Rain and gusting winds aside, this morning's tour session at the RV went surprisingly well! Check out some of the photos from the Wolverines who made the trek out to see the trophy.
Fingers-crossed, the rain will stay clear and provide an awesome experience with the trophy for fans this afternoon from 4:30-7 at Yost.
In the morning, the RV will be set up across from the Big House at Pioneer High School. Come out and see the tour and hopefully the weather will allow the entire tailgate to be set up for the fans to get even more involved!
Don't forget to follow along on the Big Ten Mobile Tour's Twitter page (@B1GMobileTour) for Mobile Tour updates!
Iowa at ITA All-American Championships [1] Michigan State at Stan Drobac Invitational [2] Northwestern at ITA All-American Championships [1] Nebraska at ITA All-American Championships [1] Ohio State at ITA All-American Championships [1] Purdue at ITA All-American Championships [1] Wisconsin at ITA All-American Championships [1]
Illinois at Wildcat Invitational [1] Iowa at Wildcat Invitational [1] Michigan State at Wildcat Invitational [1] Minnesota at Wildcat Invitational [1] Nebraska at Riviera All-American Championships [2] Ohio State at Riviera All-American Championships [2] Penn State at Riviera All-American Championships [2] Purdue at Wildcat Invitational [1] Wisconsin at Wildcat Invitational [1]
As league play hits full speed for the 2011 edition of Big Ten men's
soccer, the 2011 Major League Soccer (MLS) season is winding down. In
looking back at the MLS regular season, which will come to a close on October
23rd, some of the Big Ten's brightest stars from last year have been
contributing on the pitch for their respective MLS clubs this year. Here
are a few examples:
Last
year's Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Will Bruin (Indiana), netted a hat
trick for the Houston Dynamo in a 4-1 win over D.C. United on April 29th,
a feat that earned him MLS Player of the Week honors. In filling the net
three times, Bruin joined two fellow former Hoosiers, Brian Maisonneuve and Pat
Noonan, on the list of only four MLS rookies to have recorded a hat trick.
· 2010 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Soony Saad
(Michigan), scored a goal in his MLS debut--9 minutes into his MLS debut, to be
exact--on August 17th to help lead Sporting K.C. to a 3-1 win over
the Portland Timbers. Saad was second in the NCAA in scoring a year ago
with 43 points on 19 goals and five assists.
· Incidentally, Saad
was second in scoring to Corey Hertzog (Penn State), who led the NCAA in 2010
with 46 points on 20 goals and 6 assists. Hertzog has seen action in 5
matches this season for the New York Red Bulls, playing behind world-renowned
superstars Thierry Henry and Juan Agudelo.
· One of the more
exciting connections (to date) between the 2010 Big Ten season and the 2011 MLS
season was a connection between All-Conference performers Justin Meram
(Michigan) and Rich Balchan (Indiana), who are now teammates on the Columbus
Crew. Down 1-0 with only 30 seconds left in the June 4th match
against the New York Red Bulls, Balchan hit a one-timer on a brilliant pass
from Meram to secure a tie and earn a point for the Crew. Balchan has
started each of the 18 matches in which he has played; Meram has seen action in
17 matches, starting 4.
In all, seven All-Conference performers from a year ago (the five mentioned above plus Matt Gold and Konrad Warzycha from Ohio State) are currently on
MLS rosters, bringing the total number of former Big Ten student-athletes in
the MLS up to 25. The complete list is below.
Despite the constant battle with the rain, which was unrelenting all afternoon, the Mobile Tour's first day in Ann Arbor was very successful.
I have to say, as a huge Big Ten football fan, the Stagg-Paterno Big Ten Championship trophy is even more impressive in person than pictures could show. If you haven't stopped by the tour to get your picture with it, make it a point tomorrow afternoon or before the game on Saturday!
The RV set-up is complete with a Honoring Legends. Building Leaders. video, which highlights some Big Ten icons -- including Michigan's Brady Hoke, Jordan Kovacs, and Nya Jordan.
Just as the rain began to fall, the women's rowing team stopped by to get its picture taken with the trophy. Many Wolverine hockey fans stopped by the tour on their way to and from Yost this afternoon, and then as the day wound down Big Ten Mobile Tour member Dan Crowe very impressively estimated only three visitors off from the total count for the day, 214, before the count was finalized.
Stop by the RV to join in the fun! Here is the tour schedule for the next two days:
Friday, September 30 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. ET The Diag
4:30 - 7 p.m. ET North End of Yost Arena
Saturday, October 1 8:30 a.m. - Noon and 3 - 4 p.m. ET Corner of Main Street and Stadium Boulevard -- Pioneer High School
Four Big Ten teams rank in the top 50 of the latest Golfweek/Sagarin women's golf rankings, released on Tuesday. Illinois holds No. 11 in the first regular-season rankings of the fall, while Northwestern follows at No. 21. Michigan State checks in at No. 33, followed by Ohio State at No. 48.
Four Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 50 of Golfweek/Sagarin top 50 rankings, released on Wednesday. Iowa leads the way for the Big Ten contingent at No. 24, while Purdue follows at No. 32. Illinois checks in at No. 34 and Indiana ranks 42nd this week.
The Big Ten tied for the lead among all conferences with seven semifinalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best scholar-athlete in the nation. The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced the Campbell Trophy semifinalists today, which also comprise the candidates for the 2011 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards. Big Ten semifinalists are Indiana's Leon Beckum, Iowa's Tyler Nielsen, Michigan State's Kirk Cousins, Nebraska's Austin Cassidy, Northwestern's Dan Persa, Purdue's Joe Holland and Wisconsin's Bradie Ewing. Four student-athletes from Big Ten schools have won the Campbell Trophy, a group that includes Nebraska's Rob Zatechka (1994) and Kyle Vanden Bosch (2000) and Ohio State's Bobby Hoying (1995) and Craig Krenzel (2003). Three Big Ten standouts were named finalists for the Campbell Trophy last season - Indiana's Ben Chappell, Penn State's Stefen Wisniewski and Wisconsin's Scott Tolzien.
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
The NFF Awards Committee will select up to 16 recipients, and the results will be announced on Wednesday, October 26. Each recipient will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship, and they will vie as finalists for the 2011 William V. Campbell Trophy. Each member of the 2011 National Scholar-Athlete Class will also travel to New York City be honored December 6 during the 54th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria . One member of the class will also be announced live at the event as the winner of the Campbell Trophy.
Named in honor of Bill Campbell, the chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal, the award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and increases the amount of the recipient's grant by $7,000 for a total post-graduate scholarship of $25,000. A total distribution of $300,000 in scholarships will be awarded at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner, pushing the program's all-time distributions to more than $9.8 million. Launched in 1959, the NFF scholar-athlete program became the first initiative in history to award post-graduate scholarships based on both a player's academic and athletic accomplishments. The Campbell Trophy, first awarded in 1990, adds to the program's mystique, having previously honored two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and five first-round NFL draft picks.
So it's just a little, brown jug? No shiny metal? AND it's over 100 years old? And people actually care about this?
Well, here at Michigan and in Minneapolis the Little Brown Jug means a lot more than what may show on the surface. It is the oldest rivalry trophy in college football, dating back to when it was first bought by Michigan team manager, Tommy Roberts, before the 1903 matchup at Minnesota.
Michigan's unbeatable squad of the early twentieth century, coming into the game on a 29-game winning streak, faced off head-to-head with a 10-0 Minnesota squad. Michigan head coach of the time, Fielding Yost, afraid that the Gophers would try to tamper with the Wolverine water supply, sent Roberts out to purchase a 30 cent jug for the Michigan players to use as a water receptacle.
Near the end of the game, which was tied up, 6-6, late by Minnesota, the fans rushed the field, causing the contest to be called early. Yost and the Wolverines left the jug behind in the crowd. After the jug was recovered by the Minnesota Athletic Department, Yost asked for the jug back, to which L.J. Cooke, the Minnesota Athletic Director, said, "If you want it, you'll have to come up and win it."
The two teams did not square off again until 1909, when Michigan rightfully won their jug back. From that game on, the winner of the historic Big Ten rivalry claims the Little Brown Jug as their own, taking it back to campus and keeping it under lock and key.
In 2008, the last time these two schools met up before a two-year drought, Michigan claimed the Little Brown Jug in a 29-6 victory in Minneapolis. Head equipment manager, Jon Falk, transported the trophy to Schembechler Hall, where it has resided since.
This Saturday will mark the 92nd meeting between the two schools for the Little Brown Jug, including the inaugural 1903 game, with Michigan leading 66-22-3. But this game to these teams means just as much as it ever has.
Earlier in the week at a press conference, Michigan head coach Brady Hoke said about the rivalry, "Once again, it's one of those important traditions when you're involved with the University of Michigan football team. We talked about the history, we talked about it's the oldest trophy when you look at trophy games in the history of college football. It was the first. It means an awful a lot. We want to keep it in Ann Arbor."
The No. 19 Wolverines are the favorite heading into this season's game, but as history has shown, it's anyone's contest when the Little Brown Jug is on the line!
Interesting links for more information on the Little Brown Jug rivalry:
September 29 Minnesota at Wisconsin - 7 p.m. CT Ohio State at # 24 Penn State - 7 p.m. ET
September 30 Michigan State at Nebraska - 4:30 p.m. CT Indiana at Illinois - 7 p.m. CT Michigan at Iowa - 7 p.m. CT Purdue at Northwestern - 7 p.m. CT
October 2 # 24 Penn State at Minnesota - 11 a.m. CT Purdue at Illinois - 1 p.m. CT Indiana at Northwestern - 1 p.m. CT Michigan State at Iowa - 1 p.m. CT Michigan at Nebraska - 1 p.m. CT Ohio State at Wisconsin - 1 p.m. CT
The highly anticipated schedule for the Big Ten Mobile Tour's stop in Ann Arbor is finally here! The times and locations are still subject to change, but should be accurate for the time being.
The schedule is as follows:
Thursday, September 29
2 - 6 p.m. ET
North End of Yost Arena
Friday, September 30
11 a.m. - 2 p.m. ET
The Diag
4:30 - 7 p.m. ET
North End of Yost Arena
Saturday, October 1
8:30 a.m. - Noon and 3 - 4 p.m. ET
Corner of Main Street and Stadium Boulevard
*Times and locations subject to change
I'm looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible over the next few days!
Good afternoon, Big Ten nation! I'm Eddie Murray and I will be reporting on all the excitement taking place on the Michigan campus this weekend.
There may not be a better weekend for the Big Ten's Honoring Legends. Building Leaders. Mobile Tour to travel to Ann Arbor. After four long weeks of non-conference play, the Big Ten schedule is finally kicking off as Minnesota comes to town for the battle of the Little Brown Jug -- the oldest trophy in college football history -- and our fifth straight home game of the season.
We've had our ups and downs the past few seasons, but here in Ann Arbor we still believe that the University of Michigan is college football. It's home to the most wins in college football history (888), the largest stadium in the country (the Big House seats 109,901 and we sell out 110% of games), 77 All-Americans and 42 Big Ten Championships.
I don't think there is a doubt that first-year head coach Brady Hoke, a true Michigan Man, is restoring our program to the Wolverine teams of old -- teams Bo would be proud of. Hoke said it best himself at the Big Ten Media Day in July: "This might sound arrogant, and if it is, it is. We're Michigan." And so far he's done a pretty good job, starting off the year undefeated at 4-0.
With all of the Big Ten and NCAA football history that has taken place in Ann Arbor and surrounded the numerous Wolverine squads, it will be a thrilling experience to see the new Big Ten's Legends and Leaders square off in this 2011 season, as well as seeing one team lift the inaugural Stagg-Paterno Big Ten Championship trophy in December (hopefully wearing the Maize and Blue).
For those who have never experienced what Michigan -- or even Big Ten -- football is all about, keep checking the B1G Mobile Tour blog and Twitter to stay updated throughout the week. And for those in Ann Arbor, come experience the excitement yourself and stop by the B1G Mobile Tour RV! As soon as the Tour's schedule is finalized I will be posting it.
Five Big Ten men's cross country teams have earned top-30 national rankings in the latest USTFCCCA Division I coaches' poll, released on Tuesday. Wisconsin holds No. 2 nationally, while No. 6 Indiana joins the Badgers in the top 10. Minnesota ranks 20th, followed by No. 25 Ohio State. Michigan joins the top 30 this week, debuting at No. 28. Penn State is also receiving votes.
Five Big Ten teams are featured in this week's USTFCCCA Division I cross country national coaches' poll, with Michigan again leading the way at No. 13. Michigan State holds No. 19 this week, while Minnesota checks in at No. 21, Iowa holds No. 27 and Penn State ranks 28th.
Northwestern's Alex Lederhausen and Wisconsin's Jessie Gerry have been named Big Ten Co-Golfers of the Week, the conference office announced on Wednesday. Click here to read more about this week's honorees.
Minnesota's Robert Bell and Wisconsin's Anthony Aicher have been named Big Ten Co-Golfers of the Week, the conference office announced on Wednesday. Click here to read more about this week's honorees.
Michigan's Eddie Murray is taking over the Honoring Legends. Building Leaders. Mobile Tour blog, Twitter account and YouTube page while the tour is in Ann Arbor.
A full weekend schedule will be posted shortly.
Learn more about Eddie by watching his introductory video HERE and by reading his intro below:
"Hello, my name is Eddie Murray. I am a junior at the University of Michigan studying communications with an emphasis on journalism and English. Originally from Royal Oak, Mich., I am in my second full year with the Athletic Media Relations department here at U of M. I am a third generation Wolverine - my mom played softball while my dad worked in sports information, and my grandfather attended the medical school in the 1950s. After graduating, I would like to pursue a career in the sports field, whether it is with PR, advertising, marketing, or journalism. In my opinion, there is nothing greater about Big Ten football than the storied rivalries it holds, most notably Michigan's rivalries with Ohio State, Michigan State, and Minnesota. I am excited to share with you all of my favorite Michigan football experiences through my reporting this season, and as always, Go Blue!"
At the end of the regular season, fans can vote for their favorite student blogger, and the winner will receive a trip to the Big Ten Football Championship Game or a Big Ten bowl game of their choice.
Pat
Angerer, LB, Indianapolis (Iowa) - Racked up 21 tackles in Indianapolis'
23-20 loss to Pittsburgh.
NaVorro
Bowman, LB, San Francisco (Penn State) - Recorded 13 tackles in San Francisco's
13-8 win over Cincinnati.
Tom
Brady, QB, New England (Michigan) - Threw for 387 yards and four touchdowns on
30 of 45 passing in New England's 34-31 loss to Buffalo.
Drew
Brees, QB, New Orleans (Purdue) - Notched 370 yards and three touchdowns on
31 of 44 passing in New Orleans' 40-33 win over Houston.
Owen
Daniels, TE, Houston (Wisconsin) - Caught five passes for 76 yards and a
touchdown in Houston's 40-33 loss to New Orleans.
Tamba
Hali, LB, Kansas City (Penn State) - Made six tackles, a sack and a tackle for
loss in Kansas City's 20-17 loss to San Diego.
Chad
Henne, QB, Miami (Michigan) - Threw for 255 yards and a touchdown on 19 of 29
passing in Miami's 17-16 loss to Cleveland.
Sean
Lee, LB, Dallas (Penn State) - Made eight tackles, a tackle for loss and an
interception and recovered a fumble in Dallas' 18-16 win over Washington.
Michael
Jenkins, WR, Minnesota (Ohio State) - Caught nine passes for 88 yards in
Minnesota's 26-23 overtime loss to Detroit.
Neil
Rackers, K, Houston (Illinois) - Accounted for 15 points, converting on
four field goal attempts and three PATs.
Bryan
Scott, S, Buffalo (Penn State) - Racked up 11 tackles and an interception
in Buffalo's 34-31 win over New England.
Ndamukong
Suh, DT, Detroit (Nebraska) - Posted five tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss in
Detroit's 26-23 overtime win over Minnesota.
