Big Ten Football 2011: The Top Player from Each Team
Looking ahead to 2011, the Big Ten will lose several top players to the NFL draft.
However, stars like Terrelle Pryor of Ohio State and Denard Robinson of Michigan headline a solid group returning next season.
Teams like Northwestern, Purdue and Minnesota lack tons of talent on offense, but they have a few defensive stoppers who deserve recognition.
Despite the recent criticisms of the Big Ten, the conference has become very competitive at the top.
Here are the best players from each Big Ten team in 2011...
12. Purdue: Joe Holland, No. 30 (Junior, Linebacker)
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Purdue struggled greatly in 2010 and had no offensive standouts.
Joe Holland had 81 total tackles and 3.5 tackles for losses in 2010.
Unfortunately, he won't get much recognition because Purdue's entire team is very sluggish.
Holland will make an impact in 2011, but expect Purdue to be near the bottom of the conference again. I'm sure they'd love to have some of the basketball program's fortune.
11. Penn State: Derek Moye, No. 6 (Senior, Wide Receiver)
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1Moye isn't flashy with statistics, as he eclipsed 100 yards receiving in just one game last season (Illinois).
The Nittany Lions struggled in every aspect of the game last season, but Moye managed a decent season with 885 yards and eight touchdowns. If he can just develop some chemistry with one quarterback the entire season (McGloin or Bolden), he can be solid.
Moye is large for a wide receiver, at 6'5, 202 pounds.
He'll need to make a strong case for himself in 2011 with a 1000+ yard season.
10. Northwestern: Jeremy Ebert, No. 11 (Junior, Wide Receiver)
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Ebert racked up a very nice season in 2010.
He had 62 receptions, 953 yards and eight touchdowns. He also averaged 15.4 yards per catch as Northwestern's only standout on offense.
Ebert is a solid possession receiver, and he helped his team finish 7-6, although the Wildcats lost their bowl game against Texas Tech (Ticket City Bowl).
Northwestern will look to keep Ebert involved in his 2011 senior season, as he'll probably eclipse 1,000 receiving yards.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
9. Minnesota: Gary Tinsley, No. 51 (Junior, Linebacker)
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Gary Tinsley has an immense amount of potential for the Golden Gophers in 2011.
He led the team with 90 tackles in 2010, along with 9.5 tackles for losses.
Tinsley started all 12 games for Minnesota's defense in 2010, and again, he plays for a horrid team.
The junior should be a mid-round scout coming off his senior season in 2011. He just has to stay out of trouble.
8. Nebraska: Taylor Martinez, No. 3 (Sophomore, Quarterback)
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Nebraska is new to the Big Ten in 2011.
As for Taylor Martinez, he had 10 TD's and 7 INT's in only 196 passing attempts in 2010. He ran the ball 162 times for 965 yards as well.
He's an odd case of a quarterback, considering he doesn't throw the ball enough to determine his pocket intangibles, but at the same time, he's only a sophomore.
Martinez's consistent play in 2011 will be crucial when considering that the top of the conference has some solid teams.
If Martinez runs the ball all day, he will get figured out very quickly.
7. Indiana: Damario Belcher, No. 88 (Senior, Wide Receiver)
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Damarlo Belcher had a very nice season as a junior in 2010.
Here's the catch though: His stats might be slightly inflated because of Ben Chappell's rocket arm, and Chappell is no longer with the team.
Belcher had 78 catches, 832 yards and four touchdowns in 2010.
He's 6'5" and over 200 pounds, so look for Belcher to play a key role for the struggling Hoosiers in 2011.
6. Iowa: Marcus Coker, No. 34 (Sophomore, Running Back)
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Marcus Coker gets the nod because of his spectacular play in the Insight Bowl against Missouri. He racked up 219 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the game.
After Adam Robinson was released from the team, the road was cleared for Coker.
Ricky Stanzi has also graduated, so Coker will be able to improve within the next three years. He totaled 622 rushing yards and 5.5 yards per carry in just seven games in 2010.
Coker has great potential.
5. Michigan State: Edwin Baker, No. 4 (Junior, Running Back)
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Edwin Baker was a focal point of a solid Michigan State football team in 2010.
He had 1,200 yards and 13 TDs while averaging close to 6.0 yards per carry.
Baker had a breakout season, and his success will escalate as the football program continues to blossom.
Baker is versatile, and he shares the spotlight with several other solid running backs in the Big Ten in 2011.
4. Illinois: Nathan Scheelhaase, No. 2 (Sophomore, Quarterback)
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Scheelhaase turned heads in 2010, as his playing style is very similar to that of Denard Robinson.
He runs with the football almost as much as he throws it, and he's effective when doing both.
He had 22 total TDs in 2010 and ran for almost 1,000 yards.
Not having Mikel Leshoure will make things a little bit more difficult in the backfield this season, but Scheelhaase is a solid player.
He's by no means an NFL-type quarterback, but Illinois' offense fits him well.
3. Wisconsin: James White, No. 20 (Sophomore, Running Back)
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There's Montee Ball in the backfield for Wisconsin as well, but James White was just too dominant in his freshman season.
In only 156 attempts, White rushed for 1,052 yards and 14 TDs with an average of 6.7 yards per carry.
White received Third Team All-Big Ten honors and played a crucial role in the victory over Ohio State.
It's hard to believe White was so effective despite two other very good runners sharing his carries.
White will break out in 2011, as Wisconsin is a force to be reckoned with again.
2. Michigan: Denard Robinson, No. 16 (Junior, Quarterback)
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This pick was a "shoe-in."
It seemed as if the Denard Robinson craze would never die through the midway point of the college football season in 2010.
Robinson had one of the greatest seasons for a quarterback in college football history, and if not for his injuries, he would have been even better.
He had 32 total touchdowns and over 1,700 rushing yards in 2010, which is insanely good.
It should be interesting to see how the Michigan football team plays without Rich Rodriguez, but we can expect Robinson to be dominant again.
He was a Heisman Trophy candidate until some defenses started to figure him out, but his future at Michigan is bright. Expect big things from him this season.
1. Ohio State: Terrelle Pryor, No. 2 (Senior, Quarterback)
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Pryor has been surrounded with drama since December after Tattoo Gate, and luckily he still has another season at school.
All signs point to Pryor playing a different position besides quarterback in the NFL, but for now he'll continue to be a beast for the Buckeyes.
Pryor may very well be the best athlete in the country, as he has the ability to scramble out of the pocket and is very hard to tackle.
Pryor had a solid season in 2010 and won a huge bowl game against Arkansas (an SEC team) in January.
He played extremely well in the Sugar Bowl, as he even passed the ball consistently.
He had 31 total touchdowns in 2010 (27 passing), and you can expect more of the same from him in 2011.
Maybe this season Ohio State holds on to its title hopes though.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
