Big 10 news and updates

[fballplaya]

here's latest on Terrelle Pryor's development....


http://www.cleveland.com/buckeyeblog/index.ssf/2009/08/terrelle_pryors_development_am.html

 

[CrapGame]

here's latest on Terrelle Pryor's development....


http://www.cleveland.com/buckeyeblog/index.ssf/2009/08/terrelle_pryors_development_am.html

thanks for the post.
It good insight into a young qb that has mad talent.

 

[fballplaya]

August 22, 2009
Offense struggles in scrimmage
The defense gets to keep its scarlet jerseys through the fall after downing the offense, 52-44 at the jersey scrimmage today in Ohio Stadium.

My quick report:

INJURED (sat out): TE Jake Stoneburner, LB Austin Spitler, DB Zach Domicone, OL Justin Boren, CB Travis Howard, WR Lamaar Thomas, DE Lawrence Wilson

Also, DE Cameron Heyward rolled an ankle during the scrimmage. Coach Jim Tressel did not think it was serious, and also said the other injured players should all be back prior to the opener against Navy.
PREVIOUSLY BANGED UP, BUT PLAYED: RB Jaamal Berry, LB Ross Homan

-- QB Rundown:

Terrelle Pryor looked good, for the most part. He was under duress a lot, and was "sacked" (touched up) six times, including one stretch of 3 sacks in a 5-play span. Most of those came on passing downs, but still...

In 11 possessions, Pryor was 17 of 27 for 128 yards, with one TD -- a 3-yarder to TE Jake Ballard. He also led two drives that ended in FG attempts -- one good, one missed. Four of his drives were 3-and-out.

Joe Bauserman did not look great. Reportedly, he has been ill and banged up lately, so take that for what it's worth. In 8 possessions, he was 7 of 16 for 59 yards. He led two drives that ended in FG tries -- one good, one dropped snap. Four of his drives were 3-and-outs.

Kenny Guiton, the freshman, struggled big-time. In 7 possessions, 6 were 3-and-out and he had only one first down on the other. He was 5 of 11 for 8 yards.

Justin Siems was in for two drives, one 3-and-out and the other netting one first down. He was 3 of 7 for 23 yards.

OSU ran four possessions with scout-teamers simulating the Navy triple-option. They scored on two of those four drives, once a FG and the other a 33-yard run by "QB" (a safety at OSU) Rocco Pentello.
-- Big deal on the O-line: Rotating at first-team left tackle were Andy Miller and J.B. Shugarts. Mike Adams, who previously was rotating with Miller, now is third behind those two, Tressel said. In Boren's absence, Andrew Moses and freshman Cory Linsley rotated with the first team at LG.

Beaten on sacks (at least without benefit of replay): Jim Cordle, Linsley, Shugarts. The other sacks came on blitzes and it was hard to tell where the breakdowns were.

-- The RBs looked good, and the run blocking generally solid.
Dan Herron finished with 10 carries for 53 yards and appeared in fine form, tough up the middle with some wiggle.

Brandon Saine didn't get a lot of work, and was 5/20.
Berry also was used sparingly, finishing 4/5.
Converted FB Jermil Martin had a nice 10-yard run and finished 4/16.
Besides Pentello, the longest run came from freshman Jordan Hall, a 27-yard burst. He ended 5/41.

-- DeVier Posey had some fine catches at WR and appears to be Pryor's favorite target. He had 4 catches for 61 yards. He did appear to run one wrong route, though, and short-armed another potential catch.

-- Other WRs:

Taurian Washington mostly caught outlet passes, finishing 6/32
Dane Sanzenbacher 1/5
Duron Carter 2/20
Ray Small (running with the third team), 2/18
Grant Schwartz, 3/16

-- TEs had a good day. Ballard had the TD, plus another 15-yard catch. Freshman Reid Fragel had a 12-yard grab, giving the position 3/30.

-- The six sacks: 2 by Heyward before his injury, and 1 apiece by Thaddeus Gibson, Doug Worthington, Homan, and Jermale Hines.

-- Others who impressed me:

Backup LB Storm Klein recovered a fumble, then later tipped and nearly intercepted a pass.

Homan, though he didn't play a lot.

The defensive line in general

K Aaron Pettrey, who made FGs of 44, 51 and 57 yards

 

[8ate]

Hard to know how much Tressel has the uSC Trojan Game Circled...
o the enemy early..