J.J.
Watt, DE, Houston (Wisconsin) - Recorded four tackles, two tackles for
loss and a sack in Houston's 40-33 loss to New Orleans.
Six Big Ten field hockey teams appear in the latest 2011 Kookaburra/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll released today. Penn State (7-3) moves up to No. 7, while Iowa (8-2) sits at No. 12. Indiana (7-2) and Michigan (7-3) are right behind them at No. 13 and No. 14 respectively. Northwestern (8-3) clocks in at No. 16 and Ohio State (5-5) rounds out the list at No. 20.
Indiana and Penn State represent the Big Ten in the latest NSCAA National Rankings released today. The Hoosiers (6-0-2) move up to No. 6, while the Nittany Lions (5-2-1) sit at No. 19.
The Big Ten volleyball weekly release, featuring up-to-date standings, statistics and more, is now available online. Click here to see the complete release.
Minnesota's Stephanie Price has been named the Big Ten Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week after finishing fifth at the Roy Griak Invitational on Saturday. Click here for more information on Price.
Minnesota's Hassan Mead has been named Big Ten Men's Runner of the Week after taking third place at the Roy Griak Invitational on Saturday. Click here for more information on Mead.
The USTFCCCA released its Division I women's cross country regional rankings on Monday. The entire list of the Big Ten teams' regional rankings can be found below, while the complete rankings can be found here.
The USTFCCCA released its Division I men's cross country regional rankings on Monday. The entire list of the Big Ten teams' regional rankings can be found below, while the complete rankings can be found here.
Illinois has earned the top ranking in the country in the latest AVCA Division I Coaches Poll, marking the first No. 1 ranking in program history. The Illini earn the top spot in the poll after winning their first two conference matches to push their overall record to a perfect 13-0 for the season. Three Big Ten teams join Illinois in the top 10, with Nebraska holding No. 7, Penn State checking in at No. 9 and Minnesota standing at No. 10. Purdue ranks 13th in the latest poll, followed by No. 17 Michigan and No. 24 Ohio State.
The Big Ten weekly football release has been posted to the conference website. Below are a few of the top stories in this week's release, which can be found in its entirety by clicking here.
Big Ten begins 116th season on Saturday
A new era of Big Ten competition begins with the start of divisional play
Nebraska begins inaugural Big Ten season
Eight Big Ten teams are receiving votes in weekly AP and USA Today polls
Illinois' Michelle Bartsch and Erin Johnson, Michigan State's Kori Moster and Nebraska's Gina Mancuso have earned Big Ten volleyball weekly awards. Click here to read more on this week's winners.
Ohio State's Jake Demyan did a great job reporting on the Big Ten's Honoring Legends. Building Leaders. Mobile Tour during its stop in Columbus!
Remember to follow the tour all season long on this blog and on Twitter @B1GMobileTour and vote for your favorite reporter at the end of the season. The winning student will get a trip to the Big Ten Football Championship Game or a Big Ten bowl game of their choice!
The Big Ten Football Players of the Week for games on Sept. 24 were announced today with honorees from Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Penn State. A pair of quarterbacks shared the offensive honors in the Wolverines' Denard Robinson and the Nittany Lions' Matt McGloin, Hawekeyes' defensive lineman Tom Nardo was named Defensive Player of the Week and the Illini duo of kicker Derek Dimke and running back Donovonn Young were tabbed the Special Teams Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week, respectively. For full details on the performances of the weekly honorees, click here.
September 23 Iowa def. Indiana (1-0) Wisconsin def. Michigan State (2-1) Michigan def. Minnesota (3-2) Nebraska def. Purdue (3-0) Penn State def. Northwestern (4-0) Ohio State def. # 22 Illinois (2-1)
September 25 Iowa ties Purdue (1-1, 2OT) Michigan State def. Minnesota (3-0) Michigan ties Wisconsin (0-0, 2OT) Indiana def. Nebraska (2-1) Ohio State def. Northwestern (2-0) Penn State def. # 22 Illinois (1-0)
The Big Ten is tied for the lead among all conferences with five teams among the top 25 in either the Associated Press (AP) or USA Today coaches polls, while eight Big Ten teams are receiving votes in at least one ranking. The Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC are the only conferences with five top-25 teams in either poll and two or more top-10 teams among both voters. Wisconsin and Nebraska continue to rate among the top 10 in both polls and are set to meet in the first Big Ten game in Cornhuskers history next Saturday. The Badgers are rated seventh by both the media and coaches while the Cornhuskers were voted eighth by both groups. Michigan improved to 4-0 and cracked the top 20 at No. 19 in both the media and coaches rankings. Illinois is also off to a 4-0 start and is rated by both voters for the first time this season, appearing at No. 24 in the AP poll and No. 22 in the USA Today rankings. Michigan State remained in the coaches' top 25 at No. 25 overall and fell just outside the top 25 in the media poll. Ohio State and Penn State received votes in both rankings while Northwestern received votes in the coaches rankings.
There is nothing and I mean NOTHING that compares to an Ohio State Saturday. There are so many traditions I can't even put them all in this blog post. I caught up with a few of my favorites today as the Buckeyes moved to 3-1 and Colorado fell to 1-3. These are some of my favorite traditions that don't include adult beverages.
Skull Session - This is something that every Ohio State fan needs to experience while they are here. It started in 1957, the season after St, John Arena was built and has been a tradition ever since. It starts two hours before every game and is considered a pep rally. It is the last time the band rehearses before the game. Doesn't sound that amazing but when 13,000 people rise to their feet to hear TBDBITL play. Awesome.
The Walk to the Shoe - Another band tradition continues after the band is done playing Skull Session as hundreds gather to watch the band march into the Horseshoe.
Script Ohio - This goes without saying, the band forms the famous pattern of OHIO. It was ranked number one tradition in the nation by Sports Illustrated this year and deserve-ably so. Many people don't know that Script Ohio was started by the Michigan band and was played to commemorate Ohio.
THE GAME - Pretty self explanatory.
Hang on Sloopy - The break in between the third and fourth quarters bring on one of the best songs the band has to offer. The stadium echoes with chants of O-H-I-O.
Carmen Ohio - The team and fans stay after every game to sing the Alma Matter win or lose. If you do not know the words to Carmen Ohio you are not a true Buckeye.
The Victory Bell - Rings after every Ohio State win. A sure sign that tonight will be a good night.
Not many things compare to St. John Arena on this campus. It defines the word Vintage - Characterized by excellence, maturity, and enduring appeal; classic.
It is named after Lynn St. John, who was the athletic director at Ohio State for 33 years and served as the head basketball coach from 1911-1919. St. John was appointed to the NCAA Basketball Rules Committee in 1912; he held this position for 25 years, the last 18 at the chairman. He served as a member of the 1936 Basketball Olympic Committee, and played an active role during the inaugural Olympic competition He also coached baseball for Ohio State and football in the state of Ohio.
St. John Arena was built in 1956, six years after Lynn's death. The arena saw the golden age of Ohio State basketball, an era that saw the Buckeyes win five straight Big Ten titles from 1960-1964 under head coach Fred Taylor. It also housed the 1960 national championship team that featured hall of famers Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek, Larry Siegfried and Bobby Knight.
Most people don't know that the same floor that these legends of OSU played on is the same floor that sits in the arena today. Thanks to an incredible job by the facilities crew at St. John, the same floor that saw Ohio State's only basketball national championship now houses men's and women's volleyball, gymnastics, fencing and wrestling. St. John also hosts one of the best traditions on Saturday. The band warm up and pep rally known as "Skull Session".
I win provide some tweets and a video of Skull Session later today. Check the twitter feed and YouTube page for updates.
Iowa's Keenan Davis has been added to the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the top wide receiver in college football. Davis, one of 20 players to be added to the watch list after three weeks of play, joins nine Big Ten players who were preseason selections for the list. Davis, Illinois' A.J. Jenkins, Indiana's Damarlo Belcher, Iowa's Marvin McNutt, Michigan's Roy Roundtree, Michigan State's B.J. Cunningham, Minnesota's Da'Jon McKnight, Northwestern's Jeremy Ebert, Ohio State's DeVier Posey and Penn State's Derek Moye represent the conference on the watch list.
There are only two days left of the Big Ten Mobile Tour at The Ohio State University. Thursday and Friday have been a great learning experience for Ohio State on the Legends and Leaders divisions. I hope to see all of you on Friday and most importantly Gameday at the Mobile Tour.
Friday, September 23
11 a.m. - 4 p.m. ET
Schottenstein Center
Saturday, September 24
10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
South of Ohio Stadium, outside St. John Arena
Here are some photos from the first two days of action
September 23-25 ILLINOIS at UVA Ranked +1 Invitational [1] IOWA at Drake Invitational [2] MICHIGAN at Harvard Fall Chowder Invitational [3] MINNESOTA at Southern Intercollegiates [4] NEBRASKA at Denver Invitational [5] NORTHWESTERN at HEB Baylor Invitational [6]
September 23-25 INDIANA at adidas Hoosier Classic [1] MICHIGAN at Spartan Invitational [2] MICHIGAN STATE at Spartan Invitational [2] MINNESOTA at Northern Iowa Invitational [3] PENN STATE at Cissie Leary Invitational [4] PURDUE at Spartan Invitational [2] Legend [1] Bloomington, Ind. [2] East Lansing, Mich. [3] Waterloo, Iowa [4] Philadelphia, Pa.
September 23 Iowa at Indiana - 5 p.m. ET Wisconsin at Michigan State - 5 p.m. ET Minnesota at Michigan - 7 p.m. ET Nebraska at Purdue - 7 p.m. ET Northwestern at Penn State - 7 p.m. ET # 22 Illinois at Ohio State - 7:30 p.m. ET
September 25 Minnesota at Michigan State - Noon ET Northwestern at Ohio State - Noon ET # 22 Illinois at Penn State - 1 p.m. ET Nebraska at Indiana - 1 p.m. ET Iowa at Purdue - 2 p.m. ET Wisconsin at Michigan - 2 p.m. ET
Ohio State's Jared Sullinger and Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor were named first-team preseason All-Americans by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. The Big Ten is the only conference with multiple first-team honorees.
Ohio State is without a doubt the biggest producer of legendary
sports figures in college sports history. To rank them into a top five list is
almost impossible, so please do not get mad at me if I left one of your favorites
off the list. This top five could have been put in any order.
1. 1. Jesse Owens - Participated in the 1936 Olympic
games in Berlin, Germany. He walked away with four gold medals. He won medals
in the 100 and 200 meter dash, the long jump and the 4X100 meter relay team.
These gold medals put Jesse on an international pedestal because these Olympics
were supposed to be Adolf Hitler's showing off of his Aryan race. The Germans
were supposed to win every event that Jesse took first.
"I let my
feet spend as little time on the ground as possible. From the air, fast down,
and from the ground, fast up" Owens said.
At Ohio State Jesse was known as the "Buckeye Bullet". He won
eight NCAA championships in his time in Columbus. Most Buckeyes love the story
that he set three world records and tied a fourth in Ann Arbor, Michigan in
1935.
2. 2. Jack
Nicklaus - "The Golden Bear" was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio and
could think of no better place to go to school than The Ohio State University.
As a Buckeye Jack won the U.S. Amateur in 1959 and 1961. He won an NCAA
championship in 1961. Jack still hosts a tournament in Columbus every year
simply known around Columbus as "Jack's tournament" or "The Memorial". The
tournament is hosted at Muirfield VillageGolf Club in
Dublin, Ohio.
As a
professional I think many of you know the statistics. He won 18 majors in a
span of 25 years and won the Masters at 46 years old, a feat in my opinion that
will never be broken. He finished his career with over 110 victories around the
world, with 73 coming on the PGA tour. Jack was a five-time PGA player of the
year. My favorite statistic when talking about Jack Nicklaus is that he was a
runner up finisher in 19 majors. He holds the record for most victories at The
Masters (6), U.S. Open (4) and PGA Championships (5).
The Jack
Nicklaus Museum is located next to the Schottenstein Center on campus and is
available to tour to the public. If you are ever in Columbus I suggest you
check it out.
3. 3. Jerry Lucas - Jerry is without a doubt the
greatest basketball player to ever wear the Scarlet and Gray. He played in the
golden age of Ohio State basketball, taking the Buckeyes to three straight
national championship games and winning one in 1960. He was voted a two-time AP
Player of the year and a three-time NCAA First Team All-American.He is also the only player in Big Ten history
to win the Big Ten Player of the Year in three consecutive years.
While in the NBA Jerry averaged 17 points and
15 rebounds a game for the Cincinnati Royals. He was the rookie of the year in
1964. A seven-time NBA All-Star, and one time NBA champion (1973 for the New
York Knicks). Jerry made St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio into a basketball
cathedral. He was inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.
4. Archie Griffin- "Archie"
has no nickname in Columbus because when you hear that name you know that he is
the ONLY (sorry Tim Tebow) two-time Heisman trophy winner in the history of
college football. The astounding running back played for the Buckeyes from 1972-1975.
He was the first freshman to ever start for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Archie is
one of two players to ever start four Rose Bowl games. This is back when the
Rose Bowl was as far as the Buckeyes could go in achievements for a season.
Woody Hayes' famous quote sums up Archie for all Ohio State football fans:
"He's a better
young man than he is a football player, and he's the best football player I've
ever seen." Woody said.
Archie is
still very active at The Ohio State University; he is the President and CEO of
the Alumni Association.
5. 5. Woody Hayes - Most members of my generation do
not understand what Woody meant to this university. All we remember is that he
went out in flames much like our version of Woody Hayes. But Woody Hayes was
arguably the greatest coach in college football history, and easily the
greatest coach in Ohio State history. He was at the helm of the Buckeyes for 28
years, capturing three national championships and 13 Big Ten titles. He guided
the Buckeyes to eight Rose Bowl appearances and was a three-time NCAA coach of
the year. He also is responsible for the hatred that goes along with "that
school up north". This is why most Buckeyes would take a bullet just so that
nobody steps on Woody's grave.
Upon running low on gas in southern Michigan returning from a recruiting
trip "Stop for gas?! We'll push the damn car all the way to the Ohio state
line before I contribute one penny to any business in the state of
Michigan!" Hayes said.
His coaching tree consists of many legends of college football most notably Lou Holtz, Bill Arnsparger, Bill Mallory, Dick Crun, Bo Schembechler and Ara Parseghian.
Legend has it that when we jump in Mirror lake the Thursday before
the Michigan game that we are "waking up Woody." But his name will forever be
linked to our hatred for the maize and blue.
Close but not quite Top Five (Alphabetical Order)
Paul Brown, Chris Carter, Howard Cassady, Eddie George, Chic
Harley, John Havlicek, A.J. Hawk, John Hicks, Les Horvath, Jim Jackson, Clark
Kellogg, Bobby Knight, James LaurinaitisOrlando Pace, Troy Smith, George Steinbrenner, Jim Stillwagon, Jim
Tressel, Evan Turner, Tom Weiskopf, Bill Willis
Ohio State is without a doubt the biggest producer of legendary
sports figures in college sports history. To rank them into a top five list is
almost impossible, so please do not get mad at me if I left one of your favorites
off the list. This top five could have been put in any order.
1. 1. Jesse Owens - Participated in the 1936 Olympic
games in Berlin, Germany. He walked away with four gold medals. He won medals
in the 100 and 200 meter dash, the long jump and the 4X100 meter relay team.
These gold medals put Jesse on an international pedestal because these Olympics
were supposed to be Adolf Hitler's showing off of his Aryan race. The Germans
were supposed to win every event that Jesse took first.
"I let my
feet spend as little time on the ground as possible. From the air, fast down,
and from the ground, fast up" Owens said.
At Ohio State Jesse was known as the "Buckeye Bullet". He won
eight NCAA championships in his time in Columbus. Most Buckeyes love the story
that he set three world records and tied a fourth in Ann Arbor, Michigan in
1935.
