WWAHT Preseason Big Ten Power Poll
by Sam @ WWAHT on Sep 3, 2009 12:00 PM EDT
9 comments
1. Penn State
2. Ohio State
3. Iowa
4. Michigan State
5. Illinois
6. Michigan
7. Northwestern
8. Wisconsin
9. Minnesota
10. Purdue
11. Indiana
Bulleted explanations, ho!
- The difference between Ohio State and Penn State is this: State College. If the game were anywhere else, I'd probably like the Buckeyes - slightly - but until then, the Nittanies edge the Good Guys.
- Had the Pakibomb detonated just a bit earlier, I'd have moved Iowa down a spot. The Sparties and the Hawks are probably still relatively interchangeable, given that MSU just figured out its QB situation the week before its first game.
- I stand firmly by my belief that Illinois is an 8-win outfit at the worst.
- I am still bullish on Michigan for this year, regardless of how practicegate ends.
- I have no idea what to make of Northwestern, so I'm just assuming they won't get better with the loss of Tyrell Sutton and five other guys on offense.
- Wisconsin is a .500 football team in a good conference. Is the Big Ten a good conference? How the Badgers do this year will tell you quite a bit. I am no less high on John Clay than I was five months ago; I'm just getting less and less high on the Badger defense and Bielema in general.
- Minnesota, Indiana and Purdue could all end up being the league's worst teams this year. Out of 66 starters on those teams, I'd wager only 15 or 20 are legitimate Big Ten athletes. This might be the worst set of lower tier teams in a BCS conference outside of the Pac-10 (the Washington squads) and the Big East.
No changes can be made until next week, of course, but I'd like to hear your thoughts nevertheless.
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Looks pretty close to mine:
Penn St
Ohio St
Mich St
Illinois
Iowa
Northwestern
Wisconsin
Michigan
Minnesota
Purdue
Indiana
Yeah, I'll probably move the Hawks juuuust a little bit farther down
depending on when Jeff Brinson gets healthy
www.wewillalwayshavetempe.com
I know I'm biased, but:
1) Ohio State
2) Penn State
3) Michigan State
4) Illinois
5) Iowa
6) Wisconsin
7) Minnesota
8) Michigan
9) Northwestern
10) Purdue
11) Indiana
Good to know I'm not the only one high on Sparty
Banking on Dantonio invalidating their innate Sparty-ness
www.wewillalwayshavetempe.com
I think this year the conference is pretty open. Everyone has "issues"
If Illinois could gauruntee me good Juice every week, I think they could win the conference, but they also aren’t too good on defense.
I think its pretty clearly OSU and PSU very close at the top, then Iowa, MSU, Illinois are kind of all bunched together, I prefer Illinois here especially with Iowa losing its top RB. I probably put MSU last of the three, no reason other than I just don’t really fear them and they do not have workhorse Ringer anymore.
After that, I’d probably put NW next, a little ahead of UM and Wisc because I really like what Pat Fitzgerald is doing there, I think they will be a little more consistent now. I just don’t see UM getting all the way back yet, unless that circus gets a little more settled real soon.
So, just gut reaction, no real analysis(think twwl + nittany lion shades):
1. PSU
2. OSU
3. Illinois
4. Iowa
5. MSU
6. NW
7. UM
8. Wisc
9. Minn
10. Purdue
11. Ind
Black Shoes. Basic Blues. No Name. All Game.
"Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the mouth."
Pretty solid, too.
Illinois might have the conference’s best offense to go with one of its bottom three defenses. I still think they’re going to outscore either PSU or OSU and pull off the upset.
www.wewillalwayshavetempe.com
in my guesstimates, I had Illinois knocking off Penn St and Penn St knocking us off for the identical 7-1 conf records.
In that scenario
OSU goes to the rose? Isn’t it something about being there most recently or something. i am not sure about our “tiebreakers”
Anyways, I think that OSU and PSU both get into BCS bowls…..again… Which may not be a great thing. Those teams with 2 losses or less are NOT going to be passed up unless there is some crazy stuff happening.
Black Shoes. Basic Blues. No Name. All Game.
"Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the mouth."
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