Hawk or Buck: 'Eye' balling the Big 10

Although I am painstakingly looking forward to another absolutely forgettable season from both of Illinois' Big 10 football teams, we're going to have to look further than Evanston or Champaign to find the recipients of 2010's Big 10 title (Actually, who knows? Illinois is off 'the Juice') Still, the Big 10 boasts 4 top 15 teams and one coach who is literally one stub of the toe away from being 6 feet under at the State College Memorial Cemetery. Although the Big 10 race is always unpredictable, this year's season might go up and down more than Van Morrison's vocal harmony. So, I'm not going to waste my time and discuss the faint scenarios in which Northwestern and Illinois become relevant in the conference title race, or even the dubious case of perennial conference bottom-feeder Indiana beating the high powered Towson Tigers in their season opener. Instead, I will preview the possible champions of the Big 10 in my opinion(Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio State) and the college students that are having their tuition paid for to take them there. Couldn't these scholarships be awarded to scientists? Then again, how uninteresting would that be. Lets just keep giving them to these people.

IOWA: Last season: Orange Bowl Champions, (11-2,6-2), AP rank #7. Preseason ranking: 9.

If Iowa football lives up to their expectations this year, Iowa City could become as chaotic as an Oasis reunion concert in Manchester. Iowa has a favorable schedule and play all their biggest games in the comfort of Kinnick Stadium (Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan St., Wisconsin). Now, I'm not saying that Iowa is invisible at home. But, the mass amount of 19 year old kids (did I say 19? because I think everyone in Iowa does this) waking up at 7 and attending a 'totally sick' Keggs n Eggs tailgate party to get all wound up really gets the hawks going. Even though Iowa has home-field advantage throughout the Big 10 season, there are some definite question marks for Iowa. For example, is Ricky Stanzi really a quarterback that could potentially take you to a national title game? After Iowa's comeback in the Orange Bowl and his "love it or leave it" American rally speech that sounded like he was at a 4th of July rally dressed in an Uncle Sam costume, I realized that this was never Ricky Stanzi's team--he just sold the most XS jerseys to sorority girls in the campus book store. Although Stanzi is 18-4 all time as a starter (which is damn good in the Big 10 when you don't play for Ohio State), he has only completed 56% of his passes in his career as a Iowa football player/Vito's Bar socialite. He also threw 15 picks last year, 4 of which were taken back to the house. Iowa doesn't need Stanzi to be Colt Brennan, and Kirk Ferentz won't ask him to be. For Iowa to be successful and make a run at another BCS appearance, they just need to lean on Adrian Clayborn and the Hawks D, and throw to Marv McNutt as much as possible,he does after all have the best name in the Big 10.

Ohio State: Last season: Rose Bowl Champions, (11-2,7-1) Big 10 Champs, AP rank #5. Preseason ranking: 2

Although nobody outside the state of Ohio really gives a damn about Ohio State football, they are simply the best program in the Big 10. And, after Lebron leaving Cleveland, the Browns trading every recognizable person on their roster, and the Indians becoming perpetually awful, the Bucks are really all Ohio's got. So, the citizens of the Buckeye state are understandably wound up their team being the preseason #2 and the front-runner for the Big 10 title. Although they lost Malcolm Jenkins, Beanie Wells, and James Laurinaitis to the NFL, they return the most dangerous offensive weapon in the Big 10--Terelle Pryor. After what you can believe was a disappointing 2009 season for Pryor (Preseason Big 10 POY and not even being named All-Big 10), he was still the Rose Bowl MVP and helped his team win the Big 10 title while amassing hundreds of those tiny mosquito helmet stickers in the process. This upcoming year will be his junior season, and depending on the success that comes with it, it might be his last. Good news for Buckeye fans: they will absolutely dismantle their rival Michigan this year. Bad news: they have Iowa and Wisco on the road. These are two tough games and with a younger D than the 3rd brother in Malcolm in the Middle, I think they'll drop one of them. Still, depending on the seasons that the rest of the Big 10 put together, one loss might still do the trick for an outright title.

Wisconsin: Last Season: Champs Sports Bowl Champions, (10-3,5-3), AP Rank #16, Preseason Ranking: 12

It would be a trendy pick for me to hail Bucky as the 2010 Big 10 Champs because they start the northwest suburb's native son, Scott Tolzien under center, but it would be a touch too trite for me. After attending college in Wisconsin and spending Saturday's seeing people in camouflage badger hats and blaze orange hunting vests with the motion W on the left breast, I have learned a few things about their beloved Bucky Badgers. They are incredibly boring to watch, they are sure-fire choke artists one Saturday a year, and Wisconsinites are eternally sour for never making the BCS--they simply can't do it. In 2009, their token bad loss was to Northwestern (Iowa last to the Mildcats too, in fact). In 2008, it was a loss to Michigan and a one point victory over Cal Poly! It's almost become part of Wisconsin culture. They hunt in the fall, drink a quart of blackberry brandy on Thanksgiving, and their beloved Badgers drop a big game to some underachieving team sometime in September or November. Now I'm not saying that Wisconsin won't be good, because they will--they return 15 starters. All I'm saying that this isn't their BCS year. They will inevitably lose to Ohio State and then Iowa and you can almost guarantee they will lose to another team they shouldn't along the way. I'm thinking the Governors of Austin Peay in week 4, just kidding. Think @ Purdue in week 10. Still, the Badgers boast my favorite Big 10 player in QB Scott Tolzien, even if he does have a below average haircut.

After all this analysis, I am going to go out on a limb and take Iowa as the 2010 Big 10 Champs based on a BIG, upset win in Iowa City on the second to last Saturday of the year. In actuality, am I really hoping for an Iowa Big 10 title or another chance for Stanzi to handle the microphone? Who knows? Probably both. The rest of the Big Ten predictions are below.

Iowa
Ohio St.
Wisconsin, Penn State (tie)
Purdue
Michigan St.
Northwestern
Illinois
Indiana
Minnesota
Michigan

As for pick of the day, the Pulse Man is once again going to preseason football for his pick de jour. Tonight, he is taking Aaron Rodgers and the Packers to cover the -4 at home against the Colts. Some are billing this as a Super Bowl preview so it should be some more riveting preseason action. Lambeau will inevitably be packed because its Thursday night, people in Green Bay haven't even heard of the Jersey Shore yet.

Pick of the Day: Colts @ Packers. PACKERS -4 (-200)

Record: (12-11-0)