2. 2. Jack
Nicklaus - "The Golden Bear" was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio and
could think of no better place to go to school than The Ohio State University.
As a Buckeye Jack won the U.S. Amateur in 1959 and 1961. He won an NCAA
championship in 1961. Jack still hosts a tournament in Columbus every year
simply known around Columbus as "Jack's tournament" or "The Memorial". The
tournament is hosted at Muirfield VillageGolf Club in
Dublin, Ohio.
As a
professional I think many of you know the statistics. He won 18 majors in a
span of 25 years and won the Masters at 46 years old, a feat in my opinion that
will never be broken. He finished his career with over 110 victories around the
world, with 73 coming on the PGA tour. Jack was a five-time PGA player of the
year. My favorite statistic when talking about Jack Nicklaus is that he was a
runner up finisher in 19 majors. He holds the record for most victories at The
Masters (6), U.S. Open (4) and PGA Championships (5).
The Jack
Nicklaus Museum is located next to the Schottenstein Center on campus and is
available to tour to the public. If you are ever in Columbus I suggest you
check it out.
3. 3. Jerry Lucas - Jerry is without a doubt the
greatest basketball player to ever wear the Scarlet and Gray. He played in the
golden age of Ohio State basketball, taking the Buckeyes to three straight
national championship games and winning one in 1960. He was voted a two-time AP
Player of the year and a three-time NCAA First Team All-American.He is also the only player in Big Ten history
to win the Big Ten Player of the Year in three consecutive years.
While in the NBA Jerry averaged 17 points and
15 rebounds a game for the Cincinnati Royals. He was the rookie of the year in
1964. A seven-time NBA All-Star, and one time NBA champion (1973 for the New
York Knicks). Jerry made St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio into a basketball
cathedral. He was inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.
4. Archie Griffin- "Archie"
has no nickname in Columbus because when you hear that name you know that he is
the ONLY (sorry Tim Tebow) two-time Heisman trophy winner in the history of
college football. The astounding running back played for the Buckeyes from 1972-1975.
He was the first freshman to ever start for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Archie is
one of two players to ever start four Rose Bowl games. This is back when the
Rose Bowl was as far as the Buckeyes could go in achievements for a season.
Woody Hayes' famous quote sums up Archie for all Ohio State football fans:
"He's a better
young man than he is a football player, and he's the best football player I've
ever seen." Woody said.
Archie is
still very active at The Ohio State University; he is the President and CEO of
the Alumni Association.
5. 5. Woody Hayes - Most members of my generation do
not understand what Woody meant to this university. All we remember is that he
went out in flames much like our version of Woody Hayes. But Woody Hayes was
arguably the greatest coach in college football history, and easily the
greatest coach in Ohio State history. He was at the helm of the Buckeyes for 28
years, capturing three national championships and 13 Big Ten titles. He guided
the Buckeyes to eight Rose Bowl appearances and was a three-time NCAA coach of
the year. He also is responsible for the hatred that goes along with "that
school up north". This is why most Buckeyes would take a bullet just so that
nobody steps on Woody's grave.
Upon running low on gas in southern Michigan returning from a recruiting
trip "Stop for gas?! We'll push the damn car all the way to the Ohio state
line before I contribute one penny to any business in the state of
Michigan!" Hayes said.
His coaching tree consists of many legends of college football most notably Lou Holtz, Bill Arnsparger, Bill Mallory, Dick Crun, Bo Schembechler and Ara Parseghian.
Legend has it that when we jump in Mirror lake the Thursday before
the Michigan game that we are "waking up Woody." But his name will forever be
linked to our hatred for the maize and blue.
Close but not quite Top Five (Alphabetical Order)
Paul Brown, Chris Carter, Howard Cassady, Eddie George, Chic
Harley, John Havlicek, A.J. Hawk, John Hicks, Les Horvath, Jim Jackson, Clark
Kellogg, Bobby Knight, James LaurinaitisOrlando Pace, Troy Smith, George Steinbrenner, Jim Stillwagon, Jim
Tressel, Evan Turner, Tom Weiskopf, Bill Willis
Michigan State's Caroline Powers has been named Big Ten Women's Golfer of the Week, the conference office announced on Thursday. Powers took the individual medal at the Mary Fossum Invitational this week. Click here for more information on Powers.
Last night
the mobile tour visited Jesse Owens memorial stadium, one of the many
facilities that Ohio State owns and operates for its 36 varsity sports. These
36 sports are the most that any university has to offer in the nation. I was
going to give you a brief rundown on all of the different facilities but our
fine website and my employer ohiostatebuckeyes.com already has a great
facilities page built. You can read all about these facilities at http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/facilities/
For those of
you that don't already know, The Ohio State University is somewhat late when
starting their fall quarter. We started class TODAY Wednesday, Sept. 21. We are
on the quarter system and will soon be switching to semesters. I for one love
having an extra long summer instead of an extra long spring. We get to complete
three football games before school even starts. This gives you some time to
transition out of summer and into the grinding school year. The freshman moved
in Sunday night as they flooded the streets in groups of ten.
The next day
starts the school year in my opinion. The Monday before class always features
freshman convocation. Enormous amounts of students pack St. John Arena to hear
President Gee, guest speakers and the band fire them up to be a Buckeye.
Later that
day features the student involvement fair on the Oval. More than 500 student
organizations pack the Oval to advertise their group and give away free things.
This year the show was moved inside because of rain. The Ohio Union was packed!
The next day
students packed the RPAC lawn to receive more free things from various
restaurants around Columbus. The first Tuesday before class also shows off one
of the best things about OSU and that is the free concerts. In my three years
at Ohio State, they have provided to students many concerts for free including;
Kings of Leon, Weezer, John Legend Ingrid
Michaelson, Matt Kearny, Ludacris, Craig Morgan, Third Eye Blind, Super Mash
Bros., Luke Bryan, Drake and Lupe Fiasco. This year the Welcome
Week Concert was more of a throwback to our youth. Boys II Men and Smash Mouth
showed off everything we loved about the 90s.
It was a
great start to Welcome Week and it all concludes with the game on Saturday. Can't
wait to show you a game day at The Ohio State University.
Hope to see
you at soccer in a few minutes and don't forget to follow on twitter
@B1GMobiletour!
The latest USTFCCCA women's cross country national coaches' poll features five Big Ten teams, led by top-20 squads in No. 12 Michigan and No. 18 Penn State. Michigan State follows at No. 26 this week, while Iowa checks in at No. 28 and Minnesota rounds out the poll at No. 30. Indiana is also receiving votes in the latest edition.
Four Big Ten teams are again ranked in the top 30 of the USTFCCCA men's cross country coaches' poll, with all four squads holding the same ranking as last week. Wisconsin earned one first-place vote in this week's poll, putting the Badgers at No. 2 for the second straight week. Indiana holds No. 7, while Minnesota ranks 24th and Ohio State stands at No. 26. Michigan State and Penn State are each receiving votes.
Illinois' Mason Jacobs has been named Big Ten Men's Golfer of the week, the conference office announced on Wednesday. The Illini junior tied for 11th place at the Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational over the weekend. Click here to read more about Jacobs.
Nebraska's Jared Crick and Northwestern's Al Netter were named to the 2011 Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team in recognition of their dedication to community service and off-the-field accomplishments. The Big Ten was one of only three conferences to produce two or more Football Bowl Subdivision honorees, after earning a conference-best four of the 11 honorees in 2010.
Crick, a two-time first-team all-conference selection on the field, is being recognized is a two-time member of the Brook Berringer Citizenship team. During his time as a Husker, Crick has made several hospital visits, read at elementary schools, visited with World War II veterans and spoke at churches. He is the 11th Husker football player to receive the honor since its inception in 1992 and the first since Dane Todd in 2006.
Netter, a team captain and member of Northwestern's Leadership Council for the last two years, is a two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten performer. In 2010, Netter traveled to Guatemala on an alternative spring break trip during which he helped cultivate farmland for local residents as well as teach English and prepare meals at an orphanage. More recently, Netter was a founding member of the Northwestern chapter of Uplifting Athletes, which raises money for individuals with Niemann-Pick Type C, a rare genetic cholesterol storage disorder that deteriorates the nervous system. This marks the sixth consecutive year a Wildcat has been among the 11 Football Bowl Subdivision players chosen, the longest streak for any school in the program's 20-year history.
THE Ohio State University. All of Big Ten country knows that
THE has to come before Ohio State University. Most think it's a sign of
arrogance that comes out of Ohio State students and graduates, most think the
scarlet and gray are brainwashed to think that Ohio State is better than any
university in the Big Ten or even the country.
The truth is that we are not
brainwashed, we don't use it as a sign of arrogance. We see it as a sign of pride,
a sign that we are downright proud to call ourselves Buckeyes and represent the
great state of Ohio.To tell you a bit about myself, I was raised in a college
football world. I knew that I was going to choose my school based on football.
As sad as that is, I believe that most Buckeyes were influenced to come to
Columbus because of Saturdays in the fall.
To say that I am
blogging on Colorado weekend is ironic is a bit of an understatement. Colorado
is close to my heart as it is my second favorite college football team. My
grandfather/best friend 's brother is Bill McCartney. For those of you that
don't know who that is; he won a national championship in the 1990-1991 season
as head coach of the Buffaloes. He also served as the defensive coordinator for
MICHIGAN from 1974-1981. It's safe to say that my entire family roots for the
Buffaloes and the state up north. This was a struggle for me growing up as I
wanted to go to Columbus, I loved everything about the tradition of game days
and the teams that I watched growing up. To make a long story short my dream was to
come to Ohio State and work with anything sports. My dream is coming true.
I am not going to say
that it is hard being an Ohio State fan lately. We have won 6-1=5 strait Big
Ten Football Championships. We have had bragging rights over Michigan for 7-6=1
of years. Everybody knows this because every Wal-Mart Buckeye fan brags about
it every chance they get. This is where the arrogance of THE Ohio State
University stems from.
I want to tell you what a true Buckeye feels when he says
THE Ohio State University. Pride stemming from people, tradition and
excellence. Through my blogging/tweeting/videos I hope to show you what it's
like to have pride in your school.
Here is the schedule for the Big Ten Mobile Tour at Ohio
State.
Ohio State's Jake Demyan is taking over the Honoring Legends. Building Leaders. Mobile Tour blog, Twitter account and YouTube page through Saturday while the tour is in Columbus.
Learn more about Jake by watching his introductory video HERE and by reading his intro below:
"Hello to the Big Ten and Buckeye lovers/haters everywhere across Big Ten country. First off I would like to say that my name is Jake Demyan and I am going to be the blogger representing The Ohio State University.
"I am a proud Buckeye that represents everything Ohio State. I am from Grafton, Ohio, a small town about 30 minutes from Cleveland. But I go to school at The Ohio State University in the great city of Columbus, Ohio. I am in my last (tear) year as a strategic communications at Ohio State. My life has revolved around the Buckeyes ever since I can remember.
"In my blogs I am hope to introduce you to everything that makes Columbus and Ohio State one of the greatest college experiences in the world. The Big Ten Mobile Tour will be well represented in Buckeye City."
Alan
Ball, CB, Dallas (Illinois) - Made four tackles and an interception in Dallas' 27-24
overtime win over San Francisco.
NaVorro
Bowman, LB, San Francisco (Penn State) - Led the team with 10 tackles in San
Francisco's 27-24 overtime loss to Dallas.
Tom
Brady, QB, New England (Michigan) - Racked up 423 passing yards and three
touchdowns on 31 of 40 passing in New England's 35-21 win over San Diego.
Drew
Brees, QB, New Orleans (Purdue) - Completed 26 of 37 passes for 270 yards
and three touchdowns in New Orleans' 30-13 win over Chicago.
Eric
Decker, WR, Denver (Minnesota) - Made five catches for 113 yards and two
touchdowns in Denver's 24-22 win over Cincinnati.
Larry
Foote, LB, Pittsburgh (Michigan) - Made four tackles and a sack in
Pittsburgh's 24-0 win over Seattle.
Santonio
Holmes, WR, New York Jets (Ohio State) - Caught three passes for 42 yards and a
touchdown in the New York Jets' 32-3 win over Jacksonville.
Dustin
Keller, TE, New York Jets (Purdue) - Made six catches for 101 yards and a
touchdown in the New York Jets' 32-3 win over Jacksonville.
James
Laurinaitis, LB, St. Louis (Ohio State) - Racked up 14 tackles and a tackle for loss
in St. Louis' 28-16 loss to the New York Giants.
Sean
Lee, LB, Dallas (Penn State) - Led the team with 11 tackles and two tackles for loss
in Dallas' 27-24 overtime win over San Francisco.
Eric
Smith, S, New York Jets (Michigan State) - Made an interception and four tackles in
the New York Jets' 32-3 win over Jacksonville.
Beanie
Wells, RB, Arizona (Ohio State) - Rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown on 14
carries in Arizona's 22-21 loss to Washington.
Donte
Whitner, S, San Francisco (Ohio State) - Made four tackles and three pass breakups,
including one interception, in San Francisco's 27-24 overtime loss to Dallas.
Antoine
Winfield, CB, Minnesota (Ohio State) - Led the team with 11 tackles and a tackle
for loss in Minnesota's 24-20 loss to Tampa Bay.
Charles
Woodson, CB, Green Bay (Michigan) - Recorded two interceptions and five
tackles in Green Bay's 30-23 win over Carolina.
The Big Ten's Honoring Legends. Building Leaders. Mobile Tour comes to Ohio State on Wednesday! View the complete schedule below, and follow on Twitter @B1GMobileTour for more information!
Wednesday, September 21 6 - 7:30 p.m. ET Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium Men's Soccer vs. Louisville at 7 p.m.
Thursday, September 22 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. ET Fawcett Event Center Luke Fickell Call-In Show
2:30 - 5:30 p.m. ET RPAC Fitness Center
Friday, September 23 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. ET Schottenstein Center
Saturday, September 24 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. South of Ohio Stadium, outside St. John Arena
Two Big Ten men's soccer teams appear in the latest NSCAA National Rankings Poll released today. Indiana (5-0-2) moves up to No. 7, while Penn State (5-1-1) checks in at No. 16.
For the fourth year in a row, college football coaches nationwide will join together in support of the Coach to Cure MD program, which will be held during games of Saturday, September 24. The rapidly growing annual effort has raised nearly a million dollars to battle Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and should easily top the million-dollar plateau in 2011. On September 24th, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) members will wear a Coach to Cure MD logo patch on the sidelines and college football fans will be asked to donate to research projects supported by Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, the largest nonprofit organization in the U.S. focused entirely on Duchenne muscular dystrophy. All 10 Big Ten schools set to compete that day will wear the patch, while Northwestern and Purdue will do so later in the year due to a bye on Sept. 24.
Football fans can donate to Duchenne muscular dystrophy research by either going online to www.CoachtoCureMD.org or by texting the word CURE to 90999 (a $5 donation will automatically be added to your next phone bill). Last year, more than 9,400 college coaches at 373 different institutions participated in the Coach to Cure MD event. Both those figures are well higher than in any of the program's first two years (2008-09). The three year fundraising total is just shy of $875,000, putting Coach to Cure MD on pace to go well over one million dollars after this season.
Five Big Ten field hockey teams earned spots in the latest 2011 Kookaburra/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll released today. Penn State (5-3) checks in at No. 10, while Michigan (6-2) sits right behind them at No. 11. Iowa (7-1) clocks in at No. 13
Northwestern (7-2) and Indiana (6-2) make debuts in the top-20 coming in at No. 15 and No. 18 respectively.
Ohio State and Michigan State also received votes.
The Big Ten volleyball weekly release, featuring up-to-date standings, statistics and more, is now available online. Click here to see the complete release.
Michigan's Danielle Tauro has been named Big Ten Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week, the conference office announced on Tuesday. Tauro took first individually at the Orange and Blue Preview, leading the Wolverines to a perfect team score. Click here for more information on Tauro.
