefully, we\'ll be blessed and everybody can stay healthy next year. — junior defensive end Jammie Kirlew on his disappointment this year and outlook on next season.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2009:
DE Jammie Kirlew — Kirlew\'s high motor and high football IQ makes him difficult to stop, and his ability to be disruptive in the backfield will give IU\'s defense a boost. He also will draw more attention from opposing blockers, which should help his teammates in the long run.
DE Greg Middleton — Middleton was an invisible man for the Hoosiers this season after leading the nation in sacks last year, and he needs to bounce back with a strong senior campaign if he\'s going to live out his NFL dreams.
QB Kellen Lewis — An offseason suspension and an ankle injury combined to make Lewis\' 2008 a disappointment, but he still has a great combination of athleticism and speed at quarterback. Lewis needs to have a big year in 2009 to give IU a chance to return to a bowl.
PRO PROSPECTS:
—PK Austin Starr struggled with a hip injury midway through the season, but his work ethic and strong leg will make him a prospect at the next level. Starr is constantly working to improve his distance and accuracy on both field goals and kickoffs, and he hopes to make a big splash at the NFL Scouting Combine in February.
—WR Andrew Means is a big, strong possession receiver who returned to Bloomington to build his NFL credentials. Things didn\'t go well, but Means has a future as a baseball player. He spent last summer in the Cincinnati Reds organization and won\'t return to play football next season.
—DT Greg Brown has the size to be a space-eater in the middle of defensive lines, and although he likely will be an undrafted free agent, he could raise his stock with a series of good workouts in February and March.
ROSTER REPORT:
—SS Austin Thomas and FS Nick Polk both are recovering nicely from the torn ACLs they suffered during the season, but they aren\'t expected to be back in time for spring football. They will continue to rehab, as well WR Charles Love III, who suffered a torn ACL of his own. Thomas and Polk must come back strong if IU\'s defense is going to take a step forward.
—S Jerimy Finch suffered through his first season in Bloomington with a bum foot and ran into some issues with the coaching staff. Finch hopes to return at full strength next season, and if he can work his way out of the coaches\' doghouse, he could find himself in the starting lineup next season.
—Indiana saw no fewer than 18 of the 22 starters from the season opener vs. Western Kentucky miss at least one game due to injury. Only a handful of the injuries were season-ending, and most are expected to be back next season.
—Indiana will feature plenty of experience next season but should get a boost from redshirt freshmen such as RB Darius Willis, CB Cortez Smith and WR Tyler Adetona next year. Holding onto the recruits who already committed to the Hoosiers will be the focus of the coaching staff, and it would be a huge positive if LB Jeremy Gainer could be convinced to honor his previous commitment to the Hoosiers and sign with IU in February.
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IOWA
INSIDE SLANT
Shonn Greene spent last season moving furniture and paying his own way through community college, his penance for letting his grades slip and losing his scholarship at Iowa.
Now he is the reigning Doak Walker Award winner, officially recognized as the nation\'s top tailback, even though he wasn\'t even on Iowa\'s depth chart eight months ago.
It\'s a no-brainer, Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz said. All you have to do is look at the game-in, game-out production.
Greene is the only tailback in the country to rush for more than 100 yards in every game this season. The junior is second in the nation in rushing yards with 1,729. Entering the Jan. 1 Outback Bowl against South Carolina, Greene trails Connecticut\'s Donald Brown by 93 yards, but Greene also has 60 less carries.
His 1,729 yards is a new school record and he is the school\'s first Doak Walker Award winner. Greene scored in all but one game this season and rushed for at least 130 yards in seven of Iowa\'s 12 games. He beat out Michigan State\'s Javon Ringer and Georgia\'s Knowshon Moreno.
It has been really nice to watch recognition come his way because he has earned it, Ferentz said. mHe has earned it the old fashioned way. He has worked extremely hard. You talk about a guy who has persevered and stayed the course, that is what he has done.
SEASON RECAP: Iowa 46, Maine 3 — The Hawkeyes used a balanced attack to jump out to a 22-0 lead, and a pair of touchdowns from RB Jewel Hampton late sealed the victory for Iowa. RB Shonn Greene had a big day, and the Hawkeyes\' defense forced Maine to punt seven times in the win.
Iowa 42, Florida International 0 — The offense exploded for 512 yards, Shonn Greene went over 100 rushing yards after the first quarter and the Hawkeyes (2-0) pounded winless Florida International. Sophomore Ricky Stanzi made his first career start, replacing Jake Christensen at quarterback. Stanzi went eight-for-10 passing for 162 yards and three touchdowns.
Iowa 17, Iowa State 5 — The Hawkeyes beat their in-state rivals for the fourth time in the last six years. Former starter Jake Christensen came off the bench to direct Iowa\'s lone offensive scoring drive, and Andy Brodell added an electrifying 81-yard punt return in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
Pittsburgh 21, Iowa 20 — The Hawkeyes rallied from a double-digit deficit to briefly take the lead, but LeSean McCoy\'s 27-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter was the difference, sending Iowa to its first loss of the season. Shonn Greene ran for 147 yards, but was held to just 14 in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Jake Christensen played the entire second half, but was unable to deliver a 4-0 record entering Big Ten play.
Northwestern 22, Iowa 17 — The Hawkeyes blew a 17-3 lead in the second quarter by surrendering 19 points, thanks in part to five turnovers. Shonn Greene had 159 yards rushing, but Iowa was held scoreless over the game\'s final 32 minutes, thanks in part to a combined four fumbles by the offense and special teams.
Iowa 45, Indiana 9 — Iowa scored 28 unanswered points after halftime to blow open what had been a close game and send Indiana to its fourth straight loss. Hawkeyes RBs Shonn Greene and Jewel Hampton both ran for more than 100 yards as Iowa controlled the ball for nearly 40 minutes.
Iowa 38, Wisconsin 16 — Shonn Greene rushed for 217 yards and four touchdowns, while the defense held Wisconsin to one touchdown in a romp. Linebacker Pat Angerer had a monstrous day with 16 tackles and two interceptions, sending Wisconsin to its fourth-straight defeat.
Iowa 24, Penn State 23 — The Hawkeyes ended third-ranked Penn State\'s perfect season on Daniel Murray\'s 31-yard field goal with one second left. Tyler Sash\'s interception set up the Hawkeyes\' game-winning drive on their own 29 with 3:46 to play. Ricky Stanzi completed 15-of-25 passes for 171 yards, a touchdown and an interception for Iowa, which enjoyed its first victory over a top-10 team since beating Illinois in 1990.
Iowa 22, Purdue 17 — Shonn Greene rushed for 211 yards and a pair of touchdowns and Iowa won its second close game in as many weeks. Mitch King came up with a big sack in the final minute and Iowa handed Purdue its seventh loss in eight games.
Iowa 55, Minnesota 0 — Shonn Greene completed his remarkable season with 144 rushing yards, becoming the school\'s new single-season rushing leader with 1,729 yards in the Hawkeyes\' romp. Iowa broke the game open with a 24-point second quarter, its best this season. Amari Spievey returned an interception 57 yards for a touchdown, expanding the lead to 27-0 at the half and sending the Hawkeyes on their way to a big win in the finale.
NOTES, QUOTES
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: Shonn Greene was a relative unknown when the season began. Now he\'s a 1,700-yard back, ranked second in the nation in yards per game and the focal point of Iowa\'s offense. And he has the full attention of South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier.
He\'s gained a whole bunch of yards, Spurrier said. We\'re going to have to get a whole bunch of guys in there to slow him down. If he\'s not the best running back we\'ve faced, he\'s one of the best.
With Greene in the lead role, the Hawkeyes are second in the Big Ten in scoring (30.9 points). Sophomore Ricky Stanzi is in his first year as the starting quarterback and grew into the role as the season progressed. After a seesaw at quarterback through the early season, coach Kirk Ferentz finally settled on Stanzi over Jake Christensen, last season\'s starter, and the Hawkeyes rallied to win five of their last six games.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The strength of the defense runs right up the middle, with Mitch King and Matt Kroul at tackles and Pat Angerer at middle linebacker. That trio has combined for 25 tackles for loss, and is a big reason why Iowa ranks 10th in the nation at stopping the run (3.0 yards per carry).
Iowa held opponents to nine points or less in five games this season, and led the league with 20 interceptions. They will face a new quarterback in Stephen Garcia, who replaces Chris Smelley as the starter for the bowl game. Smelley threw more interceptions than touchdowns this season (15-13), including six picks in the last two games. Garcia completed 56 of 104 passes in limited time for 753 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions.
MATCHUP TO WATCH: RB Shonn Greene vs. South Carolina\'s front seven — Greene rushed for at least 100 yards in every game this season, while the Gamecocks have one linebacker (Marvin Sapp) ranked among the team\'s top four in tackles. Greene has enjoyed success against front lines more stout than this, and he\'ll need to have another big day for Iowa to be successful. The Gamecocks lead the SEC and rank third in the nation in pass defense, so the bulk of Iowa\'s work will have to come on the ground.
QUOTE TO NOTE: I don\'t think a lot of people gave us a chance for January, coming out of East Lansing. The guys bounced back, and now they\'re being rewarded for it. — Coach Kirk Ferentz, on the three-game losing streak that dropped Iowa to 3-3, 0-2 in the Big Ten
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH THE OUTBACK BOWL: Iowa vs. South Carolina, Tampa, Fla., Jan. 1 — The nation\'s No. 2 rusher against a defense known more for its pass defense than its ability to stop the run. Iowa tailback Shonn Greene has rushed for more than 100 yards in every game this season, and now he\'ll play in an NFL stadium, which is ironic, since the hot question surrounding him is whether or not he\'ll leave early for the NFL. This is the Hawkeyes\' third trip to the Outback Bowl, all in the last six years. South Carolina is making its third appearance, but first since Jan. 1, 2002.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Shonn Greene — The reigning Big Ten MVP has elevated himself from no name to projected early entry into the NFL. Greene rushed for at least 100 yards in every game, ending the regular season with 1,729 yards and 17 touchdowns. He is a difficult matchup for any defense.
DT Mitch King — His numbers (52 tackles, 4 sacks) don\'t illustrate what he means to this defense. King consistently demands double teams and still gets into backfields, pressures quarterbacks and frees linebackers to make plays. Perhaps the best tackle in the league, if not the country.
LB Pat Angerer — Benefits the most from the play of King and Matt Kroul. Angerer finished the regular season with 101 tackles, a whopping 36 more than the next closes player (Amari Spievey).
QB Ricky Stanzi — Sporadic in his first season as a starter. Stanzi struggled with turnovers early, but threw just three interceptions over the final six games of the season.
ROSTER REPORT:
—TE Tony Moeaki has battled various nagging injuries this season, the most recent being a concussion, but he returned for the season finale and should be healthy entering the bowl game.