Look for 3 yards and a cloud of dust..

jmho

gl
May not want to show all t

 

[fballplaya]

Hard to know how much Tressel has the uSC Trojan Game Circled...
o the enemy early..

Look for 3 yards and a cloud of dust..

jmho

gl
May not want to show all t

Agreed. LT is a major concern. Adams is looking like either a bust or a late bloomer....Shugarts looks like he might be the guy. I would expect this team to use 3 RB's and mix in a steady dose of TP on the ground and throw the ball about 10-15 times much like last season. Ball control offense and apparently the makings of a dominant defensive line.

Sounds a lot like the 02 team...

 

[DHOS]

Agreed. LT is a major concern. Adams is looking like either a bust or a late bloome..

He's a sophomore who played sparingly because of injuries last year. (sparingly in practice too.) I think it's hard to judge the kid when this is his first "real" fall camp.

 

[fballplaya]

He's a sophomore who played sparingly because of injuries last year. (sparingly in practice too.) I think it's hard to judge the kid when this is his first "real" fall camp.

Right....like I said he is looking like a bust or a late bloomer....he is now 3rd string...

 

[bigchez]

Here's a real stinker. Wisconsins new qb from Saturday scrimmage

It wasn’t a good day for the two guys thought to be the frontrunners for the starting job.
Redshirt freshman Curt Phillips was 3-of-11 for 89 yards with no touchdowns and four interceptions – that’s a pass efficiency rating of 22.51. He did run for a touchdown from 7 yards out during a red-zone series with the No. 2 offense.
Two of the picks weren’t Phillips’ fault. Junior wide receiver Isaac Anderson cut short a route over the middle on the third play of the scrimmage and Phillips’ pass was picked off by sophomore cornerback Devin Smith. Then, during a red-zone series, Phillips lofted a pass to the back of the end zone that junior wide receiver David Gilreath got his hands on but couldn’t hang on to. It ended up deflecting into the hands of senior free safety Chris Maragos, who dove to catch it.
Junior Scott Tolzien was 1-of-5 for eight yards with an interception. Senior Dustin Sherer, who was 4-of-8 for 39 yards, was the most consistent of the top three quarterbacks. Freshman Jon Budmayr played , but just handed the ball off while leading the No. 3 offense.
Not helping matters for the quarterbacks was the ongoing injury issue on the offensive line – starters Gabe Carimi (left tackle), John Moffitt (center) and Bill Nagy (right guard) are all sidelined – and minor injuries to some of UW’s most experienced receivers

 

[fballplaya]

Decker charged with felony
As expected, Ralph Gray Decker, the man accused of punching OSU linebacker Tyler Moeller last month, now has been charged with felony battery.

Decker originally was accused of simple battery, a misdemeanor, after the July 26 incident in Treasure Island, Fla. Moeller hit his head, and ended up having surgery to relieve pressure on his brain. He will miss this season.

Prosecutors last week said they were pursuing a felony charge based on the seriousness of Moeller's injuries. And this morning, at 12:12 to be exact, Decker was arrested by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Department.

He is currently in jail, held on a $20,000 bond. If convicted, the maximum sentence is five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

 

[fballplaya]

BEST CASE

Tate the Great and "Shoelace" Robinson flummox opponents, the defense rebounds under Greg Robinson and Rich Rodriguez's history of Year 2 turnarounds continues.

Rodriguez's spread offense starts to take shape around the freshmen quarterbacks, who are suited to the system. The veterans at running back, wide receiver and offensive line ease the transition early before Tate Forcier and/or Denard Robinson takes control by the start of Big Ten play. Senior Brandon Minor headlines a strong stable of running backs and earns first-team All-Big Ten honors by rushing for 1,400 yards. The receiving corps also steps up, buoyed by the return of Junior Hemingway and former Michigan hoopster Kelvin Gray. Michigan's defense overcomes inexperience up front and in the secondary, and plays as a cohesive unit. Brandon Graham leads the league in sacks while linebacker Obi Ezeh tops the tackles chart. Punter Zoltan Mesko gets a lot less work but still wins the Ray Guy Award.

Michigan begins by doing something it last accomplished in 2006 -- win the season opener. The defense holds off Tim Hiller and Western Michigan, setting up a matchup against Notre Dame. Graham and Mike Martin bulldoze the overhyped Fighting Irish line and punish Jimmy Clausen all afternoon as Michigan pulls a mini upset and prevails 24-14. Loaded with confidence, the Wolverines stomp all over both Eastern Michigan and Indiana to complete a 4-0 start.

