The one thing that separates the three of them is the schedule. Iowa
has the worst schedule. If all three are contenders, Iowa plays both Ohio State
and Penn State away. Penn State is the opposite. It has the best schedule, and
plays Ohio State and Iowa at home. Ohio State plays one at home, one away.
If I'm pressed to pick one, I'll take Penn State, based on having a
returning quarterback (Daryll Clark) and the Big Ten schedule. We still don't
know what (OSU quarterback) Terrell Pryor is going to be like, what the offense
is going to look like.
Iowa, if (quarterback Ricky) Stanzi is going to continue to grow, and I
think they can replace those two middle guys on defense (Mitch King and Matt
Kroul) and if not, with the other nine back, they'll be all right. They have to
replace (Doak Walker winner) Shonn
Green, but with Jewel Hampton and Jeff Brinson, and with Stanzi in the
backfield, that combination can be productive." - Gerry DiNardo of
Big Ten Network
Gerry DiNardo: Penn St. looks to be superior in Big Ten - The Detroit News
It's hard to go against Ohio State, even if you like Penn State, since the Buckeyes have won a share or outright Big Ten title for four straight seasons. The Big Ten Conference returns the Top 4 quarterbacks from '08 in passing efficiency rating. The Top 4 come from Ohio State, Illinois, Penn State and Iowa. Ohio State sophomore Terrelle Pryor lead the Big Ten in passing efficiency in '08.
The bigger question one should ask DiNardo is: What about the O-Line and D-Line at the top schools? Further, defense wins championships more times than not in the Big Ten. While having a quality quarterback, with experience is vital, doesn't the Buckeyes fit that with Pryor coming into his sophomore season too?
Who's off the schedule in 2009 for Big Ten teams:
Penn State: Wisconsin and Purdue
Ohio State: Michigan State and Norhwestern
Illinois: Iowa and Wisconsin
Iowa: Illinois and Purdue
Michigan State: Indiana and Ohio State
Michigan: Minnesota and Northwestern
Northwestern: Michigan and Ohio State
Wisconsin: Illinois and Penn State
Minnesota: Indiana and Michigan
Indiana: Michigan State and Minnesota
Purdue: Penn State and Iowa
Certainly, Penn State is a team that has a nice schedule in 2009 with all four OOC games (Akron, Syracuse, Temple and Eastern Illinois) at home. But, is this really the best team in the Big Ten in '09? They must replace six starters on offense, 7 starters on defense and will break in a freshman placekicker on special teams for '09.
Hey Gerry, is Darryll Clark really the top quarterback in the Big Ten in '09?
peace
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