—OL Wes Aeschliman dislocated his hip during the season and will not play again. Aeschliman is a senior backup.
—DB Harold Dalton, a fifth-year senior who started a handful of games this season, remains suspended following his arrest for public intoxication and disorderly conduct in early November. His status for the bowl game is still unclear.
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MICHIGAN
INSIDE SLANT
Maybe this shouldn\'t have been much of a surprise. After all, Rich Rodriguez has never won more than three games in his first season at any coaching stop.
Michigan\'s rich history and tradition were supposed to be the exception, though. The Wolverines were expected to struggle, but a 3-9 finish — the worst in the team\'s 129-year history — has left Rodriguez with little time to please an impatient fan base.
There\'s more work to do than I anticipated, Rodriguez said.
His spread offense never really fit with the personnel left over from the Lloyd Carr era. Michigan turned the ball over 31 times this season and ranked 105th in the nation in total offense.
The defense continued to struggle with tackling and allowing big plays. They allowed at least 21 points in nine of the 12 games.
Michigan lost to Toledo, one of the worst teams in the country. It ended the nation\'s longest streak of consecutive bowl seasons at 39. For the first time ever, the Wolverines have now lost five in a row to Ohio State, their biggest rival, while Rodriguez became the first coach in 79 years to lose his first game to the Buckeyes.
All in all, it was a miserable season that essentially ended on Oct. 11, the day of the 13-10 loss to the Rockets.
More changes are expected. Players like Ryan Mallett and Justin Boren transferred before the season started. Inner grumblings suggest a few more might follow them out the door.
Rodriguez desperately needs to find a quarterback. He went all season shuffling between Steven Threet and Nick Sheridan, and neither emerged as a viable long-term option. Incoming recruits Tate Forcier and Shavodrick Beaver, both of whom could enroll in January and take part in spring drills, will get a long look. One of them could win the job. Until Rodriguez settles the quarterback issue, nothing else can fall into place.
For their part, the players are humiliated by how this season progressed. They are vowing it won\'t happen again.
Can\'t really blame \'RichRod\' because everybody on the team didn\'t buy in like they\'re supposed to, said running back Brandon Minor, one of the few bright spots on offense. We got a couple guys not going hard. But we\'ll correct that, most definitely. That ain\'t happening on my watch as a senior next year.
That\'s the only type of attitude that will get this turned around.
SEASON RECAP: Utah 25, Michigan 23 — The Wolverines were blown out in the first half but rallied to get within a failed two-point conversion of tying with 6:26 remaining. The defense and special teams brought Michigan back, thanks to a blocked punt and a fumble recovery. But the offense managed only 203 yards, the running game was a disappointment and the Wolverines dropped their season opener for the second straight year.
Michigan 16, Miami (Ohio) 6 — The defense shut down the RedHawks twice inside the 10-yard line, the offense churned out 178 yards on the ground and Michigan notched its first win of the Rich Rodriguez era. The Wolverines still can\'t settle on a quarterback, but freshman Sam McGuffie carried 12 times for 74 yards and added three catches for 32 yards in the victory.
Notre Dame 35, Michigan 17 - - The Wolverines ruined their own chances with six turnovers that led to three Irish touchdowns. Sam McGuffie registered his first 100-yard rushing day and Steven Threet threw for 175 yards and a touchdown, but the Wolverines could never recover from all the points they gave away.
Michigan 27, Wisconsin 25 — The offense strung together three drives of 70 yards or more in the second half, LB John Thompson returned an interception for a touchdown and Michigan rallied from a 19-0 deficit for the greatest comeback win in Michigan Stadium history. The Wolverines turned the ball over five times in the first half, but scored 27 points in 13 minutes after halftime. They won the game when Wisconsin failed to convert a two-point conversion in the game\'s final minute.
Illinois 45, Michigan 20 — The Wolverines couldn\'t corral Juice Williams, the Illini QB who put up a new Big House record of 431 yards total offense.
Toledo 13, Michigan 10 — The Wolverines suffered another stunning home loss, this time falling to a Mid-American Conference also-ran. K.C. Lopata missed a 26-yard field goal that could have sent the game to overtime. Steven Threet had an interception returned 100 yards by Tyrrell Herbert for a Toledo touchdown.
Penn State 46, Michigan 17 — The Wolverines held a 17-14 lead at the half, but the No. 3 team in the country roared back by scoring on its last seven possessions to make it a blowout. In a rare start, Brandon Minor impressed with 117 rushing yards, but QB Steven Threet was lost again to an elbow injury and Michigan\'s offense sputtered. Michigan had 209 yards of offense on its first three drives, and 82 yards the rest of the day.
Michigan State 35, Michigan 21 — The Wolverines were dominated in total yards, 473-252, but kept the game close by forcing three turnovers, four sacks and three missed field goals. Brandon Minor rushed for 55 yards and scored twice (one rushing, one receiving), but Michigan lost its fourth straight. The victory was the Spartans\' first in Michigan Stadium since 1990, and the 14-point margin of victory was the largest over the Wolverines since 1967.
Purdue 48, Michigan 42 — Purdue redshirt freshman QB Justin Siller, in his first career start, completed a short pass to Greg Orton, who pitched to Desmond Tardy in a perfectly executed hook-and-lateral in the final minute as Purdue extended Michigan\'s losing streak to five games. The Wolverines got big plays out of their special teams and another huge day from TB Brandon Minor (155 yards, three TDs), but the defense surrendered more than 500 yards to the Boilermakers.
Michigan 29, Minnesota 6 — Nick Sheridan started in place of an injured Steven Threet and directed Michigan to a season-high 435 yards in a surprisingly easy victory over the Gophers. Sheridan completed 18 of 30 passes for 203 yards and a touchdown in his first start since the season opener against Utah. Michigan\'s defense held an opponent without a touchdown for the third time this season.
Northwestern 21, Michigan 14 — The defense held Northwestern to less than 260 total yards, but the offense managed just one score and Michigan capped its worst season in school history. The eight losses are the most in the 129-year history of Michigan football. QBs Nick Sheridan and Steven Threet combined to complete just 33% of their passes for 83 yards.
Ohio State 42, Michigan 7 — The Wolverines were held to 198 total yards and a season-low in points scored in losing their fifth in a row to their biggest rival. Nick Sheridan started in place of Steven Threet, but was ineffective at moving the offense, completing eight of 24 passes for 87 yards. Ohio State\'s Beanie Wells ran for 134 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown. He has now scored on a touchdown run of at least 50 yards against Michigan each of the last three years.
NOTES, QUOTES
GAME OF THE YEAR: Michigan 27, Wisconsin 25 — The Wolverines trailed 19-0 at the half before staging the biggest comeback in school history by scoring 27 points in less than 13 minutes. At the time, it was considered perhaps the start of a grand turnaround. Instead, Michigan followed up the victory by dropping five in a row. The Wolverines won just once more the rest of the season.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: DE Brandon Graham — The junior has a big decision to make after finishing with 10 sacks and 20 tackles for loss. He is difficult to block coming off the edge and was one of the few bright spots on an otherwise bland defense. He has a future in the NFL, it\'s just a matter of whether he leaves now or after his senior year.
FAST FORWARD: No one expects Michigan to win a national championship next season, but it better win more than three games. Many more. Rodriguez could have Michigan in the upper tier of Big Ten teams by next season, but the Wolverines are likely two seasons away from real contention. He needs more of his style guys (not as big, much quicker) to run his spread, although he has a good start in RB Brandon Minor. Now he needs a quarterback to pair with Minor.
RECRUITING TRAIL: The first order of business must be finding a quarterback. Incoming freshmen Tate Forcier and Shavodrick Beaver will get a long look, and one of them just might be good enough to wrestle the starting job away. Defensive end continues to be a concern, particularly if they lose Graham early. Anthony LaLota and Craig Roh are two defensive ends committed. Both could play immediately.
QUOTE TO NOTE: Anytime you don\'t have a successful record and lose as many games as we did, you\'re going to be disappointed. If you\'re not disappointed, you shouldn\'t be in the profession. I don\'t want to panic, again it\'s just the first year. — coach Rich Rodriguez, on Michigan\'s 3-9 finish
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2009:
RB Brandon Minor — Injuries are his biggest concern. When he\'s healthy, Minor can be very good. He rushed for 533 yards and nine touchdowns, but had just 13 carries through the first six games. Seven of his touchdowns came over the last six games.
WR Martavious Odoms — One of the top freshmen in the league developed into a dangerous return man and pretty good receiver. He finished with team-highs of 49 catches and 443 yards, but at 5-foot-8 and 164 pounds, he\'s a bit on the small side.
DE Brandon Graham — If he decides to return, he\'ll come back as one of the top pass rushers in the Big Ten. Graham has 18.5 sacks over the last two seasons. If he leaves for the NFL, it\'s just another huge void to fill on a team with plenty of them.
LB Obi Ezeh — Just missed on his first 100-tackle season, finishing with 98. He may not decleat anyone with his hits, but he finished with 22 more tackles than the next closest defender (Jonas Mouton). Ezeh is always around the ball, and still has two years of eligibility left.
PRO PROSPECTS:
DE Tim Jamison — As a senior, his 5.5 sacks ranked second on the team, and he leaves Michigan with 15.5 career sacks.
P Zoltan Mesko — His powerful leg allowed Mesko to be the only kicker in the league to net more than 40 yards per punt. His ability to both punt deep, punt high and drop kicks at the goal line will force NFL teams to take a look at him.
CB Morgan Trent — Was abused a bit early in his career, but came back as a senior to lead the team with three interceptions. Teams could throw over his head earlier in his career, though. His future in the NFL could be as a special teams guy or a safety.
ROSTER REPORT:
—Coach Rich Rodriguez was adamant after the season ended that Justin Feagin will return to slot receiver. He was pressed into duty as a backup quarterback because of the injuries and ineffectiveness to the guys in front of him, but next spring, Feagin is a receiver. We moved him to slot, Rodriguez said, and that\'s where his future will be.
—Incoming freshmen Tate Forcier and Shavodrick Beaver will be given every opportunity to win the starting quarterback job. Both could enroll early and take part in spring practice, increasing the likelihood that happens.
—WR Junior Hemingway should return next season after missing all but the opener with mono. He can pair with Martavious Odoms to give Michigan two legitimate threats. Now the problem is finding a quarterback to get them the ball.
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MICHIGAN STATE
INSIDE SLANT
Javon Ringer has rushed for 1,590 yards this season and was named a Doak Walker finalist, but his 42-yard day in the finale against Penn State has left him sour. Michigan State was playing for a share of the Big Ten championship, but was flattened by the Nittany Lions, 49-18.
That has left Michigan State\'s date in the Capital One Bowl against Georgia as a second chance. A conference title might be lost, but a win against the preseason No. 1 team can wash away the pain from losses to Ohio State and Penn State by a combined score of 94-25.
