IL. might have had a great recruiting class, but they still will suck this year.

In a conference steeped deep in star QB’s from the past, the BIG TEN/ELEVEN features no less than nine returning starting quarterbacks in 2006. Don’t be surprised if one of these teams lands a berth in this year’s BCS Fiesta Bowl.



Here is my take on the BIG TEN for 2006. Coming up next: the BIG 12 Conference. Enjoy…



ILLINOIS

The facelift so badly needed by the Illini last year was more like a Botox-gone-bad video when Illinois closed out the season on a nine-game losing skid, allowing 43 PPG in the process. The good news is 20 returning starters, three college transfers, two prep-school standouts and a terribly weak non-conference schedule will look to inject a ray of hope into this once proud program. It seems like only yesterday Illinois was a 10-win team heading off to the Sugar Bowl (it was actually 2001). Since then they’ve won a total of 11 games, averaging a mere two victories per season the last three years. Unfortunately Ron Zook is merely a college coach, not a plastic surgeon.

PLAY ON: vs. Wisconsin (10/28)



INDIANA

“It’s going to be a great 2006. No problems, just opportunities. The Hoosier Nation is excited… the team we have coming back, everyone is going to be proud.” Those are the words captured on the cover of the snazzy 2006 Indiana Spring Media Guide by head coach Terry Hoeppner. The Hoosiers are thrilled to having him aboard. He brought a glossy resume from a 19-year tenure at Miami-Ohio and he’s all about instilling values and building winning programs. The Hoosiers started 4-1 last year before bottoming out but, more than anything else, Coach Hep vividly remembers the manner in which they were mistreated on their visit to Michigan. To that we ask, Hoosier Daddy?

PLAY ON: vs. Michigan (11/11)



IOWA

It’s easy to understand why Kirk Ferentz is a ‘hot tamale’ in head coaching circles. His team’s 37-12 record is the best ever four-year mark in Iowa history. No other Big 10 team tops his 25 conference wins in that span. And behind a dearth returning starters, the Hawkeyes won 10 or more games each season over a three-year period from 2002-2004. He’ll welcome 14 starters this season, including RB Albert Young, who rushed for 1,334 yards last year, and QB Drew Tate (24 straight starts) who tossed for 2,828 yards and 22 TD’s in 2005. Rest assured they’ll be hot under the collar after Michigan snapped their 22-game home win streak last year.

PLAY ON: as dog vs. Michigan (10/21) - *KEY



MICHIGAN

College football’s all-time winningest program (849 wins) will look for its 32nd consecutive bowl berth behind 15 returning starters in 2006. One reason they are the winningest team in college history has a lot to do with the fact they were undefeated – and held every opponent scoreless three seasons in a row - from ’85-87. (That’s 1885-87 for you trivia buffs) Leading the charge in ’06 (2006, that is) is QB Chad Henne, RB Mike Hart and WR/KR Steve Breaston, all leading candidates to earn all-Big 10 honors this season. Henne, one of nine returning quarterbacks in the Big 10, appears a lock to lead the fiercely talented Wolves to 32 in a row.

PLAY ON: vs. Minnesota (9/30)



MICHIGAN STATE

If history has a say the Spartans should be in good shape in 2006 given the fact the last five times they failed to produce a winning season they bounced back the next year with a winning effort. Head coach John L. Williams welcomes the opportunity to make amends for last year’s disappointing finish (1-6) following a 4-0 start. QB Drew Stanton and a plethora of running backs and wide receivers are back from last year’s unit that averaged 34 PPG and 497 YPG. CB Demond Williams beams, “I’ll put the bundle on my back and say we’ll be even better than a bowl team. We could win the National Championship. Really.” Unbridled optimism abounds.

