Foaming At The Mouth
Countdown To Kickoff
I understand perfectly well that few of my readership cares about it but, dammit, I care about it so I'm gonna write about it. It's time for Northsider's Preseason Big Ten Football Power Rankings:
1.)Ohio State
Last year was a good year for: Establishing dominance in the Big Ten. Aside from their loss against Illinois, the rest of the conference provided few challenges and no scares
Last year was a bad year for: Changing perceptions. They further reinforced the idea that OSU was the best of a bad lot. Sure, they could run the table against creampuff non-conference teams and make short work of most the weak B10, but they were easily outclassed in the BCS championship game against a two-loss SEC team. They could go undefeated this season and might even lose out on a national championship berth due to low regard for their past BCS failures
In the offseason: Got an incredible break (not that they needed any) when star LB James Laurinaitus decided to forgo the NFL draft for his senior season. Barring injury, he's expected to be the top defensive player in the nation and a top 3 NFL draft pick. Then they landed the top high school recruit in the nation, QB Terrelle Pryor. The rich get richer.
This season: A 9/7 matchup against USC adds class to their schedule. If they win that game they face few challenges in the conference slate and seem likely to be the B10's representative to the nation
The next game: A tune-up against Youngstown State notable only to see how much playing time the true freshman Pryor gets and what he delivers
2.)Illinois
Last year was a good year for: Proving Ron Zook can coach, not just recruit. A win against OSU at Columbus and a Rose Bowl bid will silence a lot of critics.
Last year was a bad year for: Proving ability outside the conference. To be sure, two losses to a very strong Missouri team and perennial heavyweight USC are little to be ashamed of, but it shows you the kind of rare heights the Illini have risen to in short order.
In the offseason: Star RB Rashard Mendenhall graduated, but Ron Zook loaded up another blue-ribbon class of recruits
This season: Illinois stands as he most serious contender to OSU for the conference crown. And they'll probably get a top-tier bowl even if they don't
The next game: Vs. Missouri at neutral site St. Louis is one of the first major clashes of the season. It'll be two great QBs squaring off against two great defenses
3.)Wisconsin
Last year was a good year for: Keeping pace even when underachieving. I had last year's Badgers as my favorite to win the conference. They disappointed, but still soldiered on to 9 wins
Last year was a bad year for: Avoiding the injury bug. Key players, from star RB P.J. Hill on down, suffered from bumps and bruises that hobbled the team last year
In the offseason: Coach Bielema demanded improvement on D, so he replaced the defensive coordinator. A few beefy recruits could pay early dividends on the defensive line, too.
This season: It's 'give-the-ball-to-P.J. Hill-and-let-the-collisions-begin' on offense. Wisconsin has the front seven to make a mess of opposing teams, especially if the defense steps up
The next game: Vs. Akron gives fans a chance to learn about QB Allan Evridge, the Badgers' 4th new QB in 4 years
4.)Penn State
Last year was a good year for: Not much. A team that could have been a contender last year simply got valuable experience for this year. The seventeen returning starters undoubtedly want to get last year's problems off of everyone's minds
Last year was a bad year for: Discipline. Last year's PSU squad rivaled only Iowa for off-field embarrassments. Remember Paterno making the team clean the stadium after preseason infractions?
In the offseason: The Joe Paterno Death-Or-Retirement watch continues with no end in sight. QB Anthony Morelli is no longer in the picture, which ends a career filled with better promise than performance, and opens the door for new blood under center.
This season: Has great potential with so much returning experience. The entire offensive line returns, offering much needed protection for an inexperienced QB. And said QB will have much to work with in deep rushing and receiving corps.
The next game: Vs. Coastal Carolina but the real non-conference test is vs. Oregon State the week after. The Beavers aren't the team they were last year but could be a decent approximation of the foes awaiting in the B10
5.)Michigan
Last year was a good year for: Coming back from adversity. After the season-opening debacle against Appalachian State and stumble at the Oregon, the Wolverines managed to go 9-2 the rest of the way, making it to a middle-tier bowl and providing the B10's lone impressive bowl win.
Last year was a bad year for: Starting strong. Two losses in the opening weeks meant dramatically reduced expectations for a team entertaining a BCS bowl
In the offseason: Michigan football found itself in the middle of college football's biggest, messiest divorce. Rich Rodriguez left the state of West Virginia under police guard (seriously) after leaving the Mountaineers in the lurch. He brings a new system with him, which induced the heir-apparent QB to transfer out of the program as well as one of the most important linemen, indignant at the way the coaching change was handled. Worst of all, the lineman transferred to arch-rival Ohio State. So now UM has a new coach, a new offensive scheme, and needs a new QB, RB, and two new WRs.
