BTB Roundtable: playing out the string edition.

We haven't been terribly consistent with these roundtables this year, but Michigan blog Maize and Blue Nation has shaken off the disappointment of Michigan's first losing season in decades and has submitted some questions for the group. Check back later in the week for his recap.

1) With two weeks left in the season, it's safe to say that most schools have reached the point where the year has been a success or a disappointment. How has your school fared this year in your opinion? Or, is the jury still out?

A disappointment, indeed. IU's historical track record is what it is, and it's almost always safe to bet against the Hoosiers. Still, with eight home games, one of the easiest schedules of any BCS conference member, and most key players returning from a team that won seven games, I expected IU to at least come close to postseason play. Absent one of the biggest upsets in conference history, IU will lose its eighth game at Penn State on Saturday, and as bad as Purdue is, a loss in Joe Tiller's last home game seems likely. Going 3-9 against one of the weakest schedules in BCS-land is by no means a sign of progress.

2) Is your school heading to a bowl? If so, which one? And if not,WTF?

See above.

3) The Big Ten has recently had a hard time getting respect among the national media as a top conference. Has the Big Ten taken a step forward or a step backward in this debate this season?

I don't know how anyone could make the argument that the Big Ten has taken a step forward this year. The Big Ten played very few top-notch nonconference games, and the only arguably impressive wins were Penn State's whipping of Oregon State and Michigan State's win over a mediocre Notre Dame team. OSU was embarrassed by USC, the aforementioned ND team has two wins against the Big Ten, and decent-but-not-great Cal, Pitt, Missouri, and Oregon all prevailed against what should at least be peer programs. A Penn State win over USC in the Rose Bowl (plus respectable showings against the SEC in Tampa and Orlando) would be the only way to salvage the season in this respect.

4) Would the Big Ten benefit from adding another school to create two divisions like the SEC, Big 12, ACC and MAC? And if so, which school should be added? Or, should we drop one school?

Conference championship games have financial benefits, but also provide a conference's championship contenders one more opportunity to lose a game. I don't think a championship game would solve the Big Ten's current problems, and while I wouldn't be opposed to adding a 12th team, I don't support expansion for the sake of expansion. Notre Dame is the only obvious fit, but has no interest. While the usual suspects such as Missouri, Rutgers, West Virginia, and Syracuse all have positive and negative traits, one school that intrigues me a bit is Kentucky. UK's football program isn't great, but it is well-supported, and the basketball program would be quite an asset to the conference. I'm not necessarily advocating for Kentucky, and don't expect UK would leave the SEC, but I'm at least intrigued, and wanted to mention a school that doesn't usually enter these conversations.

5) Do you agree with President-elect Obama that college football should have an 8 school post-season playoff?

Not really. I would have no problem with an eight game playoff as long as it preserved the bowl system. Such a setup would involve playing the first two rounds at campus sites in early December, playing the championship game at a bowl site, and preserving the rest of the system as it is. Unfortunately, these things take on a life of their own. As soon as we accept an eight team playoff, the teams on the cusp will start clamoring for 16. The importance of the regular season sets college football apart from all other sports. If I thought the playoff would stop at eight games, I would support it, but I think it would be the first step in ruining what makes college football unique and enjoyable.

6a) Who is your favorite network television play-by-play announcer/ color commentator/sideline reporter?

I like Ron Franklin of ESPN for play-by-play, and while I haven't seen him this year, enjoy Bill Curry for color commentary. Verne Lundquist is getting a bit-mistake prone in his old age, but does a good job. Also, I'm really excited that GUS! JOHNSON!! will be joining the Big Ten Network for college basketball coverage. Not as excited as GUS!, but excited nonetheless. GUS! will make every Northwestern-Penn State tilt feel like the Final Four.

BTB Roundtable.

It's been a while, and since I don't have to spend much time breaking down IU's bowl prospects or NCAA Tournament seeding scenarios, here's my contribution. This week, the roundtable is hosted by Nittany Whiteout, who wrote the questions and will be posting a wrap-up later in the week.

1. We're approaching week 9 now, are you pleasantly surprised or already waiting for basketball season?

Heh. Basketball season. I never completely give up on an IU football season, believe it or not. Even a dramatic turnaround wouldn’t be enough to salvage a bowl bid at this point (the trip to Penn State is unwinnable), but with remaining games against Northwestern, Central Michigan, Wisconsin, and at Purdue, IU has a bunch of games that are within the realm of winnability, if the Hoosiers can show even a glimmer of what they had last year. But at this point I’m rooting for improvement. Otherwise, this season is toast.

2. Describe one specific play from this season you would alter for a different outcome if you had the chance to.

IU has been so bad in its losses that it’s hard to target a single play that would have turned a game. Accordingly, I wish Ball State’s Dante Love hadn’t broken his neck in IU’s game against Ball State. In IU’s only reasonably competitive loss, at Minnesota, I would target Kellen Lewis’s fumble deep in Gopher territory and the borderline pass interference call on third and long that extended Minnesota’s game-sealing drive.

3. How could it (#2) possibly impact the way your season is going?

Not very much. IU’s offense has been so inept that I’m not sure the extra chances against Minnesota would have led to anything. Still, 3-4 is much more palatable than 2-5, so if either of those plays had turned that game, I would be able to rationalize for a couple more weeks.

4. Big Ten player you just can't stand, why?

It feels like piling on given the way his season has gone, but I have never bought in to the Curtis Painter hype. Has he ever had a good game against a good team? His position in the Big Ten and Purdue record books is an affront to history.

5. Booing your own team (we've seen quite a lot of this across the Big Ten this season), your feelings on this.

Generally, I don’t approve. Occasionally, as a spontaneous outburst of disapproval over a particularly awful performance by a team that should do better (e.g., Ohio State trailing Ohio at the half), I can live with it. I don’t approve of picking on a clearly overmatched team or turning a particular player into a whipping boy. Perhaps the worst example I have ever seen was in 1992, my freshman year of college. Trent Green, after a strong junior season, struggled as a senior. He was having a particularly rough game against Iowa that year on what happened to be Parents Weekend. At halftime, IU introduced the seniors parents, and a minority, but sizeable enough to be heard, booed his parents. Green, who still is in the NFL 16 years later and is the only legitimate NFL starting QB that IU has ever produced, got the last laugh, but it was a low moment, and illustrates just how petty and wrongheaded booing can be. Green was great as a junior, so unless he suddenly forgot how to play, other factors must have led to his subpar senior season. Yet, the backup QB was the most popular guy on the team that year.

BTB Roundtable, week 3.

I'll play, even though IU doesn't this week. This week's host is Maize-n-Brew.

1. We're two weeks in and everyone in the Big Ten, minus the two Michigan schools and Illinois, are undefeated. This week marks the end of your early "tune-up" or serious OOC play. Are you satisfied with the way your team has played against the cupcakes on your schedule, or happy with the way they've competed against serious competition?

I’m reasonably satisfied, although we haven’t learned much about IU’s team. After the week 1 win over Western Kentucky, I was content but mildly disappointed with some aspects of the performance. In week 2, IU obliterated Murray State, one of the worst teams in I-AA. The absence of a blowout would have been cause for concern, but the occurrence doesn’t tell us much. Ask me two weeks from now after we play Ball State (never thought I would say that).

2. You knew this was coming. This week's OMG Game of teh Century!!!!1!!1!! until next week's OMG Game of teh Century!!!!1!!1!! is Ohio State versus Southern Cal. Who are you pulling for and why? Further, if you're pulling for one particular team tell me why they'll win, or won't. If you're like me and will be attempting to cure a sunburn from over exposure to the sun during the Michigan Notre Dame game by drinking large quantities of whiskey instead of watching the game, state your excuse.

I’m pulling for Ohio State. I’m not one to feel obligated to root for a Big Ten team, but I loathe USC and think OSU’s scheduling of this game sets a good example for other programs.

