2005 Big Ten Football Preview

Ohio State Buckeyes

2004: 8-4, 4-4 Big Ten, fifth place

Coach: Jim Tressel, fifth season, 40-11 at OSU, 167-64-2 lifetime

Player to watch: Rated by scouts as the front-runner for the Butkus Award, senior linebacker A. J. Hawk anchors one of the deepest and best linebacking crews in the nation. Hawk led the Buckeyes in tackles in each of the past two seasons, and as a returning All-American, he will be the defense's on-field leader.

Offense: The offense will go as far as the five guys up front allow. With inexperience at the running back position in sophomore Antonio Pittman, redshirt freshman Erik Haw and true freshman Maurice Wells, the offensive line - which returns four starters, including senior center Nick Mangold - will have the brunt of the pressure on them. Junior wide receiver Santonio Holmes and sophomore stud Ted Ginn Jr. return as possibly the nation's best wideout duo. It will be interesting to see how the quarterback battle unfolds once junior Troy Smith's suspension has been served.  

Defense: The linebacking unit is the strongest position on an intimidating defense. Hawk will be joined by returning seniors Bobby Carpenter, Anthony Schlegel and Mike D'Andrea. With the loss of defensive end Simon Fraser, the linebackers must put it on themselves to lead the defense. The secondary, featuring hard-hitting safety Nate Salley, will be pressured with the loss of captain Dustin Fox. Watch out for lightning fast cornerback Ashton Youboty, who will be counted on to lock down the opposition's best wideout and stepped up at the end of last year. Senior Tyler Everett will start opposite Youboty with junior Donte Whitner at strong safety.

Outlook: It should come as no shock that the Buckeyes have a shot at contending for a title this year. With Ginn becoming more a part of the offense, the Buckeyes look poised to throw the football and put up big numbers. The kicking game Tressel relies on so heavily will feature two new kickers, but this is the most solid team in the Big Ten.

-Jeff Heller

Michigan Wolverines

2004: 9-3, 7-1 Big Ten, first place

Coach: Lloyd Carr, 11th year, 95-29

Will lose to Ohio State: Nov. 19

Player to watch: Sophomore tailback Michael Hart became the third true freshman in Big Ten history to lead the league in rushing last season and finished 10th nationally in rushing yardage. He could be better this year.

Offense: Michigan fans think they have a well-oiled machine with two excellent sophomores, Hart and quarterback Chad Henne, returning as starters in the backfield. Although their offense will be powerful, it might not be as strong as last year. Michigan lost its best offensive weapon, wide receiver Braylon Edwards, to the NFL draft. He was the best receiver in Michigan history and made Henne look good. Senior Steve Breaston will have to pick up the slack, and the Michigan offense will have to what keep the team in games.

Defense: At the end of last year, the Michigan defense was picked apart by two mobile quarterbacks in OSU's Troy Smith and Texas' Vince Young. There might not be any difference this year, as the defense is still a real question mark. Michigan lost cornerback Marlin Jackson and defensive back Ernest Shazor, the team's leading tackler, and might not be able to replace the two. Defensively this team will be in trouble. They are going to have to rely on Hart and Henne to have huge games nearly every game.

Outlook: Michigan's defense is full of question marks, which is a problem because Lloyd Carr is not particularly good at answering questions. This team has enough talent to beat most of the Big Ten, but with the holes in the defense, and the penchant for underachieving Carr's teams have, they will drop a few along the way.

-Jon Knausz

Iowa Hawkeyes

2004: 10-2, 7-1 Big Ten, first place

Coach: Kirk Ferentz, 7th season, 42-31 at Iowa, 54-52 lifetime

Plays Ohio State: Sept. 24

Player to watch: Junior quarterback Drew Tate is arguably the best quarterback in the Big Ten and was named the conference's preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Tate threw for 2,786 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2004. He just makes plays.

Offense: In 2004, the Hawkeyes running backs fell under a curse and were all injured at some point. This year, if senior Marques Simmons can stay healthy, the offense could become one of the best in the Big Ten. In the passing game, Tate's biggest targets will be seniors Ed Hinkel and Clinton Solomon. Hinkel conjures memories of former Hawkeye Tim Dwight and fills highlight reels with his acrobatic catches.

Defense: The big question with the Hawkeye defense will be the defensive line, which lost Matt Roth, Jonathan Babineaux, and Derreck Robinson to the NFL. All four starters this year will be underclassmen. The good news for Iowa is that junior Abdul Hodge and senior Chad Greenway make up one of the best linebacking duos in the country. They will be joined by a strong secondary that features senior cornerbacks Jovon Johnson and Antwan Allen.

Outlook: Kinnick Stadium can be just as intimidating a home field as any other in the Big Ten, especially if the wind is blowing from the direction of any of the nearby hog farms. The Hawkeyes' Oct. 22 game against Michigan will have significant Big Ten championship implications. Ferentz has done great things with this program, and Tate is an incredible player. A Big Ten title would not be a shock.