The 2011 All-Backbone Team: 12 Big Ten Football Players Who Must Step Up

Every team has its team captains, its all-conference performers, and its rockstars. The guys that the press love to interview, talking heads like to shower with praise, and girls on campus dream about.

Mostly when you talk about these players, the "faces" of a team, you talk about the big positions: quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers. Chicks dig the stat-producers, the guys on the Heisman watch, the "factor backs*" and "impact players" and "insert-generic-buzzword-here".

Yet most college football fans know that it isn't always the star quarterback or flashy running back that makes or breaks a season. Sometimes it is the linebacker who anchors a defense, or a shutdown corner who is comfortable on an island with all the best receivers, or the center who manages blitz pickups for a still-developing young signal caller.

Football is the greatest team sport in the world because of its inherent complexities. Michael Jordan could utterly dominate any basketball game in which he played, but even the best football players need ten other guys around them to pull the weight.

So with less than a week to go before the college football season kicks off, lets look at 2011's all-backbone team: twelve players (in random order) who will be instrumental in each of their team's success in 2011.

Some of these players are already well known impact players, some players are stepping into bigger roles or filling in for last years stars who have since gone on to play on Sundays, and some are coming off injury, but all of these players are going to be cornerstones of their team.  They won't all be the most recognized guys on campus, but their contributions will have a very big effect on the fortunes of each Big Ten team in 2011. 

Mike Brewster: Ohio State

#50 Mike Brewster - Center - Ohio State Buckeyes

Who better to lead off our all-backbone countdown than one of the most underrated but important positions on the offensive side of the ball: center.

There are only two guys on the field who touch the ball every play, and that is just the beginning of the importance of a guy like Mike Brewster.

In most offenses, the center is the quarterback of the offensive line. He is in charge of calling out blitz pickups and blocking audibles. That is all before snapping the football, not an easy skill when you have a 300-pound defensive tackle wanting to eat your lunch.

Of the centers in the Big Ten, Brewster is arguably the best. The all-American (according to Phil Steele's 2010 AA rankings) Rimington trophy finalist and three-year starter at center is the rock at the heart of the Buckeye's ascendance to a top-flight Big Ten offense.

This year Brewster's job is even tougher.

Due to suspensions, the Buckeyes will lose their best running back (Boom Herron), top returning receiver (DeVier Posey) and starting left tackle (Mike Adams) for five games, including a tough Big Ten matchup against Michigan State.  On top of all this, the Buckeyes will be replacing three-year starting quarterback and car enthusiast Terrelle Pryor.

The loss of offensive firepower is going to dramatically shift the Buckeye offense into Tressel-ball mode. Lots of running from two-back sets, conservative passing and ball control.

With inexperience all over the skill positions, it will be up to Brewster and the offensive line to ensure offensive production and allow the young guys room to grow and work.

Brewster has done it before, but this year he will be counted on to carry the offense. Luckily for the Buckeyes, he has shown he is a good enough player to handle the load. 

Dan Persa: Northwestern

#7 Dan Persa - Quarterback - Northwestern University

Sometimes the backbone of your team really is the guy taking snaps.

Dan Persa was the catalyst behind nearly all of Northwestern's offensive success in 2010. He was the second leading rusher (a mere eleven yards behind Mike Trumpy) in his ten games under center. He was 8th in the country in total offense, accounting for almost 80 percent of his team's offensive production and nearly two-thirds of his team's touchdowns.

Whatever Northwestern was able to do offensively in 2010, it was able to do it by the grace of Dan Persa.

In 2011 it will be up to Persa to bring back his superhero act. After his injury on the game-winning play against Iowa, Northwestern proceeded to lose in a very uncompetitive manner in its final three games (Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas Tech).

Persa will be back this year, although at this point he is less than 100 percent.

Given the sorry state of Northwestern's defense, no proven running game and a rough schedule in the competitive Legends division, Persa will have quite a load on his back. Northwestern's fortunes likely rest on the health of Persa's Achilles tendon.

He has shown he can carry the team before, but now he will have to do it again with a lot more eyes watching. 

