Some Hawkeyes quick hitters from the EIU game

Full article coming, but for now, some quotes and tidbits.

First, and most important, Ricky Stanzi is fine. So is Bruce Davis. No real injuries that will have any impact from this game.

Middle linebacker Bruce Davis on EIU scoring:
"It was disappointing. It was kind of a let down. But that team was working hard. You’ve got to give them more credit than people do."

Running back Paki O'Meara on his punt block:
"I watch a lot of film and I’m definitely trying to do that. That’s kind of my role on that team is to force the punt from the right side with a right footed punter."

Offensive guard Nolan MacMillan on seeing quarterback Ricky Stanzi go down:
"You feel bad. It’s a little scary. We’re supposed to be out there protecting him."

Tight end Brad Herman on getting playing timei:
"It felt good. Tony (Moeaki) finally left. Finally I got to go out there and get my feet wet, and it was fun. It’s fun being out there."

Cornerback Micah Hyde on giving up the EIU touchdown:
"Coach always tells us, work inside out. Don’t let them break a big play. For me personally, I gave up a big play today. I’ve got to work on that. I’ve got to watch film, study some more."

Iowa center James Ferentz on Josh Koeppel surviving being hit by a truck:
"We’re really fortunate to still have Josh with us. After seeing that video, it’s incredible that he just bounced up and walked away from that. The first concern was really Josh. It’s incredible that he was at practice the next day, and even going through some walkthroughs Thursday. That’s Koeppel, though. If there’s some sort of nutshell picture to explain Josh, that’s it. Get hit by a truck, bounce out, he’s at meetings the next day."

Running back Adam Robinson on contact:
"I love that contact. That’s why I love the game of football. The game wouldn’t be the same without getting popped every play."

Quaterback Ricky Stanzi on his injury:
"I was a little worried that maybe it was something serious, so I wanted to get off and get it checked. I didn’t want to make a big ordeal about it. I have no doubt that it will be fine. I talked to the trainers. It’s all stable. It’s nothing to worry about. It’s just part of football – bumps and bruises."

Offensive guard Julian Vandervelde on the team's mindset with injuries:
"You can’t let one guy going down ruin what the other ten guys are trying to do."

Defensive tackle Mike Daniels on Iowa State:
"We always prepare for the opponent and it doesn’t matter who it is, but right now we need to focus on fixing ourselves for Iowa State."

Head coach Kirk Ferentz on dark thoughts:
"Last year was probably why I was thinking about all of those bad things. I was having dark thoughts all week. That was tough. And the credit goes to UNI there. So it was good to see us come outlooking a little bit better prepared and more ready and what-have-you."

Heinemann on the Hawkeyes

Brian Heinemann, who covers Iowa football for the Herald, previews this week's game.

IOWA CITY –––– They’ve been saying it for a calendar year now. Don’t look ahead. Don’t take anybody lightly.

Now, the time has finally come for the Iowa Hawkeyes to prove that they mean what they say, as they try to avoid another near-disaster in a season opening game against an FCS team when Eastern Illinois visits Kinnick Stadium tomorrow.

“Last year, I think that we came into the first game playing down to their level,” cornerback Micah Hyde said. “I think if we go out there and we know what we’ve got to do, then we’ll be fine.”

That was a common problem for the Hawkeyes last year. Despite the shiny 11-2 record and Orange Bowl win, Iowa had a tendency to play down to their competition in most contests. They can’t afford to do that in tomorrow’s opener. Not with national expectations for the team soaring. Not after last year.

“I think last year we definitely learned a lesson with how to prepare for your first game, not go in there and take anybody lightly,” quarterback Ricky Stanzi said. “We’re not going to do that this week.

“We have to take every team very seriously.”

If they do so, they’ll be fine this week. Eastern Illinois is a team riddled with suspensions and injuries, and, while they are ranked in the Top 20 in the FCS, they aren’t close to the caliber of team that UNI brought to Kinnick last season.