Ohio State's Jake Edwards and Wisconsin's Michael Brice have been named Big Ten Men's Cross Country Co-Runners of the Week, the conference office announced on Tuesday. Click here for more information on this week's winners.
Big Ten volleyball again leads all conferences with seven ranked teams in the latest AVCA Division I Coaches Poll, including four top-10 squads. Illinois stands at No. 3 again this week, while No. 5 Penn State, No. 9 Minnesota and No. 10 Nebraska each maintain their rankings from last week. Purdue moves up one spot to No. 13, while Michigan remains at No. 18 and Ohio State climbs one spot to No. 24 in this week's edition.
Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska and Purdue have earned Big Ten
women's soccer weekly awards, the conference announced on Monday. The
Spartans' Laura Heyboer and the Huskers' Morgan Marlborough take home
Co-Offensive Player of the Week accolades, while Wolverine goalkeeper
Haley Kopmeyer earns Defensive Player of the Week honors. Boilermaker
forward Alex Hairston receives the nod for Freshman of the Week.
Indiana and Northwestern have earned Big Ten men's soccer weekly
honors, the conference announced on Monday. Northwestern's Chris Ritter
takes home Offensive Player of the Week accolades, while Indiana's Tommy
Meyer earns recognition on the defensive end.
Minnesota's Ashley Wittman, Ohio State's Sarah Mignin and Taylor Sherwin and Penn State's Katie Slay have earned weekly Big Ten volleyball honors, the conference office announced on Monday. Click here to read more about this week's honorees.
The Big Ten weekly football release was posted to the conference website today. Below are a few of the top stories in this week's release, which can be found in its entirety by clicking here.
Eight Big Ten teams are receiving votes in weekly AP and USA Today polls
Four conference squads remain unbeaten through three weeks of play
Iowa's Vandenberg, Illinois' Brown, Minnesota's Bennett and Indiana's Roberts earn Big Ten honors
Big Ten players record outstanding performances in Week 3
Numerous Big Ten standouts rank among the nation's statistical elite
Game times and television designations for Oct. 1 have been determined
Purdue's Jonathan Gandolf did a great job reporting on the Big Ten's Honoring Legends. Building Leaders. Mobile Tour during its stop in West Lafayette!
Remember to follow the tour all season long on this blog and on Twitter @B1GMobileTour and vote for your favorite reporter at the end of the season. The winning student will get a trip to the Big Ten Football Championship Game or a Big Ten bowl game of their choice!
The Big Ten Football Players of the Week for games on Sept. 17 were announced today with honorees from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Minnesota. Hawkeyes quarterback James Vandenberg was named the Offensive Player of the Week, Illini linebacker Jonathan Brown was tabbed as the Defensive Player of the Week, Gophers running back Duane Bennett earned Special Teams Player of the Week laurels and Hoosiers running back D'Angelo Roberts collected Freshman of the Week honors. For full details on the performances of the weekly honorees, click here.
September 16 NORTHWESTERN def. # 11 California (3-1) OHIO STATE def. Wake Forest (4-3)
September 17 # 13MICHIGAN def. Ball State (5-0) # 12 IOWA def. Central Michigan (1-0) # 7PENN STATE def. # 6 Duke (2-1) Maine def. MICHIGAN STATE (4-1)
September 18 INDIANA def. # 15 Ohio (3-2) # 12IOWA def. Missouri State (10-2) NORTHWESTERN def. # 18 Virginia (5-3) # 13MICHIGAN def. # 14 Boston University (3-1) OHIO STATE def. Kent State (4-1) # 7PENN STATE def. VCU (6-1) MICHIGAN STATE def. Providence (3-2)
This is an exciting time for the Big Ten and this season marks a whole new chapter for this prestigious conference. While other conferences seem to be imploding every week (I'm looking at you Syracuse and Pitt), the Big Ten seems to be content with the current 12 team structure. I think every school is happy to be part of the conference (I'm looking at you Texas A&M) and 12 seems to be the right amount of teams, not too many not too few...perfect. Now I am not an expert and I am using a blog that is sponsored by the conference and I have absolutely no inside information (if this entry gets pulled in 10 minutes, something is up!).
This football season marks an exciting change in the history of the Big Ten. We will have our first ever Big Ten Championship Game. Something that has seemed to be missing in the past. The "Road To Indy" is going to be extremely exciting and refreshing for the Leaders and the Legends. Personally, I can't wait to see it play out. Every game's importance is now magnified.
For Purdue, I still don't know what to expect out of this season (how do you like that expert analysis?). We have looked awful (see: Rice game) and we have looked very good (see: SEMO game). Now, we have a bye week before we put on our big boy pants and go eat at the adults table.
Notre Dame, you're next. Purdue has a bye week while the Irish play at Pitt (Advantage: Purdue). This game is pivotal for both teams. Purdue could rectify a bad loss (Rice) with a win at home under the lights versus ND. Notre Dame may be facing a must-win versus what they feel is an overmatched opponent.
This is a sneaky good college football rivalry. The geographic locations of the schools lead to overlapping fan bases that always seem to be at each others' necks. Purdue and Notre Dame have played in some classic games and this could fit that billing. If it is anything like the last game that these two played in Ross-Ade, set the DVR.
So I promised a prediction and I don't want to break that (Do I have to?).
My absurd-uninformed-unprepared-ill-advised-premature-foolish-prediction: ...wait for it...
Purdue 31 - ND 30
Hey, cut me some slack. I'm a Boilermaker and this is a B1G blog, what'd you expect? Purdue will have two weeks to prepare while ND will most likely be coming off a tough game at Pitt. The atmosphere at Ross-Ade should be a good one and Purdue seems to like the big stage.
My Purdue season prediction. I say Purdue finishes 6-6 with wins over Middle Tennessee, SEMO, ND, Minnesota, Illinois and Indiana.
I just provided bulletin board material for the bloggers who will be following me. Take that and run with it.
More than anything, this is going to be a great B1G Ten Season and I am glad was able to be a part of it.
THANK YOU!
Again, this was an outstanding opportunity and I am truly honored that I could be a part of it. I owe so many people so much. I am proud to be a Boilermaker and Purdue has given me so many opportunities that I just simply wouldn't be able to have elsewhere. It was an extremely busy week but I had an absolute blast.
Thank you to everybody who followed along, everybody who supported me and everybody who made this tour possible. I am sure the other bloggers will come behind me and build off of what hopefully myself and Caitlin have laid the foundation for. I am looking forward to seeing what they do with their opportunity (I sure would appreciate your vote though!).
Hail, Hail to Old Purdue! All hail to our old gold and black! Hail, Hail to Old Purdue! Our friendship may she never lack, Ever grateful, ever true, Thus we raise our song anew, Of the days we've spent with you All hail our own Purdue.
Ever Grateful, Ever True. Boiler Up, Hammer Down and Hail Purdue!
Every home football game no matter the opponent or the score, you can count on those words between the third and fourth quarter in Ross-Ade Stadium. And with those simple words, students, fans, alumni, band members, even the players all go crazy.
For those two or three minutes, we all get to act as one. It may sound simple, stupid or corny but it's true. Fans are often divided on coaching decisions, players, or the outcomes of games but isn't it crazy how a silly song can rally everybody together.
Every weekend a different Purdue Legend is responsible for waving the flag outside of the pressbox and leading the stadium in shouting. It's a unique tradition but one that we love.
This week it was Adam Soldati the Purdue diving coach. You might be thinking, "Who?!" But his list of career accomplishments is crazy long and it's only getting longer. Most recently, he was responsible for coach David Boudia who finished his career with six national championships.
With that, I ask you to get on your feet, it's time to shout! (Okay, I'll settle for just sitting back and watching the video):
According to Meriam-Webster cactus is defined as, "any of a
family (Cactaceae, the cactus family) of plants that have succulent stems and branches
with scales or spines instead of leaves and are found especially in dry areas
(as deserts)."
According to the Purdue student body Cactus is your Thursday
night plans. Cactus has been turned into a verb. "Are you Cactus-ing?" has
turned into a common question between Boilermaker students.
So what is this Cactus thing we are all talking about? It's
called the Neon Cactus and...it's awesome. Every Thursday night, hundreds of
Purdue students make the walk down the hill to the levee to visit The Neon Cactus.
Whether you go for the Piano bar, the dance floor or the
economically priced beverages, it is sure to be a good time. The Piano bar has
turned into a Thursday night requirement for many students. A big part of the
atmosphere and environment is Bruce the Piano Man or more simply, Bruuuuuce.
Whether he's serenading the crowd with his rendition of
Elton John's "Rocket Man" or the foot-stompin' "Wagon Wheel" (my personal
favorite) by the Old Crow Medicine Show, one thing is for certain - he and you
are having a good time.
I decided to join Bruce on the party side (Boilers will
understand) and find out what keeps the Piano Man in tune.
Q: How did you learn to play the piano?
Growing up, I always considered my voice my instrument and I
had a pretty good voice but I knew it wouldn't last forever. I wanted to learn
an instrument. I tried to learn guitar but I just couldn't get my fingers to
work the way they needed to.
I was 19 years old and in college. I went down to the piano
in my residence hall with a walkman and spent 7 or 8 hours listening to a song
and trying to learn how to play it. I did it. It was all by ear. Throughout the
day people would walk by and say, "hey, I know that song." Those little pieces
of encouragement sort of kept me going.
Q: Is that still how you learn to play?
Yeah, I can't actually read music. The bass and treble clef
don't mean anything to me. If you tell me to play an A Chord, I can do that but
in terms of reading the actual music, I can't do that.
The last song I learned was Forget You by Cee Lo Green. I've
gotten significantly faster at it. I probably had that song the second or third
time through and it probably only took me two or three hours total.
Not to get too spiritual on you or anything but God has
given me a gift to be able to do that and I am just trying to make the most of
it.
Q: You grew up in Lafayette, attended Purdue and now live in
the area. Safe to say you're a die-hard Boilermaker?
Oh yeah. I love Purdue. I was hired to work down at IU for a
couple of months and I don't absolutely hate IU or anything but it was like I
was behind enemy lines down there. I loved the people and loved the venue, I
just couldn't get into it - it didn't feel right.
And again, that's not anything against IU that is just a
result of how much I love Purdue. I bleed black and gold.
Q: What's your favorite memory from college?
I have so many great memories from college. It took me 14
semesters (7 years) so I had a lot of time to make memories.
First and foremost, I was in Glee Club and got to travel the
world with that organization. We performed in places like the Sydney Opera
House and Westminster Abbey. It was absolutely incredible. Westminster Abbey
was just an absolutely incredible experience. The sound and magnitude of it all
was almost moving.
The other one more specific to Purdue is the Naked Olympics
that used to happen at the Cary Quad. The coldest day of the year, a bunch of
the residents would strip down and go run outside around the quad. It's an all
male dorm so use your imagination there. We all had a little bit of
encouragement but more than anything, nobody had a care in the world. We were
just a bunch of college kids doing something crazy.
Oh and as a freshman my roommate and I ate Domino's 27 nights in a row.
Q: What's your favorite memory from your time as the
pianoman?
I don't know if it is just because we celebrated the ten
year anniversary but I would have to say the first Thursday after 9/11/01. The
attacks happened early Tuesday morning and for two days all anybody did was sit
in front of a TV and watch the terrible news. It was obviously a very dark time
for America. I remember thinking that I didn't even want to go in and play that
night. I didn't think anybody was going to be there and I wasn't sure if I
would be able to entertain those that were there.
That night was incredible. It was packed and I think
everybody was ready to be together. It didn't have anything to do with the
drinking. People just wanted to be with each other and do something together.
All they could do was sing and dance but they could control that. They could
sing as loud as they wanted and it was like weight was being lifted off their
shoulders.
I think I played God Bless America four times that night and
I never play a song twice in one night. I laughed that night and I cried that
night. It's a memory that will always stick with me.
I also met my wife in the Piano Bar. I remember it so
vividly. I know the exact seat she sat in. She was wearing a grey hoodie with
her hair pulled back and didn't have any makeup on but she was beautiful and I
knew it was meant to be. I put the full court press on her that night. And here
we are two kids later and still happily married.
Q: You will be a part of a lot of students' favorite memory
when they look back at their college years. What does that mean to you?
I can't put it into words. I really wish there were some way
I could say thank you to everybody. I think they polled the graduating students
a couple of years ago and I was something like their third favorite memory from
college. That means so much. To be able to do this as a living is just such a
blessing. I'm so grateful and just wish I could give back what everybody's support has meant to me. I just can't put it into words.
Q: Most people only see you play once a week, but can you
talk about the preparation that goes into making sure you know all of the songs
and are entertaining every week?
It's just like training if you were an athlete. I have to do
things to protect my voice. I drink a lot of room temperature water and really
try to rest my vocal chords during the week. I play Thursday, Friday and
Saturday every week. As I have gotten a little older it is taking me longer and
longer to get my voice back every week. It use to be Tuesday before I got it
back and now it's moving later into Wednesday. I just have to be smart about
it. I can't yell at my kids, which they like.
Q: What's your pet peeve inside the piano bar?
Cell phones. They used to be these huge block things that
really messed with our sound system. Now, some people can get away with it but
I still like to give some others a hard time.
I know that not everybody who comes to watch the show is
going to be entertained and that's okay. I just want to have 6, 7, or 8 out of
every 10 new people enjoy the show. I know if we do that, we'll grow. I've been
doing this 16 years and I think we've been able to do that. It's continued to
grow and that's something I am really proud of.
--
Well, there you have it folks. It's hard to translate the
passion and emotion that Bruce displayed in the interview through a blog but
let me assure you that he appreciates all of the people that have came and
listened and those that continue to. Purdue is lucky to have him and he feels
lucky to have us.
Most people assume that the Boilermaker (the person) or Purdue Pete is the mascot at Purdue. Heck, some students and alumni might even think this. However, the die-hards are all well aware of what the real mascot of Purdue is.
The Boilermaker Special is Purdue's official mascot. This behemoth is a locomotive replica that is street legal. It is driven and managed by the Purdue Reamer Club. Infamous for it's loud horns, bells and whistles, the Boilermaker Special often offers free rides to those looking for a heavy dose of Purdue pride.
Enough of my affectionate blabbering about the Boiler locomotive. Let's allow the President, Thomas Bucher, introduce you to this very special Purdue legend:
Iowa's James Vandenberg and Wisconsin's Russell Wilson were named two of eight national honorees as "Stars of the Week" by the Manning Award, the only quarterback award to include bowl performances in its balloting process. College football fans can now go to the Allstate Sugar Bowl Facebook page to vote for what they think was the best performance from this past weekend. When voting closes on Thursday at 9 a.m. CT, the top vote-getter will be announced as the Manning Award Player of the Week. Click this link to vote for the national honor.
Down 24-3 late in the third quarter, Vandenberg ran for a touchdown and threw for three fourth-quarter touchdowns as the Hawkeyes defeated Pitt, 31-27, with the biggest comeback in school history. Vandenberg completed 31 of 48 passes for 399 yards. Wilson led the potent Wisconsin attack to 621 yards of total offense, including scores on six of its first seven possessions, in a 49-7 win over Northern Illinois. Wilson connected on 23 of 32 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns.
The Big Ten is tied for the national lead with five different teams appearing among the top 25 in either the Associated Press (AP) or USA Today coaches polls. The Big Ten is also one of only three conferences with two top-10 teams in both rankings. In all, eight conference schools are receiving at least one vote in a national poll. Wisconsin continues to move up the polls, climbing one spot in both rankings to appear at No. 6 in the AP poll and No. 7 in the coaches vote. Nebraska joins the Badgers among the top-10, climbing two slot to No. 9 in the media voting and one spot to No. 9 in the coaches ratings. Michigan's 3-0 start gives the school it's first top-25 appearance this season at No. 22 in the AP rankings and No. 21 in the USA Today poll. After knocking off nationally ranked Arizona State to move to 3-0, Illinois also makes its first appearance in the top 25 at No. 24 in the media vote. Michigan State suffered its first loss but remained in the top 25 at No. 23 in the coaches poll. Ohio State, Penn State and Northwestern also received at least one vote in one of the polls.