I\'m just not satisfied the way things ended, not satisfied at all, Ringer said. That\'s why this bowl is so good. The perfect game for me would be something like 25 carries, 200 yards, three touchdowns and a victory. That\'s the way I want to go out.
The Capital One Bowl features the two tailbacks who finished as runners-up to Iowa\'s Shonn Greene for the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation\'s top tailback. Ringer and Georgia\'s Knowshon Moreno rushed for a combined 2,928 yards during the regular season and 37 touchdowns.
Ringer had a streak this season of three consecutive games with more than 200 rushing yards, while Moreno led the SEC in yards and finished the season with five 100-yard performances in the last seven games.
Ringer\'s worst two performances came in games Michigan State lost. Likewise, Georgia lost all three games in which Moreno failed to reach 100 yards.
Even with the painful losses to the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions, Michigan State can still reach a milestone. A victory against Georgia would give the Spartans a 10-win season for the first time since 1999.
A 10-win season in college football is a huge accomplishment. You\'ve really done something, Spartans coach Mark Dantonio said. It can turn a good season into an excellent season. And that\'s what we\'d like to do.
SEASON RECAP: California 38, Michigan State 31 — The Spartans never trailed by more than two touchdowns, but they were never able to dig out of an early hole either in losing their season opener. The running game was held to only 81 yards, and the defense surrendered more than 400 to Cal, which effectively sealed the win when Shane Vereen ran 81 yards for a touchdown with a little more than four minutes left.
Michigan State 42, Eastern Michigan 10 — Javon Ringer set career highs in carries and touchdowns, scoring five times in a Spartans rout. QB Brian Hoyer did not have a touchdown pass or an interception, and return man Otis Wiley had 113 yards in punt returns.
Michigan State 17, Florida Atlantic 0 — Javon Ringer set career highs with 43 carries and 282 yards and the Spartans shut out Florida Atlantic, thanks in part to heavy rains that made passing nearly impossible.
Michigan State 23, Notre Dame 7 — Javon Ringer rushed for 201 yards, the defense turned back Notre Dame twice in the red zone and the Spartans won for the ninth time in 12 games. Michigan State benefited from a pair of Irish missed field goals and then turned the game over to Ringer, who went over 200 yards for the second straight game and moved into fifth place on the school\'s all-time rushing list.
Michigan State 42, Indiana 29 — Javon Ringer rushed for 197 yards and a touchdown, QB Brian Hoyer threw for two scores and Brett Swenson made four field goals in the victory. The two teams combined for 970 yards of total offense.
Michigan State 37, Northwestern 20 — Tyrell Sutton rushed for 139 yards but Javon Ringer nearly matched him 124 yards and two touchdowns and the Spartans gained revenge for an overtime loss the previous season.
Ohio State 45, Michigan State 7 — The Buckeyes scored 21 points in less than six minutes in the first quarter and ended the Spartans\' six-game winning streak. Ohio State forced five turnovers, returning two for defensive touchdowns, and added three sacks in dominating former OSU assistant Mark Dantonio. The Buckeyes rushed for 216 yards, while holding the Spartans to 240 yards of total offense.
Michigan State 35, Michigan 21 — Former walk-on Blair White had 143 yards on four catches, Brian Hoyer threw for 284 yards and three scores and Michigan State ended a six-year drought against its biggest rival. The Spartans overcame three missed field goals, three turnovers and a blown touchdown call that awarded Michigan an extra seven points. Still, the victory was the Spartans\' first in Michigan Stadium since 1990, and the 14-point margin of victory was the largest over the Wolverines since 1967.
Michigan State 25, Wisconsin 24 — Brett Swenson\'s 44-yard field goal with seven seconds left allowed Michigan State to steal a win after it was dominated by the Badgers most of the day. Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema was flagged for a costly 15-yard penalty, setting up the game-winning kick, on a day the Badgers were hit with 12 flags for 121 yards. Javon Ringer, who wasn\'t feeling well, was held to 54 yards on 21 carries, although he did score twice.
Michigan State 21, Purdue 7 — Johnny Adams returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown, the defense sacked Purdue QB Justin Siller five times and the Spartans held Purdue to 191 yards of total offense. Running back Javon Ringer rushed for 121 yards and a pair of touchdowns, moving into second place on the school\'s all-time rushing list with 4,309 yards.
Penn State 49, Michigan State 18 — Javon Ringer was held to 41 yards, the defense allowed 557 yards and the Spartans were blasted on a day they played for a share of the Big Ten championship. Following a week off, Michigan State had two weeks to prepare for Penn State, but came out flat. Brian Hoyer threw two interceptions without a touchdown and the Spartans watched the Nittany Lions share the league title with Ohio State.
NOTES, QUOTES
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: A run-oriented attack centered around Javon Ringer, who proved to be a workhorse with seven games of 30 or more carries, including two with more than 40. If there is a knock on Ringer, though, it\'s his performance in big games. Against Cal, Iowa, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Penn State this season, Ringer was held to just 67 yards per game. Despite its deficiencies, Georgia\'s defense certainly belongs in that category.
An ineffective Ringer leaves the game in the hands of senior Brian Hoyer, and that\'s not always a good thing. Hoyer struggled to complete 50 percent of his passes (162 of 319), and threw nine touchdowns against eight interceptions. He lost his favorite receiver, Mark Dell, for a stretch late in the year, but Dell should be fully healthy in time for the bowl game.
The key will be getting Ringer involved early, either on handoffs or short passes as a receiver out of the backfield. The sooner Ringer is established, the better Michigan State\'s chance at victory.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The Spartans have been ripped by elite running backs this season, which could be a real problem again with Knowshon Moreno on the other side. Cal (Jahvid Best and Shane Vereen) and Wisconsin (P.J. Hill and John Clay) both put two backs over the 100-yard mark against the Spartans, while Ohio State\'s Chris Beanie Wells (140 yards, 2 TDs), Iowa\'s Shonn Greene (157 yards), Northwestern\'s Tyrell Sutton (139 yards) all enjoyed huge days against a porous run defense.
Between Moreno and quarterback Matthew Stafford, the Bulldogs have one of the most explosive offenses in the SEC. But it all starts with Moreno. If the Spartans can slow him, they have a chance. But they have offered little proof this season they can stop an elite back.
MATCHUP TO WATCH: RB Knowshon Moreno vs. MSU\'s defensive line — Michigan State\'s defense has been pushed around much of the season. If it happens again, the Spartans have little chance of beating Georgia. The Dawgs\' offensive line has been riddled by injuries and personnel changes this season, but Moreno has still managed to gain 1,338 yards and 16 touchdowns. Michigan State\'s Justin Kershaw and Oren Wilson are critical components in the middle of that defensive line. Beyond that, linebackers Greg Jones and Eric Gordon can\'t miss when they have Moreno in their grasp.
QUOTE TO NOTE: I look back at this season and we didn\'t make the most of our opportunities when we had the chance to win big games. I really just want to get this taste out of my mouth in terms of beating a good opponent. — MSU\'s Justin Kershaw, on losses to Ohio State and Penn State this season
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH THE CAPITAL ONE BOWL: Michigan State vs. Georgia, Orlando, Fla., Jan. 1 — Two of the nation\'s best tailbacks, Javon Ringer and Knowshon Moreno, highlight what could be a high-scoring affair. Both teams have struggled stopping teams defensively, combining to allow 47 points per game, and both teams can score in bunches. This is Michigan State\'s first appearance in a New Year\'s Day bowl in nine years, when it beat Florida in this same bowl, 37-34. The Bulldogs began the year as the nation\'s No. 1 team, so the talent is obviously there. Georgia simply struggled living up to expectations in a competitive SEC.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: RB Javon Ringer — Rushed for 1,590 yards and 21 touchdowns during the regular season, but managed just 109 yards on 33 carries against Penn State and Ohio State. Whatever SEC team the Spartans face in the bowl game should be another quality defense.
S Otis Wiley — Leads the team with four interceptions, including one he took back for a touchdown. Wiley is the leader in the secondary and a playmaker both on defense and special teams.
DE Trevor Anderson — Enjoyed a successful first season after following Mark Dantonio from Cincinnati. Anderson leads the defense with 8 sacks.
QB Brian Hoyer — Struggled to complete half his passes this season and has been wildly inconsistent. He has sparkled at times (Michigan) and has looked so lost in others (Ohio State) that questions raised about his job security. Hoyer needs to play well for the Spartans to have a shot against Georgia.
ROSTER REPORT:
—Despite losing out to Iowa\'s Shonn Greene for the Doak Walker Award, Ringer was named a Walter Camp All-American.
—WR Mark Dell can use the time off to heal. He returned for the regular season finale at Penn State after missing two games with an undisclosed injury, but still wasn\'t 100%. He will be now.
—OL Arthur Ray, Jr. will miss the bowl game while he continues to recover from October leg surgery.
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MINNESOTA
INSIDE SLANT
Minnesota coach Tim Brewster insists he is not abandoning his spread. Instead, the Gophers are spreading around what else they can do offensively.
The Gophers are using the practices leading up to the Dec. 31 Insight Bowl for a crash course in how to run the football again. New offensive line coach Tim Davis was brought in after the regular season to improve upon the Gophers\' 1,270 rushing yards for the season, which rank 104th in the nation. Eighteen tailbacks across the country have rushed for more yardage than Minnesota has as a team.
The Gophers opened bowl practices by using a fullback again and running plays out of I-formation.
It allows the tailback to be the go-to guy, quarterback Adam Weber told the St. Paul Pioneer Press.Before maybe we would have thrown the ball on third and short. We\'re going to look for our linemen and running backs to pick up those hard yards, which most teams do.
How quickly Minnesota can adapt to new schemes remains to be seen. It isn\'t an offensive overhaul, since the spread will still be used, but 15 practices isn\'t much time to get a dramatically different look in place.
The biggest benefit might be to the tailbacks, who get a split-second longer to read the gaps, since they\'re now lining up seven yards deep. Freshman Shady Salamon ended the regular season as the starting tailback, replacing fellow freshman DeLeon Eskridge. Together, they rushed for 826 yards and averaged 3.9 yards per carry.
I\'m used to the spread offense and running with misdirection, Salamon told the Pioneer Press. But now that we\'re under center, it\'s more just downhill. That\'s kind of how I like it. I\'m really excited. It\'s not too confusing. It\'s pretty basic.
SEASON RECAP: Minnesota 31, Northern Illinois 27 — Duane Bennett scored on a one-yard plunge with 22 seconds left to send the Gophers to a season-opening victory. Bennett scored a pair of touchdowns on the day and helped Minnesota avoid losing despite choking away an 11-point second-half lead.
Minnesota 42, Bowling Green 17 — QB Adam Weber threw for 233 yards and accounted for four touchdowns, and the Gophers put the game away with a 21-point avalanche in the fourth quarter. Minnesota turned four BG turnovers in the second half into touchdowns, blowing open what had been a tight game.
