Who are the nation’s greenest units?

The ESPN bloggers are getting into the St. Patrick’s Day spirit by breaking down the least experienced units in college football. Some highlights below, with links to the full reviews….

Graham Watson:

BYU offensive line: The Cougars will have to fill four of the five starting spots on the offensive line, but do have some depth there since several players received playing time due to injuries and some shuffling last year.

Boise State wide receivers: Boise State lost its three starting receivers, including Jeremy Childs, who left early for the NFL. Childs led the team in receiving yards and receptions last year and now quarterback Kellen Moore is going to have to break in some new playmakers.

Brian Bennett:

Louisville: The biggest bunch of newbies are at quarterback, where there are four candidates for the job but not one who’s seen any significant playing time at this level.

South Florida: Look no farther than the offensive line, where four of five starters need to be replaced.

Tim Griffin:

Oklahoma offensive line: The departure of starting center Jon Cooper, tackle Phil Loadholt and guards Duke Robinson and Brandon Walker means that Sam Bradford will have an inexperienced group protecting him next season. Trent Williams moves to left tackle and Bob Stoops likes his incoming talent, if not its early work habits.

Texas defensive line: The major question dogging the Longhorns’ national title hopes will be rebuilding a defensive front that loses All-American defensive end Brian Orakpo, defensive tackle Roy Miller, defensive tackleAaron Lewis and defensive end Henry Melton from last season.

Texas Tech offensive line: New quarterback Taylor Potts will be relying on a retooled offensive line protecting his blind side after left tackle Rylan Reed, left guard Louis Vasquez and center Stephen Hamby all departed from last year.

Chris Low:

Alabama: The Crimson Tide are replacing three-year starter John Parker Wilson at quarterback, but losing the threesome of Andre Smith, Marlon Davis and Antoine Caldwell on the offensive line leaves the biggest void. They were at the crux of just about everything Alabama did on offense last season.

Georgia: Much of the focus this spring will be on Joe Cox and the quarterback position, but the Bulldogs’ most glaring weakness is the lack of a dominant pass-rusher from the defensive end position. They’ve got to find somebody who can consistently get to the quarterback.

LSU: Jordan Jefferson started the final two games at quarterback last season as a true freshman and enters 2009 as the favorite to win the job. His main competition will come from another true freshman, Russell Shepard, who graduated early and is going through spring practice.

Heather Dinich:

GEORGIA TECH — Having lost three of four starters on the defensive line, it’s easily one of the greenest groups in the whole conference.

MIAMI – The Canes are still young everywhere, but remember quarterback Jacory Harris has only started two games and his backups have no collegiate experience.

NORTH CAROLINA — The Tar Heels lost their top three receivers and will be counting heavily on inexperienced players to replace Hakeem Nicks, Brandon Tate and Brooks Foster.

Ted Miller

Arizona State — QB: Combined starts of the five candidates to replace Rudy Carpenter at quarterback? Zero.

Oregon – DT: Both starting defensive tackles are gone and this unofficial depth chart shows 14 combine tackles for seven potential replacements.

Oregon State — DE: Sackmasters Victor Butler and Slade Norris and their 41.5 combined sacks over the past two seasons are gone. Sophomore Kevin Frahm and senior Ben Terry, who split two sacks between themselves in 2008, are in.

Adam Rittenberg

Ohio State’s offensive line — Don’t be shocked if Ohio State enters 2009 with three sophomores (Mike Brewster, Mike Adams, J.B. Shugarts) and a transfer (Justin Boren) on its starting line.

Penn State’s defensive ends — Jerome Hayes should be back from another knee injury, but Penn State will be on the lookout for a proven pass rusher after losing Aaron Maybin, Maurice Evans and Josh Gaines.

Purdue’s wide receivers — New coach Danny Hope made wide receiver a peak priority in his first recruiting class after losing Greg Orton and Desmond Tardy, who combined for 136 receptions and 1,596 yards last year.

Wisconsin’s defensive line — The Badgers lose three multiyear starters (Matt Shaughnessy, Mike Newkirk and Jason Chapman) and don’t return many proven players aside from ends O’Brien Schofield and Dan Moore.

And — of course — everyone’s favorite green unit:

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Recruiting needs: Purdue Boilermakers

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Danny Hope doesn't hide his fondness for speed and athleticism, and he'll try to find those qualities in his first recruiting class as Purdue's head coach.

Hope has already shown a willingness to travel a good distance for what he wants, particularly to the state of Florida. Purdue's 2009 recruiting haul will have a very different look than previous classes.

