2007 Big Ten Conference Preview by Marc Lawrence The Big Ten Conference landed three teams in season-ending Top 10 polls in 2006. One of them owns the best record of all teams in the conference the past three years, and it isn’t Michigan or Ohio State. Surprised? We were, too. Here is one handicapper’s take on the Big Ten for 2007. Returning quarterbacks and starters are listed alongside each team’s name. Be sure to check out the rest of my 2007 Conference Previews updated throughout the summer. Enjoy... Illinois: QB, 9 Off, 9 Def For the second straight season, Ron Zook returns a full complement of starters (18) and, should they improve this year like last, they could be the surprise of the Big Ten. Zooker is a champion recruiter of high school talent, and he’s had two powerful classes in the last two years at Illinois. The attack is lead by QB Juice Williams, who rushed for 516 yards, but struggled in the air going 103 for 261. They may pay the price when Michigan invades, however, as Zook actually cast his vote for Florida (not the Wolves) to battle Ohio State in the BCS title game. Lodge members don’t do that sort of thing. Play against Illinois vs. Michigan. Indiana: QB, 8 Off, 8 Def The Hoosiers survived enormous odds last season. For openers, former head coach Terry Hoeppner battled a brain tumor and endured throughout 2006, only to succumb to the dreaded disease this summer. They were the youngest team in the Big Ten, starting 13 true or redshirt freshmen, managing to win three conference games for the first time since 2001. They’ll be the most juvenile squad again in 2007, only this time with playing experience under their belts. All five RB’s and 5 of the top 6 WR’s are back along with PK Austin Starr, good on 12/15 field goals last year (two game winners). A 4-0 start is not outside of the realm of possibility, especially knowing they will be going all out to win one for the Hoepper. Play on Indiana vs. Purdue. Iowa: 6 Off, 8 Def Six losses in their final seven games cost the Hawkeyes a winning season last year. Hence, after going 45-17 the prior five years, Iowa will be a mission team in 2007. They’ll need to rely heavily on Kirk Ferentz’s coaching skills as they were beat up with graduation losses. Gone is QB Drew Tate, a 4-year starter, along with their three most valuable offensive linemen, two key linebackers and both kickers. To top it off they’ll take on seven bowl teams without a wink of rest all season long. Tate’s replacement, sophomore Jake Christensen, put up decent numbers in very limited action going 23 of 35 for 285 yards and 2 touchdowns. Strap on your helmets. Play on Iowa vs. Western Michigan. Michigan: QB, 6 Off, 4 Def The Wolverines just missed a same-season rematch with the Buckeyes in last year’s BCS Championship Game. If not for odd voting peculiarities by Illinois’ Ron Zook (his vote went to Florida) and Ohio State’s Jim Tressel (he abstained from voting at all), Michigan might have been playing for the cheese in Glendale as opposed to smelling the Roses in Pasadena. There won’t be a need to remind coach Lloyd Carr of those indiscretions. “I thought it was real slick,” said Carr afterwards. We do know they faced the second-toughest schedule in the nation last year (by .0137), and the toughest schedule in 2005. They are battled tested and ready to take it out on someone in 2007. Play on Michigan vs. Ohio State (key as an underdog). Michigan State: 6 Off, 6 Def Three straight losing seasons (with decent stats, we might add) signaled the end of the John L. Smith era in East Lansing. Mark D’Antonio appears to be a good hire for the Spartans. With 24 years of college coaching experience, the former Cincinnati head coach and ex-Ohio State & MSU assistant will look to bring consistency back into the program. He will insist his team plays with a passion and a purpose. He’ll also eliminate the spread offense in favor of a more traditional philosophy. Seven home games are appealing. Five road games against five bowl teams are not. Still, they were 3-0 and leading Notre Dame 37-21 last year when the bottom fell out. Play on Michigan State as underdogs vs. Michigan (key off a loss). Minnesota: QB, 6 Off, 9 Def After ten years, and a respectable 64-57 record with Minnesota, former head coach Glen Mason was told the party is over. Mason is second only to Joe Paterno among current Big Ten coaches in career Division 1-A victories, and Minnesota is one of only two teams (Boise State