Drew Thurman (4:27 pm)

If you haven't been fortunate enough to see ESPN Bottomline this morning; Iowa announced today that they have reached a seven year deal to keep Kirk Ferentz. I have seen a few ignorant people questioning the move, but in my opinion this was an important move not just for the Hawkeyes but for the entire Big Ten. If you read my stuff at all you know that I constantly make remarks about how the quality of coaches in the Big Ten is not up to par with what I feel it should be. Experts can make all kinds of comments about how the SEC recruits better because the players are in their backyard, but another element they fail to mention is the quality of coaches that the Southeastern Conference possesses.

This brings me to Ferentz, who I have a ton of respect for, and I think his 70-53 record and two Big Ten titles speak for themselves. I cannot imagine the difficulty of trying to bring recruits to the corn and soy bean torture known as the state of Iowa, and he has put up some solid teams even with those restraints (Why do you think Steve Alford left for New Mexico?).

Ferentz had been rumored as a possible candidate for several NFL jobs, including the Browns, and his departure would have hurt the conference. I think he one of the upper echelon coaches in the conference, and without him there is no way that Iowa Hawkeyes get better. The Big Ten is in period of transition for the good, and keeping Ferentz around should help another team in the conference continue to be a contender. Nice move Iowa!

Jonathan Franz is one of the contributing writers over on The Rivalry Esq. They are part of the SB Nation (Around the Oval and others), and cover all things Big Ten in their blog. So we got him to talk with us about Ohio State's recruiting class, along with how the Big Ten performed as a conference on the recruiting trail.

1) What is your overall impression of Ohio State's class?

"The scarlet put together a solid -- if not spectacular -- group of athletes. The raw number of commitments they secured early in the season is a good sign that the coaches got exactly what they wanted. The class of 2009 stands out among recent crops, because it represents the first major shift towards a young, Terrelle Pryor led, team. The departure of 28 Seniors -- and several Juniors -- has created a competitive vacuum (The Bleacher Report has a good article on this). The Buckeyes will be forced to rely on the efforts of highly talented, but green underclassmen to carry the banner. The coaches seem to recognize this, opting for leaner athletes, like Jamaal Berry with recharge stamina, and lateral mobility, that can be immediately plugged into a pistol/option offense."

2) What players standout for the Buckeyes in this class?

"The easy ones are running back Jamaal Berry, outside linebacker Dorian Bell, and cornerback C.J. Barnett. All are ESPN U 150 guys, with solid Scout scores. But I'm particularly excited about Duron Carter -- son of legendary Chris Carter. Chris was the first All-American receiver to play for the Buckeyes. Let's hope the addage, 'like father, like son' holds up. Carter Jr. is nice and tall, and has good hand awareness, good traits to help restore the deep ball threat."

3) What is your overall impression of how the Big Ten performed on the recruiting front?

"I think we turned in a good showing. A lot has been made about the fact that the SEC and ACC netted larger numbers of premiere-cru (ESPN U 150) athletes, and that the Big Ten only has a single guy in the National Top 25 (the aforementioned Jamaal Berry). The truth is the Ohio/Pennsylvania intersect hasn't exactly been the fertile crescent of talent it's been in the past. That doesn't mean it won't return to its roots, it just means we're having a down year compared to Texas, California, and Florida. Teams in the rust belt did a good job of commandering the athletes they did have in their back yards -- and top brands (particularily Ohio State and Michigan) did a nice job of cherry picking roadrunners from the Sunshine States.

It's important to remember the significant number of guys that will eventually be households names come in as "sleepers." Look no further than Malcolm Jenkins and James Laurinaitis. With that in mind, the pure number of teams in the conference that turned in better-than-average lineups, is up compared to previous years."

4) What teams in the conference impressed?

"In order: Michigan, Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois, Penn State. You'll notice my list is not exactly a litmus indicator of where the classes ranked nationally, but rather, is a subjective valuation of what each team did for its immediate vitality.

To that end you've got to respect the Michigan Wolverines, who found a venerable two-stroke engine in Tate Forcier, razzle dazzle wideout Je'Ron Strokes, and loaded up their defense like a baked potato with end Craig Roh, and safety Issiah Bell.

Meanwhile, Michigan State quarantined the entire state, landing head to head recruiting victories against its big brother (My partner Graham did an article on this a few days ago).

