V w 'V w
4B Wednesday, September 5, 2007
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
-0
-1w
-wv
,W
W
w
Wednesday, September 5, 2007 fl
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
BIG TEN PREVIEW
The Daily writers compared notes, research and opinions before the season and came
up with a team-by-team Big Ten preview. Based on returning players, last year's finish,
new recruits and our own gut instincts, the rankings came out as follows.
FS
B. Englemon
S. Brown
CB
M. Trent
B. Harrison
WILL
C. Graham
J. Mouton
DE
T. Jamison
A. Patterson
2007 Depth Chart
MIKE
J. Thompson
0. Ezeh
SAM
S. Crable
M. Pollock
DE
G. Banks
B. Graham
SS
J. Adams
C. Stewart
CB
D. Warren
J. Sears
DT
T. Taylor
B. Gallimore
DT
W. Johnson
J. Ferrara
LT
J. Long
P. Dorrenstein
LG
A. Kraus
T. McAvoy
C
J. Boren
T. McAvoy
WR
G. Mathews
T. Clemons
RG
A. Mitchell
J. Ciulla
WR
A. Arrington
RT
S. Schilling
M. Ortmann
TE
M. Massey
C. McLaurin
PURDUE BOILERMAKERS
(8-5, 5th in the Big Ten)
Key returnees: WR Dorien Bryant, DE Cliff Avril
Player to watch: Quarterback Curtis Painter. With receivers
like Dorien Bryant, Painter has the weapons he needs to lead the
offense. But although he led the Big Ten in passing by more than
1,000 yards, he'll have to improve upon last year's 129.12 QB rating
if he wants to command what could be among the Big Ten's most
potent offenses.
Reason for optimism: The Boilermakers return 20 starters from last
year's bowl team.
Reasons for pessimism: Many of those returning starters were on a
defense that was one of the worst in the nation against the run last
year,
Bottom line: Coach Joe Tiller is under a lot of pressure after Purdue
wasted two years without Michigan and Ohio State on the schedule.
It will be do-or-die for the Boilermakers. 8-4.
WR QB
M. Manningham C. Henne
J. Hemingway R. Mallett
KR PR
B. Minor J. Sears
J. Sears G. Mathews
not many t
BROMWICH hadthe be
From page 3B team whei
Now th
People are already assuming undefeate
that beating the Nittany Lions, that includ
Buckeyes and Badgers is impos-
sible. But why?
Mike Hart is still Mike Hart.
Mario Manningham is still
Mario Manningham. Jake Long
is still Jake Long. Chad Henne
is (hopefully) still Chad Henne.
The defense adjusted after the
first half and held Appalachian
State to just two field goals after
the break.
As far as I can tell, this is
the same team that Michigan
had when it was thought to be
alegitimate threat to finish
the season undefeated. Now,
because of a sloppily played
game that included two special
teams breakdowns, an underrat-
ed opponent and an unexpected
early-season loss, the Wolver-
ines suck?
Everyone thought Michi-
gan was a top-five team in the
nation and the class of the Big
Ten. People who coach college
football, write about college
football, played college football
and watch college football all
thought Michigan would be a
great team this year. Could that
many well-educated people be
so wrong? Possible, but less than
likely.
So Michigan is not going to
win the National Championship
this season, and it is not going
to finish the year undefeated.
But the odds were against the
Wolverines doing that anyway.
There's just one team out of 119
who can accomplish that, and
FB
M. Moundros
V. Helmuth
RB
M. Hart
B. Minor
and a win in the Rose Bowl.
Sounds to me like it's some-
thing worth playing for.
- Bromwich can be reached
at dabromwi@umich.edu.
thought the Wolverines
st chance to be that
n all was said and done.
e best they can do is an
d conference schedule
des a win over Ohio State
K P
J. Gingell Z. Mesko
B. Wright
FIVE GAMES TO WATCH THIS SEASON
IOWA AT WISCONSIN
SEPT. 22, 8PM ON ABC
This matchup will be the first big test
for the Hawkeyes when they open the
Big Ten season at Camp Randall. If
Iowa is serious about a Big Ten Cham-
pionship, it has to pull this one out.
OHIO STATE AT PENN STATE
OCT. 27, 8PM
Joe Paterno said the Nittany Lions
have a good, but not great team at Big
Ten Media Day. Good teams can play
the spoiler for perennial Big Ten pow-
erhouse Buckeyes, especially at home.
OHIO STATE AT WISCONSIN
NOV. 3, TBA
If either the Buckeyes or Badgers
can stay perfect to this point, this
game could decide the Big Ten Cham-
pionship, and you can bet Camp Ran-
dall will be rocking all day long.
MICHIGAN AT WISCONSIN
NOV.10, TBA
If Wisconsin can survive Ohio State
coming to Camp Randall the week
before, then this game will take the
spotlight. Add to that, all the experts
have circled this game as the decider.
OHIO STATE AT MICHIGAN
NOV.17, TBA
Arguably the greatest college foot-
ball rivalry of all time, this game will be
worth watching regardless of records.
It's Maize and Blue against Scarlet and
Gray. What more do you need?
GRIZZLY PEAK AWARDS & IMAGE
MI DAILY, KICK-OFF E DITION, SEPT 5&8 B/w 3.75 X 6 INCHES
DUE TO PUB 08-01-07