Every weekend, you can count on the All-American Marching Band putting on a show and enhancing the atmosphere. Perhaps the signature of the band, The Big Bass Drum is always a highlight.
This tradition that dates back to 1921 is truly unique to Purdue. To learn more, I thought it may be best to ask those who are responsible for the drum each and every day.
Offensive tackles sometimes get stereotyped as big, slow
immovable objects. Not Dennis Kelly. This mountain of a man stands at 6'8" and
300+ lbs. but he is just about as athletic as they come. The Chicago
Heights-native played basketball in high school and has even been spotted in
tennis class this semester.
The left tackle spot on the O-line is often the most
important. Protecting the quarterback's blindside is an important
responsibility. This is Kelly's third year starting at that spot. With the
right combination of speed and power, Kelly is a D-lineman's worst nightmare.
Although he may look intimidating and be scary to line up
across from on gameday, Kelly is one of the nicest people you'll meet. To learn more
about this NFL prospect I hopped on my step stool and asked him about his
thoughts on leadership.
I love watching Purdue football. One of my favorite parts of
watching Purdue football is watching Chris Carlino. There are very few people
that play the game as hard as and with as much passion as Carlino. Is it any
coincidence that he got a start at LB yesterday and the defense pitched a
shutout? Maybe. Maybe not. It certainly didn't hurt things.
The Fishers, Indiana-native sees most of his action on
special teams. Last year he was named Purdue Special Teams MVP. You want entertainment;
watch this guy cover a kick-off. More often than not it ends with him putting the
ball carrier on the turf or the guy trying to stop him on his back.
Between the football and Chris Carlino is not a place you
want to be. His personality, and passion make him easy to root for. Oh, well
that and his sweet facial hair and flowing locks.
To find out more about his leadership style, I asked him a
couple of questions. Please don't hurt me...
Joe Holland's ability to lead doesn't stop on the gridiron. When
you look at the Indianapolis-native's career accolades, one thing jumps out. Holland is as successful
in the classroom as he is on Saturdays.
The linebacker has been named Academic All-Big Ten and
Academic All-District V three years in a row. Last year, Holland was named second team Academic
All-America.
You get the feeling that Holland is the type of person who will
excel at whatever he chooses to do in life because of his work ethic. That's
been the case at Purdue. After switching from safety to linebacker early in his
career, he has been making tackles ever since.
As a defensive co-captain he leads a squad that just
completed its first shutout in seven years. To learn more about his own style
of leadership, I grilled him with a couple of questions and of course, he aced
this test too.
That's just what the doctor ordered. Coming off a heartbreaking loss at Rice, the Boilermakers needed some confidence before meeting with in-state rival Notre Dame.
They got that today. The Boilermakers scored early...and often. Once Purdue ceased momentum, they never looked back.
The Boilers did pretty much whatever they wanted on offense. Run right, run left, run middle, run over, run through were all very successful today. When Purdue put the ball in the air it was much of the same. Junior quarterback Caleb TerBush was 13-16 for 133 yards in the first half. He would finish 14-17 with 143 yards.
The story of the day might be Robert Marve's return to the Purdue offense. Marve entered in the second quarter and completed his first 6 passes and ended the half 7-8 with 91 yards and a touchdown.
At half, this one was pretty well decided. Purdue had 396 yards and led 38-0.
The second half was much of the same. Purdue only put the ball in the air once in the half but had great success putting toe to turf. Freshmen running backs stole the show in the half as Akeem "The Dream" Hunt and Brandon Cottom came in and saw some action for the first time all season. Cottom rushed seven times for 70 yards while Hunt ran six times for 56 yards.
Again, Purdue needed this. Now, it's on to Notre Dame. That could be a game that makes or breaks either team's season. Look for a (absurdly pre-mature) preview and prediction tomorrow (hey, I only have control of this thing for so long).
Thanks everybody for your support today and interactions on twitter. I will have some final material tonight and tomorrow.
Until then...Ever Grateful, Ever True. Boiler Up, Hammer Down and Hail Purdue.
Whoa, what a morning. It featured Ninja Turtles, Santa Clause, pancakes, a Rambling Band and a ton of diehard Boilermakers.
I thought I would provide some photo evidence for you to enjoy while you prepare for the game. First let's take a look back at Breakfast Club:
The only thing missing was the theme music for these pac-man enthusiasts.
These "sisters" think it's Sunday...Shame on them.
These guys just wandered over from the nursing home.
After Breakfast Club (which actually doesn't feature breakfast) I had worked up an appetite and headed over to the annual Family Day Pancake Breakfast.
Precision pancake pouring. Who wants some pancakes, actually who wants A LOT of pancakes?
The famous Cary Quad that has housed thousands of Boilermakers was between the Pancake Breakfast and my next stop...
Thrill on the Hill with the All-American Marching Band and the B1G RV. What a scene...if that doesn't get you fired up, I don't know what will.
Purdue Pete even stopped by for his Photo Op with the Stagg-Paterno Championship Trophy. That wraps up my morning. Looking forward to the game. Visit my Purdue Gameday Blog for all the information you could ever want, including a prediction that will surely be completely wrong. Follow @B1GMobileTour on twitter for in-game updates and interactions.
Until next time...Ever Grateful, Ever True. Boiler Up, Hammer Down and Hail Purdue!
If you're a college student, this is what you live for.
Saturday mornings are special. As a student, your time is limited so you have
to make the most of every single opportunity to root your team on.
I thought it might be a good idea to outline what my
schedule is today so we can better exchange
ideas/tweets/conversations/blogs/smoke signals (okay, maybe we'll avoid smoke
signals).
Schedule:
Breakfast Club: No,
not the movie. Breakfast Club is the most recognizable football tradition at
Purdue. Imagine Halloween every Saturday of a home football game. Now, Imagine
Halloween extremely early in the morning and the bars offering super cheap
(we're all poor college students) deals on beverages and you have breakfast
club. I am going to do my best to display some of the best costumes of the day
and show you a little bit of the atmosphere. Follow @B1GMobileTour for pictures
and commentary.
Pancake Breakfast:
Once a year, Purdue hosts a pancake breakfast. It is quite the show. It
features a HUGE griddle, an automated machine that perfectly pours the pancake
batter and a set of chefs that flip pancakes with the artistic expertise of
Michelangelo (you caught me, that's an exaggeration but you get the point -
it's cool). Again, I am going to bring this to you and let you see what this
experience is all about. That is, if I can put down the syrup bottle long
enough to actually work. Shhh....
Tailgating:
Purdue, like any B1G Ten school, loves to tailgate. Coincidentally, one of the
major hot spots for tailgating is Slayter Hill. Guess where the B1G RV is
going to be? Slayter Hill! Who's the genius in charge of this? If you're
tailgating, give me your best effiort and I might feature you as part of the
Purdue tailgating experience.
B1G RV: The B1G
Mobile Tour RV will be at Slayter Hill from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. Stop by to see
the B1G Ten Championship Trophy! It will also be available for an hour after
the game.
Game Traditions:
One of the greatest and most underrated traditions in all of college football
(and I swear I'm not biased) is Purdue's "I Am An American."It doesn't matter if you're a Boilermaker,
Hawkeye, Wildcat, Badger or Hoosier (there, I said it), we're blessed to live
in this great country and we need revel in it. Again, follow @B1GMobileTour for
a video of this great tradition performed by the All-American Marching Band
prior to the game.
I will also Shout at you! Well, at least highlight the
"Shout" tradition at Purdue. Between the 3rd and 4th
quarters Purdue makes a habit out of playing this song and having a Purdue
legend waving a Purdue flag from the press box. A great song, a great tradition
and a great time to be a Boilermaker.
The W flag. One of the more unknown traditions at Purdue.
After every victory, the grounds crew flies a W (you know, for "W"in) high
above the south endzone bleachers. Assuming Purdue can take care of business, I
will be there helping raise the W!
My Prediction
I feel obligated to do this. That's what sports writers do,
right? I am going to make some outlandish prediction, I'll be wrong and then
you'll ridicule me for doing this. I just can't wait.
Well, this is an interesting week for Purdue. Coming off a
tough loss to Rice (the school, not the food), you would Hope (pun) that the
Boilermakers come out a little upset and jump all over Southeast Missouri State
early. However, the fact that Purdue's next game is against inter-state rival
Notre Dame could complicate things. Are the Boilers looking ahead? Will they
take the Redhawks seriously? Is this a trap?
To be honest, this is a game that Purdue should NOT lose. A
B1G school should have the talent to make this an ugly game and do it quick. At
the same time, this is SEMO State's signature game and you know it's circled on
the calendar. Purdue will get SEMO's
best punch.
The other interesting wrinkle - SEMO runs the option
offense. Something Purdue hasn't seen yet and won't see the rest of the season.
How do the Boilers adjust? I don't know (this is where an actual sports writer would offer something beside "I don't know",
hey - you get what you pay for here).
What will be the highlight of the game? Funny I ask. The
Purdue coaching staff has mentioned that the return of QB Robert Marve is
likely this week. Marve is still a bit of an unknown.A highly touted recruit, Marve went to Miami before
transferring to Purdue. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL early in the season last
year before ever getting to really establish himself in the offensive scheme.
This could be a chance for him to get his feet wet before the showdown with
Notre Dame in two weeks. A lot of Purdue fans, including myself, are excited to
see what level his play is at.
Okay, enough of my blabbering. To the prediction. I just
don't think SEMO has the horses (and by horses I mean human football players)
to compete with Purdue.
...wait for it...
Purdue 41 - SEMO St. 10
Weather
I will be watching from the press box (I work in Athletics
Communications Department on gamedays). I like to joke that it is always 72 and
sunny where I am sitting. Well tomorrow it really
is going to be 72 and sunny with a nice Brees (get it?) outside. Come out
to Ross-Ade and support your Boilers.
Resources
Check out 2011 Purdue Football Gameday Central for
everything you would ever need.
Interact with those in the know by tweeting at @PurdueSports
and @BoilerFootball. I will also be tweeting highlights and answering fans'
questions at @B1GMobileTour.
The game will be shown on Big Ten Network.
That's all for now. Please reach out to @B1GMobileTour if you have any questions. Looking forward to gameday.
Until then...Ever Grateful, Ever True. Boiler Up, Hammer Down and Hail Purdue!
You 'oughta see the looks I get when I tell strangers that I
love doing Triple XXX for breakfast whenever my parents visit.
I'll give you a second to gather your collective minds out
of the gutter while I begin to educate you on this historic Purdue landmark.
First, Triple XXX is a family restaurant. And no, I don't
really understand the naming. Does Triple XXX mean there are actually six Xs or
is it three raised to the third or maybe it's three times three equals 9 Xs. I
don't know. Did you get the memo? I'm not a math major. Anyway, it is
pronounced "Triple Ex." The restaurant has been around since 1929 and became
famous for its Root Beer. Today, it is known for much more than this delicious
bubbly beverage.
The great thing about Triple XXX is that it is open 24 hours a day and serves delicious breakfast plates "All Day, Every Day" according to its site. I hope you're hungry. With plates of Biscuits and Gravy that could feed a small army, you better come prepared with your appetite and a shovel.
The delicious food doesn't end there. Triple XXX has been nationally recognized for its 100% ground sirloin burgers. Kslfnjv09 oi 2 (That was the drool hitting my keyboard). If you ever visit Purdue you have to visit this place.
What makes it truly great though is its environment. Everybody sits at the bar that bends around the whole restaurant and often times you sit facing a complete stranger. However, almost everybody has one thing in common, we bleed black and gold. This common bond makes it easy to strike up conversations with complete strangers. And of course the 24-hours are extremely appealing to those students who find themselves out late at night ummm...uhh...studying.
A quick look at the menu and you know you've arrived at Purdue. Meals are named after Purdue greats such as the Bernie Flowers All-Pro, The Leroy Loin, and the Drew Bress Special. However, the meal you have to get and my personal favorite is the Duane Purvis All-American. It is 1/4 lb. of 100% ground sirloin served on a toasted sesame bun with melted cheese on top with lettuce, tomato, pickle, Spanish onion and French fries and...wait for it...add thick creamy peanut butter on the lower deck and dig in. I know, sounds crazy right? Try it once and you'll be hooked.
Nothing sums up a late night or early morning or
mid-afternoon or brunch or late dinner or study break or...well, you get the point
quite like the Triple XXX. Three things in life are guaranteed death, taxes and
the Triple XXX being open. Dig in and Boiler Up!
What are you waiting for? Go visit, right now. I'll meet you there.
Until then...Ever Grateful, Ever True. Boiler Up, Hammer Down and Hail Purdue!
CBSSports.com's Jeff Goodman placed nine Big Ten men's basketball players on his ballot for the John Wooden Preseason watch list, which was the second-highest total among all conferences. Players from seven different Big Ten teams made Goodman's list, including three from Ohio State. COMPLETE LIST
Tim Hardaway, Michigan Draymond Green, Michigan State Trevor Mbakwe, Minnesota John Shurna, Northwestern William Buford, Ohio State Aaron Craft, Ohio State Jared Sullinger, Ohio State Robbie Hummel, Purdue Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin
Sept. 16-18 IOWA at Gopher Invitational MINNESOTA at Gopher Invitational NEBRASKA at Midland Invitational OHIO STATE at Muirfield Collegiate Tennis Invitational PURDUE at Duke Fall Invitational WISCONSIN at Gopher Invitational
September 17 # 21 PENN STATE at WISCONSIN - 1 p.m. CT
September 18 MICHIGAN at INDIANA - Noon ET NORTHWESTERN at NEBRASKA - Noon CT # 23 ILLINOIS at IOWA - 1 p.m. CT MICHIGAN STATE at PURDUE - 1 p.m. ET # 25 OHIO STATE at MINNESOTA - 2 p.m. CT
September 16 # 24OHIO STATE vs. Hartwick [11] - 5 p.m. ET WISCONSIN vs. Drake [12] - 5 p.m. CT MICHIGAN at # 22 Notre Dame - 7 p.m. ET MICHIGAN STATE at Marquette - 7 p.m. CT UC Davis at NORTHWESTERN [13] - 7:30 p.m. CT # 9INDIANA at # 14 St. John's - 8 p.m. ET
September 18 WISCONSIN vs. SIU-Edwardsville [12] - 11 a.m. CT # 9 INDIANA at Rutgers - 1 p.m. ET # 22 Notre Dame at MICHIGAN STATE - 1 p.m. ET Marquette at MICHIGAN - 2 p.m. ET Xavier at NORTHWESTERN [13] - 2 p.m. CT # 15 PENN STATE at Hartford - 2 p.m. ET # 24 OHIO STATE at Coastal Carolina [11] - 2:30 p.m. ET
Legend [11] Coastal Carolina Invitational - Conway, S.C. [12] Chicago South Loop Hotel UIC Soccer Classic - Chicago, Ill. [13] Lakeside Classic - Evanston, Ill.
It is fitting that the Big Ten's trophy for best quarterback
is named after not one but two Purdue quarterbacks. The Griese-Brees (sounds
like something that I learned in my meteorology class) Trophy will be awarded
to the best quarterback in the Big Ten each year. If this trophy knows anything
about Purdue's history (it probably doesn't, it's inanimate after all), it may
want to consider taking up residence West Lafayette.
Purdue has become the Cradle of Quarterbacks. With a
tradition of developing talent and creating passer friendly offenses, the
Boilermakers are now nationally recognized for a tradition of aerial expertise.
As recent as last year, Purdue honored this "Cradle"
throughout the season. Let's take a look at this time-tested line-up of field
generals and precision passers:
Drew
Brees, 1997-2000: The first memories I have of cheering for
Purdue revolve around the man, the myth, the legend that is Drew Brees. I could
dedicate an entire week of blogging to Brees (Believe me, it was tempting).
