If the Badgers are going to rumble through the Big-10 – - John Clay will be the key

Everyone’s picking Wisconsin as a sleeper, and whenever everyone likes your team as a sleeper you end up getting screwed over.  The Badgers are rebuilding this year.  (Reverse jinx)
-Mike A., Madison, WI

 
The sleeper argument is pretty valid, but here are a of couple points.  First you can’t reverse jinx and then call it a reverse jinx.  You probably now need at least one more regular jinx to fix the failed reverse jinx.  Wisconsin can never really be a sleeper in the Big 10.  Coming off a down year doesn’t make you a sleeper, especially when you might have the best running back in the country.

Secondly, the Badgers are underrated and will continue to be underrated until the country gets its first good look at them on October 16th, at home against Ohio State.  We’re even more excited to see this new brand of Wisconsin football, which may end up featuring the most potent offense in the Big-10.  And how do you not love the o-line?  (We actually just heard their line is really good, so we verified it in NCAA 2010.  It’s true.) 

In the end, it will come down to their trip to Iowa City and their home game against the Buckeyes.

 

 

Are the best running backs in the country in the Big 10?  You can say yes, say yes.
-Jim, State College, PA

Let’s put it this way – We’re doing an NCAA Football 2010 online dynasty, all of us run the ball like its 1974, and the only conference we could agree on was the Big 10.  LeShoure from Illinois really gets no respect, which will change this year.

Top RBs in the Big 10:

1. John Clay, Wisconsin

2. Evan Royster, PSU

3. Brandon Saine, Ohio State

4. Mikel LeShoure, Illinois

5. Adam Robinson, Iowa

 

 

 

 

 

 

Terrelle Pryor will not win the Heisman if ­­­­_________.
-Braxton, Columbus, OH

 
Pryor has to be the favorite, right?  The team is going to win 11-12 games and will be in the National title picture all year.  When TP (great stuff) comes off the field the best defense in the country comes out, so what’s stopping him?

It has to be injuries.  There’s something absolutely terrifying about him jogging around.  It looks like he’s running in those 1990’s strength shoes.  Have you ever seen anyone fall while running in those things?  It looks like they were gunned down by a sniper, and that could terrify me if I’m picking Pryor to win the Heisman.

We participate in Heisman Pundit’s fantasy challenge (pick a different Heisman contender each week, earn points based on his stats), and if you don’t use Pryor before September’s over, you’re playing with fire that’s soaked in gasoline and relit on fire.

(Important Info: Started a dynasty with Ohio State, and Pryor tore his pectoral muscle and was out 12 weeks.  Let’s just say we know a little too much about Joe Bauserman.)

 

 

Just so I’m up to date – we can’t make fun of JoePa in 2010 right?
-Matt, Iowa City

Exactly right, no JoePa jokes.  Outside of joking about depraved acts that could get you arrested, JoePa is the only joke ban on this site, we think.  Hard working in the 60’s/70’s, genius in the 80’s, fading in the 90’s, laughable in the 00’s, and now all the sudden JoePa jokes are like mentioning Sean Taylor in a DC supermarket.

For example, should we laugh if a website makes a joke that Penn St. has a new rule in practice allowing a bathroom break every 20 minutes?  Or if that same site said that all the player’s nameplates in the locker room were changed to size 72 fonts?  Alright, the no JoePa joke rule is under review.

 

Top 5 names in the Big-10.
-Will, Charlotte, NC

 
5. Waynelle Gravesande, WR, Purdue

4. Miami Thomas, CB, Illinois

3. Junior Hemingway, WR, UM

2.  Hugh Strangeland, OL, MSU

1.  Jewel Hampton, RB, Iowa

 

 I’m from South America, and I hate Rich Rodriguez.  There’s something about people with Latin American names that aren’t really Latino that makes me want to punch them in the stomach.  If you see Mr. Rodriguez, will you ask him to cover an effing spread? -Carlos, Ann Arbor, MI

This e-mail would be 17 times better if you included a picture of yourself and you had red hair and freckles.

Carlos has a serious point.  If you bet on Michigan every game since Rich has been there, you’d be 13-21-1, including a 2-10 year in 2008.  Can you ever really trust a team that goes 2-10 ATS?  Covering 2 spreads in an entire year should automatically get you fired.  What a great press conference that would be:

“The University has decided to relieve Coach Rodriguez of his coaching duties.  Here at Michigan we have a long proud history of covering the spread, as well as being a profitable betting option for alumni and gambling addicts.  The University will not tolerate performing so poorly in parlays and money line bets and improving in those areas will be a focus we begin the search for our next coach.”