This season: Michigan will have to rely on defense. That's far from a sure thing, but a sound line and secondary will smooth the way. Were it not for Michigan's stockpiles of raw talent they would be much further down the list.
The next game: vs. Utah is already tabbed as a possible upset
6.)Purdue
Last year was a good year for: Getting Joe Tiller off the hot seat as head coach. Purdue's big wins were nothing special (Iowa and the weakest Notre Dame team in football history) but they were games that Purdue ought to have won. That will keep the critics from having obvious claims to demand your ouster
Last year was a bad year for: Giving Curtis Painter a chance to shine. One of the most impressive veteran QBs going into last season, Painter could have really made people sit up and notice on a national basis. But nothing spectacular happened. No knock-your-eyes-out performances or victories, and the Boilermakers wound up with the B10 booby-prize of a bowl, the Motor City Bowl against Central Michigan
In the offseason: Joe Tiller announced this will be his last season. So that potential saga has been averted.
This season: Tiller and Painter can team up to go out with a bang. And they'll have some other weapons to work with: two workmanlike RBs, a series of decent but unproven WRs, and a defense that has slowly gained ground. The DTs are a strong spot, and the secondary has gotten better. With a few lucky breaks and the timely development of newer players, the Boilermakers could find themselves in the mix for the top echelon of the conference.
The next game: vs. Northern Colorado in two weeks, so Purdue has an extra week to scout and prepare.
7.)Northwestern
Last year was a good year for: Showing flashes of the old 'Northwestern style' of track-meet ball games. The Wildcats enjoyed great success over the Randy Walker era by luring other teams in shootouts and outlasting their opponents.
Last year was a bad year for: Taking advantage of an easy schedule. A home loss to Duke falls into the realm of inexcusable, and having to fight back into a 2OT home win against Minnesota is scarcely better. As the B10's smallest (and only private) university, NU needs bowl games to get the money and exposure necessary to stay in the 'arms race' of major college football. Being bowl eligible but not getting a bid is unacceptable if the Wildcats want to retain a semblance of competition in conference.
In the offseason: There were major shakeups in the administration. The athletic director left to become CEO of the Green Bay Packers (and promptly got ensnared in the Brett Favre soap opera), while Coach Pat Fitzgerald changed both offensive and defensive coordinators. New defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz, late of the Wisconsin Badgers, is considered a fantastic acquisition for a program sorely in need of an upgrade on defense
This season: Will hinge on the new faces on the offensive line. C, LT, & LG all have new starters. An offense that comes loaded with talent at the skill positions will need those three to find their bearings in a hurry.
The next game: Vs. Syracuse features two teams that have fallen on hard times in the last three seasons and desperately need to get back to relavance
8.)Michigan State
Last year was a good year for: Getting back to a bowl game. MSU established Brian Hoyer as a reliable starter, laying the groundwork for him to be an obvious leader going into his senior season
Last year was a bad year for: Changing the old notion of MSU as underachievers. Even with star players in the offensive backfield and on the pass rush. The Spartans seemed unable to translate that into getting into the top tier of the conference. Single-digit losses to OSU, Michigan, and Wisconsin made it seem so close yet so far away.
In the offseason: Lost key players all over the place. RB, WR, O-line, D-line, the bleeding never stopped.
This season: The Spartans will need to determine their identity. Are they going to rely on RB Jevon Ringer even though they have little experience on the line to block for him? Will they rely on Hoyer's passing even though they have little in the way of proven receivers? Are they going to be a suffocating defense with their LB and secondary units?
The next game: at California so there will be little time for the Spartans to make it up as they go along
9.)Iowa
Last year was a good year for: No longer worrying if Kirk Ferentz will leave for the NFL or a deeper-pocketed college program
Last year was a bad year for: Everything else.
In the offseason: Iowa's reputation for a lack of discipline just got worse. As of five weeks ago, Kirk Ferentz was in a shitload of trouble for his alleged part in covering up a dorm room sexual assault committed by two of his former players. There was the possibility he'd be fired even before the season started.
This season: Probably won't change much. Iowa's offense is one dimension short of being considered 'one-dimensional', and opponents will probably be able to pass all day
The next game: against Maine and the game after that against Florida Int'l are just scrimmages until the important in-state rivalry game against Iowa State. And that game has been a stumbling block for most of the decade.
