Football

Carrie Philips

- Ohio State -

No longer a rookie, Terrelle Pryor is coming into his own as an on and off the field leader of the Buckeye squad.  No longer worried about the locker room dynamics resulting from taking Todd Boeckman’s reps, no longer pressured to prove his reputation is based on performance, no longer burdened by the many stresses of being a frosh and being expected to please the OSU faithful – Pryor is in position to pick up where he left off last season, and soar from there.  And we all know that where he left off was already flying past defenders with fast footwork and lightening quick speed.  What about the rest of the squad, you ask?  Last weekend in the jersey scrimmage the defense beat out the offense by just one point, but Coach Tressel said both sides have plenty to work on.  The run blocking looked impressive, but pass protection was not as sharp.  At corner veteran Andre Amos is playing smart ball, but several other CBs have been stepping up, as well, including CJ Barnett, who has been a play-maker so far this spring.  At wideout Tressel says Devon Torrence is playing strong and confidently.  On the ground, Brandon Sain is fully healthy and running the ball well.  Coach Tressel says there is a lot of film to watch, but seems optimistic about where this team is right now.  We’ll get an even better look (plus more film for Tressel) this Saturday when Scarlet battles Gray in the annual Spring Game at the Shoe.   

- Indiana -

Coach Bill Lynch has been out campaigning for attendance, making public appearances on and around campus, asking for the energetic spirits of the groups he’s visiting to make their way to the football stadium come fall.  Perhaps, however, he should be spending more time making the Hoosiers a better squad, because, in the end, it is the wins that bring the fans.  While this spring is already looking better than last (please note this is not saying much, as last spring was a big ‘ol mess), there is still a lot to be done.  The defense is struggling a bit with the run, and this may be in part to the absence of LB Will Patterson, DE Jammie Kirlew, and S Austin Thomas (all currently sidelined by injury).  And while the D is sticking with the 4-3 scheme, they are mixing things up a little bit.  Ray Fisher has flipped from wide receiver to cornerback, and right now the undersized (5’9’’) senior is playing down to his size.  He has some adjustment that need to be made before game one.  Jarrod Smith is also switching sides, moving from the OLine to defensive tackle.  In the meantime, the offense is shifting to the pistol formation.  Fans and analysts alike are starting to wonder if QB Ben Chappell and WR Kellen Lewis might just turn this into a high-octane offense after all.  Lynch is going to keep teams honest by running the ball quite a bit, and the down field threat of Lewis will be an exciting one.  But they’ll still need to score more points than their defense gives up to find success. 

- Minnesota -

While we aren’t telling you to anticipate a two QB offensive rotation, the progress of MarQueis Gray throughout spring ball has been great enough that Coach Tim Brewster says the coaches will being adding special packages to their game plans in order to feature Gray in particular situations.  This is really no surprise to the Gopher program, as Gray was already whetting the coaches’ and fans’ appetites with his athleticism in practices last season.  And the adjustment to the style of new offensive coordinator (former Denver Broncos assistant) Jedd Fisch has been remarkably quick.  But as impressive as Gray has been, Adam Weber is still the unquestioned starter for the ’09 season.  Weber is recovering quickly from offseason left (non-throwing arm) shoulder surgery.  He has gotten some reps and will be playing fully in this Saturday’s team scrimmage – he was expected to miss the entirety of spring ball.  And perhaps his return has something to do with the improvement of the offense as a whole.  Coach Brewster says the defense is still ahead, but the first and second team offenses made some strides this week.  Brewster is generally pleased with how the team has been playing so far this spring – the work ethic, cohesiveness, and athleticism of his squad seem to be weaving a nice web. With the subpar running game of last season (finished 104^th in the nation), the backs need to get more physical.  Shady Salamon and DeLeon Eskridge need to work hard to improve upon their lackluster freshman performances, or watch their reps go to newbie Hasan Lipscomb when he arrives this summer.  