This is a chance for the Iowa offense to get off on the right foot, build momentum and avoid turnovers. Everyone knows what the defense can do, and with EIU’s offensive line and quarterback woes – three starters on the line could be out, and they’ll have a new quarterback under center – the defense is likely to dominate the Panthers.

The Hawkeyes say they are ready. They say they aren’t going to overlook a team that they are expected to easily handle. We’ll find out quickly how much they learned last season once the ball is kicked off to open the 2010 season.

“I think the moral of the story is there are just not a lot of easy games and if you go into a game thinking it’s going to be anything less than competitive, you’re going to suffer for that,” Coach Kirk Ferentz said. “I’m not saying that we did that last year but as it turns out, we played a team that was very good and they were ready to play and we – I don’t think we looked great.”

They won’t need to look great to beat Eastern Illinois, but it surely wouldn’t hurt.

Who: Eastern Illinois (0-0) at Iowa (0-0)

When: 11:01am tomorrow

Where: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City

The series: First meeting

Last meeting: N/A

This week's challenge: They already had several new faces, but with the loss of guard Adam Gettis (sprained ankle), center Josh Koeppel (injured in moped accident) and Gettis’ backup Cody Hundertmark (left team) this week, all eyes will be on the suddenly-thin Hawkeyes’ offensive line tomorrow to see how they handle the adversity.

To pull of an upset: Eastern Illinois’ corners, who have a nose for the ball, have to play the game of their lives and make Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi’s five-interception game against Indiana in 2009 look good by comparison.

Players to watch: Keep your eyes peeled for Iowa’s freshman tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz and junior defensive tackle Mike Daniels, and Eastern Illinois’ senior cornerbacks Rashad Haynes and CJ James, the latter of which had two pick-6s last year.

Gettin' down with Brian (four keys for Saturday):

First down — Ricky Stanzi needs to show he’s learned from game tape this offseason and make sound decisions against a talented, but overmatched, EIU secondary.

Second down — The offensive line has an opportunity to gel and get much-needed experience against a lesser opponent, and needs to take advantage of it by paving the way for a strong rushing attack.

Third down — Iowa needs Adam Robinson to get enough carries that Paki O’Meara and Josh Smith barely touch the field, and do just enough to fill the gap until Jewel Hampton’s return next week.

Fourth down — The defense needs to consistently harass EIU quarterback Brandon Large, a sophomore taking his first Division 1 snap, to take some heat off the secondary, where Greg Castillo will be making only his second start in place of the injured Shaun Prater.

Trivial tidbit: Eastern Illinois hasn’t beaten a FBS team since 2004 and has lost four straight years to Big Ten teams, by an average of 36.5 points per game.

Did you hear?: Iowa’s Big Ten championship teams of 1960 and 1985 will be recognized   before the game tomorrow.

Bottom line: Don’t expect to see a repeat of last year’s Northern Iowa opener. The Hawkeyes are too strong in every aspect of the game for Eastern Illinois, and should get a good opportunity to build major momentum on both sides of the ball. Look for Eastern to get some points off either a Stanzi interception or backup running back fumble, but for the Hawkeyes defensive line to make life a nightmare for the Panthers. Expect to see a good dose of some young players and backups as the Hawkeyes pull away.

Final score: Iowa 38, Eastern Illinois 10

The right, and the many wrongs, of Big Ten realignment

The Big Ten screwed up this time.

Adding Nebraska was a major win for the conference. Having 12 teams and a conference championship are going to be huge boons to the conference, and adding a program with such a rich tradition is nothing but a positive.

The new divisional realignment, however, is not so positive.

Sure, they did some things right. But there is a lot wrong with the new East / West split, which we’ll get to in a second. For now, if you have been in a cave today and haven’t seen it, here is your new Big Ten (12). 

Big Ten West: 
Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Minnesota

Big Ten East: 
Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana, Illinois

The first thing that stands out to me is how uneven these divisions are. The Big Ten was striving for competitive balance and protecting rivalry and trophy games, and it failed in both areas. The West is, overall, much more competitive and stronger than the East, although the East is clearly more top heavy. 