3. Besides the above mentioned Game of the Century, there are actually some decent match ups this week in the Big Ten. Purdue v. Oregon; Wisconsin v. Fresno State; Michigan v. Notre Dame; Michigan State v. Florida Atlantic; or Iowa v. Iowa State. I said decent. I didn't say they were all good. Pick the best game from that group, pick the worst game from that group, and Minnesota and Illinois bloggers must post an apology for scheduling Montana State and Louisiana Lafayette respectively.

Oregon v. Purdue intrigues me. I don’t have any real sense of how good either team is or who is going to win. A three touchdown blowout in either direction would not surprise me. Michigan State v. FAU is the worst game on paper, even given MSU’s historical penchant for playing to the competition.

4. Out of Conference scheduling is always something that draws the ire of journalists and bloggers alike. You all know how weak your OOC really is. Admit it. You're sad. So fix it. Pick two teams out of conference you really wish your school would schedule. Nursing colleges and the Center for Veterinary Sciences are verboten. Pick two major conference middle to heavy weights or two heavy weight non-BCS conference programs to add to the schedule. (Please note you get to keep your two patsies per season).

I really can’t dodge this one. IU’s non-conference schedule is awful this year, although I don’t necessarily think a program with IU’s recent history should be a leader in schedule strength. I would love to see IU resume the series with Kentucky, which was played sporadically in the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s and then every season from 1987 through 2005. While UK’s football program is ahead of IU’s right now, historically, the schools have similar football and basketball histories, geographic proximity, and an already existing basketball rivalry. Neither school will admit canceling the series, but it should resume. While I hate to focus on SEC cellar-dwellers, I also would consider adding Vanderbilt. Vandy has improved in recent years, the two schools are close enough that either might travel moderately well to the other, and Nashville would be a nice road trip destination. I realize that this wouldn’t create a murderer’s row, but I do think that IU needs to ramp up the difficulty of its schedule gradually, not immediately.

5. All college football fans love to tailgate. Even you, you mothers' basement dwelling bloggers, you. Name your beverage of choice on game days. Alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage, your readers need to these things about you, to judge you. Confirm all their suspicions.

My beer of choice for tailgating generally will come from the "not expensive but not Bud/Miller/Coors" category. Beers like Newcastle, Blue Moon, and Killian’s are more substantial than the American piss-brews mentioned above, but they don’t have the price tag or alcohol content that might preclude drinking several.

BTB Roundtable, week 2.

As was the case last season, various blogs are "hosting" roundtables in which a multitude of us answer the same set of questions. This week's host is Iowa blog Black Heart Gold Pants, which is a worthwhile read anyway, but be sure to check there for a recap.

1. Week 1's in the books. What surprised you about your team? Are you optimistic? Disappointed? (NOTE: Purdue does not apply here, so these fans must talk about Wake Forest instead)

I’m ever so slightly on the pessimistic side because I saw some problems that plagued last year’s team: failure to finish off an inferior opponent, Marcus Thigpen’s ineffectiveness running between the tackles, big passing yardage allowed to a less talented team, and so on. Still, it was an opener and IU was never seriously threatened after taking a 17-0 lead. I’m not terribly pessimistic, but I don’t know anything about IU other than what I knew last week. A 50-0 win would have been nice. A loss or close game would have been a disaster. 31-13? Eh.

2. Beanie Wells' foot is definitely the top story in the conference. What's #2?

I think that Michigan’s loss to Utah probably ranks as story #2, given how rare it is for Michigan to lose a home game to an opponent of that stature, or at least how rare it used to be. Also, Juice Williams passed for 450 yards. I didn’t think he could do that even in practice.

3. Admit it: you loathe DickFraudROFL (né Rich Rodriguez), but when Michigan scored that last touchdown, you were rooting for them to make the 2-pt. conversion.

I will admit neither. I have no problem with Rodriguez, a successful and innovative coach who seems like a decent guy. I was never a big fan of the Cult of Schembechler, so the clean break from that coaching legacy actually makes Michigan less annoying.

I wasn’t watching the game Saturday, but if I had been, I would have been rooting for Utah. In the abstract, I want the Big Ten to do well in non-conference games and bowl games, but I don’t take that to the extreme of actively rooting for teams that I don’t like or rooting against interesting upsets. Life is too short to root for Michigan over Utah.

4. Is this weekend's slate of games actually less interesting than last week's?

I’m not sure if you mean the national slate or the Big Ten slate, but the answer to both is "yes." The first Saturday of the season is always fun, even if there aren’t loads of competitive games, but last week’s slate included some quality matchups. This week, no ranked team plays another ranked team. As for the Big Ten, the only two matchups between BCS conference opponents are Penn State-Oregon State and Duke-Northwestern, neither of which will be confused with USC-Ohio State. Minnesota-Bowling Green probably is the most interesting matchup, and that’s pretty damning.

5. Don't you hate pants?

Yes.

BTB Roundtable.

This week's host is the Big Ten Chronicle.

1. Every year we hear that the quality of play in the Big Ten is "down" and that the conference as a whole is "weak". This season most pundits would consider the Pac 10 or SEC as superior conferences. Give your best argument for the over strength of the Big Ten and evaluated how your team would be doing if they were placed in either the Pac 10 or the SEC.

I tend to think that the SEC is tougher, top to bottom than the Pac-10. As others have noted, the Pac-10 has some good teams but has four doormats. IU's best-case record in the Big Ten is 4-4 against a schedule that didn't include OSU or Michigan. Against the Pac-10 round robin schedule, I feel confident that IU would be no worse than 4-5. The SEC is tougher, and IU's record would vary greatly depending on the schedule.

2. Pick your team's Most Valuable Player to date and tell us why he should be in consideration for Big Ten Player of the Year.

I'll vote for James Hardy. But for his recent turnover problems, I would suggest Kellen Lewis. Hardy is third in the conference in receiving yards and leads the conference with 13 receiving touchdowns. He should be considered for BTPOY because not only is he very productive individually, his presence changes the way teams defend IU and creates opportunity for other players.

3. Sure it's the time of year that has most fans looking ahead to Bowl games, but we covered that last week. Plus, basketball season has officially begun! If you plan on covering basketball, give a brief analysis on your team and how far they will go in this year's postseason (Final 4, Sweet 16, NIT, friend's couch, etc.).

I am covering basketball. IU currently is ranked in the low end of the top ten (9th in both major polls) and prognosticators are uniformly picking IU and MSU to finish 1-2 in the conference. Some have IU on top, others MSU, but the consensus says that those are the top two. While enthusiasm has been dampened a bit by the new telephone call allegations, I think that IU fans will really like this team. IU returns some key players from last season, most notably DJ White, and adds a bunch of newcomers, including top recruit Eric Gordon and juco transfer Jamarcus Ellis, both of whom will likely start. This is the deepest and most talented IU team in years, and I think IU fans will be somewhat disappointed in anything but a trip to the Final Four.

Bonus Question:It's time again for annual "rip on the BCS" party! In your opinion, what is the best way for college football to determine its National Championship?Current BCS system, current system plus one, 16-team playoff, 4-team playoff, something totally cool I've never even thought of before?

I would create an eight team playoff. Regardless of conference affiliation, I would create a playoff of the top 8 teams in the BCS standings. I would require all regular season play, including conference championship games, to conclude by the Saturday after Thanksgiving. On the first Saturday in December, the Saturday now reserved for the conference championship games, I would play the four first-round playoff games on the campus of the higher seeded team. Seeds could be adjusted by one spot to avoid conference matchups in the first round. Here is how last season's first round would have looked:

Noon: (6) Louisville at (3) Michigan

4 p.m. (regional or competing coverage): (7) Wisconsin at (2) Florida; (8) Boise St. at (1) Ohio State

8 p.m.: (5) USC at (4) LSU.

The next weekend, the two semifinal games would be played, also on the home field of the higher ranked team. If the first round went to form, that would have been LSU at Ohio State and Michigan at Florida. The championship game would be played as it is now, at the end of bowl season, and bowl bids would then be allocated as they are now.