the other) to finish in the Top 35 nationally seven of the last eight seasons in total offense. Mason has been replaced by Tim Brewster, the tight ends coach of the Denver Broncos the past two seasons. We only hope it doesn’t evolve into another Paul Pasqualoni-type situation that has evolved at Syracuse. Brewster will enjoy the luxury of seven home games while taking on seven losing opponents in 2007. That should mix well. Pass. Northwestern: QB, 7 Off, 8 Def Pat Fitzgerald put it best when he stated, “A year ago, Northwestern beat Northwestern.” They turned the ball over five times each game in three losses against bowl teams. They led Michigan State 38-3 before imploding in a stunning 41-38 loss. Fitzgerald instituted a “winning edge winter workout” program resulting in a strong off-season strength-conditioning program. Every starting linemen, plus key reserves, return from a defense that improved dramatically (117 YPG) last season. On the other side of the ball, unsung RB Tyrell Sutton (2,500 rushing yards) returns, along with QB C.J. Bacher. More importantly, all nine assistant coaches are back. Because of seven home games on the slate for the first time in 61 years, the Wildcats are a dangerous sleeper team. Play on Northwestern vs. Michigan State. Ohio State: 4 Off, 5 Def Perhaps the greatest season ever in Ohio State history went down quickly for the Buckeyes last year. Jim Tressel’s troops spent the first twelve weeks of the season ranked No. 1 in the nation, defeating two No. 2 teams (Texas and Michigan) along the way. The lights went out during their shining moment in a head-scratching 27-point loss to Florida in the BCS title game, and, just like that the fervor was gone. That was then and this is now, though, as most of the 75,310 fans in attendance at OSU’s spring game (at $5 per head) were suffering from an acute case of amnesia. A terribly weak schedule serves as the elixir. Play against Ohio State vs. Penn State. Penn State: QB, 8 Off, 6 Def It seems like only yesterday Joe Paterno reeled in the top quarterback prospect in the nation, Pittsburgh native Anthony Morelli. It’s now four years later and the next Dan Marino enters his senior year as perhaps the most disappointing former top quarterback prospect in the land. The only similar taste the two have in common today is mom’s spaghetti dinner. Fortunately, his top three wide receivers are back. Together they’ll need to get on the same page of OC Galen Hall’s playbook. Meanwhile, 80-year old Paterno enters his 57th year on the sidelines in Happy Valley. A top song on the charts the year it all began for Joe Pa was “Rockin’ Chair”, by Fats Domino. What a coincidence! Play on Penn State vs. Notre Dame (key as an underdog. Purdue: QB, 9 Off, 9 Def Despite having to tackle Notre Dame, Ohio State and Michigan three weeks in a row, Joe Tiller is pretty excited about his team’s chances in 2007, and he should be. He returns 54 lettermen, including 18 starters, and plays no back-to-back road games. He’s also excited about opening with Toledo. Excited because the first game Tiller ever coached with the Boilermakers was against the Rockets, a 36-22 loss in the Glass Bowl (his hometown). Purdue performed admirably in their mission year last season, winning eight games before losing to Maryland in the Champs Sports Bowl. The problem is Toledo will also be on a mission this year. Sometimes life is not what it appears on the surface. Play on Purdue vs. Penn State. Wisconsin: 9 Off, 7 Def Here’s a bar bet you will win nearly every time out: Name the team in the Big ten with the best record the last three years. Answer: you’re reading about them. The Wisconsin Badgers, who went 12-1 last season to become the winningest team in school history, and now stand 31-7 over that stretch. They also went 7-0 at Camp Randall Stadium for the first time ever. As a result, second-year coach Bret Bielema was named Big Ten Coach of the Year. Powerful sophomore RB PJ Hill will capture the most attention in 2007, but they will need QB Tyler Donavon to step up and fill the shoes of John Stocco if they wish to stay atop the perch. Set ‘em up, bartender. Play on Wisconsin as an underdog vs. Penn State. Remember to get Marc Lawrence’s Guaranteed College Football Winners this year right here at Vegas Experts, where you only pay after you win! And don’t forget to check out the rest of Marc’s 2007 Conference Previews, with free College Football Picks on nearly every team!