However, when you look at the West and see only one truly awful program, Minnesota, while the East has the mediocrity of Purdue, Illinois and Indiana to deal with, it’s pretty clear that things aren’t very even.

I get splitting Ohio State and Michigan, and the news that The Game will continue to be the last regular season game on the schedule is a huge, huge win for the Big Ten. The Ohio State - Michigan game is one of six protected crossover games, which means they are guaranteed to play each other every year.

That’s a good one. Penn State - Nebraska is another very good crossover game. The rest? Well, they suck.

Who really cares about Minnesota - Wisconsin, or Michigan State - Indiana. Northwestern - Illinois was protected for obvious reasons, and should be a good yearly battle.

Iowa - Purdue is both a loss and a win for Hawkeyes fans, depending on how you look at it. On one hand, Iowa gets to beat up on a poor Purdue program every year, instead of slugging it out with Ohio State or Penn State.

The bad is obvious, though. Iowa will no longer be playing Wisconsin every year, a major black stain on this divisional split. Everyone knows that Iowa - Wisconsin is one of the most competitive rivalries in the nation (I’m talking strictly in terms of win / loss records), and to lose that, in favor of Purdue, hurts.

But it’s not all bad for Iowa. Wisconsin got hurt the worst by the realignment, losing both Iowa and a shot at playing Nebraska yearly, something Bret Bielema has been pushing incredibly hard for.

One bonus for the Hawkeyes is that they get to play Nebraska every year, and for the first two seasons of the new alignment, they get them as the regular season finale. Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com may be the one who coined it, but either way, the phrase “Farmageddon” is pretty accurate for what that rivalry is likely to become. As Rittenberg said, it’s a huge indication of what the league feels will happen with these two teams, pitting them against each other to close the season instead of having the protected game, Penn State - Nebraska, in the finale.

Iowa also loses Penn State each year, which is both good and bad – easier schedule, but lose a “rival” – but it could be worse. 

I still say the Big Ten should have gone strictly geographical, throwing Michigan and Michigan State in the East and bringing Illinois and Wisconsin to the West. The league, though, is too mired in history and not the current state of the programs or their outlook for the immediate future.

The Big Ten also kind of slapped Nebraska in the face, giving them Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin in one rotation, with the bottom feeders in the other. That means the Huskers play their first two years in the Big Ten having to play three of the best programs in the conference, while avoiding all but Minnesota from the bottom.

The conference did good in only losing three trophy games, but it’s unfortunate that Penn State loses two of theirs. The formerly annual games that are now lost are Iowa - Wisconsin, Minnesota - Penn State and Penn State - Michigan State. The middle one isn’t a huge loss, but the others were certainly intriguing match ups. 

It’s hard to say whether the Big Ten over- or under-thought this process, but something didn’t go right. The split isn’t horrible, but the protected games are a mess, and clearly were an afterthought. Commissioner Jim Delaney also didn’t so much as hint at a second crossover being added for each team once the league expands to nine conference games in 2015, which is another eyebrow raiser.

The blessing in disguise, at least for Iowa fans, is that the Hawkeyes get off easy their first two years of the new scheduling. Ohio State and Wisconsin are both missing from the schedule in 2011 and 2012 (and Illinois is strangely missing until at least 2013, despite not playing Iowa since 2008), so the Hawkeyes have almost the opposite road that the Huskers will have.

What are your thoughts on the realignment? I’ve heard satisfaction, I’ve heard disappointment. What would you have done differently? Can anybody out there give me any kind of reasonable explanation as to why the Hawkeyes and Badgers didn’t get each other for their crossover game?

Hawkeyes quick hits, pregame week 1

Today was Iowa's pre-game press conference prior to the Eastern Illinois game, and Kirk Ferentz and a handful of players were available to the media.

I'll have a full-blown article for Friday morning's edition of the Herald, but for now, here are some of the quick hits you need to know about.

