Is Johnny Manziel Worth the Headache?

It almost feels like you can't go a week without Johnny Manziel being in the news, who has went from college football golden boy to red headed step child in less than a year. It started with his twitter rant about an alleged parking incident, then skipping practices and meetings at the Manning Passing Academy, then he was kicked out of a frat party at the University of Texas. All those headlines were, let's be completely honest, rather comical. But none of those previous indiscretions had any real effect on Manziel and Texas A&M, outside of their good name being ran through the mud by many writers and media outlets. However, the most recent Manziel related story is slightly more serious.

It has been reported that Manziel allegedly accepted money from an autograph broker to sign autographs this past January. Which is a direct violation of NCAA rules, and despite how foolish many people think this NCAA 'violation' is, it is in fact an NCAA violation. And you have to think that Manziel must have known that accepting any money (and it has been reported he may have accepted a 5 figure payout for his signature) was against the rules and he could very well be punished for it. Which only further questions his maturity and to a lesser extent his character.

Some feel that Manziel's rise and fall are both solely on the media and the overblown coverage, both good and bad, of his every move. Which yes, is partially to blame, but that doesn't mean Johnny Football isn't at fault as well. It's not like he was some unknown walk on that worked his way into the lineup. Manziel was one of the highest rated prospects in the 2011 recruiting class, the hype was major before he even had graduated from high school. I mean, they don't go handing out nicknames like Johnny Football to anyone.

Some also say that his partying ways are typical of many college students. Which I do know for a fact as being true. But many of those students are not on scholarship to play football at a university. The average college student is not expected to represent a university or a football program. Which, whether we like it or not, is expected of each and every athlete that accepts a scholarship. If he wanted to just go to school and party and not be in the news for every little thing he should not have accepted the scholarship and just paid his own way through school.

Part of me is starting to think that Manziel actually enjoys being in the spotlight like this. He knows every thing he does will end up on ESPN and his ego feeds off it. Which really brings up the question, is Manziel worth the trouble anymore? Now, don't get me wrong, on the field Johnny Football is one of the most entertaining players in the country. His rise to national prominence sure was a sight to behold last season. However with the seemingly never ending off the field incidents one really has to wonder if his on the field excellence is worth sitting through the never ending off the field nonsense? Luckily, I am not one who needs to make the decision, but if these issues continue, and Manziel doesn't declare early for the NFL Draft (which according to NCAA and NFL rules, he would be eligible for the 2014 NFL Draft), head coach Kevin Sumlin has to start giving some consideration to suspending his starting quarterback, if not flat out kick him off the team. As extreme as that may sound, it may very well be the only way to show Manziel that his immaturity won't get him very far in the world outside of college football.

- Josh Gamez
@itsjoshgamez

What Michael Dyer will bring to the Table for Louisville

Earlier this week it was reported by USA Today that former Auburn tailback Michael Dyer, who hasn't played football since the 2011 season (where he helped lead Auburn to their first national title in over 50 years) after a few off the field issues has accepted a scholarship at Lousiville after graduating with an associates degree from Arkansas Baptist College. He will be a junior and will have 2 years of NCAA eligibility remaining.

Per NCAA rules, since he isn't technically enrolled in school yet, he cannot comment on the situation, but those close to Dyer, including president of the Arkansas college he earned his Associates Degree from and mentor to Dyer Fitz Hill, say he has learned his lessons from past mistakes and is excited to resume his playing career after getting kicked out of Auburn and then Arkansas State because of failed drug tests and at Arkansas State the possession of a handgun, unlawfully. In the wake of the recent Aaron Hernandez murder investigation and arrest that all but took over sports media a few months ago, many schools and coaches may have been scared off of pursuing Dyer's services. Louisville, Western Kentucky and Troy ended up being the schools that Dyer had the most interested, and ended up choosing Louisville.

Dyer, when he is on the field is nothing short of dynamic. Dyer ran for over 2,000 yards as a freshmen and sophomore at Auburn and was named The Offensive MVP of the 2011 BCS National Championship game. If Dyer can return to form you really have to think that the Lousiville BCS train can be more than just something you can sweep under the rug. Dyer has 1,200 yard rushing potential and could easily score double digit touchdowns for the Cardinals in 2013. There's no reason to talk up how great Teddy Bridgewater is, but if Dyer plays like he did at Auburn, the Louisville offense can be flat out prolific. With a potent passer and a workhorse back, the sky could very well be the limit in 2013.

