| 1. Wisconsin Quarterback |
 The Badgers return just about everyone from their 12-1, Citrus Bowl-winning 2006 team except quarterback John Stocco (@ right) and Joe Thomas, the man who protected his blindside. As a result, many are projecting the Badgers to be Michigan's strongest Big Ten challenger in this gleefully Troy Smith-free year, but if the Badgers are going to make a run at the Rose Bowl or even the national championship game they're going to have to get some kind of production out of Not Stocco, whoever he is. Fifth year senior Tyler Donovan is the odds-on favorite; Kansas State transfer Allan Everidge is also in the running.Donovan started two games last year when Stocco was out with an injury. You can't tell much from a game against Buffalo, but Donovan was cool and collected against a kinda decent -- but not very -- Iowa defense, going 17 for 24 with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Donovan also added 61 rushing yards. Meanwhile, the last time Everidge surfaced he was true freshman overwhelmed at Kansas State. Whoever wins the job will have to perform well when Michigan rolls into Madison for one of the 2007 season's key contests, as fat Wisconsin running backs have never performed against the Wolverines and Michigan's secondary is a blinking red sign that says "exploit me"; a BCS bid hinges on the arm of either Donovan or Everidge if all goes according to plan. |
| 2. Ohio State Defensive Tackle |
 It's the offense that lost most of last year's headliners, but their replacements are cut and dried: Todd Boeckman will be the QB, Chris Wells the RB, Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie the wide receivers (with an assist from Ray Small). Those battles are over, if they even began in the first place. Things are murkier at defensive tackle, where seniors Quinn Pitcock and David Patterson depart, leaving... well, not much. Doug Worthington (partying after Fiesta Bowl @ right), a long-limbed 6'7" defensive lineman, moves inside from end. You can get away with being a 6'7" DT if you're a 330 pound monster like Alan Branch, but Worthington is currently listed at 274, which conjures up images of another tall Michigan DT, but one markedly less effective: Pat Massey, who played at 285. Todd Denlinger is the other tenuous starter; Nader Abdullah and redshirt freshman Dexter Larimore will push both for their jobs. This position group is the only thing standing between the Ohio State defense and a return to their glory days of... um... 2005. They've got stars other places: Malcolm Jenkins, Vernon Gholston, James Laurinaitis (sort of), and could put together a unit intimidating enough to pound opponents into submission a la 2002. But they'll have to find someone to keep blockers off the linebackers to do it. |
| 3. Michigan Weakside/Middle Linebacker |
 The NCAA's most crushing run defense in decades loses five of its starting front seven, but, like Ohio State, Michigan has the luxury of just reloading in certain spots. The defensive line will be full of highly touted recruits itching to follow in the steps of Branch, Woodley, et al. They'll be fine. But things are dodgier at linebacker, where only Shawn Crable returns. Four players will battle for two spots: on the weakside senior Chris Graham, who started and was substandard during Michigan's 2005 Year of Infinite Pain, battles redshirt freshman Jonas Mouton. In the middle junior Johnny Thompson battles JUCO transfer -- a once in a decade rarity for Michigan -- Austin Panter. Veterans Graham and Thompson have the edge going into fall camp but their jobs are by no means secure. Panter struggled some in Michigan's spring but showed well in the spring game itself and has the athletic ability to see the field if he can just figure out the major college game in time. Mouton, on the other hand, was a highly touted (top 50) safety recruit moved to the weakside a few weeks into his freshman year. He may be inexperienced, but Graham still plays inexperienced even four years into his career. Without a major leap forward Mouton will probably pass him. |
| 4. Minnesota Quarterback |
| This position battle might not be that key -- everyone in the world expects the Gophers to suck hard this year -- but it will be fiercely contested. The Gophers have ditched the grinding run game along with Glen Mason and have installed a spread in its stead. Though the Gopher version will be closer to Northwestern's run-heavy edition than Purdue's aerial bombardment (new Gopher offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar spent four years in the same position at Northwestern before a one-year sojourn at Cal), a spread is a spread and the quarterback will be key. Though junior Tony Mortenson might have the most experience in a college program, it's two freshmen who come from high schools that run the spread with the most familiarity with the offense. Adam Weber redshirted last year; Clint Brewster is fresh from Colorado powerhouse Denver Mullen. He also happens to be the coach's son, so he's got that going for him. No one knows who will get the call; chances are all three get shots at driving the Gophers down the field or, more likely, into the ground. |
| 5. Michigan Right Tackle |
| Everything appears set for an unprecedented offensive explosion from the Wolverines: senior Hart, senior Henne, Manningham and Arrington at wide receiver, Jake Long and Adam Kraus on the left side of the line. Except there's that whole "right side of the line" thing, too. Departed senior Rueben Riley was never a star but a departure is a departure and if Michigan can replace him with an upgrade the sky is the limit for the Michigan offense. Redshirt sophomore Mark Ortmann is the tenuous leader at the moment, but it's redshirt freshman Steve Schilling who might be the better bet here. Schilling was a precious five-star recruit last year who leapt into a dead heat with Riley before an ill-timed bout of mono knocked him out for the year. Then a shoulder injury kept him out much of the spring. He's way, way behind Ortmann in practice time but every inkling leaking out of Michigan's tightly closeted practices suggests that Schilling has more talent than Ortmann or, frankly, any lineman on the roster save Jake Long. Now if he can just stay healthy. |
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-01-2007 @ 9:21AM
ugh said...
boeckman is hardly the winner in the OSU qb battle. all 3 qb's looked the same (mediocre) in the spring game and they still don't know who's going to step in for the season. despite boeckman being in the lead, other columns name shoenhoft ahead and some even have henton ahead.
it doesnt matter anyways, whoever lines up at qb for the bucks is still gonna beat michigan anyways.
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