Where do I start? He was a two-time Heisman finalist, two-time Big Ten
Offensive Player of the Year, Academic All-American and led the Boilermakers to
their first Rose Bowl in more than 30 years. Perhaps more impressive than
anything is that he has been a great ambassador and representative of Purdue in
every walk of life. He's proud to be a Boilermaker and we're proud to call him
a Boilermaker.
Scott Campbell, 1980-83: The Hershey, Pennsylvania-native
had a sweet (my sense of humor infuriates even me) career at Purdue. Campbell graduated as the
second all-time passing leader at Purdue trailing only Mark Herrmann (we'll get
to him later). Campbell
went on to play six years at the NFL level.
Gary
Danielson, 1970-72: You may or may not recognize the name but you
may recognize his voice. After a very successful collegiate and 11-year NFL
career, Danielson moved into the television booth where he has become a staple
for big-time college football broadcasts.
Len Dawson, 1954-56: The first of Purdue's three Super
Bowl quarterback champions (Brees, Griese). If the Super Bowl ring doesn't
convince you Dawson knows how to win the big one, perhaps his 7-1-1 record
against Purdue's top rivals Indiana, Notre Dame and Illinois will.
Bob DeMoss, 1945-48: The father of the Cradle. DeMoss
was the first great passer at Purdue. While his numbers may not stand the test
of time, his legacy certainly does. After an extremely successful playing
career at Purdue, DeMoss went on to coach many other great Purdue
signal-callers, such as Dale Samuels, Len Dawson, Bob Griese, Mike Phipps and
Gary Danielson.
Jim Everett, 1981-85: The Boilermaker that other teams
loved to hate. Everett (figuratively) kicked in
the door at the Hoosier Dome Dedication Game in Indianapolis. Behind their fearless leader,
the Boilermakers defeated the heavily favored Notre Dame Irish in his first
career start. He accomplished something no other Purdue quarterback has ever
done by defeating Notre Dame, Ohio State and Michigan
in the same season. Everett
was selected third overall in the NFL draft and had a successful professional
career leading the Los Angeles Rams to the playoffs three times.
Bob Griese, 1964-66: Bob Griese is the quarterback that
my dad grew up with and thus, I feel as though I grew up with. The Evansville,
Indiana-native led the Boilermakers to their first ever Rose Bowl appearance
and victory. His athletics resume is quite lengthy. He was truly a
Jack-of-all-trades. Griese kicked, punted, played quarterback, went 12-1 as a
baseball starting pitcher and was a guard on the basketball team briefly. Oh
and then by the way, he led the 1972 Miami Dolphins to the only undefeated
season in the history of the NFL.
Mark Herrmann, 1977-80: Herrmann practically turned the
record books into an autobiography in his time at Purdue. The Carmel,
Indiana-native was named a unanimous All-American and Big Ten Most Valuable
Player in 1980. Herrmann became the first quarterback to ever throw for 8,000
yards. He would go on to have an 11-season NFL career.
Kyle Orton, 2001-2004: Want to put Kyle Orton's Purdue
career in perspective? He started in
four consecutive bowl games. Only 12 quarterbacks in the history of college
football accomplished that before him. 12, that's not a type-o. You want tough?
How about this - Orton played with a broken thumb, sprained toe and cracked rib
in the Capital One Bowl. Come on Denver,
who needs the Golden Boy when you have the Gold and Black Boy?
Curtis Painter, 2005-2008: If Curtis Painter's middle name
isn't gunslinger, it should be. Painter could whip the ball around the field
with the best of them. Painter set a Purdue record with 546 passing yards in a
2007 Motor City Bowl 51-48 victory. He ranks second at Purdue in career
completions and passing yards. I'll give you a hint who he trails, it rhymes
with Brew Drees. Oh and he's responsible for my favorite Purdue rushing TD of all-time. Somebody let the state of Illinois know he has the ball!
Mike Phipps, 1967-69: The Notre Dame Leprechaun has
nightmares about this guy. Phipps defeated the Fighting Irish three straight
years when they were ranked No. 1, No. 2 and No. 9 nationally. He subsequently
led the Boilermakers to a No. 1 ranking and finished second in Heisman voting.
Following his senior year, he was named a Rhodes Scholar but instead went on to
play for 12 years in the NFL.
Dale Samuels, 1950-52: Dale Samuels may be best
remembered for ending Notre Dame's 39-game unbeaten streak. Samuels would go on
to become the first Purdue passer to ever throw for 1,000 yards in a season and
led the Boilermakers to a co-Big Ten Championship his senior year. Samuels was
a lifelong Boiler as he served the university for over a quarter century in
various administrative positions.
Until next time...Ever Grateful, Ever True. Boiler Up, Hammer Down and Hail Purdue.
Don't forget to stop by the #B1G bus at Memorial Mall from 10:30 - 2:30 today.
Leading is nothing new to Kawann Short. The defensive tackle
is used to success but never satisfied.
In high school, the East Chicago-native, enjoyed as much
success on the hardwood as he did on the gridiron. As a teammate of former
Boilermaker E'Twaun Moore, Short helped lead his high school to the 4-A state
championship.
His achievements didn't end there. As a redshirt freshman,
Short was named an All-American by CollegeFootballNews.com and to the Big Ten
All-Freshman Team by Sporting News.
Don't question his work ethic. When he's not hunting
quarterbacks, his hobbies are listed as "enjoys lifting weights" on
purduesports.com.
To learn more about this defensive captain, I asked about
his own thoughts on leadership. Here's to hoping he doesn't confuse me with a
ball carrier...
Until next time...Ever Grateful, Ever True. Boiler Up, Hammer Down and Hail Purdue!
Don't forget to stop by the Mobile Tour Bus at the Memorial mall on Friday from 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET
The weekend and thus gameday is fast-approaching. And let's be honest, is there anything better than football gameday on a Big Ten Campus? But before we move forward I thought it might be a good idea to take a quick look back at Purdue's first two games. Let's do this:
Football is a game of inches. Purdue, exhibit A.
The Boilermakers are just inches away from being 2-0.
However, that tale can be spun both ways. The Boilermakers are also just inches
away from being 0-2. At 1-1, Purdue's season has not lacked any drama.
The Old Gold and Black went into week one with their fifth
starting quarterback in the last calendar year. Junior Caleb
TerBush, who was coming off of an academic suspension last season, struggled
early but grew as a leader and quarterback throughout the Boilers' first game.
After a back-and-forth game, Purdue found itself trailing
Middle Tennessee late in the fourth quarter. Captain Comeback Caleb TerBush
engineered (see what I did there? Purdue is a school known for its engineering)
the Boilermakers on an 85-yard, 11-play drive capped off by a 35-yard touchdown
pass to junior wide receiver Antavian Edison.
The Blue Raiders (what's the difference between a Blue
Raider, Red Raider or even a Purple Raider?) were down but not out. Middle
Tennessee drove to Purdue's 30-yard line and was able to line up for a field
goal that would tie the game. Unfortunately, they couldn't find a way to block super
sophomore Ricardo Allen (aka Rico Island) and Purdue prevailed.
Last week, the Boilermakers traveled to Houston to play
against Rice in what should have been dubbed the Astronaut Bowl. Between the
two schools, they have accounted for 36 astronauts (22 from Purdue and 14 from
Rice). We might not be able to orchestrate a pretty game of football but we can
launch humans on rockets into orbit...so there!
It was another back-and-forth game as both teams seemed to
be beating themselves as much as they were their opponents. TerBush led the
Boilers on yet another last minute drive. Sports Illustrated Pre-Season
All-American Carson Wiggs lined up for a 31-yard attempt, which is a chip-shot
by his standards.
Revenge is a dish best served cold ... and by Justin Allen -
the Rice Owl who blocked Wiggs' attempt. Just like that, the train came off its
tracks and the Boilermakers now sit at 1-1.
Where the season goes from here? We don't know. Senior quarterback
Robert Marve appears to be getting healthy which could provide a boost, but
there haven't been any indications that TerBush can't lead this team.
Fans are frustrated (when are they not) and the players are
determined. So where do the Boilers end up this season? Again, no one knows.
One thing is for sure. It will be exciting and I am glad to have the B1G Mobile
Tour along for the ride this week.
Until next time...Ever Grateful, Ever True. Boiler Up, Hammer
Down and Hail Purdue!
September 16 # 11 California at NORTHWESTERN - 1 p.m. CT Wake Forest at OHIO STATE
September 17 Ball State at # 13MICHIGAN - 10 a.m. ET Central Michigan at # 12 IOWA - 1 p.m. CT # 7PENN STATE at # 6 Duke - 1 p.m. ET MICHIGAN STATE vs. Maine - 2 p.m. ET
September 18 INDIANA at # 15 Ohio - Noon ET Missouri State at # 12IOWA - 1 p.m. CT # 18 Virginia at NORTHWESTERN - 1 p.m. CT # 14 Boston University at # 13MICHIGAN - 1 p.m. ET OHIO STATE at Kent State - 1 p.m. ET VCU at # 7PENN STATE - 1 p.m. ET MICHIGAN STATE at Providence - 2 p.m. ET
Indiana's Rosie Davies has been named Big Ten Women's Golfer of the Week, the conference office announced on Thursday. Davies took medalist honors at the IU Fall Kickoff, helping the Hoosiers to a first-place team finish. Click here for more information on Davies.
As the stereotypes go, kickers aren't realathletes. They're weird, they're loners and they don't actually do anything at practice. Not this kicker.
Senior kicker Carson Wiggs knows what it means to be a
leader.
The special teams captain has been leading since his
freshman year. And currently, he is Purdue's all-time leading career field goal
percentage leader (.715). The Texas-native also owns Purdue four longest field
goals at 59, 55, 53, and 52. The accolades go on and on for this young man. It
may be rare for teammates to look to kickers as leaders but not for this
football team.
To learn more about one of Purdue's leaders I asked him
about his thoughts on leadership:
Don't forget the Mobile Tour come to Purdue TODAY! Visit the bus at the Memorial Mall from Noon to 4 p.m.
The Purdue football team stands between the Big Ten Championship and the Leaders Division representative. You could say, Purdue is on the "Road To Indy."
However, not only are the Boilermakers figuratively on the Championship path but they are quite literally on the road to Indy for many of the Big Ten's schools. The second closest school to Indianapolis, I took a quick trip to Indianapolis to show you The Road to Indy.
First, how about a quick geography lesson? Many people outside of Big Ten Country might not realize exactly where Purdue is and some within the conference still might be a little confused. So here you have Purdue, in West Lafayette, Indiana. West Lafayette, is just West of...well, Lafayette (How about that?). In all seriousness the beautiful campus rests around 70 miles northwest of Indianapolis and about 120 miles southeast of Chicago.
As you can see, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Northwestern, Michigan State and possibly a lost Illini fan may all pass Purdue on their way to Indianapolis.
Here are some other images from my trip:
I started off at the newly renovated Mackey Arena. Mackey is home to the Purdue men's and women's basketball teams and a place that visitors fear.
After a quick left turn, I drive by the beautiful Neil Armstrong (You might have heard of him) Hall of Engineering. This building is one of the cornerstones of Purdue's campus.
Indiana is known as the "Crossroads of America" and once you get off campus it is a straight shot southeast to Indianapolis. While the scenery may not be spectacular to outsiders, it is a pleasant drive through the countryside for someone who grew up in this beautifully flat state.
65-South is the route you take. Be careful, it can be windy and you know we love our racing in Indiana so if you choose to go only the speed limit, better stay to the right.
Lebanon and Crawfordsville lie between West Lafayette and Indianapolis. One of the greatest scorers in college basketball history is from Lebanon. Just so happens he's a Boiler too. Rick Mount was the first high school athlete to ever be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Rick "the Rocket" Mount attended Lebanon High School. Current Boilermaker D.J. Byrd calls Crawfordsville home.
Getting closer...
No mom, I promise I wasn't driving and taking pictures at the same time.
For my money (all $17 of it), Indianapolis is one of the most underrated cities in the country, especially when it comes to sports. Indianapolis is home to the Indianapolis 500, Brickyard 400, Men's and Women's Final Fours and Big Ten Tournaments, Super Bowl 46, etc. It's walkable, clean, safe and has enough to do to keep you busy. Try it out, come watch the Boilermakers in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game!
So close you can almost smell it...figuratively, of course.
Ohio State never gets the green light in West Lafayette...
The end of the Big Ten Road.
See you in November...
Until next time...Ever Grateful, Ever True. Boiler Up, Hammer Down and Hail Purdue!
Wisconsin's Jacob Pedersen has been named the John Mackey Tight End of the Week, the Nassau County Sports Commission announced on Wednesday. Pedersen caught six passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns to lead the seventh-ranked Badgers to a 35-0 win over Oregon State. The sophomore scored the opening touchdown of the game in the first quarter and reached the end zone for the second time of the day in the second quarter to help Wisconsin take a 21-0 lead. The award marks the second by a Big Ten tight end in as many weeks.
Four Big Ten men's cross country teams have earned top-30 status in this week's USTFCCCA national coaches' poll. Wisconsin leads the contingent of ranked Big Ten teams at No. 2 nationally, while No. 7 Indiana follows in the top 10. Minnesota and Ohio State each moved up one spot this week, with the Gophers checking in at No. 24 and the Buckeyes holding No. 26. Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State are each receiving votes.
Ohio State's Alex Redfield has been named Big Ten Men's Golfer of the Week after earning his first career individual medal at the Marshall Invitational. Click here to read more about Redfield.
Founder and former CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs once said, "Why
join the Navy if you can be a pirate?"
Of course, what he meant to say is "Why cheer for the Irish
or Hoosiers if you can be a Boilermaker?" Well, I'm at least 8% sure that's
what he meant.
See, in Indiana it's easy
to be a Notre Dame and/or IU fan but it's much more fun to be a Boilermaker. How do
I know? Because I am one. And before you start calling me biased (which I am),
give me a chance to explain my completely unbiased (read: biased) point of
view.
I was born a Hoosier - both literally and figuratively.
Being born in Indianapolis with a Mother who was an IU graduate, it was easy for me to cheer for the Hoosiers
and so I did, briefly. Thankfully, I grew out of that stage of my life with a
lot of help from my dad - a Boilermaker graduate. There's a saying that some of us Boilers like, "Hoosier by birth, but Boilermaker by the grace of God."
The Boilermaker nickname is different which is fitting
because it takes a different type of person to don the Old Gold and Black. It
started as insult by a rival newspaper and just seemed to stick. Purdue took
pride in the grungy, blue-collar, tough-nosed mentality.
Being a Boilermaker is not about being glamorous or sexy.
It's about working your gold and black trousers off and being proud of your
roots. Being a Purdue fan is not something that most people do unless they
actually attended Purdue. It makes the Boilermaker bandwagon a small but
extremely tight-knit group. The same can't be said for many of our in-state
rivals. If you travel outside of Big Ten Country, most people can't even tell
you what state Purdue is in.
So what does it mean to be a Boilermaker? It means you're
probably going to be looked down upon, but you're okay with that. In fact, you
revel in the opportunity to prove people wrong. It means you're going to suffer
heartbreak. It means someone's eyebrows will raise when you tell them, "I
go/went to Purdue." It means that if you go down, you're going down swinging.
Purdue knows the great triumphs of victory and at the very least, if we fail,
we fail while daring greatly.
Being a Boilermaker is something special. It's unique, it's
exciting, it's not always easy but it brings a great sense of pride.Being a Boilermaker might be tough but
damn, it can be a lot of fun.So I
ask, why join the others if you can be with the Boilers.
Until next time, Ever Grateful, Ever True. Boiler Up, Hammer Down and Hail Purdue!