- Josh Gamez
@itsjoshgamez
josh.projectcfb@gmail.com

Pac-12 Initiates New Contact Rule & Other Health Initiatives

Last week at the Pac-12 media day, Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott announced a new policy regarding football contact.  While the initiative still needs to be approved by the conference’s athletic directors, the policy goes beyond the NCAA’s set rules and regulations regarding contact.

The policy, agreed upon by the Pac-12’s football coaches includes the following per the Pac-12 website:

- Limits teams to two full-contact practices per week during the regular season

- Limits the contact during two-a-days during preseason

- Limits the number of full-contact practices per week in the spring to two

Whether an athlete plays football at the Pop Warner or professional level, organizations are going above and beyond to make the game safer and what the Pac-12 did may be norm for other college divisions in the future.  Pac-12 athletic directors will meet this month to officially make these rules conference policy.

Scott also announced the Pac-12’s partnership with USA Football and the Head’s Up Football program.  The conference and its coaches will record public service announcements regarding making the game of football safer.

Finally, the Pac-12 confirmed their work on the Student-Athlete Health & Well-Being Research Program and Head Trauma Task Force.  In 2014, the conference will hold a summit with researchers and doctors to commit a $3.5 million dollar grant to go towards projects at Pac-12 schools for improving the health and well being of the schools’ students-athletes.

- Hayley Elwood

@hayleyelwood

hayley.projectcfb@gmail.com

What Mark Stoops and His Recruiting will do for Kentucky

Back in November, the powers that be the University of Kentucky turned heads when they announced the hiring of Mark Stoops as the head coach of the struggling football program. For the first time in a while, the talk in Lexington wasn't about the school's basketball team.

For so many years, the Wildcats' football team had taken a backseat to the illustrious basketball team. To many outside the town, it seemed the school's fanbase had accepted the fact that this college was a basketball college, with football filling in the months until basketball season began. Stoops has already made it clear that he intends to change the image of the school as a single-sport program. If he has his way, the Wildcats will force themselves into conversations about conference championships and beyond.

After Kentucky went 2-10 last season and ranking just tenth in defense within the conference, the decision was made to part ways with coach Joker Phillips. The Wildcats never seemed to make it out of the cellar with Phillips at the helm, and as we all know, a coach that doesn't produce doesn't keep his job very long. Under Phillips, it seemed Kentucky never made any major waves on the recruiting trail, always playing it safe. In doing so, the team rarely even sniffed at mediocrity.

Now as the Stoops era begins, the recruiting trail going into Lexington has warmed up. Stoops immediately assembled a staff versed in the tricky art of recruiting. So far, they've assembled the 29th ranked recruiting class according to Rivals, something Phillips never accomplished in his time at Kentucky. Under Phillips, the Wildcats never had a recruiting class ranked better than 50th.

Stoops' attention so far has been mainly on building a defense, with his prize recruit so far being defensive end Jason Hatcher. The real surprise about Hatcher is that he played at Trinity High School. Anyone want to guess where Trinity is located? Yep, Louisville.

Trinity has been known for some time as a pipeline school to the Wildcats' in-state rival Louisville, although Hatcher had actually been a long-time commit to USC, until Stoops made a play and convinced him to change his commitment.

Thanks to Stoops' name and reputation for building defenses, the Wildcats now have the opportunity to go after high-caliber recruits, instead of settling on players other schools passed on. The question now will be once the shine of the new hiring wears off, can Stoops recruit consistently enough to put Kentucky in the thick of those serious discussions within the conference?

The answer to that, at least for the upcoming season and maybe the next, remains to be seen. Considering Stoops is starting with a virtual clean slate would indicate he will need a couple seasons to establish decent chemistry among his players.

Optimism within the program and among its fanbase is running high, maybe higher than the school has seen in many years; and considering the team's record in the past few seasons, they can only go one direction. Everyone knows once you've hit rock bottom, the only way out of the hole is up.

To give you an idea of my expectations of Stoops as he steps into the rather large shoes of a head coach in the SEC, it may be best to let him have the 2013 season as a period to acclimate, and possibly 2014 as well. But then, once he's settled in, the recruits should continue to show growing interest in Kentucky. If I really wanted to ruffle feathers, I could say his recruiting will rival a certain coach in the West Division who loves to show off his rings to the recruits he visits. The real fun will come if and when Stoops beats him on the recruiting trail, and then, ultimately, on the field. After all, this is the SEC, where anything can happen on any given Saturday.