Koeppel injured in moped-meets-truck accident
One of the two in competition for the starting center position, Josh Koeppel, was injured Monday while riding his moped. Koeppel was not wearing a helmet and was struck by a truck in an intersection. He was taken to the emergency room, and Ferentz said he is lucky he walked away from it and that it could have been a lot worse.

Koeppel is banged up with scrapes and bruises and is sore, but all tests came back fine. Don't expect him to play Saturday, though. Looks like James Ferentz will be the starting center, whether he won the job in camp or not.

Tarpinian limited, but back in practice
Linebacker Jeff Tarpinian broke his hand in practice two weeks ago, but returned over the weekend with a splint and padding. He's limited, according to Ferentz, and may or may not play.

Bruce Davis, another linebacker, hinted that he would be getting plenty of playing time this weekend and has been practicing with the ones, so expect to not see much of Tarpinian.

Running back depth chart has some surprises
With Jewel Hampton's suspension and Brandon Wegher's disappearance, we all knew Adam Robinson would be Iowa's starting running back Saturday. Paki O'Meara is now the backup, for better or worse, but the third back on the depth chart may surprise some.

Sophomore Jason White is third on the Hawkeyes depth chart, over Marcus Coker, who hasn't recovered fully from injury but may be available as early as the Iowa State game, and De'Andre Johnson, who sounds like is getting a redshirt.

Prater iffy for Saturday
Projected starting corner Shaun Prater is "working his way back," Ferentz said Tuesday. He has a hamstring issue, and is iffy, at best, for Saturday.

"I don't know if he will make it by showtime or not," said Ferentz. "We will see. Those things are tricky and tough to predict."

Four freshmen expected to contribute immediately
Per Ferentz, four freshmen are expected to see time Saturday, with a handful of others in line to potentially play this season.

For now, expect to see linebackers James Morris and Christian Kirksey, along with tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz and kicker Mike Meyers to play this weekend.

Meyers, a freshman walk-on, is expected to be the kickoff specialist, although he has an outside shot at field goals, Ferentz said.


Special teams set...sort of
We know Meyers will be kicking off and Ryan Donahue will be punting, but between Daniel Murray and Trent Mossbrucker, the kicking competition is still wide open. Ferentz expects to make a decision by Friday, allowing the team to know who stands where before kickoff.

In return news, your kick returners are Derrell Johnson-Koulianos and Keenan Davis. Punt returns will be handled by Colin Sandeman, with Marvin McNutt surprisingly in as his backup.

Binns' absence opens door for Daniels
With Broderick Binns missing the opener due to a one-game suspension, the door has opened for junior Mike Daniels. Ferentz said that Christian Ballard will probably play both tackle and end Saturday, but start on the outside, allowing Daniels to start on the inside.

Expect to see fellow junior Lebron Daniel get plenty of time in the rotation as well.

Captains named
Iowa's captains for the opener against Eastern Illinois are - quarterback Ricky Stanzi, defensive end Adrian Clayborn, defensive tackle Karl Klug, and offensive guard Julian Vandervelde.

Buckeyes poised for sixth straight Big Ten title

By Brian Heinemann
For The Herald

Much like every year in recent memory, the Ohio State Buckeyes enter the 2010 season with a giant bulls-eye on their backs. 

With the way they handled Oregon in the Rose Bowl and the experience they bring back, it should come as no surprise that the Buckeyes are my favorite to win their sixth straight Big Ten title.

“I think we should be a team that’s being targeted. I know we’ll be a team that’s being targeted,” Coach Jim Tressel said. “And we’ll always get everyone’s best shot. And with that in mind, we better make sure our best shot’s ready each Saturday. But it’s just part of the deal.”

The Buckeyes are clearly used to these kinds of expectations. They are also used to winning a lot of football games, something that isn’t likely to change in the near future.