Despite their hot and cold performance metrics, Ron Zook continues to recruit with gusto -- landing a solid nose tackle in Lendell Buckner who should help to sew up an otherwise vulnerable run defense.

Penn State did fine -- although, they let a big fish get away in Jelani Jenkins, a slip that stains their Linebacker U reputation."

5) What teams in the conference underachieved?

"I'm not going to pick on Indiana; they did the best they could with what they had. I'm actually a little disappointed with Iowa and Wisconsin.

Specifically in the later's case, the advantage of having a youthful figurehead in Bret Bielema is relatability. Recruits see their potential coach as both a friend and mentor, which, is usually is a good way to seal the deal (see Lane Kiffin). With the exception of a bright spot at fullback, Bucky class is largely underwhelming."

6) What players coming into the conference should fans look out for?

"I did an article on yesterday on a National Signing Day: All Big Ten Team that pretty much covers the gamut."

Drew Thurman (7:39 pm)

There has been a lot of news and games to start the new year, let's look:

1) Billy Tucker of Scouts Inc. has written up a nice report of some of the things going on at the Under Armour All-American Game. He gives Duron Carter great reviews, and makes mention of how great his hands are. What surprised me was the review on C.J. Barnett. According to Tucker, Barnett has really struggled in Cover 2 schemes, and looks to have some work to do.

2) I know that no one in Buckeye nation respects Mike Farrell after his bold predictions about Pryor going to Oregon last year, but he now is saying that Boyd is an Oregon lean. I don't have quite as strong a feeling about Boyd coming to Ohio State as many out there, and I am interested to see how things pan out!

3) Well the day has been pretty rough for the Big Ten. The one bright note was that Iowa got the first win for the conference in a beating of South Carolina 31-10. Outside of that it has been rough. Michigan State looked all one sided with its anemic passing game, and lost to Georgia 24-12. My father and I have said on multiple occasions that we would have loved to have played the Bulldogs in the Capitol One Bowl, and after watching the game, we feel even more that way. The Buckeyes could have finally got the SEC monkey off their back! 

4) It's the end of the third quarter, and I can hardly stand to watch the Penn State-USC game anymore. Not only is Penn State looking awful against the Trojans (one has to wonder how OSU could not pass on their secondary they way they look tonight), but I can't stand to listen to Herbstreit and Musberger brag on USC anymore, especially ex-Buckeye Kirk (emphasis on the ex). His airtime has been filled with Big Ten bashing and Pete Carroll loving, and I wish I had the time to list all of his memorable quotes. I will list my favorite though:

Kirk: "That was perfect execution by the Trojan offense"
Brent: "Well there is a flag on the field"
Kirk: "Well it was perfect execution besides the penalty"

In Kirk's eyes USC does no wrong, and he says he wants to be unbiased. Funny joke! Anyways, the Rose Bowl looks like it will be rough perception wise on the Big Ten. Let's hope the Buckeyes can at least redeem themselves on Monday night (I am getting anxious). Go Bucks!  

Drew Thurman (5:23 pm)

Yes, the Big Ten has started 0-2 in the bowl season. Yes, Wisconsin embarrassed themselves on national television. And yes, it is easy to be negative about the Buckeyes' chances at this juncture. Last night though, I saw for the first time a glimmer of hope for Ohio State.

In the Valero Alamo Bowl, Northwestern totally outplayed Big 12 representative Missouri. The final score did not indicate this (30-23 in OT), but anyone watching the game knows the Wildcats lost the game on special teams. Offensively and defensively Northwestern looked superior, but a missed field goal, missed extra point, and a punt return from Jeremy Macklin sank the Wildcats. They outgained Missouri on offense, forced more turnovers on defense, and overall looked like a more explosive team. Oh and by the way, they were predicted by many to lose by several touchdowns in this game!

The fact that Northwestern outplayed the Tigers was a positive sign for the Buckeyes. This was the first of three installments in the Big 10 versus the Big 12 bowl battle (Minnesota-Kansas and Ohio State-Texas), and it made me very optimistic.

Some of you may be frowning at my sudden smile or the fact that I have such hope based off of a loss, but I think the facts back me up.