The Boilers' biggest recruiting needs come on defense, as they lose three starting linemen and three starting defensive backs. Ryan Kerrigan looks like a budding star at defensive end, but Hope must add pieces around him through the 2009 class. End Alex Magee and tackles Mike Neal and Ryan Baker will be missed, and there's not much left over in the interior line. Safety also will be a priority for Hope as the Boilers lose Torri Williams, the team's second leading tackler, and Frank Duong.

Wide receiver jumps out as Purdue's biggest need on offense as the team loses Desmond Tardy and Greg Orton, who combined for 136 receptions and 10 touchdowns last season. Hope mentioned in August that he wants more speed at the inside receiver spots and will look to add some in this class. The new coach also prioritizes speed and athleticism over size at the offensive line spots, saying he wants "guys that are good enough to play on defense but are big enough to move to offense."

The Boilers also might look to add a quarterback or two in this class. Three-year starter Curtis Painter graduates, backup Joey Elliott is a senior and Justin Siller had mixed results in limited action last year, so another signal caller wouldn't be a bad move.

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Big Ten year-end wide receiver/tight end rankings

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

Only one Big Ten team (Illinois) ranked in the top 25 nationally in pass offense, so this was anything but an explosive year for the league’s wide receivers and tight ends. Subpar quarterback play had a role, as did injuries (Travis Beckum). Here’s a look at the best of an average bunch, as well as my preseason rankings for wide receivers/tight ends.

1. Eric Decker, Minnesota – The junior turned in an excellent season that would have looked even more impressive if not for an ankle injury Nov. 1 against Northwestern. Decker, who will play slot receiver in the NFL next season or in 2009, led the Big Ten and ranked 16th nationally in receptions. His blocking ability makes him even more attractive to pro teams. 

2. Arrelious Benn, Illinois – Benn came on strong in Big Ten play, racking up 45 receptions for 794 yards and three touchdowns in eight league games. A likely candidate to turn pro after the 2009 season, Benn averaged 17.6 yards per catch in conference games and solidified himself as Juice Williams’ top option. 

3. Deon Butler, Penn State – The former walk-on finished his college career with a flourish, leading Penn State in receptions (43), receiving yards (713) and touchdowns (7). Butler became Penn State’s all-time receptions leader (175) and ranks second in career receiving yards (2,674) and third in touchdown receptions (22). 

4. Derrick Williams, Penn State — Williams’ value went far beyond what he did as a wide receiver. Though he contributed to Penn State’s passing attack with 40 receptions and 451 yards, his impact on returns, as a ballcarrier and as a part-time quarterback in the “Wild Lion” offense was even greater. The former nation’s No. 1 recruit played his best football in the twilight of his career.

5. Desmond Tardy, Purdue — It wasn’t a banner year for the Purdue offense, but Tardy did his part, particularly in Big Ten play. The senior finished third in receiving yards in league games (510). He eclipsed 100 receiving yards in four games, including each of the final two.

6. Greg Orton, Purdue — Orton helped fill the void left by Dorien Bryant with a team-high 69 catches, which ranked second in the Big Ten behind Decker. He was reliable if not overly flashy and settled into the possession-receiver role in the Boilermakers’ offense.

7. Blair White, Michigan State — Wide receiver was a major concern for Michigan State entering the season, and White came out of nowhere to become Brian Hoyer’s top option in Big Ten play. Only Arrelious Benn had more receiving yards in Big Ten play than White (568), who averaged a blistering 17.1 yards per reception. 

8. Eric Peterman, Northwestern — Peterman led Northwestern in receiving for the second consecutive season and recorded all five of his touchdown receptions in Big Ten play. He made big plays at key points and seemed to finish the season playing his best football.

9. Garrett Graham, Wisconsin — Beckum’s injury really hurt the Wisconsin passing game, but Graham did a nice job of stepping up. He was the Badgers’ only reliable option and led Big Ten tight ends with 37 receptions for 478 yards and five touchdowns. 

T-10 Brandon Myers, Iowa — The Hawkeyes had the nation’s best running back (Shonn Greene) and didn’t need to pass much, but Myers made his mark with 30 receptions and four touchdowns. The senior tight end earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from the league’s coaches and helped Iowa reach a New Year’s Day bowl. 

T-10. Brian Robiskie, Ohio State — He certainly had higher expectations for his senior year and probably thought Todd Boeckman, not Terrelle Pryor, would be throwing him the ball. But under the circumstances, Robiskie performed adequately and grabbed a league-high eight touchdown receptions. 

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Filling out the Top 10 Big Ten games of 2008

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

The response has been excellent for my list of the top five Big Ten games this season, so I’ve decided to extend the rundown to 10. Many of you made compelling arguments for games that should have been included in the top five, but I’m comfortable with my list.

