Last week, we took a look at our top 10 teams in the nation. This week, we will
keep things closer to home and take a look at the Big Ten.
In addition to
breaking down the Big Ten, we’ll have our No. 7 moment of the year in Penn State
athletics and feature another member of the Class of 2009.
Let’s start
with the Big Ten.
Daryll Clark will be a vital part of the Nittany Lions’ success in 2009.
(Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated).
This week, we will rank the Big Ten, one through 11.
And while Big Ten Media Days are still a couple of weeks away, we’re giving you
a little preview of what to expect when the media’s predictions are released in
Chicago.
1. Ohio State — The Buckeyes’ success will rest squarely on the
shoulders of quarterback Terrelle Pryor. We like Pryor to improve by leaps and
bounds this season, so look for the Bucks to capture the conference title. We
also picked them to finish at No. 6 in the nation, so this is a
no-brainer.
2. Penn State — If not for the question marks along the
offensive line, in the secondary and at wide receiver, we’d take the Nittany
Lions to repeat. But there are just a few too many question marks to do that.
One also has to be concerned about the backup QB spot, should Daryll Clark go
down with an injury.
3. Iowa — Kirk Ferentz saved his job last season,
and the Hawkeyes were playing some of the conference’s best football as the
season concluded. Look for the Hawks to build off that momentum and finish near
the top of the Big Ten standings.
4. Michigan State — A bunch of
no-names, but MSU coach Mark Dantonio is one of the best at making something out
of nothing. The Spartans won’t win the conference, but they will be in the mix
for sure.
5. Wisconsin — The Badgers can’t possibly play any worse than
they did at times last season, can they? Their QB situation will improve and
they will defend Camp Randall better than they did in 2008.
6. Illinois —
Coach Ron Zook is still a masterful recruiter, but until he does something with
all the talent, the Fighting Illini will finish in the middle of the pack in the
conference. Juice Williams is one of the nation’s most overrated players and
will lose some close games for the Illini in 2009.
7. Michigan — While
Rich Rodriguez hasn’t turned the corner just yet, the Wolverines are probably a
season or two away from getting back to the top of the conference. They will be
improved, for sure, but that’s not saying much.
8. Northwestern — One of
the best young coaches in the country, Pat Fitzgerald, the Wildcats seem to feed
off his intensity and really rally around their leader. The Wildcats had no
business having a winning season in 2008, but there they were. Expect more of
the same this year.
9. Minnesota — Tim Brewster says all the right
things, but the Golden Gophers will continue to be one of the cellar dwellars in
the Big Ten. Don’t expect much from this group in 2009.
10. Purdue — The
Boilermakers went 4-8 in Joe Tiller’s last season. New coach Danny Hope doesn’t
have an easy task getting the train turned around, that’s for sure. Could be a
long year for the fans in West Lafayette.
11. Indiana — What can you say
about the Hoosiers? In spite of defensive end Jammie Kirlew, this team is very
much a work in progress. It will take several seasons to build the Hoosiers back
to where they were when Terry Hoeppner was the head man.
Moment No. 7:
Women’s Field Hockey Wins Big Ten Title
The Penn State field hockey team
captured another Big Ten regular season title as it defeated Michigan, 3-0, at
University Park. The victory helped Penn State notch the first title for coach
Char Morett since the 2005 season. Jen Beaumont made nine saves in goal for her
sixth shutout of the season. The women’s field hockey team has now won Big Ten
titles in 1993, 1997, 1998, 2005 and 2008. The Nittany Lions could not duplicate
their success in the Big Ten Tournament, however, as they bowed out to Ohio
State with a loss in sudden-death overtime.
Kevin Newsome will battle walk-on Matt McGloin for the backup QB spot.
(Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated).
Class of 2009: Kevin
Newsome
He made Penn State fans wait anxiously, but Rivals.com four-star
quarterback Kevin Newsome eventually became the face of Penn State’s class of
2009.
Having not recruited a quarterback since Brett Brackett and Pat
Devlin in the class of 2006, the Nittany Lions were in dire need of landing at
least one, if not two, scholarship quarterbacks for the class of
2009.
With Daryll Clark set to graduate after the 2009 season, plus the
defection of Devlin in mid-December, the Lions’ need for a blue chip quarterback
grew even stronger.
Having already made a verbal commitment to Michigan in
April, Newsome re-opened his recruitment in August and looked around, taking
official visits to Boston College (Oct. 31) and Virginia Tech (Nov. 28) before
finally dropping in on Happy Valley the first weekend in
December.
Although the temperatures in State College were frosty for the
weekend, Newsome came away feeling good about the Nittany Lions.
“I’ll
tell you, it was cold man,” he joked following the visit. “Every day up there it
was snowing, but it’s all cool. I didn’t mind. I mean, I was committed to
Michigan and it’s cooler up there. But I really enjoyed the campus, and all the
players were talking to me and introducing themselves, and I look up to all
those guys. But I had fun, it was a good trip.”
After the weekend,
Newsome made the announcement that he would be declaring for the school of his
choice at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 3 in San Antonio.
He
wouldn’t make it that long.
With Devlin’s decision to transfer out of
Penn State on Dec. 10, Newsome needed just six days to make his announcement
that he’d be playing for the Nittany Lions in front of his friends and family.
“My parents and I could already tell how the situation was going to
unfold when Pat Devlin transferred, so we pretty much knew when he left that the
backup spot was open and Daryll Clark was a senior,” Newsome said. “In a perfect
world, that would leave me three years to be the quarterback of Penn State’s
offense.
“It just really came down to where I really felt at home and more
comfortable. I weighed the pros and cons of each situation, and me and my family
prayed about it, and Penn State came out on top.”
Chris Morelli is the
award-winning editor of Blue White Illustrated, a weekly publication devoted to
Penn State athletics. He is also a regular on “Sports Central,” which airs on
ESPN Radio in Altoona and State College. E-mail him at morellionlion@gmail.com. This column
does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of BWI’s writers or
publisher.