2008 Big 10 Spring Dates and Needs

Once again, Ohio State looks to be the favorite...or at least the front runner for the 2008 Big Ten Championship. Minnesota had a horrible season last year, but they have only one way to go and that is up. Illinois hopes to prove that last season was not a fluke and Michigan is going to be breaking in an entirely new offense. Here are the needs for the Big 10 come this spring. Ohio State Spring Practice Begins - March 24 or 25 Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day. The Buckeyes must once again erase the memories from a BCS title game which saw them overmatched and in some reports self destructive with fights breaking out in the locker room during halftime. Defensive end Vernon Gholston left early for the draft, but Ohio State has plenty of people waiting to fill his shoes. With their running game set, I think the Buckeyes need to find a playmaker at wide receiver. Michigan Spring Practice Begins - March 15 Spring Practice Ends - April 12 with their squad scrimmage that day. WWRD…What will Rodriguez Do? Does he adjust his offense to the players he has now or will he run with the offense he has now and just hope the players can adjust? That’s the big question in Ann Arbor. With the losses of Hart, Henne, Arrington, and Long the Michigan offense will have plenty of holes to fill. Wisconsin Spring Practice Begins - March 8 Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day. Allen Evridge and Dustin Sherer will battle it out for the quarterback position which results from Tyler Donovan’s graduation. The winner of that battle will have a nice supporting cast as PJ Hill Jr returns, as well as tight end Travis Beckum who is a huge matchup problem for defenses. On defense, the Badgers are a little thin at defensive end. Penn State Spring Practice Begins - March 24 Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day. A close and heated quarterback battle between Daryll Clark and Pat Devlin will take place, and it might spill over into the fall. The Nittany Lions must also find a replacement for Justin King who left early; look for AJ Wallace to step in there. The biggest battle might take place off the field as the Board of Trustees & the Penn State Administration debate the future of Joe Paterno. Illinois Spring Practice Begins – TBD Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day. Rashard Mendenhall is really making a name for himself…too bad for the Illini it is at the NFL Combine now. Daniel Dufrene looks to solidify his position this spring as the number 1 running back before Zook’s crop of freshman come in. Juice Williams also has to work on his accuracy and taking care of the ball if the Illini want to prove that 2007 was not a fluky season. Indiana Spring Practice Begins – March 25 Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day. The Hoosiers’ quarterback Kellen Lewis lost his favorite target as James Hardy left early to go pro. Ray Fisher, Andrew Means , James Bailey, Brandon Walker-Roby, Chris Banks and Terrance Turner all look to fill Hardy’s shoes. Finding a running back to take the load off of Lewis, who was their leading passer and rusher in 2007, would also help the Hoosiers. Indiana also must work on solidifying their defense. Purdue Spring Practice Begins – March 26 Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day. Curtis Painter returns for what seems to be his 10th year as the starting quarterback for the Boilermakes but his favorite targets Dorien Bryant and Dustin Keller are gone. I also believe Purdue needs to develop a rushing attack to take the pressure off of Painter. Jaycen Taylor has been in the program for a few years and it could be time for a breakout season. The defense returns 6 starters but there are still questions in the secondary. Michigan State Spring Practice Begins – March 17 Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day. The Spartans had a good year in 2007 and only have a few holes to fill this spring. They must rebuild the defensive line and find a few receivers for Brian Hoyer to throw the ball to since Devin Thomas left. Right now Deon Curry, Mark Dell, and BJ Cunningham have potential to be big time receivers. Iowa Spring Practice Begins – March 26 Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day. What I did notice while watching the Hawkeyes last season was that they had a hard time scoring. Their offense, mainly their offensive line was not as dominate as in years past under Ferentz. Jake Christensen will be back as well as his wide receivers. With all the underclassmen Iowa played last year, they only can improve. Northwestern Spring Practice Begins – March 1 Spring Practice Ends - April 26 with their squad scrimmage that day. Tyrell Sutton was the Big Ten freshman of the year two seasons ago. Sutton was once a feared entity for the Wildcats, but without a competent quarterback and an offensive line, Sutton is an after thought. Northwestern needs to get a good offensive line in there to let Sutton run freely. Minnesota Spring Practice Begins – March 26 Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day. After losing to North Dakota State, and winning only 1 game in 2007, the returning players are going to be fighting for their starting spots this spring. Because come this fall, Brewster’s recruiting class comes in and many of the current Gophers might find themselves on the bench.