Kenny Demens: Michigan

#25 - Kenny Demens - University of Michigan

Think of the worst thing in the world. Then think of something ten times worse that that. Now you are in the ballpark of just how bad the Michigan defense was in 2010.

They couldn't stop the pass, couldn't stop the run, couldn't get off the field on third down, couldn't force turnovers and leaked like a sieve in the red zone.

In 2011 there are quite a few areas that need drastic improvement. The defensive line will have to generate a better pass rush as well as hold up against the run. This will be helped by the return of a great deal of experience along the defensive line and a more stout defensive front alignment with the shift to the 4-3 under.  

The defensive secondary will also need to improve a great deal, but that will be helped by the return of Troy Woolfolk and JT Floyd from injury, as well as the trial by fire that the rest of the young secondary endured in 2010.

However, if the defense is going to see a great improvement, it is going to take an improvement in the heart of the defense, and no one is more central to that than middle linebacker Kenny Demens.

Demens stepped in to the starting role for the embattled three-year starter Obi Ezeh and quickly solidified the middle of the defense. He is the kind of read-and-react downhill linebacker that the Wolverines have not had since David Harris.

Now, it will be Demens' job to compliment the improving defensive line and help turn the Wolverines back into a solid rush defense team. A big improvement in rush defense will force more passing downs, which will give the Wolverines more opportunities to force turnovers and get off the field.

Demens has the talent to be an all-conference caliber linebacker, and now he has the scheme built to suit him. All that's left is for him to step up and become the kind of middle linebacker Wolverine fans are used to. 

Alfonzo Dennard: Nebraska

#15 Alfonzo Dennard - Cornerback - Nebraska Cornhuskers

There aren't too many question marks on Nebraska's defense. One of the best defensive units over the last couple years returns largely intact for 2011.  

The defensive front seven is anchored by stout defensive tackle Jared Crick and linebacker Levonte David. Both should ensure the Huskers are very strong in rush defense and pass rush.

While the front seven is a relative strong point for Nebraska, the defensive secondary suffered some heavy losses, none of them bigger than all-American cornerback Prince Amukamara. In his stead, the Huskers will depend on Alfonzo Dennard.

Dennard was a very good option at cornerback last year, and with three contributors at safety gone this year, Dennard will have less help if he gets beat. However, improvement in the front seven should mean more pressure on quarterbacks and less time to throw.

Last year's defense was built around its stifling pass coverage, and now that the onus for dominance moves forward it will be up to Dennard to lead the charge in the secondary and allow the front seven to wreak havoc.

Luckily for Nebraska fans, Dennard has shown enough talent to be up to the tall task ahead of him, and he could easily follow in the footsteps of Amukamara and capture All-American honors by year's end.

The Big Ten has some very good receivers, none of which Dennard is familiar with as a first-year player in the conference. The rest of Nebraska's defense is going to depend on Alfonzo getting to know the best of the Big Ten's receivers real quick. 

Jerel Worthy: Michigan State

#99 Jerel Worthy - Defensive Tackle - Michigan State University

The Michigan State defense in 2010 was statistically a better-than-average unit in everything but sacks and tackles for losses. That wasn't a big problem with linebackers like Greg Jones and Eric Gordon cleaning up the middle and a much improved secondary turning in a better-than-average year in pass defense after a poor 2009 season.

This year Gordon and Jones are gone, as are two starters from the secondary, and all of a sudden a defensive line that returns almost all of its contributors from last year needs to pick up the slack.

Jerel Worthy is unquestionably the best defensive player on the team, and one of the better defensive linemen in the country. That is a good thing for Michigan State, because he will be shouldering quite a load.

For Michigan State's defense to keep pace with its 2010 effort there will have to be more pressure in the backfield to allow the younger back seven to develop.

Worthy's role in this will be huge.  

A bona fide stud on the defensive line makes everyone's job easier, and if Worthy can constantly command double and triple teams he will leave the rest of the defensive line with one-on-one match-ups to exploit for sacks and tackles for losses.

Worthy already has the draft hype going, and if he can carry the defensive line to a huge turnaround in 2011 he will have done more than enough to earn a top-ten pick and the adulation of Spartan fans everywhere.  

