clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

BIg Ten Roundtable Round Up

By BSD

Do bloggers get sick days? If so I would like to take one today. I'm feeling pretty lousy as I sit watching the Boston College Eagles play the Virginia Tech Hokies. But I promised a Big Ten Roundtable Roundup post, so by God you're going to get one. Please take some time to go read all of the posts from those who answered.

Buckeye Lane (Ohio State)
Eleven Warriors (Ohio State)
Lake The Posts (Northwestern)
Maize n Brew (Michigan)
Michigan Sports Center (Michigan)
Off The Tracks (Purdue)
The Hoosier Report (Indiana)
The Nittany Line
Black Shoe Diaries

Pretend for a moment you're the little Japanese guy on Heroes. You can close your eyes, clench your fists, crap your pants and go back in time. If you could go back and change one play for your team this season, what would it be?

It should surprise nobody that Maize n Brew and Michigan Sports Center would love to go back and tell Shawn Crable, "Hey, you might want to block the guy on the inside." Had Appalachian State not blocked that kick the Wolverines would most likely be ranked in the top 10 right now and be right in the thick of a National Championship run.

The Nittany Line and Black Shoe Diaries wish they could go back and avoid the Morelli Meltdown against Illinois.

Lake the Posts wishes he could go back and change the play that injured Terrell Sutton. It probably wouldn't have averted the route by the Buckeyes, but it may have averted the close losses to Duke and Michigan.

We're now two-thirds of the way through the season. Everyone likes to debate who will be the Big Ten Coach of the Year. I want to know which Big Ten coach is a complete moron that should be demoted back to fullbacks coach on a team that runs the spread offense?

Kirk Ferentz wins the Dunce Cap Award in a landslide with votes from Eleven Warriors, Maize n Brew, Off The Tracks, The Hoosier Report, and Buckeye Lane. Wasn't it just a few years ago this guy was a football genius?

Tim Brewster gets an honorable mention with votes from Lake The Posts and The Nittany Line. Think there is a little seller's remorse and buyer's regret going on in Minnesota these days?

Only one blogger threw his own coach under the bus, and that was Off The Tracks.

Second place goes to Joe Tiller for punting from the 31 yard line in the same game with a kicker that has made multiple 47 yard field goals in his career. That call just REALLY irked me.

BSD agrees.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife. But the Bible doesn't say anything about your rival. Which current Big Ten player do you most wish played for your team?

Lake The Posts and Maize n Brew have a man crush on James Laurinaitus, though Maize n Brew would also take Dan Connor.

The Buckeyes have a little envy for Ron Zook's players as Eleven Warriors would like to see J Leman and his Joe Dirt mullet and American flag necktie rocking the Ohio State sideline. Meanwhile Buckeye Lane would like to have Arrelious Benn for the next three years.

I love it when people give me a reason to post this.

Not surprisingly the Nittany Lions are looking for offense as The Nittany Line would like to see James Hardy in Blue and White and Black Shoe Diaries would like to have Curtis Painter and his 22 touchdown throws.

I thought the Hoosier report would go after a defensive lineman or linebacker, but he surprised me in taking Mike Hart. When will Indiana teams realize the importance of defense? Off The Tracks knows what his team lacks and would just like to take the entire Ohio State defense.

It's probably too early to start thinking about next year. Well, unless you're Minnesota in which case you've been thinking about next year for a month or so already. Assess your team's future. Was this year your chance to make a run or is this just a rebuilding year with greater expectations in 2008? Or do you plan to suck in 2008 just as much as you suck now?

The Ohio State and Penn State bloggers are extremely confident next year is their year as they both return a lot of talent.

The Michigan bloggers don't know what to expect as Maize n Brew points out.

Next year is going to be bizarre. We get our front defensive line back intact. Both corners and almost all of our linebacking corps (ugh) are back, but the strength of the defense, our safeties, are gone. On offense we return 6 linemen with starting experience but lose Jake Long and Adam Kraus. Mallett takes over for Henne, but he doesn't quite yet seem ready for prime time. The same can be said for Carlos Brown and Brandon Minor. Lots of talent is coming in but we don't know who their coach is going to be. Basically, I don't have an effing clue what's going to happen.

Lake the Posts thinks Northwestern might be good.

We will be senior-led at the skill positions, Bacher, Sutton, Lane and Peterman are all back as is much heralded sophomore to-be (eligibility-wise) Andrew Brewer. It is clear Fitz is building for the future by shuttling lots of youth in the lineup, but we will take a big hit on the O-line, which has been the key to our success this year. Expectations will be about as big as they come in Evanston, especially if Bacher continues to shine.

Off The Tracks thinks Purdue might take a step back.

With a senior quarterback and some key cogs returning offensively I'd like another 9-3 or so record, but I could easily see us sliding to 7-5 or 6-6 against a tougher schedule. I'll say Northern Colorado, Central Michigan, and Minnesota are almost guaranteed wins, Northwestern, Iowa, and Indiana should be wins, and the rest are toss-ups at best.

Thanks to everyone that played along. Please take the time to go read their answers in full.

More From Black Shoe Diaries