Here's why I like this proposal.

• An eight team field is large enough to encompass every team with a plausible claim to be best in the nation, but it's small enough that every team in the field has had an outstanding season. It wouldn't cheapen the regular season in any significant way.
• Playing the games on campus deals with a couple of problems with many playoff proposals. First, it rewards the very best teams by giving them an advantage in the earlier rounds, further preserving the sanctity of the regular season. Second, it ensures full stadiums and good crowds for the playoff games. The proposals for multi-round playoffs at neutral sites strikes me as unrealistic--even considering the size of the fan bases involved, will people really travel to all corners of the country three weeks in a row? Either the games won't sell out or they largely will be attended by "neutrals." Finally, it creates interesting matchups of the sort that are becoming increasingly uncommon in the current scheduling climate. Michigan at the Swamp! LSU at the Horseshoe! USC under the lights in Baton Rouge! This would be compelling stuff, much more compelling than USC-LSU in front of 50,000 mostly indifferent fans at Ford Field.
• Many proposals suggest scrapping the bowl system entirely. That is never, ever going to happen. Currently, something like 50 schools play in bowl games. It's too late to adopt a system in which only 4, 8, 12, 16, even 24 teams play in the postseason.

BTB Roundtable.

Buckeye Lane hosts the Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable this week.

1) With the Big Ten season about to be wrapped up, it is a little easier to predict what Bowl games are possible for your school. Tell me what Bowl games would interest you as a fan. Where do you want to go? More importantly, who do you want to play?

Fourteen years removed from our last bowl bid, I'm in no position to pick and choose. Of the Big Ten tie-ins, I would prefer any of the bowls that are actually south of Bloomington. I have a philosophical difference with the Big Ten concerning the Motor City Bowl. I don't know if it's in the best interest of a middle-of-pack Big Ten program to go to Detroit and risk losing a bowl to a MAC team. And no, I'm not tempting fate by dissing the MAC three days before IU plays Ball State. I respect the MAC. I love the MAC. I know the MAC is a good conference and that the champion always is a quality team. But in terms of recruiting perception, would you rather sell a program that lost to Mississippi in the Mobile Bowl or a program that lost to Central Michigan in the Motor City Bowl? Still, given my circumstances this year, the Motor City Bowl is the only bowl I might be able to attend, so I'll take it either way.

2) In honor of Black Shoe Diaries’ question about the Big Ten Moron Coach of the Year Award. Tell me who is the most disappointing player in the Big Ten this season. Also, tell me who is the most disappointing on your team.

It may not be fair to pick on a freshman pressed into service unexpectedly, but Ryan Mallett hasn't looked all that impressive. He certainly has time, and wouldn't be the first great quarterback to look bad as a freshman, but in a non-trivial 102 attempts, Mallett has completed only 48 percent of his passes. For reference, Isiah Williams is completing 54 percent of his passes.

On the IU side, this has been a solid season so far, and no player has been a disappointment. I'm a little disappointed that Marcus Thigpen, who last season led the nation in kickoff returns with 30.1 yards per return and three TDs, hasn't taken one to the house yet. I don't consider Thigpen a disappointment, to be clear--return touchdowns are hit-and-miss. Hopefully he's saving one for the Bucket game.

3) Ohio State is rumored to be building a giant buckeye nut outside the football stadium. This will lead to the new tradition of “rubbing the nut.” I’m sure Michigan fans will use that against us. I know it is pretty late to start new traditions in the Big Ten, but pitch me a new tradition idea for your school.

You serious, Clark? A big nut? The nut-head with arms and legs isn't enough? IU already has "The Rock" for pregame rubbing purposes. It may sound trite, but I would prefer to add winning games and filling the stadium as IU traditions before adding anything else.

BONUS ROUND- You are a big-fight promoter - Talk up your team’s mascot and how/why they could kick the living crap out of any opposing team’s mascot - inspired by Oregon’s mascot. Now you’re an agent - Convince me that you have the top 2008 NFL Draft pick on your team.

Ah, the mascot question. IU doesn't have one, of course. We used to, for a short while, but he was widely ridiculed and retired quickly. Meet "Hoosier Pride," whose head still lurks somewhere in the basement of Assembly Hall:

IU also has used a white bison as a mascot at times. A few years ago, when IU commissioned an expensive study concerning "identity" (a study that did produce some logo and color uniformity), there was talk of a new mascot. The best side effect of that story was that Andy Katz, not realizing the difference between a "nickname" and a "mascot," reported that IU was going to replace the "Hoosiers" name. But I digress. To the extent that IU has a mascot, it's "The Rock."

Whatever you might think of this tradition, a three ton hunk of Indiana limestone could kick anything's ass.

As for the 2008 NFL Draft, James Hardy, a 6-7 reciever with blazing speed, basketball experience, good hands, and a mean streak. I'm as confident of Hardy's success as I am of any other potential draftee from the Big Ten.

BTB Roundtable: wishful thinking.

Pretend for a moment you're the little Japanese guy on Heroes. You can close your eyes, clench your fists, crap your pants and go back in time. If you could go back and change one play for your team this season, what would it be?

I don't have to go back too far for this one. I would have Tracy Porter field that punt on the 30. With less than two minutes remaining and trailing Penn State, Porter allowed a fieldable punt to bounce to the 5. There's no guarantee that IU would have won, but some field position might have put PSU on its heels a bit.

We're now two-thirds of the way through the season. Everyone likes to debate who will be the Big Ten Coach of the Year. I want to know which Big Ten coach is a complete moron that should be demoted back to fullbacks coach on a team that runs the spread offense?

Kirk Ferentz. Just a few years ago, the Hawkeyes appeared to be headed for national prominence. Instead, a year after a 2-6 Big Ten finish, Iowa likely will miss a bowl game entirely, has been blown out by IU and Purdue, and gifted a horrible Iowa State team its only win. I haven't studied the Iowa situation in detail, and as long as they provide IU an opportunity to climb out of the cellar, I don't care why it has happened, but Iowa's decline was a terrible waste of resources and momentum.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife. But the Bible doesn't say anything about your rival. Which current Big Ten player do you most wish played for your team?

As I have noted on many occasions, I'm a big fan of Bryan Payton and think that Marcus Thigpen can add another dimension to IU's offense. While I'm tempted to select a run-stopping DT, if IU could throw Mike Hart in the backfield with Kellen Lewis, the run defense wouldn't matter.

Bonus Question
It's probably too early to start thinking about next year. Well, unless you're Minnesota in which case you've been thinking about next year for a month or so already. Assess your team's future. Was this year your chance to make a run or is this just a rebuilding year with greater expectations in 2008? Or do you plan to suck in 2008 just as much as you suck now?

This question is nearly impossible for an IU fan to answer. Even though we seem likely to end our 13 year bowl drought, we really have no idea who will coach this team next year. One of the reasons I wouldn't mind seeing Bill Lynch get a long-term deal is because of the potential of next year's team. Certainly, IU will lose some important players: James Hardy will almost certainly enter the NFL Draft, Tracy Porter, DL Joe Kremer, OL Charlie Emerson, but ultimately, IU returns a ton of players. Certainly, we haven't seen what Kellen Lewis can do without Hardy, but IU has a deep and talented receiving corps. Plus, the schedule is likely to be easy again: the non-conference schedule will be BCS-free, and we don't play OSU or Michigan. But for all we know, it could be a rebuilding year with a new coach.

BTB Roundtable: roundup.

I'm glad that my questions spurred some good discussion, but I didn't provide much opportunity for sound bytes. Right now, the real world beckons, but I'll get back later this afternoon or this evening to post some highlights. For now, here are links to all of the responses. If I missed anyone, drop me an e-mail or a comment.

Maize-n-Brew

Michigan Sports Center

Paging Jim Shikenjanski

Gopher Nation

Lake the Posts

Buckeye Blog

Black Shoe Diaries

The Nittany Line

There is no Name on my Jersey

Off the Tracks

Evening edit: here are some highlights:

1. Call your shot. We are halfway through the Big Ten season (or, at least, most of us are). What will be your team's final record? Where, if anywhere, will your team be spending late December/early January? Who will win the Big Ten?

