Much like the Big 12, the hunt for the Big 10 title is a 3-team race. Ohio State won it last year and is the favorites again, but both Wisconsin and Iowa are more than capable of knocking the Buckeyes off. The rest of the conference breaks down into tiers and there will a lot of close games this season.
- 1. Ohio State (8-0): The reigning Big 10 Champs and winners of the Rose Bowl come into 2010 primed for a big season. QB Terrelle Pryor will be surrounded by the same skill players as last year, with Brandon Saine and Dan “Boom” Herron back to lead a rushing attack that averaged just under 200 yards per game last season. Each of the leading receivers return as well, and OSU is loaded with talent up front to plug the holes on an otherwise experienced offensive line. With all that returning and the potential of Pryor, the Buckeyes will have an offense that can put points up on anybody and could be one of the best in the nation. The scary thing for teams playing OSU is that the offense may not even need to score much, as the defense will be one of the best around. With Cameron Hayward returning to anchor the line, the top two tacklers on the team back at linebacker, and both starting corners back to lead the secondary, opposing teams will have a tough time moving the ball on a stingy Buckeye defense. Only four road games means the Buckeyes have a real good shot at running the table, but a slip up is possible and even likely either @ Wisconsin in mid October or @ Iowa in November in what could turn out to be the Big 10 Championship game – again.
- 2. Iowa (6-2): The Hawkeyes, who took OSU to overtime last year in Columbus without starting QB Rick Stanzi, may again have the best chance to knock the Buckeyes off the top of the conference. Stanzi is healthy this year, and has a ton of weapons at his disposal. WR Derrell Johnson-Koulianos has a chance to leave Iowa as the Hawks’ all-time leading receiver, and WR Marvin McNutt bust on the scene last year in his first full season at the position. In addition, the entire backfield is back from last year and a healthy Jewel Hampton will only add to that group; Hampton ran for 463 yards and 7 TD’s as a backup two years ago. The O-line will need to be rebuilt, but OT Riley Reiff is moving to LT and looks to be the next great Hawkeye lineman, and coach Kirk Ferentz is known for being a great offensive line coach. The real strength of the team will be defense, where all four lineman return and are led by pre-season All-American DE Adrian Clayborn. Clayborn’s 20 TFL and 11.5 sacks last season led the team, but each of the three other starters along the line have all-conference potential, making the Hawkeye D-line arguably the best in the country. LB’s Pat Angerer and AJ Edds and CB Amari Spievey, who are all in the NFL now, will be missed, but a great defensive line and two experienced safeties will again have this defense among the fiercest in the nation. Iowa gets OSU, Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan State all at home, but the schedule is still brutal. Eight bowl teams from last season litter the schedule and the Hawkeyes close with 3 of 4 on the road with Ohio State as the lone home game. They have the potential to make noise on a national level, but it is feasible to think that Iowa could actually be better than last year but finish with a worse record.