Minnesota 35, Montana State 23 — Eric Decker caught nine passes for 154 yards and a score, DeLeon Eskridge became the first freshman in 22 years to rush for at least three touchdowns and the Gophers improved to 3-0 with the victory over the Bobcats.
Minnesota 37, Florida Atlantic 3 — Freshman DeLeon Eskridge rushed for 78 yards and two scores, the Gophers rushed for 206 yards as a team and the defense kept FAU out of the end zone to improve to 4-0 this year. Minnesota limited FAU to 276 total yards one season after the Owls scored 42 points and racked up nearly 600 yards of offense against the Gophers.
Ohio State 34, Minnesota 21 — For the first time this year, the Gophers lost the turnover battle, and ultimately the game. The Gophers turned the ball over three times, leading to exactly half of the Buckeyes\' points (17 of 34). Freshman DeLeon Eskridge had 76 yards on 18 carries and Adam Weber threw for 187 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the loss.
Minnesota 16, Indiana 7 — But for a breakdown in protection that led to a 77-yard TD pass, the Gophers\' defense was stout. Adam Weber threw for 274 yards without an interception, completing 13 passes to Eric Decker. Joel Monroe kicked three field goals in the second half.
Minnesota 27, Illinois 20 — Illinois lost two fumbles inside its own 10-yard line that turned into Minnesota touchdowns, as former Illini All-Big Ten TE Tim Brewster earned the biggest win of his short head-coaching career during his alma mater\'s homecoming. Illini QB Juice Williams threw for 462 yards and rushed for 41.
Minnesota 17, Purdue 6 — The defense knocked Purdue starting QB Curtis Painter out of the game, then limited the Boilers to 226 yards of offense and forced four turnovers in a game the defense dominated. QB Adam Weber accounted for 276 total yards and two scores, and the Gophers improved to 7-1 for the first time since 2002.
Northwestern 24, Minnesota 17 — The Wildcats\' Brendan Smith intercepted a deflection and raced 48 yards for the game-winning score with 12 seconds left, stunning the Gophers and ending their three-game winning streak. The Wildcats were playing without their regular starters at both quarterback and tailback, but backup QB Mike Kafka ran for 217 yards while directing Northwestern\'s speed option.
Michigan 29, Minnesota 6 — The Gophers struggled without top target Eric Decker, sidelined by an ankle injury in falling to 0-12 against Michigan in the Metrodome. Michigan ran for 232 yards on the Gophers\' defense and backup QB Nick Sheridan threw for more than 200 as Michigan ended a five-game losing streak with its third win of the year.
Wisconsin 35, Minnesota 32 — The Gophers squandered a 21-7 halftime lead with a disastrous second half, losing their third straight. Adam Weber threw for 202 yards and three scores, but completed just half of his passes (15 of 30) and was sacked three times. The Gophers allowed 11 points (touchdown, two safeties) in less than three minutes in the fourth quarter, fueling Wisconsin\'s comeback.
Iowa 55, Minnesota 0 — In their final game in the Metrodome, the Gophers were shut out at home for the first time since 1989. Iowa produced 24 points in the second quarter and 477 total yards to end all doubt early. The Gophers had seven net rushing yards and QB Adam Weber threw for 127 yards and two interceptions.
NOTES, QUOTES
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: Tim Brewster never saw what he needed to out of freshman tailbacks DeLeon Eskridge and Shady Salamon. As a result, Phil Meyer was replaced with Tim Davis after the season as the new offensive line coach/running game coordinator. It will be Davis\' job to boost a rushing attack that failed to reach 100 net rushing yards in each of the final four games of the season.
That lack of production put added pressure on QB Adam Weber, who responded well until top target Eric Decker went down with an ankle injury. Without a running threat and without their top receiver, the Gophers\' offense quickly collapsed. They will now face a Kansas defense that was scorched by the incredible Big 12 offenses.
The Jayhawks ranked 113th in the country during the regular season in pass defense, allowing 275 yards per game. Whether Kansas was really that bad in pass coverage, or whether those numbers are a product of the powerful Big 12, will be determined against the Gophers.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: Minnesota struggled stopping teams all year defensively, but made up for it by forcing a league-best 30 turnovers. Iowa didn\'t turn the ball over and won, 55-0. Kansas committed 21 turnovers this season, which ranked around the middle of the Big 12 teams.
The Gophers will have their hands full in slowing Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing, who threw for 3,575 yards, 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
MATCHUP TO WATCH: Minnesota WR Eric Decker vs. Kansas CB Darrell Stuckey — Decker finished the season with 76 catches, more than twice as many as anyone else on the team. He had 925 receiving yards and six touchdowns despite missing the better part of two games with an ankle injury. Stuckey leads the team with five interceptions and has done well playing against opponents\' top threats.
QUOTE TO NOTE: We\'ll be smart enough to know what we can and can\'t do. Obviously, we weren\'t that successful running the ball, and that will hurt an offense ... I think with this new style of running, it will give us more of an advantage running the ball. — QB Adam Weber, on the dramatic changes to the running game in a short amount of time
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH THE INSIGHT BOWL: Minnesota vs. Kansas, Tempe, Ariz., Dec. 31 — The Gophers complete an impressive turnaround from a one-win season in 2007 to a bowl game appearance this year. Now they have 15 bowl practices to remake a non-existent rushing attack with a new assistant coach (Tim Davis). Kansas brings a typical high flying Big 12 offense that features plenty of passing (302 yards per game) and little defense. Expect a lot of throws from these two teams, plenty of points and little use for defense or tailbacks.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Adam Weber — His two worst games came in the last three for Minnesota. Weber had clunkers against Michigan and Iowa, but overall is the best player on offense.
WR Eric Decker — An ankle injury rendered him ineffective over the final three games, otherwise Decker could\'ve ended the season with staggering figures. As it was, Decker caught 76 passes for 925 yards and six touchdowns.
DE Willie VanDeSteeg — His 9.5 sacks more than double anyone else on the team. He accounted for nearly one-third of Minnesota\'s 30 team sacks.
CB Traye Simmons — Team\'s top cover man leads the defense with four interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. Simmons is a big reason why the defense leads the conference with 30 forced turnovers.
ROSTER REPORT:
—As of Dec. 13, WR Eric Decker (knee), DLs Willie VanDeSteeg (ankle) and Garrett Brown (ankle) and LB Lee Campbell (ankle) had not practiced, but coach Tim Brewster expected all to be healthy and available by kickoff. The team departs for the Insight Bowl on Christmas night. I think we\'ll be 100 percent full strength for the game, Brewster told the Star Tribune.
—S Kyle Theret has practiced in full pads, but also is nursing an ankle injury. Like the rest, Theret is expected to be healthy for the game.
—Decker was hobbled late in the season by an ankle injury, but recently had surgery on his left knee.
—RB Andre Tate and WR Jimmy Thompson, both redshirt freshmen, have decided to transfer after the season. That means the Gophers will lose a pair of receivers, since sophomore WR Ralph Spry had previously announced his intention to leave.
—Tim Davis was brought in as the new offensive line coach in charge of directing the running game, replacing Phil Meyer. The loss of RB Duane Bennett early in the season left a huge void in the running game, something the Gophers never really filled. They managed just seven net rushing yards in the finale against Iowa, which could have helped seal the decision.
—RB Duane Bennett will miss the bowl game while continuing to recover from ACL surgery. Bennett\'s absence left a big void in the backfield, which never really was filled.
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NORTHWESTERN
INSIDE SLANT
Northwestern entered the 2008 season generally regarded as a team destined for eighth or ninth place in the rugged Big Ten.
The Wildcats didn\'t care. They won nine games (including their first 5-0 start since 1962) and shared fourth place in the league.
That earned Northwestern its first bowl bid since 2005 and a spot in the Alamo Bowl against Missouri, which the oddsmakers decided to make the biggest favorite among all 34 bowl games.
The Wildcats didn\'t care they were 13-point underdogs. They outplayed the Tigers most of the night and, if not for a few special-teams miscues, would have walked out of the Alamodome with the school\'s first bowl win in 60 years and the second 10-win season in school history.
If NU hadn\'t allowed All-American Jeremy Maclin to return a punt for a score just before halftime — and if kicker Amado Villarreal hadn\'t missed an extra point — the Wildcats would be rejoicing in having fulfilled all of their preseason goals. Instead, they dropped a 30-23 overtime decision.
That disappointing coda to a successful year allows the Wildcats to keep a chip on their shoulder as they make the transition from a senior-dominated team to a program that finds out if they\'ve been building quality depth like head coach Pat Fitzgerald says.
Northwestern loses nine starters from its 9-4 squad, including five skill-position players who stamped their names all over the career lists for offensive production.
Running back Tyrell Sutton, despite missing nine games in his last two seasons, leaves as the school\'s No. 2 all-time rusher while quarterback C.J. Bacher wound up No. 3 in almost every passing category.
And between Sutton and senior receivers Eric Peterman, Ross Lane and Rasheed Ward, the Wildcats must replace 598 catches, 6,594 yards and 35 touchdowns of career production.
But Northwestern fans got a taste of the future when Sutton and Bacher missed games down the stretch. Junior quarterback Mike Kafka proved to be an electrifying runner and decent passer, while sophomore running back Stephen Simmons showed glimpses while suggesting there\'ll be quite the offseason battle to replace Sutton.
Freshman wideout Jeremy Ebert, junior slot receiver and redshirting superback Drake Dunsmore will lead the charge to replace the graduating receivers.
Meanwhile, the defense should be rock-solid as it retains eight starters from the group that set a single-season school record for fewest rushing yards allowed (126.4 ypg).
All-Big Ten defensive end Corey Wootton leads the charge, though he\'ll need extensive offseason time to rehabilitate the right-knee injury suffered late in the Alamo Bowl. Watch for redshirt freshman Vince Browne, a playmaker who missed a month with his own knee injury, to become Wootton\'s equal from the opposite defensive end.
After changing both coordinators and hiring a new defensive line coach last offseason, look for Pat Fitzgerald to spend all of this offseason finding more recruits and looking for ways to lead the Wildcats to their first bowl win since Jan. 1, 1949.
NOTES, QUOTES
GAME OF THE YEAR: Northwestern 21, Minnesota 14 — The Wildcats headed to Minneapolis with two losses in their last three games. They had to face a 1-loss Gophers squad without senior QB C.J. Bacher and senior RB Tyrell Sutton — both of whom were hurt the week before — which forced backup QB Mike Kafka to make his first start since Sept. 2006.