“There’s always high expectations,” Dane Sanzenbacher, a senior receiver, said. “We know that if we take care of everything we need to take care of, things will fall into place for us. We expect to win when we’re on the field. We prepare to win.”

There are several major hurdles on the schedule, though, each of which has the power to derail what is expected to be a championship season for Ohio State. A home date with Miami in Week 2 will be crucial, and road contests at Wisconsin and Iowa will likely decide the pecking order at the top of the conference.

To live up to expectations in 2010, the Buckeyes are going to need their quarterback to improve his passing, as Terrelle Pryor completed just 56.6 percent of his passes last year in leading the Big Ten’s worst passing attack.

Things turned around in the Rose Bowl, where Pryor was terrific in ousting the Ducks.

“I thought he learned a great deal throughout the regular season his sophomore year,” Tressel said. “And I thought it really started to really crystallize in his mind during bowl practice. He really focused on becoming the best he could be. And now he has a new team that he’s, without questions, looked to for leadership.”

The defense should again be ranked in single digits in the country, so the hopes and expectations of the Buckeyes’ season rests squarely on the shoulders of Pryor. 

Even if he shows only marginal improvement from last year, his running ability and game-changing talent should carry Ohio State to yet another Big Ten title.

Ohio State Buckeyes

Last year: 11-2, 7-1 Big Ten, first place

Lettermen returning/lost: 48 returning, 21 lost.

Starters returning/lost: Offense 9/2, defense 6/5, kickers 0/2.

Key returning starters: Terrelle Pryor, QB, Jr.; Cameron Heyward, DE, Sr.; DeVier Posey, WR, Jr.; Chimdi Chekwa, CB, Sr.

Others to watch: Ross Homan, LB, Sr.; John Simon, DT, So.; Brandon Saine, TB, Sr.; Brian Rolle, LB, Sr.

By the numbers: 5 - straight Big Ten titles (shared or outright) for the Buckeyes. 779 - rush yards by Pryor, the team leader in 2009. 104 - rank of Ohio State’s pass defense in 2009, worst in the Big Ten.

Schedule: After opening against Marshall Sept. 2, Ohio State hosts a very talented Miami Hurricanes team Sept. 11 in one of the biggest games of the year. The next four games will see the Buckeyes as huge favorites, and the Big Ten schedule starts light, with Illinois Oct. 2 an Indiana Oct. 9. A date at Wisconsin Oct. 16 follows, with games against Purdue and Minnesota providing breathing room before another late-season gauntlet. Like last year, Ohio State faces Penn State, Iowa and Michigan to close the season, Nov. 13, Nov. 20, and Nov. 27 respectively, with Iowa being the one road game of the three.

Reason for optimism: Talent across the board, offensive experience. The Buckeyes are loaded almost everywhere, and with Pryor’s development last year, culminating in a huge performance in the Rose Bowl, the offense looks should greatly improve from last season, a scary thought for their opponents. The defense was one of the nation’s best in almost every category last year, and brings back a slew of big names and top performers.

Reason for pessimism: Pryor’s passing. Really, Terrelle Pryor is the one major question mark for the Buckeyes. Will he continue to improve, as he did late in 2009, or will he still be the same inconsistent passer? The Buckeyes pass offense ranked near the bottom of the entire nation last year, and even with an overpowering defense, a weak passing game could kill the Buckeyes championship hopes.

Bottom line: This team is simply too talented to not win at least 10 games, which should be considered the worst-case scenario. Even a stumble against Miami in Week 2 wouldn’t derail the Buckeyes season, although road trips with Wisconsin and Iowa should prove to be difficult. Expect Pryor to improve again this year – although not live up to his full potential or hype – en route to leading the Buckeyes to either the Rose Bowl or BCS National Championship game.

Hawkeyes look BCS bound again, but not best in Big Ten

By Brian Heinemann

For The Herald

Defense wins championships. 

An uncertain offense, however, may be enough to prevent the Iowa Hawkeyes from doing so this season. Especially with Big Ten bully Ohio State looking even better than last year.