10.)Indiana
Last year was a good year for: Making a bowl game. For the first time since the early-90s, Indiana football played an extra frame. A much needed boost of confidence for what has been traditionally a basketball school
Last year was a bad year for: No jokes here. Before last season, and for the second offseason in a row, the Big Ten lost a head football coach to an untimely death. Terry Hoeppner's battle with brain cancer ended a little over a year ago and the Hoosiers won their games with a heavy heart
In the offseason: They lost several key players, none more important than WR James Hardy. But the loss of three offensive linemen won't help any either. Indiana just can't recruit to replace those players that quickly
This season: Shouldn't be too bad. They have the easiest schedule in all of Division 1-A, and they return their star QB Kellen Lewis, who can bedevil teams with either the run or the pass. Bowl eligibility is not unreasonable. But an actual bowl bid is another story -- especially if the conference fills its contractual obligation bowls -- in light of the Hoosiers' soft schedule
The next game: Vs. Western Kentucky should give them an opportunity to see how the defense holds up in game situations, especially for star pass rush DE Greg Middleton
11.)Minnesota
Last year was a good year for: Putting in a base. Things just can't get much worse (arithmetically speaking) than a 1-11 record. But that was deceiving. Three of those were tight overtime losses, and two others were by a total of eight points. A few breaks the other way and the Golden Gophers would have been a .500 ballclub
Last year was a bad year for: Getting into the win column. Losing can get to be a habit, and Minnesota just couldn't break that habit last year. The Minnesota locker room must have been a damnably frustrating place to be, especially know how close they came time and again.
In the offseason: Coach Tim Brewster somehow finagled a top 20 recruiting class, so help should be on the way
This season: Probably won't be much better, but should be somewhat better. For the time being, with the defense in shambles, conference wins will be few. But talented offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar should use elements of the spread offense to win some of the low-hanging fruit in non-conference play
The next game: vs. Northern Illinois for a clash of teams looking back on not-too-distant rosier days
Countdown To Kickoff
I understand perfectly well that few of my readership cares about it but, dammit, I care about it so I'm gonna write about it. It's time for Northsider's Preseason Big Ten Football Power Rankings:
1.)Ohio State
Last year was a good year for: Establishing dominance in the Big Ten. Aside from their loss against Illinois, the rest of the conference provided few challenges and no scares
Last year was a bad year for: Changing perceptions. They further reinforced the idea that OSU was the best of a bad lot. Sure, they could run the table against creampuff non-conference teams and make short work of most the weak B10, but they were easily outclassed in the BCS championship game against a two-loss SEC team. They could go undefeated this season and might even lose out on a national championship berth due to low regard for their past BCS failures
In the offseason: Got an incredible break (not that they needed any) when star LB James Laurinaitus decided to forgo the NFL draft for his senior season. Barring injury, he's expected to be the top defensive player in the nation and a top 3 NFL draft pick. Then they landed the top high school recruit in the nation, QB Terrelle Pryor. The rich get richer.
This season: A 9/7 matchup against USC adds class to their schedule. If they win that game they face few challenges in the conference slate and seem likely to be the B10's representative to the nation
The next game: A tune-up against Youngstown State notable only to see how much playing time the true freshman Pryor gets and what he delivers
2.)Illinois
Last year was a good year for: Proving Ron Zook can coach, not just recruit. A win against OSU at Columbus and a Rose Bowl bid will silence a lot of critics.
Last year was a bad year for: Proving ability outside the conference. To be sure, two losses to a very strong Missouri team and perennial heavyweight USC are little to be ashamed of, but it shows you the kind of rare heights the Illini have risen to in short order.
In the offseason: Star RB Rashard Mendenhall graduated, but Ron Zook loaded up another blue-ribbon class of recruits
This season: Illinois stands as he most serious contender to OSU for the conference crown. And they'll probably get a top-tier bowl even if they don't
The next game: Vs. Missouri at neutral site St. Louis is one of the first major clashes of the season. It'll be two great QBs squaring off against two great defenses
3.)Wisconsin
Last year was a good year for: Keeping pace even when underachieving. I had last year's Badgers as my favorite to win the conference. They disappointed, but still soldiered on to 9 wins
Last year was a bad year for: Avoiding the injury bug. Key players, from star RB P.J. Hill on down, suffered from bumps and bruises that hobbled the team last year
In the offseason: Coach Bielema demanded improvement on D, so he replaced the defensive coordinator. A few beefy recruits could pay early dividends on the defensive line, too.