Missouri is a team that has struggled at times this season, but was one of the better teams the Big 12 offered. They did indeed have issues with Texas and Oklahoma (got blown out by both), but they got outplayed by a Northwestern team that Ohio State blew out 45-10 in Evanston. These two were on about the same level in their respective conferences.

Had the Wildcats gotten their butts handed to them by the Tigers, I think there would be reason for fear, but they looked like the better team. Sure it is tough to tell to much from two teams that got blown out by the major powers in their conference, but if nothing else it showed that the Big 10 can play with the Big 12. It seems everyday a new article or feature comes out bashing the Big 10, and it is reassuring to see a team like Northwestern play with an opposing team from the so called "power" conference.

What may be an even better indicator is the Insight Bowl that takes place tomorrow featuring Kansas (7-5) and Minnesota (7-5). If another Big Ten team can play with or better than an equal level opponent from the Big 12, I think Buckeye fans should have a new resolve.

Drew Thurman (12:55 pm)

Turn on College Gameday almost any Saturday morning, and you will hear "overrated" chants when the Big Ten is mention. The media and other conference fans have been hard on the Big Ten, but can you blame them? In the last decade the conference actually has a losing record in bowl games, including a 3-5 record a season ago. So, do things improve this season?

The signs seem to be pointing to a big no! Looking at the bowl schedule this year, it looks as if the Big Ten will need a few upsets just to try to match the record from a season ago. Here are the matchups:

Champs Sports Bowl:
Wisconsin vs. Florida State

Alamo Bowl:
Northwestern vs. Missouri

Insight Bowl:
Minnesota vs. Kansas

Outback Bowl:
Iowa vs. South Carolina

Capital One Bowl:
Michigan State vs. Georgia

Rose Bowl:
Penn State vs. USC

Fiesta Bowl:
Ohio State vs. Texas

Analysis?

The non-BCS bowls look much better than the matchups in the BCS bowls for the Big Ten. I feel Iowa can handle South Carolina, and Minnesota can beat an overrated Kansas team, because I have little respect for the Big 12 North. Then there is Florida State, who doesn't blow anyone out, so Wisconsin should be able to hang around. Outside of these three games though, it is going to be an uphill battle for the Big Ten!   

Northwestern and Michigan State both have their hands full against teams that are more stock piled with talent. Especially the Spartans, who are going to have to play their best game ever on defense to have a chance.

Then there are the two BCS matchups for Ohio State and Penn State, and neither look pretty. In a year where most the BCS conferences were top heavy, the Big Ten was a free-for-all. So, this leaves the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions the task of facing the best the Big 12 and Pac-10 have to offer.

All in all the Big Ten could easily be looking at a 2-5 or 3-4 record, and that is if things go well. Not to be pessimistic, but I don't think this is the year for the Big Ten to improve its reputation. I may be wrong, but the bowl battle for the Big Ten doesn't look pretty on paper!

Drew Thurman (11:25 pm)

Coaching changes are taking place all over the country, and are filling up a lot of air time of ESPN. From the firing of Tommy Bowden at Clemson to the hiring of Lane Kiffin at Tennessee, excellence is being demanded. Unlike many conferences around the country, the coaching outlook actually looks pretty stable in the Big Ten at this point in the year. I am actually shocked by this, because I figured there would be a much larger coaching shake up in the conference with the lack of success taking place for many teams. Let's take a look:

Illinois: Ron Zook has been coaching the Fighting Illini since 2005, and has made a big splash in recruiting the Mid-West. Zook has quickly become one of the most notable head coaches in the Big Ten despite his 18-30 record with the Illini. He won Champaign over with his 9-4 record and Rose Bowl bid in 2007, but one has to wonder if that was the exception not the rule. With a 5-7 record in 2008, Zook is going to have to translate his recruiting classes to wins to keep his job for the long haul!

Indiana: You have to wonder how good the Hoosiers could have been with Hoeppner at the helm, but now they are stuck with Bill Lynch. IU being embarrassed not once, but twice by a MAC school highlights how bad Lynch really is. He could not keep his job at Ball State (fired in '02), and is obviously not the quality the Hoosiers need. Speaking of Ball State, Head Coach Brady Hoke would be a great candidate for the Hoosiers to look at. You know the old statement,"If you can't beat 'em, steal their coach!" Anyways, Lynch's days seem to be numbered in Bloomington.  

