Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable: Week 4
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Leave a CommentMaize n Brew hosts the Week 4 roundtable.
1. Time to break out the crystal ball. I want to know what happens at the END of the season. Give me your offensive and defensive Players of the Year in the Big Ten along with Coach of the Year and why.
By year’s end, I’m hoping we see a certain running back rack up enough yards and touchdowns to secure the offensive player of the year award. Of course, I’m talking about Michigan’s own Mike Hart. Hart has already carried this team through the first three games of the season, and I see no reason why that won’t continue for the next 9 games. As long as Hart can stay healthy, he should be a frontrunner for the award. Considering he is on pace to rush for over 2000 yards, I’d say his chances are good as long as Michigan has a respectable record.
On the defensive side of things, I like Penn State linebacker Dan Connor to take home the player of the year award. Connor is almost leading the conference in tackles, but by season’s end I expect him to be #1 in that category. He is a solid player and is one of the best in the conference.
As far as coach of the year is concerned, I think Mark Dantonio will take home that award. It pains me to say it since he coaches Michigan State, but I think he has that program going in the right direction, and by turning it around in 2007, he will actually deserve the award. Anybody that can go in and clean up John L. Smith’s mess deserves recognition. I know MSU usually does have a meltdown at some point in the season after a solid start, but it doesn’t appear that a JLS type meltdown will happen in 2007.
2. With the upsets, close games, and head scratchers so far, every game we thought was going to be important has changed. Michigan State is 3-0, for Pete’s sake, and they look good doing it. Pick the three games on the Big Ten Schedule that will determine the Big Ten Champion. Bonus Points for not picking three games on your own schedule.
No bonus points for me, but the first game that will determine the champion is this Saturday when Penn State heads to Ann Arbor to play Michigan. I’m not necessarily saying this game will affect Michigan’s title hopes, but more Penn State’s. Since the Nittany Lions have lost so many games in a row to Michigan, this is the one year where a streak snapper could build the momentum for a title run. If PSU gets by U-M, then they are on the right track. On the other hand, lose and they will be a few steps behind everyone else.
The second game that will play a big role in determining the Big Ten champion is an October 27th match-up between Ohio State and Penn State. Despite losing quite a few players, the Buckeyes will be in the thick of things during this title hunt, and a primetime game in Happy Valley can help or hurt those title hopes. Last time OSU visited Beaver Stadium, the Nittany Lions came out on top in a close game. In 2007, it will be the Buckeyes looking to take home a win in a tough atmosphere. If they can, expect OSU to be atop the standings.
The third and final game that will determine the Big Ten champion involves Ohio State again and is played one week after the game mentioned above. This contest features Wisconsin playing at Ohio State. Wisconsin has been struggling as of late, but I don’t see any reasons why they won’t be right there in the Big Ten title hunt at the end of the season. With this game coming with only weeks left on the schedule, the losing team in this game could be knocked out of title contention for good.
3. How many games, this season, have you been to? How many games have you tailgated at? If you have tailgated, name your beverage of choice. If you answered no to the previous questions, hang your head in shame, or at least give a good story about watching the game in enemy territory and giving the bouncer the finger when he asked you to quiet down.
I unfortunately have been to both of Michigan’s losses this season. The Appalachian State game was the worst one I’ve ever been to by far. After an opening TD by Michigan, giving us the hope that it would be a blowout, things just went right downhill. Factor in the fact that the Wolverines still had a chance until the very end and my emotions were toyed with quite a bit on that day. The Oregon game also sucked, but at least we knew it was over by halftime, meaning the reality of things set in quickly.
Bitter/Angry Bonus Question!
4. As the Big Ten Season kicks off, the Conference is in somewhat of a difficult position nationally. Needing some momentum after a horrid BCS performance, the Conference needed some momentum early in the season. It hasn’t gotten it. The first three weeks have been abysmal. Is this just a down year for the Big Ten, is there a change Nationally that the Big Ten just hasn’t picked up on, is there some truth to the “Big Ten Style of Play” that everyone harps on, or has college football simply caught up? What do you think and why? I may be beating a dead horse, but no one looks good this year and I’m at a loss as to why.
I do think this is more than just a “down year” in the Big Ten. I know that we have seen a more than usual amount of bad games by Big Ten teams this season, but it does reveal some truth about this conference. I’m not saying that the Big Ten won’t be a powerhouse five years from now, but it just seems like college football is moving forward and the Big Ten is taking longer to advance. That point of view probably is due to the fact that that has happened to Michigan, but it does seem like other conferences are improving whereas the Big Ten is going in reverse.