Maize-n-Brew breaks it down game by game, and says the Wolverines will be undefeated in the Big Ten when they play OSU and will play on January 1. MSC is slightly less optimistic, listing 9-3 as the best case scenario and 7-5 as the worst.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, PJS acknowledges that tomorrow's game against North Dakota State is likely the Gophers' last win of the season. He likes Michigan to win the Big Ten, given OSU's tough road route through Ann Arbor and State College. Gopher Nation acknowledges the bad news and hopes for recruiting success. He says that Ohio State will win it.

LTP says the Wildcats will rally to finish 7-5, and will finish the season in Ford Field, where they are playing Eastern Michigan as I write this post. He says Michigan will defend its home field against the Buckeyes and win the Big Ten.

The Buckeye Blog is very, very confident that Ohio State will run the table. I'm almost afraid to disagree.

BSD, while expressing the requisite concern about Morelli, says PSU will win out and finish second in the conference to Michigan. Nittany Line says second at 9-3, while There is no Name on my Jersey is with BSD.

Off the Tracks sticks with his prediction of 9-3 for the Boilers, and picks OSU.

2. How is your team's coaching situation? Clearly, this varies from school to school, with some coaches approaching retirement (Carr/Paterno), some who are just starting out (Brewster/Fitzgerald), the unique case of Bill Lynch, and others who seem to be in their primes. If your coach is on the tail end of his career, where do you see things going from here? If he's still early in his tenure, any buyer's remorse? If he's in he's somewhere in the middle, are you happy or wishing things would go a different direction? How does your view correspond to the "majority" view among your school's fans?

Maize-n-Brew endorses the conventional wisdom that Carr will be gone regardless. If that results in Michigan's first true coaching search in nearly 40 years, that will be something to see. MSC entertains the idea that Carr could be back if Michigan finishes strong, but also endorses an outside search.

From the end of the road to the beginning: PJS isn't giving up on Tim Brewster yet, but notes:

I will say though that I'm somewhat troubled at the fact that Brewster doesn't seem to be an offensive or defensive guru. He was a tight ends coach and recruiter. He cedes all play calling to coordinators Everett Withers and Mike Dunbar. On Saturdays, I'd like to see Brewster take a little more control over the games.

Gopher Nation has this to say:

He uses words like passionate and tremendous each and every time that he has a microphone in front of him. And everything that happens to this team is "positive". Like I said, this is rubbing some people the wrong way. From day 1 he was talking about winning and winning now. So people were expecting that NOW. There have been growing pains and Brewster's initial optimism has set him up for people to be disappointed.

LTP is bullish on Pat Fitzgerald:

I look at this as a undervalued blue chip stock with consistent return on investment once it gets out of start-up mode and into growth mode. His passion, enthusiasm and character are the perfect fit for the program. As he matures, his coach speak will likely transition into more genuine, less drill-sargeanty language and make him even more likeable to newcomers.

...but notes that NU fans will expect some staff changes in the offseason.

There's no coach in the Big Ten, perhaps no coach in the country, as secure as Jim Tressel, and the comments of the Buckeye Blog reflect that.

BSD predicts that Paterno will be back for one more year, and has some interesting speculation on the replacement. The Nittany line wants to see JoePa leave after a title. Jersey says JoePa should leave on his own timetable, period.

Off the Tracks acknowledges Tiller's success but hopes for a smooth transition sooner rather than later. Personally, I would love to see Purdue handle it just like the basketball situation, but I can imagine why Purdue fans wouldn't go along.

BONUS BASKETBALL QUESTION: If you plan to cover basketball, give us a brief outlook for your team. Who is your best player? What do you expect from the team?

Maize-n-Brew is all in for basketball, and looking forward to John Beilein's approach. MSC says:

I just want to see the players do their best and not look lost out there. Before with Tommy Amaker, it would look like players weren't even coached and weren't ready to play, but now with Beilein, I expect to see improvement in each game as the season goes on.

Wouldn't seem too much to ask, would it? It's a sad year for the rest of the Big Ten. We loved Amaker.

It's a new day all around in Minneapolis. PJS notes that the talent level is down, but optimism high with Tubby Smith in town. With the same infectuous optimism that caused him to predict a Gopher blowout win in Bloomington, Gopher Nation says that Tubby's boys will sneak into the field of 65. Is is possible that GN is Tim Brewster?

You know, I tried to be sporting about OSU's run to the final game on the backs of two recruits from the heart of Indiana. Hell, I wouldn't blame anyone for running away from Mike Davis. Still, there was something wrong about seeing two football schools square off for the NCAA title, as if the fans didn't quite appreciate it. The Buckeye Blog seemed almost offended that I brought up basketball, days after practice began and just a couple of weeks before the exhibition games begin. Sigh.

BSD notes that last year was a big step back for Penn State, and that a postseason bid may be required to save DeChellis's job. Nittany Line hopes for a NIT bid.

Off the Tracks has lots to say about Purdue's impressive incoming recruits, and is looking a couple of years down the road already.

BTB Roundtable: my answers.

1. Call your shot. We are halfway through the Big Ten season (or, at least, most of us are). What will be your team's final record? Where, if anywhere, will your team be spending late December/early January? Who will win the Big Ten?

I think that IU will finish 7-5 (3-5 in the conference). IU will beat Ball State and I think the Hoosiers will win at Northwestern. An IU win is possible in any of the other three Big Ten games (Penn State, @ Wisconsin, Purdue) and a loss is possible at Northwestern and remotely possible against Ball State. I wish I could say that I saw more wins, and I hope the Hoosiers start proving me wrong tomorrow. Ohio State will run the table and win the conference.

That makes the bowl scenario interesting. I did a quick run through the remaining Big Ten schedule, and the most likely scenario gives the Big Ten nine bowl eligible teams. Only Minnesota's cause seems hopeless. Further, ten seems more likely than eight. Under my scenario, IU would be bowl eligible, but behind OSU, Michigan, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan State, and ahead of Northwestern. Of that group, only Northwestern is less of an attendance draw than the Hoosiers. Considering that the Big Ten has only seven tie-ins, this scenario probably would place the Hoosiers wherever some other conference can't provide an eligible team.

Buckeye fans won't want to hear this, but the best bowl outcome for the conference would be for Michigan (presuming Michigan enters the Big Game with no more than one conference loss) to beat an undefeated Ohio State team. OSU is the only Big Ten team that could qualify for a BCS at large spot, and that would move all the other Big Ten teams up a rung and would guarantee eight bowl berths for the conference.

2. How is your team's coaching situation? Clearly, this varies from school to school, with some coaches approaching retirement (Carr/Paterno), some who are just starting out (Brewster/Fitzgerald), the unique case of Bill Lynch, and others who seem to be in their primes. If your coach is on the tail end of his career, where do you see things going from here? If he's still early in his tenure, any buyer's remorse? If he's in he's somewhere in the middle, are you happy or wishing things would go a different direction? How does your view correspond to the "majority" view among your school's fans?

Bill Lynch's circumstances are unique in recent history. IU has eschewed the interim label, but clearly, that's what he is. It seems likely that IU will be bowl eligible for the first time in 13 years, but it's possible that bowl eligible will be of the 6-6(2-6) variety against a schedule that did not include the conference's likely champion and runner-up. Is that the sort of performance that jusitifes a long-term deal for a coach who once was fired by Ball State? My sincere hope is that Lynch will take the decision out of IU's hands by winning eight or nine games, but that won't be easy. There seems to be quite a split among IU fans on this issue. Some have raised the specter of Mike Davis, although I think that's unfair: Lynch is a competent, classy guy who loves IU and has spent 15 years as a college head coach. He many not be the right guy, but he's not over his head. Others have contended from the beginning that Lynch should be hired. I think I'm closer to the latter group than the former. If Lynch gets to 7-5 (3-5), I would give him the job for the long term, given the uncertainties of finding a coach who can win at IU and who wants the job. IU has some nice talent on hand and a well-regarded staff, so unless the bottom falls out, I would be inclined to give Lynch a shot.

