Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable :: The Rebound

Lake the Posts asks the questions in week’s Big Ten Bloggers Round Table.

1)The national media is using the Big Ten Conference as a punching bag in 2008 ranking us somewhere between the Big East and the MAC. Based on Ohio State's no-show, Purdue's "APPLE!!!" and Michigan's debacle, it is redemption week in Big Ten Country. However, several teams have very respectable, yet no-name teams (ie. Troy, Central Michigan, Ball State). Tell us how the Big Ten will respond this week in the final week before conference play.

ZN: This will be the most underrated week of the season. (See schedule, right) Practically every Big Ten opponent has gotten a headline this year. Ball State has remained quiet, but they did get some preseason hype in the MAC. Easiest Game this week: Temple @ PSU; Toughest Game this week: CMU @ Purdue; Big Ten MUST WIN: Iowa @ Pitt. Best case scenario: 8-0; Worst case: 2-6. I think the Big Ten comes out to play this week before conference openers.

2)The conference standings look like someone took the 2007 results and flipped it upside down.  Which of the undefeated teams are contenders and which are pretenders (another way of saying which teams have put lipstick on a pig)? Recalibrate your preseason rankings and tell us who the conference favorites are now.

ZN: Contenders: Penn State, Wisconsin; Pretenders: Indiana, Minnesota, Northwester; Could go either way: Iowa. The jury is still out on the Hawkeyes, but that’s probably due to their lack of media coverage. In two weeks or so I’ll let you know on that one. But I must say, EVERYONE called me crazy for picking Michigan No. 10 for 2008 (See my preseason predicted finish, right). While the Wolverines aren’t going to fall that far (I think ND was a fluke, even though I called that upset, thank you very much), currently they are DEAD LAST in the Big Ten. But if I had to change it, I would say Wisconsin would bump up to No. 2, and Ohio State down to No. 3. Purdue would move a bit lower, maybe to No. 7. However, overall I think I hit the nail on the head this preseason.

3)Javon Ringer has emerged as the early season best-bet Heisman hopeful from the Big Ten.  Real deal or non-conference smoke screen?  Does anyone from the Big Ten have a prayer for the Heisman, or is it too late?

ZN: I think Ringer is the best running back only when getting his 30-35 carries per game. If you asked me, right now, to name the top-three Big Ten rushers: No. 1 Evan Royster - Sorry folks, you whether you like it or not, Royster leads the conference’s starting RBs with a ridiculous 8.1 ypc, and only a handful of his 38 carries were after halftime. PJ Hill has 70 carries so far, and Ringer has 104. If Royster had those carries, he would have 567 and 842 yards, respectively. I’m not knocking Ringer or Hill, as they are two of the premier backs in the entire nation. But I think Royster hasn’t gotten due credit, just because Joe Paterno takes him out right after halftime. Check it out for yourself:

To address the Heisman race, I don’t think a running back will win it at all this season. Quarterbacks are the sexy pick, and with guys like Chase Daniel, Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford, guys like Ringer, Royster and Hill have no shot. They could place, but not win.

4)After three weeks it is time to give your team a new slogan.  What is it and why is it what it is?

ZN: “I should have been playing football, but I got high...” - If you don't know what that means, you aren't a college football fan.

Or for a more serious one...

“So what?” - So what? Everyone called us dead after Sean Lee went down, Chris Bell, Phil Taylor, Chris Baker were kicked off the team, and Maurice Evans and Abe Koroma got a few games to think about what they've done. Not to mention that confidence in the new offense was very low, and that we were just benefiting from a weak non-conference slate. So what?

5)By now, you've likely adopted a favorite non Big Ten team to watch.  Flex your football worldliness by convincing your fellow Big Ten kool-aid drinkers to watch your "other" team. 

ZN: I really like Missouri. But I put so much effort into the first four questions, I don’t really feel like giving it my all for this one. Chase Daniel is the man, and should he keep it up, will win the Heisman. The rest of the offense is incredible, and the defense is vastly underrated. Plus, if you like big games, just wait until the Big XII Championship game, when Mizzou will most likely face off with Oklahoma. They could be two top-five teams at that point. Whoa.

So that’s it for this week’s Big Ten Bloggers Round Table. Go State.