University of Minnesota Alumni Association : Gopher Football Preview: Nine Takes on the Big Ten

1 The Year of the Quarterback. For the first time in more than 20 years, the Big Ten will feature nine returning starters at quarterback, including Minnesota’s Bryan Cupito, a third-year starter. Other third-year starters are Drew Tate of Iowa, Chad Henne of Michigan, Drew Stanton of Michigan State, Troy Smith of Ohio State, and John Stocco of Wisconsin. Last season, Cupito ranked fifth among conference QBs in passing efficiency and fourth in passing yards per game.

2 No Dynasty Here. Parity has ruled the Big Ten during the past decade. Since 1996, eight different teams have won the conference title, either outright or as co-champion. (The three teams not on that list are Minnesota, Indiana, and Michigan State.)

3 However. . . . Ohio State returns quarterback Troy Smith and star wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr., and is in prime position to repeat as Big Ten champion. Others likely to be at or near the top of the pile are Iowa, which has emerged as the conference’s most consistent winning team (38 victories in the past four seasons), and Michigan, which underachieved with last year’s 5–3 record. The Gophers are generally considered to be a middle-of-the-pack finisher, but they will exceed those expectations if: the defense is revitalized, Amir Pinnix comes into his own as a running back, and Cupito has the sort of season he’s expecting.

4 Big Ten = Big Time. The Big Ten established a solid presence on the national scene last season. In 2005, co-champions Penn State and Ohio State finished the regular season ranked No. 3 and No. 4 nationally; that was the first time in conference history that two teams have been ranked among the top four teams nationally at the end of the season. Both won major post-season bowl games, making the Big Ten the only conference to rack up multiple major bowl wins in three different years (1999, 2000, and 2005). And Penn State coach Joe Paterno earned national coach-of-the-year honors for taking his Nittany Lions from a ninth place finish in 2004 to a championship the following year.

5 Familiarity Breeds Competition. Eight of the Big Ten’s 11 teams return more than half of their starters from a season ago. Leading the pack is Illinois, where 21 return. Northwestern ranks second with 17, and the Gophers and Michigan each return 16.

6 An Irish September. Big Ten teams will take on Notre Dame, picked to be a top national contender, on four consecutive weekends. The Irish autumn begins on September 9 versus Penn State, followed by Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue.

7 Lombardi Award Watch. Minnesota tight end Matt Spaeth is one of four Big Ten players on the preliminary watch list for the Lombardi Award, given annually to the best lineman in the country. Others are Paul Posluszny and Levi Brown of Penn State and Joe Thomas of Wisconsin.

8 Heisman Trophy Watch. Ohio State wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr., and quarterback Troy Smith are among the pre-season picks to contend for the Heisman trophy, which honors the nation’s top college football player. Other Big Ten players to keep an eye on are Michigan running back Michael Hart and Michigan State quarterback Drew Stanton.

9 Big, Loud Crowds. Big Ten teams occupied three of the top four spots in the final NCAA attendance rankings in 2005. Michigan led the nation with an average of 110,915 people per home game, while Ohio State ranked third with 105,017 and Penn State fourth with 104,859. Minnesota drew an average of 49,025.