So what happened? Kafka rushed for an absurd 217 yards (an apparent record for a Big Ten quarterback) and threw for two scores. Then junior safety Brendan Smith, with 12 seconds to go, picked off a pass and returned it 48 yards for the game-winning score to clinch NU\'s first bowl in three seasons.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Corey Wootton — The 6-foot-7 redshirt junior defensive end earned first-team all-Big Ten honors (the only Wildcat to make an all-Big Ten team) as he piled up 10 sacks and 16 tackles for loss. Wootton made a name for himself with NFL scouts, but he\'s expected to return for his senior year. His decision probably became easier when he hurt his right knee late in the Alamo Bowl.
FAST FORWARD: Depending on which side of the ball you\'re viewing, the Wildcats will either be building on their 9-4 season or rebuilding for another run in 2010 and beyond.
Coach Pat Fitzgerald believes his team has stocked up unprecedented depth and will continue climbing, but just look at what NU\'s seniors did offensively in the Alamo Bowl.
Northwestern loses six offensive starters, including virtually every skill player who contributed in the Alamo Bowl. With the exception of junior Andrew Brewer\'s three catches for 14 yards, all the team\'s 376 yards were generated by seniors. Junior quarterback Mike Kafka, who made two key starts in November, has first call on C.J. Bacher\'s job. Soph RB Stephen Simmons, who rushed for 178 yards and 2 scores, will battle to succeed Tyrell Sutton.
Defensively, on the other hand, Northwestern retains eight starters from a unit that showed marked improvement in 2008. DE Corey Wootton and backup DE Vince Browne will spearhead the line, while soph MLB Nate Williams took charge after a season-ending injury to senior Malcolm Arrington.
The secondary, which featured four above-average players, returns its top six players intact and retains the services of soph CB Justan Vaughn, who started the first two games before season-ending shoulder surgery.
As mentioned above, Fitzgerald believes this program is positioned to start contending for Big Ten titles. If enough skill players develop during spring ball and pre-conference play, the Wildcats should be in the mix in 2009.
RECRUITING TRAIL: Northwestern needs to replenish at quarterback, running back and linebacker — which is exactly what Pat Fitzgerald and Co. have done.
After failing to bring in a scholarship QB last year, the Wildcats received an early commitment from 6-foot-6 slinger Evan Watkins of Glenbard North High School in suburban Chicago. They also have commits from RBs Mike Trumpy (Wheaton, Ill.) and Arby Fields (Rancho Cucomonga, Cal.).
They\'re bringing in a handful of linebackers led by Dallas\' Roderick Goodlow and Ohio\'s Will Studlien. The latter had big suitors who backed off after a knee injury.
The Wildcats didn\'t need many offensive linemen after bringing in five local guys a year ago, but they couldn\'t pass up four-star tackle Patrick Ward from south suburban Chicago (near Fitzgerald\'s hometown). Ward, whose father, Brian, played tackle for Illinois in the 1980s, goes 6-6, 300 pounds.
QUOTE TO NOTE: It\'s an exciting time for our program. We\'re heading in the right direction. — Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald in the Chicago Tribune.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2009:
DE Corey Wootton — Though he suffered a serious right knee injury late in the fourth quarter of the Alamo Bowl loss, the all-Big Ten junior figures to have enough time to rehab for the 2009 season.
S Brad Phillips — The hard-hitting junior led the Wildcats in tackles (109) and shared the lead for interceptions (3). Among the reasons he\'s special: When the Wildcats need to go nickel, as they did in the Alamo Bowl, he\'s quick enough to move to the nickel and play man coverage.
S Brendan Smith — After redshirting the 2007 season and undergoing a pair of shoulder surgeries, the Wildcats\' only returning co-captain delivered 82 tackles and returned 2 interceptions for touchdowns.
PRO PROSPECTS:
RB Tyrell Sutton — Less than two months after surgery to fix a serious left wrist injury, Sutton returned with a vengeance to post his 16th career 100-yard game in the Alamo Bowl. Northwestern\'s No. 2 all-time rusher (3,886 yards) should be a middle- to late-round pick who\'ll stick because of his attitude, his third-down aptitude and his ability to catch out of the backfield (149 career catches).
DT John Gill — He\'s not quite as good as Luis Castillo, who was an unheralded NU defensive tackle who went in the first round to the San Diego Chargers, but he\'s an under-the-radar 300-pounder who should find a place in the league.
G Keegan Kennedy — After spending his first three seasons on the defensive line, Kennedy flipped to the offensive line prior to spring ball and became NU\'s top guy. At the minimum, the honorable mention all-Big Ten pick should be invited to camps.
ROSTER REPORT:
—DE Corey Wootton suffered a serious right knee injury late in the Alamo Bowl on a non-contact play when he tried to make an abrupt cut on a pass rush and his knee didn\'t agree. Though Northwestern offered no details, the injury looked scary enough that it should require surgery and rehab that will last through spring practice.
—RT Desmond Taylor appeared to suffer a left knee injury early in the Alamo Bowl. Taylor missed most of the game, but returned for the fourth quarter after backup Kurt Mattes kept getting beat by speed rushes.
—DE Vince Browne missed the final month of the regular season after injuring the lateral collateral ligament in his left knee. He didn\'t need surgery and returned for limited snaps in the Alamo Bowl, where he racked up 4 tackles (including .5 for a loss).
—SB Drake Dunsmore suffered a season-ending knee injury in preseason. The Wildcats expected the sophomore to be a huge pass-catching force in 2008, so now they\'re regarding his healthy return as like getting a five-star transfer for 2009.
—DT Corbin Bryant suffered a knee injury against Michigan in Game 11. The sophomore might not be back for spring ball, but he should be ready to regain his starting job going into Camp Kenosha.
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OHIO STATE
INSIDE SLANT
It didn\'t take long for the desert to turn from Ohio State\'s paradise to a prison. The Buckeyes did four hours of hard time two years ago, during a 41-14 loss to Florida in the national championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium.
Now they return for the first time since the collapse, when they entered the game as heavy favorites and left as heavy enemies — of the rest of the nation.
This is Ohio State\'s fifth trip to Phoenix for a bowl game in the last seven years. The players have spent every trip at the same posh hotel in Scottsdale, Ariz., they have worn their away jerseys in every game and generally followed every routine from the previous trip.
The first four were wildly successful — a national championship victory against Miami, followed by Fiesta Bowl victories against Kansas State and Notre Dame. Those all came at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., before the Fiesta Bowl was moved to Glendale, Ariz.
Ohio State\'s national image has never been the same since suffering that 27-point thrashing to the Gators. The Buckeyes have lost seemingly every big game since, including the national championship last year and games against USC and Penn State this season. But it all dates back to that night against Florida, when Ohio State\'s image began to transform from big game behemoths to overrated underachievers.
This senior class has been around for two of the games in the desert. They were freshmen for the victory against Notre Dame in 2005, then-sophomores like Malcolm Jenkins and James Laurinaitis started in the loss against Florida.
We won one and we lost one badly, Jenkins said. This would be a nice way to redeem ourselves.
SEASON RECAP: Ohio State 43, Youngstown State 0 — Todd Boeckman completed 14 of 19 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns, Beanie Wells rushed for 111 yards before he was injured and the defense held the Penguins to 74 yards of total offense. Terrelle Pryor made his much-anticipated debut for Ohio State, completing four of six passes for 35 yards, while rushing for 52 yards and his first touchdown.
Ohio State 26, Ohio 14 — The offense struggled without Beanie Wells, producing just 272 total yards, but the defense forced four turnovers and the Buckeyes escaped with superior special teams. Bobcats punt returner Mark Parson muffed a punt in the fourth quarter that the Buckeyes recovered and eventually turned into a touchdown. Seven minutes later, Ray Small returned a punt for another score and the Buckeyes had officially erased the 14-12 deficit from the start of the fourth quarter.
USC 35, Ohio State 3 — The offense was limited to 207 total yards as the quarterbacks were sacked five times and Todd Boeckman turned it over three times in a humiliating loss at the Coliseum.
Ohio State 28, Troy 10 — Terrelle Pryor\'s debut as the new starting quarterback was a success, setting a new freshman record with four touchdown passes in a game while rushing for 66 yards on 14 carries. The Buckeyes were outgained by Troy, though, 315-309. It was Ohio State\'s first day with more than 300 yards against an FBS school this year.
Ohio State 34, Minnesota 21 — Beanie Wells returned to the lineup after missing 3 1/2 weeks to rush for 106 yards and the Buckeyes produced a season-high 279 rushing yards. Terrelle Pryor, in his second start, accounted for 167 yards and three touchdowns — two rushing and one throwing. Pryor was three yards shy of 100 rushing.
Ohio State 20, Wisconsin 17 — Beanie Wells went back over 100 yards rushing — 168 on 22 carries with a TD — but the biggest run was from freshman Terrelle Pryor. His 11-yard TD run with 1:08 left decided the outcome.
Ohio State 16, Purdue 3 — Etienne Sabino ran 20 yards with a blocked punt, scoring the only touchdown of the game. The Ohio State offense was limited to three field goals.
Ohio State 45, Michigan State 7 — The Buckeyes scored 21 points in less than six minutes in the first quarter and ended the Spartans\' six-game winning streak. Ohio State forced five turnovers, returning two for defensive touchdowns, and added three sacks in dominating former OSU assistant Mark Dantonio. The Buckeyes rushed for 216 yards, while holding the Spartans to 240 yards of total offense.
Penn State 13, Ohio State 6 — Leading 6-3 with 10 minutes left in the game, Penn State\'s Navorro Bowman recovered a Terrelle Pryor fumble at the Ohio State 38, leading to the game\'s only touchdown. Beanie Wells was held to 55 yards on 22 carries in the loss, while Pryor had season highs of 25 attempts and 226 yards passing. But it was his two turnovers that were most costly. The Buckeyes moved into Penn State territory in the game\'s final minute, giving the Bucks a chance to tie, but Pryor\'s pass into the end zone was intercepted by Lydell Sargeant.
Ohio State 45, Northwestern 10 — Terrelle Pryor threw for 197 yards and three touchdowns, Beanie Wells rushed for 128 yards and two scores and the Bucks ran up 441 yards of total offense, their most in any game against an FBS school this season.
Ohio State 30, Illinois 20 — Beanie Wells rushed for 143 yards and a touchdown, Terrelle Pryor added 110 rushing yards and a score and the Buckeyes went over 300 rushing yards for the first time in three years. Strong winds limited Pryor to just six of 10 passing for 49 yards and left the game to be determined on the ground. The defense surrendered more than 450 yards to Illinois, but came up with three huge plays — two turnovers and a blocked punt by Malcolm Jenkins through the back of the end zone for a safety. The three Illini miscues directly led to 16 points for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State 42, Michigan 7 — Beanie Wells ran for 134 yards and a score, and the defense held Michigan to 198 yards and a season low in points. Terrelle Pryor threw two touchdowns and an interception as the Bucks beat Michigan for the fifth consecutive year and the seventh time in eight games under Jim Tressel. With the victory, Ohio State shares the Big Ten championship with Penn State.