This season: It's 'give-the-ball-to-P.J. Hill-and-let-the-collisions-begin' on offense. Wisconsin has the front seven to make a mess of opposing teams, especially if the defense steps up
The next game: Vs. Akron gives fans a chance to learn about QB Allan Evridge, the Badgers' 4th new QB in 4 years
4.)Penn State
Last year was a good year for: Not much. A team that could have been a contender last year simply got valuable experience for this year. The seventeen returning starters undoubtedly want to get last year's problems off of everyone's minds
Last year was a bad year for: Discipline. Last year's PSU squad rivaled only Iowa for off-field embarrassments. Remember Paterno making the team clean the stadium after preseason infractions?
In the offseason: The Joe Paterno Death-Or-Retirement watch continues with no end in sight. QB Anthony Morelli is no longer in the picture, which ends a career filled with better promise than performance, and opens the door for new blood under center.
This season: Has great potential with so much returning experience. The entire offensive line returns, offering much needed protection for an inexperienced QB. And said QB will have much to work with in deep rushing and receiving corps.
The next game: Vs. Coastal Carolina but the real non-conference test is vs. Oregon State the week after. The Beavers aren't the team they were last year but could be a decent approximation of the foes awaiting in the B10
5.)Michigan
Last year was a good year for: Coming back from adversity. After the season-opening debacle against Appalachian State and stumble at the Oregon, the Wolverines managed to go 9-2 the rest of the way, making it to a middle-tier bowl and providing the B10's lone impressive bowl win.
Last year was a bad year for: Starting strong. Two losses in the opening weeks meant dramatically reduced expectations for a team entertaining a BCS bowl
In the offseason: Michigan football found itself in the middle of college football's biggest, messiest divorce. Rich Rodriguez left the state of West Virginia under police guard (seriously) after leaving the Mountaineers in the lurch. He brings a new system with him, which induced the heir-apparent QB to transfer out of the program as well as one of the most important linemen, indignant at the way the coaching change was handled. Worst of all, the lineman transferred to arch-rival Ohio State. So now UM has a new coach, a new offensive scheme, and needs a new QB, RB, and two new WRs.
This season: Michigan will have to rely on defense. That's far from a sure thing, but a sound line and secondary will smooth the way. Were it not for Michigan's stockpiles of raw talent they would be much further down the list.
The next game: vs. Utah is already tabbed as a possible upset
6.)Purdue
Last year was a good year for: Getting Joe Tiller off the hot seat as head coach. Purdue's big wins were nothing special (Iowa and the weakest Notre Dame team in football history) but they were games that Purdue ought to have won. That will keep the critics from having obvious claims to demand your ouster
Last year was a bad year for: Giving Curtis Painter a chance to shine. One of the most impressive veteran QBs going into last season, Painter could have really made people sit up and notice on a national basis. But nothing spectacular happened. No knock-your-eyes-out performances or victories, and the Boilermakers wound up with the B10 booby-prize of a bowl, the Motor City Bowl against Central Michigan
In the offseason: Joe Tiller announced this will be his last season. So that potential saga has been averted.
This season: Tiller and Painter can team up to go out with a bang. And they'll have some other weapons to work with: two workmanlike RBs, a series of decent but unproven WRs, and a defense that has slowly gained ground. The DTs are a strong spot, and the secondary has gotten better. With a few lucky breaks and the timely development of newer players, the Boilermakers could find themselves in the mix for the top echelon of the conference.
The next game: vs. Northern Colorado in two weeks, so Purdue has an extra week to scout and prepare.
7.)Northwestern
Last year was a good year for: Showing flashes of the old 'Northwestern style' of track-meet ball games. The Wildcats enjoyed great success over the Randy Walker era by luring other teams in shootouts and outlasting their opponents.
Last year was a bad year for: Taking advantage of an easy schedule. A home loss to Duke falls into the realm of inexcusable, and having to fight back into a 2OT home win against Minnesota is scarcely better. As the B10's smallest (and only private) university, NU needs bowl games to get the money and exposure necessary to stay in the 'arms race' of major college football. Being bowl eligible but not getting a bid is unacceptable if the Wildcats want to retain a semblance of competition in conference.
In the offseason: There were major shakeups in the administration. The athletic director left to become CEO of the Green Bay Packers (and promptly got ensnared in the Brett Favre soap opera), while Coach Pat Fitzgerald changed both offensive and defensive coordinators. New defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz, late of the Wisconsin Badgers, is considered a fantastic acquisition for a program sorely in need of an upgrade on defense
This season: Will hinge on the new faces on the offensive line. C, LT, & LG all have new starters. An offense that comes loaded with talent at the skill positions will need those three to find their bearings in a hurry.
