Big Ten football media days provide the chance for coaches to speak their minds about the state of their teams prior to the start of the season. Here is a brief look at how the coaches in the Legends division view their teams heading into the start of camp.
Michigan State
Michigan State has posted back-to-back 11 win seasons, but is yet to play in Pasadena. For the last two seasons, things have not gone the Spartans’ way. Head coach Mark Dantonio insists that his team must keep moving forward.
“The opportunity to play in an inaugural championship game last year was a great experience for all of us. I think we grew from that experience as a team, and we look forward to more great things from that,” Dantonio said. But we are continuing to build a foundation.”
A tough non-conference slate, that includes a showdown with Boise State, should help prepare MSU to be in the heat of things in the Legends division and give the Spartans a chance to capture the ever elusive Big Ten title.
“You can only get better from these challenges. And I believe challenges give you every opportunity to rise to the occasion and that’s what our players will have to do,” Dantionio said. “The thought process is, hey, if we’re going to be as good as we want to be, then we’ve got to play whoever, whenever, wherever.”
Despite the recent success in East Lansing, the Big Ten writers favor Michigan to take the division. Dantonio doesn’t appear too concerned about the perceptions of those outside of the program.
“I would say they’ve been favored pretty much the last four years. Competitive game. Big Rival game. They do an outstanding job there,” Dantonio said. “But it only matters: Are they favored or not in the locker room? And in our locker room, they won’t be favored.”
Northwestern
The Wildcats have been quietly gaining momentum in recent years. NU has made four consecutive bowl games and recently graduated the winningest senior class in program history.
Much like Michigan State, Northwestern will look to the non-conference schedule to enable continued improvement. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald pointed out that the Wildcats are the only team in the conference who will face three opponents from power conferences (Syracuse, Vanderbilt, and Boston College).
Coming into the start of preseason practice, the Wildcats have their fair share of questions, especially at the quarterback position. Both Kain Colter and Trevor Siemian saw time last season. Fitzgerald shed a bit of light on the situation.
“I’m extremely confident in Kain as a quarterback. He has more experience going into his junior year than Matt Kafka and Danny Persa did when they were his age,” Fitzgerald said. “We are very fortunate and blessed to have a young man like Trevor Siemian that’s competing also at the quarterback position, and he’s very talented.”
It’s apparent that Fitzgerald is not afraid to continue to play musical quarterbacks.
“It’s about players, formations or schemes and plays,” Fitzgerald said. So we are going to make sure that what we do schematically marries up and matches with the skill set of our players. And we’re very confident in Kain’s ability, but were also very confident in the things Trevor and Zack Oliver can do also.”
Iowa
A year removed from a so-so season, Kirk Ferentz and company are seeking to return of the 2009 campaign which saw the Hawkeyes make an appearance in the Orange Bowl.
One of the top orders of business for Ferentz, the longest tenured coach in the conference, will be to lock down some stability at the running back position. It is likely that freshmen Greg Garnon and Barkley Hill will have a role to play.
“We have a lot of positions that are wide open, basically, and some of the first year players at least having an opportunity,” Ferentz said. “I think our running back situation, it is very likely that maybe one or two of those guys or maybe both of them will end up playing.”
It is clear that Ferentz is going to find a solution, no matter how it may look on paper.
“So if you look at us historically, you’ve had years like 2000, 2002, 2003, 2008. Fred Russell was our primary back in ’02 and ’03, and Shonn Greene obviously in ’08. And then you’ll get a year like ’09 where we had basically a committee and a true freshman ended up being the MVP of the Orange Bowl that year,” Ferentz said. “ So there’s a lot of different ways to have success. We’re open to any of them. That’s true for all positions, but certainly running back is one of those positions for us.”
Michigan
In just one year leading the maize and blue, Brady Hoke has the Michigan faithful believing that the Wolverines are back and ready to reestablish themselves as a national powerhouse.
The players bought into Hoke’s system early and once again it is the attitude of the players that will determine just how far the Wolverines can go.
“I think the leadership is really what’s important for us. Last year we had a group of seniors that came together and did a tremendous job of leading the football team,” Hoke said. “And I think at the same time those guys who were juniors or those guys who played a lot of football understand now it’s the expectations are in their hands. And we’re excited about that.”
Though his team has made significant strides, Hoke does not take too much stock in being selected by the media as favorites to win the Big Ten.
“I think the 1997 team, I think pre-season was picked right inside the top 25 by a lot of people,” Hoke said. “And that ended up being a pretty good football team. We don’t put too much stock in that.
It’s like anything in life, it’s not where we start but where we finish.”
Nebraska
It is safe to say that Nebraska’s leap into the Big Ten did not go exactly as planned for head coach Bo Pelini and company.
With a year of experience comes knowledge that Pelini feels can be used to make adjustments.
“I don’t think there’s anything that really surprises us. But I think a year under our belt, having some familiarity with the conference, with the teams, with the style of offenses and defenses, you know, there’s one thing seeing it on film; there’s another thing living it and seeing it in person, firsthand,” Pelini said. “ And I think it will help us going into year two. It’s not going to win any football games for us, but I think it will be a little bit easier.”
After what some considered a down season, Quarterback Taylor Martinez remains a key part of the equation for the Cornhuskers.
“Well, my expectations for Taylor are high. I think he’s progressed. You look at where he was from my standpoint from when he started as a freshman to now, he’s only going into his junior year. And it seems like he’s been around forever. But he’s still — he’s just now becoming an upper classman,” Pelini said. “So I think his best football’s ahead of him. And I think he’s had a tremendous offseason. I’m glad he’s our quarterback. I’m looking forward to the year. I’m excited for Taylor and our football team.”
Minnesota
2011 was a difficult first year for head coach Jerry Kill. Despite all of the struggles, Kill sees a positive attitude throughout his team.
We’ve added about 36 new players on our football team. I think we’re in a huge transition but a positive one, and our kids have been through some adversity, some tragedy through the past year. I think it’s brought us closer together,” Kill said. “They’ve handled things very well and worked very hard. I think we’re a bigger, stronger, faster team than we were a year ago, and we’re looking forward to seeing what we can do on Saturday.”
It is the type of mentality that Kill will have to instill in his team if he hopes to turn things around for the Gophers sooner, rather than later. The second-year head man believes that the trials of the previous season, both on and off the field, have made his team even stronger.
“I think when adversity hits, you have to deal with it. You can’t run away from it. We’ve had a fair share.
I was through my first year from a change in athletic director, basically was hired by two presidents, having the situation I had on the field. Gary Tinsley passing away, we’ve had our fair share of adversity,” Kill said. “But to be honest with you, sometimes tragic events bring you closer together and you find out who you are. And I think we found out a lot about who we were as a football team, as the kids, and as a
coaching staff. Our coaching staff’s been together a long time–Been through a lot of things together. And so I think that’s why we’re excited. I think we’ve seen a group of kids that really want to be at the University of Minnesota. We’ve added some kids to it and we’re enjoying the process.”
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