NOTES, QUOTES
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: The Buckeyes tore apart the playbook after just three games and instilled a run-oriented offense that featured freshman sensation Terrelle Pryor and tailback Beanie Wells. Injuries sabotaged Wells\' season, although he still rushed for 1,000 yards despite missing three games with a toe injury.
Pryor replaced Todd Boeckman at quarterback after the loss to USC, despite Boeckman leading the Buckeyes to a Big Ten championship and national title game appearance last season. After some early struggles, the Buckeyes scored at least 30 points in four of their last five games, including three with more than 42 points. They will have to score to keep up with a Texas offense that is among the best in the country.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: Are Big 12 offenses really that good or are the defenses just really bad? We\'ll start to get an answer to that during the bowl season. Only one team scored more than 21 points against the Buckeyes this season, while Texas\' powerful offense hasn\'t scored less than 28 all season.
Quarterback Colt McCoy leads the team in rushing (576 yards, 10 TDs) while passing for 3,445 yards and 32 touchdowns. He is among the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy and will undoubtedly be the best quarterback the Buckeyes have faced this season — and USC\'s Mark Sanchez has already directed an offense that scored 35 on this defense.
MATCHUP TO WATCH: QB Colt McCoy vs. LB James Laurinaitis — McCoy has already faced the Buckeyes once, completing 19 of 32 passes for 154 yards, a touchdown and an interception in just his second collegiate start. He is obviously much more experienced and much improved, and now he\'s a better runner, too. Laurinaitis intercepted McCoy in that game two seasons ago, and leads the Ohio State defense with 121 tackles.
When the Bucks blitz, Laurinaitis will be there. When McCoy runs, Laurinaitis will be there. He\'s also among the best linebackers in the country at dropping back into coverage. Whoever has the better game will go a long way in determining which team wins.
QUOTE TO NOTE: It\'s a win-win situation for us. If we lose, everyone probably thinks we\'re going to lose anyway. If we win, it\'ll show since we\'ve made some strides since our last loss. — cornerback Malcolm Jenkins
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH THE FIESTA BOWL: Two storied programs that have combined for 1,639 victories all time will meet for the third time in history. It just so happens that all three meetings have been in the last four years. Texas won in Ohio Stadium in 2005, then went on to win the national championship. The Buckeyes won in Austin the following season and went on to play for the national championship. Call this the rubber match. Only this time, the roles are reversed. In 2006, the Buckeyes had the Heisman Trophy quarterback in Troy Smith and Texas had a hotshot freshman in Colt McCoy. Now McCoy is the strong Heisman candidate and Terrelle Pryor is Ohio State\'s hotshot freshman quarterback.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: LB James Laurinaitis — The three-time All-American linebacker was the difference defensively in Ohio State\'s win against Texas two years ago. He forced a fumble, intercepted a pass and introduced himself as Ohio State\'s next great linebacker. Now he\'ll have to do it all over again.
QB Terrelle Pryor — The best thing he did this season was limit turnovers. Pryor threw four interceptions in 152 attempts, and one of those was a Hail Mary into the end zone at the end of a half. The coaches are thrilled with the progress he made over his first season, and his potential is unlimited moving forward.
RB Beanie Wells — Was hampered by a hamstring the final two games, after being bothered by a toe injury since the opener. Wells rushed for just 1,091 yards during the regular season, but there are few backs in the country in Wells\' class.
CB Malcolm Jenkins — One of the few seniors who dramatically increased his NFL stock. Jenkins was a borderline first round pick after last season, now he\'s a lock. Jenkins can make plays on defense and on special teams.
ROSTER REPORT:
—Freshman DE Nathan Williams was arrested Dec. 10 on a shoplifting charge, although Williams denied stealing the three shirts from a department store valued at $80. He said he was covering for a friend who has a criminal record and would have been sent back to jail had he been caught. The charge Williams is facing is a first-degree misdemeanor.
—CB Malcolm Jenkins won the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation\'s top defensive back. He is the second Ohio State player to win the award, joining Antoine Winfield.
—This could very well be Beanie Wells\' last game in an Ohio State uniform. Jim Tressel even said he would encourage Wells to leave early for the NFL. In my mind, he\'s a top five pick, Tressel said.
—DB Jermale Hines, who was valuable as the nickel back most of the season, missed the last two games of the regular season because of a hamstring injury. The added rest and the six weeks off between games should have him healthy and ready to play against Texas.
—Likewise, DT Todd Denlinger was limited most of the season with nagging injuries. The extra time off should allow the Bucks to rotate four tackles throughout the game, which was the original plan for the entire season.
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PENN STATE
INSIDE SLANT
Derrick Williams will spend much of the next few weeks watching the USC Trojans on film. But the Penn State wide receiver has already seen plenty of the Nittany Lions\' Rose Bowl opponent on television this season.
It\'s one of the teams that you\'d want to watch on TV, Williams said. It\'s going to be a matchup that everyone wants to see.
The Big Ten champions and the Pac 10 champions will meet in a battle of once-beaten teams at 5 p.m. on New Year\'s Day in Pasadena, Calif. Substantial underdogs, the Nittany Lions see USC as a final measuring stick in a season that has been all about proving doubters wrong.
It\'s a chance to prove we\'re one of the best teams in the country, running back Evan Royster said. We know we are, we feel like we are. It\'s just being out there and going against a team that everybody knows is in the top tier in college football.
Penn State could have its head coach back on the sideline for the game. Joe Paterno, who coached from the press box for the final eight games of the season to rest a sore leg and hip, had successful hip replacement surgery the day after the regular season ended. Paterno said his recovery is ahead of schedule.
I just need to keep testing myself, he said.
The coach also bagged a new three-year contract in mid-December. His deal was set to expire at the end of this, his 43rd career year.
SEASON RECAP: Penn State 66, Coastal Carolina 10 — Evan Royster ran for three first-half touchdowns as the Nittany Lions jumped out to a 38-7 halftime lead and cruised in their season opener. Penn State rolled up 594 total yards and scored more points in an opener than it has since 1926, the year head coach Joe Paterno was born.
Penn State 45, Oregon State 14 — The Nittany Lions scored touchdowns on six of their first nine possessions and never allowed Lyle Moevao and the Beaver offense to get on track. Evan Royster ran for a career-high 141 yards and three touchdowns for No. 19 Penn State (2-0).
Penn State 55, Syracuse 13 — Two Nittany Lion quarterbacks — Daryll Clark and Pat Devlin — threw two first-half touchdown passes and wide receivers Jordan Norwood and Deon Butler both went over 100 yards, as the No. 17 Nittany Lions improved to 3-0. Penn State outgained the hapless Orange (0-3) by 401 yards and held them to eight first downs all afternoon.
Penn State 45, Temple 3 — The Nittany Lions knocked Owls quarterback Adam DiMichele out of the game on the fifth play and piled up 31 of their 45 points in the second quarter. Freshman TB Stephfon Green had 132 of Penn State\'s 303 rushing yards.
Penn State 38, Illinois 24 — Derrick Williams scored touchdowns rushing, receiving and on a kick return as the Nittany Lions moved to 5-0 for just the second time in nine years. Daryll Clark threw two touchdown passes and Evan Royster ran for 139 yards as Penn State\'s offense rolled up 422 yards.
Penn State 20, Purdue 6 — Evan Royster ran for 141 yards and a touchdown and Penn State\'s defense kept the Boilermakers off the scoreboard for the first three quarters as the Nittany Lions improved to 6-0. Daryll Clark completed 18-of-26 passes for 220 yards and ran for a touchdown for Penn State, which converted just 4-of-12 third downs but still managed 422 yards of offense.
Penn State 48, Wisconsin 7 — The Nittany Lions scored two touchdowns in 35 seconds in the second quarter and two more in the first eight minutes of the third quarter to hand the Badgers their worst home loss in 19 years. Daryll Clark threw for a career-high 244 yards and a touchdown and ran for two more scores. Wide receiver Derrick Williams returned a kick for a touchdown for the third time this season, and defensive end Aaron Maybin had three sacks and two forced fumbles as the Nittany Lions turned in their most dominant and well-rounded game of the season.
Penn State 46, Michigan 17 — No. 3 Penn State leaped out of an early 10-point deficit with 39 unanswered points to beat the Wolverines for the first time in 12 years. Running back Evan Royster scored his team\'s first touchdown on a 44-yard run on his way to a career-high 174 yards rushing, and Penn State\'s defense allowed only 82 yards on Michigan\'s final 11 possessions.
Penn State 13, Ohio State 6 — A defensive struggle turned when Mark Rubin forced a Terrelle Pryor fumble and Navorro Bowman recovered in Buckeye territory, setting up Pat Devlin\'s one-yard sneak for the game\'s only touchdown. Lydell Sargeant picked off Pryor\'s 40-yard heave in the end zone in the final minute to seal Penn State\'s first win in Columbus since 1978. The teams, who have combined to win the last three Big Ten titles, totaled just 568 yards of offense and 32 first downs. The Nittany Lions were held to their lowest point and yardage totals of the season.
Iowa 24, Penn State 23 — The Nittany Lions suffered their first loss of the season in gut-wrenching fashion, giving away a nine-point fourth-quarter lead and allowing the Hawkeyes to drive 57 yards in 15 plays in the final four minutes to set up Daniel Murray\'s game-winning, 31-yard field goal with one second left. Penn State\'s high-powered offense sputtered in the wind and against a good Iowa defense, turning in just 38 yards and no points in the final quarter after dominating the time of possession and rolling up 203 yards in the first half.
Penn State 34, Indiana 7 — The Nittany Lions shook off a sluggish first half start and three Daryll Clark turnovers to stay in prime position in the Big Ten title chase. Clark threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns, Derrick Williams had 164 all-purpose yards and two scores and Penn State\'s defense allowed just six first downs, its lowest total against a Big Ten conference opponent.
Penn State 49, Michigan State 18 — Daryll Clark threw for 341 of Penn State\'s school-record 415 passing yards as the Nittany Lions clinched their second Big Ten championship in four years. Deon Butler had 133 yards and three touchdowns on three catches and Penn State limited Spartans tailback Javon Ringer to 42 yards, 99 below his season average and intercepted QB Brian Hoyer twice.
NOTES, QUOTES
—For those fans who bought Rose Bowl tickets for the possible novelty factor of seeing Joe Paterno coach his final bowl game might be the only ones disappointed that his coaching resume will have a 44th year (and No.\'s 45 and 46). Paterno, whose contract was a point of contention between the coach and media for a full year, signed a new deal Dec. 16. It\'s a three-year pact, but the exact value wasn\'t immediately known. Paterno\'s 82nd birthday is Dec. 21.