--
The Big Ten'sHonoring Legends. Building Leaders.Mobile Tour comes to West Lafayette on
Thursday! View the schedule below to see where the RV will be when it's on the
Purdue campus:
Thursday, September 15 Noon - 4 p.m. ET
Memorial Mall
Friday, September 16 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET
Memorial Mall
5 - 5:45 p.m. ET
Boiler Bridge Walk
6 - 7 p.m. ET
Lafayette Savings Bank Parking Lot
Saturday, September 17 9 a.m. - Noon and 3 - 4 p.m. ET
Slayter Center on Stadium Avenue
Five Big Ten teams appear in the latest USTFCCCA national cross country coaches' poll, announced on Tuesday. Michigan holds its top-15 position at No. 13, while Penn State remains at No. 18. Iowa climbs one spot to No. 27, with Michigan State following closely at No. 28. Minnesota rounds out the group at No. 30, while Indiana is also receiving votes.
The Big Ten volleyball weekly release, featuring up-to-date standings, statistics and more, is now available online. Click here to see the complete release.
Purdue's Jonathan Gandolf is taking over the Honoring Legends. Building Leaders. Mobile Tour blog, Twitter account and YouTube page through Saturday while the tour is in West Lafayette.
Learn more about Jonathan by watching his introductory video HERE and by reading his intro below:
"My name is Jonathan Gandolf - I am a Boilermaker. I hail from Greenwood, Ind., and I'm passionate about the Sports Management industry. I've cut my teeth in sports working with Pacers Sports & Entertainment, the Purdue Sports Information Department and the Macquarie University Sport and Aquatics Centre (Sydney, Australia). Through my experience in the interactive marketing field with ExactTarget in Indianapolis, I hope to eventually work in a position that allows me to combine those two industries. I am a business management major with minors in International Business, Marketing, Economics and Strategic Management. In my free time I like to stay active. I golf, run and play basketball as much as time will allow. I come from a house divided. My father is a Boilermaker while my mom went to the school that will remain unnamed in Southern Indiana. I am ever grateful, ever true. Boiler Up, Hammer Down and Hail Purdue!"
At the end of the regular season, fans can vote for their favorite student blogger, and the winner will receive a trip to the Big Ten Football Championship Game or a Big Ten bowl game of their choice.
Fourteen Big Ten women's tennis players have earned top-125 honors in the first Campbell/Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division I Preseason Singles Rankings. Indiana's Leslie Hureau debuts at No. 39, while Michigan's Sam Critser comes in at No. 48. Northwestern's Belinda Niu sits right behind her at No. 49.
Seven conference doubles teams have also garnered recognition, with Northwestern duo Linda Abu Mushrefova and Nida Hamilton leading the way at No. 3.
Pat
Angerer, LB, Indianapolis (Iowa) - Made 13 tackles and a tackle for loss and
recovered a fumble in Indianapolis' 34-7 loss to Houston.
Tom
Brady, QB, New England (Michigan) - Racked up 517 yards and four touchdowns on
32 of 48 passing in New England's 38-24 win over Miami.
Drew
Brees, QB, New Orleans (Purdue) - Threw for 419 yards and three touchdowns
on 32 of 49 passing in New Orleans' 42-34 loss to Green Bay.
Plaxico
Burress, WR, New York Jets (Michigan State) - Made four receptions for 72 yards
and a touchdown in the New York Jets' 27-24 win over Dallas.
Scott
Chandler, TE, Buffalo (Iowa) - Caught five passes for 63 yards and two touchdowns in
Buffalo's 41-7 win over Kansas City.
Eric
Decker, WR, Denver (Minnesota) - Returned a punt 90 yards for a touchdown
and caught three passes for 53 yards in Denver's 23-20 loss to Oakland.
Ted
Ginn Jr., WR/KR, San Francisco (Ohio State) - Racked up 262 return yards,
returning a kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown and a punt 55 yards for a score
in San Francisco's 33-17 win over Seattle.
Tamba
Hali, LB, Kansas City (Penn State) - Recorded six tackles, two tackles for loss
and a sack in Kansas City's 41-7 loss to Buffalo.
Chad
Henne, QB, Miami (Michigan) - Threw for 416 yards and two touchdowns, completing 30
of 49 passes in Miami's 38-24 loss to New England.
Ryan
Kerrigan, LB, Washington (Purdue) - Returned an interception for a touchdown
and added five tackles in Washington's 28-14 win over the New York Giants.
Justin
King, CB, St. Louis (Penn State) - Tallied seven tackles, three tackles for loss
and a sack in St. Louis' 31-13 loss to Philadelphia.
James
Laurinaitis, LB, St. Louis (Ohio State) - Notched six tackles and a tackle for loss
and recovered a fumble in St. Louis' 31-13 loss to Philadelphia.
Sean
Lee, LB, Dallas (Penn State) - Made 12 tackles and an interception in Dallas' 27-24
loss to the New York Jets.
Kyle
Orton, QB, Denver (Purdue) - Threw for 304 yards and a touchdown on 24 of 46
passing in Denver's 23-20 loss to Oakland.
Barrett
Ruud, LB, Tennessee (Nebraska) - Racked up 14 tackles in Tennessee's 16-14
loss to Jacksonville.
Bryan
Scott, S, Buffalo (Penn State) - Posted nine tackles, three tackles for
loss and a sack in Buffalo's 41-7 win over Kansas City.
Cameron
Wake, LB, Miami (Penn State) - Recorded three tackles and a sack in Miami's 38-24
loss to New England.
Beanie
Wells, RB, Arizona (Ohio State) - Rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown on 18
carries in Arizona's 28-21 win over Carolina.
Antoine Winfield, CB, Minnesota (Ohio State) - Made 10 tackles, a tackle for loss and an
interception in Minnesota's 24-17 loss to San Diego.
The Big Ten's Honoring Legends. Building Leaders. Mobile Tour comes to West Lafayette on Thursday! View the schedule below to see where the RV will be when it's on the Purdue campus:
Thursday, September 15 Noon - 4 p.m. ET Memorial Mall
Friday, September 16 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET Memorial Mall
5 - 5:45 p.m. ET Boiler Bridge Walk
6 - 7 p.m. ET Lafayette Savings Bank Parking Lot
Saturday, September 17 9 a.m. - Noon and 3 - 4 p.m. ET Slayter Center on Stadium Avenue
Seventeen Big Ten athletes have earned top 125 recognition in the first Campbell/Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division I Preseason Singles Rankings. Ohio State's Blaz Rola debuts at No. 2, while teammate Chase Buchanan comes in at No. 5. Illinois' Dennis Nevolo sits at No. 7 with Michigan's Evan King right behind him at No. 8.
Nine conference doubles teams have also earned rankings, with Ohio State's Buchanan and Rola leading the way at No. 3.
Follow the links below for the complete singles and doubles rankings.
Penn State, Illinois and Ohio State earn a spot in the latest NSCAA National Rankings poll released today. The Nittany Lions (6-2-0) sit at No. 21, while the Fighting Illini (6-2-0) come in at No. 23. The Buckeyes round out the list at No. 25.
Indiana, Penn State and Ohio State represent the Big Ten in the latest NSCAA National Rankings released today. The Hoosiers (4-0-1) sit at No. 9, while the Nittany Lions (4-1-0) move up to No. 15. The Buckeyes (3-1-1) come in at No. 24.
Minnesota's Stephanie Price has been named Big Ten Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week after winning the Oz Memorial over the weekend. Click here for the complete release and more information on Price.
Minnesota's Pieter Gagnon has been named Big Ten Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week, the conference office announced on Tuesday. Gagnon took first place at the Hornet Jamboree on Saturday. Click here to read more about Gagnon.
Penn State, Iowa and Michigan earned spots in the latest 2011 Kookaburra/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll released today. The Nittany Lions (3-3) sit at No. 7, while the Hawkeyes (5-1) move up to No. 12. The Wolverines (4-2) are right behind them at No. 13
Northwestern, Indiana, Ohio State and Michigan State also received votes.
Iowa's Mike Meyer was named one of three Lou Groza Award "Stars of the Week" for his performance at Iowa State. The Hawkeyes kicker was perfect on four field goal attempts in a 44-41 triple overtime loss to Iowa State in Ames. The sophomore was successful on all four attempts, including a career-best 50-yarder in the third quarter. The Dubuque, Iowa native also connected from 42, 34 and 20 yards and converted three extra points. Meyer led Iowa in scoring with 73 points as a freshman in 2010. In his first two games this season, Meyer has yet to miss a kick, hitting all six field goal tries and all seven PATs.
The latest AVCA Division I Coaches' Poll, released on Monday, again features seven Big Ten volleyball teams. Illinois moves up to No. 3 this week to lead all conference teams while fifth-ranked Penn State joins the Illini in the top five. Ninth-ranked Minnesota and No. 10 Nebraska give the Big Ten four top-10 teams while No. 14 Purdue, No. 18 Michigan and No. 25 Ohio State round out the contingent of conference squads.
Michigan's Denard Robinson has been named the Davey O'Brien Quarterback of the Week after leading the Wolverines to a 35-31 victory over Notre Dame in impressive fashion. With Michigan facing a 24-7 deficit in the final quarter, Robinson took the team on his back and found four touchdowns to power the Wolverines to victory. His most impressive score occurred with only two seconds remaining in the game as the junior connected on a 16-yard strike to put the finishing touches on the remarkable comeback. The drive, which covered 70 yards, took Robinson only 28 seconds to orchestrate. Robinson completed 11-of-24 passes during the game and tallied 338 passing yards and four touchdowns in the process. He was equally productive on the ground, running 16 times for 108 yards and one score. The Deerfield Beach, Fla., native, whose efforts kept the Wolverines perfect at 2-0 to start the season, earned the Davey O'Brien Quarterback of the Week honor twice during the 2010-11 season.
Its dramatic rally - make that two rallies - in the final 75 seconds to win earned the Michigan Wolverines (2-0) the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week for games of the weekend of Sept. 10. Quarterback Denard Robinson threw a 16-yard pass to Roy Roundtree with two seconds left, lifting the Wolverines to a 35-31 win over Notre Dame in front of 104,814 fans in the first night game ever played at Michigan Stadium. Robinson also threw a 21-yard touchdown to Vincent Smith with 1:12 left, giving Michigan its first lead. But Notre Dame rallied to retake the lead with a touchdown pass with 30 seconds left. Robinson's 64-yard completion on the final drive put Michigan in position for the winning play.
"I really didn't do anything. I can tell you our kids fought together, they stayed together and they played 60 minutes of football," Michigan coach Brady Hoke said after the game. "It's great to win. It's great to win this rivalry game."
Iowa and Michigan State have earned Big Ten women's soccer weekly awards
as announced on Monday. Two Spartans are recognized as Olivia Stander
takes home Offensive Player of the Week and Courtney Clem earns
Defensive Player of the Week laurels. Hawkeye forward Cloe Lacasse
receives the nod for Freshman of the Week.
Indiana and Penn State have earned Big Ten men's soccer weekly honors,
the conference announced on Monday. Indiana's Alec Purdie takes home
Offensive Player of the Week, while Penn State's Andrew Wolverton earns
recognition on the defensive end.
Indiana senior Caitlin Davis did a great job kicking off the Big Ten's Honoring Legends. Building Leaders. Mobile Tour during its stop in Bloomington!
Remember to follow the tour all season long on this blog and on Twitter @B1GMobileTour and vote for your favorite reporter at the end of the season. The winning student will get a trip to the Big Ten Football Championship Game or a Big Ten bowl game of their choice!
The Big Ten weekly football release was posted to the conference website today. Below are the top stories from the release, or click here for the full release:
Seven Big Ten teams remain undefeated through first two weeks of play
Seven conference squads receiving votes in weekly AP and USA Today polls
Michigan's Robinson, Nebraska's Abdullah and Wisconsin's Taylor garner weekly conference honors
Numerous Big Ten standouts rank among the nation's statistical elite
Big Ten is only conference with three quarterbacks among top 10 in passing efficiency
Four Big Ten quarterbacks rushed and threw for over 100 yards in week two
Big Ten welcomes more than 1.4 million fans into conference stadiums in 2011's first two weeks, including new national record by Michigan
Indiana's Caitlin Cox, Michigan's Lexi Dannemiller and Ohio State's Mari Hole and Sarah Mignin have been named Big Ten Volleyball Players of the Week, the conference office announced on Monday. Hole reels in Player of the Week honors while Cox and Mignin share Defensive Player of the Week laurels and Dannemiller takes home her second consecutive Freshman of the Week award.
Click here to read more about this week's winners.
The Big Ten announced the start times and network designations for games to be played on Sept. 24. The full schedule appears below:
Noon ET/11 a.m. CT
San Diego State at Michigan, BTN Louisiana Monroe at Iowa, BTN Eastern Michigan at Penn State, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU* Central Michigan at Michigan State, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU* *-network designations to be determined after games of Sept. 17
3:30 ET/2:30 CT
Colorado at Ohio State, ABC (ESPN2 outer-market) Western Michigan at Illinois, BTN South Dakota at Wisconsin, BTN
7 ET/6 CT
North Dakota State at Minnesota, BTN Indiana at North Texas State, ESPN3
Michigan State's Arthur Ray Jr., an offensive lineman who has battled cancer for over four years, was named a finalist for the America's Choice Honor for Courage in Sports. The winner, wholly determined by fan voting at www.Facebook.com/CourageInSports, will be announced on "Courage in Sports," a one-hour CBS special (Nov. 13, 5 pm ET) that recognizes individuals that have overcome monumental challenges to achieve greatness in the world of sports. Ray is one of six inspirational stories in the finals, which run Oct. 3-16.
A standout lineman at Chicago's Mount Carmel High School and ranked among the nation's top offensive guards, Ray signed to play for the Spartans in 2007 but was diagnosed with bone cancer soon after. After four years, frequent chemotherapy, nine surgeries, multiple infections and almost two years on crutches, Ray was cleared to practice in April 2011 and is on the Spartans roster this season. Although taking a rest period following a setback in camp, Ray made the first start of his career Sept. 2 against Youngstown State.
The Big Ten Football Players of the Week for games on Sept. 10 were announced today with honorees from Michigan, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Wolverines quarterback Denard Robinson was named the Offensive Player of the Week, Badgers linebacker Mike Taylor was tabbed as the Defensive Player of the Week and Cornhuskers kick returner Ameer Abdullah swept the Special Teams and Freshman of the Week laurels. For full details on the performances of the weekly honorees, click here.
The Mobile Tour's last day at Indiana was a busy one as the RV was parked right next to the stadium leading up to the Hoosiers' game against Virginia. IU fans were in full force to celebrate the first home game of the season, check out a video and photos from the final stop in Bloomington.
The day began with members of the RedSteppers Dance Team and the Marching Hundred stopping by to get their photos taken with the Stagg-Paterno Championship Trophy.
Fans were fired up when former Indiana running back Anthony Thompson appeared at the Tour at 4:30 p.m. Thompson is a namesake on the Big Ten's Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award. Thompson racked up numerous records while playing for the Hoosiers from 1986-1989.
As game time drew nearer, members of the Indiana cheerleading squad stopped by on their way to the stadium.
Thanks to all Hoosier fans who checked out the Mobile Tour this week!
Seven Big Ten teams are receiving votes in the latest Associated Press (AP) and USA Today coaches national polls. The Big Ten is one of only three conferences with two or more top-10 programs and four or more top-25 squads in both rankings. Wisconsin and Nebraska remained among the top 10. The Badgers moved up one spot in each poll to rate No. 7 by the media and No. 8 by the coaches. The Cornhuskers held steady at No. 10 in both polls. Michigan State moved up slighly in both rankings, climbing to No. 15 in both votes, while Ohio State was tabbed No. 17 by the AP and No. 16 in the coaches ratings. Michigan, Northwestern and Penn State were among other teams receiving votes in both polls.
The College Football Performance Awards for the second week of the 2011 college football season have been announced with five Big Ten players earning recognition. Wisconsin's Jacob Pederson was named the National Tight End of the Week, Iowa's Mike Meyer was tabbed the National Placekicker of the Week, Purdue's Carson Wiggs was selected as the National Kickoff Specialist of the Week, Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah was honored as the National Kickoff Returner of the Week and Ohio State's Chris Fields was named the National Punt Returner of the Week. The purpose of the College Football Performance Awards is to provide the most scientifically rigorous conferments in college football. Recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams.
