Welcome to the Big 10
By TDAUG, COMISSIONER
Welcome to DaONE league BIG 10 Conference page.

Big 10 Deep in Talent...Again
By Thovind1, COMISSIONER
Which conference is the best in college football? If not for the assurance that the BCS will screw things up enough to keep people talking every year, this question would be the biggest debate goin'. Every year, everyone agrees to disagree. Guys always pick which conference they claim allegiance to, trying to hype it up like it's their father in high school. "My dad can beat up your dad." Never mind that it's usually a biased opinion.

This season will be no different, of course. I hear guys talking about the Pac-10 this year. I hear about the Big East, with Miami, Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech ... all contenders. I hear about the ACC, with Maryland and Florida State. The Big 12 boasts Oklahoma, Texas, and Nebraska ... all definitely to be feared. The SEC has capable representatives, as well, in Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. It seems only right that I jump right in the fray of all this controversy.

The Big Ten Conference, while down on overall talent this season, demands everyone's respect EVERY season, if only for the representatives that it puts into the top 10, year by year. The conference only goes about six teams deep in actual contenders every year ... that's all. Wisconsin, Michigan, Penn State, Iowa, Illinois ... all take turns beating each other to a pulp every year, trying just to win the conference crown. That, in my opinion, is the only reason you don't see a Big Ten national champion more than you do.

Throw in Ohio State, my arch-rival (sorry Kosar), and what the Buckeyes were able to do last year and likely again this year, and you've got a conference out of which you'd be hard-pressed to find many bottom-feeders. Ohio State went undefeated last year and beat the team that many believed to be the team of the decade. To me, the national championship was a cakewalk, even against that team. The real accomplishment was going through the conference schedule and not suffering a loss.

What really hurts the conference this year is its lack of already known superstars. Sure, you've got Chris Gamble and Maurice Clarrett of Ohio State. After that, there are a lot of guys that should have good years, but no guarantees.

Anthony Davis of Wisconsin should establish himself as one of the best running backs in the country. Lee Evans and Jonathan Orr, also of Wisconsin, make up one of the best receiver tandems in the country. Throw in Brandon Williams as a third, and Wisconsin should be off the hook offensively.

On top of Gamble and Clarrett, Ohio State boasts one of the best defensive ends in Will Smith and one of the best receivers in Michael Jenkins. Minnesota, while not as talented as they've been inthe past, has a gem tight end in senior Ben Utecht. Michigan lost a lot of talent last year, but Michael Jackson may be the best cornerback in the country behind Gamble. Tony Pape, an awesome right tackle, and Braylon Edwards, a more than capable wideout, are names to watch for the Wolverines. Two of the best kickers in the nation are Nate Keading of Iowa and Mike Nugent of Ohio State. Left tackle Robert Gallery and strong safety Bob Sanders, both Hawkeyes, will be major national players on that defense.

Courtney Roby and Glenn Johnson of Indiana should keep cornerbacks honest. Carey Davis of Illinois is an awesome fullback. For Penn State, Tony Johnson and Zack Mills should hook up for more than their share of touchdown bombs. And Gino Capone may be a well-known name come NFL draft day. Stuart Schweigert, free safety, and Landon Johnson, right side linebacker, lead a very formidable Purdue defense. Jason Wright of Northwestern, Marion Barber III of Minnesota, Chris Perry of Michigan and Fred Russell of Iowa won't threaten to take the spotlight away from Clarrett or Davis, but are underestimated running backs. Any one of them could have a huge season.

And the Big Ten has no shortage of quality quarterbacks, either, with Jim Sorgi of Wisconsin, Kyle Orton of Purdue, Penn State's Mills, Craig Krenzel of the Buckeyes, Brett Basanez of Northwestern, Asad Abdul-Khaliq of Minnesota, Jeff Smoker of Michigan State, John Navarre of Michigan, and Illinois' Jon Beutjer all being better-than-average at the position.

So who will win DaONE Big Ten crown? Depends on who you ask, of course.

"I'm pretty sure I will win or come in second in the Big Ten," claims mmdavidk, coach of the Badgers.

Buckeyes' coach MM_Kosar19 said, "I see Ohio State playing Miami for the title". Illinois' Poo-Diddy says "as always in Big Ten play, Michigan and Ohio State, as well as Penn State, are the teams to beat."

While Wisconsin, Ohio State and Michigan are certainly loaded with talent, it’s coaching that actually wins the games. "I don't think the ratings will matter ... maybe for the real bad teams,” said MM_Kosar19. "The average, or above-average teams, it won't matter. A coach's personal skill will make the difference."

And the Big Ten has no shortage of dark-horse teams with fabulous coaches. If those three powerhouse teams forget that fact, a team like Illinois or Penn State will have them looking in from the outside when it comes time to hand over that conference trophy. Mmdavidk, with his 117-yard rushing average per game, and Mmkosar19, who has beaten the best coaches in the game with his defensive coaching style, are both highly regarded coaches. But so are guys like Poo-Diddy, who prides himself in being unpredictable, and Coach G, who plays to his team strengths and aims at winning with better technique and strategy than his adversary.

Coaches that are new to online league play, like Iowa's Webb, will have to learn quickly or they may never recover. "I think you will see some games get 'edged out' by the lesser teams if the coaching is good," Webb said. "But staying close will be key. Avoid a blowout by the fourth, and it’s anyone's game."

The Big Ten in DaONE won't be without intrigue this season, either. The conference is known for its rivalries, and this year is no exception. The Wolverines and the Buckeyes have one of the most heated rivalries in all of sports ... and Michigan isn't adapting well to their hated enemies' winning ways, especially head-to-head. Having such a brash Buckeye coach isn't sitting too well, either. On the locker room chalkboard during preseason is a quote from MM_Kosar19 that reads "... you and your puppy dogs," an affectionate term used by the Buckeye coach during the offseason.

Cocky Mmdavidk has fallen just short of daring Poo-Diddy's Illini and Coach G's Lions to try and stop his famous running game, having been quoted as saying "hope you have some run defense.” Mmdavidk has been quoted as saying that one of his main goals this season is to be the top rushing team in the nation. That Penn State team is also looking forward to playing rival Minnesota, led by S. Enigma. "I expect this team to win, especially in the big games,” Coach G said. As for Poo-Diddy, "Anyone on my schedule for this year will be considered my rival. Don't sleep on my Illini.” On top of Ohio State, Michigan has to worry about that other team in the Great Lakes State, the Spartans. Their game seems to always go to the end.

So, all of this being said, who will come out on top of the conference? How many teams will represent the Big Ten in the tournament? "I think the nation will get a taste of how great Big Ten football really is," commented Coach G.

Will the conference once again sport the champion? All questions are yet to be answered. As we've all heard time and time again, you've still gotta play the games. Certainly, Ohio State seems to be poised to take a return trip to the throne ... but there are 10 other, more-than-capable teams that may have something to say about it before judgment day.