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: Penn State\'s Spread HD offense has been its most dominant group of the decade. The Nittany Lions have the Big Ten\'s No. 2 rushing offense, keyed by sophomore running back Evan Royster (1,202 yards, 6.5 per carry) and a veteran offensive line. Quarterback Daryll Clark, a first-year starter, has completed 60 percent of his passes for over 2,300 yards and scored nine touchdowns rushing the ball. Senior wide receivers Deon Butler, Derrick Williams and Jordan Norwood have combined for 121 receptions. The Nittany Lions have used multiple formations, including a version of the Wildhog that has Williams taking snaps from shotgun, and used different tactics against different defenses.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley\'s unit has held some of the nation\'s best running backs — Chris Wells, Javon Ringer and P.J. Hill — in check and gotten terrific quarterback pressure with only a four-man rush. Defensive end Aaron Maybin (12 sacks) has blossomed into a star in his first season as a starter and defensive tackle Jared Odrick has been excellent against the run and the pass. Linebacker Navorro Bowman goes from sideline to sideline and is the team\'s best blitzer. Penn State\'s secondary, led by free safety Anthony Scirrotto, has been great in run support but the Nittany Lions\' two-deep and three-deep zones have been exploited by teams with talented quarterbacks.
MATCHUP TO WATCH: Penn State\'s offensive line vs. USC\'s front seven. The Nittany Lions aren\'t big up front but are exceptional at running pulls and sweeps. They\'ve allowed just 12 sacks this season. Tailback Evan Royster follows his blockers with patience and great vision. But Penn State hasn\'t seen a front seven as athletic as USC\'s, keyed by linebacker Rey Maualuga and defensive tackle Fili Moala. Teams that have applied steady pressure on quarterback Daryll Clark, such as Ohio State and Iowa, have slowed the Nittany Lions\' high-powered offense.
QUOTE TO NOTE: We\'ve had our problems, we\'ve had some kids who didn\'t have time to grow up before they got caught in some stuff. And these guys, when we made some tough decisions, they stuck with us, never complained, and just kept working. And it\'s great to be around a group of people like that. — Penn State coach Joe Paterno, on his senior class.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH THE ROSE BOWL: Penn State vs. Southern California, Rose Bowl, Jan. 1 — College football\'s most decorated coach leads his team back to Pasadena for the first time in 14 years to meet college football\'s most successful program of the last decade. Penn State, the most balanced team in the Big Ten, is looking for respect for the conference against a team that has embarrassed the Big Ten twice in the last 13 months. Quarterback Daryll Clark and running back Evan Royster will look to find offensive balance against a USC defense that has allowed only 7.8 points per game this season. A Penn State defensive unit that survived several injuries to become the Big Ten\'s best hopes to shut down junior Mark Sanchez (30 TD passes) and a dangerous Trojans passing attack. Sanchez has been frazzled in the face of pressure and threw three interceptions in USC\'s last two regular-season games.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
QB Daryll Clark — The junior bounced back from a couple of subpar outings late in the season with a big game against Michigan State. Clark has the ability to make throws all over the field or sprint from the pocket and make defenses pay with his legs.
WR Derrick Williams — Penn State has moved the versatile senior all over the offense. He\'s caught passes out of the slot, taken handoffs on end-arounds, even thrown passes out of the Wildcat formation. He also reinvigorated Penn State\'s return game this season, scoring two touchdowns on kickoff returns and one on a punt return.
LB Navorro Bowman — The redshirt sophomore, a first-year starter at the strong-side position, has been the most dynamic player on a balanced defense. Bowman gets to the ball on nearly every play, hits hard and finishes tackles. He has been effective as a pass rusher and in pass coverage.
DT Jared Odrick — One of the biggest Nittany Lions (6-foot-5, 300 pounds) is also one of the most agile. Odrick has compiled an impressive set of statistics (39 tackles, 9.5 for loss) this season, but his ability to tie up blockers and blow up both running and passing plays in the backfield make him a big problem for opposing offenses.
ROSTER REPORT:
—DT Devon Still missed the first 11 games of the season with a broken ankle but saw a handful of fourth-quarter snaps in the season finale against Michigan State. He could provide depth in a tackle rotation thinned by injuries and suspensions.
—RG Stefen Wisniewski has used the month between games to heal his sprained knee, which limited the sophomore\'s playing time and effectiveness for the later half of the regular season.
—QB Pat Devlin, the top backup to starter Daryll Clark, has decided to transfer to another program. Fifth-year senior Paul Cianciolo will be Clark\'s backup for the Rose Bowl.
—WR Jordan Norwood has a minor foot injury suffered in the Nov. 22 regular-season finale against Michigan State. He is expected to be ready to play in the Rose Bowl.
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PURDUE
INSIDE SLANT
This isn\'t the way Joe Tiller wanted to head into retirement, lugging a 4-8 team into the sunset.
Purdue was expected to struggle in Tiller\'s final year, but the Boilermakers couldn\'t move the ball on offense — a rarity under an offensive mastermind — and missed a bowl bid for just the second time under Tiller.
A five-game losing streak was the demise. By the time the Boilers lost to Minnesota on Oct. 25, the season was essentially lost. Purdue was 2-6, tailback Kory Sheets was blasting quarterback Curtis Painter and there was little reason to believe things could get any better.
Painter entered the season as a potential Heisman candidate and departed having underachieved. He was pulled first for ineffectiveness, then for a shoulder injury. Painter played well late in the season, and leaves second on the school\'s and Big Ten\'s all-time passing list with 11,363 yards, trailing only Drew Brees. But Purdue has lost 18 straight against ranked opponents, and Painter has been around for the bulk of them.
Purdue\'s succession plan has long been in place. Danny Hope, brought onto the staff before the season, takes over immediately for Tiller. He must find a new quarterback, a new tailback and revamp a defense that played better than the final numbers might indicate.
Ultimately, he must keep Purdue from slipping back into oblivion. The Boilermakers had only been to five bowl games and none in 13 years before Tiller\'s arrival. He brought the program back to prominence, and even ended the 34-year drought without a Rose Bowl appearance.
His basketball on grass style of play was initially mocked, but eventually transformed the style of play in the Big Ten. Hope will seek to establish his voice while building on the decade-plus of work Tiller established.
Despite the difficult year, Purdue took out all of its frustrations on in-state rival Indiana in the finale, 66-10, sending Tiller out a winner. He choked up once while addressing the crowd, waving a final goodbye to West Lafayette before retreating to Wyoming.
If ever you leave a place, it\'s not what you take with you but rather what you leave behind, Tiller told the crowd. Hopefully, we\'ve left some great memories. I know we\'ve left some great young men. Thank you all.
SEASON RECAP: Purdue 42, Northern Colorado 10 — Curtis Painter threw for 286 yards and two touchdowns, Frank Halliburton blocked a pair of punts and the Boilermakers methodically marched to a victory in their opener. Northern Colorado\'s lone touchdown came in the fourth quarter against the Boilers\' backups.
Oregon 32, Purdue 26 (2 OT) — LeGarrette Blount\'s three-yard touchdown run in the second overtime capped Oregon\'s stunning comeback, rallying from 17 points down in the second quarter to win. Purdue had a chance to win at the end of regulation. Coach Joe Tiller was content to settle for a long 44-yard field goal, which Chris Summer missed badly, sending the game to overtime.
Purdue 32, Central Michigan 25 — More than half of Kory Sheets\' rushing total came on one play, a 46-yard touchdown run with a minute left as the Boilermakers barely avoided the upset. Sheets finished with 91 yards on 17 carries and Joe Tiller became the school\'s all-time leader in victories with his 85th win as coach. It was the third time in a year that Purdue has defeated Central Michigan.
Notre Dame 38, Purdue 21 — Curtis Painter threw for 359 yards and Desmond Tardy had 10 catches for 175 yards, but the defense surrendered 21 points to Notre Dame in the third quarter. The defense allowed Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen to throw for 275 yards and three touchdowns in the loss.
Ohio State 16, Purdue 3 — The Buckeyes turned a blocked punt into the only touchdown of the game. The Boilermakers\' lone score came on a school-record 53-yard field goal by Carson Wiggs, as Purdue was unable to capitalize on the fact that it outgained Ohio State.
Northwestern 48, Purdue 26 — Curtis Painter was pulled for ineffectiveness and replaced by Joey Elliott, only to return when Elliott separated his throwing shoulder. Purdue turned the ball over five times, leading to 24 points for Northwestern.
Minnesota 17, Purdue 6 — Curtis Painter was knocked out of the game in the first half, returned briefly in the second half and then headed to the bench again as neither he nor redshirt freshman Justin Siller could spark the offense. The Boilers were limited to 226 total yards and have now failed to reach the end zone in 14 of the last 17 quarters.
Purdue 48, Michigan 42 — Greg Orton caught a short pass and flipped it to Desmond Tardy on a perfectly executed hook-and-lateral. Tardy raced 28 yards for the touchdown and the game-winning score, ending a wild day between two teams who entered carrying long losing streaks. Purdue racked up more than 500 yards in ending a five-game skid. The loss sent Michigan to its fifth straight loss and assured the Wolverines will not make a bowl game for the first time in 31 years.
Michigan State 21, Purdue 7 — The offense was held to 191 yards, the lowest ever under Joe Tiller, and Purdue clinched a losing season with a loss to the Spartans. Kory Sheets became the sixth back in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, finishing with 93 on 22 carries, but quarterback Justin Siller was sacked five times and completed 13 of 30 passes for 83 yards.
Iowa 22, Purdue 17 — Curtis Painter\'s Hail Mary on the game\'s final play sailed through the back of the end zone, ending a valiant comeback attempt. Painter was 24 of 30 for 190 yards after replacing Justin Siller with two minutes left in the first half. Iowa\'s Shonn Greene ran for 211 yards, but the defense gave Purdue one final chance by stuffing Greene on fourth down with just more than one minute left in the game. Painter drove the offense to the Iowa 27, where the final pass of the day sailed wide. Desmond Tardy caught 13 passes for 131 yards and a score, while Greg Orton had 10 catches for 76 yards and a touchdown. Neither player, though, was in position to catch the game\'s final pass.
Purdue 62, Indiana 10 — Curtis Painter reverted to his old form, completing 38 of 54 passes for 448 yards and five touchdowns to send Joe Tiller out a winner in his final game as coach. TB Kory Sheets added three more touchdowns to his single-season record, and ends the year with 16 scores. The offense produced 35 first downs and 596 yards. The defense forced three turnovers and held the Hoosiers to 214 total yards.
NOTES, QUOTES
GAME OF THE YEAR: Purdue 62, Indiana 10 — The ability to send Joe Tiller out with all the pomp he deserves will be forever embedded in the hearts of his players. In a season where little went right, it all fell into place on the final day. Tiller directed the band and was able to wave goodbye to a festive crowd on an emotional day for anyone attached to Purdue football.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: RB Kory Sheets — His frustrations bubbled over with his public blasting of the quarterback situation, but Sheets still produced more than anyone. He set a new school record with 16 rushing touchdowns in a season, he became the sixth back in school history to rush for 1,000 yards (1,131) and his 3,341 rushing yards rank second on Purdue\'s all-time list. Sheets had three games of 100 rushing yards or more and six games with multiple touchdowns.
