[Tommy]

Sports Edge turns to college football with the opening games starting next week. The Big 10 conference has four teams ranked in the AP’s preseason Top 25. The last Big 10 team to win the national championship was Ohio State in 2002.

Odds in parenthesis are to win the Big 10 conference.

The Favorites

Ohio State (1:1) is ranked as the top team in the country due to the return of their skill players. Quarterback Troy Smith, running back Antonio Pittman, and wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr are as good as any trio in the country. The Buckeyes are experiencing an almost complete rebuild of their defense, but there is plenty of talent waiting in the wings. While OSU may be overrated nationally, they are still the class of the Big 10.

Michigan (3:1) is coming off a very disappointing season which saw them go 7-5. That is unacceptable by Michigan standards. The good news is that all five losses were close, and their record could have easily been 10-2. Quarterback, Chad Henne can be one of the best in the country, and the rest of the skill positions will be fine if running back, Mike Hart can stay on the field. The defense has a new coordinator and should be improved over 2005.

Penn State: (5:1) lost a key member when quarterback, Michael Robinson graduated to the NFL. Robinson was like an extra running back, as he could pull the ball down and run for a first down. Junior quarterback, Anthony Morelli has a bigger arm, but is a pocket passer. Penn State has their talented receiving core back, but the offensive line has four new starters. On defense, the linebackers are excellent, but the defensive line and secondary lost a ton of talent.

Iowa (15:2) Iowa was another team that didn’t meet expectations last year with a 7-5 mark. That was surprising considering that their coach, Kirk Ferentz is one of the nation’s best. Senior quarterback, Drew Tate leads an offense that should be very good. The defense suffered key losses at linebacker and cornerback, but has the ability to jell quickly. Overall, Iowa has some value at these odds.

Wisconsin (14:1) is learning what life is like in the post Barry Alvarez era. Former defensive coordinator, Bret Bielema has been groomed for the job and is a great recruiter, but the jury is still out on his head coaching ability. Quarterback, John Stocco is back starting for the third year in a row, but the team will really miss running back, Brian Calhoun. The defense has a chance to be very good if they can stay healthy.

Sleeper Selection

Purdue (30:1) has a number of good things going for them. For one, they do not have to play either Michigan or Ohio State. Of course, critics will point out that it was the same case last year and Purdue was just 3-5 in the conference, but this is a better team.

Sophomore quarterback, Curtis Painter is back, and now has some experience in running the spread offense. Painter also has a strong arm to go downfield to a talented group of receivers. The defense has a lot of new starters and not a lot of big names, but they can be better than advertised. Don’t overlook the Boilermakers.


Courtesy of http://sportsedge.vip.com/