“We have tremendous special teams and defense, so when you’ve got those things on your side as an offense, you don’t really have to go out there and score 50 points,” Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi said. “We have guys that can stop people from scoring.”

At some point, though, Iowa is going to have to score. The offense showed flashes last year, with Stanzi throwing for 17 touchdowns, running backs Adam Robinson and Brandon Wegher combining for almost 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns, and the emergence of Marvin McNutt at receiver.

But losing their starting center, two offensive tackles and a star tight end may be too much for Iowa to overcome this year. The offensive line is sorely lacking big game experience, and the running game, even with the return of Jewel Hampton, is suspect after finishing 99th in the country last year.

When you have a defense as good as Iowa has, though, all you need to do is limit mistakes. You can get by with a little less scoring, which is why the Hawkeyes still have a realistic shot at a Big Ten title.

“You have to let the defense do what they do, which usually is not let people move very far,” Stanzi said.

Helping the Hawkeyes is the schedule, which features home games against all the elite teams in the Big Ten. Outside of Ohio State, all of those teams will be coming looking for revenge, but the fact that tilts with Penn State, Wisconsin and Michigan State will all take place at Kinnick Stadium this year is big. 

Advantage, Iowa. Or is it?

“It was a big discussion point a year ago about our road schedule, and now it’s flipped around obviously,” Coach Kirk Ferentz said. “We really played well on the road for the most part last year. Conversely, it wasn’t like we just played lights out at home. We didn't have a lot of real smooth games here.

“I would just anticipate just about all of our games, if not all, are going to be really competitive, really tough, home or away.”

Iowa Hawkeyes

Last year: 11-2, 6-2 Big Ten, tied for second place

Lettermen returning/lost: 48 returning, 20 lost.

Starters returning/lost: Offense 6/5, defense 8/3, kickers 2/0.

Key returning starters: Ricky Stanzi, QB, Sr.; Adrian Clayborn, DE, Sr.; Tyler Sash, SS, Jr.

Others to watch: Riley Reiff, LT, So.; Micah Hyde, CB, So.; Jewel Hampton, RB, So. (missed last year due to injury); C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE, Fr.

By the numbers: 4 - national rank of Iowa’s pass defense in 2009. 86 - rank of Iowa’s scoring offense last year. 26 - sacks by Iowa’s front four last year; all four return.

Schedule: Iowa opens at home Sept. 4 with Eastern Illinois and hosts rival Iowa State on Sept. 11. A crucial road trip to Arizona and a 9:35 p.m. start time awaits Sept. 18, and the Hawkeyes return home for games with Ball State Sept. 25 and Penn State Oct. 2 in the Big Ten opener. Oct. 16 Iowa travels to Michigan, then comes back home to host Wisconsin Oct. 23 and Michigan State Oct. 30. Road games at Indiana and Northwestern come next – Nov. 6 and Nov. 13 – before the likely Big Ten championship game at home with Ohio State Nov. 20. The season closes out on the road at Minnesota Nov. 27.

Reason for optimism: The defense and home field advantage. Iowa’s defense, ranked 10th nationally last year, returns eight starters, including the entire dominant front four. The schedule is friendly in that Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Ohio State, most of the Big Ten’s top teams, all have to come to Kinnick Stadium. 

Reason for pessimism: Offensive inconsistency and the offensive line. Iowa’s offense has the capability to be explosive, but Stanzi needs to cut down on his interceptions (15 last year) and the running game needs to greatly improve. The offensive line will be the deciding factor in how the 2010 season goes, though, and that’s a scary thought, as the likely starting five has minimal experience outside of Julian Vandervelde and Reiff.

Bottom line: This team is entirely capable of going 12-0 and ending up in the BCS National Championship game, assuming teams ahead of them fall off. The defense is one of the NCAA’s best, but the offense has too many questions, with an inexperienced offensive line, a weak rushing attack and a mistake-prone quarterback. Still, the Hawkeyes have tremendous poise and resiliency, and should be in the BCS again with an 11-1 season.