The Mobile Tour rolled on Friday at Indiana University. Hoosier fans were able to take their picture with the Stagg-Paterno Championship Trophy and tested out their football receiving skills. Below are some photos from day two at Indiana, you can also check out a video from the jugs gun game here.
The Mobile Tour RV will be parked at the Hoosier Village (in the parking lot near the southeast corner of the stadium) on Saturday from 1:30-6:30 p.m. leading up to the Indiana-Virginia game at 7:00. Former Hoosier football player Anthony Thompson will be available for photos and autographs at 4:30 p.m.
The Big Ten Mobile Tour continues tomorrow in Bloomington. From 10:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m. the RV will be parked on Fee Lane, near Sembower
Field. Come check it out!
While Indiana may belong to the Leaders division, the
legends of Indiana football have also made their mark on the Big Ten Conference.
Two of the Big Ten's trophies will feature the namesakes of former Indiana
football players.
Antwaan Randel El, one of the most exciting athletes to come
through Indiana, is honored on the Thompson-Randel El Freshman of the Year
trophy. Randel El set numerous offensive records and came in sixth in the
Heisman Trophy voting following his senior campaign in 2001.
Anthony Thompson, a running back for the Hoosiers from
1986-1989, is recognized on the Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award. Thompson was
named Big Ten Player of the Year and was selected as an All-American following
both his junior and senior seasons. More recently, Thompson has taken the role
as pastor and spiritual mentor in the Bloomington community. Thompson will be
at the Mobile Tour on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. signing autographs for fans. On
Saturday, the Mobile Tour RV will be located at Memorial Stadium at the Hoosier
Village, just north of 17th Street.
The complete list of Big Ten trophy names can be found here.
September 8 WISCONSIN def. Northern Illinois (2-0)
September 9 MICHIGAN STATE def. Bowling Green (2-0) MINNESOTA def. Illinois State (1-0) Central Florida def. PENN STATE (2-1) # 13 Pepperdine def. # 20 ILLINOIS (4-2) IOWA def. Iowa State (4-1) INDIANA def. Xavier (1-0) MICHIGAN def. Western Michigan (1-0) NEBRASKA def. # 25 Virginia Tech (4-3) Cal State Northridge ties PURDUE (2-2)
September 11 # 20 ILLINOIS def. Oregon (5-0) # 18 Wake Forest def. NEBRASKA (2-1) Kansas def. PURDUE (1-0, OT) DePaul def. MINNESOTA (2-1, OT) # 12 Marquette def. INDIANA (2-1) IOWA def. South Dakota (5-0) Illinois State def. NORTHWESTERN (2-1, 2OT) PENN STATE def. # 7 Virginia (3-2) MICHIGAN STATE def. UC Santa Barbara (4-1) # 14 Milwaukee def. WISCONSIN (2-1, OT) Central Michigan ties MICHIGAN (1-1, 2OT) # 22 OHIO STATE def. Ohio (1-0, OT)
It's the eve of the kickoff to the Big Ten's Mobile Tour as the RV rolls onto the campus of Indiana tomorrow from 11:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. Come check out what all the buzz is about as the RV will be stationed on 8th Street, just west of the HPER building and north of the Union. Play some games, learn about the Big Ten's new Legends and Leaders divisions and catch a glimpse of the Stagg-Paterno Championship Trophy.
If you can't make it tomorrow, the RV will be on Fee Lane at Sembower Field from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. on Friday. On game day, it will be located in Hoosier Village from 1:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. leading up to Indiana's game against Virginia. Go Hoosiers!
Michigan State's Caroline Powers, Northwestern's Lauren Weaver and Purdue's Laura Gonzalez-Escallon are among Golf World's 50 women's college golf players to watch. Weaver earned runner-up status at the 2011 Big Ten Championships, while Powers followed in fourth place and Gonzalez-Escallon took sixth. Gonzalez-Escallon finished third individually at the NCAA Championships to lead the Boilermakers to a runner-up finish, while Powers tied for sixth.
The complete list of Golf World players to watch can be found here.
Jake Stoneburner of Ohio State was named the John Mackey Tight End of the Week by the Nassau County Sports Commission. The Buckeyes junior recorded four receptions for 50 yards and three receiving touchdowns in the 42-0 shutout over Akron. He scored the second, third and fourth touchdowns of the game as OSU pulled away. Stoneburner is the first tight end in modern Ohio State history to catch three touchdowns in a game.
Illinois' Luke Guthrie and Iowa's Chris Brant have been selected as two of Golf World's 50 college golf players to watch. Guthrie and Brant finished first and second, respectively, at the 2011 Big Ten Championships. Guthrie, who is listed at No. 5 on the players to watch list, followed with a top-15 performance at the NCAA Championships, tying for 13th place at the event, while Brant tied for 20th.
The Big Ten announced its 2011-12 Women's Golfers to Watch List on Wednesday, with three student-athletes from each conference team decorating the list. Seven golfers among the group of 36 closed the 2010-11 season with All-Big Ten honors.
Click here to see the complete golfers to watch list.
Purdue's Tyler Duncan has been named the Big Ten Men's Golfer of the Week, the conference office announced on Wednesday. Click here to read more about Duncan.
The Big Ten will be heavily represented when the 2011 National Football League (NFL) season kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 8, with 234 players appearing on the 53-man active rosters of the 32 NFL teams. Former student-athletes from all 12 Big Ten programs appear on an NFL roster, led by 35 players from Ohio State. The Buckeyes are one of seven college football programs to boast at least 35 players on the NFL's 53-man rosters. In all, five Big Ten teams feature at least 25 former players on NFL rosters, including Ohio State, Iowa (31), Michigan (26), Nebraska (25) and Penn State (25). The Big Ten and SEC are the only conferences to feature five schools with 25 or more players on the 53-man rosters. Only 16 college football programs can boast 25 or more NFL representatives. The Big Ten's 234-player contingent ranks second among all conferences behind only the SEC (268).
Indiana senior Caitlin Davis is taking over the Honoring Legends. Building Leaders. Mobile Tour blog, Twitter account and YouTube page through Saturday while the tour is in Bloomington.
Learn more about Caitlin by watching her introductory video HERE and by reading her intro below:
"My name is Caitlin Davis and I am a senior at Indiana University. I am from Indianapolis and am studying Sport Communication. I hope to use my major to work in Media/Public Relations in the sports industry when I graduate. One of the biggest reasons I chose to attend IU, apart from the top notch academics of course, is the amazing sports tradition in Bloomington. The pride and school spirit here is amazing. With most of my family attending Indiana and passing along their enthusiasm for IU, I've been a fan of the Hoosiers since as long as I remember. Growing up, we spent many fall Saturdays at Memorial Stadium watching Indiana football. The upcoming season is sure to be a special one as the new era of Coach Kevin Wilson begins to unfold. I'm very excited to represent Indiana and be a part of the Big Ten's mobile tour!"
At the end of the regular season, fans can vote for their favorite student blogger, and the winner will receive a trip to the Big Ten Football Championship Game or a Big Ten bowl game of their choice.
The Big Ten's Honoring Legends. Building Leaders. Mobile Tour rolls into Bloomington on Thursday! View the schedule below to see where the RV will stop when it's on the Indiana University campus:
Thursday, September 8 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. ET On 8th Street, west of HPER and north of the union
Friday, September 9 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. ET Fee Lane at Sembower Field
Saturday, September 10 1:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. ET Hoosier Village Featuring a special appearance by Indiana All-American Anthony Thompson (1986-89), a namesake on the Big Ten's Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award
Penn State, Michigan, Iowa and Indiana earn spots in the latest 2011 Kookaburra/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll released today. The Nittany Lions (2-2) climb to No. 6, while the Wolverines (2-2) sit at No. 14. Both unranked to begin the season, the Hawkeyes (3-1) and Hoosiers (4-0) sit at No. 15 and No. 19 respectively.
Ohio State, Northwestern and Michigan State also received votes.
Illinois and Ohio State represent the Big Ten in this weeks women's soccer NSCAA National Rankings poll released today. The Fighting Illini sit at No. 20, while the Buckeyes clock in at No. 22.
Penn State, Iowa and Wisconsin also received votes.
Two Big Ten men's soccer teams appear in the latest NSCAA National Rankings poll released today. Indiana (2-0-1) jumped eight spots to No. 10, while Penn State (3-1) clocks in at No. 19.
Penn State's Kyle Dawson has earned the first weekly men's cross country award of the 2011 season. Click here to see the complete release and to read more about Dawson.
Northwestern's Audrey Huth and Penn State's Caitlin Lane have been named Big Ten Co-Runners of the Week, the conference office announced on Tuesday. Click here to read more about Huth and Lane's award-garnering performances.
Eight Big Ten football teams are receiving votes in the latest Associated Press (AP) and USA Today coaches polls announced today, including two top-10 programs and five top-25 schools. The Big Ten is one of only three conferences to feature two or more top-10 teams and five or more top-25 squads. Wisconsin and Nebraska both cracked the top 10 in the latest polls. The Badgers climbed three spots to No. 8 in the AP rankings while rising one slot to No. 9 in the USA Today poll. The Cornhuskers remained at No. 10 in the media voting while jumping one spot to No. 10 in the coaches poll. Other Big Ten schools among the top 25 include No. 15/15 Ohio State (AP/USA Today), No. 17/16 Michigan State and No. 23/20 Penn State. In addition, Iowa, Michigan and Northwestern are each receiving votes in both polls.
Nebraska's Brett Maher was named one of three "Stars of the Week" by the Lou Groza Collegiate Place Kicker Award, college football's top kicking award. The Nebraska junior kicker adds a Groza Award Star of the Week selection to the two other honors he earned for his performance in the Cornhusker's 40-7 defeat of Chattanooga. Maher went 4-for-4 on field goals, including kicks of 50 and 48 yards, and 4-for-4 on extra points and was named the Big Ten Special Teams Co-Player of the Week and earned the College Football Performance Award as National Place Kicker of the Week. The Kearney, Neb. native added field goals of 34 and 21 yards. Maher also handles kick-off and punting duties for the Huskers.
The Big Ten volleyball weekly release, featuring up-to-date standings, statistics and more, is now available online. Click here to see the complete release.
Michigan safety Jordan Kovacs has been named the Lott IMPACT Player of the Week. Kovacs, a 6-0, 197-pound senior from Curtice, Ohio, led the Wolverines with 10 tackles and had two sacks, a forced fumble that led to a touchdown and a pass breakup in a 34-10 win over Western Michigan. In recognition of Kovacs' performance, the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, sponsors of the Lott IMPACT Trophy, will make a $1,000 donation to the general scholarship fund at Michigan.
Kovacs is a former walk-on who had to overcome two knee surgeries in a 10-month span before making the Michigan team in 2008. He was an All-Ohio academic selection in high school, but was not heavily recruited. He recorded 116 tackles last season, second in the Big Ten. He was named honorable mention all-conference and is off to a stellar start in this his final season at Ann Arbor.
Other notable performances by players on the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List included Purdue linebacker Joe Holland with 14 tackles and two passes broken up in a win over Middle Tennessee, 27-24.
Michigan State offensive lineman Arthur Ray Jr. and former Indiana basketball standout Landon Turner are nominated for the America's Choice Honor for Courage in Sports, Intersport announced today. The America's Choice Honor, wholly determined by fan voting, recognizes individuals that have overcome monumental challenges to achieve greatness in the world of sports. The winner will be announced on a one-hour "Courage in Sports" special airing at 5 p.m. ET Nov. 13 on CBS.
Each week for six weeks, two inspirational sports stories will be featured on the Courage in Sports Facebook page (www.facebook.com/CourageInSports). The top weekly vote-getter will proceed to the finals, which run Oct. 3-16.
Turner, a dominant power forward, and teammate of Isaiah Thomas, led the Hoosiers to an NCAA National Championship in 1981. Just four months later, Turner suffered a fractured spine in an automobile accident and was left paralyzed from the chest down. Despite his tragic injury, the budding star was selected in the 10th round of the 1982 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics. Confined to a wheelchair for the last 30 years, Turner has remained an adored figure in the eyes of the Indiana faithful. He now works as a motivational speaker, educating young people in Indiana about disability awareness. Turner was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.
Michigan State offensive lineman Arthur Ray Jr. and former Indiana basketball standout Landon Turner are nominated for the America's Choice Honor for Courage in Sports, Intersport announced today. The America's Choice Honor, wholly determined by fan voting, recognizes individuals that have overcome monumental challenges to achieve greatness in the world of sports. The winner will be announced on a one-hour "Courage in Sports" special airing at 5 p.m. ET Nov. 13 on CBS. Each week for six weeks, two inspirational sports stories will be featured on the Courage in Sports Facebook page (www.facebook.com/CourageInSports). The top weekly vote-getter will proceed to the finals, which run Oct. 3-16.
A standout lineman at Chicago's Mount Carmel High School and ranked among the nation's top offensive guards, Ray signed to play for the Spartans in 2007 but was diagnosed with bone cancer soon after. After four years, frequent chemotherapy, nine surgeries, multiple infections and almost two years on crutches, Ray was cleared to practice in April 2011 and is on the Spartans roster this season. Although taking a rest period following a setback in camp, Ray remained vigilant and returned to the field this season, earning his first collegiate start against Youngstown State last Friday night.
Seven Big Ten volleyball teams have garnered top-25 status in the latest AVCA Division I Coaches' Poll, released on Monday. Penn State holds No. 2 nationally for the second-straight week, while Illinois jumps three spots to join the Nittany Lions in the top five at No. 4. Minnesota earns top-10 consideration this week, moving to No. 6 in the latest poll. Nebraska and Purdue sit just outside the top 10, with the Huskers checking in at No. 11 and the Boilermakers earning No. 13. Michigan stands at No. 20 this week, followed by Ohio State at No. 25. Michigan State and Northwestern are receiving votes in the poll.
The Big Ten weekly football release was posted to the conference website today. With the first Big Ten games in the books, the weekly release breaks down the conference's 10 wins, impressive debuts for new quarterbacks, another attendance record, coaches and players joining rare company and more. Below are the top stories from the release, or click here for the full release:
For the sixth time in seven years, Big Ten teams combine for at least 10 wins during opening week
New Big Ten quarterbacks impressive in 2011 debuts
Big Ten sets new single-day nine-game attendance record with more than 700,000 fans during Week 1
Penn State's Paterno drawing closer to all-time Division I record for career wins
Rivalry games return with Iowa battling for Cy-Hawk Trophy
Wisconsin's Bielema becomes sixth-fastest Big Ten coach to reach 50 career wins.
Minnesota's Stoudermire becomes second player in conference history to eclipse 3,000 career kickoff return yards.
The College Football Performance Awards for the first week of the 2011 college football season have been announced with four Big Ten players earning recognition. Michigan's Brandon Herron was named the National Defensive Performer of the Week, Ohio State's Jake Stoneburner earned National Tight End of the Week, Penn State's Chaz Powell was honored as National Kickoff Returner of the Week and Nebraska's Brett Maher was tabbed the National Place Kicker of the Week. The purpose of the College Football Performance Awards is to provide the most scientifically rigorous conferments in college football. Recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams
The first Big Ten Football Players of the Week of the 2011 season were announced today with honorees from Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State and Wisconsin. Badgers quarterback Russell Wilson was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week while Wolverines linebacker Brandon Herron was tabbed as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. Cornhuskers kicker Brett Maher and Nittany Lions kick returner Chaz Powell shared the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week award, while Illini linebacker Houston Bates was selected as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week. For full details on the performances of the weekly honorees, click here.
Michigan's Brandon Herron was named the Walter Camp Football Foundation National Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Western Michigan on Saturday. The senior linebacker became the first player in school history to post two defensive scores as the Wolverines earned a 34-10 victory. Herron, who posted a career-best eight tackles, returned an interception 94 yards for a touchdown and added a score on a 29-yard fumble recovery.