BONUS BASKETBALL QUESTION: If you plan to cover basketball, give us a brief outlook for your team. Who is your best player? What do you expect from the team?

It hasn't been a good week for the IU basketball program, but following the lead of Sampson's press conference last week, I'm here to discuss the team, not the sanctions. I and most IU fans expect a return to national prominence this season. I'm not going to throw down arbitrary benchmarks like "Big Ten championship" or "Final Four." MSU is tough, and anything can happen in the tournament. I do expect, on March 1, that the Hoosiers will be among the ten or twelve teams considered legitimate contenders for the NCAA championship. Anything less will be a disappointment. Clearly, DJ White is IU's best returning player, and Eric Gordon is IU's most heralded recruit since Jared Jeffries. One guy to watch out for is Juco transfer Jamarcus Ellis. Ellis was a top 20-type kid as a high school recruit, and with AJ Ratliff academically ineligible for the first semester, he could be a key to non-conference success.

Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable questions, Week 8.

After such a wonderful weekend for the IU athletic department, how fortuitous that this is my week to host the Big Ten Bloggers' Roundtable. For those of you who haven't noticed, check the feed on the left and the blogroll on the right for quality comentary from the perspective of other schools.

I apologize for the delay, but here are this week's questions:

1. Call your shot. We are halfway through the Big Ten season (or, at least, most of us are). What will be your team's final record? Where, if anywhere, will your team be spending late December/early January? Who will win the Big Ten?

2. How is your team's coaching situation? Clearly, this varies from school to school, with some coaches approaching retirement (Carr/Paterno), some who are just starting out (Brewster/Fitzgerald), the unique case of Bill Lynch, and others who seem to be in their primes. If your coach is on the tail end of his career, where do you see things going from here? If he's still early in his tenure, any buyer's remorse? If he's in he's somewhere in the middle, are you happy or wishing things would go a different direction? How does your view correspond to the "majority" view among your school's fans?

BONUS BASKETBALL QUESTION: If you plan to cover basketball, give us a brief outlook for your team. Who is your best player? What do you expect from the team?

BTB Roundtable, week 7.

1. We’re halfway through the season. Practically the entire national media has declared that the Big Ten is having a down year. Is this cyclical, or is the conference actually becoming less and less relevant? What is your team doing to enhance or destroy the conference’s reputation?

What is IU doing to destroy the conference's reputation? Winning. Every article about the Big Ten's supposed decline says something to the effect of, "Illinois and Indiana are 5-1, the Big Ten can't be any good!" You'll have to excuse me if, after 12 straight losing seasons, I don't particularly care how bad (in reality or perception) the Big Ten is as long as IU ends up with a good record and a bowl invite to somewhere other than Detroit.

2. Illinois is winning football games. Football games! Illinois! How much longer will we have to put up with this crap?

As impressive as the Illini have been so far against Big Ten competition, such as it is, I really don't think they are going to the BCS. I think Michigan and Ohio State are going to beat them, and in the BTB Pick'em I predict that the Illini will lose at Iowa this weekend. That still would put the Illini at 8-4 (5-3), and that looks like the worst case. If Zook could sell five-star recruits on his program when he was going 2-10, I would imagine he will continue to do so now that he can point to some success. I'm not ready to proclaim the Illini a conference power, but I think we need to accept that Illinois likely is going to be a fixture in the top half of the conference standings for a while.

3. I’m a man! I’m 32! For you, fair Big Ten Blogger, where does the line get drawn when, as Sunday Morning QB eloquently states, “second-guessing the split-second decisions of college kids under extreme physical duress”? Hypothetically speaking, would you settle for saying that your underwhelming quarterback “simply isn’t performing well and needs to be replaced”, or would you call him “a functional retard that is one drool cup shy of riding the short bus to practice”?

It's a tough call. While not children, college football players are young adults who aren't necessarily used to the spotlight. I try to be fair, and really consider the form and substance of any criticism I direct toward IU players. I got a nice lesson in this in August, when a former IU player sent me a nastygram about my less-than-charitable appraisal of his career. In retrospect, he was correct, and so I try to keep that in mind whenever I post something critical. In that case, there was nothing wrong with the form or tone of my statement--it simply wasn't an accurate description of his career. Frankly, I'm a much bigger offender regarding other teams' players, such as Isiah Williams, the Illini's direct-snap tailback who sometimes tries to throw the football.

On the other hand, I don't think that college football players should be off-limits. They do receive a free education merely because psychos like us care deeply about the outcome of college football games. Some of them will become ultra-rich professional players or coaches, again, merely because of the strange phenomenon of the sports fan. It's natural that passion for sports will have negative as well as positive aspects, and I think any criticism that you would be able to defend (reasonably, not successfully) to a player or his mother is fair game.

4. Finally, a quick two-part question. Which player or players on your team have you been pleasantly surprised with this season, and what is the most important game remaining on your schedule?

Unquestionably, the defensive line. IU sacked the quarterback only 13 times last season. This year, IU leads the nation with over 29 sacks. A couple of years ago, Greg Middleton, who had verbally committed to Purdue, changed his mind and elected to attend IU, apparently in large part because we wanted to play defensive end instead of DT. In response, Joe Tiller publicly attacked the kid's character, although I cannot find the specific quotes at the moment. Today? DE Middleton is second in the NCAA with 10 sacks and returned a fumble for a touchdown against Western Michigan. Good for him.

The most important game? I would say it's Penn State. Cliche and tradition would suggest that I should say Purdue, and unquestionably, that is a big game every season, and the game will have significant bowl implications for both teams. Still, the Penn State game has potential to be a springboard for the program. If IU beats MSU on Saturday, IU will be 6-1 for the first time since 1993, and based upon the votes received this week, likely will be ranked in one or more polls for the first time since September 1994. IU has never defeated Penn State, despite some close calls, including a 38-31 loss in IU's first trip to Happy Valley in 1993 (the last time IU played a game with any legitimate Big Ten title aspirations), a 27-24 loss in 2000 in a game that IU inexplicably moved to the RCA Dome, and a 22-18 loss in the last meeting in 2004 (in Bloomington), a battle for the cellar in which IU couldn't get in the end zone despite first and goal from the one. (I won't raise the ire of PSU fans by calling the 35-29 loss in 1994 a "close call." That game, in which a couple of garbage time scores cost PSU the #1 ranking and ultimately a national title, was neither as close as the final score would suggest nor as much of a convincing beatdown as Penn State fans would have you believe). but I digress. A win over Penn State would be a boon for attendance, publicity, recruiting, and IU's bowl fortunes in a way that even a Bucket game win (which would be the last game of the season) could not provide.

BTB Roundtable, Week 6.

To the dozens of you who regularly stop by, sorry for the dearth of commentary here lately. A personal trip plus lots of work commitments have me on the run this week. The Hoosiers do have a game this week, and a damn important one. I'll get into that later, hopefully tonight, but for now it's on to the Roundtable.

1. You know what? Screw your team. I hate your team right now; I'm an Iowa fan, and I have anger in my heart. Name your top conference rival, and assess their season to date. If you haven't played them yet (and I don't think anyone has), how are you going to do when that fateful day comes?

Purdue is IU's top conference rival, although it hasn't been much of a rivalry lately. Purdue has won 10 of 11 during the Tiller era, and seven of Purdue's wins have been embarrassing blowouts. Clearly, the Boilers have done as much as could be expected so far. They have won all of their games comfortably, although a home game against a historically awful Notre Dame team probably is the Boilers' biggest test to date. Purdue's offense has been very productive this season. The Boilers lead the Big Ten in nearly every meaningful offensive category. Defensively, Purdue isn't as bad as last season, but still has allowed more yards per game than any Big Ten team other than Minnesota. Curtis Painter has been much better this season. Last year he generated a ton of yards, breaking some school or Big Ten or NCAA record, but was fairly erratic. This season, he has 18 TDs to only 3 interceptions. He has completed about 67 percent of his passes. On the other hand, two of his interceptions game in the last game, against ND, so again, it's not clear to what degree Painter and the Boilers have been tested. Still, 5-0. Can't do any better than that.