Chris Borland: Wisconsin

#44 Chris Borland - Linebacker - University of Wisconsin

The Badgers are losing perhaps the biggest piece of their defensive success in 2010 with the departure of JJ Watt. Watt was a nightmare matchup for offensive coordinators everywhere, and was at or near the top in almost every defensive statistical category.

Now that Watt has moved to Sundays, it is going to be up to linebacker Chris Borland to build on his already-impressive career. Borland was a breakout performer in 2009, making his way into the starting lineup as a true freshman and eventually finishing in the top three in sacks and tackles for losses as well as making the top five in tackles.

Borland missed most of 2010 with a shoulder injury suffered in the season's second game, but he is fully healed and ready to reassert himself in 2011.

The Badgers will depend on his solid presence in the middle to help the defense maintain a high level of output while simultaneously getting more pressure in the backfield. Borland is big enough (5'11", 245 pounds) and talented enough to hold down the middle of the Badger defense, and they will need him to play up to his potential. 

Marcus Coker: Iowa

#34 Marcus Coker - Running Back - University of Iowa

The Iowa running back position has been a veritable roller coaster ride for the last few years.

After Shonn Greene's breakout season, it was expected that Jewel Hampton would pick up the torch, but an injury sidelined him in 2009 and opened the door for Adam Robinson and Brandon Wegher to emerge as viable candidates.  

By 2010, the backfield had the look of a three-headed monster, but injuries and transfers stopped the hype train before it left the station, and left freshman Marcus Coker to pick up the pieces.

To Coker's credit, he did just that.  

In the final six games of the season (and garbage time against Ball St.) Coker was able to put up 622 yards rushing and three touchdowns, including a 200-yard game against Missouri in the Insight bowl.

Coker is now the Hawkeyes' top back by default --- the other three have left the program --- and steps into a situation where he is going to almost single-handedly carry the running game for an offense that is also replacing veteran quarterback Ricky Stanzi.

Coker is a big back who should hold up well in the Iowa offense, and for the Hawkeyes to have any balance he will need to do so. Iowa is a notoriously old-school team that loves to pound the ball between the tackles to set up play-action fakes and draw in safeties.  

The more of a load Coker can handle, the more the Iowa offense will throw at him to give James Vandenberg more opportunities to make big plays over defenses geared to stop the run. 

Michael Mauti: Penn State

#42 Michael Mauti - Linebacker - Penn State University

They call it "Linebacker U" for a reason.  

Penn State has been pumping out hard-hitting, fundamentally sound linebackers for years, and Michael Mauti is the latest in that lineage.

Mauti started his career as a true freshman special teams contributor, only to see his chance at a breakout sophomore campaign derailed due to an ACL injury before the season. He played all but one game in his third year, but started just seven due to a series of nagging injuries.

While Mauti wasn't always able to stay on the field last year, he made good use of the time he was out there. In 2010 he was fifth on the team in tackles (66) while contributing two sacks and 5.5 tackles for losses.

The 2010 defense could have used more of a fully healthy Mike Mauti, as it struggled to a poor 74th-place ranking in rush defense.

Hope for a big defensive turnaround in 2011 rests in big part on Mauti's shoulders. The knee injury should be 100 percent healed, which means Mauti should be able to play at full capacity without missing any time.  

A solid presence in the middle will go a long way toward turning Penn State's defense back into a monster after a very disappointing 2010 season.

Marqueis Gray

#5 Marqueis Gray - Quarterback - University of Minnesota

Of all the things Tim Brewster did wrong at Minnesota --- and it is quite the long list --- one thing you can't fault him for is bringing Gray to campus. The consensus four-star recruit is one of the most touted players the Gophers have brought in in the recent past.

Gray spent his first two seasons alternating between taking snaps as a backup quarterback and playing wide receiver. In fact, Gray is so athletic that he was the Gophers second leading receiver last year with 587 yards and five touchdowns.

With the departure of Adam Weber, Gray now shifts back to the quarterback position and looks to make an impact as a junior in Jerry Kill's new offense.  