The next game: Vs. Syracuse features two teams that have fallen on hard times in the last three seasons and desperately need to get back to relavance
8.)Michigan State
Last year was a good year for: Getting back to a bowl game. MSU established Brian Hoyer as a reliable starter, laying the groundwork for him to be an obvious leader going into his senior season
Last year was a bad year for: Changing the old notion of MSU as underachievers. Even with star players in the offensive backfield and on the pass rush. The Spartans seemed unable to translate that into getting into the top tier of the conference. Single-digit losses to OSU, Michigan, and Wisconsin made it seem so close yet so far away.
In the offseason: Lost key players all over the place. RB, WR, O-line, D-line, the bleeding never stopped.
This season: The Spartans will need to determine their identity. Are they going to rely on RB Jevon Ringer even though they have little experience on the line to block for him? Will they rely on Hoyer's passing even though they have little in the way of proven receivers? Are they going to be a suffocating defense with their LB and secondary units?
The next game: at California so there will be little time for the Spartans to make it up as they go along
9.)Iowa
Last year was a good year for: No longer worrying if Kirk Ferentz will leave for the NFL or a deeper-pocketed college program
Last year was a bad year for: Everything else.
In the offseason: Iowa's reputation for a lack of discipline just got worse. As of five weeks ago, Kirk Ferentz was in a shitload of trouble for his alleged part in covering up a dorm room sexual assault committed by two of his former players. There was the possibility he'd be fired even before the season started.
This season: Probably won't change much. Iowa's offense is one dimension short of being considered 'one-dimensional', and opponents will probably be able to pass all day
The next game: against Maine and the game after that against Florida Int'l are just scrimmages until the important in-state rivalry game against Iowa State. And that game has been a stumbling block for most of the decade.
10.)Indiana
Last year was a good year for: Making a bowl game. For the first time since the early-90s, Indiana football played an extra frame. A much needed boost of confidence for what has been traditionally a basketball school
Last year was a bad year for: No jokes here. Before last season, and for the second offseason in a row, the Big Ten lost a head football coach to an untimely death. Terry Hoeppner's battle with brain cancer ended a little over a year ago and the Hoosiers won their games with a heavy heart
In the offseason: They lost several key players, none more important than WR James Hardy. But the loss of three offensive linemen won't help any either. Indiana just can't recruit to replace those players that quickly
This season: Shouldn't be too bad. They have the easiest schedule in all of Division 1-A, and they return their star QB Kellen Lewis, who can bedevil teams with either the run or the pass. Bowl eligibility is not unreasonable. But an actual bowl bid is another story -- especially if the conference fills its contractual obligation bowls -- in light of the Hoosiers' soft schedule
The next game: Vs. Western Kentucky should give them an opportunity to see how the defense holds up in game situations, especially for star pass rush DE Greg Middleton
11.)Minnesota
Last year was a good year for: Putting in a base. Things just can't get much worse (arithmetically speaking) than a 1-11 record. But that was deceiving. Three of those were tight overtime losses, and two others were by a total of eight points. A few breaks the other way and the Golden Gophers would have been a .500 ballclub
Last year was a bad year for: Getting into the win column. Losing can get to be a habit, and Minnesota just couldn't break that habit last year. The Minnesota locker room must have been a damnably frustrating place to be, especially know how close they came time and again.
In the offseason: Coach Tim Brewster somehow finagled a top 20 recruiting class, so help should be on the way
This season: Probably won't be much better, but should be somewhat better. For the time being, with the defense in shambles, conference wins will be few. But talented offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar should use elements of the spread offense to win some of the low-hanging fruit in non-conference play
The next game: vs. Northern Illinois for a clash of teams looking back on not-too-distant rosier days
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As someone said, it's like a cross between Call of Duty and Doom. You need to slaughter alien chaps to survive in WW2-like settings. it's gooood. I was never really into first-person shooters but this can be highly satisfying to release frustration by lovingly crafted headshots
Resistance 2 has just been released or will be shortly and looks amazing as well, that's why I needed to get started with this one first.
On another note, isn't it strange how 10 years ago can feel like a lifetime ago? My 1st ever long-term relationship at the time was going good and although we were struggling with money (a constant in my life or so it seems...), life was pretty good. My 2nd year in London was ending and I was still glad to be there then. Relationship went to shit in 2000 and some crazy years ensued.