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Big Ten Preseason Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year
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As summer inches along slowly towards collge football season, myself and the rest of the media are gearing up for the upcoming Big Ten Football Media Day on July 27-28 in Chicago.
I am inexplicably excited for my first Media Day, and I've heard wonders about the food at the Media Luncheon that is provided. Also, speaking with Joe Paterno and Jim Tressel should be really cool.
Part of the process leading up the Media Day is the media voting for the Big Ten's preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.
After much thought, I decided to lend my votes to Illinois quarterback Juice Williams and Penn State linebacker Navorro Bowman.
Don't discredit my vote for Williams because of my Illini bias. If Williams puts up the same numbers he did last year with a few less interceptions, he should be receiving the honors at the end of the year. Not only does Williams hold the reins to the most explosive offense in the Big Ten, a lack of starpower across the board in the Big Ten helps Williams' cause - unless there is an emergence of an unknown player, a la Shonn Greene from last year. I can't imagine Penn State's Darryl Clark putting up gaudy numbers, especially after losing the receivers he had last year. Ohio State's Terelle Pryor might be a popular choice, but he still hasn't proven himself to be a complete quarterback just yet. Penn State's Evan Royster is the Big Ten's best running back by a long shot, and he could be Williams' toughest opponent for the award.
The lower interceptions number will be the key to Williams having a successful season. Everyone knows he's got a gun for an arm and is one of the most dangerous runners in the country. But if he shows that he can effectively manage the game and not turn the ball over, he can catapult himself amongst the elite in the nation. Last season, he led the Big Ten in passing yards and passing touchdowns, and led all QB's in rushing - but this was all marred by the fact that he also led the Big Ten in interceptions with 16. The key to Williams bringing home any type of hardware and the key to Illinois' season will be Williams keeping that interception total in check. He'll be going up against some pretty suspect secondaries early on (Missouri, Illinois State, Penn State), so expect some monster numbers early on (much like last year) to fuel some Player of the Year, if not even Heisman, consideration.
Bowman also doesn't necessarily run away with the award as well. Losing the likes of Penn State's Aaron Maybin, Ohio State's Malcolm Jenkins, and Illinois' Vontae Davis to the first round of the NFL Draft depletes the Big Ten's defensive talent, and Bowman might be the best of what is left. He was the Big Ten's second best linebacker last season to Ohio State's James Lauranitis, and getting his buddy Sean Lee back for Penn State's linebacking corps should help his cause. Also in the mix will be Lee, Ohio State's Kurt Coleman, Northwestern's Corey Wootton, and Michigan's Brandon Graham.
The only real Illini possibility is Martez Wilson, but certainly not preseason. Wilson has the size, speed, and athleticism to put up monster numbers at the middle linebacker position, but he had all those things last season, too. If he shows he has the strong instincts and full understanding of the defense that the middle linebacker position necessitates, Wilson may very well be a serious contender for the award by season's end.