The team hits the road for the first time and regains in-state bragging rights by rallying to beat Michigan State in the fourth quarter. Michigan vaults into the top 20. After a loss at Iowa, Michigan handles Delaware State easily. The Wolverines split their next two games against Penn State and Illinois but pound Purdue on Nov. 7, as Robinson rushes for three touchdowns.

The last two regular-season games won't be easy, as Michigan visits Madison before hosting archrival Ohio State. But by now, the offense has started to roll and the young defenders have settled in around Graham, Ezeh and Donovan Warren. Michigan wins a close one at Wisconsin before taking Ohio State to the brink on Nov. 21. It'd take a lot to see the Wolverines upset the Buckeyes, but hey, this is a best-case scenario, so what the heck. The streak ends at five games as Terrelle Pryor throws three picks.

At 10-2, Michigan heads to the Capital One Bowl and beats Mississippi in a shootout. Fans finally embrace Rodriguez and his style, forgetting 2008 and all the player departures during the transition. Minor finishes as a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, and Graham wins Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors. Michigan is back.

WORST CASE
A 2008 redux at quarterback, more mistakes crop up on defense, Mesko leads the nation in punt attempts and Michigan misses a bowl for the second straight year.

Despite more experience elsewhere on offense, the quarterback position dooms the Wolverines again. Rodriguez plays all three candidates and none settles into a rhythm, allowing defenses to load up to stop the running game. Opponents double-team Graham and wipe away the pass rush, allowing their quarterbacks to exploit the obvious weaknesses in the secondary. Mesko leads the nation in punting and Michigan stumbles out of the gate again.

Another season opener, another loss, as Michigan falls to Western Michigan and Hiller, who tosses four touchdown passes. Clausen takes note the next week and eclipses Hiller's touchdowns total by one as Golden Tate and Michael Floyd make Michigan's secondary look silly. The Wolverines get booed as they head to halftime down 28-7 and never get within 14 points of the Irish. After an underwhelming win against Eastern Michigan that evokes memories of last year's Miami (Ohio) triumph, Michigan evens its record at 2-2 by outlasting Indiana.

The problems on offense can't be masked for long, and Michigan's first road trip results in a long afternoon for Forcier and Robinson. Michigan State further establishes itself as the team to beat in the state with a 31-17 victory. Things only get worse the next week in Iowa City, as Michigan fails to get on the scoreboard against the talented Hawkeyes defense. After taking care of Delaware State, the Wolverines see their home win streak against Penn State end at five games.

Another loss follows at Illinois, as Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn hook up for three touchdowns. Needing a perfect finish to keep its bowl hopes alive, Michigan survives against Purdue but drops its final two games against Wisconsin and Ohio State. The Buckeyes roll once again, extending their win streak to six games as Pryor accounts for six touchdowns (4 pass, 2 rush).

At 4-8, Rodriguez's future seems very much in doubt. After some extensive deliberation, AD Bill Martin decides to keep the coach, but says a significant improvement must be made in 2010. Several key players leave the team, including one of the freshman quarterbacks, which puts Rodriguez and his staff in a negative light yet again. Mesko winds up as Michigan's only first-team All-Big Ten representative. Ohio State wins its fifth straight league title and the Rose Bowl.

 

[TOOTIGHT]

Just a quick update on the Illini CB situation:

In lieu of starting CB Miami Thomas going down for the season, the Illini are looking to move one of their top recruits, WR Terry Hawthorn, who played both ways in HS, to Corner. The Illini are already loaded at reciever and Hawthorn was one of the state of Illinois top defensive players last season and set a state record with 6 INT's in the playoffs. He is still a true freshman and is not pegged as a starter yet but he should be able to beat out the other CB's who don't have any college playing experience either.

Personally, I think he will be an impact player even as a freshman since I know a lot about him from when he was a highly touted HS player but I guess we'll find out on the field soon enough. He was also a game changer on special teams in the return game as well.

 

[AlwaysKeen]

good thread...

 

[goblue12]

Just a quick update on the Illini CB situation:

In lieu of starting CB Miami Thomas going down for the season, the Illini are looking to move one of their top recruits, WR Terry Hawthorn, who played both ways in HS, to Corner. The Illini are already loaded at reciever and Hawthorn was one of the state of Illinois top defensive players last season and set a state record with 6 INT's in the playoffs. He is still a true freshman and is not pegged as a starter yet but he should be able to beat out the other CB's who don't have any college playing experience either.