Iowa: After the 2004 season Kirk Ferentz looked to be one of the best coaches in the Big Ten, and was coming off of three seasons with records of 11-2, 10-3, and 10-2. The next three seasons were not so friendly to Hawkeyes, and I along with many thought this with Ferentz's last season. The 8-4 season they put together looks to have saved his job, and he owes Shonn Greene a big thank you.

Michigan: It's hard to say anything positive about what is going on up in Ann Arbor or about Rich Rodriguez. He came in and changed traditions, changed the style of ball, and ticked off the Wolverine faithful. The 3-9 record he produced didn't make up for any of that, and I personally wonder how much time he has with the Maize and Blue. In fact rumors surfaced about him going to Clemson, with many of Michigan fans were already talking about Brian Kelly of Cincinnati replacing him. Overall I think Rich Rodriguez can turn things around, but he needs time, and that means winning the fans over again!

Michigan State: Mark Dantonio has been the stable coach that the Spartans needed. I don't think he is ever going to blow anyone away with his offensive schemes or risky play calling, but seems to have cleaned things up a bit in East Lansing. He has things going in the right direction, and I don't see him going anywhere anytime soon. Things might be a little rough without Ringer next season, but Dantonio doesn't need to worry about his job.  

Minnesota: If anyone doubted Tim Brewster after the 1-11 start at Minnesota, they do not now. The Gophers did lose their final four games, but the 7-5 record they produced is miles ahead of last season. Brewster offers a much fresher style, and it has really paid off for him on the recruiting trail as well. The Big Ten really needs more teams like Minnesota to step up, and you better believe I will be rooting Brewster on. 

Northwestern: Pat Fitzgerald didn't take over the Northwestern team in the best of circumstances, but he has made the most of the opportunity. The Wildcats have seen improvement in each of his three seasons, with the best being the 9-3 record this year. Fitzgerald seems to be safe, though I am not sure Northwestern will ever be able to make a run like they did in the late 1990's again.

Ohio State: "In Tressel We Trust." No matter how frustrated some of you may be with the offensive play calling, Tressel has won four straight Big Ten Titles. I think it is safe to say that Tressel is a Buckeye until he chooses retirement.

Penn State: I have to say that I thought the end of this season was a perfect time for Joe Paterno to step down because Penn State won the Big Ten Title, he was forced to be in the booth and let the assistants coach, and his contract runs up at the end of the season. Who am I to tell the winningest coach of all time to step down though! It looks like the only thing that will stop JoePa now is death!

Purdue: The Tiller era is done for the Boilermakers, and new coach Danny Hope takes over for the '09 season. Hope isn't a huge name, but he did provide a smooth transition for Tiller's exit. He isn't young either, at 49, and will have to prove himself to the folks in West Lafayette. He previously coached Eastern Kentucky with an overall record of 35-22, and in 2007 lead them to a 9-3 year in the Ohio Valley Conference. He already has made huge changes on the Purdue staff, and hopefully will bring some fresh air into the program. Like I said earlier, the Big Ten needs teams like this to step up!  

Wisconsin: Bret Bielema started out strong with a 12-1 record in his first season with the Badgers, but now has many wondering if he can do it without Barry Alvarez's recruits. Wisconsin has been a sinking ship the last three seasons with Bielema, and going 3-5 in the Big Ten this season has raised many eyebrows. Things better get turned around quickly, or the Wisconsin faithful will happily look elsewhere. I may be totally wrong, but I don't think Bielema can take this team to the next level!

Drew Thurman (8:07 pm)

Jim Tressel and the Buckeyes made the end of Lloyd Carr's coaching career pretty miserable. It would be nice to start Rich Rodriguez's Michigan career the same way. The Wolverine fans are already in dispair about the 3-8 season thus far, so let's hope the Buckeyes add some salt to those wounds. Go Bucks! Here are some highlights from last season:

Drew Thurman (12:56 pm)

The rain and snow didn't show up in Champaign as predicted, but the Buckeyes rushing attack sure did. The game was an old fashion Big Ten showdown that included cold weather, a loud crowd, and a lot of running. Here were a few of the things I saw:

Turnovers/ Mistakes: Illinois showed how turnover prone they are in yet another game this season. On the Illini's second drive Juice cough up a fumble that would get the Buckeyes going on offense. Later in the first quarter Malcolm Jenkins would block a punt that would lead to not only a safety, but a Buckeye scoring drive. The Illini then put together an impressive drive that would be stopped short by a Kurt Coleman interception on the 12 yard line. That interception led to another Buckeye touchdown, helping to open up a 23-7 lead. These three plays would be the turning point in the game that allowed the Buckeyes to play more conservative in the second half.