- Kevin Hicks

@kevinhicks77

kevin.projectcfb@gmail.com

Rebuilding Penn State

The season started off like most expected, a dismal 0-2 record seemed to be only the start of what would be a tough road for the Nittany Lions. Yet, with their unwavering fan support, Penn State went on a tear winning five games in a row (one of which was to then #24 ranked Northwestern) and ended their 2012 campaign with a record of 8-4. The surprising success of the team garnered O’Brien the ESPN National Coach of the Year award, the Big Ten Coach of the Year and the 2012 Paul “Bear” Bryant College Coach of the Year. Not to mention the 2012 Project CFB Coach of the Year.

As we anxiously await the start of the 2013 college football season, it gives us time to reflect on the most recent 2012 NCAA Football season. One of the most surprising stories from last year had to be that of the Penn State Nittany Lions. I doubt any college football fan expected Penn State to have a winning record for the 2012 season. 2011 was one of the most tumultuous football seasons for any NCAA school in history as Penn State dealt with the fallout of a child sex abuse scandal. Not only that, legendary football coach Joe Paterno was fired in November 2011 and then passed away rather unexpectedly from cancer two months later. Then there were the NCAA sanctions of a $60 million in fines and a reduction in scholarships and a ban on post-season play which also didn’t bode well for the Lions and new head coach Bill O’Brien.

In fact, due to his outstanding rookie coaching season, O’Brien was interviewed for the head coaching position at both the NFL’s Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles. Not a bad career move for the award winning coach. But O’Brien in the end made the decision to remain at Penn State. He felt it would be in poor taste to leave the beleaguered school after just one season claiming he wasn’t a “one-and-done guy”. That decision garnered O’Brien a raise of $1.3 million annually and made him the third highest paid head coach in the Big Ten.

It’s a new season and a fresh outlook for O’Brien and the rest of the Nittany Lions with the 2013 kickoff rapidly approaching. Of course, the path ahead will be more challenging as the full impact of the NCAA sanctions take hold in the coming years. But for current players and coaches, 2013 doesn’t hold the doubt or worry that the pre-season of 2012 did. They know what they are dealing with and if last season is any reflection, they will handle the forthcoming obstacles ahead with passion and an overwhelming desire to persevere through the battles to come.

- Amy Norris
@amyjane72
amy.projectcfb@gmail.com

You're Punching a One Way Ticket to the National Championship? Not so Fast my Friend!

It's pretty clear who the majority of sports writers, analysts and fans think we will see play for the National Championship in early 2014. The team who seems to always play for that Crystal Ball, the Alabama Crimson Tide, and the team who went undefeated last season but due to a post season ban wasn't allowed to play for the National title, the Ohio State Buckeyes. A few people may disagree, but if they make predictions of the National title game they will most likely at least have Alabama or Ohio State in the game.

It makes sense right? The Crimson Tide have won two straight National titles. They've been dominant. And players such as quarterback AJ McCarron, running back TJ Yeldon and wide receiver Amari Cooper are just three of Bama's star players. Their defense was ranked first in the Nation in points allowed per game, only allowing an average of 10.9 points, first in rush defense, only allowing 76.4 yards a game, and first in total defense, allowing only an average of 250.0 yards per game.

Alabama only lost one game. A close one against Heisman Trophy winner (and 2012 Project CFB QB of the Year as well as Freshman of the Year) Johnny Manziel and his Texas A&M Aggies. A&M only defeated the Crimson Tide by five points, but a loss is a loss.

But let's look into Alabama's 2012 year a little more shall we? They went 13-1, 7-1 in the SEC. They beat teams such as LSU, Georgia (in the SEC Championship Game) and Notre Dame (by 28 points in the National Championship Game). However, if you look more into this you will see that Alabama only defeated Les Miles' LSU Tigers by four points. They also defeated the Bulldogs for the SEC title by the same amount, four points. One or two small mistakes could have been the difference between winning and losing in those two games. The same that could be said about this year.
Alabama plays seven games at Bryant-Denny Stadium, four away games and one game at a neutral site. They begin their year taking on Virginia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia. On paper Bama looks like the clear cut winner, but if Logan Thomas and company can find their rhythm against the Crimson Tide and stay on top, they could pull the upset. But even if Alabama gets by Virginia Tech, they open their SEC schedule in week two against Johnny Manziel and his Texas A&M Aggies, this time at College Station. The Aggies could very well make it two straight victories against Bama, especially playing on their home field this time around.