FAST FORWARD: It might get worse before it gets better for new coach Danny Hope. Purdue must replace its quarterback, tailback, top two receivers and two offensive linemen. Defensively, Purdue loses its top two tacklers (Anthony Heygood and Torri Williams) and three of the top five. LB Joe Holland and DE Ryan Kerrigan played well, though, as sophomores, and give Purdue two key pieces for the defense.
RECRUITING TRAIL: Purdue has struggled in recruiting the last couple of years, pulling in classes that rank near the bottom of the Big Ten. It appears to be the case again. Purdue has 10 verbal commitments, but nothing above three stars, according to Rivals.com. Shayon Green moved from defensive end to linebacker his senior year of high school in Georgia, and the move paid off well. It will give the Boilers\' coaching staff something else to think about as it looks for more playmakers on a defense that ranked near the bottom of most statistical categories. Thus far, there are no linebackers or running backs, and just one receiver. Purdue could use a tailback, with Kory Sheets leaving and Dan Dierking coming back with two years of eligibility remaining.
QUOTE TO NOTE: I now can ride off into the sunset and feel like the job is done. — coach Joe Tiller, on winning his final game and sending his seniors — and himself — out victorious.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2009:
QBs Joey Elliott and Justin Siller — The quarterback competition will begin in earnest in the spring. Elliott, who will be a senior, missed valuable time late in the season with a shoulder separation. When Curtis Painter went down with a similar injury, it opened the door for Siller, who exploded in his first game with 344 total yards of offense and four touchdowns in a victory over Michigan. He never duplicated those numbers, but showed enough during the season to get a serious look at the starting job. Elliott had always been considered the heir apparent to Painter, though, and has to be considered the frontrunner for the job.
DE Ryan Kerrigan — Broke through this season with seven sacks, ranking seventh in the league. With two years of eligibility remaining, Kerrigan will only get better. He can develop into a premier pass rushing end. He\'s off to a good start.
PRO PROSPECTS:
—QB Curtis Painter finished his career behind only Drew Brees in most offensive categories. Whether or not he has the same type of success in the NFL remains to be seen. Painter has great numbers and can show a quick release, but he made some bad decisions this year and frustrated his coach with his reads. Painter carried the knock of having never won a big game, which could hurt his draft stock. He\'ll latch onto some team in an NFL camp. What he does after that is strictly up to him.
—RB Kory Sheets became the sixth player to rush for 1,000 yards in school history, but he might be relegated to more of a return role in the NFL. He can also be a third-down back, and a weapon catching the ball out of the backfield.
—LB Anthony Heygood led the defense with 114 tackles, far and away the best on the team. His future will be decided by his 40-yard dash time at the combine. Heygood could evolve into a very good special teams player.
ROSTER REPORT:
—QB Joey Elliott missed the final five games with a separated shoulder. He will be healthy next summer, but it\'s unclear how much will be asked of him during the spring. The injury cost Elliott key snaps during the second half of the season, since Curtis Painter also suffered a similar shoulder injury. Elliott has to be considered the early favorite to hold off Justin Siller and win the starting job to replace Painter.
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WISCONSIN
INSIDE SLANT
When Wisconsin managed to knock off Illinois 27-17 on Oct. 25 to stop a four-game losing streak, it seemed to settle all arguments about the Big Ten\'s most underachieving team in 2008.
Then came the Badgers\' flat performance against Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl, which promptly reminded everyone with even a mild affection for Wisconsin football just why 2008 felt like such a failure.
A season that began with sky-high expectations — and a 3-0 start that led to a Top 10 appearance in every poll as well as the unofficial Bowl Championship Series standings — ended with a 42-13 whipping from the Seminoles that left the Badgers with six losses in their final 10 games.
All of Wisconsin\'s season-long weaknesses made the trip to Orlando\'s Citrus Bowl: Turnover-prone quarterback play. An overall defeat on special teams. An inability for the defense to hold on while the offense tries to get itself together.
If you\'re happy about this season, then I don\'t think you\'re in football for the right reasons, sophomore safety Jay Valai told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after the Champs Sports Bowl. Because we want to win a lot more games. We\'ll come back hungrier — hungrier than ever.
But lack of hunger doesn\'t explain all of the critical fumbles and interceptions. It doesn\'t explain why Wisconsin\'s veteran defense couldn\'t get lined up correctly in the waning moments against Ohio State in early October — and the game-losing touchdown run by quarterback Terrelle Pryor happened as a result.
In the midst of Wisconsin\'s four-game losing streak, the natives started chanting that third-year coach Bret Bielema might be in over his head.
Athletic director Barry Alvarez, who hired Bielema as defensive coordinator and anointed him as his successor, backed Bielema before the lopsided bowl loss.
While Bielema probably lost more fan support after the Florida State blowout — not to mention the loss of a fistful of seniors who started for at least three years — Wisconsin has a chance to move back up the Big Ten ladder.
The Badgers retain almost all of their skill players (particularly stud running backs P.J. Hill and John Clay), but junior quarterback Dustin Sherer will have to battle Scott Tolzien and redshirt freshman Curt Phillips to hold on to his job.
The defense must find new blood at five spots in the front seven, which means spring ball will be even more important than usual. One potential solution was unveiled in the bowl game when usual middle linebacker Jaevery McFadden, the team\'s top tackler, moved to the outside to accommodate new mike linebacker Culmer St. Jean.
NOTES, QUOTES
GAME OF THE YEAR: Ohio State 20, Wisconsin 17 — The Badgers lost their Big Ten opener at Michigan the week before, but all would have been forgiven if they could have held on against the Buckeyes on an electric Saturday night at Camp Randall Stadium before a national TV audience.
Instead, the Wisconsin defense wilted down the stretch and OSU freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor took advantage of some confusion to rush for the game-winning 11-yard touchdown with 1:08 to go.
UW QB Allan Evridge accelerated his departure from the starting lineup with an ill-advised interception and a lost fumble. Tight end Mickey Turner caught the Badgers\' first touchdown, while P.J. Hill gave the Badgers a 17-13 lead with 6:31 to go with his 2-yard plunge.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Allen Langford — The senior cornerback suffered an early ending to his 2007 season with a torn knee ligament, but he returned better than ever and earned the team\'s Most Valuable Player along with first-team all-Big Ten recognition from the media and second-team honors from the coaches. Langford finished the season with 47 tackles, 2 interceptions and a team-high 13 pass breakups.
FAST FORWARD: Wisconsin has finished seven consecutive seasons with a bowl game, including the last five years in Florida.
The Badgers lose the guts of both lines — three long-time O-Line stalwarts and three D-Line stalwarts — as well as a pair of three-year starters at outside linebacker.
Wisconsin retains its top two rushers in junior P.J. Hill (1,161 yards, 13 TDs) and redshirt freshman John Clay (884 yards, nine TDs), so the makings of another traditional Badgers offense is there.
However, junior QB Dustin Sherer\'s poor showing in the Champs Sports Bowl confirms that there\'ll be another long quarterback derby in the Badgers\' immediate future. It\'s fair to say that the coaches hope that dual-threat freshman Curt Phillips, who showed up last January and redshirted in the fall, learned enough to take over the job.
Without significant improvement at QB, it\'s going to be hard for Wisconsin to improve on its seven-win season.
RECRUITING TRAIL: The Badgers were thinnest on both lines and that was before it lost so many seniors from the 2008 squad. Fortunately for the Badgers\' future, they\'ve centered their recruiting class around linemen.
Of their first 18 commitments, Rivals.com rates four of them as four-star players — and three are future defensive linemen in Florida end David Gilbert, Mequon, Wis., end Shelby Harris and Waupun, Wis., tackle Jordan Kohout.
The coaching staff are also particularly enamored with four-star running back Montee Ball (Wentzville, Mo.) and quarterback Jon Budmayr from the Chicago suburbs. The 6-foot Budmayr, a dual-threat with a strong, accurate arm, missed almost all of his senior year with a broken collarbone.
QUOTE TO NOTE: It was a frustrating season. We lost games we should have won. We didn\'t keep our composure. That was our biggest problem. — Wisconsin sophomore safety Jay Valai in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2009:
TB P.J. Hill — With three 1,000-yard seasons under his belt (he owns 3,942 career yards and 42 TDs), Hill will again be a linchpin of Wisconsin\'s offense. Of course, he\'ll have to share carries with redshirt freshman John Clay and perhaps sophomore Zach Brown as well.
TE Garrett Graham — A first-team all-Big Ten pick by the media and a second-team choice by the coaches, this senior-to-be finally received his due. Despite missing two games with a foot injury, Graham caught 40 balls for 540 yards and five scores in 2008.
LB Jaevery McFadden — After starting in the middle most of the year, McFadden moved outside for the Champs Sports Bowl. Not only does that enable him to fill one of the spots left by the graduating Jonathan Casillas and DeAndre Levy, it allows Culmer St. Jean to take over in the middle next year. McFadden led the Badgers with 85 tackles in 2008.
PRO PROSPECTS:
—TE Travis Beckum\'s senior year was all but ruined by an injured hamstring and a broken fibula, but he\'s healing quickly enough that he could get a chance to showcase his talents before the NFL draft.
—DE Matt Shaughnessy didn\'t have as good of a pass-rushing year as expected, but his broken fibula near the tail end of spring ball messed with his preparation. Shaughnessy finished his career with 15.5 sacks and 41.5 TFLs, so he proved enough as a speed rusher off the edge.
—Guards Kraig Urbik and Andy Kemp, who combined to earn seven full years of starting experience at UW, are pegged as mid-round picks in the upcoming draft. Senior OT Eric Vanden Heuvel has a good shot to be drafted as well.
ROSTER REPORT:
—TE Lance Kendricks missed the end of the season with a broken fibula, but hurried back to play briefly in the Champs Sports Bowl according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Kendricks was just starting to get a bunch of snaps when he went down, so he should join Garrett Graham and Mickey Turner as key multi-purpose threats next fall.
—WR Kyle Jefferson, who suffered a concussion against Minnesota on a scary hit, played briefly in the Champs Sports Bowl according to the participation report but did not catch a pass.
—CB Mario Goins, who started a handful of games in 2008, did not play after suffering a pair of concussions late in the year. He should return and compete with Niles Brinkley and redshirting sophomore Aaron Henry (knee surgery) for the starting jobs.
—QB Dustin Sherer went the route in the Champs Sports Bowl as part of his seventh straight start, but there\'s no guarantee the junior will start the Badgers\' 2009 opener against Northwestern on Sept. 5. He\'ll be locked in a battle throughout the offseason.
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