Running Frenzy: The Illini and Buckeyes combined for an amazing 519 rushing yards in the game. Dufrene, Williams, and Ford looked good for the Illini, but they were no match for Beanie and Pryor. Beanie had a solid 24 carries for 143 yards and a touchdown, and gave ESPN the highlight of the game when he leaped over an Illini defender. Pryor was also superb on the ground with 110 yards and a touchdown.

Referees: Somehow the refs keeping adding to the drama in these Big Ten games. There were several questionable spots and calls throughout the game going both ways. First, I was shocked they did not review Beanie's fumble. I am not sure the angles they gave on the television, but the one we got in the stadium made it look as if he was down. They also had a questionable personal foul call on the only pass Ohio State threw in the entire second half. That call kept the Buckeye drive alive, and helped produce the "boo birds" for the next eight or ten plays. The Illini fans were ticked!

Unlikely Heroes: The Buckeyes had a few guys that came up big on Saturday. The first had to be Tyler Moeller who replace the injured Jermale Hines. I was very worried about losing Hines because he is the best player the Buckeyes have against the spread, but Moeller looked very good in his absense. I am guessing he earns so more PT after that performance. The other man was Boom Herron. His statistics were not mind blowing because of some garbage carries late when they knew the Buckeyes were running, but I really like how quick he hit the hole. His touchdown run was a thing of beauty!  

Defense???: It was a very weird game for the Buckeye defense. Giving up 455 yards will give Tressel and Heacock something to chew the team out about, but I really was not to disappointed with the way they looked. First, they forced turnovers in key situations. Our defense in years past has been bad in the turnover department, but this defense has forced a ton of them this season. I also liked our strategy on Juice. Last year the defense sat back on its heels, but on Saturday they kept Juice off balance all day. They blitzed him a ton, and had Marcus Freeman spying him at linebacker. I still get frustrated with how the spread rips up the defense at times, but on Saturday they did enough for the victory.

Trenches: The Bucks beat the Illini in the trenches all day long. Neither of the lines have been spectacular this season, but the last four or five games they really have fought hard. The defensive line got lots of pressure on the quarterback, and the offensive line blocked well even when the Illini knew the run was coming (the whole 2nd half). I got to give these guys some props for fighting hard on Saturday!

MICHIGAN WEEK: As soon as Carmen Ohio was finished in the corner of Memorial Stadium everyone's focus headed to "The Game" this weekend. In fact a guy right in front of me said "It's officially Michigan week," as soon as he finished the O-hi-o. For many around the nation the Michigan-Ohio State game might not mean as much this season, but we as fans know it means just as much. It's time for "Dick Rod" and the boys to get beat down in the Horseshoe this Saturday!

Some Good Links:

Eleven Warriors- Hitting Rewind: Offense vs. Illinois

ESPN - Ohio State finds identity in final act

Drew Thurman (8:33 am)

With the Illinois/Ohio State game approaching this Saturday, we wanted to get the opinion of an Illinois fan and blogger on what to expect. We caught up with Dan O'Brien of Illinoisloyalty.com, and this is what he had to say...

1) After a Rose Bowl trip last season, the Illini are 5-5 (3-3) this season. What do you feel has caused the step back?

"Inexperience at safety and linebacker (besides Miller), plus not-so-great play from the offensive line has not helped matters on the field when Illinois is consistently getting opponents' A-game this season.

That plus the 2008 Illini are not morning people. Illinois is 1-3 on 11:00 am kickoffs, the lone win coming at home against Louisiana Lafayette 20-17."

2) Who has impressed you the most on the Illinois team so far this season?

"Brit Miller has had a fantastic year, filling in for J Lehmen at the mike. Brit leads the conference in tackles per game (11.0), and is about the only guy on the D who has consistently shown up each game"

3) The Illini have played the Buckeyes tough under Zook, do you feel there is a reason for this?