Alabama's schedule is sprinkled in with a couple more tough opponents. After A&M they will play against Colorado State, Ole Miss and Georgia State. All three should be easily won. After that they play Kentucky, Arkansas and Tennessee, three teams with first year head coaches, and although it's their first years at their respective schools, they have been improving their schools from day one. After those three games Alabama will battle LSU in what's sure to be a tough one, followed by Mississippi State and Chattanooga. They will wrap the season up on November 30 with the Iron Bowl, at Auburn. This heated rivalry game favors Alabama this year, but with a rivalry game like this, you just never know.

So if you counted, there are four games on Bama's schedule that could possibly ruin their National Title hopes. Will Alabama be defeated in 2013? I can't say for certain. They are arguably the best team in college football this year, but to say that they will most definitely run the table this fall is just not wise.

Now, onto the other team that seems oh so certain to play for a National Title. Urban Meyer's Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes are stacked with some amazing playmakers. Quarterback Braxton Miller is an impressive dual threat QB perfect for an Urban Meyer style offense. Philly Brown is a reliable wide receiver for Miller, and as long as Carlos Hyde plays this season (he was a person of interest in an assault at a bar that may or may not have happened), Hyde could possibly rush for 1,000 yards. Ryan Shazier is also a big playmaker on the other side of the ball. He recorded 70 tackles and five sacks last season.

Unlike Bama, OSU went undefeated last season. However, they played their fair share of very close games. OSU won two games in OT (beating Purdue and Wisconsin by seven). They also survived against Cal by seven, Michigan State by one, Indiana by only three and Michigan by just five.

Many of these games could have been a loss for the Buckeyes if just one mistake was made. With Braxton Miller only completing 58.3% of his passes, I can say with confidence that they are lucky they didn't lose one of these close games.

The Bucks start their 2013 season off fairly easily. Playing against Buffalo and San Diego State followed by an away game against Cal. After that they take on Florida A&M and should go into their Big Ten opener undefeated. Ohio State's first B1G game is a home game against Gary Andersen's Wisconsin Badgers. A game that if the Buckeyes take lightly they could find themselves on the short end of the stick.

After the Badgers, OSU travels to Ryan Field to take on the Northwestern Wildcats. This is another game that I feel if Ohio State looks past, Kain Colter and his Wildcats could pull the upset. Next OSU battles Iowa before hosting Penn State in Columbus. Penn State, led by 2012 Project CFB Coach of the Year Bill O'Brien is yet another team on the Buckeyes' schedule that if they take lightly they can wind up defeated.

After the Nittany Lions, Ohio State wraps their season up with road games against Purdue and Illinois, a home game against Indiana and The Game against the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor. Michigan is definitely on an upswing. Devin Gardner has taken the starting QB position, and although his pass percentage is only slightly better than Braxton Miller's, he will be ready and willing to take the Buckeyes down.

Just like Alabama, Ohio State has four games that seem to be games of interest, and if they don't prepare or if they take them lightly, they can see their hopes of a National Championship dwindle away.

Will Alabama and/or Ohio State play in the National Championship game? They absolutely could. They have the talent to do just that. But is it a lock? Absolutely not. Both teams play a few teams that they could lose to. But as long as they keep their heads in the game and stick to their game plan, they very well could face off for the National Championship in 2014.

- Matt Lytle
@mattlytle
matt.projectcfb@gmail.com

2013 Big Ten Preview

The Big Ten is a conference that was one of the toughest conferences to be in. Some argue that it still is. With the SEC running wild down South, many don't believe that the Big Ten is a power conference anymore. But teams like the Ohio State Buckeyes, Michigan Wolverines and Wisconsin Badgers have something to say about that. Granted, the SEC has won the National Championship seven of the last nine times. And the Big Ten hasn't won the National Title since the Buckeyes defeated the Miami Hurricanes in 2002. But the Big Ten have a couple of contenders this year, that very well could find themselves battling for the National Championship this winter.