The Hoosiers had a golden opportunity last season to win at West Lafayette for the first time since 1996, but IU couldn't come through despite Curtis Painter's five interceptions in that game. As noted above, Painter appears to be better this season, but we will know more this week. As impressive as Purdue looks right now, they look about like they looked at this point in 2004, a season in which Purdue ended up 6-5. Of course, in 2004 that ultimately unremarkable Purdue team saved its bowl streak by hanging about 200 points and 3,000 yards on IU in Gerry Dinardo's last game. My point? This appears to be IU's best team in years, but I know better than to predict victory for IU against a Tiller-coached team. I wouldn't be surprised if IU wins, but I wouldn't bet on it.

2. If your season to date was an album (or CD, for all you young hippety-hoppers), what would it be and why?

Too busy for pop culture this week.

3. If you had three minutes alone in a locked room with any coach from your team and you could bring any item along (nothing sexual, tOSU fans), which coach would you choose, what would the item be, and how badly would you pummel Ken O'Keefe why would you choose that item?

Perhaps not responsive, but I would pummel Cam Cameron upside the head with something for the 2001 NC State game, a nationally televised Thursday game, which featured an odd quarterback/wideout shuffle with Antwaan Randle El and Tommy Jones. It featured an on-air intervention by Lee Corso.

BONUS QUESTION
Your best friend Harry has a brother Larry. In five days from now he's gonna marry. He's hoping you can make it there if you can coz in the ceremony you'll be the best man.
Subquestion A: Larry is obviously a loser. He has so few friends, he has to ask his brother's best friend to be his best man. What Big Ten team does he favor when not playing with Lord of the Rings figurines?

Is this a trick question? Obviously, he's a Purdue fan. I've long said that if Dungeons & Dragons were a varsity sport, Purdue would have built a dynasty that would put John Wooden's UCLA to shame. Lord of the Rings figurines seem to be along those lines.

Subquestion B: Five days from now is Saturday. Your team is on the road. Do you (A) stay home and watch the game; (B) road trip, or; (C) say "neato," check your libido, and roll to the church in your new tuxedo?

That presumes a control over my calendar and checkbook that I don't have. I would gladly road trip to any Big Ten road game, but usually just watch at home. And I was at a wedding, out of BTN range, last weekend.

BTB Roundtable, week 5.

1. Michigan turned to Russell Crowe (successfully). ND went with Regis (unsuccessfully). Imagine your team is in desperate need of a pregame pep talk (no imagination needed at NU). You can bring in anyone in the world. Who do you turn to and why?

Too easy.

Nobody talks 'em up like Norm Dale. Unfortunately, success for IU in football sometimes seems as improbable as Hickory beating South Bend Central (or Milan beating Muncie Central, if you prefer the real world), although, as I discuss below, I don't really think it's that improbable.

2. What perception about your program is perpetuated to the point where it is your pet peeve? Why does it bother you so much (no, the answer does not have to be an alliteration)?

The perception that it's impossible to win at IU. I freely acknowledge that IU is a really tough job. I acknowledge that and accept that, and certainly the last 13 years have enhanced IU's reputation as a bad career move. But what really bothers me is that IU's loser reputation re-emerged almost immediately after IU's 9-year run of respectability ended. For instance, many of Cam Cameron's apologists now insist that he never should have taken the job back in 1996, that it was a no-win situation. Four Big Ten coaches were fired at the end of the 1996 season: Bill Mallory at IU, Lou Tepper at Illinois, Jim Wacker at Minnesota, and Jim Colletto at Purdue. While Illinois had some solid seasons in the early and mid 1990s, Purdue and Minnesota had both been uniformly horrible since the mid 1980s. Unlike Mason and Tiller, Cameron had players on his first team who had been to a bowl game. It seemed strange to me at the time that IU was considered the most daunting rebuilding job, although I suppose, to some extent, history has vindicated that perception. As tough as the IU job is, Bill Mallory's run of respectability wasn't that long ago, and it was recent history in 1997. Again, I don't deny that IU is a tough job, perhaps the toughest in the conference. But I refuse to believe, in the era of 85 scholarships and universal TV coverage, that any program cannot be occasionally successful.

3. It is only week 5 of the season, but you've been asked to create your team's highlight reel for the season. You get to choose one song. What is it and why?

I'll go with the ultra-cheesy "Danger Zone," by Kenny Loggins for the Top Gun soundtrack. That's where IU's season is heading right now. If we go 2-0 against Iowa and Minnesota in the next two weeks, we're in great shape. If we go 1-1, we're OK. If we go 0-2, we're screwed.

BTB Roundtable, week 4.

1. Time to break out the crystal ball. I want to know what happens at the END of the season. Give me your offensive and defensive Players of the Year in the Big Ten along with Coach of the Year and why.

While he accumulated a ton of yards last season, he was quite uneven. Still, if Purdue has a good year I think Curtis Painter likely will be the offensive player of the year. He does seem to have improved, and while Purdue hasn't played a really good team yet, he hasn't thrown and interception yet.

I don't trust Anthony Morelli, so I will presume that if Penn State has a god year, it will be because of the defense and Dan Connor. It also helps that Connor is one of the few household names on the defensive side. Even if someone else deserves it, Connor or James Laurinaitis will win it.

2. With the upsets, close games, and head scratchers so far, every game we thought was going to be important has changed. Michigan State is 3-0, for Pete's sake, and they look good doing it. Pick the three games on the Big Ten Schedule that will determine the Big Ten Champion. Bonus Points for not picking three games on your own schedule.

Ohio State - Michigan, November 17. As usual. I still think Michigan can salvage the season, and even if not, I would guess that OSU will be in a position to win or tie for the title with a win.

Penn State - Purdue, November 3. Depending on how each team performs against OSU and Michigan, this early November game could involve two teams with a legitimate shot. At least, this game likely will eliminate a contender.

Ohio State - Penn State, October 27. I would expect that whoever wins this game will be in the driver's seat.

3. How many games, this season, have you been to? How many games have you tailgated at? If you have tailgated, name your beverage of choice. If you answered no to the previous questions, hang your head in shame, or at least give a good story about watching the game in enemy territory and giving the bouncer the finger when he asked you to quiet down.

I have not been to a game this year. Fortunately, I have not tailgated either, which makes me better than certain IU fans discussed below.

4. As the Big Ten Season kicks off, the Conference is in somewhat of a difficult position nationally. Needing some momentum after a horrid BCS performance, the Conference needed some momentum early in the season. It hasn't gotten it. The first three weeks have been abysmal. Is this just a down year for the Big Ten, is there a change Nationally that the Big Ten just hasn't picked up on, is there some truth to the "Big Ten Style of Play" that everyone harps on, or has college football simply caught up? What so you think and why? I may be beating a dead horse, but no one looks good this year and I'm at a loss as to why.

The Big Ten has three truly elite programs. OSU played for a title last year and won it in 2002. The other two elite programs probably could use some new blood at the top. Still, Michigan has turned out a number of quality quarterbacks in recent years and hasn't been a stereotypical Schembechler/Hayes-type Big Ten team for quite a while. There has been quite a bit of coaching turnover in the league in recent years, and likely will be more at Michigan and Penn State in the near future. These things go in cycles. The Pac-10 was a laughingstock a few years ago, now it's right there with the SEC. I'm not worried about the long-term future of the Big Ten.

BTB Roundtable, week 3.

Michigan Sports Center is hosting the roundtable this week and will have a summary post up by the end of the week.

1. Now that two weeks of play are behind us, what is one encouraging surprise and one downing disappointment from your team?