PLAY ON: vs. Minnesota - *KEY – (11/11)



MINNESOTA

You’re never in bad company when you are 2nd only to Joe Paterno among current Big 10 coaches in career Division 1-A victories. In addition, along with Boise State, Glen Mason’s Golden Gophers is the only other team to finish in the Top 35 nationally each of the last seven seasons in total offense. With that you just know Mason is thrilled to welcome back 5th -year SR QB Bryan Cupito. He’ll put the ball in the hands of the #1 BCS rushing team in the nation since 2001. Minnesota’s dilemma is their schedule, one that finds them taking on all four conference horses. We’ll try them, instead, against one of the Big 10’s apprentice jockeys.

PLAY ON: vs.Wisconsin (10/14)



NORTHWESTERN

Despite the loss of 4-year starting QB Brett Basanez, head coach Randy Walker is excited about the prospects of this season. “With the amount of experience we have returning, there’s a great deal of excitement for 2006,” exudes Walker. That’s because last year there were only12 seniors on the team, thus resulting in having to force-feed the 24 freshmen who found playing time. In addition, the Wildcats faced the nation’s 4th most difficult schedule in 2005 while battling no less that 22 bowlers the L3Y. The last time Northwestern won six games four consecutive seasons was back in 1905. Don’t bet against the only coach in school history with wins over all Big 10 teams. We’re not.

PLAY ON: as dog vs. Ohio State (11/11)



OHIO STATE

Unlike last season when the Buckeyes welcomed 18 starters back, the 2006 edition comes up light by comparison with only 10 starters on board. In fact, for the third time in the last 40 years Ohio State will enter the season after losing its entire secondary. Before you shed a tear, though, it’s a confident head coach Jim Tressel that welcomes back his top three skill players in QB Troy Smith, RB Antonio Pittman and WR/KR Ted Ginn Jr. For it all the Buckeyes are a pre-season Top 5 squad. We still can’t get past the fact that, in Tressel’s tenure, the Buckeyes are 50-13 SU on the playing field but only 36-27 ‘In The Stats’.

PLAY AGAINST: vs. Minnesota (10/28)



PENN STATE

Were it not for ONE SECOND remaining on the clock, Joe Paterno could have possibly realized his ultimate dream, going from frog to prince (4-7 to national champion) had Michigan not scored on the final play of the game. We’ll never know. What we do know is our featured cover boy, 79-year old Joe Pa, is back and feeling younger than ever following last year’s 11-1 effort. He’ll have a tougher road to hoe in ’06 as his road itinerary is laced with quality teams (41-19 last year). New strong-armed QB Anthony Morelli and all-world LB Paul Posluszny are the Ying and Yang of this year’s team. Ponce De Leon, meanwhile, will continue calling the shots.

PLAY AGAINST: vs. Ohio State (9/23)




PURDUE

Joe Tiller’s lives died at nine last season when he failed to take the Boilermakers to a bowl game for the first time after eight straight appearances in his eight years at the helm. They were perhaps the most disappointing team in the land, considering only four winning teams dotted their schedule. This season, for the second straight year, both Michigan and Ohio State are once again missing from the itinerary. Instead they’ll square off against six other bowlers (all in succession). Off his first-ever losing season, Tiller hired four new assistants to right the ship. Look for the momentum of a season ending three-game win streak last year to carry over in Tiller’s new ‘born-again’ year.

PLAY ON: vs. Wisconsin (10/21)



WISCONSIN

The Barry Alvarez saga is over in Wisconsin. On the sidelines, anyway, as Alvarez has stepped down from the head coaching ranks to concentrate on full-time Athletic Director duties. Enter Brett Bielema, the nation’s youngest Division 1-A coach (36 years old). Seven home games, including bookend hosters against cupcakes Western Illinois and Buffalo, will aid their cause. Look for the defensive line to become the strength of this team as eight players that started at least one game are back. Amid rumors of dissension over his hire, Bielma will need all of his coaches on the same page if they are to take a step forward. Otherwise a bad case of bulimia may settle in.

PLAY AGAINST: vs. Bowling Green (9/2)