Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, September 1, 2015
Q: When will @OhioStAthletics announce a starting QB?
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) August 31, 2015
A: "When the first guy takes the snap." - @OSUCoachMeyer http://t.co/MKVyreIfCN
If you are waiting on Ohio State to name a starter, you?ll need to wait longer. It won?t happen until the opener on Monday at Virginia Tech.
And when game time rolls around, both Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett could see action. In the end, it seems most pundits think Barrett will get the call. But, I don?t think the offense will look much different regardless of who takes snaps, right?
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Mitch Leidner is the starting QB for Minnesota. But the rise of true freshman Demry Croft has some fans eager to see what he?s all about.
Croft is tantalizing. But Leidner gives the Gophers the best chance to win right now. Especially when you consider TCU is the season-opening foe.
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More QB news ? Northwestern made the decision last week to go with redshirt freshman Clayton Thorson. I thought it was the correct call, as he?s the best combination passer/runner of the options the Wildcats had to choose from.
Thorson arrived in Evanston with hype. As this piece notes, he was ranked as 247.com?s 188th best player and ninth best quarterback in the Class of 2014, and ESPN had him 157th overall and seventh among QBs. That makes Thorson one of NU?s highest-regarded recruits this decade. Before committing to NU, Thorson was also recruited by the likes of Penn State, Syracuse, Iowa and Illinois. The guy could be a stud.
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With Tim Beckman unceremoniously out at Illinois, a shakeup is about to take place among the assistants.
Nathan Scheelhaase is expected to be promoted to Illinois? running backs coach, according to this report. Scheelhaase, 24, was hired in May as the Fighting Illini?s assistant director of football operations. And interim head coach Bill Cubit?s son, Ryan, Illinois? quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator, is expected to be even more involved in the Fighting Illini?s offensive play-calling.
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I think the great Nick Baumgardner of Mlive.com hits it on the head with this column.
Now that Harbaugh is in Ann Arbor, the excuses are gone and it?s time to see where Michigan stands. The program has its dream coach. If not now, when will the Wolverines rise to prominence again?
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Good slide show from Pennlive.com that looks at 10 moments that shaped Penn State?s August.
Among them: Paris Palmer playing left tackle. He arrived from a JC amid great hype. But, golly ? after looking at him and watching him in camp, I wonder if he?s ready for the job. He looked awfully thin to me, almost like a basketball player.
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This shapes up to be an interesting season for Iowa, which looks to break a run of largely unfulfilling seasons. How unsatisfying has it been? Iowa is 10-11 at Kinnick the past three seasons. Could the Hawkeyes breakthrough from a mediocre run? Maybe.
Here are five big questions facing Iowa from Chad Leistikow of HawkCentral.com.
A big question: Will LeShun Daniels become the program?s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2011? I have my doubts, considering the fact the line has two new tackles. A bigger question is QB C.J. Beathard. Is he capable?
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Dan Duggan of NJ.com has his Big Ten power rankings out. Who does he have No. 3? Wisconsin? I can see why he would pick the Badgers there, given their favorable schedule. Minnesota No. 5? Behind Nebraska? Hmm. I don?t like that. In fact, I think the Gophers should be No. 3.
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Good read from Lee Barfknecht of Omaha.com, who says a Big Ten that?s top-heavy in the East could help Nebraska.
How is that true, you say? Barfknecht says programs going through a coaching change while retooling a roster with modest star power rarely get a chance to win a division title. The tilted Big Ten gives the Huskers a good chance to get beyond the recent underperformance - they have finished unranked seven of the past 13 seasons and are without a conference title for 15 years - and find earlier success.
Some very powerful reactions to the #Blackshirts receiving their jerseys today, check it out! ?????http://t.co/AXFShqdifp
— Mike Riley (@Coach_Riley) August 31, 2015
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Indiana made the decision to dismiss Emmett Holt. Really, he left Tom Crean no other choice with his run of bad behavior.
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About Tom Dienhart | BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart is a veteran sports journalist who covers Big Ten football and men's basketball for BTN.com and BTN TV. Find him on Twitter and Facebook, read all of his work at btn.com/tomdienhart, and subscribe to his posts via RSS. Also, send questions to his weekly mailbag using the form below and read all of his previous answers in his reader mailbag section. |