We all know that Maryland and Rutgers will be joining the Big Ten next season, and with that change in 2014 we will see the Leaders and Legends Division go away for a more common East and West division. We will see Michigan and Ohio State playing in the same division, along side Maryland and Rutgers as well as Indiana, Michigan State and Penn State. They will obviously make up the East Division while the West Division will consist of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin. But we will save the 2014 Big Ten for 2014. Let's see how the Big Ten very well could play out in this final season of the Leaders and Legends Division.
This is a preview and my own predictions for the Big Ten conference in 2013.

Leaders Division

1. Ohio State Buckeyes
After a 12-0 season last season, Urban Meyer and the Ohio State Buckeyes will look to not only recreate the magic of an undefeated season. They will not only look to win a Big Ten Championship. They will look to go on to win the first National Championship that the Big Ten has won since 2002 (when Jim Tressel led the Bucks to an undefeated season and National Championship). Junior quarterback Braxton Miller will lead the Buckeyes on offense. Last year he threw for 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards. He also scored a total of 28 touchdowns. Depending on if Carlos Hyde plays for the team this year (he found himself a person of interest in an incident in a bar about a week ago) he will be a reliable back for Miller on offense. Hyde ran for 970 yards last season and 16 touchdowns. Braxton will also have a couple of reliable wide receivers such as senior Philly Brown and Jordan Hall. Junior linebacker Ryan Shazier is coming off of a 115 tackle season and will be a big leader on defense.

2. Wisconsin Badgers
The Badgers lost Bret Bielema but gained Gary Andersen as their new head coach. The quarterback spot will either go to junior college transfer Tanner McEvoy or sophomore Joel Stave. The running backs will consist of senior James White and sophomore Melvin Gordon. White rushed for a little over 800 yards last season behind Montee Ball and hit paydirt 12 times. Senior receiver Jared Abbrederis returns after an 837 yard and 5 touchdown season in 2012. All of Wisconsin's defensive stats ranked fifth or higher in the Big Ten. Attacking the QB with blitz packages is what their defense will look to consistently do this year. Their defensive coordinator Dave Aranda was quoted saying, "I'm a big advocate of attacking protections."

3. Penn State Nittany Lions
The Nittany Lions come back for head coach Bill O'Brien's second season as head coach. O'Brien started the season rocky as Penn State's coach, but came back leading the team to an 8-4 season. O'Brien won the Project CFB Coach of the Year last year. This year he will look to true freshman Christian Hackenberg to lead his team to victory. Tyler Ferguson, a junior college transfer will be Christian's backup just in case. Running back Zach Zwinak lead the team in rushing with 1,000 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2012. He will look to have another year like last year if not better. Five wideouts return from last season, led by junior Allen Robinson. Penn State's offensive line is solid. Their defense returns quite a few starters as well. Sophomore defensive end Deion Barnes and senior DaQuan Jones will look to disrupt the pocket while cornerback Adrian Amos and safety Stephen Obeng-Agyapong will look to defend the pass.

4. Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana sophomore quarterback Tre Robinson will return this season after suffering a broken leg in the second game of the season last year. Robinson is a dual-threat quarterback who is an impressive QB and will look to prove it on the field. He will have wide receivers Shane Wynn, Cody Latimer and Kofi Hughes as great options. Indiana also has two reliable running backs in Stephen Houston, who rushed for 749 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, and Tevin Coleman, who is a full sized back with power. Indiana gave up a ton of points in their last three games last year. And their top two defensive tackles are gone. Linebacker David Cooper and safety Greg Heban are the returning lead tacklers. Also lineback Zack Shaw is moving to defensive end to assist in pass rush.

5. Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois went 2-10 last season without a win in the Big Ten. Senior quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase returns after a 1,300 passing yard season. He only threw four touchdowns, and threw eight interceptions. He also rushed for four touchdowns. Illinois running back Donovonn Young returns. He rushed for 571 yards and three touchdowns last season and also was the Fighting Illini's leading receiver with 38 receptions, 172 yards and one receiving touchdown. Defense is young, but they welcomed 10 mid-year enrollees including five junior college transfers in an attempt to stack the defense.

6. Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue looks to new head coach Darrell Hazell who is going to get rid of the spread style offense Purdue fans are used to seeing for a pro-style type offense. Senior Rob Henry should be the Boilermaker's quarterback this season. He has the most experience and can make plays with his feet. Hazell has two other options at QB if he needs it. "We've got three capable guys at that position," he said. Running back Hakeem Hunt returns after rushing for 134 yards in the spring game. He had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Ohio State last season. Purdue's defense returns eight starters.