Tomorrow – No. 1: Ohio State once again cream of Big Ten crop

Offense puts Wisconsin near the top of the Big Ten

By Brian Heinemann

For The Herald

With 10 starters back from the Big Ten’s most explosive and productive offense of 2009, the 2010 version of the Wisconsin Badgers figures to be scary good.

Will it be enough to get them through a mid-October schedule that includes back-to-back games with conference favorites Iowa and Ohio State, though? Probably not, unless the defense recovers from a disappointing 2009 campaign.

“We expect to be the most physical team on the field every Saturday,” senior safety Jay Valai said. “I think we’re more hungry than we’ve ever been. We have a lot of guys who’ve been one-year players who are just ready to go for the second bout. I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people on defense.”

They’ll need to if they want to finish above No. 3 in the conference. While they topped the Big Ten in rush defense last year, three of the front four are gone this year. That won’t help the pass defense, which gave up 21 touchdown passes a year ago and struggled to a middle-of-the-conference ranking.

With the offense the Badgers have, one has to wonder if it will really matter if the defense struggles a bit. The Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year from 2009, running back John Clay, returns for his junior year. Clay led the league in rushing last year and ran for 18 touchdowns, numbers that he could easily improve upon with the entire offensive line returning.

The guy handing him the ball isn’t too bad, himself. Scott Tolzien, now a senior, is one of the top quarterbacks in the conference, and he learned some valuable lessons from last year.

“I do believe one of the things that he really struggled with a year ago he was so successful in high school, academically and athletically, he never had experienced failure,” Coach Brett Bielema said. “ He never experienced anything that kind of was a bump in the road. When we had a couple of those it really took him back. And he's really done a good job of observing. 

“I thought the best quote I saw him from out of season was somebody asked him about what he learned during the winter film studies, and he said: I'm just finally happy that the guy on film is me.”

Wisconsin Badgers

Last year: 10-5, 5-3 Big Ten (tied for fourth)

Lettermen returning/lost: 46 returning, 20 lost.

Starters returning/lost: Offense 10/1, defense 6/5, kickers 2/0.

Key returning starters: Scott Tolzien, QB, Sr.; John Clay, TB, Jr.; J.J. Watt, DE, Jr.

Others to watch: Mike Taylor, OLB, So. (led team in tackles before ACL injury last year); Gabe Carimi, LT, Sr.; Devin Smith, CB, Jr.

By the numbers: 10 - straight opponents to fail to rush for 100 yards against Wisconsin. 28 - points separating Wisconsin from Ohio State and Iowa last year. 6 - teams that averaged 200 yards rushing and passing last year; Wisconsin was one of them.

Schedule: The only potential challenge in the first month is a Sept. 18 date with Arizona State. Big Ten play begins at Michigan State on Oct. 2, with the key stretch being in the second half of October, as the Badgers host Ohio State Oct. 16 and travel to Iowa Oct. 23. The four November games will see Wisconsin favored, at Purdue and Michigan and home 

against Indiana and Northwestern. 

Reason for optimism: Offensive continuity and balance. The Badgers return all but their tight end, and should be a powerhouse offensively with one of the best QBs in the Big Ten, Tolzien, and one of the best RBs in the nation, Clay. Clay had offseason surgery to remove bone spurs and bone fragments from his ankles, meaning he’s liable to be even more explosive.

Reason for pessimism: The defense and the October schedule. Wisconsin’s defense loses three of its front four, and the secondary gave up a ton of touchdowns through the air last year. With the defensive experience, the mid-October back-to-back with Ohio State and Iowa could be killer.

Bottom line: This is a legitimate Big Ten contender, with one of the best offenses in the country and a schedule that should see them favored in 10 of 12. The Badgers have the ability to knock off Ohio State or Iowa, but the defense will likely prevent them from doing so. 

Tomorrow – No. 1 and No. 2 revealed: Do the Hawkeyes have enough to unseat Ohio State?