I do think some other memorable contests should be recognized, so here’s the full rundown.

Recapping the top five (actually six):

1. Penn State at Iowa, Nov. 8, Kinnick Stadium (Iowa wins 24-23)
2. Penn State at Ohio State, Oct. 25, Ohio Stadium (Penn State wins 13-6)
3. Northwestern at Minnesota, Nov. 1, Metrodome (Northwestern wins 24-17)
4. Ohio State at Wisconsin, Oct. 4, Camp Randall Stadium (Ohio State wins 20-17)
T-5. Wisconsin at Michigan, Sept. 27, Michigan Stadium (Michigan wins 27-25)
T-5. Minnesota at Wisconsin, Nov. 15, Camp Randall Stadium (Wisconsin wins 35-32)

And here are games 6-10.

6. Wisconsin at Michigan State, Nov. 1, Spartan Stadium

I came very close to including this among the top five, but the fact that Michigan State played pretty poorly for the first 50 minutes or so kept it out. Still, the Spartans’ comeback and the Badgers’ collapse, which included a rare penalty on a head coach (Bret Bielema), made the game pretty memorable. Wisconsin dominated most of the game and was a holding penalty away from closing it out, but Michigan State capitalized on its final chance, driving 56 yards for the game-winning field goal with no timeouts remaining. Spartans kicker Brett Swenson went 4-for-4 on field goals, including a 50-yarder and the decisive 44-yarder in the fourth quarter as Michigan State prevailed 25-24.

7. Michigan at Purdue, Nov. 1, Ross-Ade Stadium

In a league dominated by defense and running backs, Michigan and Purdue produced a game that would make the Big 12 proud. The teams combined for 90 points and 822 total yards. Michigan scored three touchdowns of 45 or longer (one rush, one pass, one punt return), and Purdue backup quarterback Justin Siller sizzled in his first career start. The game also produced arguably the Big Ten’s Play of the Year, as Purdue executed a hook-and-lateral from Siller to Greg Orton to Desmond Tardy, who scored with 26 seconds left to give the Boilers a 48-42 win.

8. Iowa at Illinois, Nov. 1, Memorial Stadium

It was a pretty sloppy game on both sides, but the final 21 minutes featured several edge-of-your seat moments. Illinois took control with a 50-yard touchdown pass to Fred Sykes and a seven-yard fumble return to the end zone by cornerback Dere Hicks. But Iowa struck back to tie the score at 24-24 on a Shonn Greene run with 2:46 left. It set the stage for Illinois to drive 54 yards in 12 plays, setting up a 46-yard field goal by freshman Matt Eller that secured a 27-24 win.

9. Illinois at Penn State, Sept. 27, Beaver Stadium

If you liked big plays and tremendous athleticism, this was the game for you. The teams combined for four touchdowns of 21 yards or longer, and Penn State wide receiver/return man Derrick Williams stole the show with 241 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns (one rush, one pass, one return). Illinois stayed close for most of the way behind quarterback Juice Williams and wide receiver Arrelious Benn, but Penn State’s Williams proved to be too much on a “Whiteout” night in Happy Valley.

10. Minnesota at Illinois, Oct. 11, Memorial Stadium

The Golden Gophers completed their turnaround from 1-11 to bowl eligible with a tremendous defensive performance against Illinois. Minnesota senior defensive end Willie VanDeSteeg had arguably the league’s best individual defensive effort of the season, recording three sacks, a forced fumble that was returned for a touchdown and a pass deflection that led to an interception in the fourth quarter. Minnesota held off Illinois’ big-play passing attack to win its first Big Ten road game since 2006.

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Reviewing my preseason Top 25 (things to watch)

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

It’s always fun at this time of year to look back at preseason thoughts and predictions. In August, I outlined 25 items I wanted to see during the Big Ten season. Several of them came true, others didn’t and some materialized in different ways.

Here’s a look back at the list to see what worked out and what didn’t. 

	AP Photo/Carlos Osorio
	Terrelle Pryor earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.

1. Terrelle Pryor lead an offensive drive — He might be a Tim Tebow-like weapon near the goal line, but I’m more interested in how the Ohio State freshman quarterback handles a real offensive series. Pryor’s athleticism is undeniable, but it will be important to monitor his passing accuracy and the way he leads older teammates.

The verdict: We had plenty of opportunities to see Pryor lead drives after he was named Ohio State’s starter in Week 4. Despite a few growing pains, Pryor held his own and displayed remarkable athleticism in winning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. He also came up big in the clutch to lead Ohio State’s game-winning touchdown drive Oct. 4 at Wisconsin. 