The most encouraging surprise for the Hoosiers has been the defense in general, particularly the run defense and pass rush. Certainly, IU hasn't played a tough schedule. Indiana State was one of the worst teams in I-AA last season and Western Michigan is breaking in quite a few new contributors. Still, IU somehow leads the nation in sacks with 13. IU's defense registered only 14 sacks all of last season, so even considering the competition this is a positive development. Greg Middleton has three sacks. Last season, Kenny Kendal led the team with four.

As for the rushing defense, IU has allowed only 76 yards and 1.3 yards per carry. I'm not quite as enthused about this, because IU had similar performances early last season, and ended up allowing about 4.5 per carry for the season.

I don't really have any major complaints. Kellen Lewis is 32-61 (52.5) and I would like to see him make some strides re: accuracy (on the other hand, can you imagine the hype if Isaiah Williams, the Illini's direct-snap tailback, ever completed 52.5 percent of his passes?). Marcus Thigpen is a magnificent kick returner and dangerous player, but I'm not sold on him as a starting tailback. I'm concerned about IU's ability to mount any sort of conventional run offense against a quality team.

2. A look at the current Big Ten standings shows things dead-locked record-wise for the most part. Once conference play actually begins, which two or three teams pull away from the rest of the pack?

Not a clue. Regardless of what has happened and what might happen against Notre Dame, I can't rule Michigan out. Penn State has looked the most impressive, but I just don't know. Other than Michigan's performance, nothing has shocked me yet, and I agree with Lake the Posts that this could be one of those seasons where someone backs into the Rose Bowl at 6-2.

3. Has your team ever played in a game that was just downright boring and impossible to watch? I ask this because going into the Michigan-Notre Dame game, looking at it on paper, it is shaping up to be one of the ugliest we may see all year.

I'm an Indiana fan. The answer is self-evident. I'm not sure that a Michigan-Notre Dame game can ever be really ugly. First, regardless of record, those two teams--the helmets, the classic uniforms--just look right on the football field together. It's a highlight of September even for fans with no connection to either team. Neither team is as bad as the records suggest. The two top QB recruits in the country will face off. Count your blessings if that game is the most boring or painful you can imagine.

While IU's 2006 season was often encouraging, two of last season's games fit the bill. First, the 14-7 pillowfight that IU lost to Connecticut on a dreary, drizzly day. A Marcus Thigpen kickoff return accounted for IU's only points. Second, the penultimate game of the season against Michigan. It was an ugly day, Michigan was ranked #2, and IU had fallen down the week before in its first shot at becoming bowl eligible, giving up about 150 points and 2000 yards to a lousy Minnesota team, squandering all of the positive feeling generated by IU's 46-21 spanking of MSU the week before the Gopher game. Ball State had given Michigan a scare the week before, so we didn't even have a glimmer of maybe-we'll-sneak-up-on-them hope. The result was as predicted.

Big Ten Bloggers roundtable, Week 2.

JB at There is no Name on my Jersey is the host for the week 2 Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable. Here are this week's questions:

1. Clearly, Week 1 was a huge week for upsets with Appalachian St. beating Michigan and Clemson beating FSU (though if that really shocked anyone I'd be surprised). What are your upset games for Week 2 and why?

I don't think much of Ty Willingham, but after the way Washington played at Syracuse, I would not be surprised if the Huskies (+3) ended the nation's longest winning streak and upset Boise State. After that happens, Washington fans can hope that someday they won't be a home underdog against a team from outside the BCS conferences. I'm skeptical of Boise's ability to maintain a program that can compete with teams from power conferences perennially.

2. What do you think about the BTN? How'd it look? How were the announcers? Did the first weekend change your opinion of the BTN?

I was out of town from Saturday through Monday, so I didn't watch any of the games live, unfortunately. I have watched most of the IU-Indiana State game on Tivo, called by Wayne Larivee, a familiar voice from ESPN Plus days. Wayne sometimes struggles with names--the same names over and over and over--but he does a decent job overall. I thought the production values for the game were a bit higher than the ESPN Plus quality.

As for the studio shows, hopefully there will be improvement. I thought the guys in the studio were a bit stilted. Dave Revsine, the true professional of the group, seemed a bit nervous. The Friday tailgate show, at least what I watched of it, was painful. Mike Hall, apparently the winner of ESPN's first "Dream Job" reality show, hosted. I'll let Jerry Palm of CollegeRPI and CollegeBCS fame tell you how it began:

At the open of the show, he went down the schedule of the next day's games and referred to Purdue as "Purdon't." I'm sure he thought that was clever, but Purdue people don't generally think of that as a term of endearment. Then, he threw it out to Wayne Larrivee and Chris Martin for a report from the "University of Indiana." It's not U of I, but Indiana University. So, he managed to offend the fans of 18% of the schools that pay his salary in his first minute on the air. Nice start.

Hall apparently is a Missouri grad. Given the odd nomenclature of those Big XII schools, (the University of Kansas is "KU," the University of Colorado is "CU," etc.) I can almost excuse it, but not really. He works for the Big Ten Network. Eleven schools. It's Indiana University. Not difficult. And if it's necessary to make juvenile cracks about Purdue, Mike, I'll be glad to take care of that right here. Keep it professional on the BTN.

3. Now that we're a game into the Season evaluate the Big Ten's strength.

I agree with the others who have said it's too early. It certainly wasn't a god weekend for the conference. Illinois lost the only BCS v. BCS matchup. Michigan hacked up the biggest upset in college football history. The Tim Brewster era began with a thud in Minnesota. Still, nearly all of the conference's significant non-conference matchups remain. Who knows?

BTB Roundtable, week 1.

Sean at Around the Oval, an Ohio State blog, has taken the lead on the first week of the Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable. This will be a weekly feature "hosted" by various Big Ten bloggers. Here are this week's questions and my answers:

1. Which player from your own team are you most looking forward to watching?

Kellen Lewis. As a fan of the "other" cellar-dwelling Big Ten football program from a school that begins with "I," allow me to vent:

Kellen Lewis: 190/346 (54.9%); 2221 yards; 14TD/7INT; 124/441 rushing (3.6); 5 rushing TDs; 20 sacks.

Juice Williams: 103/261 (39.5%); 1489 yards; 9TD/9INT; 154/576 (3.7); 2 rushing TDs; 25 sacks.

Yet, the Juice is expected to lead Illinois to the promised land this season, while Lewis mostly has slid under the radar. I understand, of course, that thanks to Zooker's inexplicable recruiting success, the Illinois supporting cast is part of the reason some are high on Juice, but Lewis does have James Hardy, Marcus Thigpen, and James Bailey at his disposal.

Lewis began last season as #3 on the Hoosiers' QB depth chart. Now, Lewis has spent nearly a year as a team leader and spent all of spring and fall practice working as the number one quarterback, continuing to build his relationship with his key receivers. Certainly, IU's defense will determine whether the Hoosiers play 13, but I am most curious to see where Kellen Lewis goes after a really promising freshman season.

2. Which player from another Big Ten team are you most looking forward to watching?

That's a tough one. I don't see a Charles Woodson/Troy Smith/Antwaan Randle El "must see" type player in the conference this season. PJ Hill will be fun to watch. Mike Hart is great, but Michigan routinely has an excellent tailback, so who cares? So, why not Todd Boeckman? In good ways and in bad ways, Ohio State fans are the most passionate in the conference on average. I'll be curious to see how the green guy operates in one of the most scrutinized positions in college football.

3. If your team was an action movie star, who would it be?

This is a tough one. Given IU's football history, my knee jerk response was that IU is like the stereotypical "Black Guy Who Gets Killed First," but I guess that's more of a horror movie convention. If IU were an action movie star, IU would be Matt Damon. Compared to stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steven Segal, and The Rock, Damon is undersized and not nearly as physically talented or imposing. Damon's character Jason Bourne is constantly kicked around by powerful institutions such as the US Government (analogous to Michigan and Ohio State). Bourne is unsure of his real identity. Given the Hoosiers' myriad uniform and logo changes over the years, not to mention a lack of success and the program's stepchild status among IU fans, the IU football program has struggled with its identity. Typically, the Bourne movies end with the suggestion that Bourne has finally escaped his former government keepers. Now that IU has escaped Michigan and OSU for two years, will the Hoosiers end their long bowl drought? Stay tuned.