- Michigan State -

Last season would undoubtedly be considered a successful one for the Spartans, but the loss of Javon Ringer leaves a huge hole to fill.  Not to mention selecting a new starting QB to replace Brian Hoyer.  At signal-caller, Kirk Cousins seemed to be the obvious choice since he was a solid backup last fall whenever he got snaps.  But Keith Nichol has been added to the mix now.  Nichol, a dual-threat QB, has three years of eligibility left transferring from Oklahoma.  Coach Mark Dantonio is reportedly considering a two-QB system.  Both Cousins and Nichol are extremely mobile and offensive coordinator Don Treadwell is introducing the option as a way to take advantage of that skill.  As for replacing Ringer, Andre Anderson and AJ Jimmerson are the top two contenders right now.  Neither back got many carries last season, as Ringer was carrying the brunt of the load (97% to be exact).  With only 26 carries, Anderson averaged 3.73 yards per, while Jimmerson in eight carries averaged 1.75 yards per.  It will likely be a shared job this fall, including incoming freshman Edwin Baker.  Baker and Jimmerson will likely compete for the starting job.  At WR, we are looking at Mark Dell to improve upon last years 679 yards and 3 TDs to be among the top in the Big Ten, assuming he can stay healthy.  Blair White will also be a primary target.  The defense, returning two of its stars in LB Greg Jones and DE pass rusher Trevor Anderson, is a little ahead of the offense right now, and has a lot of experience to work with.  Jones has even been saying he thinks this defense can be among the top in the country.  While there are some large shoes to fill, the Spartans are returning 15 starters and 45 letter winners, and this could easily be a team competing for the conference title.  The annual Green and White game is this Saturday.  The teams drafted on Wednesday and have been practicing separately all week.  As a nice little spin and added incentive, the winning team will eat steak dinners, while the losers will dine on beans and franks. 

- Michigan -

If spring is the season of rebirth, then it is a welcome spring in Ann Arbor.  After the worst season the Wolverines have had in 129 years of football, Michigan fans across the nation are looking for (hoping for?) growth and a fresh start.   And they are getting it from the get-go.  Incoming freshman QB Tate Forcier is already enrolled and participating in the spring practices, and looks to be a much better fit for the style of Coach Rich Rodriguez.  Nick Sheridan was considered the front runner for the starting spot, but he is missing the spring to injury.  Forcier has come in and is gaining that early practice and experience, and is quickly bring the two on par to make for a very interesting battle.  Bet on Forcier to end up with the job.  To help take some of the pressure off the so-far inexperienced QBs, the offensive line is looking much improved and their experience, speed, and strength will not only protect the signal-caller, but also give tailback Brandon Minor, and the other RBs, a little more time to find a hole and it will help them stay healthy.  On the other side of the ball, Greg Robinson is the new defensive coordinator and he has a big job ahead of him.  He is working specifically with the OLBs and DEs, and focusing on improved tackling across the board.  While he’s got a sack specialist in Brandon Graham, and a couple other top talents returning, the D could make leaps, but still will likely only be about average or slightly better.  Overall, the Wolverines are already looking improved… just how much better can they get in one season?  Probably right around Bowl eligible with or without a Bowl bid. 

- Penn State -

The Nittany Lions have a lot of holes to fill on both sides of the ball, and this season won’t be easy.  But if spring is telling us anything, it is telling us that PSU is still a force in the Big Ten, and a contender for the conference title.  On the defensive end, LB Sean Lee is returning.  He missed all of ’08 with a torn ACL, but this year will be the leader on D.  Add Navorro Bowman and Jared Odrick, first-team all-conference LB and DT respectively, and the defense has some strength and experience to fall back on.  Running the ball will be a problem for other teams, but passing is a different story.  PSU’s biggest weakness on paper, and on the field, right now is the secondary.  While the projected starters don’t have a lot of game experience, they are being motivated by the fact that most expect them to be the weakest unit.  On offense the O-line looked weak when spring practice began, but now that it is coming to a close there is noticeable development and consistency.  Typically they wouldn’t need to work to hard to protect the seasoned QB in Daryll Clark, but this year he will have an all new receiving corps, and it could take a while for them to get the timing right, or for them to get open.  But the corps has been stepping up this spring.  Up until his ankle injury a few days ago, Chaz Powell was looking like he is destined to become Clark’s top receiver.  Derek Moye is likely going to be the second receiver, and he is looking tremendously improved.  He’s quick, has great hands, and is a big target (at 6’5’’).  RBs Evan Royster and Stephfon Green are both returning, adding some experience and confidence to the offense.  While the Nitts suffered some great losses on both offense and defense, there are plenty of guys with plenty of talent waiting to step up and take this team back to the top.