Personally, I think he will be an impact player even as a freshman since I know a lot about him from when he was a highly touted HS player but I guess we'll find out on the field soon enough. He was also a game changer on special teams in the return game as well.

Hmm . . . I wonder if they will keep Hawthorne there permanently, or if it's a one time deal with the Illini loaded at WR for this year (and likely this year only; Cumberland is out of eligibility, and if Fayson / Benn are as good as advertised they're going to the NFL). Usually you want to put the "athletes" on defense because it's difficult for most college teams to have quality depth in that area, but he was suppose to be quite the play maker for the Illini in the near future.

 

[fballplaya]

Good thread about the Illini DB situation...what affect, if any will a move like this have early on....especially against a team like Mizzou?

 

[fballplaya]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Five things to watch in the Big Ten this fall

August 28, 2009 9:02 AM



Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

We're less than a week away from the first game involving a Big Ten team (Eastern Kentucky at Indiana), so let's take a look at five things to keep an eye on this fall.

1. Quarterback play: The position backslid after Troy Smith won the Heisman Trophy in 2006, and it's no coincidence that the Big Ten has struggled on the big stage during the same span. Fortunately, the top six rated passers from last season all return, and hopes are high for signal callers like Daryll Clark, Terrelle Pryor, Ricky Stanzi and Juice Williams. Quarterback shouldn't be a major weak point this fall, and if things turn around there, the Big Ten likely will end its BCS bowl losing streak.

2. Finding a third challenger: Right now, the Big Ten looks like a two-team league with defending champs Penn State and Ohio State battling for the title again. But football seasons have a funny way of not going as planned, and some other team likely will challenge the top two. It could be Illinois, which boasts the league's most dynamic offense, led by Williams and Arrelious Benn. It could be Iowa, Michigan State or Northwestern, three teams that won nine games a year ago and return a bunch of starters on defense. Maybe Michigan overcomes its youth and makes a run in Year 2 of the Rodriguez regime, or perhaps an experienced Minnesota team puts it all together despite some scheme changes.

3. Ohio State's quest to topple Troy: No team has symbolized Big Ten football this decade like Ohio State, and no team has done more damage to the Big Ten this decade than USC. The two squads meet Sept. 12 in Columbus for a game that will largely define how the Big Ten is seen nationally, at least until the bowl season. Big Ten teams have had no success against the Trojans out West, but Ohio State gets Pete Carroll's team on its home soil. There's no gray area for the Scarlet and Gray. A win puts Ohio State in position for a possible BCS title run. A loss reinforces the belief that the Buckeyes can't win big games anymore. This will be a defining game for Pryor one way or the other.

4. Michigan's youth movement: The common view states that Michigan will be better this fall after a season where little else could have possibly went wrong. But it's still tough to know what to make of the Wolverines, who could be starting a true freshman at quarterback and several young players on defense. Rich Rodriguez has a history of producing much better results in Year 2, but he's still working with inexperience at the most important position. After losing back-to-back openers, Michigan needs a strong start and plays its first four games at home before the schedule gets substantially tougher.

5. Searching for respect in December and January: The Big Ten has taken heat for its recent bowl performance, especially in BCS games, but a chance to turn things around arrives this winter. Perhaps Ohio State returns to Pasadena for the first time since 1997 and ends the Big Ten's six-game slide in the Rose Bowl. Penn State likely will have to wait until January to earn national respect, but the Nittany Lions boast strong leadership and want to avenge their Rose Bowl loss to USC. The Big Ten should be deeper than it was a year ago, and if the bowl matchups fall right, the league could
take a big step toward regaining national respect.

 

[919]

apparently Michigan players are soft and don't like to put in extra practice....or they hate RR.

 

[beachboy+]

apparently Michigan players are soft and don't like to put in extra practice....or they hate RR.

Undoubtedly soft, flabby former Carr recruits that can't hack a real s & c program. I can think of several possibilities that would fit the bill.

 

[fballplaya]

Undoubtedly soft, flabby former Carr recruits that can't hack a real s & c program. I can think of several possibilities that would fit the bill.

Nah....I like what the other post said better...lol

 

[goblue12]

Speaks volumes about the friction between the current players an the coaching staff.

You can't win ball games if you have bad chemistry.