However, questions of whether Gray can make a large impact as a signal caller are still very much unanswered. Gray only has 23 passing attempts in his first two years of campus.

Minnesota doesn't have very much going for it in Jerry Kill's first year.

While he is a proven coach who has done a good job building programs up from scratch, he steps into a team that has been pushed to the very bottom of the Big Ten cellar in a division that has five other teams who all look to be set to compete for the division title in the immediate future.

If Jerry Kill's first season is going to show any signs of success, Marqueis Gray's development into a dangerous quarterback is imperative. Programs like Minnesota don't easily get high rated recruits, and that door closes even tighter when the highly-rated recruits flame out for one reason or another.

Success breeds success, and Marqueis Gray's development this year will have farther-reaching consequences than just the final win-loss record.   

Darius Willis: Indiana

#28 Darius Willis - Running Back - Indiana University

Darius Willis won't be suiting up for the opener, but when he gets back he will be an important part of the Hoosier offense.

Willis has been Indiana's most effective rushing option over the past two years. Two years ago he led the team with 607 yards and six touchdowns, and he was on pace for an even better season in 2010 until he was injured in the fourth game of the season. Before the injury he was able to rush for 278 yards and one touchdown.

The rest of the Indiana rushing offense has been less than stellar over the last two years. Despite only playing in four games, Willis was still the second leading rusher in 2010. The second leading rusher in 2009 was only able to muster 290 yards.

With new head coach Kevin Wilson, the run game could very well get a boost in production. Wilson has presided over the 18th (2008) and 30th (2007) ranked rushing attacks at Oklahoma.

Willis will need to stay healthy and build on the promise which he has shown in flashes over the past two years. If he steps up his game, the Indiana offense could make great strides in Wilson's first year. 

Ralph Bolden: Purdue

#23 Ralph Bolden - Running Back - Purdue University

Ralph Bolden has had an up-and-down career so far at Purdue.  

He found spot-time as a reserve during his freshman season and did very little with the opportunity, putting up just 1.8 yards per carry on 16 attempts.

It was Bolden's second season on campus where he really took a step forward. After two breakout performances (234 yards and two touchdowns vs Toledo, and 123 yards with two touchdowns vs Oregon) Bolden was able to put up decent numbers en route to 935 yards and nine touchdowns --- good for a second team all-Big Ten nod.

However, as so many careers have unfolded at Purdue in the last two years, Bolden was knocked out for all of 2010 with an ACL injury.

If Bolden can return at full health, it will be a very good sign for a Purdue team that has missed players at all the other skill positions.

Both quarterback Robert Marve (recovering from his own ACL injury in 2010) and Rob Henry (out for all of 2011 with an ACL injury) are either sidelined or out completely for the Boilermakers, and the back-up options don't inspire much confidence.

Purdue needs a reliable ground threat after relying on Who-Dat and the Who Dats last year.  

With a healthy Bolden, Purdue might be able to establish a little more success on the ground and give the inexperienced signal callers shorter third downs to convert, as well as another receiving option out of the backfield.

Akeem Spence: Illinois

#94 Akeem Spence - Defensive Tackle - University of Illinois

Illinois' defensive resurgence in 2010 depended heavily on the heart of the front seven.

Defensive tackle Corey Luiget and linebacker Martez Wilson both stepped up and played at a very high level, and both were rewarded for it in last year's NFL draft.

This year the Illini still have defensive coordinator Vic Koenning, the architect of the dramatic turnaround, but not the two play-makers that had the biggest defensive impact.

What Illinois does have back is freshman all-American Akeem Spence.  

The defensive tackle broke into the lineup and started all thirteen games after redshirting in 2009. Spence played well for a freshman, and had one sack and four tackles for losses.

With the departure of Liuget, it will be up to Spence to hold down the middle of the Illinois front four. Flanking Spence will be a converted offensive lineman and three under-performing defensive ends.

If Wilson can up his production while also drawing more attention from opposing offensive lines, he will go a long way towards replacing Liuget's production, and more importantly opening doors so his linemates can pick up the slack elsewhere.