2. Michigan’s quarterbacks — Rich Rodriguez has ushered in a new era in Ann Arbor and will turn to unproven players like Steven Threet, Nick Sheridan and possibly Justin Feagin to lead his spread offense. There will undoubtedly be growing pains, but if one of those three takes control, the Wolverines will surge.

The verdict: Oh, there were growing pains. Big ones. Threet and Sheridan struggled to fit into Rodriguez’s system, and Michigan finished the season ranked 109th nationally in total offense. Feagin likely will move to slot receiver in 2009, and incoming freshmen Shavodrick Beaver and Tate Forcier will compete for the starting quarterback spot. 

3. Jump Around at night — Camp Randall Stadium is intimidating enough during daylight hours, but the electricity will reach new levels this fall with back-to-back night games against Ohio State and Penn State. The Badgers haven’t lost at home under coach Bret Bielema, and they should have a tremendous home-field edge this fall.

The verdict: It was pretty cool to see Ohio State players jump in lockstep with the Wisconsin students on Oct. 4, but Camp Randall certainly lost its edge this fall. Wisconsin saw its home win streak fade against Ohio State and then suffered its worst home defeat since 1989 the next week against Penn State. Plus, the Badgers band was suspended from performing Oct. 4 after allegations of hazing surfaced. 

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Greene, Laurinaitis headline All-Big Ten teams

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

The All-Big Ten teams have been named by the league’s coaches and media members. My analysis will come later tonight.

Iowa running back Shonn Greene and Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis were selected as Big Ten Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year by both the coaches and the media. Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor was the consensus choice for Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Penn State’s Joe Paterno was the media’s pick for Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Here’s the full list.

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Purdue punishes Indiana in Tiller’s final game

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

Joe Tiller undoubtedly loved the 62-point sendoff he received from his Purdue team in his final game on the sidelines. But there’s a part of the Boilers coach that had to wonder: Where has this been? 

Entering the game ranked last in the Big Ten in scoring, Purdue turned in a near flawless performance against rival Indiana. It looked much like the games from the early part of Tiller’s tenure, when “Basketball on grass” gashed opposing defenses.

Senior quarterback Curtis Painter finally had a breakout performance (448 pass yards, 5 TDs), wideouts Keith Smith and Desmond Tardy both eclipsed 100 receiving yards and Kory Sheets added three touchdown runs.

What a way to send out an offensive innovator like Tiller.

As for Indiana, this solidifies the Hoosiers as the Big Ten’s worst team and one of the league’s bigger disappointments. It appeared as though Bill Lynch’s job was safe entering this game, but such a poor performance in a rivalry could make the next few days interesting. Then again, I don’t know how you fire a coach when his new boss (Fred Glass) doesn’t officially start until Jan. 2.

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Video: Game-Changing Nominees, Week 10

Rece Davis looks at Saturday’s top four game-changing performances in college football.

• Brendan Smith’s 48-yards interception return for a touchdown with 12 seconds remaining lifted Northwestern over Minnesota.
• Greg Orton lateraled to Desmond Tardy after a catch for a touchdown with 23 seconds left in the Boilermakers’ 48-42 victory over Michigan.

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Purdue Not An Open Date For Buckeyes

COLUMBUS, Ohio — This is no bye week, Buckeyes.

Coming off a tough and tight 20-17 victory at Wisconsin, and before heading to No. 23 Michigan State next week, No. 12 Ohio State is faced with a sneaky, treacherous in-between game against Purdue on Saturday.

The Boilermakers have lost three of their last four games and their quarterback, Curtis Painter, is under fire after playing poorly last week. Maybe that’s why the daily newspaper in Columbus had a story earlier this week which said, "Ohio State probably could use a bye week. Purdue will do."

The Boilermakers (2-3, 0-1 Big Ten) beg to differ.

"Our back is against the wall," wide receiver Desmond Tardy said. "It’s time for everybody to believe and not hope."

Defensive tackle Ryan Baker added, "This team is motivated by anger right now. We want to win. We’re going to do everything it takes to win the game."

Sound like they’re going to let the Buckeyes have an easy time of it?

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel doesn’t think his team can afford to look past anybody, particularly the Boilermakers.

"The danger is even looking one play ahead because if you’re not doing what you need to do on this play it could make the difference in a game and in a season," he said. "The guys who have been around here a long time know the fact that when Ohio State and Purdue square off it’s been overtimes, last-second wins – it’s been battles."

It’s true that the Buckeyes have an overwhelming 36-12-2 upper hand in the series, and haven’t lost at home to the Boilermakers in 20 years.