Big Ten Bloggers roundtable, part 1.

In honor of the Big Ten media days, which begin today, the Big Ten Bloggers roundtable begins with a series of questions posed by BadgerTracker at Wisconsin Badger Sports. Despite his alphabetizing issues, I commend BadgerTracker for getting things rolling. You can find other bloggers' answers here, here, here, here, here, here. Here are mine:

1a. The press and the coaches will be predicting the Big Ten champ at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago on Wednesday. That's fine, but overdone. In lieu of boilerplate predictions of who will come out on top, which Big Ten team will be the most surprising? Remember, surprises can be good or bad; the underdog who comes out of nowhere to share the title is just as surprising as the favorite who winds up with five losses and no bowl bid.

With all due respect to the originator of this slate of questions, I think it's going to be Wisconsin. I expect Wisconsin to be a very good team this season, but I think last year's 12-1 record, which did include a nice win over Arkansas in the Capital One Bowl. Will be very difficult to match. Even for a program that has improved as much as Wisconsin in the last 15 years, there's no shame in going 9-3 or 8-4. Still, thanks to last season's impressive record and finish, the Badgers have been in or near the top 5 in almost all of the unofficial preseason polls that I have seen. Wisconsin lost the highly underrated John Stocco and the best offensive lineman in the league. While I am not eagerly anticipating the Hoosiers' trip to Camp Randall, I do expect the Badgers to go 5-3 in the conference, losing at home to Michigan and at Ohio State, plus one more (possibly at Penn State). I suppose Badger old-timers can take solace in the idea that 9-3 could be a disappointing season. Based on the preseason accolades, I do think a 5-3 Big Ten record counts as a disappointment, and that's where I think the Badgers will be.

1b. Imagine it's December, and the consensus in the media is that your team's season was "surprising." Is this a Good Thing or a Bad Thing? What would have to happen for you to consider your team's season surprising?

Every year, the Peegs board is aflame with criticism of this preseason mag or that for picking the Hoosiers to finish 10th or 11th in the Big Ten. Who can blame the writers? Since 1995, we have obliged nearly every season. Unfortunately, it's one of the safest bets in college football. Had Coach Hep been alive and healthy to coach this season, IU would have been a trendy pick based on schedule, the youth of last year's roster, returning starters, and this season's schedule, IU would be a trendy pick to finish in the top half of the Big Ten. With the reality of Hep's death and the uncertainty surrounding the program, most prognosticators expect us to do about what Northwestern did last year. So yes, I think that if the media consensus is that IU was "surprising," it will mean that IU is playing in late December/early January and Bill Lynch is building a new house.

For me personally to consider the season surprising? I would have to say 8-4 would surprise me quite a bit. IU likely will be favored in all four of its non-conference games (Akron, @ Western Michigan, Indiana State, Ball State). IU plays Illinois and Minnesota at home and Northwestern on the road. I won't predict that IU will win all of those games, but none seems like a stretch. I may be overly optimistic, but I currently have 7-5 at the far end of "realistic" (with 2-10 at the far low end). IU's five other games are @ MSU, @ Iowa, @ Wisconsin, Penn State, and Purdue. If IU can win all seven "realistic" games and add one more (probably Purdue), I would be surprised, not at any individual outcome, but because things just don't fall together like that for IU.

2. A preseason player of the year will also be dubbed in Chicago. For your team to succeed, which player or unit is going to have to put forth a "player of the year" performance? What's the one position that would take your team to the next level if it performs above expectations?

Anyone with even passing knowledge of the Hoosiers knows the answer to this: the defense, particularly the front seven. IU needs to be able to stop the run to take some pressure off the defensive backs. With nearly everyone back on offense, the Hoosiers will score some points, especially if the running game can improve a bit. With Marcus Thigpen and Tracy Porter returning kicks/punts, the Hoosiers will score some special teams touchdowns. If the defense can just become respectable, IU could win some meaningful games this season.

3. Which Big Ten team's out-of-conference schedule would you most want to have this year? Why? Do you think your team will have out-of-conference losses this year?

I want ours. IU plays Indiana State, at Western Michigan, and Akron before beginning the Big Ten season, and then plays Ball State in November. Yes, it's a joke. Yes, this sort of scheduling is bad for college football. Yes, I would welcome a change in NCAA rules, allowing no more than 13 home games in a two year period and prohibiting I-AA games if such a rule could survive a legal challenge. But IU is in no position to unilaterally disarm. We need four non-conference wins because a bowl, any bowl, would be an important step for our program.

Oddly enough, while the MAC has had some success against some of the middle and upper tier Big Ten programs (Penn State, Purdue, Michigan State, Minnesota, and Wisconsin have fallen victim), IU has a 17-game winning streak against the MAC dating back to a 1978 loss to Miami. My fear is that we are due, but ultimately I do not expect IU to lose a non-conference game. While Big Ten teams can exploit IU's flaws in the trenches, I think any MAC team will have a hell of a time with Kellen Lewis and James Hardy. Yes, we lost to Southern Illinois last year, so I realize anything can happen.

4. Here's a chance to look like a complete genius in a few months: pick the biggest in-conference upset that will happen this season. Justify your prediction!

Illinois over Penn State in Champaign. I don't know what he's selling or why the recruits are buying, but Zooker is accumulating enough blue-chippers that they are going to get a scalp sooner or later.

5. Say something nice about the Big Ten school whose name precedes yours alphabetically. Say something mean about the one that comes after.

Illinois: This is a tough one. Things are a bit testy between the Hoosiers and Illini. In football, each school zeroes in on the other as a likely win at the beginning of the season, so the loser of the annual game between the two programs faces the bitter realization that it's going to be a long season. In basketball, well, the Illini seem to be a bit worked up (as in, completely unhinged, from the coach to the Pravda-like downstate Illinois media to the fans) about a 17 year old kid who changed his mind about where he's going to go to college. Something nice? Well, despite the threats that Eric Gordon has received, as far as I know no Illini fan has actually followed through on a promise to do him physical harm. Not nice enough? Although I have never been there, the Illini's Memorial Stadium

looks like a really nice stadium. So many of the old stadiums have been so extensively renovated that they are unrecognizable, but Illinois's stadium retains a really stately look, and hopefully that will survive the current renovation.

Iowa: There's something profoundly insecure about a program that has to paint the visiting locker room pink. I don't blame Iowans for venerating Hayden Fry, but what a surly sore winner that guy was! Also, good call and pushing Tom Davis out the door. NCAA titles are sure to follow!

6. USC: great football program, or greatest football program? Also, how about that SEC? Damn, those guys are fast!

USC: USC is great, but let's not forget that just a few years ago they were wallowing during the second John Robinson era and the Paul Hackett era. Every great program has had an era in which it looked absolutely invincible. Every great program, has had an era in which the media proclaimed the program would never again compete at a high level. Ten years ago, USC and Oklahoma were terrible and Nebraska looked invincible. Still, USC has had seven Heisman winners, and six of the seven have never slashed the throat of the mother of their children and a waiter. What other school can say that?

SEC: I love speed and the SEC has great speed, especially on the defensive line, but there are appropriate balances when mixing academics and athletics. Each school, as well as each conference, simply must do what fits their mission regardless...oh, wait, I'm not a blowhard, loose-cannon conference commissioner. I like the SEC, think it's a fun conference to watch, and would love to spend a football season hopping to each venue. I hate the speed myth. I think there is indeed a disregard among many SEC fans and institutions for the student-athlete concept, but I don't think Jim Delany, given some of the offenses committed by Big Ten schools during his tenure, is the person to point it out.