Legends Division

1. Michigan Wolverines
Michigan looks to junior quarterback Devin Gardner to lead the team this year in the post-Denard Robinson era. Offensive coordinator Al Borges will finally get to run his pro-style offense that he had a hard time running with the playmaker Denard Robinson on the field. Behind Gardner is a pool of running backs. Thomas Rawls, Derrick Green and Justice Hayes are just a few names you may see at running back, as well as Fitzgerald Toussaint who suffered a broken leg last season playing against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Gardner will have reliable receivers such as Jeremy Gallon and Drew Dileo to throw to. Michigan suffered a blow on defense when Jake Ryan tore his ACL in practice. He likely will not play in 2013, but that doesn't mean he won't work his butt off trying to return. Michigan will look for Brennen Byer, Jibreel Black, Taco Charlton, Desmond Morgan and Courtney Avery to step up on defense and make plays.

2. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Bo Pelini and the Cornhuskers are coming off of a couple of tough losses in the Big Ten Championship Game and the Capital One Bowl. Nebraska has returning quarterback senior Taylor Martinez who threw for 2,871 yards, 1,000 rushing yards and a total of 23 touchdowns. Behind him is junior running back Ameer Abdullah who is a playmaker himself. He rushed for over 1,000 yards last season and eight touchdowns. Junior receiver Kenny Bell will be Martinez's go-to guy on offense. Bell reeled in 50 receptions last season for 863 yards and eight touchdowns. Nebraska ranked first in the Big Ten for rushing yards per game and also ranked first in the Big Ten for passing defense (fourth Nationally). All their cornerbacks return. However their linebackers are all new, and their defensive line only returns two with experience.

3. Northwestern Wildcats
Pat Fitzgerald has done good things in Northwestern. He will has two quarterbacks this season just like last. Senior Kain Colter, who is a dual-threat quarterback able to make plays returns as well as junior Trevor Siemian. Northwestern has Venric Mark at running back this season, who rushed for 1,366 yards last year. The Wildcats also have three reliable receivers for their QB duo to pass to. Juniors Christian Jones and Tony Jones, as well as senior Rashad Lawrence. Northwestern has all three level of defense. Tyler Scott anchors the d-line. They will also have two linebackers in Damien Proby and Chi Chi Ariguzo who will make plays. Northwestern ranked first in the Big Ten in turnovers. A trend that Pat Fitzgerald will look to continue.

4. Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State has senior quarterback Andrew Maxwell returning under center this season. He will have a trio of wide receivers to toss the ball to. One being senior Bennie Fowler, junior Keith Murphy and sophomore Aaron Burbridge. Michigan State's new running back is freshman Riley Bullough, who is a former linebacker. The Spartan's defense looks to have potential, but they will have to step up and play hard against the big offensive lines from the Big Ten and the playmakers they'll face against Notre Dame.

5. Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa will look to quarterback Jake Rudock to lead the offense this year. Rudock threw for over 5,000 yards at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. Iowa also has two junior running backs in Mark Weisman and Damen Bullock returns after combining for 1,300 yards last season. The offensive line looks solid and will be able to open holes for the running back duo. Receivers struggled to get yards after catch last season. Junior Kevonte Martin-Manley had 52 receptions but only two touchdowns. Iowa was lowest in the Big Ten for sacks last season. They have to replace cornerback Micah Hyde and looks to do so with sophomore Jordan Lomax. Their defense will struggle against the schedule this season.

6. Minnesota Golden Gophers
Minnesota’s quarterback Philip Nelson had his red-shirt taken off in the middle of last season. He threw for over 800 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2012. The Golden Gophers have question marks at wide receivers. Issac Fruechte and Devin Crawford-Tufts look to assist in the passing game. Junior running back Donnell Kirkwood rushed for 926 yards last season. Sophomore running back Rodrick Williams is available too. Minnesota gave up an average of 197.1 rushing yards per game in Big Ten play last season. They will struggle this season as well unfortunately. Minnesota hasn’t won a Big Ten Title in 46 years. It looks as if they’ll at least go one more.

- Matt Lytle
@mattlytle
matt.projectcfb@gmail.com