Yet in recent years, the Boilermakers have annually given the Buckeyes fits.

For instance, in 2000 Purdue quarterback Drew Brees hit Seth Morales on a long pass in the final minutes for a 31-27 win that spurred the Boilermakers on to the Rose Bowl. In 2002 Ohio State won the national championship but had its closest call at Purdue. It took a fourth-and-1 bomb from Craig Krenzel to Michael Jenkins to steal a late TD for a 10-6 win. A year later, the Buckeyes were No. 4 in the nation but had to go to overtime to escape with a 16-13 victory over the Boilermakers at Ohio Stadium.

Purdue took the 2004 meeting 24-17, before a three-year gap in the series. A year ago, the Buckeyes rolled to a 23-7 win.

Painter went to the air 60 times in that game, completing 31 for 268 yards. He completed 13-of-22 passes for only 112 yards with an interception last week while moving within 12 yards of becoming only the fourth Big Ten quarterback to pass for 10,000 yards in a career. Still, an angry coach Joe Tiller replaced him with Joey Elliott late in the game, with Elliott leading the way to Purdue’s only score.

Painter will start against the Buckeyes. Tailback Kory Sheets is fifth in the Big Ten in rushing (100 yards per game). The defense looked solid a week ago against Penn State’s Spread HD offense, giving up yards but only two touchdowns while holding the Nittany Lions to their lowest point total of the season.

Tiller, who has announced he will step down at the end of the year, said his players always seem to feel they can play with Ohio State.

"We’ve played pretty well over there and lost in overtime, lost on a kick in the last series of one game (1999)," Tiller said. "So we’ve been pretty competitive with them. I think our players just believe they can go over there and compete."

The Buckeyes aren’t talking as if they’ll have an easy time of it.

"They’re going to play their best game against us," said tailback Chris "Beanie" Wells, who went for 168 yards and a touchdown against Wisconsin.

Ohio State is also locked in at quarterback, although with a different one from a year ago. Todd Boeckman tossed two touchdown passes against the Boilermakers in 2007. This year, he’s been supplanted by speedy freshman Terrelle Pryor, who has looked good while learning how to play in the collegiate ranks.

"This guy loves to run, and he’s got some speed, and he’s got some size. That’s a big threat," Purdue DT Baker said. "If a play doesn’t seem to work out, if all else fails – run."

Purdue has lost its last 16 games against ranked teams. Tiller, an Ohio native, doesn’t differentiate between Top 25 teams and everyone else.

"What we look for is to try to improve as the season moves along, regardless of the opponent," he said. "What we want to do is get better. We don’t measure ourselves against our opponent, we measure ourselves against ourselves."

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Purdue struggling with loss of Keller

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

Most preseason evaluations of Purdue’s offense pointed to the loss of top wide receiver Dorien Bryant, who set a team record with 6,219 all-purpose yards and led the Big Ten in receptions per game in each of his final three seasons. Though Bryant’s production shouldn’t be understated, anyone who watched Purdue knew tight end Dustin Keller would be the bigger loss. 

Keller was a 6-3, 240-pound matchup problem who finished his Purdue career with 142 receptions for 1,882 yards (13.3-yard average) and 16 touchdowns. As one Big Ten head coach told me this spring, “He was one of the best tight ends in the country. You played him in man, who takes him, the safety or the linebacker? You put a safety on him, you’ve got a size mismatch. You put a linebacker on him, you’ve got a speed mismatch.”

Looking at Purdue’s offense entering Week 7, the absence of a capable tight end who can catch short crossing routes or beat defenses down the field really stings. Junior Kyle Adams, who took all of the snaps with the first-team offense in preseason camp, has been out with a knee injury, and Purdue hasn’t gotten much from the reserves. 

The (Lafayette, Ind.) Journal and Courier’s Tom Kubat addressed Purdue’s lack of production at tight end:

After the first five games, Purdue has completed 113 passes but only five have been caught by the tight ends. Senior Jerry Wasikowski has three receptions for 19 yards, and redshirt freshman Colton McKey has caught two passes for nine yards.

Quarterback Curtis Painter admits things are different from last year when Dustin Keller caught 68 passes as a senior.

“Kyle is a great player but I don’t think we’re changing the game plan. I think all of our tight ends are the same style. They’re good blockers. Dustin was kind of a rare case. He was a very athletic guy who was more of a receiver.”

Senior wideouts Greg Orton and Desmond Tardy have filled the void left by Bryant, combining for 55 receptions and 723 receiving yards. But Keller’s absence has really hurt the Boilers. 

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