"For some reason, the Buckeyes always get the Illini's best game in the recent history of the series (the Buckeyes hold a slight 12-11 advantage since 1983). The 3 games in Champaign this decade have all gone down to the final minute or gone to OT. I attribute this closeness to the historical interconnectedness of the two rivals, each being #2 on their list of most games played versus a team."

4) After the loss last weekend to Western Michigan, what do expect from the Illini on Saturday?

"A loss. See 11:00 am kickoff."

5) Who or what do you think the Buckeyes need to watch out for this weekend?

"I don't see Illinois running on the Buckeyes, so cover the receivers starting with Arrelious Benn, AJ Jenkins, Jeff Cumberland, and the big TE we call 'Uh Oh' because his full name is too tough to spell or pronounce. That, and blitz Juice."

6) Any other thoughts:

" Final Score: Ohio State 31 Illinois 24."

Dave and Drew Thurman (3:45 pm)

Big win 45-10 for the Buckeyes, that had a lot of offense for a change. Here are some of the things we saw in this game...

Play Calling: The play calling was terrible early in this game. The team looked asleep, and it is hard to believe that Tressel and company didn't have anything better up their sleeves after two weeks to plan. The game plan has to be better next week against Illinois. We cannot just throw long and run up the middle against a much more athletic Illini team!

I-Formation: For whatever reason Tressel decided to come out in a single back formation. Beanie is an I-formation runner, and looked much better once Smith was brought in at fullback. We can't make Beanie something that he is not!

Protection:  The pass protection was better for most of this game. Given it was Northwestern and Pryor made some big plays scrambling, but he was given the time to throw long most of the day. 

Mr. Third and Long: Speaking of Pryor, it was awesome to see him have a big day. He has special gifts, and a few of those broken plays showed his true athleticism. Have you ever seen anyone so good on third and long? The only third down he didn't convert was on third and three, figure it out! Anyways, the fact that he had a solid game both through the air and on the ground could be huge for the rest of the year.

4 TD's: It was also good to see Beanie and Robiskie get back on track. These men had four touchdowns between them, and had the Buckeyes had that kind of production all year it would have been a different season!

Referees: What was up with the referees in this game? We have never seen such weak penalties in a game. The Boone head butt obviously deserved the flag, but these guys had no clue outside of that call. They called some pansy late hits on the sideline, and then chose to "just talk" to Peterman when he decided to throw a punch at the Buckeyes. The bad refereeing is getting old, and the Big Ten needs to take a serious look! 

Defensive Stars:  We would like to send a shout out to Nadar Abdallah, Jermale Hines, and Malcolm Jenkins for a solid game. These guys were on it all day, and had some huge hits. There are a few guys on the defense that really don't have a mean streak, but Hines and Jenkins both are out for blood every play. Also it was nice to see Abdallah's motor running all game. The defensive tackle position has been one where the Buckeyes have struggled the most, and Abdallah has been solid several weeks in a row. 

Andre Ware: We would like to say this as nicely as possible, SHUT UP ANDRE WARE! He ran Tressel into the ground, and acted like he was a classless coach because of the fake punt. There are Big 12 and SEC teams running up the score every week, and he chooses to chastise the Buckeyes for still playing offense when they were up 31-10 with lots of time on the clock. What a joke! This is coming from Andre Ware, whose Houston team ran up the score every chance they got with the run and shoot offense. Not only was he a terrible announcer all day, but this whole beat down Tressel thing got really old. Seriously did you see his face on that touchdown run from Boom Herron, Andre?  

The Boom: Speaking of Boom Herron; it was really nice to see him back in this game. He is a great change of pace from Beanie, and the Buckeyes really could use him next week against Illinois. He hits the hole faster than any back we have, and his future looks bright. 

Gibson?: Finally, we really hope Gibson didn't get hurt in this game. He disappeared, and Nathan Williams replaced him for the remainder of the game. The crack squad at ESPN2 obviously didn't give us any news about it, so let's hope Gibson is alright. With that said, Williams played great in Gibson's absense with two sacks. It sure shows how bad the defensive line is when an undersized freshman defensive end looks better than about anyone else the Buckeyes have.